This year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of the most iconic Christmas movies ever made – “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The movie tells the story of a man who wanted to end it all so badly that he wished he had never been born. After contemplating suicide, the man is saved by a guardian angel named Clarence. The plot continues to show the man what the world would have been like if he had never been born. Besides being a classic Christmas movie, this story shows us that the God who created the universe and continues to sustain it has a purpose and a plan for EVERY human being He created. This season of advent reminds us that EACH one of us has a wonderful life because of the birth of Jesus.
This past Sunday we enjoyed listening to three spontaneous accounts of a “Guardian Angel” protecting someone in our congregation. This was CLEARLY God at work since my sermon centered around the Angels’ participation in the account of Christ’s birth. Most people have a false concept of “Angels” and either don’t believe in them at all or they perceive them as the cute, winged cherubim on top of a Christmas tree. Let me assure you that Angels are very real. The Bible has over 300 references to angels and their most active participation is in the story of Immanuel. While the Christmas story is saturated with the supernatural, some of us miss the meaning because we just skim by this season on a superficial level. I want to suggest that we must see the mysterious and miraculous elements surrounding the birth of Jesus. This is the season of miracles – the fact that Christ was born of a virgin and was all man and all God reveals to us that only the Supernatural can explain our existence and our future lives.
As we enjoy the season of the Miraculous birth of Christ, let us remember that Angels are still among us and still serving as messengers and ministers of the God who created, sustains, and still loves us.
-Pastor Dave Jones