Focus Passage - Luke 2:10-12
The date was July 22, 2013 and citizens, reporters and photographers lined the streets for the first glimpse of the royal child. An official announcement of his birth was placed in front of the palace. The world had to be told. What many consider the world’s most successful monarchy had an heir. At Christmas, we are celebrating the birth of a royal Child! A Son has been given to us! Yet, there was no announcement of his birth at the palace in Jerusalem, and even though people had been waiting for centuries for this Child to arrive, no reporters and photographers lined up along the streets of Bethlehem for a glimpse of this royal Son. What did God want us to know about this child? The Lord had prepared a special press release shared by the angels that laid everything out for us.
Fear Not - The first thing everyone needs to know is that the coming messiah bring grace and not punishment. It is as if God is saying, “Don’t be alarmed!” God would even send this Messiah in a way that no one had to fear. He would come as a child that they could hold and touch. He would come as a child vulnerable and approachable. There was nothing to fear and everything to love.
All People - The second thing in the announcement was that he was for all people. The blessings that He would bring were not just for the Jews and not just for the wealthy. Yes, you common shepherds and townspeople of Bethlehem, this blessing and this child is for every person in the world. The baby born in Bethlehem was His gift to the world. He would heal the leper and the lame. He would touch the tax collector and the prostitute. No one was exempt from his mercy.
A Savior - His mission was that of Savior to a people who didn’t really grasp that they even needed to be saved. They were and still are looking for a person who would make life easier by healing them, providing food and making life easier. God knew that they needed a savior from sin. Thus from the very beginning, this child was destined to die on a cross from our sins. He was to be the perfect sacrifice offered to the Lord for the sins of the world.
Lord - The final thing that the birth announcement said must have been a surprise. The Messiah is none other than God himself. Moses was a man. King David was as well. Yet, a man could not be savior so God came himself. Only God could save. Any man who died on the cross would die for his own sin. Only the sinless Son of God could die for the sins of someone else. God loved he world so much that he would send his son to die for their sins.
There are still no reporters and photographers lined to proclaim the birth of Jesus even if the press is ready for any little tidbit about Prince George and his sister Charlotte. There are no newspaper headlines to announce this birth. There are no official announcements posted outside of government buildings. Yet the word has to go out to a world that needs to hear it: The Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem! God came to live among us as one of us! Join the angels and share the news. Christ is born! Let us not be afraid to give this message to a world in need. Fear not, our Lord and Savior has come for all of you. Rejoice in the blessings that God has brought on Christmas. 
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