Making the old look Good at Christmas The Glory of Christmas

Making the old look Good at Christmas

The Glory of Christmas 

Birthdays reveal how old we are

With Christ we have hope because

He transforms us from Glory to Glory

Jesus makes the old look good

Year after year

I love the manger scene.

Each year I sit down with the grandchildren and

we take a look at each character of the nativity.

We talk about the angels, shepherds, wise men,

Mary and Joseph, and of course, Jesus.

 

The other day one of my grandchildren said it

is her favorite time of our Christmas celebration.

It all began in a little town call Bethlehem…

A child was born.

A child that each year around the world

His birthday would be celebrated.

That to me is amazing.

The stars from above that looked down on

the little Lord Jesus 2000 years ago doesn’t

see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes…

The manger is now empty.

Birthday celebrations are not about the day we are born.

They are about another year since we were born.

 

Many of us don’t like our birthday because

it reminds us we are another year older.

  

Birthdays are fun when we are looking to grow up.

Birthdays aren’t as important when they remind

us we are “over the hill” or “past our prime”.

For many of us getting older is not looking better.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3 we have hope…

We are not like those who put a veil over their

faces and we are not getting dull of mind.

He reminds us that the Lord Jesus is a Spirit and

where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

This freedom causes us to have hope and

take off the veil that covers old age…

Because our face can be transformed

as we reflect the Glory of the Lord.

This transformation is increasing over time.

The Glory of Jesus’ birth is nothing in comparison

to His Glory today and His Glory to come.

The same is to be true of you and I as we grow

older, we have the opportunity to be transformed

into His likeness with ever increasing Glory.

The old door in the church hallway reminds me

that every year we celebrate Christ’s birthday.

  

Every year we celebrate our own birthday,

 we should celebrate the transforming

power of Jesus Christ.

  

Take off the veil…

Put a smile on your face…

 For we have the hope of being

transformed from Glory to Glory.

So bring out the cake and put another Glory

candle in it and light it up so that the Glory

of the Lord will be seen all over the earth.

 

Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 NIV

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.