Ernie Haase & Signature Sound - 11 Days & Ways To Have A Merry ChristmasSample

Daddy’s Home 

Matthew 1:24-26 – When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus.

Much is said about Mary, the mother of Jesus, but the Christmas story would not be complete without Joseph’s love and obedience.  There is something about a father’s love.  My favorite Christmas story revolves around my father’s love.  

About November 25th or so, right after Thanksgiving, my dad would always get laid off from work; so he would always have to go away and work during Christmas time.  One Christmas Eve, he drove from New York City, where he was working, all the way to Indiana, where we lived, and surprised us.  

Daddy was home.  I'm 54 years old now, but that’s still my favorite Christmas memory.  

I’m sure my brother Jarrod & I received some kind of gift or article of clothing, but I honestly cannot recall. Daddy was home!

Here is what I do remember: I remember the love!  I remember turning around and seeing him and jumping into his arms and crying!  

I think of that every time I see a video of a soldier coming home and surprising their family. Tears of joy flow!

It is ok to enjoy the lights and pageantry of Christmas.  

It is ok to have a party and laugh with the ones you entertain. 

It is ok to enjoy things in life.  They are all gifts. The problem I find is when we enjoy the gifts too much. 

Pastor Timothy Keller of First Redeemer Church in NYC puts it this way, “Love out of order is never good. There is a hierarchy of love, and the key is not to love things less but to love God most. If anything is out of order, then it becomes your God and thus an idol.” 

Wow! Those are powerful and tangible words that have helped me greatly. 

We sing a song called "Love You Remember" that says:

Bring on the carols, the candles and lights

to fill every day of December

but at Christmas it’s the laughter and love you remember.

As Christ showed us that first Christmas, it wasn’t the gifts He received that mattered.  It is a wonderful fact about the nativity story.  What moves our heart in this blessing of gifts are the love and tenderness that were shown to the newborn king.  And what mattered most was the reason for His coming. 

We are the reason!  It’s always been about a relationship! He came to be one with us so we could be one with the Father. 

When my dad came all that way to spend a few hours on Christmas with us, he wasn’t coming for the gifts; he showed up for us! 

Remember, Jesus left the riches of heavenly glory and endless praise for us!  He is the gift that we can receive, and He sees us as the gift He will give back to the Father.  We are His trophy of grace that was conceived in the heart of a holy, triune God long before, as Gloria Gaither penned it, “A dark lonely hillside was spangled with light, and a Song burst into the night.”

Wouldn’t it be great if that light would burst again, or for the first time, into your heart this Christmas?  The angels stand ready to sing about this happening.  They never tire of singing about the one who comes home.  And the story of Christmas is “home is where Daddy is.”  He didn’t choose brick and mortar for His residence. He chose your heart to be His Bethlehem. Make room for Him today.