At Christmas time we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. How did people react when news of that birth was first announced?
An angel, one of God's special messengers, brought the news to Mary. Her first question was 'How can this be, because I am still a virgin?' The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would cause this conception, so the child would be the Son of God. Mary humbly states her willing obedience to God in this.
When her fiancee Joseph learns that Mary is pregnant he jumps to the natural conclusion, and wants to break off the engagement discreetly to avoid disgracing her. An angel explains the situation to him in a dream and tells him to marry Mary. Joseph woke up and did as the angel had commanded him.
When the pregnant Mary visits her cousin the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaps for joy.
When Jesus is actually born shepherds on the hills nearby are told by an angel who is joined by a whole multitude of the heavenly host praising God. When the angels have gone the shepherds rush into the city to see the baby for themselves. When the shepherds leave they go glorifying and praising God for all they have seen.
When Jesus was about a month old his parents took him to the temple in Jerusalem. As their first son Jesus had to be redeemed, and Mary had to be cleansed after the birth of a child. A devout old man called Simeon praises God for the child and says he is now happy to die because he has seen with his own eyes what God had promised for years. An 84 year old prophetess, Anna, gives thanks to God for the child and continues to speak of him to the people visiting the temple.
The wise men (commonly called the 3 Kings) followed a star for hundreds of miles to find the child. When they found him they fell down and worshipped him, and gave him expensive presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Herod the king and the citizens of the capital city reacted differently to the news of the one 'born King of the Jews'. They were very disturbed by it. Herod was so furious when the wise men did not inform him of the child's exact whereabouts that he killed all the children 2 years old and younger in the whole of Bethlehem and the surrounding districts - but God had already warned Joseph to flee from the area.
Why did the birth of this one baby generate so much interest? As the Son of God he bears the family likeness, so that we can know what God is like. He is even called Emmanuel, 'God With Us'. His name Jesus means 'God the Saviour' because he will save his people from their sins. His title Christ means 'Anointed One' - the Messiah that the Jews had waited centuries for. He was already a king and would have an eternal kingdom, but it would not be an earthly kingdom - he rules in the hearts of men and women who follow him.
How do you react to the good news of Jesus? Are you like the shepherds eager to see for themselves? Like the wise men prepared to search diligently until you find him? Or like the evil Herod whose own plans and aspirations would be so overturned that he would stop at nothing to prevent it?
Be like Mary: although she did not understand it all she pondered these things and treasured them up in her heart.
Be like Simeon: happy to see the salvation of God and have the peace which He alone can give.