A Celebration Fit For A King

TITLE: A Celebration Fit For A King
DATE: December 12, 2019
​
Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.
​
TEXT: Luke 2: 30-32 – ESV _ my eyes have seen your salvation  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Christmas is coming.

Christmas is coming, but many don’t understand it is the birthday of Christ our King, our Savior. They don’t understand and because they don’t, they have no problem making Him a “bit-part player” rather than the Star of His very special day. This story helps explain how such a thing can happen:

It begins, appropriately enough:  Once upon a time there was a great king. His love for His people knew no limits. Although the kingdom was very large, the King knew every person by name and everything they had was from His hand.

Which is why, to show their appreciation to the King for all He had done, the people decided to have a great celebration to honor His birthday. Everyone agreed it was a simply marvelous idea. Preparations for the celebration were very elaborate. No expense was spared. They adorned their homes with lights, decorations and ornaments. As the King’s birthday approached there were parties, dinners and celebrations.

All the people brought gifts for their friends and family. Many of the gifts they were giving each other were quite expensive, involving considerable indebtedness. In fact, the people spent more on the King's birthday than they did any other time of the year.

Amazingly, folks who were not citizens of the kingdom and who did not even know the King, joined in.

Their celebration of the King's birth was marked by excessive drinking. Since they did not know the King, they invented a good-natured, fat fellow in a red suit. He laughed a lot, but never said anything more than “Ho, ho, ho.” . But that didn't matter because they were too busy celebrating to notice anything.

The day for the King's birthday drew near.

The gifts which the people had brought for each other were piled high. The decorations were beautiful. Huge amounts of food were prepared in all the homes and banquet halls. The king watched eagerly during all the preparation. A number of people did mention Him and spoke of what a great King He was.

The great day of celebrating His birth finally arrived, and some of His people did come bringing gifts and thanking Him for His goodness to them. But to His dismay, most of the citizens never came to His house at all for the celebration..For the most part the people said they were "so busy with all the celebrations and personal plans that they had no time for the King. A few were known to be quite put out when it was suggested going to the King's house or remembering Him with a gift was important.

Those people who did come to His house and who brought their loving gifts were welcomed and blessed by the King. he told them again of His great love for each of them. And each received from the King a priceless gift and lived happily ever after. They knew what the King's birthday was all about. but when they had gone and He was alone again, the King fell to thinking of the feast and the vast numbers of His people who had celebrated His birthday and at the same time forgotten and forsaken Him.

And for them, quite sadly, “Christmas never came.”

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, may Christmas with its celebration of Your life sacrificed to save sinners be welcomed by me. May my presents given to those dear to me be a reflection of Your great Gift to me.  In Your holy Name I pray it. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html
​