The Main Event
Read Luke 1:30-38
During the Great Depression that hit the United States in the 1930s, a family in the Midwest struggled to put food on their table. They had no money for luxuries.
One day, posters all over town announced that a circus was coming. Admission would be $1. A boy in the family wanted to see the show, but his father told him that he would have to earn the money on his own. The youngster had never seen a circus before, so he worked feverishly and was able to buy a ticket.
On the day the circus arrived, he went to see the performers and the animals parade through town. As he watched, a clown came dancing over to him, and the boy put his ticket in the clown's hand. Then he stood on the curb and cheered as the rest of the parade moved by.
The youngster rushed home to tell his parents what he had seen and how exciting the circus was. His father listened, then took his son in his arms and said, "Son, you didn't see the circus. All you saw was the parade."
That story is a parable of Christmas. Many people get excited about the festivities but miss the main event. During this season, let's remember what happened in a humble stable and what Jesus' birth means to us.
- Haddon Robinson
Artwork by John Sloane
From Seeds of the Kingdom...
Immanuel - God with Us
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means 'God with us'. - Matthew 1:23
In the small lounge at Ellel Grange we have a beautiful Christmas decoration. It is very simple, but also profound in the message it speaks. It consists of a row of red candles spread across the width of the mantlepiece with beautiful carved letters spelling Immanuel, spanning the candles. It is a vivid reminder that Jesus, the light of the world, comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness of life and hope and that His name speaks of His character.
For many people Christmas is a happy time, but for others it can be one of the hardest times of the year. It may remind them of a loved one who has died, or some other sad loss that they have been through which has accentuated their sense of loneliness. But what is the essential message of Christmas? It is that Immanuel has come, and God is with us. Christmas is about undoing loneliness. The message of Christmas is that none of us is alone.
The birth of Jesus is set in history. They will call him Immanuel. To be called, according to Hebraic understanding, means that the person spoken of will in reality be what he is called and actually fulfill that title. Thus the name Immanuel points to the nature of the One who bears the name. He is God incarnate - God coming into human flesh - and dwells by His Spirit in the hearts of His people.
Jesus Christ - God's Son - God with us. What a comfort, what a joy to know He will never leave His own. The wonder of the incarnation is that the baby in Bethlehem grew to be the man who died on Calvary, taking our punishment, our guilt, and our blame, that His life might be ours.
Reflect today on how God is with you, and let the wonderful word 'Immanuel' come alive in your spirit as you contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.
- Margaret Silvester
That circus analogy is a good one!
ReplyDeleteYes!
Delete