Worldwide Christmas is celebrated with joy, happiness, and with much excitement.
The children enjoy the most – business world makes more money.
But the real Christmas is not what it became today.
The real Christmas story cuts through all Christmas glitters.
It is one and only act of God’s grace that provides human redemption from sins.
So God became flesh like any other human and died on the cross and rose again on 3rd day.
Virgin birth of our Lord Jesus is the most important factor in the Christmas story.
Lord Jesus Christ must be born to a virgin woman to remain sinless in HIS incarnation.
HE must be sinless to die on the Cross to pay the price for our sins.
On Christmas day we should not fail to see the cross of Good Friday in every Christmas tree.
HIS birth happened in most humble circumstances- Unmarried teenager was chosen – most humble cattle shed was chosen – Illiterate stupid shepherds were chosen to announce HIS birth.
It was just an ordinary day in remote village in Israel – at HIS birth it became the most extra-ordinary day in human history.
But the most surprisingly a human factor, fear was gripping the events at Christ’s birth.
THE FEAR FACTOR
Matthew’s account:
The fear factor in Joseph
Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was already pregnant.
He was a good man did not want to disgrace her publicly – decided to divorce her secretly.
Then an angel tells him “Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid”
We see the fear factor in Joseph, the normal human response to a complex situation.
The fear factor in Wise men
The wise men were afraid to go back to King Herod and tell him where Jesus was born.
The wise men were gripped with fear for the safety of the new born King.
They took a different route to go back to their country.
The fear factor in Joseph
Herod decreed to kill all baby boys under the age of two.
An angel warned Joseph in a dream to escape to Egypt with Mary and baby Jesus
He was afraid for the life of the baby Jesus and his wife.
The fear factor is so visible in Matthew’s account.
Luke’s account:
The fear factor in Mary
Mary was greatly troubled when Gabriel told her that she is going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.
For a Jewish virgin girl it is certainly a death warrant to become pregnant before marriage.
Her initial response was just plain fear and she was scared to death.
But angel Gabriel says, “Nothing is impossible with God”.
The fear factor in Joseph
Joseph was troubled and scared as he could not find any room in Bethlehem.
His wife Mary was ready to give birth to baby Jesus.
He must be definitely in panic mode
I am sure he requested everyone and searched every place – all he got was a cattle shed.
The fear factor in Shepherds
The illiterate shepherds minding their own business in the middle of the night outside the village were suddenly visited by an angel.
The whole place was lit up like 1000 times of 4th of July and they were in shell shock.
The angel came to tell them the birth of the Savior
In all these accounts the initial human response was plain fear.
Out of fear God provided good news of great joy and brought peace thru the birth of Jesus
We are always afraid of many things everyday – the fear of this the fear of that
But the most important fear we face is death reality in one’s own life.
Eccl 7:2 “for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”
We don’t think about it, we don’t want to think about it, and definitely we try to avoid it.
The fear of death is the most horrible feeling than any fear that we face in life.
But we don’t have to fear death anymore.
I have good news for you on this Christmas day.
Good news of great joy to all people that a Savior is born some 2 thousand years ago.
In spite of our technological advances, the status never changed – we still fear death
Christmas good news is more appealing and appropriate to us than 1st century people.
Only Lord Jesus Christ can bring peace in the midst of fear and chaos.
Only Lord Jesus forgives our sins thru HIS sacrifice on the cross.
Only Lord Jesus gives the hope of eternal life as free gift to those who believe in HIM
John 14:6 Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
There is no fear of death for those who accepted HIM as Lord and Savior.
Christmas expels all darkness in our hearts and fills with the light of Jesus love, mercy, kindness, and hope of eternal life.
May you all have a blessed Christmas of great joy that we are forgiven and saved by HIS grace.
The children enjoy the most – business world makes more money.
But the real Christmas is not what it became today.
The real Christmas story cuts through all Christmas glitters.
It is one and only act of God’s grace that provides human redemption from sins.
So God became flesh like any other human and died on the cross and rose again on 3rd day.
Virgin birth of our Lord Jesus is the most important factor in the Christmas story.
Lord Jesus Christ must be born to a virgin woman to remain sinless in HIS incarnation.
HE must be sinless to die on the Cross to pay the price for our sins.
On Christmas day we should not fail to see the cross of Good Friday in every Christmas tree.
HIS birth happened in most humble circumstances- Unmarried teenager was chosen – most humble cattle shed was chosen – Illiterate stupid shepherds were chosen to announce HIS birth.
It was just an ordinary day in remote village in Israel – at HIS birth it became the most extra-ordinary day in human history.
But the most surprisingly a human factor, fear was gripping the events at Christ’s birth.
THE FEAR FACTOR
Matthew’s account:
The fear factor in Joseph
Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife because she was already pregnant.
He was a good man did not want to disgrace her publicly – decided to divorce her secretly.
Then an angel tells him “Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid”
We see the fear factor in Joseph, the normal human response to a complex situation.
The fear factor in Wise men
The wise men were afraid to go back to King Herod and tell him where Jesus was born.
The wise men were gripped with fear for the safety of the new born King.
They took a different route to go back to their country.
The fear factor in Joseph
Herod decreed to kill all baby boys under the age of two.
An angel warned Joseph in a dream to escape to Egypt with Mary and baby Jesus
He was afraid for the life of the baby Jesus and his wife.
The fear factor is so visible in Matthew’s account.
Luke’s account:
The fear factor in Mary
Mary was greatly troubled when Gabriel told her that she is going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.
For a Jewish virgin girl it is certainly a death warrant to become pregnant before marriage.
Her initial response was just plain fear and she was scared to death.
But angel Gabriel says, “Nothing is impossible with God”.
The fear factor in Joseph
Joseph was troubled and scared as he could not find any room in Bethlehem.
His wife Mary was ready to give birth to baby Jesus.
He must be definitely in panic mode
I am sure he requested everyone and searched every place – all he got was a cattle shed.
The fear factor in Shepherds
The illiterate shepherds minding their own business in the middle of the night outside the village were suddenly visited by an angel.
The whole place was lit up like 1000 times of 4th of July and they were in shell shock.
The angel came to tell them the birth of the Savior
In all these accounts the initial human response was plain fear.
Out of fear God provided good news of great joy and brought peace thru the birth of Jesus
We are always afraid of many things everyday – the fear of this the fear of that
But the most important fear we face is death reality in one’s own life.
Eccl 7:2 “for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”
We don’t think about it, we don’t want to think about it, and definitely we try to avoid it.
The fear of death is the most horrible feeling than any fear that we face in life.
But we don’t have to fear death anymore.
I have good news for you on this Christmas day.
Good news of great joy to all people that a Savior is born some 2 thousand years ago.
In spite of our technological advances, the status never changed – we still fear death
Christmas good news is more appealing and appropriate to us than 1st century people.
Only Lord Jesus Christ can bring peace in the midst of fear and chaos.
Only Lord Jesus forgives our sins thru HIS sacrifice on the cross.
Only Lord Jesus gives the hope of eternal life as free gift to those who believe in HIM
John 14:6 Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
There is no fear of death for those who accepted HIM as Lord and Savior.
Christmas expels all darkness in our hearts and fills with the light of Jesus love, mercy, kindness, and hope of eternal life.
May you all have a blessed Christmas of great joy that we are forgiven and saved by HIS grace.
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