Merry Christmas Eve! Today, the eve of Christmas, and Christmas Day itself are two of the most beloved days in all of the Christian world. The churches all around us will hold services today and tomorrow, families will gather, friends will say, "Merry Christmas!", and there is an air of joy and cheer all around. Oh, and how could I forget all the gift giving and opening? And the dinners and desserts? We do enjoy the Christmas holiday and we do remember the one who started this great day of rejoicing, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Ah, one of the pillagers of my nativity set has arrived. I did explain the Christ child figurine to the big cat last night; so far, only the donkey has been abused this morning. Last night also saw the annual watching of Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life, two of the holiday season favorites. Most of us will be off work today and the schools are out for the holidays, it must be a good day for celebrating the birth of Christ!
On this same day back in Bethlehem, very few expected great things would happen soon. Simeon knew that he would see the Christ child before he died, but that was a lifetime, not any particular day. John the Baptist wasn't yet old enough (he was about six months older than Jesus) to announce the arrival. John's parents knew, but they were caught up in their own blessed arrival. Mary and Joseph knew who they carried to Bethlehem, but they weren't going through towns with a trumpet telling of the impending birth. Would the Christ child, Jesus, be born in complete obscurity? Not quite. We know from our Bible stories that upon the birth of Jesus there would be announcements: The shepherds had one delivered to them, and the magi, or wise men, saw another from a long way off. Simeon and Anna would meet Jesus 8 days later at his circumcision ceremony. King Herod and all of Jerusalem would learn about two years later when the magi finally made it close to Bethlehem. Finally, when Jesus began his ministry, John would announce his arrival, and Jesus himself often said who he was.
We have all of this recorded for us in the Bible. Each year we celebrate the great and wonderful events that led up to the birth of Jesus and the blessed event that came on that first Christmas. We don't know exactly what night on the calendar the birth occurred, or the exact number of wise men, but we do know that Jesus was born. Praise God for Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem as Savior and Sovereign!
Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!
Bucky
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