A Christmas Story

With All That’s Going On!

I was born February 1, 1977 in Nirenberg, Germany. You probably won’t find that fact in any history books, news reports, or other major media outlets.

But if you were to search the internet, what you might find are stories of other major events that happened around the time of my birth. Those stories might include a blizzard in upstate New York and Southern Ontario that claimed the lives of 23 people. If you’re into sports you might remember that on February 5, 1977 the future 5-division world boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard won his professional debut in only six rounds vs. Luis Vega.

Some of you might even learn of Eric Heiden, who made history during the month of my birth, being the 1st American to win the world speed skating championship and you military and science buffs might already know that on February 26, 1977 Boeing put an entire space shuttle on top of an airplane for the first time.

Have you ever wondered what was going on around the time you were born? Like, what was so important that kept the paparazzi from showing up at the hospital to get pictures of you on your birthday?

Where’s the media when you need them and who dropped the ball on getting the word out to Johnny Carson, Arsenio Hall, or Oprah about you? You were born and nobody knew except for the people you mattered most to! Can you believe that?

Someone once asked me why the birth of Jesus was never mentioned by some of the major historians such as Josephus. Others have wanted to know things like, “If the mass murder ordered by King Herod during the time of Christ’s birth was true, and if those orders were actually followed, why is it not in our major history books?”

And those are valid questions asked by intelligent people. And in response to these valid questions are verified answers that intelligent people like you are able to accept. So journey with me to Bethlehem. If you’ve ever been, then you know that Bethlehem is a very small town.

In fact, Bethlehem’s population in the 1st century was approximately 8000 people. That’s smaller than Ft. Campbell. If you think there’s nobody to meet and nothing to do here, try living in first century Bethlehem. The point I want to make here is that a child’s birth in Bethlehem is very unlikely to register on a national or even international scale. Especially in light of the fact that neither his mother, nor his earthly father, nationally known.

They were not royalty nor were they part of the levitical priesthood. They would be understood to be ordinary people living ordinary lives just like most of us in here today. Of course, and we will deal with this more in a moment but ordinary people living ordinary lives tend to suddenly become extraordinary once they come into a relationship with Jesus.

Back to the unknown birth and massacre of babies. According to Matthew 2:1-18

Matthew 2:1–18 NIV

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The historical statisticians suggest that given a population of 8000 people and the fact that child morbidity rate was quite high in 1st century Israel, not to mention the brutal nature of war that often ended in genocide, unfortunately, King Herod’s massacre would register on a national scale to the same degree of a black teen-aged gang member in Chicago.

That’s heavy, I know. And let’s be honest, this is quite dark for a sermon about Christmas. But what I’ve come to learn is that light shines brightest in the dark. This world we live in is full of darkness. There are things that go on in the dark that we know about as a nation but no one wants to talk about it.

And so we preach sermons about blessings and we talk about love and kindness, almost pretending that everyone knows how it feels to be loved. But the truth is there are people walking around in darkness with no vision or hope for tomorrow.

There are people who can’t find their way and when you’re hungry, or suffering from sickness, or surviving the mental anguish from abuse, there does not seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

But I thank God that in the darkest of times, He sent the light of the world. Jesus himself declared in

John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.

And I don’t know about you, ladies and gentlemen but when I consider the issues of the day, when I think of the fact that babies are being sold for drugs, and children are being shot on the streets, when I consider how teen aged girls are being trafficked and how judicial systems are unfairly incarcerating our young men,

when I think of the fact that hospitals are more interested in earning money than saving lives and even some churches are more invested in making money instead of disciples, all that I am cries out to the light of the world and I’m asking Jesus, “Please Lord, shine your light on me!” Let me know that you love me. Show me that you care.

In my darkest hour, be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Show me which way to go because in all of this darkness, I can’t seem to find my way. If you know what I’m talking about in here, somebody shout “God, show me which way to go!”

And again, Jesus says

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Light is symbolic of understanding, enlightenment, and wisdom. To have light means to have awareness. It speaks of intellect. It speaks of direction. To have the light of life means to have understanding of how life works and how to work it.

The light of life helps you to make wise decisions in ever area of life. It does know good to see the light and not walk in it. Indeed, wisdom is knowledge applied.

I say all of this to say that it is impossible to do life wrong while following Jesus. It is impossible to walk in the light and stumble in darkness at the same time. The only way to stumble is to either turn off the light or turn the other way from it.

They tried turning off the light by way of crucifixion. But it didn’t work. They lied on him but it didn’t work. They spat in his face, but it didn’t work. They nailed him to a cross, put a crown of thorns around his head, pierced his side and cursed his name. But it didn’t work. They buried him for three days in a borrowed tomb but three days later the light shone again.

Is there anybody here who’s thankful for the light? Is there anybody here who has been brought out of darkness, into his marvelous light? Is there anybody here who once was blind but now can see?

And I see that the greatest light is not on a Christmas tree nor is it on a reindeer nose. The greatest light is the light of life through Jesus the Christ and thank God he lives in me!

And this brings us back around to the point of ordinary people doing ordinary things. We are ordinary to the degree that we live life just like everybody else. We all live, we all work, and we all die. But when Jesus, the light of the world comes into your life, life has a new meaning. Work has a new purpose. And death in Christ even becomes exciting because once I start walking with Jesus my ordinary life becomes extraordinary.

Once I start working as unto God, my purpose is not just about making money. I understand God has a plan for me even on my job. And when I realize that death from this body means eternal life with my savior, I am not afraid to to the extraordinary. Following Christ means then, to live, work, and die in a way that brings God glory. It means living, working and dying in a way that allows the light of Christ to shine through me.

And in case you don’t know it, he wants to live in and shine through you as well. He wants to see you healthy. He wants to lead you into good relationships. He wants to guide your finances so that you’re blessed to be a blessing. And when he returns for his church, he wants to take you home with him.

The old song writer once wrote, “Keep your lamps trimmed and burning for this world is almost done!” And when it’s done, after my race is won, I’m going home to be with my savior who has prepared for me a place in eternity. I see the light and I have chosen to follow Jesus. Come what may, I have decided to follow Jesus and I hope you will too.

Let me close with this, God is not collecting a mass of disposable individuals to form an army. He knows your name. It’s personal. He has a special interest in each and every one of you that includes a successful end. As Brandon dances, hear the words of this song and let God speak to your heart today. If you listen close enough, you just might hear him calling your name too.