Christams 2021
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And It came to pass
And It came to pass
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Every Christmas season we read this verse without stop for a moment to consider what it is saying!
I want to take a few moments and consider the tale of two worlds
The words were stating the existing condition following the birth of Christ
There was another moment in the history of man that a not so joyful announcement was made
The actions of Adam and Eve set in motion almost 3000 years of darkness and suffering!
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
Where in our opening verse, the angles was proclaiming good news the coming of the Savior and the opening of the way to life
In Genesis the actions of the angels were not so inviting
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
And it came to pass that man was separated from God by his sin,,,but light was shining
All seemed lost but throughout that time, God was working His plan!
But, like seeds of hope sprinkled across a canvas of darkness, the Lord began to revel His plan to the prophets
In the closing words of the Old Testament the message rang out like a bell on a clear day
But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
And it came to pass…a time of waiting
It seemed as if heaven itself had retreated from the affairs of man
400 years would pass until the fulfilment of Isaiah’s word came to life
The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
And it came to pass that a great light in the heavens itself began proclaiming the good new of the coming King!
A young virgin who was with child, traveling through the cold night was about to give birth to a son who would one day save the whole earth!
In the field the shepherds guarding their flocks are suddenly over taken by the bright light of the glory of God!
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
I am sure they thoght that certain death awaited them as the heavens showed forth the glory of God!
Remember those who experienced the presence of God fell down in fear as dead!
But that day the angel’s job wasn’t death but life!
Look at these words,
I bring yo tiding of great joy!
The tine of darkness was over and the Kingdom of light will be upon all people!
And what was their response?
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Let us now go and see this thing!
They didn’t just go but the Scripture says they went “hastily”
And it came to pass that a new day was dawning in the history of man
Emmanuel - God with us had made hHis entry into stream of man’s history!
In John we read
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
But there was more to this message of hope
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
But Peter rebuked Him
He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
But Jesus talked about the cost of this freedom
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
There was a road of suffering that lie ahead and only He could walk it
And it came to pass That they took Jesus and crucified Him and from the cross He cried out
IT IS FINISHED!
And the veil in the temple was rent in tow signifying the way into the presence of God was now ope!
What about you today?
How will your story end?
Now hat you have heard the story of love and redemption, what will follow the words, and it came to pass after hearing the Gospel ____________ what?
Responded like the shepherds, “let me go hastily and receive this gift?
Or, and it came to pass after hearing the message ____________ refused the gift and sacrificed eternity with God for a few short year of life.
It’s your choice today how the story ends!