Sermon Snippet – More People That You Should Know
INTRODUCTION – At the first Christmas, there were numerous people in Jerusalem that had a part in this greatest story ever told. Some of them are not named in Scripture, but we can learn much from these otherwise unknown folk.
1. SOME PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM WERE FAITHFUL
About 15 months before the birth of Jesus, as Zachariah (the future father of John the Baptist) prayed, “the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense” (Luke 1:10). I often point out that God has always had a godly remnant in this wicked world of woe. In Elijah’s day, there were only 7,000 believers in Israel (I Kings 19:18). At the time of the Flood, just one family trusted Him (Genesis 7:13). Still, the plan of God continued to unfold, and these relative few exercised an outsized influence for good. The years leading up to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, were not easy ones for people of faith in Jerusalem. The pagan Romans controlled the nation of Israel, the legalistic and insufferably self-righteous Pharisees were the most influential religious group, and the official priesthood at the Temple was largely corrupt. For 400 years, no prophet of God had spoken to the faithful few – by far the longest such silence in the history of Israel. How tempting it could have been to slip into a comfortable ritual in place of genuine faith – or to reject faith entirely! However, these believers “were praying” earnestly, expecting that God would hear and answer. They were people of hope. May we also be faithful people of expectation, and may we be encouraged by others who share our hopeful faith.
2. SOME PEOPLE IN JERUSALEM WERE TROUBLED
When the wisemen asked about the birth of the Savior (Matthew 2:1-2), tensions in the capital city immediately increased: “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (verse 3). Herod’s life of enormous evil caused him to be fearful and wrathful; perceptive people had every reason to be “troubled.” The people around Herod knew about the prophecy concerning the birthplace of the Messiah (verses 5-6, quoting Micah 5:2). I have always wondered why there was not a rush to Bethlehem, only 5 miles away, to see what the magi saw (verses 8-12). Perhaps some did travel there, of course, but Scripture is silent on this point. What we do know is that they were “troubled” at Herod’s deepening darkness – and rightly so (verses 16-18). I do not know if any of these individuals eventually became Christians, but I do know that being “troubled” is a potential pivot point that leads to faith. Until we sense that there is something different, something better, we will be complacent. We will remain “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1b). May we instead flee from the shadows into the light of the Savior.
CONCLUSION – The Christian poet T. S. Eliot concluded his Choruses from ‘The Rock’ with these insightful words: “We thank Thee that darkness reminds us of light. O Light Invisible, we give Thee thanks for Thy great glory!” We are not grateful for the darkness of this world, of course, but we are thankful that the glorious light of Jesus, symbolized by “His star,” draws us out of our own darkness into His loving light. May our hope not dwindle, for even the most “troubled” of folks can find everlasting salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.