With Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; a story that captures the heart even of many people who otherwise don’t belief in, or don’t follow, God and Jesus. But the Christmas story wasn’t just a cute story about a baby. Though new life is often celebrated, Jesus’ birth went unnoticed by many. Yes, God sent his angels to announce the birth of His Son to shepherd’s who were watching over their sheep in a field near Bethlehem. He also sent a star to announce Jesus’ birth to wise men from the East. But of His own people, it seems only 1 old man named Simeon, and 1 old woman named Anna, realized who this little baby was, without being told so by angels.
But when Jesus talks about His birth, it isn’t in the same jolly atmosphere we often associate with the Christmas holidays. Jesus talks about His coming from quite a different perspective.
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Luke 20:9-15 “He (Jesus) went on to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.”
But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. “This is the heir,” they said. “Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him'” (NIV, 2011).
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Jesus is the heir who was sent to this earth to be killed. His birth was followed by death Mat 2:16; His life would be a stumbling block for many and would cause pain to His mother’s heart Luke 2:34-35. Though He came to “bind up the brokenhearted” and to “set the captives free” Isaiah 61, His own life, was one of suffering (NIV, 2011).
And that is whose birth we may celebrate again in the next couple of days. The birth of a Savior; the birth of a King.
God bless you all as you remember His birth and celebrate this precious life that was given to us. May God be with you all, and may He continue to guide you and bless you as you start the new year of 2016.
NIV, 2011. Holy Bible, New International Version. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/
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