JESUS Birth...The Story Of The Century

Luke 2:7-14

⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

How many times have you heard something said to be...The Story of the Century!? Well, I have to tell you, unless it was the news report of baby Jesus being born that night so long ago, in the little town of Bethlehem...it fell far short of the title. And the story didn't end there. The wise men went looking for Him...

Matthew 2:1-12

 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

² Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
³ When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
⁵ And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
⁶ And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
⁷ Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
⁹ When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
¹² And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Can you imagine the trip those wise men must have had? I'm sure they probably encountered many things on their way to find Jesus. The Bible doesn't tell us any of that. What it does tell us is when they finally found Jesus...they fell down and worshipped Him! 

Most of us heard the story of Jesus birth our whole life. But...just like the wise men many of us went searching. Searching for peace...happiness...joy...just a life worth living! We didn't even know what we were looking for or how to find it. And...like the wise men...we encountered many things along the way. But...We just knew that there had to be something better than what our life was. And...just like the wise men...it took some of us years to find Him. But oh...when we did...how our lives changed forever!

I didn't literally fall down and worship Him, though I should have. Like many of you reading this...I was too messed up to even realize fully what had just taken place in my heart...my life. But now I know. The same Jesus that was born in Bethlehem...died on the cross...lives in my heart today! He doesn't care what I did while I was searching. He doesn't care that I didn't immediately fall to my knees in worship. All He cares is that I asked Him to forgive me and come into my life. That I do the best I can...everyday...to live for Him and show His love to others. Those who know Him as their Savior and those who don't know Him...yet. 

There is no better time than today...Christmas...for you to come to know Him. To ask Jesus to forgive you and begin to live your life for Him. So many things can go wrong in this life. Things can happen that we aren't expecting. We can get sick...people we love can get sick...how do we cope with this? It's hard. The only way we can is with Jesus. 

Think about it. Ask Jesus into your life. You don't have to change before you do. He wants you to come to Him just like you are. Talk to Him like you would a friend. Jesus will listen and He will help you. 

Have a Merry Christmas!