Miracle of Christmas

THE MIRACLES OF CHRISTMAS
1 Luke 2:1-20 Rancho Monserate Chapel
December 16, 2012 2:00 p.m.

The horns are honking, the crowds are rushing, and it’s a crazy time. Scrooge would say: “Bah hum bug!” Ah! But I say: Merry Christmas! I say: Feliz Navidad! And I say: Mele Kalikimaka.

 Think about the places where you celebrated Christmas. Chicago? Ireland? Australia? Los Angeles? Some where in Europe? Anyone: Africa? Oh, the memories.

In our family, we had three boys and three girls. When I was a young boy, my older brothers and sisters were teasing me. They told me that Santa Claus was coming to our house. In Hawaii our houses have no chimneys so I asked them, “But, how is he getting in?” They said, “he has a special key.” “Oh,” I thought, “that makes sense.” But as the years went by I knew better. (Did you know that in Hawaii, Santa Claus comes on a surf board?)

How many of you grew up believing in Santa Claus? (Most of us, it would seem.) Christmas is a time of magic, fantasy, and presents.

One little boy wrote, Dear Santa: In my house there are three boys. Richard is two. Jeffrey is four. Norman is seven. Richard is good sometimes. Jeffrey is good sometimes. Norman is good all the time! Signed: Norman

As children we learn: Christmas is a time of excitement. Christmas is a time of hope. Christmas is a time of giving. Christmas is a time when a baby was born in a manger, whom we know today as Jesus.

Norman Vincent Peale tells about how two men were standing on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City. They were in the Christmas rush. They were waiting for the red light to turn. The one man was irritated and he said, “This town is totally disorganized. Look at this traffic! It’s terrible! Something must be done about it!” The other man was more philosophical. He said, “You know, it’s astounding, the romance of it. There was a baby born to peasant parents in a little out of the way place half way around the world from here. The parents had no money or social standing, yet two thousand years later that little baby creates a traffic jam on Fifth Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world. This irritates you? It should fascinate you.”

When Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph, Mary wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in the manger. When the shepherds came to worship Jesus, they told Mary about how an angel told them the birth of the Savior. Mary and Joseph were amazed. Luke says, “Mary treasured all their words and pondered them in her heart.”

When you travel to Bethlehem, you must visit the Church of the Holy Nativity. When you enter the church, you have to stoop down before you walk in. Otherwise, you would bang your head. Barclay says, how fitting because Jesus came as a humble servant. Inside you will find a star on the floor marking where Jesus was born.

The birth of Jesus is a remarkable story about prophecy. Isaiah 7:14 To the House of David God will be given a sign. A young woman will bear a child and he will be called Immanuel which means, “God with us.” (Isaiah 740 BC) Micah 5:1-2 The messiah will be born in Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah. (Micah 737 BC) Jeremiah 23:5 The messiah will be a descendant of King David. (Jeremiah 627 BC) Genesis 49:10 Jacob told his son Judah that his descendants will be rulers and one will be the ultimate ruler. Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Judah.

Isaiah 60:6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense. and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. The wise men, or magi as they are also called, were astrologers who studied the stars. Scholars tell us that it took the wise men about two years to get to Bethlehem. (Some say that if the wise men were women, they would have asked for directions. Today, the wise men would have had GPS). (The wise men brought to Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh).

What was the star in the east? Astronomers say it was a conjunction of stars of some kind. Simo Parpola, an archaeologist and Assyriologist, says the star mentioned in Matthew was probably was “the rare triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces that occurred in the year 7 BCE. So when was Jesus born? Many scholars say somewhere between 6 & 4 BC. As the man at Fifth Avenue said earlier, the birth of Jesus is a fascination.

Brad & Sherry Steiger have written a book entitled, CHRISTMAS MIRACLES.

  In March of 1993, Roger Miller fell into a coma when his aneurysm in his brain burst. He was just 53 years old. The doctors at the Colorado hospital gave little hope to the family. They suggested that there was not anything more they could do; it was best to disconnect his feeding tube. Their family doctor, Dr. Roberts agreed. He was and good friend of Roger and when he talked to the family, his eyes were full of tears. Maureen, Roger’s wife, with her arms around her two children, Kathy, 26 and Randy, 22, she said: “This is a family decision.”

The chances did not look good. Randy said, “Even if it is a million or two million to one, it’s still a chance, isn’t it?” Maureen and Kathy thought it wasn’t fair to let their dad linger in a coma for months. Randy wasn’t done yet. He said, “We’ve always been a praying family. We’ve always put our trust in God. I say we keep on praying until He cures dad.” Randy goes on, “With the help of God, let’s create a Christmas Miracle.”

 From that day on, there was always someone sitting with Roger in the hospital. Maureen read the Bible to him. Randy prayed with his hands on his father’s head. He kept on encouraging his Dad. “ Okay, Dad, come on now. …Dad, you can do it.” Kathy brought her guitar and sang her father’s favorite hymns. Often she brought her twin daughters and they sang a trio. When her husband came, it was a quartet. Within ten days, a nurse witnessed the impossible, Roger opened his eyes. But the doctors declared that he would remain in a coma.

In mid-June, Roger opened his mouth and tried to speak. He recognized his wife, his children, and his friends.

Now Roger was at home. He ate his meals with his family. He watched television. He began to read books. Against all odds, by Christmas, Roger Miller began to regain his health.

God gave them a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. (Sharing the Story of the Candy Cane -- “Christmas is a time of sharing our Gifts)