The 6 Revelations of Christmas

Let us lift our eyes above the “most wonderful time of the year” and the “blue Christmas” and set them upon Christ. For He was born, died and rose again to show us He is the Mighty God! - Clint Decker

What does Christmas reveal about you? Are there lots of gifts under the tree, or are there just a few or perhaps none? Will there be lots of family and friends gathered around the dinner table, or will there be empty chairs due to death, conflict or an empty nest? Christmas has a way of revealing a lot about our lives. (Image from Pixabay)

This was the case during history’s first Christmas. There were the poor shepherds. An angel appeared to them in the sky while they were watching their sheep and said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) As the Christmas carol says, “The first No­el the an­gel did say, Was to cer­tain poor shep­herds, In fields as they lay.” These shepherds were poor, nomadic, and looked down upon in society. They were outcasts. Yet, they were given the news of Jesus’ birth then rushed to see Him in Bethlehem. And they were forever changed by it, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Lk. 2:20)

Then there were the rich wise men. They lived nearly 1,000 miles east of Bethlehem in the location of modern-day Iran. Upon the birth of Christ, they spotted a star in the sky, then travelled in a caravan (not just three of them) on the backs of animals, following the star, to see the Christ child. The journey took around two years, so Jesus would have been toddler age when they came. The wise men were educated, skilled, influential, wealthy and well respected. When they came to Jerusalem they met with King Herod and asked, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2) They continued on toward Bethlehem until they came to Jesus, “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11-12) When the wise men returned to their land of Persia, they were forever changed.

There are six things that Christmas reveals through the shepherds and wise men. 1) God is real. When they went to see baby Jesus, they understood there was something unique about Him, that He was not just an ordinary little baby. 2) The supernatural. Rather than denying or resisting the supernatural, they saw God in it and embraced it. 3) The necessity to respond in faith. The shepherds and wise men’s money, knowledge or reputation was of no concern. It was their response of obedience and worship toward Jesus that brought them blessing. 4) There is good and evil. They saw the good in Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. But they also saw great evil in King Herod bringing death, sorrow and pain to many. Christmas showed them the realities of life in a fallen world. 5) There is true peace. Upon hearing the message of good news, then going to worship baby Jesus, they experienced a joy and happiness unlike anything the world could ever buy.

We must resist the pressure to feel Christmas is about the gifts, how many, how nice or how expensive they are. We must resist letting conflict and the heartache of loss or tragedy to define Christmas. Let us lift our eyes above the “most wonderful time of the year” and the “blue Christmas” and set them upon Christ. For He was born, died and rose again to show us He is the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God and Wonderful Counselor. Christmas reveals that knowing and living for Christ is what is most important in life and what makes life good, regardless of being on the mountain tops or walking through valleys.

A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray you will fix our eyes above the worldly messages of Christmas. Help us to find joy, happiness and peace in you and not in the Christmas trappings that surround us. And bring new life to those who have never trusted in Jesus. In His name. Amen.