In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room. —Luke 2:1-7

Advent celebrates the coming of Christ in three ways:

1. Christ coming in human
   Reveal Answer
   at his birth in Bethlehem
2. Christ coming to the
   Reveal Answer
   of his followers
3. Christ coming in
   Reveal Answer
   to set all things right

Advent is a time to

for the coming of Christ.

The first Sunday of Advent reminds us that the

is coming to drown out the darkness.

Meet the Herdmans

“The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s old broken-down toolhouse.” —Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Herdman children were feared and

by the entire town.

When asked his favorite thing about Sunday School, one boy said, “There aren’t any

here.”

The town is

when the Herdman children decide to participate in the church Christmas pageant.

As far as the church people were concerned, the Herdmans did not

to be part of the pageant.

The Holy Family

The Gospel of Luke begins with by introducing the reader to a

. (Luke 1:5-7)

Luke tells us the

details of the time of Jesus’ birth. (Luke 2:1-2)

From the beginning, we see that things are

as they should be. (Luke 2:3-5)

Joseph and Mary lacked the connections and wealth to secure a birthplace more suitable than a

. (Luke 2:6-7)

The heroes of the first chapters of Luke are an

couple with no children and a

Reveal Answer

, unwed couple expecting a child, all members of an oppressed and

Reveal Answer

people.

Jesus did not come to reassure people who had it all together, he came to save the

. (Luke 5:31-32)

“God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Seeing Ourselves in the Herdmans

What differentiates the Herdmans from other families is their inability to

their brokenness.

We become experts at denying and disguising our brokenness to others and even

.

Our need to appear as people of status and means is an obstacle to receiving

.

We cannot understand Christmas if we fail to acknowledge our

for a Savior.

We have to acknowledge our

if we are to experience the healing Jesus brings.

“Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God alone be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Jesus not only accepts us in our lowliness, he became lowly

to be with us. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus longs to enter our brokenness,

it, and shine his light through it.

Action Steps

Ask God to show you the

places in your life where you need healing, and

Reveal Answer

Jesus into those places.

Open your heart to

others in their brokenness.

Let go of your need to create the

Christmas.

My additional notes:

.