Every year Christmas comes and goes. And each year people miss out on the joy of Christmas. This is no different from what happened when Jesus was born. Consider the following people who missed the first Christmas…
The Inn Keeper (Luke 2:7)
He had no knowledge of the great event he would miss on this special night. No midwives, no family, no friends. Mary was probably all alone. Joseph, a first time father, was there with his wife. SHE gave birth, SHE wrapped him in swaddling clothes, SHE laid him in a manger. Like millions today, the Inn Keeper missed Christmas because he was preoccupied (2:1-6).
Joseph’s Family (Luke 2:1-5)
Remember the reason why Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem. It was because they had to return to the city of their birth… where their family lived. That means Joseph had family in Bethlehem. You’d think his own family would have welcomed the young couple… but they apparently didn’t. As a result of not giving Joseph and Mary a place to stay they missed the Messiah’s birth… they missed the first Christmas!
Herod (Matthew 2:1-8)
He was not ignorant, he had full knowledge of the events taking place on some level, but he was jealous & maybe fearful of the birth of a king (2:3). He didn’t want competition for his throne & was ruthless in his protection of power. Herod killed two sons for plotting against him to take the throne. He had a distinguished citizen killed when he died so there would be weeping. Had baby boys age 2 & under killed in an attempt to kill the Messiah. People miss Christmas because of attempts to protect their own life’s goals (Luke 19:14).
Religious Leaders (Matthew 2:4-6)
The Pharisees KNEW! Yet they were indifferent. They were self sufficient and in need of nothing in their mind. They knew the prophesies about the Messiah… yet chose to ignore them. Many today have intellectual knowledge, but see no need to honor Christ.
The People Of Jerusalem (Luke 2:15-16)
Of all the people in the area, only the shepherds of Bethlehem worshipped Christ. The entire city missed the birth of the Messiah! Many people are never even told of Christ & thus miss Christmas. Some people are within a stone’s throw of a church where God’s people meet every Sunday and yet they never hear the Gospel. Should we not proclaim the wonderful news of Christ’s birth to all men that God has placed in our lives?
Meditation: Psalm 34 “I will bless the Lord at all times.” (Psalm 34:2)
Yes, Lord, I will bless you at all times—no matter what happens today. I will praise you and thank you because you are good and everything you do is good. As my day starts, I want to shout it out: You are good! You fill me with your love, so that what you put in my heart flows out to the people around me. You satisfy me with your peace and joy.
Lord, your goodness and mercy follow me all the time. It’s as if they are chasing after me—and sometimes they even catch me! Thank you, Lord, that when I call out to you for help, it is not as if I am shouting against the wind. No, you hear my every word, even the most hesitant whispers of my heart. When I am in trouble or pain, you come and comfort me. When sorrow fills my thoughts and darkens my heart, you lift the yoke of anxiety from me and hold me close.
Yes, Lord, you rescue me from anxiety and difficulties. And in those situations that have no immediate resolution, you stay near to me, even though I don’t always know it. My faith tells me that you are here, ready to listen and to act according to your own wisdom and timing. You even lift me up when my own sin makes me stumble and fall. You are so faithful because you have redeemed me from death and have made me yours forever and ever. How gracious you are, Lord! And how humble! You take delight in saving the people you love, even when they have wandered far from your presence and your laws.
Thank you, Jesus, for freeing me from guilt and condemnation! What a blessing to be able to turn to you and be set free from the hold that sin has on my life! What joy to know that you don’t condemn me but forgive me and love me into wholeness. Every day, you offer me a garment of praise in place of despair; radiant joy instead of darkening shame. You are slow to anger and quick to forgive, and I rejoice in your love!
“Lord, I praise you and thank you for your goodness! I will bless you, Lord, at all times.”