Merry Christmas, Christ Community Church! As you spend your Christmas day with your family, friends, and loved ones, it’s my prayer that you all have a blessed time. And may the feeling of wonder that was once felt by the shepherds and magi all those years ago be felt anew in each of us as we remember the true reason for our celebrations today.
Take a moment today to read this excerpt from In the Wind that talks a bit about that feeling of wonder.
On a memorable night, the occasional bleating of sheep filled the calmness of the air—air that was also infused with signs and wonders. Shepherds walked slowly in their worn leather sandals, crooked staff in hand. While nothing was particularly different about that night, something deep inside them said there would be.
Suddenly, above! Angels! “Don’t be afraid!” one of them said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem” (Luke 2: 10-11).
Then the angels sang. The shepherds began their swift journey to Bethlehem and before long, they gazed upon a woman who gave birth to a child called Jesus, the one who warranted an angelic escort upon his arrival.
Some time later, a group of “magi,” wise counselors and astrologers from the east, saw something in the night skies which sent them packing their camels in preparation for a long journey across the desert to the Holy Land. Being unsure of the exact location, they waited, studied the maps, followed the celestial stars and planets, and sat to discuss how they might find the one whom the stars announced.
Suddenly, above! A star never seen before! It hung low enough to point them to the newborn King. “And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2: 9-11). A song by an angel choir, a virgin woman giving birth, wise men led by a star. The wonder of it all.
It seemed the beginning of Jesus’s life on earth foretold the many signs and wonders which would accompany him years later. Jesus became this intriguing figure, of whom his undeniable power pointed to one thing—God. Crowds followed him. They saw the miraculous signs. They heard his teaching. They sensed in his presence the supernatural. They drew nearer to God just being by his side or catching a glimpse of him walking the streets.
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John 1:14 NLT
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