Thomas Nelson - On This Holy Night: The Heart of Christmas

2013 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible. 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from The King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked AMP from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE: OLD TESTAMENT 1962, 1964 by Zondervan (used by permission); and from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT. 1958 by the Lockman Foundation (used by permission).

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are from New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Josephs Prayer is taken from He Still Moves Stones, 1993 by Max Lucado. Used by permission.

images on pages xii1, 2425, 4041, 5253, 7071, 9293 Larissa Kulik / Shutterstock.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-2345-6

Printed in China

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CONTENTS

JOHN MAXWELL

BILL HYBELS

MAX LUCADO

DAVID JEREMIAH

RICK WARREN

JACK HAYFORD

C hristmas, for most of us, is a time of festive celebration. It is an occasion for renewing precious friendships. It is an opportunity to reminisce about days gone by. Its a great excuse to eat too much, sing too loudly, and spend more money than we should. Christmas can stir up intense and complex feelingsboth pleasurable and painfulthat sometimes take us by surprise. And for Christians, Christmas is a time of awe and reverence and wonder, when the timeless story of Christs birth is once again read from the Gospels for all the world to hear.

Some of the most cherished Christmas joys are found in family traditions that link one year to another with the harmony of favorite carols, the sparkle of familiar ornaments, and the time-honored rites of gift giving. Year after year, decade after decade, we delight in seeing the same front-yard holiday decorations on the same neighborhood streets. We are thrilled at the reappearance of well-worn downtown Christmas lights and garlands. We are cheered when the church sets up its venerable nativity scene, angels, shepherds, wise men, and all.

But the very familiarity of Christmas sometimes causes us to overlook the most vital expressions of what should be a meaningful season. We have listened to the words of the great Christmas hymns so many times since childhood that we sometimes fail to appreciate their eloquent poetry. We have heard a hundred times about Mary and Josephs long, weary trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem, but we havent always stopped to remember just exactly how and why it happened. Weve almost memorized the Bible story, weve sung the carols, weve hung the holly, and weve roasted the turkey. When it comes to Christmas, weve done it all.

And yet, somewhere along the way, we may have lost touch with what happened on that holy night, the heart of Christmas itself.

With that in mind, this unique and priceless collection has been titled On This Holy Night: The Heart of Christmas in hopes that, through its message, we can once again feel the pulse and experience the energy of a miraculous story that transfuses new life into all who will truly listen. In the pages that follow, six of Americas most beloved communicators share their favorite Christmas messages. Their words gently remind us of the beautiful, the inspirational, and the profoundly spiritual facets of Christmas we may have begun to overlook. They offer life lessons we may have forgotten. They provide us with priceless faith perspectives that are sometimes eclipsed by the gleam and glitter of earthbound gifts.

Each of these authors offers a wealth of insight, a penetrating understanding of Gods Word, and an extra measure of storytelling skill.

John Maxwell asks a question that carries us far beyond the manger and the distant hills of Palestine and leads us all the way back to our own little corner of the world: What do you do when you follow a star and find a stable? Yes, it happens to everybody once in a while. And as we ponder, we find inspiration, for there are some very wise and wonderful ways to deal with the stables in our lives. This is a message for those of us whose dreamsperhaps even Christmas dreamshave not been fulfilled, at least not in the ways wed hoped.

Bill Hybels takes us on a tour of our local nativity scene and encourages us to look with new vision upon the familiar elements there. He suggests that we lift our eyes heavenward to the star, that we take an extra moment to gaze at the stable, and that we allow God to speak to us as we peer into the manger. In the all too familiar surroundings of the Christmas scene, we come to a renewed understanding of Gods grace, and our hearts are touched with gratitude.

Max Lucado helps us to reflect upon the life of Jesus adoptive father, and he invites us to walk alongside Joseph through the fields near Bethlehem. As we join the expectant father pacing beneath the stars as he awaits the imminent birth in the nearby stable, we share the thoughts and questions Joseph must have had as he found himself an eyewitness to the Messiahs miraculous arrival. Yes, Joseph wanted to be a father, but he certainly never imagined his baby being born quite like this!

David Jeremiah explores the significance of names in general and of the Christmas babys name in particular. He discusses the Hebrew and prophetic meanings of salvation and considers why God chose to call His only begotten Son Jesus. As we read, we recall the many reasons we treasure the name of Jesus above all other names.

Rick Warren tells us about the three greatest gifts Christmas can offer, no matter where we celebrate, whom we share the season with, or how we choose to remember the coming of Gods Son into the world. Youve celebrated every Christmas for as many years as you are old, he points out. You know the songs and the stories, and you know what its all about, but youve never unwrapped the gift.

Finally, in his expressive, warmhearted style, Jack Hayford reconsiders Mary, Jesus mother, and the remarkable role she played in Gods plan of redemption. We are led along with her through her astonishing encounter with the angel, through her months of preparation for childbirth, and through her growing awareness of Gods unprecedented blessing on her young life. As we read, we consider anew the tremendous faith and obedience she demonstrated as she became the first to receive Gods gift to the world as her own.