Xmas Eve 2001

Oh to be young again! One of the things that happens to us with the passing years is that the wonder of Christmas wears off. We begin to think that Christmas is just for kids – we outgrow its appeal. And in a pluralistic society like Mississauga, many people think that Christmas is just for Christians.

But when you look at the original story of Christmas, you realize that Christmas is for everybody. Look at the original cast of characters in that first Christmas…

• men and women (in an age when women were marginalized in society)

  • Mary

  • her relative Elizabeth

  • Anna the prophetess

• adults and children

  • the central character was a baby!

• young and old

  • Mary and Joseph were young – probably teenagers

  • Zechariah was an old man

  • his wife Elizabeth was also “well along in years”

  • Anna was old (84)

  • Simeon was ready to die

  • the drama of Christmas involved people from every age group

• poor people and rich people

  • the shepherds were dirt poor – they were social outcasts

  • Mary and Joseph were poor - their sacrifice at the Temple proves it

  • the Wise Men were rich – gold, frankincense, myrrh

• Jews and non-Jews

  • all of the main characters were Jewish

  • but the Wise Men were certainly Gentiles – they were likely from the Parthian Empire to the east of the Roman Empire

  • Jesus and his family escape to live in Egypt for a time

In short, the Christmas story WAS for everyone originally, and IT IS STILL for everyone. God excludes no one for racial, or ethnic, or economic reasons. That’s because the central message of Christmas is:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him…

• young or old

• male or female

• rich or poor

• Jew or Gentile

shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Christmas is for you. Jesus is a Saviour for YOU.