A Word in Season: The Day After Christmas (Luke 2:17-20)

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Not everyone appreciates Christmas. Some don't like it for personal reasons, perhaps it's never been a particularly joyful time for them or they're just not inclined to it.

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Some, perhaps, for theological reasons, they don't think that we should be celebrating that in that way.

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Some, perhaps, for cultural reasons, they get weary of the fuss and the bother or the worldliness that they see around them so often at this time of year.

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But what happens, at least on the day after Christmas? What happens when the world at large puts away its presents and its toys and its trees and its lights or whatever else may be the case?

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What happens when, perhaps, the broken toys are swept up and put in the bin, the things that are going to last are stored away on the shelves, when the turkey bones or whatever it is that you're eating are thrown into the bin?

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What happens then? What continues to be true once all of those things that are temporary and perhaps enjoyable for many and pretty much take it or leave it for others are done away with?

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Is there anything that really remains? For many people, Christmas is the only time of year when they will ever consider the fact that God sent his

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Son into the world. Large parts of the world, large parts of the country where I am, many people have no thought whatsoever for God and the

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Christmas season is just a sliver of an opportunity for some to speak to them the truth.

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But it's worth remembering that the truth doesn't stop being true because Christmas is over.

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The wonder, the marvel, the mercy that God has shown in coming into the world is as true today as it was yesterday.

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The reality of the God -man with us to save his people from their sins is just as true and just as important today as it was a week ago, a day ago and ever will be.

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When the shepherds who had been told by the angels on the hillside that they needed to go to Bethlehem of Judea and find the baby who had been born

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King of the Jews, they went. And when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child.

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And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

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Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

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Those shepherds saw and heard certain things and it made a lasting impact upon them.

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They could not be the same men after as they had been before.

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And that's how it ought to be for God's people. When we begin to come to grips with what

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God in his mercy has done for salvation, the matchless love of the Father in sending his

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Son into the world, the condescension of Christ Jesus in taking our humanity in order to suffer and die for his people, the wisdom and the power of the

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Spirit in working in the womb of the Virgin so that that one who would be born of her would be the

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Holy One of Israel. The work that God has done ought to stun us and keep us stunned.

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It did the shepherds. Their reaction went out and it went up.

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It went out to all people. They made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child.

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Will you do that on the day after Christmas? Will you do that today and in days to come? Will you keep telling people about the wonders of God's redeeming love as we see it manifested in his coming into the world?

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Will we tie it up not just with what happened in those moments but what went on then happening in accordance with God's plan of redemption?

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Will we keep sending out that good news about the things that we have seen and heard?

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And will we send up our glory and our praise to God for all the things that he has done?

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Our testimony does not just go out to men, but it needs to keep going up to God. These wonders of the incarnation, these glories of God's redeeming acts, this foundation for the saving work of Christ upon the cross,

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God with us, should never cease to amaze us and should never stop being the source and the motive for praise and glory to the

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God of salvation. So whatever else is put away or thrown away, don't leave this behind.

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Go on speaking out and praising up to the God of salvation for the wonders of his loving