Good morning, everybody. As we're standing, let's have a quick word of prayer.
Lord God, we thank you that you have gathered your people here on this last Sunday of Advent.
Lord, as we open up your word, give us eyes to see the beauty of the incarnation.
Lord, help us to be right there in the story.
Lord, I pray that by your Holy Spirit you would move in our hearts.
If anybody here has a misunderstood view of you, that that would be all that more corrected this morning.
For some that don't yet know you, may this be the morning they come to faith.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Please take a seat.
So some of us still travel into work, but a lot of us work from home.
Before the work from home orders, some of you would travel across one of the three bridges onto the Quebec side.
Think about the day ahead, think about co-workers, what you're going to eat at dinner time, new recipe.
Your mind would probably be racing, but unlikely that you'd be thinking about the structural integrity of the bridge you were crossing.
Or you hop on a bus, or you jump in your car, you're driving to the office, going to the front entrance, jump in the elevator, go up to floor seven.
Whatever floor you're on, thinking about you're behind at work, or maybe you're on the verge of finishing a project.
Whatever. Whatever it may be.
Family.
I don't think you're thinking about the structural integrity of that building that you're in.
What makes a bridge or a building trustworthy?
Is it not the integrity of the build?
The engineering and the contingencies in place that would give us confidence to such a degree that we don't even think about the trustworthiness of the bridge or the building or the road.
Unless, you know, your mind goes in a morbid direction.
Or, you know, there's an actual structural problem with it.
But how about with people?
What makes somebody trustworthy?
That's what makes a building or a road or a bridge, some kind of structure trustworthy.
But how about people?
What makes a person trustworthy?
People that you trust have integrity to keep confidentiality when you share with them a vulnerable thing.
They're not going to hijack your friendship for their own reputational gain.
They have a track record of trustworthiness, of showing up, of saying something and following through.
When they do something that offends you, you know, you can work things out.
There's apologies.
There's reconciliation.
There's built trust.
There's built integrity there.
Now, listen, of course, no building or bridge is going to last forever.
I mean, gravity, the weather, the elements, all that stuff will take its toll.
Things aren't built to last forever.
Also, to be a human is to err.
So, it's inevitable that there's some kind of broken trust in relationships.
No relationship is perfectly integral.
There is more to trust than simply having integrity.
But integrity is most certainly the crucial ingredient.
So, centuries before Jesus' birth, the nation of Israel found itself in what seemed to be perpetual exile
with Assyria, with Babylon, with Persia, eventually with Greece.
And by the time Jesus shows up on the scene, they're under Roman subjugation.
It's constantly being ruled by a foreign power.
And if you were to read a secular historical book, sociology, whatever, on the history of Judea,
they would potentially say, a historian, they would chalk it up to geopolitical forces at the time.
One nation conquers a small nation that is conquered and so on and so forth.
But the biblical account is that Israel fell into idolatry.
And a cycle of idolatry that wasn't just amoral, but absolutely dehumanized a whole people group.
Sacrificing children, going to war, worshipping in perverse and sexual, like terribly sexually perverse ways.
And the scriptures say that because of that, they were sent into exile.
So, I'm painting a bit of a backdrop leading up to Jesus coming on the scene.
Up until about 500 years before the Christmas story, God spoke to Israel through the prophets.
And he promised that he would restore them.
He would restore them.
That their relationship, the broken relationship with him would be restored.
And that it would be done through this mysterious and magnificent, mighty Savior.
We get little hints of this Savior throughout the prophetic books.
This anointed one from God that would be sent to correct all the wrongs.
To fix all the brokenness.
So, leading up to the first century, this messianic understanding kind of evolved past the biblical account.
So that the Messiah would come.
And by the time the Romans were there, would completely upend the Romans.
It would be a military and political force, this Messiah.
And purify the land.
And there was a great messianic fervor.
But the problem was, they were still under subjugation.
They were still under the yoke of a foreign oppressive rule.
And they struggled with it.
There was false messiahs.
There were collaborators.
There were people being led astray.
There were essentially political terrorists.
All within the nation of Israel.
All trying to achieve some kind of messianic.
And the question then is asked by these people.
Has God forgotten about us?
Does he lack integrity?
It's been 500 years since he spoke to us.
Let alone the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Messiah coming.
500 years.
Even the exodus or the enslavement in Egypt was 400 years.
This is 500 years.
There's groaning.
There's frustration.
Is God who he says he is?
Is he the promise keeping God?
Does he have integrity?
Can we trust him?
In fact, there was a savior already on the scene.
So to speak, a savior.
Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome.
And his reign ushered in relative peace to the known world.
Maybe this is the savior that history points to.
But our story doesn't pick up in Rome.
It does not pick up in Jerusalem.
It does not pick up in a palace.
Our story picks up in lowly backwater Bethlehem.
And this is the backdrop for the text that we'll read this morning.
As we read, keep in mind the angst that is felt by society under Roman rule in ancient Israel and Judea.
Think about the question in your mind as we read, can God be trusted?
Is he trustworthy?
Is he an integral God?
Because, I mean, I don't know if there's anybody new.
If you're new, welcome.
If you're new at home, welcome.
But everybody here, I think, has been to church before.
And immediately you'll jump to, oh no, of course God is trustworthy.
Of course he's integral.
Because we see the end of the story.
We're familiar with the end of the story.
But I'd say put yourself, not at the end of the story, but in the story.
Try to feel the angst.
Ask the question.
Let it kind of sit uneasy in your heart.
Is God trustworthy?
So if you have a Bible, please turn with me to Luke chapter 2, starting in verse 1.
If at any time you need a Bible, we have some Bibles here at the front.
Help yourself to a Bible.
Feel free to take it home.
So we'll read Luke chapter 2, verses 1 to 7 to open it up.
In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
A quick pause here.
I'm not going to get into it at all.
If you're into kind of historical criticism,
or you've heard that there's a bit of a discrepancy with this possible,
like a dating issue with verse 2, this registration under Quirinius,
George, in his blog, had a good explanation for this.
The blog is from November 22nd.
I'd encourage you guys to check it out.
It should be on the YouTube show notes right under the video.
And you can check that out.
But we'll continue.
I'll start again in verse 2.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria,
and all went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea,
to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David,
to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloth
and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.
Throughout this chapter, and really throughout the rest of Luke,
but especially in this chapter, there are these subtle jabs at Caesar Augustus.
Not because Luke has this thing out for Caesar Augustus.
It's because Caesar Augustus was the most powerful man in the world.
Easily the most powerful man in the world.
Caesar is the one who brought peace, remember, to the known world.
And here in this story of Jesus' lowly birth,
he is just an unknowing agent of God's plans.
The emperor, the greatest emperor of the greatest empire,
is a mere pawn in the purposes of God.
Caesar had registration across the known world for the purpose of taxation,
a grand, grand, grand thing,
and it was used by God so that an 800-year-old prophecy could be fulfilled.
The prophecy in Micah chapter 5,
that the Messiah would be born in lowly Bethlehem.
But Mary and Joseph were in Nazareth.
God, in his providence, orchestrates the fulfillment of a prophecy,
and he uses the most powerful person as a pawn.
It's remarkable.
It really is remarkable.
You could say it's coincidence.
If it is, let's, if you feel that way,
if you're thinking that way, that's okay.
Let's just keep, continue on.
But before we continue on,
I'm not sure if you guys knew this,
I'm no prophet, all right?
I can predict that I'll make breakfasts most mornings,
and I'll change at least one poopy diaper.
That's kind of the extent of my prophetic ability.
So I'm no prophet.
So I'm not going to muse on how the Lord
is going to use really, like, current, current events
for his purposes.
I'm not going to, I'm not going to try to figure that kind of stuff out.
But I'll just say this.
It would seem that throughout history,
whenever a human force tries to suppress God's church
or claim absolute authority over God,
it seems that God turns it on its head
and uses it for his own purposes.
Communist China has tried to stamp out religion
and destroy the church.
And it's because of their very actions
that the church has flourished.
They can try, but they will fail.
Time and time and time again in history,
God makes it very, very plain
that the most powerful,
the most absolute authority
is just a pawn in his providential plan.
And here we have exactly that with Caesar Augustus.
He's just a pawn.
It doesn't mean he's not a powerful person.
It just means, compared to God,
who is he?
Who is he?
It's remarkable.
If we had time to go through all of Luke 1 and 2
and just Luke 1 and 2,
not to mention the rest of Luke,
we'll see even more fulfilled prophecies,
but never in a way that seems to be straightforward
from human perspective,
but completely and perfectly fulfilled
in God's way and in his time.
And yet no other story could be,
no other way this story could be kind of told
would make it come to pass in the way that it did.
There's no other choose-your-own-adventure.
God could have done it this way,
or this way, or this way, or this way.
This is the way that God has chosen.
It's magnificent.
It's spectacular.
The greatest emperor of the greatest empire
is completely upended by God
through a child born to peasant parents
in a lowly backwater town
in a very, very contentious land.
And this is God's doing.
The emperor of peace
pales in comparison to the king of peace.
Caesar Augustus ushered in
the 200 years of Roman peace,
but it was never truly peace.
I mean, it definitely wasn't eternal peace.
It lasted for 200 years,
but it was a peace that was brought about
by subjugation and slavery
and a lot of bloodshed and taxation
and heavy-handedness.
It was peace,
but it wasn't the peace.
So he is the emperor of peace,
but he's not the king of peace.
And Luke here is showing us this
in a very subtle way in the text.
This is why, friends,
we ought to strive for good governance
in our country,
but not put our faith in it.
The war to end all wars
lasted not even a generation.
It was a very short-lived maxim.
Time and again,
our best attempts at peace and prosperity
never last.
They never last.
It's not as though we shouldn't
strive for peace
or strive for the ending of war
and strive for good governance.
It's just that we ought not
to ever put our faith
and ultimate trust and hope
in those things
because they don't have true,
eternal, everlasting integrity.
They always fall apart.
So what about the peace
that God would bring?
Would it last forever?
Remember,
keep yourself in the story.
Feel the angst.
Let's continue.
Verses 8 to 14.
And in the same region,
there were shepherds out in the field
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them
and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them,
Fear not,
for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior
who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you.
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was,
with the angel,
a multitude of the heavenly hosts
praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace
among those whom he is pleased.
Consider how magnificent this is.
At night,
the shepherds see the sky light up.
This declaration that this angel says
is befitting of an emperor.
Again,
these subtle jabs
at Caesar Augustus' absolute power.
Because this declaration isn't given to him.
It's given to Jesus.
It's a grand announcement.
A Savior,
a Messiah,
a Lord.
All very technical terms
that are full of meaning.
Savior,
somebody that will
literally save.
The Messiah,
the Christ,
someone that is anointed by God
to be a Savior.
And the Lord is a regal title.
And it's all given to Jesus.
I mean,
if they would have said
in Rome,
in the halls,
the great halls,
you will find this one.
That would be fitting.
But you will go to Bethlehem
and you'll find this,
the Savior,
Messiah,
and Lord
wrapped in swaddling cloths.
It doesn't fit,
but it's right.
It's right.
And it's also interesting that
the announcement isn't made to dignitaries.
It's not made to important people.
It's not made to religious leaders.
It's made to shepherds.
And although in the Bible,
shepherding,
especially where we see shepherding
with Moses
and with David,
it has a good connotation
about it.
Shepherding,
by the time Jesus' day
comes to pass,
it fell into disrepute.
Urbanization happened
so that the rich people
were not so much
the rich shepherds
that tended their own flock,
but they got the poor people
to attend their flock.
And these poor people,
by virtue of tending a flock,
couldn't engage in religious life,
couldn't engage in social life.
There was a suspicion
around shepherds
in Jesus' day.
They were lowly people.
And yet,
they are the first people
that hear this declaration
of the Christ.
The first people.
Luke writes
this true account
of the shepherds
with the blue-collar man in view,
the down-and-out single mom in view,
the my serb payment just ran out
father of three in view.
And because it is
for the shepherds,
it means it's for us.
It's for us.
It's for you.
Our ears are hearing this
with the shepherds.
The first announcement
of the Christ
who will come.
Because at the very core
of what it means
to be a human,
and you might be put together,
and if you are,
that is good.
There's no judgment.
But there is a brokenness
about humanity.
There is.
There's pain.
There's broken relationships.
There's betrayal.
And if we're real
about who we really are,
we are lowly people.
And God declares
His salvation to us.
It's wonderful.
It is wonderful.
It gives us great hope
that this is who God
has declared His goodness to.
And here's the bit
that speaks about peace.
Look with me again
in verse 14.
Glory to God
in the highest
and on earth.
Peace among those
with whom
He is pleased.
This peace
is fleshed out
in two songs
from chapter 1.
One Mary's song,
the Magnificat,
and also Zechariah's
prophecy,
both in chapter 1.
I won't read
Zechariah's bit,
but I encourage you guys
to take some time
and read through it,
meditate on it.
But here's some of
Mary's prayer.
And this is what it says.
This is from Luke chapter 1,
starting in verse 46.
And Mary said,
My soul magnifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior.
For He has looked
on the humble estate
of His servant.
For behold,
from now on
all generations
will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty
has done great things
for me
and holy is His name.
And His mercy
is for those
who fear Him.
From generation
to generation,
that's that long-lasting bit.
He has shown strength
with His arm.
He has scattered the proud
in the thoughts
of their hearts.
He has brought down
the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those
of humble estate.
He has filled the hungry
with good things
and the rich
He has sent away empty.
He has helped
His servant Israel
in remembrance
of His mercy
as He spoke
to our fathers,
to Abraham
and to His offspring forever.
That prayer
is so packed
with theological truth.
But what I want you guys
to hear
is that
this peace
that God will bring
will look to correct
and heal
and feed
and mend
the brokenness
and the hungry
and lift up the lowly
and for the plans
of those
who are in authority
that don't use
their authority
to serve
but to subjugate.
That sounds like peace
and this peace
is from generation
to generation.
This is the peace
that God
is bringing
that God
is declaring
through these angels.
Again,
Augustus
he couldn't
he couldn't offer
that peace.
The Pax Romana
again
if you were under
under the peace of Rome
you still had to pay taxes
and often times
it was very unjust
the tax collecting.
A Roman garrison
had authority
that you had to
submit to.
A third
of the
population
was enslaved.
That doesn't sound
like full peace
to me.
And yet
the peace
that God offers
is true peace
and it's everlasting.
It has integrity.
And Mary here
connects it
right at the bottom
in verse 54
and 55
to the fulfilled
promises of God.
God
is trustworthy.
His promises
are coming true
finally.
He hasn't forgotten.
God
is
God
is
God
is
God
this is again
why we don't put our
ultimate hope in the promises
made by
government
by
health care workers
by
a spouse
or a partner
by
the hope of a promotion
or
a salary increase.
Those things
don't have
true
long lasting
fulfill
the hole in our heart
integrity.
They might promise that
but if you've had a few
disappointments
you know
you know what I'm
saying
that that integrity
it's lacking
because at the core
of our brokenness
isn't just
a lack
of a better job
or
a really thoughtful
husband or wife
or
or a husband
and wife
or a really
really excellent
prime minister
or premier
or mayor
or whatever
but at the core
of our brokenness
is sin
and an estranged
relationship
from the living God.
Verse 14
at the end of it
says this
it says
on earth
peace
among
those
with whom
he
God
is pleased
that bit
with whom
he is pleased
is this technical
biblical term
that refers
to God's elect
those that
are
a part of
the in group
those that God
has saved
and just if you
if you think
that this is somehow
an exclusive group
remember
declared to shepherds
right
and what have
the shepherds
done to
to get into
this
wonderful
exclusive
elect group
this in group
what have they done
they've done
nothing
the angel
shows up
and declares
this wonderful
peace
on earth
to God's
elect
and they just
hear it
they have done
nothing to
achieve this
but they have
to receive it
they have to
receive it
so look with me
in
in the last
bit of our section
verses 15 to
20
when the angels
went away
sorry
when the angels
went away
from them
into heaven
the shepherds
said to one
another
let us go
over to
Bethlehem
and see
this thing
that has
happened
which the
Lord has
made known
to us
they are
responding
to this
message
it's not
just that
they hear
it and
go on
their way
it changes
them
they respond
to it
look
continue
on with
me
verses 16
and they
went with
haste
and found
Mary
and Joseph
and the
baby
lying in
a manger
they went
with haste
the idea
with this
haste is
that they
left their
flocks
they left
their flocks
where they
were
we looked
at this
in a Bible
study
recently
we had a
discussion
well did
they leave
people to
look after
the flocks
and take
care of
the flocks
you know
because
it's not
like this
was a
pendant
area
they're
just
literally
just
following
the flocks
in a
giant
wilderness
where there's
predators
and everybody
who knows
anything about
sheep
like they
have zero
defense
mechanisms
so that's
what the
shepherds
are for
shepherds
lead them
to food
and to
good water
and protect
them
well
but they
leave their
their flocks
with haste
there is
something
wonderful
about this
they are
overcome
they have
to see
it
they're
responding
with this
passion
with this
fervency
let's continue
on verse
17
and when
they saw
it
the baby
they made
known the
saying
that had
been told
them
concerning
the child
and all
who heard
it wondered
at what
the shepherds
told them
it was
likely that
Bethlehem
was swollen
with people
for this
registration
I mean
we know
that there's
no room
in the inn
not like
they have
a holiday
inn
but there's
no place
for them
to have
a room
to have
a bed
Bethlehem
is full
of people
and they're
hearing this
words going
around
but Mary
treasured
up
all these
things
pondering
them
in her
heart
and the
shepherds
returned
glorifying
and praising
God
for all
they had
heard
and seen
as it
had been
told
them
they are
responding
and their
response is
with joy
and their
response is
with sharing
what they
have seen
sharing
their faith
and not
kind of
going on
their way
but glorifying
God
it results
in praise
remember
verse 14
glory to God
in the
highest
this is
about
God's
renown
and God's
glory
verse 19
verse 18
and all
who heard
it
wondered
at what
the
shepherds
had told
them
but Mary
treasured
up all
these
things
pondering
them
in her
heart
you can
hear
about
the
good
news
of
God
and
kind
of
go
on
your
own
way
that
but
in
verse
19
it
juxtaposes
Mary's
good
response
with the
response
of others
that didn't
have the
right
response
and
obviously
it's
juxtaposed
with the
shepherds
who have
a good
response
as well
it's not
enough
to hear
about
the peace
that God
brings
that the
Messiah
is coming
it's
not enough
to just
hear about
it and
go on
your way
grips
you
and it's
not something
that you
have to
muster
up
either
the
Holy
Spirit
is at
work
you hear
something
and if
it
grips
you
by the
Holy
Spirit's
strength
act on
that
you
can't
just
go back
to
tending
the
flock
as if
nothing
happened
where there's
no change
it seems
that the
shepherds
went back
to
tending
their
flock
it says
right in
verse 20
and the
shepherds
returned
I don't know
it doesn't say
specifically to
their flock
let's say
they went
back to
their flock
it's not
as if
all of a
sudden
they were
elevated
to the
highest
throne
of
Rome
or
King
Herod's
palace
they're
just
they're
still
shepherds
but their
lives are
different
they're
glorifying
God
they're
gripped
with this
good news
they have
a little
skip
in their
step
the
good news
has
changed
their
lives
friends
we're
in
the
boots
of the
shepherds
we hear
about the
peace
of God
that will
endure
forever
and that
will
satisfy
our
hearts
that
will
remove
the
sin
and
fix
the
estrangement
we have
with
God
this is
good
news
and it
might
not
change
where
you're
at
but we
have to
remember
that our
hope
isn't
in a
better
life
here
and
now
although
it's
good
to get
a better
life
here
and
now
our
hope
is
to be
with
God
in
his
presence
enjoying
his
company
at
his
table
being
friends
with
him
not
looking
over
our
shoulder
not
feeling
the
weight
of
a
taxation
from
Rome
not
having
a
fear
of
death
taking
a
loved
one
or
taking
our
own
body
or
fear
that
our
bodies
will
just
deteriorate
and
break
down
or
not
that
this
beautiful
city
we live
in
will
just
crumble
to
pieces
no
our
hope
is
in
the
eternal
city
where
our
bodies
will be
made
completely
right
never
breaking
down
again
that
we
will
be
at
this
table
with
the
savior
himself
we
will
be
friends
of
his
enjoying
his
food
no
more
tears
of
pain
that's
what we
look to
that's
what the
peace
is
talking
about
hope
is
wrapped
up
in
swaddling
cloths
sitting
in
a
food
trough
in
a
backwater
place
that's
the
hope
it is
not
in
Rome
it is
not
at
Parliament
Hill
it is
not
at
Queen's
Park
it is
not
in
your
bank
account
it is
not
with
your
children
or
your
spouse
it is
not
with
your
muscles
or
your
brain
it's
with
nothing
because
all
those
things
will
break
away
break
apart
fall
away
this
peace
it's
wonderful
you know
the thing
about the
first
Advent
is that
the promises
of God
were fulfilled
that God
proved to
be an
integral
promise
keeping
trustworthy
God
which
means
that
as
we
read
about
the
second
coming
of
Christ
whether
that
happens
in
our
earthly
life
or
not
we
can
have
sure
confidence
that
it
will
come
to
pass
how
will
it
come
to
pass
I
don't
know
I
would
say
let's
be
a
bit
wary
of
people
that
know
the
date
or
the
hour
and
have
it
all
kind
of
mapped
out
there
was
500
6
7
800
years
to
discern
the
prophecies
of
God
in
the
Old
Testament
and
by
the
time
Jesus
comes
around
they
they've
gotten
it
wrong
I
don't
trust
myself
to
figure
out
the
book
of
Revelation
and
map
out
how
Jesus
is
going
to
come
back
but
I
do
know
he
will
I
do
know
he
will
why
because
he
came
for
the
first
advent
he
came
as
a
baby
he
fulfilled
the
promises
we
struggle
with
skepticism
and
we
struggle
with
belief
and
it's
very
clear
as
we
go
through
Luke
1
and
2
that
Mary
doesn't
quite
know
everything
that's
going
to
happen
she
doesn't
know
that
her
son
is
going
to
go
and
die
on
a
cross
Zechariah's
prophecy
talks
about
how
she
will
be
pierced
in
the
heart
but
doesn't
say
why
it's
shrouded
in a
bit
of
mystery
but
she
believes
skepticism
and
a bit
of
unbelief
how
does
this
kind of
come to
pass
is it
really
true
historically
this
and that
I
think
it's
okay
to
sit
in
that
and
to
wrestle
with
that
because
we
don't
have
to
understand
a
through
z
to
have
belief
we
believe
and
then
we
understand
it's
a
commitment
to
the
truth
of
God
even
if
we
don't
quite
understand
it
all
I
mean
the
Bible
is
far
from
an
action
plan
that
spells
out
a
through
z
of
God's
providential
ordering
of
history
it's
not
that
we
are
used
to
that
stuff
gives
us
comfort
but
that's
not
what
it
is
so
you
might
not
ever
fully
grasp
all
the
promises
of
God
or
every
nuance
of
the
faith
but
don't
let
that
stop
you
from
hearing
and
receiving
ask
God
to
help
it
to
drive
you
on
a
deeper
search
to
search
the
scriptures
to
figure
things
out
that
keep
you
up
at
night
or
that
are
head
scratchers
or
make
you
very
uneasy
that
you're
a
Christian
and
this
Christmas
enjoy
it
if
it's
going to
be a
tough
Christmas
because
you
can't
connect
with
family
or
maybe
this
is
just
the
way
Christmases
go
however
your
Christmas
plays
out
think
about
how
Christ
has
come
and
he
has
come
to
bring
an
everlasting
and
eternal
peace
and
how
his
coming
proves
that
God
is
a
trustworthy
and
integral
and
promise
keeping
God
heavenly
father
we thank
you so
much
for
this
wonderful
story
that
is
a
story
it's
a
historically
true
account
but
it
is
still
a
story
it
moves
us
it
grips
us
it
is
a
wonderful
account
of how
you
have
come
to
save
that
you
don't
just
give
us
an
information
dump
but
you
involve
us
into
this
wonderful
narrative
that is
playing
out
and
Lord
I
pray
that
we
will
look
with
fresh
eyes
at
the
Christ
child
and
that
we
won't
just
look
at
the
Christ
child
and
smile
and
kind
of
go
on
with
a
regular
Christmas
but
that
we
will
look
to
the
life
that
the
Christ
child
will
live
we
will
look
at
the
prophecies
that
the
Christ
child
fulfills
we
will
just
be
absolutely
responsive
in this
declaration
that
you have
brought
peace
everlasting
peace
to
men
Lord
be
with
us
help
us
to
believe
help
our
unbelief
help
us
to
trust
in
you
in
deeper
and
deeper
ways
we
pray
these
things
in
Jesus
name