Several years ago, I learned of a contemporary preacher from Atlanta named Louie Giglio with Passion Church and Passion Ministries. At that time, we (our church) purchased a set of six DVDs by Louie Giglio. About once every other month we watch one on Sunday evening.
I must confess it was quite interesting to watch a small, rural, traditional, older Baptist congregation watch a young contemporary preacher who wears jeans, shirt and tennis shoes and focuses on college age adults. I was pleasantly surprise at the good reception that it received.
One of the DVD’s is entitled “The Twelve Words of Christmas.” I must admit that Lisa and I pondered and discussed trying to figure out what The Twelve Words of Christmas were. We thought of scriptures and couldn’t come up with any. We then thought about maybe it is like the song “The Twelve days of Christmas” and they were twelve individual words that meant something.
In the DVD he led up to revealing these words by saying that they are the greatest message every told. Are you ready? Is the suspense getting to you? Well, here they are: “A Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
When you think about it this really is the greatest message ever told. Imagine being one of the shepherds, alone with a few other shepherds and your sheep. It was quiet and peaceful. The sky was clear and millions of stars were shinning bright. When out of nowhere came a host of angels singing and proclaiming this great message.
If that had been me, I probably would have just laid down and passed. I would be thinking these are angels and they probably know everything I have done, said, and even thought. I am a sunk duck. Lord let me die now where I won’t have to bear the shame.
But what were the first words, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy…” Man that is what we all would want to hear if Angels started talking to us – don’t be afraid.
Louie Giglio tells a story about a man named Reginald Fessenden. Fessenden was one of the first creators of the AM radio. The first AM radios were used to transmit Morris Code to ships out on the high seas. Fessenden had worked with his radio and supped it up to where he thought he could transmit a voice.
So, on the night of December 24, 1906, Christmas Eve, with no announcement no press conference, no news flash, just a dark, lonely, quiet night Reginald Fessenden read Luke 2 about the Savior being born.
Now imagine that ship’s Captain or maybe the First Mate, the only thing they have ever heard from that radio tap-tap, tap-dash-tap and all of a sudden there was this voice saying “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy….Today…a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
And then, as if Fessenden knew he may have scared some of these old crusty sailors into having a near death experience, he took his violin and played the great ole Christmas Carol – O Holy Night.
“O holy night; The stars are brightly shinning; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth; Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared, and the soul felt His worth; A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and cloudless morn!
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices, O night divine!
O night when Christ was born.” If you find yourself this Christmas with no hope, no peace, no joy and the world is caving in on you let the real Christmas – the person of Jesus Christ – change your life. It then will be the best Christmas ever.
