Experiencing the First Christmas: God sets the Stage

C.S. Lewis was asked for his response to the creation of the Atomic Bomb. Fear had gripped the world at this invention. Here is an excerpt from his response:

If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies, but they need not dominate our minds…Let the bomb find you doing well.

This reminds me of Psalm 11:3,4: “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven.”

For the faithful believers, people like Zechariah and Elizabeth, experiencing their first Christmas, God’s sovereignty guided their response to perilous times. Luke opens with an ominous line, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea.” That sets the context for the narrative. What do we learn? The angel of God comes and says, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news” (Luke 1:19). Gabriel finds God’s people faithfully serving and worshipping Him. But more than that, it tells us that God is sovereign over His creation, leading us through perilous times. Join us Sunday as we consider the experience of the first Christmas and worship our Sovereign Lord.