Musing – How Could You Miss Christmas?

Hebraic Musing – How Could You Miss Christmas?

It is hard to imagine how anyone could miss Christmas with all the fuss during the season – advertisements, publicity and commercial promotions.  But more important, many miss the “Reason for the Season”.  That is not surprising because 2,000 years ago there were a lot of people who missed Christmas and they also should have known better.  What are six ways they missed Christmas 2,000 years ago? 

1. Preoccupation – There was an innkeeper who couldn’t even make the effort to find accommodations for an obviously pregnant young woman, due any minute!  Not even caring to find a midwife to help her.  The business of inn-keeping took priority over welcoming the birth of his Messiah.  He wasn’t unsympathetic, just busy.  How many people today don’t know who Jesus Christ really is because they are ignorantly preoccupied with mundane and meaningless day-to-day activities?

2. Jealous Fear – “When the Magi came from the East seeking the new-born Messiah, they sought direction from King Herod.   … and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’   When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,…”  And Herod learned from the priests that according to Micah 5:2 the “king of the Jews” was to be born in Bethlehem.  Matt 2:1-8  NIV    King Herod feigned desire to worship the “King of the Jews” because he was jealously fearful of a new king.  Today we have people jealously fearful of having to give up their own plans, positions, priorities, values, morals and life styles.   How many people want to be their own king?

3. Prideful Indifference – The priests of the time felt that they were perfect “keepers of the Law”.  They refused to recognize that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Rom 3:23.  And “the wages of sin is death, ….” Rom 6:23.  They had no felt need for a Savior!  Are there people today who refuse to acknowledge their sin nature?

4. Religious Ritual – The first to recognize the baby as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, were shepherds tending their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem.  Their tending of sheep meant they couldn’t be involved in the ceremonial activities of a feast being celebrated in Jerusalem.  The “religious” activity was only a few miles away in Jerusalem and all the people there were missing the reality and miracle of His birth.  Do religious activities sometimes cause people to miss the miracle of His birth?

5. Idolatry – The Romans missed the importance of His birth because they had their own gods.  Today, people have their own gods – money, sex, cars, boats, houses, family, power, prestige, etc.   Are we drawn to many gods who distract us from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

6. Over-Familiarity – The saddest group to miss the miracle of Christmas would be the peoples of Nazareth.  They knew Jesus as the carpenter’s son and failed to see who he really was.  “Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’   He could not do any miracles there, … And he was amazed at their lack of faith.”  Mark 6:4-6   Can over-familiarity with the Christmas story lead to indifference, missing the “Miracle of Christmas”?

 Points to ponder

Can recognizing the “Miracle of Christmas” awaken the significance of our celebration?

I confess I missed a bit of the Christmas spirit because of each of those six points.
How about you?

In this New Year, may we all appreciate the significance of Jesus’ miraculous birth; as well as His death, burial, resurrection and His second coming.

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                  January 2, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Excerpted from a Christmas letter from a friend; original source – John MacArthur.