Expectation

    The story is told of the actress Helen Hayes and her first Thanksgiving turkey. She considered herself to be the world’s worst cook, but after several years of marriage, decided to take on the task of cooking the turkey dinner. She sat her husband and son down at the table before the meal and said; “Now this may not be the best meal you have ever had, and I don’t know exactly how the turkey will turn out, but…if it’s not a good turkey, don’t say a thing… without comment just stand up from the table, and we’ll go to the nearest restaurant to eat”. A few minutes later she walked into the dining room with the turkey… Her husband and son were standing at the table with their coats on!

     Expectations… It has been my experience that more often than not, the way we live our lives…and the things we get out of life…has a lot to do with our expectations.
    What is it that causes children to jump out of bed at 6:00 on Christmas morning, when they usually sleep until 8 or 9? …It’s because of their expectations.  What is it that causes hunters and fishermen to get up at the crack of dawn, when it usually takes a bomb to go off to get them out of bed?… It’s their expectations.  Helen Hayes didn’t expect to cook a good meal… Her husband and son didn’t expect her to either!
    So, our attitude, and the way we approach and enjoy the Christmas season has a lot to do with our expectations. But, then I’m not just talking about presents and celebrations, I’m asking; “Has the story lost its glow?…Has it’s warmth, it’s excitement, it’s miraculous flavor, gone away just because we have gotten older or, because we have heard it so many times. What are your expectations this Christmas?  I hope the wonder and the reverence and the anticipation of Christ’s birth and his coming again is not gone. I hope we are not found standing in the pews with our coats and hats on!
    This morning, I want to begin at the beginning, and take a quick look at the stories of two people; Zacharias and Mary. What was their faith and their expectations concerning what the angel comes to tell them?
    Let’s do a little comparing here first of all, in order to get the full picture;  Zacharias was a mature believer; he was an older man; a devoted believer in God and His Word, with lots of experience in the Temple. He was a priest, we are told, who was “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly”….
    Mary, on the other hand, was young…probably yet a teenager; she had little experience as a disciple, but she was willing to serve; and, we are told that she “found favor with God” and that “the Lord was with her”.  The question is, “How old do you have to be to have faith in God?
How mature must you be to trust the Lord and His plan for your life? From most people’s point of view, it would seem Zacharias has the advantage here… or does it?
    Both receive a visit from an angel telling them they are going to have a baby. Now, if this happened to you or I, we might be somewhat startled, and amazed, or even fearful…But what I want us to see is their response; Zacharias responds with “No way!” While Mary says “Yes, way! ”Your way!…Well, her words were more like; “May it be as you have said”. 
    Zacharias struggles with whether or not to believe this is possible. He has never experienced anything like this before…an angel? Answered prayer? A miracle? ”I want proof!” ”How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife Elizabeth is no spring chicken!” ”Where were you 40 years ago?” “It sounds impossible to me, and I’ll have to see it to believe it!”
    Mary, on the other hand, is at the other end of that spectrum; She is a young virgin, and struggles with the natural laws of childbirth… However, when the angel tells her that this is beyond natural, that it involves the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, and that God the “Most High” will do what He says He will do… Mary believes that “nothing is impossible with God”… The keyword perhaps being “with” because “one plus God is a majority!” She simply says; “May it be”.
    Finally, let’s look at the reward for their expectations. Zacharias doesn’t expect God to do anything; and he is rewarded with 9 months of silence…For 9 months he can’t make a sound. Notice also that he wasn’t in any hurry to tell the world what had happened, because it says (in verse 24) that “Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion”. In fact, it would seem as though many of their friends and neighbors didn’t know about what God had done until it was time to have the baby. Which brings to mind; How many of our friends and family won’t hear the “good news” until Jesus comes, and it’s too late? How many of us are keeping quiet about what God has done in our lives?
    Mary, on the other hand, goes to see Elizabeth to tell her what God has done! She can hardly wait for the promise of God to be accomplished.  This Advent season ought to find us like Mary…waiting in great expectation and anticipation for God to fulfill His promise.

“Where Is He?”
Matthew 2:1-12 – “

    This is such a great time of year to worship. The Sanctuary is adorned with colorful beauty and there truly seems to be more joy in the air. Some people however, have the wrong attitude about worship, such as the lady I read about who was too sick to go to church one Sunday, so she asked her husband and children to go on without her. When they returned she asked her husband; “What was Mildred wearing today?” He said; “I have no idea.” Then she asked, “Well, how are Victor and Mary getting along?” He said, “I really don’t know.” She huffed and frowned and said; “Well then, what is Evelyn doing about her son on Friday night?” “How should I know?” he replied. To which she responded; “Honestly, I don’t know why you even go to church!”

    When I was a young sixth grader, I remember taking part in a Christmas pageant that was put on by the music director at our school. I was dressed in a royal purple robe, along with two other boys - also dressed in robes - and we sang “We Three Kings Of Orient Are….” This often mentioned bit of scripture in Matthew’s gospel has always been a popular part of the Christmas story. It is interesting that it’s also a part we know the least about. “Who were these so called “wise men?” “Were they really Kings?” “Were they called ‘Magi’ because they were magicians?” We know they came from the east, but what was their country? We assume there were only three, because of the listing of the three gifts, but there may have been more. And, then there is the question “Where did they get their information concerning “the one who was born King of the Jews?”
    My commentaries tell me they were astrologers who believed that the movement of the heavenly bodies and the destinies of men were some-how linked. I personally think there is more to the story than we are given, because if you are from the east and you travel west “following a star” you will go forever circling the globe! However, we must remember that this was a time when God was doing some miraculous things! Virgins and old women were getting pregnant; Angels were appearing to let everyone in on what was happening; God was coming to become one of us! The Creator was becoming one of the created in the form of His son - a babe in a lowly manger. So, it would be no big thing for the story of the star to be just as true.
    The fact is that these “magi” go way back in the Old Testament to the time of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar; Daniel 2:1 - “In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had dreams and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magi, the astrologers, the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams…So, they came and stood before the king.” 
    These “Wise men” as we call them, had been around awhile, and they had traveled a long way to find and worship this new born king. It’s interesting that they didn’t bring Herod any gifts, nor did they worship him! Maybe that’s what made him so mad! They did however, realize that there was something special and significant about the one they were seeking. What I really want us to focus on this morning is in fact the question they asked; “Where is He”?
    Our attitude toward, and our answer to that question, will make all the difference in the world in our lives this Christmas. The question was asked by these who had come to worship him, but it is also asked by:
#1. A relentless enemy who seeks to destroy. King Herod was very disturbed by this news, and he called together all the “chief priests and the teachers of the law” and asks them “Where is he?” “Where is he to be born?” He inquires not because he desires to worship this king, but because he saw a possible rival to the throne, and he wanted to eliminate that possibility. “I am king! There shall be no other!” The kingdom of Jesus was not of this world, as we know, and he really was not a rival at all. However, in the truest sense of the word, Christ stands against Herod and all that Herod stands for. Modern Herods are still seeking to destroy the church and all that Christ stands for; and they ask; “Where is He?”
#2. The question is asked by the unbelieving scoffer. This is the person who ridicules Christ and Christianity. When Jesus was on the Cross, they taunted him; “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross! Call your army of angels! Heal yourself!”
    Scoffers are still with us today. 2 Peter 3:4 - “Where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has from the beginning of creation.” ”Where is He?”  Or, they may even point to the breakdown of moral and family values and then point to the church and say “Where is He?”
#3. The question is asked by the cynic who sneers; “In the midst of this pagan, materialistic holiday called ‘Christmas’…Where is he?” The holly, the mistletoe, the colored lights, the department stores - that begin to display Christmas merchandise on the 4^th of July -  Santa Clause and reindeer, all this we can see; but “Where is he?” Where is Jesus in all this chaos?  Christmas is all about greed!
#4. The question is also asked in the spirit of the believer. This is hopefully where you are found this morning. This is the person - who like the wise men - seek and follow until they find. The wise men showed their faith not only by starting on a difficult journey, but by their diligent search and inquiry until they found what they were looking for. Their mission was complete. And their faith was abundantly rewarded. “Where is He?” they asked. They sought, they found, they fell down and worshipped, and, you can bet that life was never the same for them again.  Our journey however, is not over; Our mission is not yet complete. As we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ, Let me ask this question: Are you seeking?…Are you following?… Have you found Him?…or are you still asking “Where is he?”  The unbeliever, the cynic, the enemy, ask, but do not usually bother to “seek”. But, to the believer, Jesus says “Those who seek me will find me.”
    The wise men came bearing gifts…Gifts fit for a king. But, consider the reason for these gifts; Consider that Joseph and Mary had to go to Egypt with their newborn son, to escape the murderous plot of Herod. The gold would have paid for the journey and all the expenses involved. The Incense and Myrrh could be easily carried, and would fetch high prices in Egypt, providing for their every need. But, consider also that the gold represented a gift to a king. The Incense a gift to God. And, the Myrrh a gift to a mortal man who would die…all three representing Christ. “Where is he”? they asked. “We have come to worship Him.”
    A learned professor, a decent, respected, man who was also an atheist, was attempting to teach his children not to believe in God. One night while he was busy in his study, his little girl insisted on talking to him.  Suddenly, she asked him; “Where is God?” In an attempt to occupy her time, he took out a piece of paper and with a black marker wrote down the words; “God is nowhere.” After showing her the sentence, he cut the paper into small pieces, mixed them up, and dumped them on the floor. Then he said; “Now honey, I want you to put those letters back together.” But, it didn’t come out the way he had planned, for when she did get the pieces back together; her sentence read “God is now here”!
    Let any person ask in sincere faith; “Where is He?”… And, if that person seek wholeheartedly, with all the light available, that person will find “Emmanuel” God is now here!  God with us.

“Traditions” - Mark 7:1-9

    When we think of Christmas, certain images come to mind; Joseph, walking along side of Mary - a pregnant woman bumping along on the back of a donkey; Bethlehem filled with disgruntled tax payers who have come for the census; A crowded Inn; Singing angels; kneeling shepherds; a manger scene with animals and a little drummer boy surrounding the hay filled cradle holding the Christ child; O yes, and the “wise men” bearing gifts following the star. Most of us could just about recite the Christmas story by heart because we have heard it so many times. Unfortunately, traditions sometimes take on more meaning than the season was originally intended to preserve. Celebrations of the event take on more meaning than the event itself.  For many, Christmas has become so materialistic that it has lost the importance of the “good news! Of Great Joy” that the angels proclaimed.

    It’s easy sometimes, to become so attached to traditions that we don’t even really think about it much. Traditions, whether they are Christmas traditions, family traditions, or even church traditions, they are like a double-edged sword. On one hand, they add meaning to life because they help us to remember significant people or events in our lives, and that’s good. On the other hand, they can become so routine and mundane that we end up going through the motions with no real meaning attached. We do church because we have always done church; we do the family stuff because we have always done the family stuff. We do Advent because we have always done Advent, and somehow, we lose the “feeling” and the reason WHY we do the traditions; and that’s a bad thing.
    Our scripture says; “These people say they are mine, they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”…”They worship me in vain.”  In other words, they have it right on the outside; right words; right actions; but on the inside there was nothing. No feeling, no passion, no sincerity. The goal of this message is to try and develop some meaning to some of the Christmas traditions we all hold near this time of year.
   We are accustom to seeing signs and bumper stickers that proclaim; “Jesus is the reason for the season”… and  it’s a really nice slogan that we as Christians have tried to impress upon the Christmas season; But the truth is that most Christmas traditions are not Christian in origin. I am not trying to spoil or put a damper on Christmas, my purpose is to show how we can “put Christ in Christmas” and truly celebrate for the right reason.
    Many of the things that characterize our modern Christmas holiday originated from pagan practices that existed long before Jesus was even born. In fact, no one really knows when Jesus was born…that is, the exact date…but, we can come fairly close just by examining scripture and other historical books.
    How did they come up with this date December 25^th?  Is this 2013 years after the birth of Jesus? In 46 BC, Julius Caesar came up with the “Julian Calendar” with 12 months and 365 days. It was based on the founding of the city of Rome. In 1582 AD, the calendar was revised by Pope Gregory, because it had fallen behind by 10 days. He declared October 5th to be October 15th and arranged for Leap Years. He based the new calendar on the date believed to be the birth of Christ; and our current calendar today is still called the “Gregorian Calendar”. It’s pretty accurate, but it’s off by 26 seconds each year. HOWEVER, at that rate, it will take 3,323 years to build up a single day. SO, in the year 3,905  you all get an extra day! Our calendar is based on the birth of Jesus. If you look in your Bible, the birth of Jesus is dated at 3 or 4 B.C. …..How do we know this?  The Bible tells us that Jesus was born when Herod was King. We know that he reigned for 37 years. Josephus (a Jewish historian) says that there was a lunar eclipse shortly after Herod’s death. And, that Herod died 7 days before the eclipse. The eclipse is dated in March of 4 B.C.  So, we have a pretty good idea that Jesus was born in 3 or 4 B.C.
    But what about December 25^th? If you look up Christmas in the Encyclopedia, you will discover that various people throughout Europe held festivals in December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of these celebrations the people prepared special foods; decorated their homes with greenery; and joined in a time of gift giving. It was also a celebration of the winter solstice or the “return of the SUN”.  In Rome, it was known as “the day of the Unconquerable SUN.” So, the question is; “How did Christmas - which means Mass of Christ - get connected with all these different customs and traditions?
    The answer is that as Christianity spread, missionaries used the culture of the times to communicate Christ to the people. Imagine, being a Christian missionary in a culture where people are celebrating the “Un-conquerable SUN”…It’s a no brainer to speak about the unconquerable SON of God - who was born in a manger in Bethlehem - who was born to be the Savior of the world - And that He ought to be the reason for celebrating the season.
    There’s a prime example of this in Acts 17 concerning the Apostle Paul; It says that Paul was walking along in Athens (Which was the center of Greek knowledge) and he noticed that the city was full of idols and objects of worship. Paul then attended a meeting in the Air-e-opagus, and right in the middle of the meeting, he stood up and said; “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious…For, as I walked around your great city, I observed your objects of worship. I even found an altar with the inscription “To an unknown god”… Then, he went on to explain to them who that “unknown” God was!
    By the way, the church today still uses this strategy of using culture to proclaim Christ. Not only on the mission field, but here in the church as well. The musical instruments and the choruses we sing are an example. Now, with all that in mind, is it possible to bring real meaning into our Christmas traditions?
    We have two options; One is that we reject Christmas as a pagan celebration that was adopted by a compromising church and do away with the tree, the lights, the mistletoe, the presents, and put a sign on our door that says; “Santa not welcomed here!” “Get your reindeer off my roof!” Or, we can rediscover the Christian meaning in - and look for the symbolism in - the customs and traditions of how we celebrate today. We can find the true Christmas story if we are looking for it.
    For instance, you may have seen this used on a simple candy cane; The cane symbolizes the shepherd staff, the red reminds me of the blood of Christ shed for my sins, the white a symbol of the purity and holiness of God.  Or, how about the tree? It’s an “evergreen” which reminds of the everlasting life that is mine in Jesus Christ; The lights remind me that Jesus is the light of the world, and if I am close to Him I will never be in darkness; The fact that it is in God’s house reminds me that it is here that eternal life is found, and that Jesus must be in me for me to have that eternal life.
    Perhaps you have read of the symbolism of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”…. Designed to help young Christians learn their faith and their Bible… “Two turtle doves” representing the Old and New Testaments; “Five golden rings” representing the first five books of Moses known as the Pentateuch…and so on…with a different Christian meaning for each of the 12 days.
    What kinds of traditions and traditional things do you celebrate at Christmas?  What kind of symbolism can you find in the those traditions?  Think about using them as an opportunity to tell the real story to children and grandchildren and to friends and family. Plant a seed this Christmas…you never know how it will grow!