Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 1:11

He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

Introduction

During this time of the year, we often hear the questioning phrase, “Are you ready for Christmas?” It is both a greeting and an icebreaker for further conversation. Getting ready for Christmas traditionally includes, shopping for presents; purchasing, preparing, and mailing Christmas cards; baking desserts; decorating the house; purchasing and decorating a Christmas tree; making travel plans; and getting the house ready for guests. It does not stop there. If you are a choir member, it includes learning the music for the Christmas concert. For parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, it includes making sure the children in the family have memorized their Christmas speeches or their part in the Christmas play. Many families have a tradition of serving special dishes on Christmas day, and there is an urgency to acquire the special ingredients before the supply is depleted at the grocery stores, the meat markets or the seafood markets.   

Sometimes, the answer to the question develops into a verbal laundry list of things that are completed, things half-done, and things that have not even been started. In the hustle and bustle of the season, it is very, very easy to not be ready for Christmas in a spiritual way.

The Christmas story has many characters. Some were not ready for the birth of Jesus. There were others who were ready for His arrival, and they were totally prepared. These characters are examples of what to do and what not to do, as we get ready for Christmas.  I will start with those who were not ready and end on a positive note with those who were prepared.

Exposition

1. Herod Was Not Ready For the First Christmas.

(He Was A Troubled Tyrant.)

(He Was Narcissistic, Paranoid, And Ruthless.)

(He Was Controlled By Irrational Jealousy And Envy.)

(He Wanted To Destroy The Baby Jesus.)

(He Had All The Boy Babies Killed Two Years Of Age And Under.)

2. Religious Leaders Were Not Ready For The First Christmas.

(They Had Information Without Implementation.)

(They Had Scholarship Without Fellowship.)

(They Knew Where Jesus Would Be Born, But Did Not Go To Worship Him.)

3. Mary Was Ready For The First Christmas.

(She Was A Willing Vessel.)

(She was A Sacred Servant.)

4. Joseph Was Ready For the First Christmas

(He Was A Strong Supporter.)

(He Was A Step-Father Who Stepped Up To The Responsibility.)

5. The Wise Men Were Ready For The First Christmas.

(They Were Motivated By A Mission.)

(They Were Looking Up.)

(They Worshipped With Precious Gifts.)

(They Listened To God And Not Herod.)

Closing Thoughts

I remember a conversation before a choir practice when I pastored the Saint James Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi. One church member asked another church member, by way of a greeting, if she was ready for Christmas, and she replied with holy flippancy, “I stay ready.” When asked how does she stay ready, she replied, “I stay ready because I read and meditate on John 3:16 every day.” Let’s face it, everyone does not stay ready. Sometimes, we have to struggle to get into the Christmas spirit. However, reading, studying, and meditating on John 3:16 is a good place to start as we get ready for Christmas.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scriptures

Matthew 2:1-23

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