Do You See What I See?

If you are reading this, then it is likely that you are a friend or family member, and it is more than likely that you are very familiar with the Christmas story. Perhaps, as with myself, we can be too familiar. Every year, Christmas programs, meals, gatherings and the rest all meet in a perfect storm of laughter and love and burn out. The busy schedules, the hectic sometime frantic stuff does not go unnoticed by anyone. This year we have a bit more on our minds as some of our friends and neighbors survive mortgage foreclosures, perhaps bankruptcies, or lay-offs and dwindling finances. I pray constantly as I think of these things, and it has gotten personal this year already, with my own company having to make major adjustments to survive an uncertain market. Change is upon us this Christmas. It may not be good change.

Sometimes, while I sleep, some theme from the day(s) before will play in my head with the quality and repetition of a CD player on "Repeat". Tonight's theme was the song, "Do You See What I See?" It is a good song – not about that mushy, light stuff that many of the more modern Christmas songs jingle about. It speaks of the Star that came at the time of the Christ-child, fulfilling prophecy.

When I first awoke, I did not think much about this, but as I had to step out on the cold, snowy deck to get more firewood, I became a bit more awake; so from the unusual combination of drowsiness and adrenaline, came a somewhat different angle on the meanings that are described in some way in this tune. The first that occurred to me was the fulfilling of prophecy in the birth of the Messiah, who was sent to free His people from their sins. Hundred of prophesies foretold of Him, and many of them were fulfilled just in His coming – Emmanuel – God with us.

I don't want to retell the story, because it is readily available to you in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke. This morning, though, the star mentioned in the song brought a different light on things… (Get it? "…different light…) The nation of Israel at the time of His birth was occupied by Rome. The Jews longed for their freedom and looked hopefully for the coming King, who they were told would free them. There were Pharisees and Sadducees and priests who were allowed by the Romans to do some amount of the governing. There were lots of poor people. There were lots of sick and lame people. I imagine there were a few wealthy people too. All of them were looking for the coming Messiah spoken of by the prophets for hundreds of years.

We know from the story that the star shown brightly when Jesus was born, and that the Wise Men came from very far away to worship Him. And we also read that God sent angels to tell shepherds of it, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace, good will toward men…"

Peace, good will toward men… Hmmm… It may nearly be impossible to imagine the many ways that each of us might personalize that and construct our own image of earthly peace and good will. The Jews of that time certainly must have done that, because most of them, excluding the shepherds that the angels told, didn't seem to have noticed His arrival. Yet, the Magi came from the East, following only a star to honor Him. Apparently, the King that the Jews had in their minds was not a poor baby born in "low estate". Apparently, their imagination did not conceive of the true meaning of many prophecies concerning their King. Yet, we have shepherds and wise men who did figure it out.

Shepherds and wise men… What a contrast! The shepherds were not bad men, I am sure, they were poor though. The Magi were presumably very wealthy and educated on the other hand. So, it occurs to me this morning, in the particular fashion that even familiar things can, that the star was visible to all, shepherds, wise men, Pharisees, Sadducees, wealthy, poor, rulers and subjects. Although all had some idea of their own about what Christ would be, but relatively few had the faith to recognize Him at His birth.

This did not change much with His maturity. Later, we read that though He healed the sick and the lame, even raised one man from the dead, they killed Him. Likely, for some it was jealousy and rebellion, but for all that participated, there was certain blindness to God's plan to save men from sin. They had hope, though. I would say that it was rather misplaced hope in some image of a conquering king however, and not in a humble servant.

With this in mind, what am I expecting this Christmas? Am I missing anything that has been made obvious?

I doubt that I would have noticed the Messiah like the Magi without the benefit of my parents' and my church's teachings. I doubt that any of us will see angels proclaim much to us this Christmas, either. At least not heavenly kinds of angels. So, my challenge this morning is to look for God this Christmas? He has come and He is among us already, though perhaps not in the ways that you would expect. But more than that, He will be returning one day to rule and reign as the conquering King of Heaven and Earth.

I hope that you will consider what the Christ means? Sin and bondage, Hopelessness and Fear need not hold us captive any longer. We have hope in Christ – eternal hope, that is based upon His work to change our hearts and lives as only He can.