Here we are on the third week of Advent. Christmas will be here in a mere 8 days! For these Sundays in Advent we have been learning about the attributes of “Bethlehem’s Light”, Jesus Christ!
In the past two weeks we have looked at Jesus as “Bethlehem’s Light of Hope” and as “Bethlehem’s Light of Love and Life”. This morning we shall take a closer look at “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy”.
Ever since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for their offense against God, human beings have known, experienced and had to overcome fear. Now we must understand that there are times when fear is a positive emotion. Fear can cause us to be on guard and get prepared when we find ourselves in dangerous situations, but unfortunately, fear can also overwhelm, immobilize and paralyze us.
In spite of all of the technical, medical, sociological and psychological advances in our world today, for the most part, we are still a people who are afraid. We need something, or someone, who can enable us to face our fears and turn our despair into joy. That someone is “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy”!
Remember the great hymn “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” says, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” This is the great message of Christmas. On the very first Christmas morning, the angels announced this wonderful message to the shepherds in the field: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will come to all people…”
The words written by the Apostle Luke in chapter two of his Gospel account are some of the most beautiful words ever written. For not only is it a story of simple beauty and joy, it is also a great story of God Almighty coming to live with His creation, mankind! St. Luke has given us a short, plain, yet striking account of a young couple, expecting their first child, going on an arduous journey by donkey, back to their hometown in order to register for the census.
In order to implement the first systematic taxation program in the region, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus forcing all people to take part in the census. To accomplish that, everyone was ordered to register in their hometown, so that the proper amount of taxes could be assessed on each town.
As an aside, for many, many years, critics of the Bible held to the opinion that no such census existed at that time. They pointed to that so-called fact as proof that the Bible was simply made up stories and fables. “See,” they said, “this proves that the Bible is in error, and thus cannot be the word of God!”
Well, not so very long ago, in the 1930s or 1940s I believe, there was an archeological dig that turned up distinct and positive evidence that Caesar Augustus did indeed decree a census to be taken for occupied Israel, at that precise time in Roman history. Once again, the critics of the Bible were proven to be wrong. As a matter of fact, the Bible has never once been proven to be in error in any of its historical accounts! For over 2000 years now, people have been trying to disprove Biblical facts, and they have not succeeded even once!
Back to our story. Joseph was from Bethlehem, the city of David, so he and his expectant wife Mary had to make the long trip south from Nazareth in order to do their duty and register for the census. The trip must have caused them more than a little fear. After all, they were traveling by donkey and Mary was due to have her baby at any time. Then, as we know, when they arrived at their destination, there wasn’t any comfortable place for them to stay. They ended up in a stable, most likely a cave. Again, they must have felt fearful to be delivering a newborn in a dirty, smelly animal shelter. This must have been a time of fear for them, yet also a time for joy.
Shortly after they settled in, “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy” was born. And because of the birth of this Christ Child, all of us can face our fears with confidence and joy in the knowledge that He has come to set us free! “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy” can, and will, shine on you!
We must be careful not to allow all of the hubbub of the season to interfere with the “surprise” of the Gift of Joy. Imagine the excitement and the surprise that the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem must have felt when suddenly “the Glory of the Lord shone around them”. That is the kind of excitement and surprise we need to have each Christmas morning. Now I know it is not easy to plan to be surprised. Yogi Berra, that great baseball philosopher said, “Most surprises are unexpected.” How can we “plan” to be surprised?
There is the story of a small town preacher who went to see one of the families under his charge. He was met at their door by a six-year-old boy who said, “Preacher, am I glad to see you. I have some good news. Daddy and I are taking Momma to the hospital to get a baby. But don’t tell her about it. We want it to be a surprise!”
Yes, it is difficult to “plan” a surprise for yourself. Yet sometimes, the thing we plan down to the smallest detail can turn out to be the biggest surprise! Once, at a small church, the pastor helped plan the Christmas program. He talked to the children about their costumes and they had several very good rehearsals. They were unable to have a dress rehearsal due to the weather, so on the night of the program the pastor was greeting each of the children as they arrived. He checked out each of their costumes as the children came in. All was going well when, to the pastor’s great surprise, three brothers walked in wearing raincoats, helmets, and pulling a water hose. The pastor said, “Hey, you are supposed to be wise men, not firemen!” The brothers replied, “We are wise men! Our dad told us the wise men came from afar!”
Maybe we do not have to “plan” to be surprised at all this Christmas. Maybe all we have to do is just stand back, take a deep breath and let the Glory of the Lord, “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy”, shine upon us. If we will simply dare to open our lives up to God’s surprises and if we will put aside our fear, then who can say what wonderful surprises God may shower down upon us?
Are you a little fearful of something today? You are not alone. Most all of us fear one thing or another. But, as the angels say over and over again throughout the Bible, “Fear not!”
Why not? Because “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy” will also give you courage. Hear the angels say again, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will come to all people.” Notice that the angel did not say, “Be not afraid…be brave instead; be bold instead; be courageous instead; be strong instead…”
Why did the angel not say that? It is because none of those qualities are the antidote for fear! The cure for fear; the opposite of fear; and the antidote for fear, is joy! The joy of Christmas, “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy”, Jesus Christ, will keep you from being afraid, if you will turn to Him. Armed with “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy” you have the power to stand against anything that threatens to bring you fear or harm.
In December of 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the German army surrounded a small American force in the village of Bastonge. The German commander sent a message telling the Americans to surrender. The American commander sent back a one-word reply: “Nuts!” It was one of the greatest responses in military history.
That is the message that Christmas has for every Herod, every hatred, every hardship, every heartache, every pain, every person and everything that threatens to destroy you – “Nuts!” Or, as the angel put it, “Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people!”
“Bethlehem’s Light of Joy” will give you both joy and courage, if you will accept Him! He came for me! He came for you! Hear the angel speak, “For unto YOU is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!”
There is the key to everything Christmas is about. The Savior is for you!
I know that for many of us it is much easier to give a gift, than it is for us to accept a gift. Sometimes I think that we just do not know how to accept a gift. There is a story about a little boy whose uncle offered him a choice of different types of money for a present. The uncle placed a shiny penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter and a $1 bill before the young boy and told him to pick which he wanted. It was a difficult choice for this young child. He looked at the shiny penny for a long time. Finally, pointing to the penny, he said, “I’ll take that one, (then pointing to the dollar bill) and wrap it up in that one.” Now, he knew how to accept a gift!
I also think that sometimes we do not accept a gift very graciously because we know deep down that we do not deserve the gift in the first place. Well, of course we don’t. That is what makes a gift, a gift. Christmas is a gift from God. “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy”, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is a gift from God. Eternal salvation through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross is a gift from God.
Do not let another Christmas go by without experiencing the real meaning of the season, the real meaning of the birth of one small child, who just happens to be God. Ask Him into you heart right now. He will not let you down. He says, “I stand at the door and knock.” Answer the door. Let “Bethlehem’s Light Of Joy” come in. Amen.