Christmas Morning: Son Rise on a New Dayනියැදිය

We don’t live our lives on Christmas morning. The calendar continues to move. After a few days, the decorations will be boxed up, thank you cards will be written, and life will move on.

I say this not to be negative, but simply to state a fact. December leads to January and beyond, and most of our life is not spent in Bethlehem. This was also true of the shepherds. Though they visited the manger when Jesus was born, Luke 2:20 tells us that they eventually returned to their normal lives.

We too, will return to some degree of normalcy after the holidays are over. Is there anything else we might learn from the shepherds to help us make the transition to the day after Christmas?

Well, the shepherds returned to their sheep, but they returned as changed men. They returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. In our study of God’s Word over the past 25 days, we have seen many reasons to praise the Lord. May we enter the new year continuing to praise Him for all He has done and is doing for us.

Additionally, it is important to understand that Jesus did not stay in Bethlehem. He grew up, spending a brief time in Egypt before being raised in Nazareth and then conducting a three-year public ministry primarily in the Galilean region. He made friends, built buildings, related to family, and perfectly lived out the Law of God. If Jesus had stayed in Bethlehem, only making a short appearance as a baby before ascending back to heaven, we would be at a loss for how to live our lives today. Instead, Jesus lived a life, recorded by Luke and others, so that we might hear His call to “follow Me,” and know where to go.

Jesus’ birth enabled His eventual death on a cross 33 years later to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus didn’t stay in Bethlehem, so we should not allow our faith to remain there either. Let us have more than a ceremonial religious observance of a holiday, but instead have an active relationship following Jesus and living for His glory all the year through.

Christmas morning saw the Son rise on a new day after all!