Come Home for Christmas!
John R. Petrilli
At Christmas time we enjoy singing many of the familiar songs of the season. Some songs talk about the religious aspects of the holiday, while others deal with seasonal traditions like sleigh rides, caroling, roasting chestnuts, and trimming trees. One well known song is titled, “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays”. It brings to mind all the warmth and joy of celebrating the holiday together with loved ones. While being at home during the holidays may seem like the ideal way to celebrate Christmas, we may be surprised to find out that the very first Christmas was NOT celebrated at home.
A close look at the original Christmas story reveals a number of similarities between where some of us find ourselves this holiday season, and where Jesus’ family found themselves when they celebrated the very first Christmas.
JOSEPH AND MARY WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FAMILIAR PLACES THEY KNEW BACK HOME. Luke 2: 1-4
“About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the entire Roman Empire. Everyone had to travel to the town of their ancestors. So Joseph went from the town of Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem, King David’s town for the census because he was a descendant of King David.”
Bethlehem was about 60 miles from their hometown of Nazareth, so this couple found themselves a long way from home. Not only were they far from home, but the town they came to was very unfamiliar to them. So the first Christmas found two people separated far from their home and landing in a place with surroundings they weren’t used to and probably quite uncomfortable with.
JOSEPH AND MARY WERE SEPARATED FROM THE PEOPLE THEY LOVED BACK HOME. Luke 2:5
“Joseph went to Bethlehem to register WITH MARY, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”
In order for Mary and Joseph to get to Bethlehem they had to leave all their families and friends behind back in Nazareth. Imagine leaving a town where everyone knew you to go to a place where nobody knew you. This is what it was like for this young couple. And to top it all off, it was at a time when Mary was expecting a child and needed the support of her family more than ever. I would imagine Mary and Joseph felt very out of place and missed everyone back home.
They didn’t have anyone to turn to for help or support. They probably felt very lonely, isolated and forgotten.
JOSEPH AND MARY WERE SEPARATED FROM THE COMFORTS THEY ENJOYED BACK HOME. Luke 2:7b
“While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her
firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room in the inn.”
If ever there was a difficult pregnancy, it would have to be Mary’s. While there were no physical complications with the pregnancy itself, she had to endure many hardships in reaching her goal of delivering her baby. First there was that very long and tiring journey on the back of a camel. Most women today enjoy the relative comfort convenience of being driven by car to the place of birthing, but Mary endured all the bumps and roughness that go along with camel travel. Already low on stamina due to her carrying an unborn baby, such a long trip would
have drained most of her energy. Then, instead of a brightly lit, spanking clean maternity ward, Mary had to settle for a dark, damp, dirty, smelly animal barn. Instead of enjoying the comfort afforded her by family and friends during her birth she has to settle for the company of some goats and oxen. How her heart must have longed to give birth back home instead of in that lonely place where hardships were many and comforts were few.
ALTHOUGH MANY MILES SEPARATED MARY AND JOSEPH FROM THEIR HOME AND FAMILES, GOD PROVIDED THEM WITH NEW FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH.
God sent new friends in the form of Shepherds to join Mary and Joseph in celebrating Jesus’ birth. How appropriate that the Good, Great and Chief Shepherd of our souls should be welcomed on earth by men of like trade. God also sent along a new friend in the person of a senior citizen named Simeon. The elderly saint took the baby Jesus up in his arms and gave Mary and Joseph the priceless gift of a special blessing upon the newborn infant. In addition to Simeon and the shepherds, God also added a widower named Anna to the invitation list for Jesus’ birthday. God finished off the guest list with an entourage from a far away land who gave Jesus His very first birthday gifts. They laid out before the family expensive and precious gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Together all these wonderful people made the couple feel more at home as they Shared in the joy of the Savior’s birth.
WHEN WE CAN’T BE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR US TO CELEBRATE THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS WHEREVER WE ARE!
It’s been said that home is where the heart is. I don’t think that saying could ever be truer than at Christmas time. On that very first Christmas Eve Mary and Joseph were far from their physical home, yet, by welcoming Jesus into their hearts and lives, they had found a spiritual home away from home. And isn’t THAT what Christmas is all about? It’s about making room in our hearts for Jesus. Hear Jesus’ own words: “I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, O will enter your life and we will enjoy wonderful fellowship together.”
Sometimes we may have to celebrate Christmas away from our physical home, but nobody has to celebrate Christmas away from their spiritual home … EVER. So if you long for home this Christmas, remember that because Jesus died for your sins, you can make your heart His home today, and then you’ll truly be “Home for Christmas”!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Cradle, a Cross, and a Crown!
A Cradle, a Cross, and a Crown!
John R. Petrilli
The recent miner rescue in Chile highlighted the joy of a successful search and rescue operation. Buried in the earth for 69 days, the entire crew emerged alive. It was the greatest mining rescue in history. The long, tedious, and daunting effort to save these workers came to a glorious conclusion. Over 2,000 years ago, two other search parties were launched. They were trying to locate a king. Foreign dignitaries crossed hundreds of miles of desert on camelback to find this king. An unusual star served as a type of global positioning system that guided them to the exact address where the king resided. Earlier a group of shepherds also conducted their own search for this same individual. They received inside information from a high-ranking source that directed them to the king’s birthplace. The wise men and the shepherds were on a mission to find out just what this birth was all about.
Two millennia later we may find ourselves asking that selfsame question. What IS Christmas ALL ABOUT? In order to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful manner, we need to have a clear understanding of its original purpose. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew provide the answer to this age-old question.
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A HUMBLE BETHLEHEM CRADLE!
The Bethlehem Cradle Nestled a Baby of Miraculous Conception!
“Round yon virgin mother and Child, holy infant so tender and mild.”
Luke states that, “Mary gave birth to her firstborn son …wrapped Him in cloths, and placed Him in a manger.” Nothing miraculous about that. But if we go back to the previous chapter of Luke’s gospel, we find an angel preparing Mary for a supernatural conception in her young, untouched womb. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Just imagine flipping through the birth announcements section of the Sunday paper, and stumbling across an announcement like this. How would you react? My guess is, you’d probably react the way Mary did. The only way I can describe her response is “incredulous awe”. Not only was she to have a baby apart from the normal conditions, this baby is God! The conception of Jesus Christ was nothing short of miraculous!
The Bethlehem Cradle Possessed A Baby of Miraculous Nature!
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity!”
Not only was the conception a miracle, the incarnation of the Son of God was miraculous as well!
That humble crib held the very Son of God. Jesus was NOT BORN that morning. He is the Eternal Son of God Who has existed forever in eternity past! Matthew says so! “They will call Him ‘Emmanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’.” (Matt. 1:23) To quote one author, “Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of the Christian faith to understand is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The fact is, we can’t understand it! There is nothing else like it in the universe. Infinite glory was somehow compressed into the finite limitations of humanity.” How can such a process be explained? Humanly speaking, it can’t. And neither can we explain the wind, the depths of space, the instinctual habit patterns of wildlife, nor a million other wonders in the heavens and on earth.
The Bethlehem Cradle Held the Miraculous Solution to Our Dilemma!
“O come Thou rod of Jesse free, Thine own from Satan’s tyranny!”
The incarnation changed forever and always humanity’s relationship to God. It means that human beings can see, hear, and personally know God in ways never before possible! The incarnation was the unique, one-time moment when the invisible eternal God took on a visible, finite human body. This is a mystery, but a real event and fact of history. Believing it, and receiving Him is the gateway to having peace in your heart and life.
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A SAVING CALVARY CROSS!
The Calvary Cross Overshadowed The Humble Bethlehem Crib.
“Just a cradle in the shadow of a cross, little Lord Jesus, born in a manger, just a cradle in the shadow of a cross.”
When we look closely at the Biblical accounts of Christ’s birth, the Cross is conspicuously present throughout the story. The angelic message to Joseph explained that Jesus would “save His people from their sins.” It was announced to Mary as well that her baby would become the world’s “Savior”. How unusual that the joy of a birth announcement would be so cryptically coupled with the future obituary of that same child. The startling inclusion of the Cross in the predictions of Christ’s birth is not limited to the New Testament accounts. Old Testament prophecies of His birth also speak of the redemptive nature of His coming to earth as well. But the theme of the Cross reaches its greatest clarity in the N.T. accounts.
The Calvary Cross Dealt A Death Blow To Sin.
“Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today!”
“You are to give Him the Name ‘Jesus’, Because He will save His people from their sins!” (Matt. 1:21) There it is, right at the outset. Jesus was born for one purpose, and one purpose only. To die for our sins! Alluding to His impending death on the cross, Jesus stated, “What shall I say, ‘Father save Me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour” (John 12:27). The apostle John concurs, “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14). To this testimony Paul heartily agrees, “God sent forth His Son … to redeem those under the law.” (Gal. 4:4)
The Calvary Cross Made Salvation Possible For All Men Everywhere!
“Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings!
In his prophetic hymn of praise at Jesus’ dedication in the Temple, we hear Simeon exclaim,
“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, my eyes have seen your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.” No longer would salvation be reserved for the Jewish people, but now it would be extended to include men, women and children from every nation on earth. Simeon goes on to inform Mary that our individual response to the Calvary Cross would determine our eternal destiny. “This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and destined to be a sign spoken against.” (Luke 2:34) What will you do with Jesus, rise in faith, or stumble in unbelief?
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A MAJESTIC HEAVENLY CROWN!
If we only had a cradled and crucified Savior, we’d really have nothing to celebrate. But, Hallelujah, it didn’t end at the Cross! Tucked neatly away in these very same birth announcements and prophecies is the REST of the story. And what and END it is! Both Old Testament and New Testament messianic prophecies indicated that, following His death, Christ would rise from the dead, ascend into Heaven, and be officially installed as the Eternal King of all Creation! Upon His return to Heaven, the risen, ascended, victorious Lord Jesus Christ had a Kingly crown placed upon His Head. And with that crown came some unprecedented entitlements!
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Absolute Rule Of Heaven And Earth!
“See within a manger laid, Jesus Lord of heaven and earth!”
When asked by Herod to identify the city of Messiah’s birth, the chief priests and teachers quoted Micah the prophet’s words: “Out of you, Bethlehem, shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.” According to Luke 1:32-33, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would inherit the throne of David. The apostle Paul elaborates on the ramifications of this installment in the book of Philippians, chapter 2 where he writes, “God exalted Him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow IN HEAVEN and ON EARTH, and UNDER THE EARTH, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father!” Now that Jesus is on the throne, there’s coming a day, and sooner than we think, when His absolute rule will be manifested for all to see. How about you? Is He reigning in your life today? If not, there’s no gift He desires more than the gift of your heart.
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Judge the World.
“He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness.”
If you’ve never read Isaiah’s Messianic prophecies, a rare treat awaits you. In chapter 11 of the book bearing his name he gives these details about Christ’s reign: “He will not judge by what he sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His belt, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.”
I recoil in shock over some of the rulings being handed down by our highest courts. History is filled with instances of injustice on the part of judges who are limited to their five senses. Thank God that Jesus will not judge with the limited, political and spiritually-bankrupt motives of men. He’s the altogether PERFECT ONE! When He’s directly in charge, the decisions are right, fair, and just every time.
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Reign Over His Universe For All Eternity.
“And He shall reign forever and ever – Hallelujah! … Hallelujah! … Hallelujah!”
I abbreviated Gabriel’s announcement to Mary a bit because the last phrase of that declaration is worthy of singular attention. “His kingdom will never end.” Earthly rulers rise and fall, and their kingdoms inevitably come to and end. The list is virtually endless. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Caesar, Constantine, Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, Stalin. But there’s ONE King who won’t follow in their train of temporary rule. The King I’m talking about has risen, NEVER to fall! King Jesus is on the throne to stay. No power in heaven or earth will ever take it away from Him. The Father will see to that. Don’t you want to be numbered among those living in His everlasting kingdom?
So what’s Christmas really all about? It’s all about a Humble Cradle! It’s all about a Saving Cross! It’s all about a Heavenly Crown! If we can get a hold of that, we’ll have a truly blessed Christmas, and a spiritually prosperous New Year!
John R. Petrilli
The recent miner rescue in Chile highlighted the joy of a successful search and rescue operation. Buried in the earth for 69 days, the entire crew emerged alive. It was the greatest mining rescue in history. The long, tedious, and daunting effort to save these workers came to a glorious conclusion. Over 2,000 years ago, two other search parties were launched. They were trying to locate a king. Foreign dignitaries crossed hundreds of miles of desert on camelback to find this king. An unusual star served as a type of global positioning system that guided them to the exact address where the king resided. Earlier a group of shepherds also conducted their own search for this same individual. They received inside information from a high-ranking source that directed them to the king’s birthplace. The wise men and the shepherds were on a mission to find out just what this birth was all about.
Two millennia later we may find ourselves asking that selfsame question. What IS Christmas ALL ABOUT? In order to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful manner, we need to have a clear understanding of its original purpose. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew provide the answer to this age-old question.
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A HUMBLE BETHLEHEM CRADLE!
The Bethlehem Cradle Nestled a Baby of Miraculous Conception!
“Round yon virgin mother and Child, holy infant so tender and mild.”
Luke states that, “Mary gave birth to her firstborn son …wrapped Him in cloths, and placed Him in a manger.” Nothing miraculous about that. But if we go back to the previous chapter of Luke’s gospel, we find an angel preparing Mary for a supernatural conception in her young, untouched womb. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) Just imagine flipping through the birth announcements section of the Sunday paper, and stumbling across an announcement like this. How would you react? My guess is, you’d probably react the way Mary did. The only way I can describe her response is “incredulous awe”. Not only was she to have a baby apart from the normal conditions, this baby is God! The conception of Jesus Christ was nothing short of miraculous!
The Bethlehem Cradle Possessed A Baby of Miraculous Nature!
“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity!”
Not only was the conception a miracle, the incarnation of the Son of God was miraculous as well!
That humble crib held the very Son of God. Jesus was NOT BORN that morning. He is the Eternal Son of God Who has existed forever in eternity past! Matthew says so! “They will call Him ‘Emmanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us’.” (Matt. 1:23) To quote one author, “Perhaps one of the hardest aspects of the Christian faith to understand is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The fact is, we can’t understand it! There is nothing else like it in the universe. Infinite glory was somehow compressed into the finite limitations of humanity.” How can such a process be explained? Humanly speaking, it can’t. And neither can we explain the wind, the depths of space, the instinctual habit patterns of wildlife, nor a million other wonders in the heavens and on earth.
The Bethlehem Cradle Held the Miraculous Solution to Our Dilemma!
“O come Thou rod of Jesse free, Thine own from Satan’s tyranny!”
The incarnation changed forever and always humanity’s relationship to God. It means that human beings can see, hear, and personally know God in ways never before possible! The incarnation was the unique, one-time moment when the invisible eternal God took on a visible, finite human body. This is a mystery, but a real event and fact of history. Believing it, and receiving Him is the gateway to having peace in your heart and life.
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A SAVING CALVARY CROSS!
The Calvary Cross Overshadowed The Humble Bethlehem Crib.
“Just a cradle in the shadow of a cross, little Lord Jesus, born in a manger, just a cradle in the shadow of a cross.”
When we look closely at the Biblical accounts of Christ’s birth, the Cross is conspicuously present throughout the story. The angelic message to Joseph explained that Jesus would “save His people from their sins.” It was announced to Mary as well that her baby would become the world’s “Savior”. How unusual that the joy of a birth announcement would be so cryptically coupled with the future obituary of that same child. The startling inclusion of the Cross in the predictions of Christ’s birth is not limited to the New Testament accounts. Old Testament prophecies of His birth also speak of the redemptive nature of His coming to earth as well. But the theme of the Cross reaches its greatest clarity in the N.T. accounts.
The Calvary Cross Dealt A Death Blow To Sin.
“Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today!”
“You are to give Him the Name ‘Jesus’, Because He will save His people from their sins!” (Matt. 1:21) There it is, right at the outset. Jesus was born for one purpose, and one purpose only. To die for our sins! Alluding to His impending death on the cross, Jesus stated, “What shall I say, ‘Father save Me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour” (John 12:27). The apostle John concurs, “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14). To this testimony Paul heartily agrees, “God sent forth His Son … to redeem those under the law.” (Gal. 4:4)
The Calvary Cross Made Salvation Possible For All Men Everywhere!
“Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings!
In his prophetic hymn of praise at Jesus’ dedication in the Temple, we hear Simeon exclaim,
“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, my eyes have seen your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.” No longer would salvation be reserved for the Jewish people, but now it would be extended to include men, women and children from every nation on earth. Simeon goes on to inform Mary that our individual response to the Calvary Cross would determine our eternal destiny. “This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and destined to be a sign spoken against.” (Luke 2:34) What will you do with Jesus, rise in faith, or stumble in unbelief?
CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT A MAJESTIC HEAVENLY CROWN!
If we only had a cradled and crucified Savior, we’d really have nothing to celebrate. But, Hallelujah, it didn’t end at the Cross! Tucked neatly away in these very same birth announcements and prophecies is the REST of the story. And what and END it is! Both Old Testament and New Testament messianic prophecies indicated that, following His death, Christ would rise from the dead, ascend into Heaven, and be officially installed as the Eternal King of all Creation! Upon His return to Heaven, the risen, ascended, victorious Lord Jesus Christ had a Kingly crown placed upon His Head. And with that crown came some unprecedented entitlements!
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Absolute Rule Of Heaven And Earth!
“See within a manger laid, Jesus Lord of heaven and earth!”
When asked by Herod to identify the city of Messiah’s birth, the chief priests and teachers quoted Micah the prophet’s words: “Out of you, Bethlehem, shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.” According to Luke 1:32-33, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would inherit the throne of David. The apostle Paul elaborates on the ramifications of this installment in the book of Philippians, chapter 2 where he writes, “God exalted Him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bow IN HEAVEN and ON EARTH, and UNDER THE EARTH, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father!” Now that Jesus is on the throne, there’s coming a day, and sooner than we think, when His absolute rule will be manifested for all to see. How about you? Is He reigning in your life today? If not, there’s no gift He desires more than the gift of your heart.
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Judge the World.
“He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness.”
If you’ve never read Isaiah’s Messianic prophecies, a rare treat awaits you. In chapter 11 of the book bearing his name he gives these details about Christ’s reign: “He will not judge by what he sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His belt, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.”
I recoil in shock over some of the rulings being handed down by our highest courts. History is filled with instances of injustice on the part of judges who are limited to their five senses. Thank God that Jesus will not judge with the limited, political and spiritually-bankrupt motives of men. He’s the altogether PERFECT ONE! When He’s directly in charge, the decisions are right, fair, and just every time.
Christ’s Heavenly Crown Entitles Him to Reign Over His Universe For All Eternity.
“And He shall reign forever and ever – Hallelujah! … Hallelujah! … Hallelujah!”
I abbreviated Gabriel’s announcement to Mary a bit because the last phrase of that declaration is worthy of singular attention. “His kingdom will never end.” Earthly rulers rise and fall, and their kingdoms inevitably come to and end. The list is virtually endless. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Caesar, Constantine, Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, Stalin. But there’s ONE King who won’t follow in their train of temporary rule. The King I’m talking about has risen, NEVER to fall! King Jesus is on the throne to stay. No power in heaven or earth will ever take it away from Him. The Father will see to that. Don’t you want to be numbered among those living in His everlasting kingdom?
So what’s Christmas really all about? It’s all about a Humble Cradle! It’s all about a Saving Cross! It’s all about a Heavenly Crown! If we can get a hold of that, we’ll have a truly blessed Christmas, and a spiritually prosperous New Year!
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