d. Have you ever wondered where is everyone else?

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1 The People Who Missed Christmas Luke 2:7 I. INTRODUCTION- a. Probably this Christmas you will receive at least one Christmas Card featuring the manger scene. b. Surrounding the manger with the baby Jesus in it you will see Mary, Joseph maybe the shepherds and possibly the Wise Men. c. Even though we know that the Wise Men did not arrive in Bethlehem until at least 45 days after the birth of Jesus. d. Have you ever wondered where is everyone else? e. Where were the religious leaders from Jerusalem which was just a short distance away?... where was the innkeeper?... why wasn t anyone from Nazareth with Mary?... where was Herod?... why wasn t anyone from Bethlehem or Jerusalem there? f. Other people had the opportunity to come to the stable where were they?... the birth of Jesus into this world was the amazing event in human history where was everybody? g. It is amazing that so many people missed the first Christmas but they have their counterparts today. h. Multitudes of people today will decorate a tree give and get presents go to parties have family gatherings eat a big dinner and give lip service to Christ. i. But they too will miss Christmas because they don t know the Christ of Christmas and they have no idea what Christmas is really about. j. Let s look at those who missed the first Christmas and people like them today.

2 II. THE INNKEEPER a. The Bible does not specifically mention an innkeeper but apparently that night in Bethlehem an innkeeper was confronted by a man and his very pregnant wife. b. It could be that the innkeeper turned Mary and Joseph away saying that he had no room for them in the inn or it could have been the innkeeper who made arrangements for Mary and Joseph to stay in his stable. c. Even if it was the innkeeper who made his stable available to Mary and Joseph no mention is made of him checking on the couple no mention is made of him calling for a midwife or someone to help this young girl who was about to give birth. d. If it was the innkeeper who open his stable to this young couple he apparently soon forgot about them. e. It was census time and Bethlehem and his inn was bulging with anyone whose ancestry went to the little town. f. The innkeeper was busy he had to take care of his customers he did not have the time or interest to give to the peasant couple who was staying in his stable. g. While the innkeeper was busy with his business the Messiah the Son of God was born on his very property and he never even knew it. h. Among the hustle and bustle of his life the innkeeper missed the first Christmas because he was too busy and too preoccupied. i. We live in a busy nation many people in our society are so consumed with work and the events and activities of life that they have no room for Jesus in their life.

3 j. Being busy is not a sin unless you are busy in something sinful but allowing the busyness of life to be more important than knowing God, loving God and serving Him is a sin. k. Giving lip service to Jesus at Christmas time does not make a person a Christian a Christian is someone who has opened their life to Jesus and received Him as their Lord and Savior. l. Listen again to Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. m. Remember that Mary was around 16 years old when she gave birth to Jesus she could have been younger this verse makes it clear that Mary basically was on her own when she gave birth to her first born Son. n. Joseph was there but how much help could a carpenter be with delivering a baby? o. There were no mid-wives present when Mary was born there was no assistance this young girl was all alone at night in a stable when Jesus was born. p. Notice that Mary brought forth the child she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes she laid Him in a manger an animal food box. q. G. Campbell Morgan wrote Think of the pathos of it. She brought forth ; she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes. It is very beautiful, but oh, the pity of it, the tragedy of it, the loneliness of it; that in that hour of all hours, when womanhood should be surrounded by the tenderest care, she was alone. The method of the writer is very distinct. She with her own hands wrapped the Baby round with those swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. There was no one to do it for her. Again I say, the pity of it, and yet the glory of it to the heart of Mary.

4 III. HEROD- a. Someone else who missed the first Christmas was King Herod Herod was ruthless and brutal man who tolerated no threat or rival to his throne. b. When the Wise Men told Herod that they had come seeking one who had been born King of the Jews Herod slaughtered scores of innocent children in an attempt to kill Jesus. c. Herod was unwilling to give up his throne to anyone. d. Many people today are perfectly willing to take time off to commemorate the birth of Jesus they are perfectly willing to call on Jesus when they need Him they are perfectly willing to receive Jesus as their spiritual benefactor they are perfectly willing to add Jesus to their lives and call themselves Christians. e. But they are not willing for one moment to bow before Jesus and acknowledge Him as their King and the rightful Ruler of their life. f. Multitudes of people today are perfectly willing follow Jesus on their terms they are not willing to give up control of their life the throne of their life to anyone including Jesus. g. They are not willing to allow anyone including Jesus to interfere with their plans, their career, their position, their power, their ambition, their plans or their lifestyle. h. Many people today are perfectly willing to follow Jesus as long as He does not insist on being the King, Ruler and Lord of their life. i. The person who is unwilling to surrender control of their life to King Jesus does not know Him and they miss Christmas. IV. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS-

5 a. Another group of people who missed the first Christmas were the religious leaders in Jerusalem. b. These people were the most religious people of the day they never missed the Temple services they were meticulous in their religious observances they tithed, prayed, served, sang and gave. c. And, they studied the scriptures they were able to tell King Herod exactly where the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem according to Micah 5:2. d. And yet not one of these religious leaders walked the few miles to Bethlehem to see if the Messiah had indeed been born and when Jesus began His ministry the religious leaders were His fiercest enemies. e. Christ-less religion is a dangerous thing the people in the world who are most lost are those who are religious but lost. f. In fact Christ-less religion is one of Satan s greatest weapons in sending people to hell. g. Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV) Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! h. Many who sit in the pews of America s churches can tell you exactly where Jesus was born they can tell you exactly why Jesus came into the world they can sing the songs of Christmas and quote the scriptures. i. They know all of the facts and particulars of Christmas but they themselves have never received the Christ who came at Christmas.

6 j. Not only do they miss Christmas they will miss Heaven unless they come to Him. V. THE INHABITANTS OF BETHLEHEM AND JERUSALEM- a. Apparently all the inhabitants of Bethlehem and Jerusalem missed the first Christmas. b. The Bible says that after seeing the baby Jesus the shepherds left the stable and told everyone they saw what they had seen and heard about this child. c. Luke 2:17-18 (NIV) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. d. The people who heard what the shepherds had to say may have been amazed at what they heard but apparently not one person in Bethlehem or Jerusalem went to the stable. e. Why didn t they go?... unbelief pride indifference the same reasons many people miss the true meaning of Christmas today. f. Also, many in Bethlehem and Jerusalem probably thought these shepherds were ignorant and crazy. g. Just like many people today, think that those who believe in Jesus those who believe in the true meaning of Christmas and the salvation our Lord made possible by His death and resurrection are ignorant and crazy. VI. THE ROMANS- a. Roman soldiers were everywhere in Bethlehem and the surrounding area overlooking the census registering people and keeping order.

7 b. The Roman guards on duty must have heard what the shepherds said but not one of them went to the stable to investigate. c. For the most part the Romans hated the Jews and they hated the God of the Jews. d. The Romans had their own gods they did not understand that the God of the Jews was the only God there is the one true God and their God too. e. Prejudice and idolatry the worship of false gods caused the Romans to miss the first Christmas. f. Today the worship of false gods and the worship of money, sex, possessions, power, prestige, popularity, position, and fame causes many people to miss the real meaning and purpose of Christmas and of life. g. By the way to celebrate Christmas in a purely secular manner to celebrate Christmas while rejecting Christ of Christmas and giving no thought to the true meaning of Christmas to replace Christ with a man in a red suit and all that other stuff is nothing less than an act of idolatry. VII. THE PEOPLE OF NAZARETH- a. The people of Nazareth the hometown of Jesus also missed the first Christmas. b. No one from Nazareth went with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem they all missed the first Christmas. c. And, 33 years later when Jesus began His ministry very few in Nazareth His hometown believed Him to be the Messiah, Savior and Lord.

8 d. Why?... familiarity they knew Jesus so well they could not believe He was someone special. e. Of all those in this world who do not believe the saddest and the most tragic of all are those people who were raised in Christian homes who went to church as children people who have heard all the stories all the sermons people who sat through all the Bible lessons people who are familiar with the truths of Christianity. f. But they have turned their back on Christ and they have rejected the faith. g. Those people who know and reject the truth of Christ may decorate a tree they may get and give presents they may eat a big dinner and give lip service to Christ. h. But because they have rejected the Christ of Christmas and they are no different and no better than the innkeeper Herod the religious leaders the people of Bethlehem and Jerusalem the Romans and the people of Nazareth. i. Tragically, they miss its blessing and the reality of Christmas. VIII. CONCLUSION- a. Believe in Jesus don t miss Christmas.