A Lot of Things

TITLE: A Lot of Things
DATE: December 9, 2019
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT: Luke 19:10 - ESV -  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

What is Christmas?

 A professor of Psychology asked that question to his class of 40 undergraduate students. "Write down the word, "Christmas", he said. They wrote down "Christmas."

“ Now”, he said “write down behind that word the first thing that comes to your mind. They did that too. 40 students wrote things like,
 "Christmas carols",              "Christmas gifts",                   "Christmas tree",
 "Christmas holly"                , "Christmas mistletoe",          "Christmas presents",
 "Christmas turkey",                         "Christmas holiday", and         "Santa Claus."
 But not one of them had written, not one of the 40 had written, "the birthday of Christ."

What is Christmas?

1. To the world's Jews, Christmas is a contradiction of their faith as they continue to wait for a Savior that they will have problems recognizing.
2. To the people of Islam it is trying to respect a prophet, without making Him a deity.
3. For the person who trusts his own intellect, Christmas is a time to laugh at silly superstitions and scoff at senselessness customs from centuries ago.
4. . To the atheist it is a time of confrontation as he denies the Lord of life, the Savior of the sinner.
5. To the heathen, it is a source of misunderstood mystery.
6. To the shopper it is a time to seriously seek out savings and sales.
7. To the alcoholic, it is another excuse to get into the holiday mood.
8.  To the average man, Christmas is repeating endlessly a  powerful lot of moronic and sentimental drivel such as "Christmas is love; and peace on earth; and friendship and home and hearth."
9. To the average woman it can be the Christmas movie countdown on the Hallmark Channel.

Yes, Christmas really is all those things to millions of individuals. But the question really is: “What is Christmas to you? Remember what Christmas is.

It is heaven's love lying in the manger. For you. See it. He loves you with such a desire to save that for you He is willing to experience hunger and thirst, loneliness and grief. For you He was slandered and falsely accused, forsaken even by His Father and made to feel the terror of divine wrath for sin.

For you He was in darkness and agony; for you He wore the crown of thorns and bore the cross of shame and - O heavenly love beyond our deserving understanding or describing - He cherished you more than His own life.

Remember what Christmas is.

My brothers and sisters, this is the real Christmas message: The Father sent the Son for you. Open His Christmas card which reads: "The Son of Man is come to seek and save the lost." Are you angry, Jesus can soothe that anger. Are you rushed, Jesus slows you down. Are you in pain, Jesus has the medicine which can soothe you. Stop and look at the manger. This is God's Son, for you.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I remember what Christmas really is... that is,  what You have told me it should be.  In Jesus’ 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