Who Did You Play In the Christmas Pageant?

At This time of year some people will see a Christmas pageant, whether it be put on in a small church by children clothed in bed sheets or by a grand production in Branson, MO with a full budget for props and live animals, the characters remain the same.

However, even though you may have never ever been in a Christmas pageant you do have a role in it too.  

So Who are you? 

What character do you play?

Lets do a character study and see.

The Angels

 

In Hebrews 1:14 scripture says they are ministering spirits.  They are also God's Messengers and proclaimers of good news, They hear a word and bring it to people.  

Mary

Mary was a young lady in her teenage years. 

She was highly favored by God.

Mary was a Receiver of the word of life which was to be her son Jesus.  It was an Angel who came to Mary (Luke 1:28) and she received the promise. 

She was a Worshiper of God, Her Soul magnified the Lord (Luke 1:46)

 

Being not yet married and pregnant I am sure she had to be an over comer of fear. Fear of not only what Joseph and her parents would think, but what others might think as well.  

Joseph 

Must have really loved Mary, because after finding out she was pregnant, had the grace to take her away  and not make a public example of her (Matthew 1:19)

Since they were still under the old covenant Law, he had every right to do this 

(Deuteronomy  24:1).  But he didn't want to shame her.

I am thinking Joseph went to bed possibly doubting what Mary had told him, He needed to be comforted.  Once Again we can find an Angel to bring him a message of comfort.

 Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

 (Matthew 1:20-21)

 The Wise Men

They were highly educated and well to do people maybe even in the loop of royalty.  The wise men assumed the new King was born in Herod's house, so they went to  Herod's house to worship him. Later the Wise men Divinely learn that this is not where the new King was born. They then departed from Herods to continue to follow the star to the true destination of the infant King.

The Shepherds

These were the working class, like the blue collar workers of our day

Outwardly mundane but inwardly Heroic.   Often over looked.

They were responsible for watching out for enemies defending and protecting the sheep, healing the wounded sheep and finding and saving the lost sheep.  In Luke 2:8 the Shepherds were keeping watch over their flock when an angel came to them

  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  (Luke 2:10-12)

What is cool about the shepherds and the wise men is that they are 2 different ends of the spectrum in society

however In proverbs 22:2 it says

The rich and the poor have this in common,

The Lord is the maker of them all.

They were both seeking the new King.

 

The Taxed out and Maxed out

Lastly We have the taxed out and the maxed out.

These are all of the people that were descending upon Bethlehem to be  counted for the Mandatory Roman census and to pay taxes. These people being So stressed out that they probably didn't even notice the unusual star in the sky. 

I think  there are tons of taxed out and maxed people in our society today.  Too busy to even notice what the true Christmas season is even about.

What Character do you Identify with the most?

Are You an Angel?

Are you Mary?  Maybe need to over come fear?

Are You Joseph?  who needs to be comforted?

Are you a Wise Man trying to find God but have looked in wrong places?

Are You a Shepard?  Hard working and tending to the flock (family) and feel you are over looked from God's promises?

Are you the Taxed out and Maxed out?  So busy engulfed in things of the world that you forgot or don't know about God's Promises?

 BUT WAIT!! 

there is one more character

JESUS

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

2 Corinthians 1:20 

in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Romans 8:37

this was taken from a teaching at my church, if you would like to hear that actual sermon I will get you a copy.
Merry Christmas!