Are we too familiar with the story of Christmas? Cute animals, cozy manger with hay, cute infant, bright star, is that all to it ? Tonight, let's look at it again, with new appreciation, with a renewed understanding, to be reminded as to what it all means, God sent His son, as an infant, for us.
It is a renewed appreciation of how God became man, beginning in the lowest of cirumstances, living through the height of humiliation and ending in the most tragic of endings, all just for us.
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Before his birth - The controversy – Mary’s pregnancy
Ask yourself a question. Imagine an unwedded female teenager heavy with pregnancy. How would others view her? Probably an unwanted pregnancy. An adultress. As recorded in Mt 1:19 - Mary if charged with adultery would be stoned. But Joseph's mercy did not intend to disgrace Mary and planned to send her away secretly. But
Yes, Jesus arrival was welcomed by the chosen group, the sheperds, but most of the masses might have viewed Mary's birth as shameful.
Imagine instead of a proud pair of parents who can proudly proclaim the joyous news of their child’s birth, we have a pair of parents， the target of ridicule. Instead of an anticipated birth of a baby, we have the ridicule that he might be a child born out of an unwanted pregnancy.
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Jesus as an infant - They made their way to Bethlehem from Nazareth.
Jesus did not enjoy normal pre-birth parent preparation. eg. nice infant rooms, clothes, diapers, milk powder, a cot, a nice baby room. But rather, his parents had to come down from Nazareth in Galilee, travelling down 130 km on a camel/donkey/by foot to come down to Bethlehem totally UNPREPARED. A mother about to give birth would not tread more than 130 km (now 2-3 hrs by car, then 8-10 days) through mountaineous terrain and a desert. Think about what can happen in the desert? Extreme hot and colds.
In times when parents can proclaim their joyous news of the coming birth of their child, a father has to borne the front of humiliation that this child is not fathered by him.
In times when a mother needs the most protection, she was exposed to the harshest 最苛刻 of desert conditions .
In times when parents needs the most certainty in preparing for birth, (eg. prepared route to birth place, mid wife, post natal care), they were exposed to the most uncertainty. Where am I to get these care services/facilities?? Remeber that there is going to be a crowd in Bethlehem due to the census. and chances are, it would be difficult to get lodging.
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - There was no room for them in the inn
I remembered when my wife was due, I made sure there was a comfortable ward that my wife could gave birth in, that i knew the route to the hospital, that i brought everything in the 'to bring' list, that there was the best of mid wives and doctors to facilitate their delivery.
But for Mary? She had no room in the inn.
There was no best route to delivery Jesus. Joseph and Mary had to knock from inn to inn.
No mid wives/doctors. Mary wrapped baby Jesus herself. Joseph won't probably be of much help if he was like any first time fathers.
In times when a woman in labour needs the most comfort/assurance, she faced the most loneliness. There are many complications that can happen during birth that will scared any woman. I remember i saw woman having to go into labour rooms alone, and that was so pitiful. Mary though had Joseph, didn't had any mid wife thus was even more alone. Not to imagine the darkness in the manger.
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - For baby Jesus when he was finally born?
In times when an infant needed the most care, baby Jesus had only the most basic of care. A manger, not the often misrepresented cushy comfortable wood plank with hay stack, but a feeding trough for animals. Can you imagine how dirty, smelly, needless to say the bacteria?
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - God became a helpless baby.
Baby Jesus was unable to protect himself. Was totally dependent on his parents. As recorded in Phillipians,2:7 He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Jesus as a young child - Target of a ruthless assasination
Jesus with his parents had to flee to Egypt, to escape Herod. Again they had to trek miles across deserts, into a foreign land. Again into a place of uncertainty. Always on the run. No stable place to stay, to pillow over his head. The King of Kings is pursued like a criminal by his creation. The creator pursued by his creation,
It didn't really end when Herod died. Joseph was warned in a dream to avoid Archelaus, son of Herod, who was still in pursue of Jesus. And Jesus, God who all mountains, lands, seas were created for him, by him, through him, was chased around by earthly lowly kings in his childhood.
The infanticide - It was such a tragic scene. The tears of mothers, fathers, the cries of innocent babies. Who could bear such sight and sound? Weeping for their children, and refusing any comfort. In their hearts, they might be cursing this baby who Herod tried to search. Cursing, this son of God. Thus Jesus might have been continually doubted/hated by others
Now considering the humble circumstances in which Jesus was born, this Christmas, how are we to respond to the birth of Jesus?
The shepherds and magi responded to the infant Jesus.
Response of the Shepherds - 众 天 使 离 开 他 们 ， 升 天 去 了 。 牧 羊 的 人 彼 此 说 ： 我 们 往 伯 利 恒 去 ， 看 看 所 成 的 事 ， 就 是 主 所 指 示 我 们 的 。 他 们 急 忙 去 了 ， 就 寻 见 马 利 亚 和 约 瑟
Response of the Magi - 有 几 个 博 士 从 东 方 来 到 耶 路 撒 冷 ， 说 ： 那 生 下 来 作 犹 太 人 之 王 的 在 那 里 ？ 我 们 在 东 方 看 见 他 的 星 ， 特 来 拜 他 。
We can choose to response in three ways similarly.
A. Firstly, we can choose to ignore the Savior
Imagine the shepherds had heard of the angels joyous announcement and just carried on their shepherding? The magi had seen the star and just ignored it as a nice sight in the sky?
For us, do we go on just celebrating Christmas just as we have always done, without pursuing what it all really means? If so, we will just be as lost as we always were. By God's grace, He seeked us, but if we choose to jgnore, then, we remain lost. REMAIN in DARKNESS. What does remaining lost mains? Remaining in darkness means? It means that we bringing our sins along with us heading for hell.
What is hell like? The below verses give a vivid description.
Matthew 5:29-30
29 若 是 你 的 右 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 剜 出 来 丢 掉 ， 宁 可 失 去 百 体 中 的 一 体 ， 不 叫 全 身 丢 在 地 狱 里 。
30 若 是 右 手 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 砍 下 来 丢 掉 ， 宁 可 失 去 百 体 中 的 一 体 ， 不 叫 全 身 下 入 地 狱 。
Matthew 18:9
9 倘 若 你 一 只 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 剜 出 来 丢 掉 。 你 只 有 一 只 眼 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 眼 被 丢 在 地 狱 的 火 里 。
Mark 9:43-48
43 倘 若 你 一 只 手 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 砍 下 来 ；
44 你 缺 了 肢 体 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 手 落 到 地 狱 ， 入 那 不 灭 的 火 里 去 。
45 倘 若 你 一 只 脚 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 砍 下 来 ；
46 你 瘸 腿 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 脚 被 丢 在 地 狱 里 。
47 倘 若 你 一 只 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 去 掉 他 ； 你 只 有 一 只 眼 进 入 神 的 国 ， 强 如 有 两 只 眼 被 丢 在 地 狱 里 。
48 在 那 里 ， 虫 是 不 死 的 ， 火 是 不 灭 的 。
路 加 福 音 16:19-31 (Chinese Union Version (Simplified))
19 有 一 个 财 主 穿 着 紫 色 袍 和 细 麻 布 衣 服 ， 天 天 奢 华 宴 乐 。
22 财 主 也 死 了 ， 并 且 埋 葬 了 。
23 他 在 阴 间 受 痛 苦 ，
24 就 喊 着 说 ： 可 怜 我 罢 ！用 指 头 尖 蘸 点 水 ， 凉 凉 我 的 舌 头 ； 因 为 我 在 这 火 焰 里 ， 极 其 痛 苦 。
25 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ： 儿 阿 ， 你 该 回 想 你 生 前 享 过 福 ，你 倒 受 痛 苦 。
26 不 但 这 样 ， 并 且 在 你 我 之 间 ， 有 深 渊 限 定 ， 以 致 人 要 从 这 边 过 到 你 们 那 边 是 不 能 的 ； 要 从 那 边 过 到 我 们 这 边 也 是 不 能 的 。
27 财 主 说 ： 我 祖 阿 ！ 既 是 这 样 ， 求 你 打 发 人 到 我 父 家 去 ；
28 因 为 我 还 有 五 个 弟 兄 ， 他 可 以 对 他 们 作 见 证 ， 免 得 他 们 也 来 到 这 痛 苦 的 地 方 。
29 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ： 他 们 有 摩 西 和 先 知 的 话 可 以 听 从 。
What does the above verses tell us about hell?
a. That even riches cannot save you from hell if you bear your sins alone.
b. You will be in torment in hell. In agony, in thirst, in fire.
c. That once in hell, you cannot get out. 有 深 渊 限 定, 人 要 从 这 边 过 到 你 们 那 边 是 不 能 的
d. That if we hear the voices of people in hell, they will tell us not to come here! v28
e. That you will be alone in hell…
f. It is for eternity
This is the ultimate result that each one will face if he chooses to ignore the Savior. The shepherd who carries on shepherding, the magi who ignores the cross, us who carries on enjoying the world, working, studying, family...
B. Secondly. What we if we visited infant Jesus, are revived for a few days/week/months, but later forget about the Savior? What if we continue to live unrepentant lives, continue in our lives of sin?
We have to ask ourselves, are we reborn? Is our faith dead? Have we repented? Are we saved in Christ? Or are we just like the the people whom have ignored the Savior but just that we have a surface/superficial acknowledgement of our Savior? Even the devil acknowledge Jesus as the son of God!
Are we headed for hell thinking that we are headed for heaven? Let's not be the branches thrown into the fire.
5 我 是 葡 萄 树 ， 你 们 是 枝 子 。 常 在 我 里 面 的 ， 我 也 常 在 他 里 面 ， 这 人 就 多 结 果 子 ； 因 为 离 了 我 ， 你 们 就 不 能 做 甚 麽 。
6 人 若 不 常 在 我 里 面 ， 就 像 枝 子 丢 在 外 面 枯 乾 ， 人 拾 起 来 ， 扔 在 火 里 烧 了 。
C. Lastly. But what about if we are like the shepherds, magi, bringing gold, precious gifts to the Savior acknowledging him in his full glory. And after that joyous night, eagerly await his growing up, to follow him? To the point where he died unto the cross still we follow where no one else does? No turning back?
That we know we ought to be on the cross, but instead Jesus is on it for us?
That we know what ought to flow is our blood but instead its Jesus's precious blood?
That he is our Saviour! He is our Lord!
歌 林 多 後 書 5:21
21 神 使 那 无 罪 的 ， 替 我 们 成 为 罪 ， 好 叫 我 们 在 他 里 面 成 为 神 的 义 。
And because we are seen as right before God, we are assured as having a place in heaven. Where the city and streets are made entirely of gold and precious stones, where there will be no tear, no mourning, no pain but joy, the joy of seeing your loved ones in Christ.
1. To embrace our him as our Saviour for our sins (see the sinner in us).
If we do not embrace him? Lk 2:34 是 要 叫 以 色 列 中 许 多 人 跌 倒 ， 许 多 人 兴 起 ；will cause many to fall and rise. To those who reject him, its fall into the depths of hell.
2. Repent of our sins. Examine our own sins, pride, lust, unwholesome talk, gossip, laziness and refusal to study God's word
3. Tell others of what joyous day Christmas is, a saviour has come.
Think about it. If it were you, can you give up your son?
Why did he have to go through the humblest of circumstances?
Because of his love for us. He love us so much that he did not want any of us to perish in our sins. But to life in Christ.
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