Oak Hill Church of Christ 12-22-24 Message: "Here's Your Sign"

Oak Hill Church of Christ preaching minister, Randy Sterling, delivers a message on the journey to Jesus that every Christian must take.

Traveling adventure stories are a common one. From Indiana Jones to Home Alone, the theme of "somebody needs to get somewhere" is a story that everyone understands. We all have somewhere we need to get to, and we've all had trouble getting there.

The Gospels laying out the story of the birth of Jesus are no different. Joseph and Mary had to get somewhere, and they had so much trouble getting there, Mary ended up giving birth in a manger. The Shepherds made a journey after seeing the angels. The Wise Men made a journey after visiting Herod, followed by a further journey after being warned by angels to avoid seeing Herod any further.

A story where someone begins a journey and then simply arrives at their destination with no problems is a boring one. It's over quickly and there's not much to relate to. Few of us relate to stories where everything goes according to plan, and no trouble arises. Life is not replete with perfection, it is full of challenges, even if we don't wish for them.

The story of the Christian journey is no different. It is not an easy, straight-line journey from our birth to the footsteps of Jesus. There are twists and turns, pitfalls, setbacks, and delays. We break down on the side of the road, we have to stop and take an unscheduled rest, it's not easy going.

The message of Jesus is that he knows it's not easy. That's why he promised to share the burden with us. The Son of God knows what it's like to face betrayals, unjust punishment, unfair persecution, social shaming, poverty, and long journeys.

Nobody followed the Star to Jesus because it was easy. They followed it because not only did it lead somewhere important, but the journey had value too. The story of your journey to Christ is no different. This Christmas season, don't just follow the Star to Christ, consider how the story of your journey might be worth the telling, and who might benefit from hearing it.