CHRISTMAS COMMERCIAL -- Devotional for November 27, from "Good Seeds"

The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you Good News of great joy for all people.” And they came in haste to the place they had been told, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen this, the shepherds went back to their place, and made known the statement which had been told them about this Child, continually glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as had been told to them. And all who heard them were amazed and in awe. (Luke 2:10,16-18,20)

Having a good product but not advertising it is like winking at a girl in the dark: you know what you’re doing, but nobody else does! Even though in this modern materialistic world advertisement has gone to seed, there is a commodity that has slipped under the radar screen of contemporary society which could do with a healthy dose of renewed creative exposure. That precious product is the Good News about Jesus Christ. As we approach the Christmas season we witness the unfortunate dichotomy between the desire to celebrate and the denial of the “Reason for the season.” Sadly, believers in Jesus Christ are caught up in the “lovely traditions” and the “crass commercialism” of Christmas right along with the rest of the world. But we are not mere consumers – we have an advertising job to do, for we have a Savior to proclaim! We need not shrink from this task; we need merely to follow the pattern set for us by the shepherds. The Christmas commercial started with the facts, as proclaimed to men by messengers from heaven: the Savior of the world has landed; the Son of God is now Emmanuel – God with us. But like any good commercial, though a clear explanation of the facts is necessary, it is not enough. The shepherds weren’t satisfied just to hear – they, like old Doubting Thomas, had to see for themselves “if these things be true.” The best advertising comes not from paid professionals, but from satisfied customers. When the shepherds saw the Bethlehem scene, exactly as described by the angel, they were convinced and ready to communicate. Passive hearers then became active eye-witnesses...and enthusiastic proclaimers! Just like those shepherds of old, when we come to know Christ for who He really is, we will never be the same. And when we make our way from the manger to the marketplace –- back to family and neighborhood and job –- we will “go into all our world and preach the gospel” – tell the story (Mark 16:15) – sometimes shouting it from the rooftops, but usually just whispering it to dear hearts, one at a time. And we will be heard, for we’ve been there! It was not the miracle proclamation of angels that convinced the crowds, but the song in the hearts – and the glow on the faces – of those who had just seen Jesus!