Title [Christmas] Yes Christmas (Luke 1:26-38)
Contents
Merry Christmas. It's Christmas. It is a festival day celebrated by people all over the world. Everyone rejoices on this day, even if they don't believe in Jesus.
The official greeting of Christmas is always “Merry Christmas”. ‘Mary’ means very cheerful and joyful. It means to have a good laugh and have a good laugh. The “Christ” in Christmas, of course, means Christ. Mas means worship service. So Merry Christmas means joyfully worshiping Christ. In other words, go to church and enjoy the Christmas service. However, there are many people who do not come to the Christmas service during Merry Christmas.
In fact, worshiping Jesus Christ, the main character of Christmas, was buried in the joys of the world.
So, people shouting “Merry Christmas” changed like this. “Santa Crossmas” We are looking for Santa Claus rather than Jesus Christ.
Santa Claus was originally named after the good deeds of Saint Nicholas. It began to be called after imitating his good deeds to the poor at Christmas.
Such a Santa Claus has turned into a fairy tale story. Rudolph has become a fairy who delivers gifts through the chimney in a sleigh wagon pulled by a deer. It has now become a commercial vehicle and is being used as a futures catalyst.
This Santa Claus is the best lie of Christmas. Parents leave gifts at the bedside of their sleeping children. Then they lie that Santa was there all night. Santa is fake. A degenerate Santa cannot be a child's dream.
A stationery store sells Christmas cards. There are many cards made with clever ideas. However, it is difficult to find a proper Christmas card among them. Vulgar and sensual pictures blaspheme. “Right now, my heart is about to burst with excitement” and “hot kisses” are written sensational phrases. There is a picture of Dracula standing with blood in her eyes, delivering flowers with her bloody fangs exposed. There is a scene where the devil casts a spell, a goblin, Aladdin's magic lamp fairy, a scene where Santa plays in a karaoke room, a scene where a bewitching woman seduces, and even a card reminiscent of sexual acts.
It is a pity that the card contains the message of Christmas reverently announcing the birth of Jesus Christ. You can barely get a good Christmas card by going to a Christian bookstore.
There is no end to the story of the fall of Christmas. It is our responsibility to correct the wrong Christmas culture.
Who was the first to perceive Christmas? Mary, mother of Jesus. Because an angel taught her about Christmas. So, Mary was the first to prepare for Christmas.
The angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary, who had been betrothed to Joseph. And I told her this. “Peace be with you, you who have been favored. The Lord is with you.”
Mary was astonished to hear the angel's greeting. Verse 29 says, “When the virgin heard this, she was astonished and thought, “What is this greeting?” To be surprised means to be astonished.
And the angel proclaimed peace. Christmas begins like this in peace. Peace is not being afraid. Anxiety disappears. Everyone, our Christmas must also be met in peace. We must end the war and break down the barriers of reconciliation and forgiveness. You have to open your heart. Because the world is not at peace, we Christians must proclaim peace to this world. We must call for an end to the fight. It is Christmas that the Lord came to this world to bring true peace.
Everyone should be surprised by this amazing news. We should be surprised not with fear, but with wonder. And we must accept this wonderful work with joy and grace.
Then the angel spoke to Mary again. Verse 31 says, “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”
Jesus Christ. Verses 32 and 33 tell us what Jesus will be like in the future. I am great, and I am the Son of the Most High. He will reign forever, and his kingdom will never end. The meaning of the name is that God will save His people from our sins.
Mary is a virgin who does not know men. Therefore, this annunciation was not possible. So Maria asked, how could this be, since I don't know a man. The angel said to this question, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
Christmas is when Jesus, the Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and came into this world.
There are many miraculous events in the Bible. The Red Sea parted, the sun went back, it rained, and the dead walked on the water. Among them, this Christmas miracle, conceived by the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary, is the most amazing. Christmas is the proof that God is not impossible.
We must confess that Christmas is a miracle. It is a miracle that the Son of God came into this world. It is a miracle that He came in a miraculous way, but Christmas itself is a power and a miracle.
We should rejoice in this miracle. This miracle must be known. The good news is that Jesus is the Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and came to this earth as the Savior.
After hearing the angel's words, Mary was bold and confessed.
Verse 38, “Mary said, ‘I am the maidservant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.
Being pregnant as a virgin is a tease. Moreover, she was about to get married. It will ruin the most important marriage in your life. The angel now tells Mary that she must borrow your womb because it is God's work. It was not easy to say “yes” and obey. Nevertheless, Mary said “yes” and obeyed. Christmas is meaningful because it is a day of saying “yes” like this.
It is not obedience to say ‘yes’ with reasons and conditions attached. Mary accepted it positively and unconditionally with joy with wonder. She humbly answered “yes”. I did not make a decision after pondering for several days, but obeyed on the spot.
Christmas was accomplished because of her obedience. What if she had rejected Christmas?
Christmas was accomplished through Mary's obedience. Our Christmas must learn this obedience. Then God will do wonderful things through our obedience.
Christmas began with surprise and wonder. Peace was proclaimed, and the responsibility of that peace rested upon the believing people. The birth of Jesus Christ is mysterious and miraculous because it is the power of the Holy Spirit. But the real miracle is that the Son of God came to this earth in a human body. His name is 'Jesus'. On this holy night, on the night of the coming of the Saviour, let us consider the voice of Mary's confession of obedience, "Thy servant, it be done to me," in wonder.
We should be obedient in the same way. Then you will truly rejoice and celebrate Christmas.
Yes Christmas!