Where Are You, Christmas?

 

First Sunday of Advent

Today's lesson is based on the Scripture reading Luke 2:41-50 in which we learn the twelve-year old Jesus accompanies his parents and extended family to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.

Wherever there is a crowd, anxiety level goes up; tension increases.
 

At the Passover feast amidst all these people and all these things they lost Jesus.
Passover is all about the children, and specifically about the eldest son, and what God has done.  Jesus was such a child, the eldest son, that is, Passover revolves around Jesus.  Yet they lost him.

Picture the family explaining that to God.  "Uh, God.  We lost your son."
When they returned to Jerusalem to look for Jesus amidst the crowd of probably two hundred thousand people it would have been like a bad case of "Where's Waldo?"

They found Jesus in the Temple.  
Mary filled with anxiety is now relieved, probably yelling at the boy says, "Why did you treat us this way?"  Jesus responded, "Why?  Didn't you know that I'd be in my Father's house?"

Where are you, Christmas?
We have allowed the busy-ness of the festival to crowd in, traditions have consumed our hearts.  Instead of peace there is chaos because Jesus is missing.

Of all the things you do this season, how much is centered around Jesus Christ?

"Jesus gave his all to be with us and we have made it all about us."

What we do may not be bad, but if we are missing Christ we are missing the point.

Jesus is saying, "I am right where you left me."

When we realize he is missing, we must get back, back to the feet of Jesus.

It is about the Presence of God coming to Earth to dwell among us.

Think about rearranging your traditions to put Christ at the center of it all.

Jesus is what you are looking for.

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning