Hard to Ignore
We all respond differently to Christmas. Sometimes it brings joy, other times it brings stress. Maybe you rejoice - or maybe you reject.
No matter how you respond to Christmas, the birth of Jesus is hard to ignore.
Simeon & Anna
Invited even though rejected.
Herod & Joseph
What would you do if you came home and found a baby left on your doorstep? Whatever your response, you probably couldn’t just ignore it. The same is true for Jesus. When we look at his claims and calls, we can reject or receive him, but there’s not much room for pretending like he’s not there. Although his presence might feel threatening to things we’ve come to value, Jesus didn’t come to take away what is valuable. He came to give us something better than what we’ve settled for.
The Shepherds
The Angels announcement to the shepherds that a Savior had been born was pretty hard to ignore. So is the mercy and peace that God brings to you today.
The Magi
A lot of us have a picture in our minds of the KIND of person that God would be drawn to. For some of you, that picture looks…well…like you. You know that you need forgiveness and grace, but probably not as much as THAT guy. OR, it looks NOTHING like you. You think you don’t have a chance with God. I have good news: You’re both wrong. Today, in “Hard to Ignore”, we are going to take a look at how Jesus defies everyone’s expectations in the story of the Magi. God chooses the most unlikely people - and that’s good news.