Christmas Reflection

Well I was asked by my church to present a Christmas reflection to the congregation tonight. I was thinking what can I do? And the idea of a blog post popped in my mind immediately. Well I think that it's time to not just share a reflection, but to reflect on the significance of the birth of my saviour.

We've all heard of Santa Clause

and reindeer.

We know all about the magic of standing

beneath a mistletoe with our loved one.

We know about the elves who work hard to make our toys 

for Christmas and

about Santa's tough night.

We strive to get on his good list and 

struggle to sleep on time so that 

he can come and deliver our gifts for us.

But something is missing in this picture, isn't it?

What about that nativity scene

that pops up every once in a 

while in someones yard?

Is that important too?

Why is it not as popular as Santa Clause and his reindeer?

At this time of year, so many things are going through our mind. 

We want to get all our Christmas shopping in

 and prepare for the big meals that 

we will be having on the day.

We get hit with the stress of hanging

the Christmas lights outside

and putting up the tree and stockings inside.

And as we're doing all these things, we might even listen to the Christmas

songs that they play on the radio.

But with all these things on our mind,

sometimes we forget the actual story.

It's not Santa Clause and his reindeer that we're celebrating 

like what the radio is telling us.

It's not about getting on Santa's good list.

Remember the line?

"You better watch out, you better not cry,

you better not pout I'm telling you why,

Santa Clause is coming to town. He's making a list, 

he's checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,

Santa Clause is coming to town"

Have you ever ACTUALLY paid attention to the lyrics?

It's telling us to prepare ourselves for Santa's arrival.

But what about preparing ourselves for Jesus' arrival?

Sure he arrived 2000 years ago, but isn't it 

still important enough to prepare ourselves for the day that he arrived every year

and celebrate it?

What about Santa's list, let's look at that.

It kind of reminded me of God's list.

His big Book of Life. In which he puts all the believer's names.

But you don't get your name in the book if you are good all year,

like Santa's list. 

We don't have to worry about pleasing God.

We are permanently in the Book of Life

once we accept him.

Unlike Santa's list which is only annual.

"The angel said to them, 

"Do not be afraid. 

I am bringing you good news that will be joy to all the people. 

Today your SAVIOUR was born in the town of David. 

He is Christ, the Lord. 

This is how you you will know him: 

You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box."

Luke 2:10-12

 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are not just an insignificant village in

Judah.

A ruler will come from you

who will be like a shepherd for my

people Israel.'

Micah 5:2

The amazing thing about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

is that although he is God and is also God's Son,

his birth wasn't a big thing.

In Micah, it says that Bethlehem, the village in which Jesus was born

was insignificant. 

It also says in Luke that the Shepherds, 

which were the men that the angel was talking to,

would know that they found the SAVIOUR 

when they see a baby wrapped in 

cloth and lying in a feeding box.

Personally,

I don't think that this is the greatest birth locations for a saviour.

Actually, this has to be one of the worst.

Why would a saviour be wrapped in, not just one, which is normal,

but many pieces of cloth?

And to make matters worse,

he was born in a FEEDING BOX!

Shouldn't he get a more sophisticated location?

And somewhere where many people would know that

it is a very significant birth?

Well the fact that the message was delivered by an angel,

probably had more significance than

the feeding box. 

That's the amazing part,

the birth of our Saviour was so small and 

insignificant but at the same time was so significant!

Okay then, 

let's take a look at this verse:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: 

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, 

and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14:

So not only did he not have a normal birth,

but he also was born from a virgin!

That is not possible!

This truly shows that only one person can be behind this

miraculous birth, and that is God.

Jesus was born in a small animal's keep in the back of a full inn

in an insignificant village 

and the message of his birth was delivered by an angel

 and was born from

an insignificant woman that 

was a virgin.

Can any one's birth be anymore

out of the ordinary?

But God had a purpose and a reason for all of this.

But we cannot explain the reason to why God chose all of those

events for the birth of His Son.

"His thoughts are not our thoughts,

His ways are not our ways"

He was born in a messy place

to save a messy world.

But all these events show us that Jesus

is accessible to everyone. 

A homeless person can find some connection with him,

for Jesus never truly had a place to call home.

Needy people can relate because Jesus himself was poor and not wealthy.

Maybe this is the reason why God had chosen for these events,

but all we can do is praise the Father in Heaven,

and his Son for saving us and 

sending us a mediator so that we can find a way to be with the 

Father eternally.

And for delivering us out of the hands of evil,

and into the hands of love and peace.