??Give me a one-word answer for this question! What makes Christmas such a special day？Did you say toys, or Santa, or candy, or lights？Oh, I'm sure one of you said, "Jesus!"
??Actually, the story of Christmas is made up of many special days! Let's hear about one of them! Almost 2, 000 years ago a young woman was going about her ordinary, every-day work. Her name was Mary and she lived in Nazareth, in the tiny country of Israel in the Middle East. Yes, perhaps for Mary it began as an ordinary day of washing, cooking, cleaning, bringing water from the well, when suddenly! Something happened that changed her ordinary day into a very special day!
??An angel from heaven suddenly appeared to Mary! How would you feel if an angel just suddenly appeared in your room! Mary was afraid and confused; but the angel said,
??"Fear not, Mary：for you have found favor with God." The angel went on to tell Mary
??that she would have a son and must call his name Jesus."He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest：" the angel said, "...and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
??Mary had a question："How shall this be？" She knew she did not have a husband yet, and Mary knew she was going to keep herself pure until she had a husband. So then, how could she have a baby without a husband？??The angel explained that this baby would not come from a man, this baby would be the Son of God. Mary then said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; ？Mary was saying, "I am the servant of the Lord, let all that God has said happen."
??The angel left, and everything again looked like an ordinary day. But Mary knew it wasn't! Her life was changed forever!
??Mary was soon to marry Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth. It was a very special day for Joseph when an angel appeared to him in a dream："Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary for your wife. This baby she is going to have is from the Holy Spirit. And Mary will have a son and you will call his name Jesus：for he shall save his people from their sins." Mary was Jewish, and so Jesus would be born into the Jewish race. The angel said Jesus would save his people from their sins. Did that mean Jesus would only save the Jewish people from their sins？What is sin？Even very young children know sin is doing bad things that God doesn't like, like being greedy and wanting the biggest and best things for yourself. Sin is saying those mean, hateful words to your brother or sister; or disobeying your parents. Do only Jewish people sin？No, we know we have all sinned, and the Bible tells us that as well. Isaiah 53：6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; ？Do just Jewish people need to be saved from their sin？No! We all face the same punishment for sin and that is to be separated from God forever. So we all need a Savior! And that is why God sent Jesus, not just to be a Savior for the Jewish people, but all people.
??Joseph woke from his dream, and he believed God's Word spoken through the angel.
??His ordinary day was changed forever! He married Mary and they both prepared for the day God's Son would be born.
??It was nearing the time for the baby to be born when another ordinary day became a very special one! Perhaps it was Joseph who told Mary, "We must travel to Bethlehem."
??In those days the Roman ruler, Caesar Augustus, had sent out a decree that all the world should be taxed, or registered, and each must travel to the city of their family line. Joseph and Mary were from the family of King David, and so they must travel to Bethlehem.
??They began the 4-5 day journey over rough, hilly roads. Perhaps because they had to travel slowly, the inn in Bethlehem was already filled when they arrived. Their only possibility for a place to spend the night was the stable. No matter that Mary and Joseph were tired and weary, no matter that it was a stable made for animals, this was the night and this was the place God had chosen before the creation of the world for His Son to be born! It was the very first Christmas! Do you think there was a Christmas tree with decorations and lights, or beautifully wrapped presents like we have in America at Christmastime？No. In fact, probably no one knew except Mary and Joseph that this was the first Christmas. Of course God in Heaven knew, and the angels. And very soon some shepherds would know!
??Luke 2 says, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them：and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not：for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
??What a wonderful thing! God chose to show His most glorious sight, He chose to tell His most glorious news to a group of poor, smelly shepherds, rather than to the rich and important people of the world! Does this seem strange to you, boys and girls？Doesn't it prove to us that God loves the poor, unimportant people of the world？I John 4：10 says, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us..." God loves you! No matter how you feel about yourself, God feels a great love and concern for you! He is your perfect Creator, and His love for you is perfect. He has loving plans for your life, and the greatest plan is that you would believe in His son Jesus as your Savior, and be able to live with God in Heaven someday. God loves you so much, and He loved those poor shepherds too! He chose to let them be the first to hear the great news about His Son's birth!
??The shepherd's ordinary night had been turned into a very special night! After the angels left, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to find this Savior. Just as the angels had told them, they found the baby boy lying in a manger. I'm sure they shared with Mary and Joseph everything the angels had said. And when they left the stable, Luke 2：17 tells us the shepherds went and told everybody what they had seen and heard. Luke 2：20 says, "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."
??Later Mary and Joseph took the child Jesus to Nazareth where He grew up. Did you know, boys and girls, that Jesus was once your age, and just about your size？But He was different! Because Jesus was God, He was perfect even as a child. That means He never disobeyed His parents, or pouted and wanted his own way.
??When Jesus grew up, He turned everybody's ordinary days into very special days! If you had been blind all your life, wouldn't it be a very special day if Someone touched your eyes and suddenly you could see？!! That's what Jesus did! He went about the villages and cities teaching about God, and healing and doing miracles among the people.
??Then came a very special day that was a SAD day. Jesus knew this day had to come, the day when He as God's Son would take the punishment for our sin. After all, that is why He had left Heaven to come down into the world. I John 4：14 says, "The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." To become our Savior Jesus faced the day when He must allow His enemies to curse and beat Him, to even spit in His face, and then to nail Him to a wooden cross to die. Even though as God the Son, He had power to stop this cruel punishment, Jesus did not stop it, for He knew He must take our punishment if He were to be able to save us from the punishment of sin. Galatians 1：3 and 4 says, "...our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us..." Three days after our Lord Jesus died and was buried, there came another special day! We celebrate it as Easter, the day our Lord Jesus came alive from the dead! Do you know the big word for that？Resurrection!
??Now the Lord Jesus is alive in Heaven, but He has promised there will be another special day for us. It hasn't come yet, but it surely will! In John 14：2 & 3, Jesus says, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." These words are a wonderful promise to all who believe in the Lord Jesus!
??Are you ready for that most special day？Everyone spends a lot of time getting ready for Christmas. But the day of our Lord's return will be far more wonderful! If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, are you keeping your life pure as you watch for your Lord's return？I John 3：3 says, "And every man (or boy or girl) that has this hope in him (the hope that Jesus is coming back) purifies himself, even as he is pure." As believers we realize that Jesus could come back at any time. We want to keep our lives pleasing to Him, so that no matter what moment Jesus comes, we will be glad to see Him, and not ashamed. Are you reading and obeying God's Word？Are you taking time daily to praise and thank God and to pray for yourself and for others？Are you checking your life to see if there are things you should stop thinking, saying or doing because you know they are not pleasing to God？Are you telling others about Jesus' These are all ways we can be preparing for our Lord's return.
??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, you are not ready for His return. When Jesus appears in the clouds, all those who have believed in Him will go up to meet Him in the clouds. They will be with Jesus in Heaven enjoying all His wonderful treasures. Those who have not believed will be left behind to suffer the most awful judgments from God that the world has ever seen. John 3：36 says, "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; he that believes not the Son shall not see life but the wrath (or punishment) of God abides (stays forever) on him." Will you go now to ？How to be a Child of God？and follow those steps, so you can be ready for that most special day？
??小朋友们, 我们刚刚过了一个节日, 叫做圣诞节。那么, 圣诞节这一天有什么特别的呢？我请你只用一个词来回答这个问题。你的答案是什么呢？玩具, 圣诞老人, 糖果, 圣诞灯火, 等等。但我相信一定有人会说：圣诞节之所以特别是因为耶稣。
??实际上, 圣诞节的故事是由许多特别的日子组成的。这就是我今天要讲的故事。其中的一个故事是这样的。大约2000年前, 在中东以色列这个地方有一个小小的城镇叫拿撒勒, 这里住著一位年轻的女子, 她的名字叫马利亚。这一天, 就象往常一样, 马利亚正忙著做事, 洗衣服, 做饭, 收拾屋子, 去到井边打水。突然, 发生了一件意想不到的事, 把这个平凡的日子变成了一个特别的日子。
??有一个天使突然出现在马利亚面前。如果有一个天使突然出现在你屋里, 你会怎样呢？马利亚吓了一跳, 不知怎么办才好。天使对她说："马利亚, 不要怕, 你在神面前已经蒙恩了。" 天使告诉她将要怀孕生一个儿子, 可以给他起名叫耶稣。 天使说："他要为大, 称为至高者的儿子...他的国也没有穷尽。" 马利亚这时有一个问题, 她对天使说："怎么有这事呢？"
??马利亚想, 我还没有出嫁, 怎么有这事呢？没有丈夫, 怎么会有孩子呢？天使回答说, 这个孩子不是从人生的, 所要生的是神的儿子。马利亚说："我是主的使女, 情愿照你的话成就在我身上。" 天使就离开了她。一切又恢复了往日的平静。
??但马利亚知道, 一切都不一样了, 她的生活已经完全改变了。
??马利亚很快就要与拿撒勒的一个木匠约瑟结婚。天使在梦中向约瑟显现的这一天又成了一个特别的日子。天使说："大卫的子孙约瑟, 不要怕, 只管娶过你的妻子马利亚来, 因她所怀的孕, 是从圣灵来的。她将要生一个儿子, 你要给他起名叫耶稣, 因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。" 马利亚是犹太人, 所以耶稣是生在一个犹太人的家里。天使说耶稣要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。
??小朋友也许会问, 这是说耶稣只将犹太人从罪恶里救出来吗？那什么是罪呢？连最小的孩子都知道, 罪就是神不喜悦的坏事情, 比如贪心, 自私, 自己总是要得到最好的。罪还包括说话伤害别人, 不听父母的话, 等等。只有犹太人才会犯罪吗？不是!我们知道我们都犯了罪, 圣经里也是这样告诉我们的。以赛亚书53章6节说："我们都如羊走迷, 各人偏行己路。" 只有犹太人需要被从罪中拯救出来吗？不是!我们每一个人都要面对那对罪的惩罚, 那就是永远与神分离。所以, 我们都需要一位救主!这就是为什么神让耶稣来到这世上, 不仅仅要拯救犹太人, 他还要拯救这世上所有的人。
??约瑟从梦中醒了, 他相信神通过天使对他说的话。他平凡的生活被永远改变了他就遵著主使者的吩咐, 把马利亚娶过来, 他们一起准备著神儿子的降生。
??就在耶稣快出生之前, 又有一个平凡的日子成为了特别的日子。也许, 是约瑟对马利亚说的, 我们要去伯利恒。在那个时候, 罗马的统治者该撒亚古士督宣布了新的收税制度, 叫天下的人都在自己的城里报名上册。因为 约瑟和马利亚是大卫一族一家的人, 因此他们需要去伯利恒报名上册。去伯利恒需要四五天的时间, 路也不好走, 尽是山路。但他们还是上路了。也许他们走得慢, 当他们到达伯利恒的时候, 客店全满了。他们唯一能过夜的地方就是客店的马槽。虽然约瑟和马利亚非常累, 虽然马槽是牲畜住的地方, 但是神选择了那个晚上, 那个客店的马槽做为神儿子出生的地方。那就是第一个圣诞节。那里会不会象我们这里的圣诞节, 有装饰得漂漂亮亮的圣诞树, 灯火, 礼物呢？没有!实际上, 除了约瑟和马利亚, 甚至没有人知道那就是第一个圣诞节。当然, 我们在天上的神知道, 天使知道。
??很快, 一些牧羊人也知道了。路加福音第二章里说："在伯利恒之野地里有牧羊的人, 夜间按著更次看守羊群。 有主的使者站在他们旁边, 主的荣光四面照着他们, 牧羊的人就甚惧怕。那天使对他们说, 不要惧怕, 我报给你们大喜的信息, 是关乎万民的。因今天在大卫的城里, 为你们生了救主, 就是主基督。"
??多么奇妙啊!神把他的荣光, 和大喜的信息首先告诉了这群穷苦的牧羊人, 而不是世上有钱有势的达官贵人。小朋友们, 这奇怪吗？这里不正是说明神爱世上那些穷苦, 微小的人吗？约翰一书4：10说："不是我们爱神, 乃是神爱我们..."神爱你!不管你觉得自己是个什么样的人, 神都深深地爱著你, 关心著你。神造了你, 他对你的爱也是完全的。神对你的一生有很好的计划, 其中最伟大的计划就是要你相信耶稣是你的救主, 这样你有一天要与神一起永远在天上。神爱你, 他也爱那些贫穷的牧羊人。神让他们成为第一个听到神儿子出生这个大好信息的人。
??牧羊人在野地里牧羊, 本来是平凡的一夜, 却因著天使的出现, 变成了这样特殊的一个夜晚。天使离开他们后, 牧羊人赶快赶到伯利恒去找他们的救主。就像天使告诉他们的, 他们找到马利亚和约瑟, 又有那婴孩卧在马槽里。我相信他们一定把天使对他们说的话告诉了马利亚和约瑟。当他们离开的时候, 路加福音2：17告诉我们, 他们就把天使论这孩子的话传开了。路加福音2：20说："牧羊的人回去了。因所听见所看见的一切事, 正如天使向他们所说的, 就归荣耀与神, 赞美他。
??后来, 马利亚和约瑟带耶稣到了拿撒勒, 他就在那里长大。小朋友们, 你知道吗？耶稣也曾象你一样大, 跟你一样高呢!但他就是与众不同。因为耶稣是神, 甚至当他只是一个孩子的时候, 他也是完全的, 他从不犯罪。他从来也没有不听父母的话, 与父母顶嘴, 他也从来没有自私自利, 想干什么就干什么, 在家中当小皇帝。他是那么完全!
??当耶稣长大后, 他使许多人平凡的日子都变得特殊了。如果你是瞎眼的, 如果有人摸摸你的眼睛, 你突然能看见了, 那这一天不就变成了一个特殊的日子了吗？这就是耶稣所作的。他到乡间, 到城市里教导关于神的事, 他还医病, 行各样的神绩。
??后来, 又有一个特别的一天, 这是一个令人难过的一天。耶稣, 他知道这一天要来, 在这一天, 作为神的儿子, 他要代替我们承受对罪的惩罚。这就是为什么他离开天上, 来到这个世界的目的。约翰一书4：14说："父差子作世人的救主。" 作为我们的救主, 耶稣在这一天必须要面对敌人的羞辱, 诅咒, 鞭打, 甚至他们在他脸上吐口水, 然后把他钉死在十字架上。虽然作为神的儿子, 他有权柄来制止这残忍的惩罚, 但他没有这样做。因为耶稣知道如果他要把我们从罪中拯救出来, 他必须代替我们接受对罪的惩罚。
??加拉太书1：4说：" 基督照我们父神的旨意为我们的罪舍己, 要救我们脱离这罪恶的世代。" 主耶稣死后被埋葬, 他死后第三天, 他的复活又使这一天成了特别的一天。这就是我们的复活节, 我们在这一天来庆贺耶稣从死里复活。
??现在, 主耶稣就活在天上。但他应许说还有一个特别的日子要赐给我们。这个日子还没有到, 但它一定会来到。在约翰福音14：2-3, 主耶稣说："我去原是为你们预备地方去。我若去为你们预备了地方, 就必再来接你们到我那里去。我在哪里, 叫你们也在哪里。" 这些话语正是主耶稣对那些相信他的人的宝贵应许。
??你准备好来迎接这个最特别的一天吗？每个人都花很多时间来准备过圣诞节。但主耶稣回来的日子是才最奇妙伟大的日子。如果你已经接受耶稣是你的救主, 他把你从罪中拯救出来, 在你等待主耶稣回来的时候, 你有没有过一个圣洁的生活呢？约翰一书3：3说："凡向他有这指望的, 就洁净自己, 像他洁净一样。" 这里的"指望"就是指对主耶稣回来的盼望, "凡"就是所有的人, 包括听故事的小朋友们。作为信耶稣的人, 我们知道主耶稣回来的日子可以是任何时候。我们也想要过一个讨神喜悦的生活, 所以不管主耶稣什么时候回来, 我们见到他的时候, 不会是羞愧, 而应当是高兴。你有没有读神的话语, 并遵守神的话语？你有没有每天感谢？并花时间为自己和别人祷告？你有没有注意到你的生活中有些事情你不该想, 不该说, 不该看, 因为那些事情不讨神的喜悦？你有没有向别人传讲耶稣？这些都是我们等候主耶稣再来可以做的准备。如果你还没有相信耶稣是你的救主, 对于他的再来, 你并没有准备好。当耶稣在云中出现的时候, 那些相信他的人将与他在云中相遇。他们将要与耶稣一起永远在天上。
??而那些还没有相信耶稣的人将要留在后面, 不仅如此, 他们还要经历神的审判。这审判十分可怕, 是我们从来没有见过的。约翰福音3：36说："信子的人有永生, 不信子的人得不著永生, 神的震怒(或审判)常在他身上。" 请你去听"怎样成为神的孩子" , 并照那里所说的去做, 使你在主耶稣回来的日子能够准备好。 |