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A Christmas Story: What God reveals to us

CHURCH-COMMUNITY CONNECTION Pastor Ed Delph

Peoria Times Columnist

Let me introduce you to a friend of mine, Dr. Ted Baehr. He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Movieguide and a respected movie critic. Dr. Baehr comes from a Hollywood family. Both his father and his grandfather starred in major movies and television series.

Last November, I heard Dr. Baehr speak about the elements required in every great movie or book. Here’s a summary of some of what he shared with the audience. Read on. You will like this.

First, you need a premise. The premise is the idea behind the movie or book. The premise is, “Where you’re going and why you’re going there. You give a premise and then fulfill the premise.” Then you need a plot. The plot is, “How you’re going to get there.” The plot is the vehicle to communicate the idea or premise. And the process of arriving at the premises should be painful or challenging.

The plot consists of characters, dialogue, themes, and the setting or backdrop of the movie or book. Characters are, “Who goes there and whom they meet.” Themes are the interactions between characters along the way that meet. The setting is where the plot happens and includes both music and spectacle. And a good movie, a story or a book always has a starting point and an ending point.

Being a writer of sorts, I thought about Dr. Baehr’s speech. And by the time you read this article, it will be Christmas Eve. So, let’s apply those elements to the first Christmas.

Talk about intrigue. The first Christmas was full of possibilities for a fulllength drama. The first Christmas was the stuff that movie directors and producers scan the horizon for. Only this time, there was no fantasy but plenty of spectacles. It was for real, for all people, for all time. This time, the author, director and producer is God, the Great I Am, The Lord of all creation.

Consider the setting and backdrop. The times were tough. The dark night and straggling confusion added to the drama. The oppressive Roman government decreed that everyone in Israel return home to their birth cities for tax registration. Most likely, that would mean higher taxes. So, the roads were filled with people going to and from their birth cities. There was bedlam in Bethlehem. And there was no room in Bethlehem’s numerous inns.

The characters were angels from heaven who introduced a new hit song to shepherds on the side of a hill at night. That was impressive. But it only gets better. One very pregnant teenager

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December 23, 2021 CHRISTMAS FROM PAGE 20 and her betrothed who had never had sex were journeying to his birthplace called Bethlehem. There would be consequences of the worst sort from Rome if they didn’t. To top it all off, she was getting ready to deliver the child, and the donkey on which she rode didn’t come with shock absorbers. When they finally arrived, the expectant mother was in labor, and the only place in Bethlehem for them to stay was in a stable.

Now the stage was set, the starting point was established, the angels’ spectacle was over the top, and the music concert, although numerically small, was heavenly. Amid this drama, the main character Jesus was born. Now all is calm, and all is bright. There was a pause for us to catch our breath. But unthinkable events and characters were on their way.

Enter the good guys (Magi from the east) and the villain (Herod). You know the story. Kings from the east came to Jerusalem, led by a star so evident that you couldn’t miss it. They asked, “Where is the King of the Jews, that we may worship him?” King Herod and all of Jerusalem panicked. What does this mean? At Herod’s request, the Jewish chief priests looked at Scripture prophecy and determined the birthplace of Christ was Bethlehem. Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem and asked them to inform him when they found Jesus so He could also worship. Sure enough, the star reappeared and led them to the Christ-child. They gave him gifts fit for a king. After that, the Magi were warned not to report back to Herod in a dream.

Then God’s angel appears to Joseph and says, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child and wants to kill him.” So Joseph did as he was told.

When he realized that the Magi had not reported to him, Herod flew into a rage. He ordered the murder of every little boy in the Bethlehem area, 2 years old and under. The conclusion of the first Christmas was when the angel appeared again to Joseph and announced that Herod was dead and for him to re-enter Israel.

That was a fantastic event. It has all the elements that Dr. Baehr mentioned. But what is the premise behind the first Christmas? What is God trying to reveal to us? Biblically, I think there are three crucial things in the first Christmas.

First, God reveals to us; sin separates us from God and each other. Sin is just missing God’s best for us. When our desires lead us, we don’t make things better; we make them worse. And we get stuck, “…in sin and error pining.” God doesn’t want us separated from Him or each other.

Second, God reveals to us, “Here is what you look like, what you do, without Me.” You become a type of Herod. Herods love being in control. Herods will do anything to be in control, even killing young children or anything that has to do with God.

Last and most important, God says, “We don’t have to be separated. I became flesh so that you know what I’m like. Christ is the way for you to rejoin Me.” There is a way back to God, and that is through God Himself. You don’t have to be a frightened Herod.

So, there you go, why not have your first Christmas this Christmas by receiving Christ into your heart? God just came near to you. PT

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Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com. For more info, see nationstrategy.com.

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