Christmas – 2021 – The Day After Christmas

                                             Christmas – 2021 – The Day After Christmas

Subject – Looking at the Day After Jesus Was Born

By Rick Welborne

Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV)
¹  And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
²  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
³  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
⁵  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
⁶  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
⁷  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

--Many times this year we have heard so much about the birth of Christ and rightfully so. We have been celebrating the birth (His birthday) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

--As I meditated on this beautiful story and was trying to look ahead to what was happening on our church calendar, I noticed this Sunday was the day after Christmas. How profound!

--As my mind began to think about the birth of Jesus and noticing today would be the day after Christmas, I started wondering what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph the day after Jesus was born.

--All of you who have ever had children will be able to relate to the things that I will share. Joseph and Mary, I am sure had wonderful mixed emotions about this Christ child.

1. Imagine Joseph and Mary gazing into the face of Jesus.

--I have said for years that it is hard to understand the heart of God and His love for us until you have your own children. 

--Joseph and Mary, I am sure like every parent just held on to Jesus and gazed into His beautiful loving face. You feel such love that it is almost unexplainable. Kind of like how God loves us.

--I started thinking about Jesus’ mom and dad gazing into His face and holding on to Jesus, and of course, my mind went to what we should be doing. What did David say was his one thing he wanted to do?

Psalm 27:4-8 (NIV)
⁴  One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
⁵  For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
⁶  Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
⁷  Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸  My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. 

--Joseph and Mary and David had a common desire that should be in every one of our hearts. To spend time with Jesus and to gaze upon His beauty. 

--They had heard so many things about Jesus and I am sure they were holding on to Him as if He was their very lives. How many of you know He is our lives? He is the Way, the Truth, and hear it, the Life! Hold on to Him.

Philippians 3:12 (NKJV)
¹²  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)
²³  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

--We must hold on to Jesus and gaze upon His face. 

2. Imagine Joseph and Mary thinking about Jesus’ future. 

--It is virtually impossible when you have a child to not think about what that child’s future will be. I remember Jeremy and Joshua’s births being so traumatic and thinking God had a great plan.

--I think about Stephanie being born literally as Tricia was laughing and just imaging what joy she was going to bring into the lives of many. Our minds and hearts are racing with thoughts.

--I am sure Joseph and Mary could not help but think about those things that was said about this beautiful son. As Joseph struggled about marrying Mary because she was pregnant:

Matthew 1:18-24 (NLT2)
¹⁸  This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹  Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
²⁰  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
²¹  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
²²  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
²³  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
²⁴  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 

--Think about Mary…this poor teenaged girl being chosen by God and the words she heard about Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT2)
²⁶  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
²⁷  to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
²⁸  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
²⁹  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
³⁰  “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!
³¹  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
³²  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.
³³  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
³⁴  Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
³⁵  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
³⁶  What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month.
³⁷  For nothing is impossible with God.”
³⁸  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 

--Mind blowing for sure. But it was not all good news to Mary.

Luke 2:34-35 (NLT2)
³⁴  Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.
³⁵  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

--What could all this mean…what would be the future of Jesus? A sword will pierce my own soul. I am sure she had such mixed emotions…extreme joy and apprehensive sadness.

3. Joseph and Mary probably started remembering the ancient prophecies of the Messiah. (The Word)

Isaiah 53:3-7 (NKJV)
³  He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
⁴  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
⁷  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 

Isaiah 9:6‑7 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.                              7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

--What an amazing overview of the prophecies about Jesus and about life. Yes, Jesus would have suffering but He would also be the Savior of the Word. The Messiah. Immanuel – God with us. 

--Take heart my brothers and sisters…life will have bad times and it will have wonderful times.

John 14:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
²  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
³  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
⁴  And where I go you know, and the way you know."
⁵  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
⁶  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

--We need to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, we need to think about our future with Jesus, and we need to remember all the prophecies about Jesus. He is coming again.