The Christmas Story

Who Told You That (Part 5)

We prefer a quiet Christmas, mainly because we’re not great with house guests who stay for more than three days. It’s not that we’re rude or intolerable. We just have a lot of rules.

Rule #1: No chitterlings

Rule #2: Sobriety is a must

Rule #3: No smoking

I won’t go down a full list but these three are enough to paint the picture.

I’m sure you have rules to your house too. Maybe you ask your guest to remove their shoes at the door along with foul language and their pets.

Your house, your rules. Right?

The owner’s prerogative is to set whichever boundaries he/she deems necessary, owing an explanation to no one. The options for the guest is to either respect the rules while on my property, or leave. Any otherwise behavior would be considered hostile and as we know quite well, hostility has the potential for violence because to override my rules would require a forceful removal from the premises.

When the kingdom suffers violence, the violent take it by force. In the words of the late 2Pac, “I ain’t a killer but don’t push me.”

Tell your neighbor, “My House, My Rules”

Perhaps there is nothing more violating, disrespectful, or provoking than when the rules are violated by sons or daughters of the house who know better.

You know not to bring friends in my room. You know what time to be in the house and you know better than to have company when we are not home. And since you know the rules so intimately and chose still to do the opposite of what is right, you will have to suffer the consequences for your actions. Rest assured, there will be consequences and repercussions.

Because, my house, my rules.

I’m glad I’m not the firstborn of the 5 children my parents had because the firstborn is often the one held to the highest level of accountability when things go wrong in the house.

Because of this, the firstborn, if he or she takes their responsibility seriously, they will put things in order when Mom and Dad is away, and especially before they get home because they know that when Mom and Dad get home, if anything is out of order, or broken, or if any chaos exists it is on them.

With all of the luxuries of the birthright of the eldest, comes also the burden of responsibility.

Did you know that the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof? Did you know that all things were created by Him, for his good pleasure?

The world is round because He wills it so. The sun gives off great light and the moon the lesser light because God told them to. The winds obey, the seas applaud and even the rocks cry out at the very command of the one who sits on the throne, the creator of the heavens and the earth. It is His house and therefore, his rules.

And Jesus is, according to Paul who wrote in Rom 8:29 the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. It is, therefore, and in accordance with Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus, himself intercedes on our behalf. In other words, the duty of Christ is to argue on our behalf and show the father that all things are in order since in his care.

And perhaps this is what Christmas is really all about. I know we like to focus on the gifts and the trees, the santa suit and the dinners. We love the idea of peace on earth and good will toward all men but I wonder where we got that from.

Who told you that Jesus came for that reason? To bring peace and good will to all men? What if I told you that this idea of Christ is actually contrary to what both the angels and Christ himself claims to have been the reason for his presence, for his birth?

In fact, I think it would be a good idea to go to the exact verse that has confused us so.

Luke 2:14

Luke 2:14 NIV

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

And on who does his favor rest? You might have siblings or children so it shouldn’t be hard to understand how favor tends to rest upon the child who makes his or her parents proud. The rebellious ones may get a lot of attention, but that’s not favor.

I believe few of us would argue that if we are all God’s children, no matter how good we think we are, we wouldn’t dare say we have lived a life more pleasing to God than Jesus. Then it goes without saying that the firstborn of us is also the most favored of us.

This means then that Jesus, the most favored has all the luxuries of being the most favored but also the burden of being the first born.

And perhaps this is why Jesus said this in

Matt 10:34-42

Matthew 10:34–42 NIV

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. 40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

You may not have noticed but we live in a world that tends to be often hostile towards Christ followers. They don’t want us talking about Jesus at work or school. They don’t want us sharing our faith in public places. Even the standards by which we govern our own lives are often questioned with hostility.

What is it to you that I choose to give my money to God’s work? Why are you so angry that I choose love over revenge? It’s odd to me that so many people judge Christians but will attack Christians if they have an opinion about anything or anyone else.

I argue without apology that Jesus didn’t have to be born on the 25th for me to celebrate his birth. Pagans celebrate around my birthday too. That doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for another year of life on February 1. My wife and I just celebrated 21 years of marriage in September.

I’m sure there’s a pagan holiday somewhere in that, but I’m still gonna enjoy my wife.

So many days mean so many things to so many people. We’ve chosen this day culturally to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. If you don’t agree with that, RELAX! no one is forcing you to. But as I said before, Christmas is not about Santa suits, reindeer or mistletoe.

Ladies and gentlemen, Christmas is a great reminder of God’s ever expanding Kingdom. I reminds us of what it means to follow Jesus. It reminds us that we have someone interceding on our behalf, who cleans up after our mistakes and does whatever is necessary to keep us from experiencing the wrath of God.

And that is why Jesus is the greatest gift one could ever receive on this Christmas and for every Christmas to come.

Will you receive Christ today?