The Message from the Angels!

Its another wonderful Christmas day! As I sit at the coffee shop, I wonder if we truly understand the beauty of this day. So many of us are stuck in just doing things just because that was how it has been done and thus have lost the essence of the plot. I am amazed that we take so much of time to learn why we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas and ignore to celebrate the arrival of Christ into the world. We are caught up in fighting about the day rather than the event.But Christmas, whichever day it was, 2000 years ago hosted an event so magnificient and so unique that never has there been a night such as this ever again in the history of mankind. The Saviour of the world humbled himself and became human to live among us.The arrival of Jesus was announced ever since the fall of man by various prophets. But we are going to take a look at specific announcements preceding Christmas day and see what message do they hold for us. Matthew and Luke are the two gospel writers who chronicle the announcement of the birth of Christ. While Matthew focuses his attention on Joseph, Luke traces the events as it occurs to Mary. While Matthew records the lineage of Jesus through Joseph, Luke follows the trail along Mary’s family tree all the way back to King David and Adam, the first man. Therefore both the writers stick to the divine announcement of the birth of Christ from the perspective that was revealed to them. The chronological order of the announcements can be seen by studying the two books together.The first announcement of Christ’s birth (Luke 1:26 – 38) comes to Mary, when her relative Elizabeth is 6 months pregnant with John, the prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. Mary is greeted by the Angel Gabriel who calls Mary highly favoured of the Lord. There is a wonderful message here. It was because Mary found favour with God that Jesus came into her life. The bible does not speak of Mary as an extraordinary individual to have deserved favour. In here, we see the evidence of God’s grace upon an ordinary individual. The same holds true for us. The bible teaches us that it was not we who first chose Him, but Christ chose us while we were still sinners, weak and foolish and poured out His favour on us that we would be able to receive Him into our lives. (John 15:16; Romans 5:8)And when Jesus comes into our life, He does not come to get a small corner but He comes to establish His throne. In other words, He comes to be our King and to rule over us. For when He comes into our life, we become the house of Jacob. We are the Israel of the new covenant. When Jesus comes into our life, (Luke 1:32 & 33)Luke 1:35 -37 further reveals the work of the Holy Spirit in the birthing process. The Holy Spirit will overshadow Mary and she shall give birth to Christ. In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit continues to does the same. The Holy Spirit overshadows or when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, there is a new birth experience that takes place where you are born of the Spirit. This is the born again experience where you are born out of the work of the Holy Spirit. (John 3:5-8) Those who are thus born of the Spirit are the only ones who can claim to be the sons of God. (Romans 8:14-16) We also see that the sign that the angel gives Mary a reassurance that the message is true by telling her that her aging relative who was known as barren has now become fruitful. This is what Jesus does. He makes that which is barren fruitful. So if we have Jesus in us not only shall we be fruitful but those around us will start being fruitful. For this was what God desired for man during the time of creation – that man be fruitfulAnd to all these wonderful words, Mary demonstrates the acceptable response that God expects from us too – Let it be to me according to Your word. We see this response in all the great men that God has used right from our Lord Jesus who prays, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42) to Paul who desires that “no longer I who live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The next person that the Angel appears to is Joseph. Joseph is in a quandary when he finds the woman he loves and is betrothed to is found with child. Normal reaction would be a lot of noise, public humiliation of a woman with child out of wedlock and for those times probably even death by stoning. But Joseph was a just man and, though he knew he would be supported by the society in his decision to ostracize Mary, decides to put the matter to rest without the fireworks. At this crossroad of decision making is where Joseph has a divine visitation. The angel of the Lord quells his fears and announces that the child shall save the world. The angel of the Lord instructs Joseph on the name by which the Child shall be addressed. The bible gives a lot of importance to names. For as a person is addressed, power is spoken to his life. We see that when God starts to do a new thing, He first starts addressing the person He uses with a name that will from then onwards become his identity and purpose. All throughout biblical history we read of Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Saul and other men of faith whose identities were changed by God and then again, there are people who came into this world with specific purposes for whom God reveals the names to their parents and the list includes Isaac, John, Jesus and so on. And so today as we bow to His Lordship and accept Him, He will change our names and will call us by His name (Acts 15:17)Finally, we see a group of shepherds experiencing the divine visitation to announce the birth of Christ. The message of the angels was simple and straight. I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” This is the message that we are to share with people as we witness – that they have a Savior and He is accessible to all. This was the sign that the baby would be a commoner. The Savior does not have political legacy or money power but the Savior would be one who would be able to identify with all people aving travelled through life as a human, He is now exalted at the right hand of God worthy of being the High Priest who can mediate on our behalf (Hebrews 2:17 & 18) The angels continue and burst into a heavenly song, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[Yes, when Jesus comes, He brings in the Kingdom where there is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). For He came to give us peace, the peace not as the world gives but peace from heaven which surpasseth all understanding (Philippians 4:7). I’d like to summarize my thoughts and bring it closer home. My friends, if you do not believe, I’d like to invite you to give your heart to Jesus and he shall bring the fragrance that’s been missing back into your life. He shall remove every uncertainly and fill you with hope, righteousness, peace and joy in such measure that the world cannot steal it from you.If you are a believer then it is time to consider how much have you allowed Jesus to work in you.Answer the following questions privately and see where your relationship with Christ is going. Is it going in the direction of the wise virgins, who waited, watched, slumbered but also paid the price to follow Jesus or are we walking like the foolish virgins who went through the motions of waiting, watching and slumber but when the tire hit the road realized that there was a cost, the lamps had to burn but there was no more oil?1. Do we still find favour with God in our lives?2. Has His throne been established in our lives?3. Are we born of the Spirit and do we continue to walk in the Spirit?4. Are we fruitful where God has placed us?5. When God speaks to us in various ways, what is our response to Him?6. What is our identity today? Are we called by God’s name or are we known by our wordly identities?7. When was the last time we met with our Savior? Are we running to Him or away from Him when the cares of the world haunt us?8. Finally, are we truly demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God through our life that the world will see there’s no other name but the name of Jesus who is worthy of Glory, worthy of Honour and worthy of all power and praise.

Shalom!