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The Day After

What happens the day after Christmas? All too often it is simply “back to business” – back to life as usual. Cleanup, gift returns, travel back home, catch up on the details of life that were left behind during the Christmas preparations. What happens to the good cheer and the joy of the season? Again all too often they are left behind and we go back to living life and experiencing life as if Christmas never happened. But does it have to be that way? Should it be?

(Luke 2:8-20 NIV) "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 of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ 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, and on earth peace to men 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."

(Luke 17:12-19 NIV) "As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" 14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.""

(Ezekiel 33:31-32 NIV) "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."

(James 1:23-27 NIV) "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

Digging Deeper

1. The day after can sometimes be very difficult for people emotionally as they “wind down” from the holiday. What happened to Elijah the day after his great victory on Mount Carmel? (Read 1 Kings 18:1-19:18). How does God deal with him? What clues are there in this event that could help us “re-enter” life as usual?

2. Lives were changed because of Christmas. Read the following passages and identify who is interacting with the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, and how were their lives changed? (Not just the obvious but what did they learn about God, themselves, others, etc?). Luke 1:5-25 & 1:59-79; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:25-35; Matthew 2:1-12.

3. What difference will Christmas make in your life this year? What have you learned? How will you live differently?