Christmas is for Everyone - Even the Great People
Matthew 1:2,
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Matthew 1:6
Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.
Have you ever met a famous person? Maybe it is a famous athlete, actor, actress, or politician. I am sure that meeting left some kind of impression on you! We all have people who are famous and have some notoriety, and we tend to hold them in high esteem.
If you read last week's blog, then you will remember that I wrote about the truth that Christmas is for everyone, even good people. Mary was our example from the genealogy of Jesus of a good person that needed a savior.
Not only is Christmas for good people, Christmas is also for great people. Christmas is not just for those of us that are simple and unknown; Christmas is also for the most well known and the most noble. In the genealogy of Jesus that is found in Matthew 1, two of the great people of human history are listed. One is Abraham and the other is David.
Abraham is considered the father of all nations. In Hebrews 11:12 the Bible says of Abraham, “Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” Abraham, this man, was a great man. He was a successful man and has come to be known as one of the greatest people who ever lived. Yet Abraham, even though he was great, still needed a savior. He was still a man caught in his own sin, and he was still a man who needed the grace of our Lord Jesus. The greatest truth about Abraham is not how great a human being he was; it was that in spite of his greatness, he still was a sinner that turned to Jesus in faith. Christmas is not just for good people. Christmas is also for those we call great, noble, famous and royal.
Speaking of royalty, there is another great person mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus; it is King David. We know David from the pages of our Old Testament to be one of the greatest people in human history. David started out as a simple shepherd boy and flute player. And before we know it, David finds himself on a battlefield facing a giant while all his fellow Israelites hid themselves. Then, with the sling of one rock, the giant is dead and David is on his way to becoming the King of Israel. David is one of the greatest people in human history. But David, although great in human terms, was just a man who needed a savior. Do you know why? Well, just read his story and you’ll learn of tough facts about David’s life. For example David was an adulterer, a deceiver, a murderer and a liar. David’s sin was as great as his personhood. He may have been a great king, but he still needed to have his sin forgiven and his life made right with God.
Christmas is not just a time for good people, it is a time for all people, even the greatest people of all time. Every world ruler, every politician, every wealthy person, every great athlete and even every great humanitarian needs their sin forgiven and to trust Jesus by faith.
I have a challenge for you to consider. From now through the end of the year, pray for those that appear to be “great.” When you see the news and think of our president, pray for him. Pray for our former presidents. Pray for our world leaders. Pray for celebrities and influencers that have some level of notoriety. Pray for them to meet Jesus. Christmas is for them as well. Just like you and just like me, they need a savior!