Who Doesn't Love a Baby?

Luke 2:8-18
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

     What a night those shepherds had! It was certainly one they'd never forget. There they are, minding their sheep, when the sky breaks open with light, and a messenger of God appears with the message that the Saviour has been born, and then a multitude of angels fills the night sky singing praises to God! It's no wonder they immediately wanted to go see what all the fuss was about.
     What they found was just as fascinating. A virgin born child, lying in a feeding trough, in the midst of a stable. As we see in verse 17, they instantly run to share the news with anyone who will listen. In verse 18, we see that those who heard were amazed at the account of the shepherds.

     The Bible doesn't tell us much about what those amazed people did, but I don't think it's too far fetched to think that some would want to see for themselves. I also don't doubt that some people from that inn, too filled for Mary and Joseph to take shelter there, would have come to see a baby born in such conditions. After all, who doesn't love a baby? You can imagine the passers-by standing adoring the precious newborn child. Even those who knew nothing of the prophecy of the coming Messiah could appreciate the beauty of a tiny baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

     Again I ask, who doesn't love a baby? Who doesn't adore the baby Jesus? This time of year, you can't drive down the road in any populated area without seeing at least one or two Nativity scenes. Just as it was that first night, people adore “the Christ child.” Churches will be filled for Christmas services, with people who will smile and enjoy the message of the miracle birth. They'll enjoy the television specials that tell the story of that “Silent Night.” They'll sing with merry hearts, “Away in a Manger” and “The First Noel.” And then, come December 26^th, those same people will begin to put away the Nativity scenes and go back to life as usual. They'll physically pack up the baby Jesus, and not bring Him out again until next year. Spiritually they'll do the same thing.

     So why is it that almost everyone loves the baby Jesus but neglects the “grown up” Jesus? I believe it's because the baby Jesus doesn't require anything of them. He just lays there in the manger. He doesn't speak. He doesn't ask for too much. The baby Jesus is seen as a gift laid at their feet, while the adult Jesus is recognized as The Lord who says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) It's true that salvation is a gift to be received, but to serve the Lord is to be “... a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1b)

     I'm glad so many take a day, or maybe even a month of the year, and recognizes the value of Jesus, as a babe lying in a manger. But let's not leave Him there. He didn't come just to serve as a decoration, or as an excuse to buy gifts and spend time with family. I'm not against those things, but if you drag out a Nativity scene the day after Thanksgiving, but you haven't accepted God's gift of Salvation... or if you're a Christian who does so, but you don't attend church, read your Bible, pray, and share the gospel, you're really missing the point.

     There's a reason we're not even commanded in the Bible to celebrate the birth of Christ. I'm not against it, and certainly if we celebrate our own birthdays it only makes sense that we celebrate the most important birth that ever occurred. But the virgin birth was only the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. He came to live a perfect life, that He might offer that innocent life as a sacrifice in our place, that we could be forgiven of our sins. He came to live as an example of how a child of God (what you become once you trust Christ as Saviour) should live during the short time we have on this earth. He came to give us the information we need on how we can live a life in God's will.

     I sometimes imagine what it must be like for Jesus to look down on everyone singing about Him as a baby, focusing solely on the nativity. I wonder if He doesn't think, “I'm still here! I did so much more! I want to help you! Look past the manger to the cross! Look from the stable to the empty tomb!” Don't just love the baby Jesus. Love the Jesus who did all the things we read about in God's word, and who sits at the right hand of God the Father today, making intercession for all those who trust in Him.

     You've taken time to recognize His birth. To those who have never accepted Christ, let me ask you, will you go on to recognize Him as your Saviour and Lord? To my Christian friend let me ask, will you “pack Him up” after Christmas? Or will you continue to love Him, serve Him, and learn more about Him, so you can better live like Him? He's just as easy to love now as He was as a baby, I assure you.  After all, He wasn't just born for you: He died for you!

Merry Christmas, and may Jesus remain the focus 

of all our lives as we begin a New Year.

Colossians 3:16, 17
16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The Real Gift of Christmas

     This Christmas, as in Christmases past, we celebrate the birth of a Saviour, Christ the Lord. Deity, wrapped in flesh. Perfection wrapped in a robe of humanity. He was the original "Christmas gift."

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6

     This was a gift with a purpose. He was sent to be the only living man (while He never stopped truly being God) who could die, without having His own sins requiring payment.

"The wages of sin is death..." - Romans 6:23a

     Therefore, He could be that perfect, one-time sacrifice, whose death could be designated as payment for the sins of someone else, anyone else, everyone else, “whosoever” as we read in John 3:16. That is the true gift of Christmas. The gift of eternal salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" - Ephesians 2:8

     However, as with any gift, it must be received. That is the only responsibility of the recipient of a gift, is that you "take" it. I can purchase a gift for you, wrap it perfectly, and place it at your feet, but it's not yours until you pick it up, unwrap it, and take it home.

     So how do we receive the gift God gave us in Jesus? You receive the "gift of God" by faith... by accepting it. You receive it by acknowledging to God that you indeed are a sinner.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" - Romans 3:23

     You receive it by acknowledging your sin before God, and actually saying (in prayer), "God, I want to take your gift of eternal salvation as my own. I want the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to count for ME! I'm turning from trusting in myself, and my deeds, and I'm trusting Christ and Him alone for my salvation."

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13

     Then, you have a real reason to celebrate this Christmas. You are missing out on the true joy of this holiday, if you're only celebrating the fact that A SAVIOUR was born, but you've never accepted Him as YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR. Jesus was not sent so that we could simply appreciate His existence, but that through Him each one of us might be saved!

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” - Mark 8:36

     Don't miss out on Heaven, and spend eternity in Hell, because you've left a gift sitting at your feet, unwrapped, unreceived. Salvation is such a simple thing to receive. It is done in just a moment of time, and yet changes your eternity!

     If you have any questions, I'd love to answer them for you. If there's anything holding you back from accepting Christ as your personal Saviour today, give me an opportunity to show you from the Bible the answer. I want that to be my gift to you this Christmas: a clear path to the Saviour.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” - John 3:17

Merry Christmas!