"Come and See" (Christmas Eve)

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

The gospels have a very interesting mix of calls to follow Jesus. In Matthew 11:28, we read “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”, but then in Matthew 19:14, he tells his disciples, in no uncertain terms, to stop pushing the children away, and let them come to him. In Matthew 4:19, he calls Simon and Andrew to be his disciples with an opportunity - “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And when he meets Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), he abruptly told him come down out of the tree, because he was going to stay at his house.
Sometime Jesus was gentle in his call, and other times he was quite blunt. But he was the most direct when he was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees who should have already known been ready to welcome him, but instead, stood in direct and solid opposition to his teaching.

But as we read though the gospels, and notice those times when the masses were called to Jesus’ side, it was almost always as either an announcement or an invitation. When Philip told Nathaniel about the Lord, his final words were “Come and see.” (John 1:43-51) When the Samaritan woman told her neighbors about Jesus, she invited them with “Come and See.” (John 4:1-42)

When the angel Gabriel revealed God’s great plan to Mary, it was in a rather decisive way, but even at that, when the Virgin questioned how this could possibly happen, the angel gently revealed even more of God’s ways to her. Through it all, gentleness and compassion prevailed for this young girl.
And how were the shepherds told of the birth of Christ? When these poor ragged men just about passed out from fright, the angel comforted them, reassured them, and only then told them of the great news of Christ’s birth. But they were only told that a Savior had come in a very human way, and little else.
All praise and glory aside, they weren’t even invited to come and see! And yet, they did.

What is there about this story of Christmas that intrigues some, but never even comes close to touching others? Those who do finally come to believe, rightfully see the Birth of Christ as God’s offer of salvation, and not as a demand on his part We are invited to “come and see”, and never to commit in blind faith. In Matthew 28:16-20, in the passage we know as the Great Commission, the first call - to “make disciples” - doesn’t mean that we are to bring others, kicking and screaming, to salvation in Christ, but only to invite them to “come and see” and discover for themselves. The second part – that of baptism in the name of the Triune God – is about making a commitment, and it is only then that the third part – the teaching and learning what Christ is all about – occurs.

It all sounds so simple and straight forward, doesn’t it? So why do so many refuse to invite others to come to the Christ’s stable? Out of fear of rejection? That’s probably the biggest one, but I suspect that everyone has their own reason for hesitation, but in general, we all have been given the opportunity to choose between sharing Jesus with the ways of earth, and looking the other way. But still, many will choose the things of earth over the ways of heaven, and it just might be because of the way they hear about Jesus.
Have you ever known someone who got right in your face and told you that “If you don’t get right with Jesus, you’re going to hell!” While it may be true, who’s going to respond to an invitation like that? Even the question “How is your soul?” already implies that it isn’t in such a great state, and that other person is about to tell you just how bad it really is!

What approach did Philip use when he told Nathaniel about Jesus? He related his own personal experience with the Lord, and offered an invitation to his friend to experience Christ for himself.
What did the Samaritan woman say to her neighbors? She told them of her own encounter with Messiah, and invited them to come and see, and make up their own minds.
How did the man who was plagued by a “legion of demons” respond to his healing? He wanted to go with the Lord, but he was told to remain where he was, and to tell others about what the Christ had done for him. And he did – no indication that he berated the town people – just that he related his encounter with Jesus, and the people were amazed! (Mark 5:1-20)
And what about the shepherds? How did they respond to the angel’s unspoken invitation? They went to see for themselves, and then left to tell everyone they could about Messiah’s arrival, and when they had finished that, they returned to the stable to praise the Lord even more.

Have you noticed that, with the exception of Philip, these people were all, for lack of a better word, outcasts?
The woman was a Samaritan – a half Jew condemned by Jewish law – and had come to Jacob’s well in the middle of the day – the hottest and most uncomfortable time – so she could avoid the stares and gossip of others.
The demoniac – a gentile - was not only hated by the town’s people, but he was feared for the great strength and violence that had become a way of life for him.
And back to the shepherds – they were Jews, but because they were always covered in filth and blood and odor from caring for their sheep, they were considered unclean and unworthy. They weren’t even allowed into the temple to worship.

And yet, each and every one was called, either outwardly or by an inward spirit, to share their witness of what Almighty God had done for them. And the people who heard their testimony were amazed, not at just the story, but at how the Lord had reached out to, and blessed, even the most unworthy of all the nations.

And only the shepherds, as well as those they told, came to know the Lord at Christmas. Everyone else “came and saw” at other times. So it would seem that Christmas is not the only time for us to acknowledge and worship the Anointed One of God.

Christmas is not a “one day a year” experience, any more than Advent – our time of preparation for this celebration – is limited to one month before the holiday. Christmas must be a year round experience for us; Advent, our preparation for a life in Christ, must also be a lifelong event. And of course, I’m not referring to the secular version of this holiday season! Our life’s advent must be immersed in study and prayer and worship, and our 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of Christmas involves sharing our testimony of what Almighty God has done for us through our encounters with Jesus, and in the way we live our God-centered life.

But will everyone listen? Will everyone respond in the way we want them to? Of course not – just read the book of Acts, and you will see that the opposite is true. Some would believe, but most would not. Over and over again, we see Christ’s followers being abused and persecuted and ridiculed. Many would even lose their lives because of the hatred that others had against God’s message of hope and life. And the opposition continues today. But is that any reason to stop spreading the message of the glory that came to earth so long ago?

The message for all who claim the name of Christian must be one of invitation – that this is what God has done for me by faith in Jesus, so “come and discover” for yourself what the Lord wants to do for you. And standing silently by is not an option that has ever been presented to us. Remember the words uttered against the church in Laodicea – that they were only lukewarm in their faith, and God was about to “spit them out” of his mouth. (Revelation 3:14-22)

We can never be content in our faith; never be satisfied that we are completely right with God; never be convinced that just attending worship on Sunday is sufficient; never certain that some else will carry the message, so we don’t have to! We must always be striving to find new ways to celebrate Christmas by letting others know that they don’t have to take our testimony as the final proof of Jesus – that they can “come and see” for themselves, and that this will be all the evidence that they will ever need.

Will you come and see what the Lord wants to do for you?