Slow Down and Celebrate Jesus
“Slow Down and Celebrate Jesus”
by Pastor Kent Munsey
December 15, 2019
And there were shepherds out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:8-14, NIV
Jesus is the reason for the season. It is so important for us to slow down to celebrate Jesus. After all, Christmas is Jesus’ birthday party. Billions of people have been celebrating the birth of Jesus for two thousand years all over the world. We celebrate for an entire month, and that includes Christians as well as non-Christians. We decorate, buy gifts, sing, watch Christmas movies, and travel long distances to be with family and friends. Make sure you are slowing down long enough to celebrate Jesus.
The word “celebrate” simply means to honor or praise publicly. We are celebrating Jesus all around the world because Jesus’ birth is personal. It was brought personally to every one of us. The good news of the gospel is for all people. This message is personal, positive, and universal.
1. God Loves You
God loves you. He is not disappointed in you. We celebrate all around the world today because God demonstrated his love for us by sending us his son, Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was the first Christmas gift ever given. He came to save and to rescue; not to condemn. God’s love for you is evidenced by Jesus’ birth.
2. God is with You
Emmanuel means “God with us.” He is not distant. He is up-close, intimate, and present in our everyday life. God’s tangible presence has nothing to do with our feelings. Even when we do not feel it, we can know that God is with us. Psalm 139:7-10 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Even in the broken places, he finds us. God loves us no matter our circumstances. He came to save us. He is our helper. In our fear, our failures, and our bad decisions, we can still celebrate that God is with us.
3. God is for You.
When Jesus was instituting Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said, “this is my body which is given for you.” Jesus offered himself freely for us. The Apostle Paul said, “if God is for you, who can be against you?” Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jesus loves us. He is for us, and he has a plan for us. That is enough to celebrate. We tend not to celebrate what is familiar, but what we don’t celebrate dissipates. This is the time for us to publicly celebrate and honor God’s love. We are celebrating Jesus this season. (see Psalm 13:5-6, Joel 2:21, Psalm 35:10.)
4. Slow Down and Celebrate
We need to slow down long enough to make sure that Jesus is not being crowded out of our Christmas celebration. Jesus should be at the very center of our celebration. Let’s create public, honoring moments where Jesus is celebrated and praised this season. He is with us and for us even when we are not for ourselves. When God is for us, no one and nothing can stand against us (Romans 8:41). Whether in grief or when we have heart’s desires that are not being fulfilled, we can still celebrate. He is Emmanuel, God with us, even in the valley of the shadow of death. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. If he never does another thing, we can still trust him. Whatever is wrong with the world should not keep us from celebrating him. So let’s lift our voices this season to celebrate Jesus.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. How are you slowing down to celebrate the anniversary of the coming of Jesus?
2. Think of someone to share this message with. How can you encourage them to celebrate Jesus?
3. Take a moment to think about all the things weighing you down and the things lifting you up. How does the birth of Jesus put life in perspective?