With Thanksgiving now behind us, it’s now the most wonderful time of the year! 

Christmas music everywhere, lights all aglow, girls falling for the wrong guy in so many Hallmark movies, snow soon on its way, and Santa preparing for his big night.  This time of the year, it’s so easy for us to get caught up in the way that the world celebrates Christmas and to lose sight of the true reason for the season; Jesus!

In fact, it’s so easy for us to move on from Thanksgiving and forget to maintain an attitude of gratitude. 

On Thursday, we’re thanking God for what we have and on Friday, we’re running people over with our carts to get stuff that we don’t need just because it’s a great price.

This morning, we’re going to go back to that day when Jesus was born.  I believe that this morning, God desires for us to better understand what makes this season “Merry & Bright.” 

We’ll go more in depth with this next week, but all of the circumstances in which Jesus was born (and even the circumstances by which He was born) were not very merry and bright. 

Jesus, light of the world, was born into darkness.  However, it was for this very reason that He came.  He came to bring hope in the place of hopelessness, joy in the place of despair, praise in the place of heaviness, and of course, light into darkness.

Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Good news that will cause great joy for everyone!  This is what the gospel is.  The gospel is always good news that causes great joy to any willing to accept it.  The gospel itself is unchanging, but changes everything!  The gospel is able to enter any circumstance and bring hope and peace and courage because the gospel is all about Jesus. 

The gospel makes everything Merry & Bright!

In this world where we don’t really know what or who we can trust, we have a great assurance in God and confidence in His word.  His word came in