We have Joy (2 of 4)
Because of Christmas
Jordan Easley
Luke 2
On my 16th birthday, I received my driver's license and a car. Before I even had my 17th birthday, I had been involved in 3 separate car accidents. Believe it or not... none of the accidents were my fault. In fact, I was rear-ended all three times.
But to this day... because of those experiences 20 plus years ago... if I hear tires screech or brakes squeal unexpectedly, that sound causes my entire body to tense up and I naturally brace for impact!
Sometimes because of experiences in our past... unexpected events, even unexpected sounds have a way of triggering negative emotions and feelings.
What does this have to do with the Christmas story?
In Bible days... when there was an unexpected event... or an unexpected announcement... from a prophet of God or angelic messenger... most of the time, they were bringing bad news. (brace for impact)
So there was sort of an expectation in the Jewish culture at the time of Christ's birth. It had been ingrained in their minds... that unexpected announcements bring bad news.
- [Jeremiah 18:11] Jeremiah told Judah that God was going to destroy them if they didn't repent.
- [Malachi 3:8-10] Malachi told God's people that they had robbed God, therefore they would soon face the judgment of God.
- [Deuteronomy 28:64] Moses warned the Israelites of God's upcoming judgment and said God's about to scatter you because of your sin.
At this point in history, most of the time, a message from the Lord was a message of doom and gloom.
It's like today... Breaking news is rarely good news. Right? If you get an alert on your phone that says, ''Breaking News,'' it's usually something like...
- A terrorist attack has happened and [this many] people have been killed...
- North Korea launches yet another missile at someone...
It's pretty rare that you get a Breaking News report that says something like-FREE CUPCAKES NATIONWIDE BETWEEN 2-4PM!
Break ...
Because of Christmas
Jordan Easley
Luke 2
On my 16th birthday, I received my driver's license and a car. Before I even had my 17th birthday, I had been involved in 3 separate car accidents. Believe it or not... none of the accidents were my fault. In fact, I was rear-ended all three times.
But to this day... because of those experiences 20 plus years ago... if I hear tires screech or brakes squeal unexpectedly, that sound causes my entire body to tense up and I naturally brace for impact!
Sometimes because of experiences in our past... unexpected events, even unexpected sounds have a way of triggering negative emotions and feelings.
What does this have to do with the Christmas story?
In Bible days... when there was an unexpected event... or an unexpected announcement... from a prophet of God or angelic messenger... most of the time, they were bringing bad news. (brace for impact)
So there was sort of an expectation in the Jewish culture at the time of Christ's birth. It had been ingrained in their minds... that unexpected announcements bring bad news.
- [Jeremiah 18:11] Jeremiah told Judah that God was going to destroy them if they didn't repent.
- [Malachi 3:8-10] Malachi told God's people that they had robbed God, therefore they would soon face the judgment of God.
- [Deuteronomy 28:64] Moses warned the Israelites of God's upcoming judgment and said God's about to scatter you because of your sin.
At this point in history, most of the time, a message from the Lord was a message of doom and gloom.
It's like today... Breaking news is rarely good news. Right? If you get an alert on your phone that says, ''Breaking News,'' it's usually something like...
- A terrorist attack has happened and [this many] people have been killed...
- North Korea launches yet another missile at someone...
It's pretty rare that you get a Breaking News report that says something like-FREE CUPCAKES NATIONWIDE BETWEEN 2-4PM!
Break ...
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