Christmas day is here...so now what?

 

Christmas day is here! The decorations, tinsel, lights, presents, and carols that have been leading up to this day have done their job. The celebration of the Advent season has led us to the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

               OK. Now what? Please do not take my question irreverently, in no way do I mean it that way. But really, what do we do now?

               If the anticipation leading up to Thursday morning had been all about unwrapping a present, then it’s over. There is nothing more to look forward to for another 365 days. But if the focus has been about celebrating Emmanuel, God with us, then it’s just the beginning. If the focus has been on looking back to the first Advent of Jesus and looking forward to the second Advent of Jesus, then we are in the middle of the mission right smack dab in between two Advents.

               The gospel of Luke recounts the life of Jesus from His birth to His death, and culminates in His resurrection. In the fourth chapter of Luke, we are told of the time when Jesus came into His public ministry. He attended a synagogue meeting, sat down, and read from the prophet Isaiah (chapter 61):

               “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then Jesus added, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

               In other words, all these prophesies about the Messiah coming just took on flesh and blood and became real. And the realness of it all is named Jesus.

               And from here Jesus began His short public ministry of teaching and healing. I view these verses as Jesus’ mission statement. This was why He had been born in Bethlehem 30 years earlier. This is the “why” as to why He had come. So let’s check it out a little closer.

-        Proclaim good news to the poor

The poor here does not just mean poor as in having no money (aka “broke”), but that could be part of it. But part of it has to do with humility, and loving others as yourself and not putting an emphasis on only the me-things of life. The poor here is more like when Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. Do you remember that verse? (Hint- look in Matthew 5) Jesus said that they will receive “the kingdom of heaven”.  these ‘poor’ are the ones that have been broke down by society, by family, by religion. They are ignored and living on the fringes. These people may have even gotten to a point where they have given up on God, but Jesus came to say, “God hasn’t given up on you!”

-        Bind up the broken hearted

There is a saying that time heals a broken heart. I don’t believe that. I have had my heart broken, and time didn’t heal it. Time added some resentment and bitterness, but time did not heal. But Jesus did. Jesus offers to bind up the broken pieces of broken hearts and broken lives and put them back together with His love.

-        Proclaim freedom for the captives

Now this doesn’t mean that we make a jail break for anyone currently incarcerated. But this does mean that there is freedom in Jesus for anything that is holding you captive. You are free in Jesus. This doesn’t mean that you are free to do anything you ever want to do, but it does mean that you are free to do anything that God is calling you to do, and that nothing will hold you back from who you are in Christ. Nothing will hold you captive to what Jesus has set you free from—no thoughts, no desires, no addictions are more powerful than the freedom that you have been given in Jesus.

-        Release from darkness for the prisoners

Advent and Christmastime are seasons of light. And then on Christmas day we celebrate the light of the world that has come in this long awaited Messiah. There is a light in your dark tunnel, and if you don’t see it today then keep moving until you do.

So back to our question, once Christmas is over, now what?

If you’ve ever been poor, if you’ve ever felt poor in spirit, if you’ve ever been brokenhearted, if you’ve ever been held captive, if you’ve ever felt like you’re living in darkness, then the Good News is that Jesus came for you. Go look in the mirror. That’s the reason Jesus came. You are the reason Jesus came. You are His mission.

So what now? Live, that’s what. Live your life for the One who came here for you, and let Him shine through you.