Responding Well to Emmanuel's Birth

As God revealed Himself to us in the flesh, what is an appropriate response?

When we go to celebrate Christmas, what is our typical response?

Excitement?

Love?

Cheer?

What about Christmas activities?

Decorating?

Parades?

Movies?

Watching traditional sporting events?

School Break?

Games?

Parties?

Family gatherings?

Eating lots of festive food?

Travel?

Building a snowman or sledding?

Shoveling snow?

Christmas Light viewings?

Christmas concert or play viewings?

Christmas Caroling?

Celebrate the birth of the Christ right? Emmanuel, God with Us?

Ok - that was about 15-20 things... let’s see where these rank in your top 20:

How about reviewing scripture, and setting aside time to meditate on the first two chapters of Matthew or Luke?

Contemplate the miracles, the fulfillment of prophecy, the covenant, and redemption by God’s grace and magnificent plan.

Discipling your families in the truth of the gospel revealed by God in flesh, providing atonement for our sin, and saving us from the wrath of God reserved for us because without faith in Christ’s and His propitiating sacrifice for our sin rebellion as God’s Son, paying our debt, we would still be damned where we stand.

How about singing Christmas songs of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, to glorify God in the privacy of your home with your family, or with others gathered for the sake of God’s glory because of His justification of your soul by the blood and righteousness imputed by Jesus Christ?

Taking/providing food or gifts for the needy? You know, Christian service? Encouraging the sick or the lame at the hospital? Encouraging veterans stationed abroad from their families?

What about telling the gospel Christmas story to your family, friends, or neighbors? Or even asking a complete stranger if they knew the reason for the season, and then taking time to share it with them?

Taking time to just visit with the less well-off, showing them love, and praying with them in their time of need?

Well, we are going to take some time this evening to dig into verses 18-20 in Luke chapter 2, and see some responses to the biblical Christmas story, and hopefully reflect and glean some biblical responses we can emulate and put into practice as a means to respond well to the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lets read - join with me in Luke 2:15-20

Luke 2:15–20 (NASB 2020)

When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Response 1. We marvel in awe of who God is, what He has done, and what He has said.

a. It starts with humility

It recognizes who God is

Proverbs 1:7 NASB 2020

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10 NASB 2020

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

It recognizes who we are compared to who God is

Luke 1:28–37 (NASB 2020)

And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

It recognizes who we are in Christ in spite of who we are compared to God

Luke 1:38 (NASB 2020)

And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

It grows with faith and reverence

It recognizes what God has said

It recognizes what God has done

It hopes for what remains

Response 2. We treasure all that we have seen, heard, and know to be true in what God has revealed to us.

The meaning of the word for treasure in greek meant to guard up, to lock away, to keep safe with tremendous care, in fact, the root word, in the culture of the day, meant to keep safe in times of war/struggle or trouble, when the enemy is lurking about, organizing against you, attacking you.

The idea of treasuring, in this manner, teaches us that it keeps our faith because it cannot be lost, no matter the formidability of our foe; no matter the calamity of our circumstances; no matter the consequences instituted against us by our culture, our government, or our family.

Illustrate: Zero Trust

Action: Are you diligent with tremendous care to search the scriptures and lock away its truth with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind? (Time, effort, care/passion, continuous dedication, fueled by a constant power; 10% cell phone battery illustration) Do you search the scriptures for the pure wisdom and knowledge from above, the true source - God Almighty?

Response 3. We ponder these things in our hearts.

The Greek word means to consider, wrestle with, or contemplate, for the purpose of putting it all together.

When we ponder, we think things through. We analyze or assess for the purpose of forming a greater understanding. We strive to arrive at the big picture. What does it all mean?

Illustrate: Puzzle analogy, Horoscopes, Social Media Analytics, Grammarly, God’s will

Action: Keep a journal, actually keep two or three (prayer, bible study/sermon notes, pondering). Observe, record, analyze, assess, plan, and act.

Response 4. We go and glorify and praise God for all we have seen and heard from Him.

The Greek word for glorify means to properly ascribe weight by properly recognizing authentic substance. This means valuing God for Who He really is. In glorifying God, we are personally acknowledging God in His true character. We celebrate the Lord God in His sovereignty, in His creation, in His majesty, in His redemption, in His salvation, in His glory.

We don’t keep it for ourselves. We don’t squander it away or bury it in the ground. We share it as our treasure.

New American Standard Bible (Chapter 4)

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.

New American Standard Bible Chapter 5

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.

New American Standard Bible (Chapter 17)

“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, 2 just as You gave Him authority over all mankind, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.6 “I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have followed Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.