When They Had Seen It
Luke 2: “18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 iBut Mary kkept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, lglorifying and cpraising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. [1]
I. Wonder
A. Received
B. Reported
II. Welcome
A. Realized
B. Related
III. Worship
A. Relived
B. Revived
Introduction: We have just witnessed another Christmas day. This was a different Christmas season for us because of many reasons. The signs of the times are lining up as the Bible prophecies promised. Even a strange light in the northwestern sky that has not appeared for around eight hundred years was seen on the day we understand as the winter solstice. Jupiter and Saturn appeared so closely together that the two resembled a constellation of one large star and a smaller star yet the planets are not stars. This could be and is a very scary time for people who have no idea of what is going on according to Bible prophecy. For us who do understand and believe, this should not be a time of anxiety but a time of great rejoicing and relief.
For those who know beyond a shadow of doubt that God can be trusted when nothing that we stand on can or will be trusted, this is a time of proof. Society is being forced to choose whether to accept the demands of how we trade, teach, and even worship. Prophecies concerning division within the family have proved to be a real thing this year.
This new virus that has taken the attention of everything else bad and good. People are accepting the demands of others who know less of what is happening instead of trusting God’s answers in His written word. Those who are answering the cries for help with God’s love are being stifled.
For those who have read the Bible it takes a great conscious decision to ignore the basic truth. This world started ending when God created it. This is not to be our eternal home. Eternity here is not possible yet eternity started the moment we received the message that came way before Jesus came and the fulfillment of that truth will never change.
Jesus Christ is the way, the life, and the truth. There is no way to the Father except through Jesus. He was born of a virgin and became a human as we are because a perfect human sacrifice is required to renew the relationship that we humans personally decided to discard. When we did that we didn’t just ball up our page in the book of life, no, we shredded it. Only Jesus can put that back together again.
We have just come through this time of reminding the world of this truth. We are faced with the same questions that Christians have always been faced with. What do we do now that we have seen this? Do we wonder? Do we welcome? Do we worship?
Scripture: Today’s scripture is Luke 2:18-20. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: We are rounding the corner of 2020. 2021 is just ahead. The next Sunday that we are together in this place that God provides called sanctuary will be another year in the calendar. We love to look back to the past and remember the “Good Old Days” and hear from familiar passages that bring hope to the hopeless. Today we will hear the real Christmas story again from the gospel according to Luke in chapter two so please leave your Bibles open and follow along starting at Luke 2 1:20.
We all know the story so well. Even many who don’t believe Jesus as Lord can tell you about these words and the story of Jesus in the manger. In our focal text there are three people or groups of people who had different responses to Jesus’ birth and their new knowledge of the fact of Jesus’ birth.
The first group seems to represent the general population. Rick Warren in his book “The Purpose Driven Life” regards these folks as “the crowd.” “All they that had heard it wondered.” The crowd had heard about something from someone who had a personal witness to the event but to most people it was only hearsay. The only thing that most people had received was the message that had been reported. Maybe later some of them might actually have the chance to accept Jesus as Lord but for now the only thing they had was knowledge they received from someone else.
To have a personal relationship with Christ means that there is something so sure in your heart of heart that you cannot hold it in your hand. To most people that would seem impossible. How can you hold on to something that you cannot hold in your hand? Can you hold onto the fact of your last name? Sure you have documents that have that name written on them and you can hold the paper but you cannot hold who you are in your hand. That is the most important thing about you and it is intangible. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus you are a Christian. That is more valuable than knowing who you are in this earthly life because being a Christian is eternal. There is no end. Unless a person moves beyond being a member of the crowd so that they have a crown to wear, they will never hold Jesus in their hearts.
“But Mary kept all these things.” Even after His crucifixion, Mary kept all these things and thought about them. She pondered them because they all made her think of Jesus. And she kept these things that she could not hold in her hand in her heart.
Follow as we jump back to Luke 1:26-38. Notice a few things in the familiar passage; in Matthew the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph to announce the birth of Jesus in a dream. Mary was fully awake when Gabriel met her in Nazareth. Gabriel had already dumbfounded Zacharias when told of John’s arrival. Now the same angel is telling Mary Who is to come.
All these things were told to Mary and then in verse thirty-eight Mary accepted her role as mother of Jesus. Now the Child was with her and in her. That which the angel Gabriel had told her had been realized. Now the child Jesus was a member of her family. Now Jesus was known by the one to whom He was related. Now she could hold Jesus in her hand but she had already welcomed Him into her heart. There can be no closer bond than to have carried a baby and brought that child into this world. What a wonder! What a Savior! What a God!
Now we will consider the witnesses. The shepherds left their jobs because something more important was happening than had ever happened before. They knew that they could trust what they had been told and they left everything to receive the blessing that we can all receive if only we decide. They had seen Him! They had received Him! Now it was time to return and live in such a way as to tell others through their worship and praise giving God the glory for what had been shown them.
The shepherds did indeed return but they were not the same. They had a revived sense of reason about them and they wanted to relive that moment with all who might hear and know them. They were no longer ordinary shepherds of livestock. They had seen a baby in a manger and He is the Lamb of God.
So here we are at the end of another year. For some this has been a dreadful year. We have seen some terrible things and most of them have nothing to do with a virus. People have lost their businesses. Many more are going without food than ever before all over the world because people are afraid to leave their homes even though home is where many of the people are getting sick. We have seen confused people dictating commands to others things that the crowd is taking as truth. Churches and schools are closed and unless you have a device that allows you to be indoctrinated by others far from you, you are alone. Bible prophecy is coming true in our lifetime and yet people are not seeking Him.
The family of God is growing closer and smaller yet the relationship with God is becoming the thing that we Christians know we can trust. For us we are holding these things in our hearts so that nobody and nothing can take them away.
There are others who cannot hold back that which they have seen. No matter what happens there are some who are praising God and worshipping Him and somehow even through the pain and trials they are going through as they get along with whatever is thrown at them, they are giving God the glory that He deserves. These three differing opinions of what to do are with us and in us. What can we do about how we feel in the coming year?
5 iTrust in the Lord with all thine heart; And jlean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways kacknowledge him, And lhe shall direct thy paths.
7 mBe not wise in thine own eyes: nFear the Lord, and nodepart from evil.[2]
Prayer:
Invitation: The question remains, what type relationship do you have with Jesus? Do you know and believe that He is only to the point that you are part of the crowd that mentions Jesus when someone else brings Him up? Maybe you are one who really does love Him even as a mother might be so close to a child that no matter what you will always have Jesus in your heart? Could be you are like one of those shepherds that just can’t stop talking about Him and praising Him and giving Him credit for every aspect of your life no matter what others do!
The crazy truth about your decision is this; it is not even your decision unless you trust God! WHAT? Of course I have a mind of my own! Preacher, who do you think you are telling me I can’t make up my own mind? The truth is the Holy Spirit will lead you to a decision just as He did through Gabriel with Mary; just as He led the shepherds. The truth will be presented to us all as a member of the crowd as the Holy Spirit will lead you, and then you will definitely have the opportunity to make up your mind which of these relationship you will have with Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is in this place and He is speaking. Are you ready to make the next step? How can we respond to a lost and dying world of people who believe lies? Do we get so upset that we lose our temper? Unless we truly receive Jesus as Lord we have no other choice but to join the crowd of hate. But with Jesus we can even love the crowd. That is His will for our life. The decision to either make or deny today as a New Year’s resolution is this; what part of us are we going to give Jesus? Our mind, our actions, or our heart! The Spirit is waiting to empower us to love.
Let Him in as we sing…
i So ver. 51. Comp. ch. 1:66. See Gen. 37:11.
k Mark 6:20 (Gk.).
l See Matt. 15:31.
c ver. 20. Rev. 19:5.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 2:18–20). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
i Ps. 37:3, 5. See Ps. 25:2.
j So Jer. 9:23. Ecclus. 5:2.
k 1 Chr. 28:9 (Heb.).
l Comp. Jer. 10:23.
m Cited Rom. 12:16. See ch. 12:15.
n Job 1:1.
n Job 1:1.
o See Job 28:28.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Pr 3:5–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
