Merritt, Ashcroft, Cawston Opening Song: #125 Joy to the World Title: Witnesses of Christmas
Scripture: Luke 1:68-70, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David just as He promised through His holy prophets long ago."
How can I ever explain this to anyone? My father will be furious, and my mother will be deeply hurt. All my dreams of marriage will vanish, my reputation will be shattered. Will the townspeople try to stone me? They won’t believe this is the will of God! But how can I say no to God? How can I refuse to be His vessel? How can I say, “No, Lord, I want no part of this, for You cannot dwell within me”? When it’s hard to obey, when there seems no hope except for God’s promise, I will cling to what the angel told me. “The Holy Spirit will come to you, the Power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore your Son to be born will be holy. He will be called the Son of God.”
But what about Joseph, dear Joseph who loves me? He could never accept this. I can’t expect anyone to stand by me through this. Can I bear the scorn of all my neighbors when they accuse me of adultery? Yet I am the servant, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be! Let it come! I am willing to carry the Son of God. Though everyone turns against me, God’s love means more to me than all else. Is this God’s light? Can He possibly lead me in such a difficult way? Can I trust God to work it out in my life, even though this event changes my whole future? God, I do trust you, and I allow your love to fill me. Lord, make me a vessel for You.
SOLO: LIGHT OF LOVE
Our marriage contract, called Writings of Betrothal, was drawn up. Betrothal in our land can only be broken by divorce. Usually the marriage ceremony takes place a year or so after betrothal. But trouble started when Mary went to visit her old cousin Elizabeth in Judea for a few months. After she got back, people started wondering out loud if Mary was pregnant. On a cloudy day when I thought despair would rain on me, I finally confronted her with the gossip. “Mary, are you going to have a baby?” Her clear brown eyes met mine. She nodded. I didn’t know what to say. “Who is the father?” I finally stammered.
“Joe,” she said. “There’s no way I can explain. You would never believe me. But I’ve never cared for anyone but you.” She turned towards her home. She must have been dying inside. I know I was. The rest of the day was a wonder I didn’t hurt myself in the woodshop. I pounded out my frustrations on the door I was making. My thoughts whirled so fast I could hardly concentrate on carpentry. At last, I decided just to end the marriage contract with quiet divorce. I loved Mary too much to make a public scene.
I went to bed early and tried to sleep. Her words came to me over and over. “I’ve never cared for anyone but you.” How I wished I could believe her! An angel came and his words pierced my mind so intensely, I can remember them as if they were yesterday. “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” I couldn’t believe my ears! The angel gripped my shoulders with his hands. I sat bolt upright in bed. No sleep after that! I must have walked for miles beneath the moonlit sky. Stars pricked the blackness like a thousand points. After long heart searching, I decided to have faith in God’s leading. I would take Mary and care for her, watch over her, and the child, no matter what anyone said.
Already rumors were spreading among townsfolk and people started giving me lectures, “Going about like that, disgracing the family and all. You and Mary ought to be ashamed of yourselves!” I went up the road to Mary’s house and knocked. Her mother glared at me as she opened the door. Loudly, harshly she called into the house, “It’s Joseph!” almost spitting my name. My little Mary came outside cringing in fear of what I had to say. Her eyes were red from crying. I can just imagine what her parents had said. She looked so young and fragile. “Pack your things, Mary,” I told her gently. “I’m taking you home to be my wife. We’ll go to the Rabbi and have him perform the ceremony.”
“
Oh Joseph!” She hugged me as tight as she could. I knew it was awfully sudden, but I figured the sooner we got married the better it would be for her, for me, and the baby.
“Mary, even if our friends don’t come, at least you and I can pledge our love before God.” I could feel Mary’s tiny frame shuddering as she sobbed quietly. I could feel myself speaking more boldly. “No matter what anyone says about you, I’m proud you are going to be my wife! I’m going to take good care of you as I have promised God. I had a dream last night, Mary. I saw an angel and now I know.” The anguish which had gripped her face vanished. She was radiant as we turned away from the house and began to walk up the hill together. Just then, her mother ran out into the yard.
“Wait!” she called. She must have been listening from behind the door. Tears of joy were streaming down her cheeks. “I’ll get your father,” she laughed, almost giddy with emotion. She gathered up her skirts and shouted as she began to run to find her husband, “We are going to have a wedding!”
SOLO: WALK ON
“Are you sure there isn’t any room? My wife’s about to have a baby. We’ve got to find a place out of this wind tonight!” the young man asked me. I thought a while. “Did you try down the street? My inn is completely full.”
The pregnant wife was shivering in obvious discomfort. She said weakly, “I’ve got to lie down somewhere.”
“Well, there’s a stable in the back,” I offered very reluctantly. “It’s full of animals, donkeys and horses that belong to visitors in town for that blasted Roman census. You can find a place in the corner.” In the wee hours of the morning, the husband knocked on my door again. “Is there a midwife in town? I really don’t think I should leave my wife. Her pains are coming extremely fast now. Could you send for the midwife, please?”
I called my servant to fetch the midwife. “A lady’s having a baby in the barn. Hurry!” It must have been dawn that morning by the time the baby came. Why are there herdsmen knocking on my door? Shepherds looking for the newborn baby. I thought it was strange that they should know about this couple who just had a baby in my barn. They said something about angels. Very strange! But I have learned that no matter how busy our lives get, we must make room for Jesus.
SOLO: STRANGE WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD
Who are You, little boy, that angels chant Your praise to me as I keep watch over sheep? Who are You for whom I rush down hills to town? Who are You whom I seek in a manger? Who are You, little boy? Are You the promised One for whom we’ve hoped and prayed and longed? Who are You, little boy, Who comes down from the height of glory not to a king’s palace but Who fills the stable with groans of birth, then cries of joy and air-filled lungs? Who are You, little boy that a star illuminates Your birth, born in the city of David where he used to care for sheep on the hillsides? Who are You, Who comes into MY world and changes me so I will never be the same? Who are You to beckon men to travel far?
A tall astronomer, advisor to the Persian king, springs from his midnight vigil in the palace courtyard. “Come quick! Look along the constellation,” he called to me. I peered into the blackness. “Do you see it? That brilliant star is new tonight! It must signify the birth of a mighty king!”
A soft whistle escaped my breath. I had read ancient Hebrew Scriptures, which tell of this ruler’s star. Rising to my feet, I announced, “We must see Him. We must go!” Traveling caravan routes of Persia, Babylon, and Syria for 1200 miles, we ford broad rivers, pass ancient cities, cross barren deserts. We journey day after day, following yonder star. In Jerusalem we inquire, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” Then we follow the shining star until it rests over a simple Bethlehem home. Joseph meets us at the door.
We three fall before the Babe, faces to the floor, royal counselors doing homage, worshipping the Christ child. We unload chests from our camels and set a gift of gold before the King. Heavy fragrances of frankincense and myrrh mingle to fill the room as one by one our boxes are presented.
A touch of the boy-child’s tiny fingers, a final longing look, and we rise to go. Our camel bells soon fade in the brisk air. The most important journey we ever made was to draw near to Jesus Himself with the most important gift of our hearts.
SOLO: I KNEW I LOVED YOU
I am a modern day Hannah. My husband and I were happily married five years but hadn’t been blessed with a baby. I did some serious praying and promised God if He gave us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide. God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us with another child. The following year, He blessed us with yet another child. The year after that we were blessed with another child. My husband thought we’d been blessed right into poverty! We now had four children in four years. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella.
I began reading Bible to the children as they lay in their cribs. I tried to be patient the day my children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to understand when they started a hotel for frogs although it took me nearly two hours to catch all the frogs. When my daughter poured ketchup on herself and rolled in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see humor not the mess. In spite of changing what felt like 25,000 diapers, never having time for my hot meal till it was cold, and never sleeping more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children. While I couldn’t keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn’t even come close- I did raise them in the Word. I knew I was missing the mark when I told my child we were going to church to worship God, and he wanted to bring a bar of soap along to ‘wash up’ Jesus.
Something was lost in translation when I explained God gave us ever lasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his ‘last wife.’ Proudest moment came during Christmas pageant at church. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My seven-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, ‘We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.’ But he was nervous and said, ‘The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes.’ My six-year-old playing ‘Mary’ said, ‘That’s not ‘wrinkled clothes,’ silly. That’s dirty, rotten clothes.’ A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, ‘Mama-mama.’ Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived.
My youngest son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, ‘We are the three wise men, bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur!’ The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation!
‘I’ve never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,’ laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes. ‘For the rest of my life, I’ll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur.’
‘My children are my pride and joy and my greatest blessing,’ I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin for my headache.
A man did not believe in God. One Christmas eve, he heard a loud thump at the window. Then another thump. In the field beside his house he found a flock of wild geese. Flying south for winter, caught in a snowstorm. They flew in low circles, blindly, aimlessly, and two had hit his window. The man felt sorry for the geese. His barn would be great for them to wait out this storm. He opened barn doors wide, hoping the geese would go inside. But geese just fluttered and didn't seem to notice the barn. He tried to get their attention. He made a breadcrumb trail to the barn. Geese didn't catch on. He shooed them to the barn, but nothing he did could get them into the barn where they would be safe. "Why don't they follow me?! Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive? If only I were a goose, then I could lead them."
Then he had an idea. He went in the barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he walked behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock straight into the barn, then one by one the other geese followed it to safety. He thought about what he had said to his Christian wife, "Why would God want to be one of us? That's ridiculous!" But that is what God had done! We were like the geese, blind, lost, perishing. God sent His Son to become one of us so He could show us the way and save us. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. Years of disbelief vanished. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer, "Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get ME out of the storm!"
Today we place Jesus Christ in first place because He is what makes Christmas important. The "Greatest Gift" of Christmas is Christ. Apostle Paul referred to Christ as the "Unspeakable Gift". Doctor Luke said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." The Lord of lords became a helpless infant. It’s not what we’d expect. God took on human flesh so that we might know Him, not just know about Him. May we come to know Him ever more fully and love Him deeply.
SOLO: WE ARE THE REASON