Title: The Essence of Christmas
Contents Also, if we look at the history of the past, we can easily find events that have changed the world decisively. For example, if the stem cells of Professor Hwang Woo-seok, who is at the center of recent events, are put into practice, it will bring about a huge change. The discovery of computers and the Internet is one of them. But, dear brothers and sisters, among the events that changed the world, Christmas is the biggest event.
About 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in little-known Bethlehem. The name Jesus was given. This event made a huge difference in the world. Based on the birth of this baby Jesus, it was divided into BC and AD, which are BC and AD. The coming 2006 is that 2006 has passed since the birth of this baby Jesus. The birth of this baby Jesus changed everything. These facts show that Christmas is very meaningful and important.
There are still many babies being born in the world. Many babies must have been born when baby Jesus was born. But how could the event of the birth of the baby Jesus become such an event of eternal change? God is teaching the answer through today's text. So, what is the meaning of Christmas shown in the text?
1. Christmas is the event of meeting the Savior, Jesus. (2:8-12)
Christmas is the event of meeting the baby Jesus as the Savior. An angel of the Lord appeared with a message to the shepherds guarding their flocks in the middle of the night. Verses 10-12. “Don’t be afraid. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will come to all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you, and you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Dear saints, the angels who appeared to the shepherds told them to go to the stables. The angels told the shepherds to look at the manger and not look at anything else to meet the Savior. He told them to look at the lowly-looking baby lying in the manger of the beast and wrapped in cloths. This baby was born in a shabby stable. This baby was placed in a manger where animals feed. This baby was wrapped in swaddling cloths. It is a more humble child than a child born into a poor family.
But this baby lying in a manger is a sign. It is not an ordinary baby, but a baby born with a great meaning. So, what is the significance of this baby? It was the angel's message that revealed the sign of this baby. The birth of this baby is good news for all the people. It's good news for the whole world. It is good news of great joy.
What, though, is the good news of great joy for the whole world? I am glad that the Savior has come. This baby lying in the manger is the Savior. The Messiah promised in the Old Testament has come. It means that the Christ, the Lord, who has been waiting according to the promise has come.
Dear saints, I hope that the Christmas of the baby Jesus is the best news for me. I hope that the Christmas of the baby Jesus is the best news of great joy. I hope you will meet and believe that the baby Jesus, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, is the Savior of the world and the Lord of each of us. Dear saints, let us also go to the lowly stable under the guidance of the angel. Let us also go to the lower places to meet the Lord who comes to the lower and lower places. Let's go to a place where we truly humble ourselves and serve. I hope that you will have a blessed Christmas where you will meet the Lord who came as the baby Jesus.
2. Christmas is an event of glory to God. (2:14)
Christmas is an event in which God is glorified. So many angels of the heavenly host sang praises to God together with the angels. Verse 14. “Glory to God in the highest.” The angels praised the birth of the baby Jesus as an event that brought glory to God.
The event of the glory of the baby Jesus is different from the glory of the world. Glory in the world means ascending high. In the world, it is an honor to rise from the lowest to the highest. What is the essence of Professor Wooseok Hwang's case? Why did he falsify the 2005 paper? He was already a hero in 2004. It seems that he wanted to go higher and higher and have glory. Pride brought him to ruin, and great shame to our nation.
In the days of Jesus, the Roman emperors enjoyed the glory of the world. They acted like gods and wanted to be worshiped. The same goes for the idolization of Kim Il-sung in North Korea. The result was a tragedy that caused 3 million North Koreans to die of starvation.
In comparison to this, brothers and sisters, think of the baby Jesus. In a nutshell, it did not rise, but descended infinitely. That's right. Baby Jesus was born in a nameless village. It's not an ordinary home. It's not even an ordinary inn. Born in a stable. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid down in a manger. By the world's standards, it must have seemed so lowly. In the eyes of the world, they will look pitiful and think that there is nothing valuable. But it is an event of glory to God in heaven. Angels are revealing this to us through hymns.
Dear saints, this teaches us not to look only at external phenomena. Even in our humble life, God can be glorified. Even in our poor life, we can glorify God. We can glorify God even when we are sick. When I was about to go to seminary, I had one concern. At that time, we had a son with cerebral palsy. I heard that this child was hiding the glory of God, and I wondered if going to a seminary was the right thing to do. This was a very bad idea. Look at Job. Through such suffering, he shamed the devil and gave great glory to God.
How are you this Christmas? Are you troubled by material difficulties? Tired of illness? Are you mentally unable to get out of your wounds? Do you think you are surrounded on all sides? I hope you believe that you can glorify God even in this difficult and low state. I hope you will continue to trust in God with faith until the end. I hope that the Lord, who came as the baby Jesus, is leading you for good. I hope that you will be faithful to the Lord until the end and you will be glorified by God.
3. Christmas is an event of peace for us. (2:14)
Christmas is an event of peace. In verse 14, the heavenly host of angels praised God, saying, “Peace on earth among men with whom he is pleased.” That is, the birth of the baby Jesus is an event that brings peace on earth.
At the time of Jesus' birth, Rome was ruling the world. Rome maintained security by preventing disorder and riots by force. Rome brought peace to the world by force. Security has been restored with the power of a powerful army. Those who opposed or threatened public safety were punished mercilessly. This is a similar case to the Chun Doo-hwan regime in the past 5 Republics era. This peace was a peace of power made up of war, violence and oppression. It was a peace that destroyed, repressed, and dictatorship. It was the peace of only the rulers, the peace of the so-called powerful.
But the peace brought by the baby Jesus is a completely different picture. Rejecting the symbol of domination by sword and power, he was born as a baby in a manger in a stable. Therefore, the peace of the baby Jesus rejects the peace of the powers of the world. It rejects the oppressed and disguised peace. The peace of baby Jesus is a gentle peace. It is not a peace that competes and oppresses, but a peace based on forgiveness, love and sacrifice. It is a peace where the ruler and the ruled have disappeared. Peace to serve each other, to love each other and to exalt each other. It is a peace that exalts the lowly, builds up the weak, and builds up the losers. Dear saints, I hope you enjoy this kind of peace of Jesus on Christmas Day. May you enjoy the shalom of the Lord who accepts, understands, and encourages us as we are.
Therefore, dear saints, Christmas is an event of joy for us. Christmas is the event of meeting the child Jesus, who came in a humble appearance, as the Savior. Christmas is an event of glory to God. Christmas is an event of peace for us. Dear saints, first of all, like the angels, I hope you will glorify God. And I hope you will meet the Lord with your neighbors in peace with everyone. May you share the joy of Christmas with those who are humble and suffering. May the grace of Christmas be abundant to you and your family, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.