By William Wimmer
Pastor of First Church of God, Sapulpa
Why are we so fascinated with the Christmas story? Have you ever stopped and pondered that question? We spend more time celebrating Christmas than we do any other holiday. Not even Easter, which is the cornerstone of our faith and hope, receives the fanfare that accompanies Christmas. After all of these centuries, the enchantment of Christmas remains. Here are some reasons why we are so fascinated with this story:
1. We are astounded at how silently God entered the world. Never has there been a more important birth, or a more miraculous one. You would expect a tremendous amount of pageantry to surround the arrival of the Son of God. When Prince William and Kate Middleton gave birth to their first child in 2013, the world took notice. Media coverage was immense. Prince George was welcomed with a 21-gun salute and church bells were rung in Westminster Abbey and many other locations as well. Yet, when Jesus was born, it was a “Silent Night.” One of our popular Christmas carols says, “How silently, how silently the wondrous gift if given.” God often does his greatest works quietly, off in a corner. Think of Moses and the receiving of the Ten Commandments. When God sent His Son, he tucked Him away in a hillside manger in the little town of Bethlehem.
2. We are astounded at how humbly God entered the world. Everything was ordinary. Actually, less than ordinary. Jesus was placed in a feeding trough. Most of us would have thought, “He’s a king. He has a right to certain comforts. Oh, a stable? At least let Him be welcomed by some royal ambassadors. Oh, a manger? At least let it be lined with satin and lace.”
Norman Vincent Peale wrote of two men who were standing on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street in New York City, waiting for a red light, during the Christmas rush. One of them was irritated with the traffic. The man grumbled and said, “This is terrible. Something ought to be done about this.” The other man, though, was more philosophical. He replied, “You know? It’s astounding, the romance of it all. There was a baby born of peasant parents in a little out-of-the-way place halfway around the world from here. The parents had no money or social standing. Yet two thousand years later, that little baby creates a traffic jam on Fifth Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world. That irritates you. Instead, it should fascinate you.”
3. We are astounded at how personally God entered the world. In Matthew 1:23, the Bible says that Jesus would also be known by the name Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” God did not send a representative; He came down here Himself. He was God in the flesh. He became one of us and walked among us. How amazing that God, the creator of the universe, would become a man. This act reveals the depth of His love for us. That He became a human being so that He could die for the sins of the world. This story will never fail to captivate the human heart.
Pastor William
