The Christmas season is in full throttle: grand displays of lights attract onlookers, holiday shoppers clog the stores, and children eagerly stand in line to whisper wishes to the big guy in the red suit. It’s the “most wonderful time of the year!” …isn’t it? But, what if it seems to be anything but “wonderful”?
I can easily name a dozen people I personally know who are currently in one of the darkest times of their lives. How do we marry the promise of “good news of great joy” with the harsh reality of unexpected loss, broken relationships, shame, or life-altering news?
Our hope is found within the Christmas story. And when we dig a little deeper to understand a bit more fully, the message is even richer than we first realized. Walk with me…
The shepherds of the Christmas story were in a field near Bethlehem (Lk 2:8), which also means they were in proximity to the temple. It’s a safe assumption that these particular shepherds kept watch over a flock that was specifically used for temple sacrifices. While these “unclean” men were not allowed within the temple walls, they spent their lives raising, nurturing, and protecting animals that would be used to purify others of their sin. Interestingly, when a perfect, unblemished lamb was born, a shepherd would customarily wrap it in swaddling clothes and lay it in a manger, to keep it safe and secure as a sacrificial lamb worthy of worship.
Sound familiar?
No wonder these men were in such a hurry to visit this child (Lk 2:16)! Imagine what was going through their minds as they broke out into a run, turning their backs on their flock. Surely they put two and two together! Picture their faces as they crowded around this manger, as they connected the dots and comprehended the profound impact of the angel’s message.
This was no ordinary baby. This wasn’t even an ordinary king. These lowly shepherds understood that their job would one day soon be obsolete! This baby came to fulfill the prophecies and to become the greatest and final sacrifice. The shepherds understood immediately what John the Baptist will proclaim decades later when first seeing Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29)
Watch as the shepherds run unencumbered into this stable, an action that would’ve been impossible if Jesus had been born in a palace. His arrival foreshadowed the message of His life: “All are welcome; come as you are.”
All are welcome.
“All” means “all”. No one is excluded. No matter how the world has labeled or mistreated you. No matter your race, gender, age, beliefs, sexual orientation, political party, or social status. You are welcome in this messy yet humble stable.
Come as you are.
There are no prerequisites, no need to clean up or make improvements. Just come. Bring your mess, your pain, doubts, fears, disappointments, and anger. Leave the masks behind. He wants the rawest version of you; he’s not waiting for a future better version of you. Just come as you are.
So, perhaps this is indeed the “most wonderful time of the year”…when we choose to view our lives, even the darkest of circumstances, through the lens of this miraculous birth. It’s not the lights, music, gifts, or even the sappy holiday movies that bring the “wonder”. It’s the hope, peace, and promises that accompany the birth of our Savior that have the power to light up any night. May we each use our heartaches and trails as beacons that point us to our Lamb.
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