Ah, the antics and wisdom of Clark Griswold from the movie Christmas Vacation. You know, the guy who took his family on an epic Christmas tree search into the far reaches of the wilderness and forgot to bring a saw. The one who stapled his own shirt to his house while hanging Christmas lights, causing him to fall off a ladder. “Twenty thousand imported Italian Twinkle Lights!” “Fixed the Newel Post!” “I give you the Griswold family Christmas Tree!” Yes, the guy who wrote a check to a pool company to install a swimming pool, when he had not yet received his Christmas bonus. Yeah… that Clark Griswold.
As the movie draws to a close all of the bad things that happened to Clark in the movie are behind him as he stands in his front yard with family, friends and the police SWAT team as little Ruby asks what that light is up in the sky. “That is the Christmas star and that’s all that matters tonight,” Clark says, “Not bonuses, gifts, turkeys or trees… You see kids, it means something different to everybody — and now I know what it means to me.” And then, everybody hugs and sings The Star Spangled Banner. And poor Clark Griswold could not be more wrong about the Christmas Star.
The Christmas star means one thing… and one thing only — The King of Kings had been born! God had entered the world as a baby and the heavens rejoiced! A worship service in Heaven spilled over into our dimension and was witnessed by amazed shepherds as they watched thousands of angels sing. Another angel shouted the news of the birth of the Savior. A star burst alight in the sky in honor of the King of Kings who no longer sat upon a throne, but instead, lay in manager. The Christmas Star was the pronouncement that heralded the King had arrived! The Christmas Star… that guided the Magi to Jesus so that they could worship the King of the Jews.
And the world would never be the same… our lives would never be the same. The mission from Heaven of Jesus — The Lord Saves — had been launched — and the repercussions radiated out and into Eternity itself. Salvation had arrived! The Christmas Star was the ultimate gender reveal! “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
It’s only fitting that a new star would announce the arrival of someone with that kind of names. Yes, the Christmas Star adds yet another layer of awe to that first Christmas night.
As the Christmas season begins this year, may the Christmas Star remind you of the love of God that would compel him to arrive as a helpless baby in a common stable. May you have moments of awe this season as you ponder the greatest journey ever taken — the one from the throne room of Heaven to a manger in Bethlehem.
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