Let us stride back 2024 years to see the first Christmas. It is not easy even imaginatively to transport ourselves to this distant period and enter the climate of that day. The world was getting ready for the most important event in human history. Even before the world came into being, God planned Christmas. It was the fulfilment of the promise God made to Abraham over 4000 years ago saying, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen 12:3; Lk 1:55,72,73). God's plan was that His Son Jesus would be born in the family of Abraham and bring salvation to mankind. Thus, when Jesus was born on this earth, it was the beginning of a dynamically new relationship between God and man. Thus God became man's Father and Jesus his Elder Brother. Jesus was not a prominent world leader or a great man of God but God Himself in human form. Christmas merges God's unlimited bank account and man's eternal debt into one Person.
Jesus was born about 747 years after the foundation of Rome. At this time Herod was given the title "King of the Jews" by the Roman senate under Emperor Caesar Augustus. That is why when the wise men from the East asked, "Where is he who is born King of the Jews?" Herod was greatly agitated that a rival had appeared (Mt 2:2). With this introduction for Christmas let us get into the details of the events of Christmas to see the Christmas Contrasts. When we think of Christmas we always focus on the bright side of it. We should never forget the other side of the coin — the darker side. Let's see some contrasts in the Christmas history that may help us refocus on the celebration of this important event.
1. Joy and Sorrow
The actual Christmas day was not just a Merry Christmas. Though so much of sorrow surround the story, for us it is a joyous occasion. It was the day the Son of God came down to earth as the Son of Man. It was the day that brought salvation to us. He was named Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). If there were no Christmas, what would be our future and hope? We would end up in a horrible hell. God took pity on us and sent His Son to save us. Then there was the joy of the wedding, the joy of a childbirth, the joy of angelic visions, of Christmas gifts, the guiding star, etc. "When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy" (v23).
On the other side we see sorrow. There was shame and criticism that Mary had to bear. She sailed through her sorrows to attain spiritual joy. There were grieving mothers whose infant sons became fodder for Herod's sword. Zacharias and Elizabeth were childless and their joy of expecting a son suffered a severe dent by the deaf-and-dumbness of Zacharias. Then there was the prophecy about the sword piercing through Mary's soul.
Well, life is an amalgam of happiness and sadness, laughter and tears. Instead of wasting our lives weeping and wailing, we can sing and dance like Miriam and praise our Father God. Life is a struggle, no doubt. "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it," said Helen Keller. "What to do with my bundle of sorrows?" people ask. Some want to throw it behind their backs and forget all about it. Others want a miracle to convert it to joy. Neither is possible. So use it to learn and to teach others. See life as a privilege and not as a problem. You will emerge wiser and stronger from setbacks. Try to see life not just with your eyes, but with your heart. This Christmas decide to live with smile and laughter rather than sadness and sorrow.
2. Clarity and Confusion
God doesn't come down and tell us what to do. We are often left in confusion wondering why God is silent. The angel spoke to Mary, the angel dispelled Joseph's confusion, the star guided the wise men. But today angels don't appear to us. On the other hand, Mary, probably confused by others who might have questioned her experience, went to her relative in her turmoil and the cloud lifted. She got the confirmation that whatever was happening to her was no Utopian dream but truly from God. She returned to her place with a clear mind.
On the flip side we see confusion. When Herod the king heard of the birth of another King of the Jews, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him (Mt 2:3). No one was able to give him sound guidance in the situation and so He resorted to the gruesome massacre of babies.
Guidance can sometimes be very tricky. King Jehoram and King Jehoshaphat went to Elisha to seek guidance because, "The word of the Lord is with him" (2 Ki 3:12). Now we have the word of the Lord in full form. If we are well-versed with the Bible, we will have no difficulty in solving most knots. Just ask the question, "What will God have me to do in this situation?" The answer will settle your query. He is our Wonderful Counselor (Isa 9:6). Use your commonsense. God has given us a spirit of sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). Seek the guidance of seasoned Christian leaders. People's advice help us see different sides of a sticky issue. You may consider different angles and outcomes. But ultimately you are the one to make the decision. Seek advice but trust your gut. Mary did not consult anyone before giving her consent to the angel, because it was God's word. Herod consulted the right people but made a wrong decision. "The dayspring from on high visited us...to guide our feet" (Lk 1:78,79). "Many who have found themselves in the midst of difficult situations, when directions are missing for the next step, have relied on this maxim: Do the next right thing. Even those who rely on God's guidance don't always know the next step. When confused about what step to take next, doing the next right thing in God's sight is always a good choice. God blesses faith steps — and one step leads to another," says Dr. David Jeremiah.
3. Love and Hatred
Love is the silver thread that runs through the Christmas story. It is the love story depicting the love of the all powerful God on worthless human beings. We see the love of Mary and Joseph, of Elizabeth and Zacharias who stuck together tenaciously till old age in spite of a deep hollow in their lives, of the wise men from the East with gifts, of Simeon who came to see Jesus and blessed Him, of Anna who in spite of her age (84) out of love for people spoke to all about Jesus (Lk 2:36-38).
Amid the Christmas roses, there were Christmas thorns too. Herod was known to be a cruel, sleazy king who was so obsessed with the security of his throne, that he virtually eliminated all possible contenders. He had his favourite wife executed and drowned his young brother-in-law. Then his blood-thirsty sword drank the blood of boy babies in Bethlehem. It was instigated by satan in an attempt to kill the Messiah.
This Christmas shall we make a decision to delete all hatred from our hearts and download divine love? Dig out your heart clean of any deep-rooted anger, bitterness, lovelessness and hurts and fill those empty pits with love, care, smile, kindness and gentleness. Love can achive more than hate or force. So, try to deal gracefully and affably with whatever happens. Learn to be easy going and tolerant. Write down the names of your enemies, those who curse, hate, persecute and spitefully use you. Against each write — Love, Bless, Do good, Pray — in bold letters (Mt 5:44). It will make a sea change and you will be free-flying sparrows without the burden in your hearts before another year dawns.
4. Righteousness and Wickedness
For God to choose a maiden like Mary, she must have been an impeccable character. Her reply to Elizabeth's greeting reveals to us that she was neck-deep in Biblical truths (Lk 1:46-55). Joseph, her husband, was a man with a golden heart (Mt 1:19). Elizabeth and Zacharias were righteous to the core, walking in "all" the commandments, blameless! We know how difficult it is to go by the Old Testament; yet they braved it (Lk 1:6,75). Simeon was "just and devout" (2:25). Anna was a prophetess with lofty ideals (v37).
That was not all. The first Christmas was engulfed in wickedness. When King Saul ordered his soldiers to kill the priests of the Lord, they refused (1 Sam 22:17). Though they lived in the Old Testament, they followed the New Testament principle of being obedient to their masters "as to Christ," as "bondservants of Christ," "doing the will of God " (Eph 6:5,6). But Herod's infantry was ruthless, slashing their swords mercilessly and killing the babies in front of their pleading mothers, in obedience to their master! Herod was "exceedingly angry" (Mt 2:16). And his anger culminated in the murder of innocents. Lying and cheating was in his blood. "I am eager to worship the Child," he lied, hypocritically acting like a devout man.
Good people should be 100% good. Nobody should say, "He/she is very good except..." There are lot of banana skins on our onward journey. Our Boss is Jesus. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). At every challenge to do right instead of wrong, we must ask ourselves, "whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to others more than to God" (4:19). Let us put off lying and cheating which have reached epidemic proportions and learn to be straight to one another. Let us serve God "in holiness and righteousness " in a world where holiness is declining precipitously (Lk 2:75). Always act according to your conscience. There is no court higher than the Court of Conscience. Pray to God to be there when you or your children stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. We can experience true success and happiness only by making character the bedrock of our lives.
5. Courage and Cowardice
A coward cannot be a soldier of Christ. "Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Gilead," said Gideon before going to the battle (Judg 7:3). Christian life is a warfare. Mary cannot cover her face and hide inside the house. The young braveheart traveled far to Elizabeth to announce the good news. Joseph cannot be afraid to take Mary as his wife and face wagging tongues that probably said he made her pregnant before marriage. God's lofty purpose must march forward amidst all odds. The wise men were prepared to face the ire of Herod to obey God's instructions.
On the other side, the chief priests and scribes were cowards. They were under the thumb of Herod. They knew the Scriptures about the birth of the Messiah. Now they have got firsthand information about the prophetic star. They ought to have packed their suitcases and climbed on their camels to go and see the Messiah. What deterred them? The fear of King Herod! They became confederates of their king instead of rushing to witness the miracle Baby, exploring His genealogy and carefully following Him up. They missed the greatest adventure of their life.
Christian life is no jolly trip. It is a warfare against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). These unseen forces are they that bring about the trials in our lives, not the human forces of flesh and blood. Problems we face in life are back exercises to strengthen our backbone for this spiritual warfare. Face life boldly and move ahead.
6. Faith and Unbelief
Christmas story is a story of faith. "Blessed is she who believed" (Lk 1:45). Mary's song is a song of faith (1:46-55). Her faith was founded on the truth of God's word. She didn't even know or feel that she had conceived when she went to her aunt. She believed that, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). Even though Zacharias and Elizabeth were too old to bear children, they did not stop praying for a child. The angel said, "Your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son" (Lk 1:13). The wise men took up the long journey in faith (Mt 2:1). In faith they brought precious gifts all the way.
On the other hand, unbelief runs parallel to faith in the Christmas narrative. Zacharias had been faithfully praying for a child indeed, but when the answer to his prayer came like a bolt from the blue, he could not instantly take it (Lk 1:20). He received due punishment for doubting the God-sent Gabriel
We are called believers because of our faith in a great God. We sing songs of faith. But there can be hard situations in life when our faith can be challenged by satan. When satan sifted Peter like wheat, Jesus was praying that Peter would cling to his faith. The situation was so wicked that Peter almost lost his faith. But the prayer of Jesus upheld him. Most of us go through such a sifting process. Be strong in the Lord. Jesus is praying for you. Peter writes that the "genuineness" of our faith will be tested by fire, by our "various trials" (1 Pet 1:6,7). The end of our faith is the salvation of our souls (v9). So hold on to your most precious faith.
7. Light and Darkness
People saw "a great light." "Light dawned" (Lk 2:78,79). The first Christmas brought light to us as Isaiah prophesied (9:1,2). Christmas was the fulfillment of the prophecy that those in darkness saw a great light. If we had not experienced the salvation that Christ gives, we wouldn't have seen this great light. We'd still be groping in darkness searching for truth and light. "The glory of the Lord shone around them" (2:9).
On the other side was darkness. Isaiah 9:2 says, people "walked" in darkness. But in Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:79 we read, people "sat" in darkness. I suppose, people walked in darkness without God, and unable to proceed forward in life, they just gave up hope and sat down. Their condition was pathetic. The Apostle John describes Christmas beautifully. He says, "The Light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not engulf it" (Jn 1:5). People were literally blind, groping to find God (Acts 17:27).
The Light was on one side, in heaven and the darkness was on the other side, earth. For the darkness to be dispelled, the Light must come down to earth. That is exactly what happened in Christmas. God in the "highest" and on "earth" peace (Lk 2:14). "Upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned" (Mt 4:16). "The Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death" (Lk1:78,79). Just imagine the joy of Galilee of Gentiles! Now the Son of God for whom they were groping has come to them visibly in human form. Christmas has come to them! Now what do we do? Shall we who are in the light, take the light to those who sit in darkness or celebrate Christmas with a grand meal and sleep and snore? Lift up your eyes and see the Galilees of the Gentiles around you. God expects you to go there and light up the dark places. Let us not be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled when the planet burned. Whenever we go to proclaim the Good news, we ease the terrible burden God has for His lost creation.
Conclusion
Let our lives be transformed this Christmas. Let us put aside the sorrowful side of our lives and learn to lead a jubilant life filled with songs of joy. Never forget to pray for wisdom every day that we may be filled with the spirit of sound mind. Let us be clothed with radiating love that will touch everyone who comes in contact with us with an empty wounded heart longing for tenderness. Let us learn to love righteousness and hate wickedness. May God help us to overcome our cowardice and strengthen our backbones to face life courageously and serve Him against all odds. In times of trials, let us have a firm grip on our most precious faith and never ask, "Why, Lord?" Let us make a firm decision this Christmas to move out from our Thousand Lights area and march into abodes where people are sitting in darkness, waiting for the Light to shine in their hearts and to celebrate a very Merry Christmas!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Let us stride back 2024 years to see the first Christmas. It is not easy even imaginatively to transport ourselves to this distant period and enter the climate of that day. The world was getting ready for the most important event in human history. Even before the world came into being, God planned Christmas. It was the fulfilment of the promise God made to Abraham over 4000 years ago saying, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen 12:3; Lk 1:55,72,73). God's plan was that His Son Jesus would be born in the family of Abraham and bring salvation to mankind. Thus, when Jesus was born on this earth, it was the beginning of a dynamically new relationship between God and man. Thus God became man's Father and Jesus his Elder Brother. Jesus was not a prominent world leader or a great man of God but God Himself in human form. Christmas merges God's unlimited bank account and man's eternal debt into one Person.
Jesus was born about 747 years after the foundation of Rome. At this time Herod was given the title "King of the Jews" by the Roman senate under Emperor Caesar Augustus. That is why when the wise men from the East asked, "Where is he who is born King of the Jews?" Herod was greatly agitated that a rival had appeared (Mt 2:2). With this introduction for Christmas let us get into the details of the events of Christmas to see the Christmas Contrasts. When we think of Christmas we always focus on the bright side of it. We should never forget the other side of the coin — the darker side. Let's see some contrasts in the Christmas history that may help us refocus on the celebration of this important event.
1. Joy and Sorrow
The actual Christmas day was not just a Merry Christmas. Though so much of sorrow surround the story, for us it is a joyous occasion. It was the day the Son of God came down to earth as the Son of Man. It was the day that brought salvation to us. He was named Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). If there were no Christmas, what would be our future and hope? We would end up in a horrible hell. God took pity on us and sent His Son to save us. Then there was the joy of the wedding, the joy of a childbirth, the joy of angelic visions, of Christmas gifts, the guiding star, etc. "When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy" (v23).
On the other side we see sorrow. There was shame and criticism that Mary had to bear. She sailed through her sorrows to attain spiritual joy. There were grieving mothers whose infant sons became fodder for Herod's sword. Zacharias and Elizabeth were childless and their joy of expecting a son suffered a severe dent by the deaf-and-dumbness of Zacharias. Then there was the prophecy about the sword piercing through Mary's soul.
Well, life is an amalgam of happiness and sadness, laughter and tears. Instead of wasting our lives weeping and wailing, we can sing and dance like Miriam and praise our Father God. Life is a struggle, no doubt. "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it," said Helen Keller. "What to do with my bundle of sorrows?" people ask. Some want to throw it behind their backs and forget all about it. Others want a miracle to convert it to joy. Neither is possible. So use it to learn and to teach others. See life as a privilege and not as a problem. You will emerge wiser and stronger from setbacks. Try to see life not just with your eyes, but with your heart. This Christmas decide to live with smile and laughter rather than sadness and sorrow.
2. Clarity and Confusion
God doesn't come down and tell us what to do. We are often left in confusion wondering why God is silent. The angel spoke to Mary, the angel dispelled Joseph's confusion, the star guided the wise men. But today angels don't appear to us. On the other hand, Mary, probably confused by others who might have questioned her experience, went to her relative in her turmoil and the cloud lifted. She got the confirmation that whatever was happening to her was no Utopian dream but truly from God. She returned to her place with a clear mind.
On the flip side we see confusion. When Herod the king heard of the birth of another King of the Jews, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him (Mt 2:3). No one was able to give him sound guidance in the situation and so He resorted to the gruesome massacre of babies.
Guidance can sometimes be very tricky. King Jehoram and King Jehoshaphat went to Elisha to seek guidance because, "The word of the Lord is with him" (2 Ki 3:12). Now we have the word of the Lord in full form. If we are well-versed with the Bible, we will have no difficulty in solving most knots. Just ask the question, "What will God have me to do in this situation?" The answer will settle your query. He is our Wonderful Counselor (Isa 9:6). Use your commonsense. God has given us a spirit of sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). Seek the guidance of seasoned Christian leaders. People's advice help us see different sides of a sticky issue. You may consider different angles and outcomes. But ultimately you are the one to make the decision. Seek advice but trust your gut. Mary did not consult anyone before giving her consent to the angel, because it was God's word. Herod consulted the right people but made a wrong decision. "The dayspring from on high visited us...to guide our feet" (Lk 1:78,79). "Many who have found themselves in the midst of difficult situations, when directions are missing for the next step, have relied on this maxim: Do the next right thing. Even those who rely on God's guidance don't always know the next step. When confused about what step to take next, doing the next right thing in God's sight is always a good choice. God blesses faith steps — and one step leads to another," says Dr. David Jeremiah.
3. Love and Hatred
Love is the silver thread that runs through the Christmas story. It is the love story depicting the love of the all powerful God on worthless human beings. We see the love of Mary and Joseph, of Elizabeth and Zacharias who stuck together tenaciously till old age in spite of a deep hollow in their lives, of the wise men from the East with gifts, of Simeon who came to see Jesus and blessed Him, of Anna who in spite of her age (84) out of love for people spoke to all about Jesus (Lk 2:36-38).
Amid the Christmas roses, there were Christmas thorns too. Herod was known to be a cruel, sleazy king who was so obsessed with the security of his throne, that he virtually eliminated all possible contenders. He had his favourite wife executed and drowned his young brother-in-law. Then his blood-thirsty sword drank the blood of boy babies in Bethlehem. It was instigated by satan in an attempt to kill the Messiah.
This Christmas shall we make a decision to delete all hatred from our hearts and download divine love? Dig out your heart clean of any deep-rooted anger, bitterness, lovelessness and hurts and fill those empty pits with love, care, smile, kindness and gentleness. Love can achive more than hate or force. So, try to deal gracefully and affably with whatever happens. Learn to be easy going and tolerant. Write down the names of your enemies, those who curse, hate, persecute and spitefully use you. Against each write — Love, Bless, Do good, Pray — in bold letters (Mt 5:44). It will make a sea change and you will be free-flying sparrows without the burden in your hearts before another year dawns.
4. Righteousness and Wickedness
For God to choose a maiden like Mary, she must have been an impeccable character. Her reply to Elizabeth's greeting reveals to us that she was neck-deep in Biblical truths (Lk 1:46-55). Joseph, her husband, was a man with a golden heart (Mt 1:19). Elizabeth and Zacharias were righteous to the core, walking in "all" the commandments, blameless! We know how difficult it is to go by the Old Testament; yet they braved it (Lk 1:6,75). Simeon was "just and devout" (2:25). Anna was a prophetess with lofty ideals (v37).
That was not all. The first Christmas was engulfed in wickedness. When King Saul ordered his soldiers to kill the priests of the Lord, they refused (1 Sam 22:17). Though they lived in the Old Testament, they followed the New Testament principle of being obedient to their masters "as to Christ," as "bondservants of Christ," "doing the will of God " (Eph 6:5,6). But Herod's infantry was ruthless, slashing their swords mercilessly and killing the babies in front of their pleading mothers, in obedience to their master! Herod was "exceedingly angry" (Mt 2:16). And his anger culminated in the murder of innocents. Lying and cheating was in his blood. "I am eager to worship the Child," he lied, hypocritically acting like a devout man.
Good people should be 100% good. Nobody should say, "He/she is very good except..." There are lot of banana skins on our onward journey. Our Boss is Jesus. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). At every challenge to do right instead of wrong, we must ask ourselves, "whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to others more than to God" (4:19). Let us put off lying and cheating which have reached epidemic proportions and learn to be straight to one another. Let us serve God "in holiness and righteousness " in a world where holiness is declining precipitously (Lk 2:75). Always act according to your conscience. There is no court higher than the Court of Conscience. Pray to God to be there when you or your children stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. We can experience true success and happiness only by making character the bedrock of our lives.
5. Courage and Cowardice
A coward cannot be a soldier of Christ. "Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Gilead," said Gideon before going to the battle (Judg 7:3). Christian life is a warfare. Mary cannot cover her face and hide inside the house. The young braveheart traveled far to Elizabeth to announce the good news. Joseph cannot be afraid to take Mary as his wife and face wagging tongues that probably said he made her pregnant before marriage. God's lofty purpose must march forward amidst all odds. The wise men were prepared to face the ire of Herod to obey God's instructions.
On the other side, the chief priests and scribes were cowards. They were under the thumb of Herod. They knew the Scriptures about the birth of the Messiah. Now they have got firsthand information about the prophetic star. They ought to have packed their suitcases and climbed on their camels to go and see the Messiah. What deterred them? The fear of King Herod! They became confederates of their king instead of rushing to witness the miracle Baby, exploring His genealogy and carefully following Him up. They missed the greatest adventure of their life.
Christian life is no jolly trip. It is a warfare against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). These unseen forces are they that bring about the trials in our lives, not the human forces of flesh and blood. Problems we face in life are back exercises to strengthen our backbone for this spiritual warfare. Face life boldly and move ahead.
6. Faith and Unbelief
Christmas story is a story of faith. "Blessed is she who believed" (Lk 1:45). Mary's song is a song of faith (1:46-55). Her faith was founded on the truth of God's word. She didn't even know or feel that she had conceived when she went to her aunt. She believed that, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). Even though Zacharias and Elizabeth were too old to bear children, they did not stop praying for a child. The angel said, "Your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son" (Lk 1:13). The wise men took up the long journey in faith (Mt 2:1). In faith they brought precious gifts all the way.
On the other hand, unbelief runs parallel to faith in the Christmas narrative. Zacharias had been faithfully praying for a child indeed, but when the answer to his prayer came like a bolt from the blue, he could not instantly take it (Lk 1:20). He received due punishment for doubting the God-sent Gabriel
We are called believers because of our faith in a great God. We sing songs of faith. But there can be hard situations in life when our faith can be challenged by satan. When satan sifted Peter like wheat, Jesus was praying that Peter would cling to his faith. The situation was so wicked that Peter almost lost his faith. But the prayer of Jesus upheld him. Most of us go through such a sifting process. Be strong in the Lord. Jesus is praying for you. Peter writes that the "genuineness" of our faith will be tested by fire, by our "various trials" (1 Pet 1:6,7). The end of our faith is the salvation of our souls (v9). So hold on to your most precious faith.
7. Light and Darkness
People saw "a great light." "Light dawned" (Lk 2:78,79). The first Christmas brought light to us as Isaiah prophesied (9:1,2). Christmas was the fulfillment of the prophecy that those in darkness saw a great light. If we had not experienced the salvation that Christ gives, we wouldn't have seen this great light. We'd still be groping in darkness searching for truth and light. "The glory of the Lord shone around them" (2:9).
On the other side was darkness. Isaiah 9:2 says, people "walked" in darkness. But in Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:79 we read, people "sat" in darkness. I suppose, people walked in darkness without God, and unable to proceed forward in life, they just gave up hope and sat down. Their condition was pathetic. The Apostle John describes Christmas beautifully. He says, "The Light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not engulf it" (Jn 1:5). People were literally blind, groping to find God (Acts 17:27).
The Light was on one side, in heaven and the darkness was on the other side, earth. For the darkness to be dispelled, the Light must come down to earth. That is exactly what happened in Christmas. God in the "highest" and on "earth" peace (Lk 2:14). "Upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned" (Mt 4:16). "The Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death" (Lk1:78,79). Just imagine the joy of Galilee of Gentiles! Now the Son of God for whom they were groping has come to them visibly in human form. Christmas has come to them! Now what do we do? Shall we who are in the light, take the light to those who sit in darkness or celebrate Christmas with a grand meal and sleep and snore? Lift up your eyes and see the Galilees of the Gentiles around you. God expects you to go there and light up the dark places. Let us not be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled when the planet burned. Whenever we go to proclaim the Good news, we ease the terrible burden God has for His lost creation.
Conclusion
Let our lives be transformed this Christmas. Let us put aside the sorrowful side of our lives and learn to lead a jubilant life filled with songs of joy. Never forget to pray for wisdom every day that we may be filled with the spirit of sound mind. Let us be clothed with radiating love that will touch everyone who comes in contact with us with an empty wounded heart longing for tenderness. Let us learn to love righteousness and hate wickedness. May God help us to overcome our cowardice and strengthen our backbones to face life courageously and serve Him against all odds. In times of trials, let us have a firm grip on our most precious faith and never ask, "Why, Lord?" Let us make a firm decision this Christmas to move out from our Thousand Lights area and march into abodes where people are sitting in darkness, waiting for the Light to shine in their hearts and to celebrate a very Merry Christmas!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
