Many of us know the Christmas story well. Perhaps we have heard on many occasions about how Angels appeared bringing their heavenly message. We have thought about the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem that Joseph and Mary had to undertake while Mary was heavily pregnant. We may well have sat in judgement upon the hardness of heart of the inhabitants of Bethlehem as they refused to take in a couple in such obvious need and we maybe have a romanticised view of the scene in the stable. We know too something about Simeon and Anna and of course we know something about the wise men with their visit to Herod in Jerusalem.

But what do we make of it all? Do we actually pay attention to what is recorded for us? And do we allow all of the details to affect our lives in any way?

For a short while this morning I want to consider with you just how some of the participants did pay attention as for a brief while they occupied the centre stage of world history. But sadly, not everyone paid attention and not everyone acted appropriately.

As we look at some of these biblical accounts this morning I wonder which of these different actors we most resemble. Will we be following good or bad examples?

Four Distinct Groups

I want to draw your attention this morning to 4 groups – we could look at more but I will focus upon the following:

1. Shepherds

2. Simeon and Anna

3. Wise Men

4. Chief Priests and Scribes

Shepherds

The story of the shepherds is recounted only by Luke in his gospel. They were about their normal regular business and we have no indication whatsoever that they were spiritual man. (There is a real contrast to be noted when Luke goes on to describe both Simeon and Anna where he makes a point of telling us of their spiritual credentials!)

It would appear that heaven simply burst upon the scene and made known to the shepherds the glorious good news of the coming of the Messiah. They don't seem to have been eagerly looking for anything and yet God in his goodness arranged for them to hear the good news. Isaiah speaking for God had centuries before written:

Is.65:1 "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me."

As soon as the shepherds heard the news they went at once to check it all out. Finding the situation to be just as the Angel had told them they then told others all about it – but we don't read of others acting upon their testimony. It is true that Mary pondered all these things in her heart but apparently the experience of the shepherds did not excite a great deal of attention – after all shepherds are not really very important people.

Simeon and Anna

The next people who appear on the scene were Simeon and Anna and the events in which there are involved took place when Jesus was a little over a month old. Mary and Joseph were concerned to do things according to the law and that meant that Mary could not go to present him in the Temple until 40 days had passed from his birth.

Simeon was regular in his attendance at the Temple and he had the reputation of being a spiritual man, he was righteous and devout. In addition to this he knew the promises concerning the coming Messiah and was eagerly looking for their fulfilment. It had been revealed to him that he would not pass away before he saw this Messiah with his own eyes. He was in the Temple on the day when Mary and Joseph came to present Jesus. The moment his eyes fell upon the child Simeon realised that his wait was over – this baby that he could take in his arms was to be the author of the salvation that God had promised to bring. This was no academic realisation for Simeon – it was the subject of joy and for which he praised God.

The words with which he blessed God are known in the Christian church as the "Nunc Dimittis" and are now well-known 20 centuries later!

It would appear however that no one else paid very much attention to what this spiritual old man had to say.

If the life and testimony of a spiritual old man counted for little it is hardly surprising that the life and testimony of an elderly widow would not be accorded much attention either. And that is just what we find with the case of Anna. And she too was a spiritual woman. Luke records concerning her that she was a prophetess who in her latter years spent all of her time in the Temple engaged in the spiritual activities of worship and fasting. Both Simeon and Anna were regulars in the Temple but their presence was not deemed to be particularly significant by those who occupied places of influence and authority.

Anna too somehow recognised that in this month old baby were focused God's purposes of redemption for the nation. She too was personally responsive and began to give thanks to God. In her thankfulness she spoke to others about the significance of it all. But the number of those who work eagerly awaiting God's deliverance in Jerusalem at that time must have been very small for we read of no outburst of joy in the city – indeed, we don't read of her words having any impact on others at all. And yet… Anna's name lives on in Holy Scripture and 2000 years later on Anna's name is not forgotten and nor is her recognition of Jesus!

The Wise Men

A short time later, the wise men appear on the scene. It is Matthew who tells us their story.

These men had come from the East, perhaps from the region of Babylon, where they would have come into contact with Jewish people and their Scriptures. There in the East, they would have heard of the Jewish expectation of the coming Messiah, a Royal King who would deliver his people from all of their troubles. Indeed there were many passages in the Jewish scriptures that spoke about the coming of this one who would be so special. Listen to this one for example:

Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel;"

Such a verse as this helps us to understand why it was that when they saw a new star in sky that the immediately associated it with the birth of a new king.

To these men to the appearance of this new star is no mere intellectual curiosity rather it was a summons! They set off not merely to find the new king but to worship him and that in a costly way. The journey itself must have been costly – Babylon was more than 500 miles away – and the gifts that they brought with treasures: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

These men had little to go on and yet with what they had they went! They went earnestly and seriously and when they realised that they had reached their goal we are told they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy! As soon as they could, they pressed in and fell down before the baby Jesus and did just what they said they intended to do, they worshipped him! (It is likely that they saw Jesus lying in the arms of his mother Mary the Bible text makes it very clear that they did not worship her only him!)

The Chief Priests and Scribes

When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem they immediately began asking where they could find the newborn King. Word of this spread throughout Jerusalem and got to Herod. This was worrying news for Herod and that meant it was worrying news for the population as a whole!

Herod called together the religious experts and quizzed them concerning the Messiah – he was well aware that promises existed concerning the birth of such a King.

These men had no problem in indicating where the Christ was due to be born, Micah had spoken about it eight centuries before – Bethlehem was the place.

Although the shepherds had spoken to those who would listen to them at Bethlehem about the birth of a new baby and word must have spread somewhat this group of religious leaders were not interested. Perhaps they never heard or perhaps what a bunch of shepherds had to say simply carry no weight with them.

Nor does it appear that events that took place under their own noses in Jerusalem with Simeon and Anna interested them either! We don't read of the leaders doing anything to find out about Messiah's birth. They were not short of information, but there does not to appear to be any enthusiasm amongst them – the knowledge that they had was sterile, leading to nothing in their lives!

Even when the wise men arrive causing such a stir we don't read of any attempt amongst this religious class to look for the Messiah.

In the event, they were so close and yet so very far from him. He had been brought into the very Temple courts over which they exercise their authority and there he had been recognised by a spiritual element in the city but they did not notice him! Now, with the arrival of the three wise men, there is more confirmatory evidence that something special is going on but still there is no movement on their part to find the Messiah. It may well have been dangerous for them to do so given that Herod was such a violent man but there is always a cost to be met if one is to follow Jesus Christ. These religious leaders were more concerned about the opinion of men than with the saviour who could put them right with God.

Conclusion

And which are you most like? Are you prepared to act upon what you have heard concerning the birth of Jesus Christ who came into the world not to condemn but to save?

You might be a bit like the shepherds and you don't really know why all of a sudden you're hearing such things but will you imitate them by acting upon what you of heard? You may be like the wise men – you don't know all there is to know but are you ready and willing to act upon what you do know as they did and so found out more?

I do hope that none of you will be like that religious class that had plenty of head knowledge but nothing in the heart, who knew much but did nothing with the knowledge they had.

Finally, I want to say just a word of encouragement to you who may feel that your testimony to others concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is ineffective. We don't have any evidence that suggests that the testimony of the shepherds for any fruit at all – but, you say, that's hardly surprising they were shepherds after all and you don't see yourself as one of them. After all you've been a Christian for a long time. Well Simeon and Anna were believers too and godly examples at that and yet where was the immediate fruit? Yet in the purposes of God we have accounts of their lives which still speak today – may not our testimony bear fruit in similarly unexpected ways even when we cannot discern any great movement amongst the immediate circle of our friends and family.

Christmas is a wonderful time – it is a time when we can focus especially upon the coming into the world of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ – may we all know what it is to come to him in personal faith and trust.

And to God alone be the glory.

Amen.

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