Scripture: Luke 1:26-35
I urge you brothers and sisters
in view of God’s mercies to offer you bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing
to God, this is your spiritual Act of worship. Romans 12:1
A Visit from St. Nicholas
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all
through the house Not a creature was
stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In
hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug
in their beds; While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in
her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's
nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to
see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore
open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the
new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of midday to objects below, When what to my
wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer, With
a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he must be St.
Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and
shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher!
now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the
wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane
fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they
flew With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the
roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning
around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in
fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes
and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a
pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples,
how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little
mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the
snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke, it
encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly That
shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a
right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink
of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the
stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And
giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave
a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out
of sight— “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Children love
Christmas because they anticipate that late on December 24th, Santa
in his red suit in a sleigh flown by reindeer will fly throughout the entire
world delivering gifts to every girl and boy – at least to the ones on the
“nice” list, not those who have been naughty.
And, this same Santa is shown adoration by leaving him gifts of cookies
and milk.
So, Christmas is
about children anticipating someone coming in red who will bring gifts to all
people who are worthy to receive them and in turn, they bring him worship. Just
sayin’ that the pretend part of Christmas does reflect the real meaning of
Christmas. Jesus would come and ultimately shed his red blood for everyone
throughout the world and throughout time bringing the gift of eternal life, and
in turn his children would bring him worship in the form of offering themselves
in service to him.
The legend of Santa Claus can be
traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It
is said he saved three sisters from being sold by providing them with a dowry
so they could get married instead of being sold into prostitution by their
father. Also he was known as a protector of children and his name in Dutch is
translated Sinter Klass which later becomes Santa Clause and stores discovered
that having a lifesize likeness of Santa Clause – then a real person dressed as
(St. Nickolas_ Santa Clause was a great way to get children, and their parents
into the store to buy gifts.
That
anticipation of Santa coming each year is created by prophecy. Parents, movies,
commercials, social media…many things all tell children that Santa is coming.
Mt Christmas Eve
experience of anticipation as a child…
CHRISTMAS PROPHECIES of the MESSIAH and THEIR FULFILLMENT
The first was in Genesis which
spoke of a spiritual conflict between light and darkness that would finally be
resolved by THE SEED OF THE WOMAN.
(1) 'I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and
HER SEED. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel (on the
cross).' (Genesis 3:15)
Fulfilled - Galatians 4:4: 'When the fullness of time had come God
sent forth His Son, born of a WOMAN'
(2) THE ETERNAL ONE WILL BE BORN
IN BETHLEHEM 'But you, BETHLEHEM
Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you
shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are
from of old, from everlasting.' (Micah 5:2)
Fulfilled - Matthew 2:1; 2:4-8;
John 7:42; Luke 2:4-7). The Bethlehem Babe existed before his birth-The wonder
of Christmas is that the everalsting God became a man in the Person of Jesus
Christ.
If we go on the
BETHLEHEM BYPASS this Christmas we are are bypassing God. For it is through
JESUS we come to know God. We must come to Bethlehem and the One who is God
manifested in human flesh.
(3) VIRGIN BIRTH OF IMMANUEL =
'GOD WITH US' 'The Lord Himself will
give you a sign: Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call
his name IMMANUEL' (Isaiah 7:14).
Fulfilled – Luke 1:26-36
In the sixth month, God sent the
angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married
to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The
angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The
Lord is with you." Mary was
greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor
with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a
virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will
be called the Son of God.
(4) This HUMAN CHILD is also GOD!
"For unto us a child is born, unto
us a SON is given and the government will be upon his shoulder and His Name
shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Everlasting Father (Source of
Eternal Life) Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6). (Fulfilled - John
1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth.
John 3:16 "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “
(5) PRESENTED WITH GIFTS FROM
KINGS from the East. "Let the kings
of Rashish and of the islands bring presents. The kings of Sheba and Seba offer
gifts. Yes, all Kings shall fall down before Him.' (Psalm 72:10,11).
Fulfilled - Matt 2:1 & 11
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
Matt 2:11 On
coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed
down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with
gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
NIV He came as King of Kings and
received Gold (King), Frankincense (Priest) and Myrrh (Sacrifice)
(6) THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS
at Bethlehem. "Thus says the Lord,
a voice is heard in Ramah (near Bethlehem), Lamentation and bitter weeping,
Rachel (who was buried in Bethlehem) weeping for her children (this also refers
to the weeping of her descendants, who were 'in Rachel') refusing to be
comforted for her children, because they are no more." (Jeremiah
31:15)
Fulfilled by Herod- Matthew 2:16.
When Herod realized that he had been
outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys
in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance
with the time he had learned from the Magi.
(7) He comes to be an OBEDIENT
SERVANT even unto a SACRIFICIAL DEATH.
Isaiah called him 'The Servant of the Lord' who would suffer for our sins (Isaiah53)
Fulfilled by Jesus: 'The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life for a ransom for many.' (Matthew 20:28)
Isaiah called him 'The Servant of the Lord' who would suffer for our sins (Isaiah53)
Fulfilled by Jesus: 'The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life for a ransom for many.' (Matthew 20:28)
Twas The Night Before Jesus Came
Twas the night before Jesus came
and all through the house Not a creature was praying, not one in the house. Their
Bibles were lain on the shelf without care in hopes that Jesus would not come
there.
The children were dressing to
crawl into bed, Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker
with baby on her lap was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose
such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the
window I flew like a flash tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes
should appear but angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the
sun sending forth a bright ray I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me
cover my head it was Jesus returning just like He said And though I possessed
worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held
in his hand, Was written the name of every saved man. He spoke not a word as he
searched for my name; When He said, "It's not here" my head hung in
shame.
The people whose names had been
written with love, He gathered to take to His Father above. With those who were
ready He rose without a sound While all the rest of us were left standing
around.
I fell to my knees, but it was
too late; I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate. I stood and I cried as
they rose out of sight; Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the
meaning is clear; The coming of Jesus is drawing near. There's only one life
and when comes the last call, We'll find that the Bible was true after all!
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