A Famine Not of Bread

"The Angel and the Shepherds" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I’m guessing that most of you have seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Christmas special featuring Charlie and all the other “Peanuts” characters. First aired in 1965, it, more than any other Christmas special, captures the true meaning of Christmas. On their way to join their friends ice skating, Charlie confides in Linus that, despite all the things he likes about the Christmas season, he is still depressed. When Linus offers little help, Charlie visits Lucy, who suggests that he direct the group’s annual Christmas play so he might get in the Christmas spirit. As he heads for rehearsal Charlie becomes even more discouraged by the commercialization of Christmas. Lucy laments not receiving real estate for Christmas; Snoopy decorates his doghouse for a neighborhood lights and display context; and Charlie’s younger sist...

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“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger’” (Luke 2:10-12). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The heavens are not silent in shame when the eternal, almighty God is born a helpless baby. They sing! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Perhaps they’ve chosen the shepherds as their audience because they are the only ones who might appreciate a Savior whose birthing room is filled with the pungent aroma of hay and manure. But there in the manger lies the swaddled Creator, all wrapped up in the things of creation—infant holy yet infant lowly, a diapered divinity. You might suppose all this to be beneath God, but you’d be wrong. The Inc...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ! The story is told of a man and his son.   For the weeks and days before Christmas, the son kept pestering his father, saying, “Dad, what are you going to get me for Christmas?”   Hard to believe for you parents, I know.   “I want this” and “I want that” and “What are you going to get me?” Finally, the father said, “Son, stop saying that.   Christmas isn’t about getting .   It’s about giving .” The father was pleased when he saw his son quietly thinking about this.   Perhaps he was learning the real meaning of Christmas.   Then the boy asked quite seriously: “Dad, on Christmas, what are you going to give me?” Thanks to Old Adam, our sinful nature, we have a way of messing up the whole idea of gifts.   Gifts are, by definition, undeserved.   A paycheck is not a gift because you’ve done the work to earn it.    A b...