If you missed Christmas worship take time to listen now: Emmanuel: God with you! (WATCH HERE)
The presents are opened. The relatives are gone. The cards are sent. The meal is cleaned up and the cookies are just about gone. Maybe you are waking up this morning and thinking, “Maybe I’ll take down the Christmas tree today.”
To be sure there are a lot of things that take place leading up to Christmas. Shopping. Presents. Meal planning. Travel. Sending cards. Doing laundry.
Perhaps this morning you are finally thinking, “I can finally catch my breath.”
Christmas comes with so much hype on the front end, but what about the day after? Does Christmas quickly become a distant memory in the rearview mirror of 2024? (Even though you may find the random “Days until Christmas” countdown clock showing “Only 364 days until Christmas!)
To be sure, it is easy to let the calendar date of Christmas, December 25 fade into the column of “History” and “Memories.” However, let’s not move on so quickly that the significance of the day fails to move forward with us.
My mind goes to Mary on the day after. Think about the chaos leading up to Jesus’ birth. Packing for a long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Pregnancy and all the female issues with that. Giving birth to a child. The stress of finding a place to stay. Unexpected visitors speaking of sheep and angels in a description that would sound incredibly amazing and confusing at the same time. Visitors who stopped by after the shepherds left because the shepherds had told everyone they met what had happened.
The morning after might have been the first time Mary had a little bit of a quiet moment to herself to do as Luke records:
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Mary took it all in and banked all the memories. She knew she was part of something special. She knew the child she just gave birth to was the Son of God and fulfillment of prophesy. She heard what the shepherds reported. She probably was exhausted and just wanted to rest, but her mind could not help but thinking about what had just happened.
Maybe we are feeling the same way. A bit exhausted. Our minds full of memories. We know Christmas is about Jesus birth, but maybe today is the first opportunity to slow down enough to ponder the importance and significance of the fact that God took on human flesh to be with us.
Maybe today is an opportunity reflect that Jesus was born for you…really…for you! Jesus came to deliver you from your sin and its consequences…really…you are forgiven and Jesus perfect life is yours. Peace on earth is not just a cessation of all things that are disruptive, but is a peace that is real between you and God…yes, you are good with God. What we just experienced in Christmas is the most impactful, most personal, most eternal gift we could ever receive…and yes, it was given to you and you get to enjoy it not just today, but every day of your life and every day of eternity.
It’s the morning after, but maybe its a good day to ponder in your heart all these things that have happened…for you!
Apply: Take time today – five minutes – 30 minutes to simply ponder/meditate on the importance and significance of Christmas and the reality that Jesus was born for you!
Prayer: Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay. Close by me forever and love me I pray. Bless all your dear children in your tender care and take us to heaven to be with you there. AMEN.