Christmas is here. It is the favorite time of year for many people. They enjoy the family time, the tree and the presents, or maybe it’s the snow on the ground and the carols that they hear being played and sung. But it is too easy to get caught up in all the holly and ivy and we forget the thing that makes it all come together: The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the King. It is a timeless story that bears repeating each year as we think about that miraculous night in Bethlehem when a virgin gave birth to the Son of God. Skeptics claim it never happened, or that it is just a story, a fable. But as people of faith, we believe the truth of the scriptures. We believe the accounts that are told by Matthew and by Luke. They paint a beautiful picture for us.
Let’s travel back in time to that wonderful night. Let’s imagine that we are there, seeing the events take place that we have heard about all of our lives. Perhaps it is a quiet night, a clear night, where lots of stars can be seen in the dark sky. One star shines noticeably brighter than the others. There are some ordinary shepherds on the hills watching the sheep. It must be a dull job, keeping watch over the flocks of sheep during the night. Perhaps they are telling each other stories to stay awake. Maybe they’re talking about the star that is shining so bright tonight. Or maybe they are looking down at Bethlehem below and watching the lights go out as people are going to sleep all over the town. The city is filled to full capacity tonight because of the census, but it’s getting late and everyone is inside and settling down for the night. It might seem like any other night, but it’s not. There in a stable behind one of the inns, a tiny baby is born to a virgin called Mary. This is the Son of God: The One who was promised from long ago. Is He to come into the world in such a quiet and lowly manner? Not even a bed to lie in? No, indeed! For you see, there are other eye witnesses to this miracle besides Joseph and Mary, when the sky is suddenly filled with angels who proclaim His birth to a few simple shepherds on a hillside…
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