A THREEFOLD IMPRESSION ABOUT CHRISTMAS

Dear Readers,

There is always joy in a family when a child is born; this we can also find in God’s Word. Eve said, when Cain was born: “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” We could also mention the names of Abraham, Sarah, Manoah and Hannah.

The birth of the Child of Bethlehem must surpass the joy of all children that are born, as the sun excels the light of the stars: more than Solomon is here! Who is this child?

He is the promised seed of the woman, who will bruise the head of Satan. Abraham desired to see his day, Jacob prophesied about Him on his deathbed. In Him is fulfilled the Word of Isaiah: “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulders and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Still, at His coming, but also today, there are so many different opinions about Him, as we find also in our text: a threefold impression about Christmas.

First we will ask your attention for:

THE WONDER OF THE INHABITANTS OF BETHLEHEM WITHOUT FAITH.

Why is the heart of the shepherds so full of that Child? On the basis of the Word of the Lord they have hastened to Bethlehem and found that which was promised unto them: a normal child without golden halo, without earthly glory. The shepherds not only looked with natural eyes, for they were men with grace and the Word of the angel had made deep impression upon them. The angel had said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” They went with haste to see Him for whom the saints of old had been longing. What a wonderful experience this had been for them we hope to see later on in our text. Now it is told us how they have come from the stable and have given a testimony to the inhabitants of Bethlehem of what they have seen and heard: “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” The Holy Spirit opened the heart of the shepherds for the treasure which they have seen in the manger.

As a helpless child He lies in the manger, but it is the only begotten Son of the Father. He humbled Himself and has assumed the human nature, He became as a servant to merit salvation for His Church and to satisfy God’s justice. In Him we can find a fountain of salvation. They are filled with joy, faith breaks through and now they begin to speak of this Child. Their words flow out of love for the Lord and the present in the manger. But they speak also out of love for their neighbours. What is the contents of their message?

They speak about the preciousness of that Child, and of this one will never come to an end. They speak also of the necessity of His coming, because without Him we cannot appear before God. He is all-sufficient for life and death; when we posses Him we have everything. How precious is He for a poor and lost sinner!

The shepherds have praised Him and His service so much, that the inhabitants of Bethlehem are almost moved to go and see also: “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” With wonder they listen to these simple people who are speaking of God’s deeds; most likely there were among them some who were moved to tears, but it did not go deeper.

Christmas has become a feast, a family gathering, but the fact of Christmas does not even work a wonder anymore. No impression among hearers and preachers! This is the sad picture of the church today. The judgment begins in the house of God.

Is it no wonder for you either, that the Lord came upon this earth? That is terrible! It shows that the heart is closed for the wonder of Bethlehem. If we wonder only with our mind that is also too short. Calvin says: “The inhabitants of Bethlehem remained blocks of wood; they were hindered by the worldly circumstances.” If this is also our life, ask the Lord to make us truly wonder about the event at Bethlehem. We could say that it is the opposite in the life of Mary, which is the second impression we will try to discuss.

THE CONFIRMATION OF MARY’S TRUE

FAITH.

In church history not much attention is given to Mary, the mother of the Lord. In part this can be explained as a reaction against the saint’s worship by Rome, which we condemn. There so much attention is given to Mary, that the Lord has been put in her shadow. But we may not forget her completely, since this is not done by the Lord either: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Mary is an example of a silent, a quiet faith, but her presence by the manger is a powerful confession of her faith. When Gabriel had spoken to her, she subjected herself unconditionally to the Lord. It is also visible in this stable. O woman, great is thy (silent) faith! Still she must have had many questions.

The angel had spoken of the Son of God, that would be born of her. But would the Son of David be born in such a place, in a stable? The Child is without any special glory; how can that be? Thus the thoughts could have multiplied, but suddenly the door of the stable is opened and the shepherds come in —. It is the middle of the night, but they are welcome. They tell about the wonderful things which have happened in the field, and the even more wonderful message which they received. For Mary this is a confirmation of the words spoken to her by Gabriel. A blessed peace streams through the heart of Mary: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

With great treasures we must be careful, must keep them and not show off with them, because then it is possible we will lose them. Think only of Heze-kiah. Probably there are in our midst who became proud with the blessing which they received, and have lost it. For Mary it was a confirmation of the true faith.

The temporal believers also keep God’s Word, not in their heart, but in their head; and soon they will be offended. Others keep it in their feeling, but that has no depth of earth. “Hosannah” changes so easily into: “Crucify Him!”

The keeping of God’s Word is a fruit of the merits and application of Christ’s work. In the High Priestly Prayer we find it written: They were Thine, but Thou has given them unto Me and has kept them in Thy Word. To keep the Word in the heart is not the fruit of our own heart, but the faithfulness of the Lord. It does not go outside of the mind, the feeling and the will, but it is God’s doing.

So Mary could not forget all these wonderful things in her life, which the Lord had given. Is it in the same way, that you may think of what the Lord has done in us by His Word and Spirit? Where the Lord begins it will never be forgotten. Some will be able to speak about it, but others go so quietly over the world and don’t dare to say so much. The main thing is that the root of the matter is in us! We cannot say this of the inhabitants of Bethlehem, but Mary gave a clear testimony of God’s work in her life. We promised also to say something about the shepherds:

THE SHEPHERDS GLORIFYING GOD BY FAITH.

After speaking to the inhabitants of Bethlehem, the shepherds returned to their flocks. They leave the city differently than they came. We read: “And they came with haste.” This we don’t find when they returned to the sheep. It is not necessary, because the Shepherd of Israel does not sleep nor slumber; He will care for their possessions. Now they return, and this is according to God’s institution. Even when we receive a great blessing, we may not neglect our family or our work. “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” These shepherds are children of God, who not only read in the book of nature, but have seen the glory of God in the manger of Bethlehem as it was told unto them. The shepherds may sing of that which they have seen with the eye of faith. Such praising and glorifying as the shepherds did is only possible when we have seen the Mediator as our Redeemer.

Some think that the shepherds found the Child in their own manger. This is historically doubtful, but spiritually it is true. It is their misery and need into which the Child had to descend. First they have seen their misery, which brought them in the greatest need before the Lord; a crying was born that the heavens may be rent, which has happened now; therefore they can praise the Lord and glorify His Name: “Behold, here is thy God.” How true it is what the poet has said: “The King’s daughter is all glorious within.”

On earth it is often dark for the church because of sin, but there are moments that they may rejoice in the work of the Lord, as the shepherds also experienced.

It is our wish and prayer that many of our readers may learn that which was taught to the shepherds and what they have seen by faith: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

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