And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)
Merry Christmas
I believe it was a beautiful night with the stars shining overhead when Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem in preparation for the birth of the Christ child. Perhaps it was a crystal-clear night when, according to Matthew chapter 2, the wise men saw the star in the east which went before them until it came to the little town of Bethlehem and stood over where the young child was.
From Bethlehem, God preached His illustrated sermon through an infant child, our Savior, Jesus Christ! Christ’s arrival on the earth caused the moral climate of this world to be turned upside down.
To imagine that His birth has had little or no impact upon this world is to walk as a blind man on a dark night.
If you took the influence of what happened in Bethlehem’s manger away from the moral attitude and the social climate of our day, you would see a heightening of the onslaught of the devil to an unprecedented level that our finite minds could not even begin to comprehend.
We see the effect of the birth in Bethlehem’s manger on the spiritual attitude of multiplied thousands of people who name Christ as their Savior. However, the most astounding evidence of the impact that was made two millenniums ago is simply this: that which was ruined and wrecked is reclaimed and restored.
Let the testimonials begin! For who among us does not have this powerful testimony: once we were blind and now we see. Oh, grace, grace, marvelous grace! His grace is sufficient and His mercy
is everlasting!
As we stand at the door of the manger, we look back in time as angels sing, “Happy birthday!” Shepherds show up to see if it is true that unto us is born a Savior, amid the lowing of the cattle and the
oxen.
You can almost smell the frankincense and myrrh which the wise men brought to this child king. You can almost gaze into the clear night sky and see how the image of the starlit heavens might have appeared.
While we are reflecting on this glorious occasion, we begin to understand something happened here that would affect the course of human history for eternity.
The Gospel of Luke 2:6-14 reveals:
And so it was, that, while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy…for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men.
Who was this Jesus? Who shall we stand beside the Creator of the universe, the Lamb of God, in order of importance? Mohamed, Confucius or Buddha? Who more powerfully impacted the world than Jesus, Mary’s firstborn son? There is no one who can compare with our King of glory. He came from the pavilions of glory and was born of a virgin girl and laid in a manger, for that is where a lamb should be born!
It was into a setting similar to the day we celebrate Christmas that Jesus entered the earth and came to us, men and women of low estate, to raise us out of the depths of sin. John chapter 3, verse 16 tells us, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that through Him they might be saved!
Jesus came to save us, His people, from their sins!
Little wonder the songwriter was inspired to write, “O, holy night! The stars are brightly shining! This is the night of our dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining ’til He appeared and the soul found its worth. The thrill of hope a weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees. O, hear the angel voices. O, night divine. O, night divine. O, night when Christ was born!”
From: Breakthrough Covenant Partner Devotional Bible, by Rod Parsley.
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