Dear Christian friends:

We are again making many preparations for Christmas and looking ahead to December 25th. But some people are not eager to see Christmas come anymore. Things have changed for them in their home and life. They will be alone on Christmas - No wife or husband, no children to celebrate with them. Maybe they are sick in a hospital or alone in an old people's home. These people have given up hope for a happy Christmas. Life with all its many sorrows and problems has defeated them.

If you were alone on Christmas with no family and no fine celebration, how would you feel? Would you feel no hope and defeat? Perhaps. Surely we all would be tempted to feel sad and bitter.

But really we should not feel that way. But we often do. Why? Because we establish and build our happiness on earthly things: food, presents, family gatherings, parties, and fail to establish and build our happiness on Jesus.

Our text today reminds us about that and shows us that

In our text God is talking about a house, His House, the temple at Jerusalem. King Solomon first built the temple in 900 B.C. About 586 B.C. the King of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the beautiful temple and took most of the Jewish people to Babylon to work as slaves. Years later when King Darius the 1st of Syria conquered Babylon he let many of the Jews free to return to their homes in Israel.

So they returned to their home country and began to build their homes and also the temple, God's House. But when they finished the foundation of the temple they quit working on it and spent all their time building their homes and earning a living. They said, "the time is not now that the Lord's house should be built. Maybe later after we first finish our homes and get more money, then, we can build God's House." But God was displeased with them and sent Haggai the prophet to warn them and urge them to build the House now, and not make excuses. He said, "God is not blessing your farms and work now, no rain, and you have much sickness, because you left building His House."

So all the people were sorry and God's Spirit came to them and they worked hard on God's House to finish it. But when it was finished it was not very beautiful like the first temple which Solomon built 300 years before. The old people those about 80 or 90 who saw the first House before it was destroyed cried when they saw the second House. They said it was as nothing compared to the first temple.

But God didn't want them to cry about the building and love it so much. He wanted them to rather love His Word and look forward to the coming of Jesus their Savior. God wanted them to understand that His Kingdom is not political Israel. God does not live in temples made of stone and wood, but He lives in our hearts. So God had Haggai tell the people the words of our text: "I will shake all nations, and the treasures of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."

When did God shake all nations? When did the treasures of all nations come to Him? When did He fill His House with glory? When Jesus was born in Bethlehem wise men came from other nations bringing their treasures to Him. Many nations still bring their treasures to Jesus to God's House. In almost every nation on earth millions of people worship Jesus and bring their gifts to Him. God's House is not the temple in Jerusalem that's why He let it be destroyed. God's House really means His Kingdom, His Church the union of all believers all over the world.

So the Jews of Haggai's time felt beat and cried about a building. They failed to see the real glory of God, Jesus Christ our Savior. So often you and I also feel tried and sad and cry about earthly things: money, buildings, toys, presents, Christmas trees and foods. Why? We fail to see God's real glory, Jesus our Savior. So I tell you today: don't think so much about trees and toys and food for Christmas. If you do, one year you will wake up with no tree, no toys, no turkey or ham, no family to celebrate with you, and you will cry and say, "This Christmas is as nothing compared to ten years ago."

But if you celebrate Christmas right as God wishes you to celebrate it. Then you will think about your sins and confess them and forsake them. You will think about Mary and Joseph and the angels and the shepherds and what the angel said to the shepherds about baby Jesus. "Fear not, behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

If you think about these things and prepare to go to Church on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day and with great joy worship and praise Him and bring Him a large gift of money, then you will never say, "This Christmas is not as good as past ones when I was young and could eat and drink and enjoy life." I am a little older and a little wiser about Jesus my Savior. I am one year nearer to the time when I can go to heaven and see Him in person and look upon His full glory. There I will have Christmas celebrations forever.

Yes, when Jesus comes into your heart you have forgiveness of sins and wonderful victory. Then nothing can make you sad, nothing can conquer you and your happy spirit: not loss of husband or wife; not loss of father or mother not loss of health. Not even sickness or death. Yes, if you should die on Christmas Day that would be your best Christmas of all.

Amen