We Need Christmas With Matthew West Sample

1. We Need Christmas

I read a troubling newspaper article titled, “How The Supply Chain Broke, And Why It Won’t Be Fixed Anytime Soon.” Another headline called our world’s crisis an “everything shortage.” From automobiles to groceries, there is no shortage of, well shortages, these days. Burger King even posted a sign on one of its stores saying, “Sorry, no french fries with any order. We have no potatoes.” A fast-food restaurant with no french fries? These truly are unprecedented times! Meanwhile, we are experiencing a massive surplus of one thing: bad news! The abundance of bad news can make us feel like the “everything shortage” extends beyond just material things. 

Hope is hard to see. 

Peace is in short supply. 

Love seems to be at an all-time low. 

Joy seems nowhere to be found. 

That’s why we need Christmas. Christmastime reminds us that while toilet paper and Clorox wipes may occasionally run low on grocery store shelves, God promised an endless supply of life’s real essentials, and He delivered on that promise in the form of a savior born in a manger. I love the words spoken by an angel who appeared to shepherds in Luke chapter 2, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all the people.” The “good news” was the birth of Jesus! The angel then says, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” The angel’s instructions to the shepherds are the same directions we can follow this December. 

Desperate for hope? You will find Him lying in a manger. 

Searching for peace? You will find Him lying in a manger. 

Looking for love? You will find him lying in a manger. 

Experiencing a shortage of joy? You will find Him lying in a manger. 

This December, let’s set aside the surplus of bad news and let our hearts be reminded of the “good news” we have in a Savior. This world needs Christmas because this world needs Jesus. And we will find all that our hearts need “lying in a manger.”