The Cost of Christmas
Truth For Today • Sermon • Submitted
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It’s December again, and you know what that means...it’s time to deck the halls with boughs of holly and decorate the Christmas tree! It’s time to sing lots of Christmas carols and wear ugly Christmas sweaters, and it’s time to buy gifts, wrapping paper, and food for Christmas gatherings with loved ones. These are all ways that people celebrate the season.
Christmas is a time filled with tradition—so much tradition that it can be exhausting! Perhaps some parents wish there were a real Santa Claus, so that he could do all the choosing and wrapping and delivering the Christmas gifts for the kids!
For most people, Christmas is a joyous time, but it is also a challenging time. It is challenging because it is a busy time, which can be stressful and exhausting. It is challenging because at least around here in the winter, a lot of sicknesses can make the rounds. It can be challenging to spend time with all the people we desire to see, and last but not least, it can be challenging financially to buy everything that we hope to have in the celebration of the holiday. Christmas can be very expensive, and consumer spending reports in the USA reflect that. As people plan ahead for Christmas, they may be reminded of its cost…the cost of Christmas.
That’s what I want to talk to you about today: the cost of Christmas. No, I’m not giving financial advice or gift-buying tips. And I’m not talking about Christmas as it is celebrated so often in modern times with Santa Claus and holiday parties. I’m talking about celebrating and commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, which took place about 2,000 years ago. Christ being born into this world came at a cost…and all those that allow Him into their life pay a cost as well. This is the real Cost of Christmas. Stay tuned.
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Good morning, and welcome to Truth for Today, a weekly radio ministry of Bible Baptist Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. My name is Ethan Custer, and I serve as the assistant under Pastor Mike Custer, the regular host of this broadcast. We at Bible Baptist Church desire to be a spiritual help to you in any way that we can. Our church building is located at 6367 Gateway Drive, on the west edge of Grand Forks. We meet several times each week to worship God, and our highest desire in life is to obey and please the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. Our source of truth and guide for life is the Authorized King James Bible, the Word of God in the English language. In the Scriptures, God offers solutions for every one of life’s problems! If we can help you in any way, please let us know. We would appreciate that opportunity. I’ll be giving our contact information at the end of the broadcast, so I hope you’ll stick with me.
As I said a few moments ago, the birth of Jesus Christ into the world came with a cost. I want us to consider the cost that was paid back then, and consider the cost of it yet today.
First, the Bible is clear that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, paid a price to come to earth as a baby. As God, Jesus Christ enjoys all the benefits of being King over the universe! Scripture describes His power and majesty.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Psa 99:1-3 “The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion; And he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; For it is holy.”
Psa 99:9 — “Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at his holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.”
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
The whole earth is full of his glory.
When we compare the exalted majesty of God and His heavenly throne room to the dismal conditions on earth, we ought to be amazed and humbled that God would leave all that to come here! And when we remember the conditions in which Christ came, we should be even more grateful.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Beth-lehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Christ wasn’t born when Israel was the world power, and at the height of its glory during King Solomon’s reign. He wasn’t even born when Joshua was leading the conquest of Canaan. Christ was born when Israel was being crushed under the thumb of the Roman Empire. The fiercely nationalistic Jews resented the Roman domination, and it made life hard for them. Into this politically dangerous and likely poverty-stricken time, Jesus Christ the King of kings was born to an unknown, yet unmarried Jewish woman named Mary. This was quite a price for Christ to pay!
Not only that, but the life that the Lord Jesus Christ led on earth was full of hardship and grief.
Isa 53:1-11 says, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities.”
This was a high price for Jesus Christ to pay! He came for the specific purpose of dying for the sins of all mankind, including yours and mine. This was His focus.
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Jesus Christ paid a heavy price! As we consider these things as a backdrop to His birth, we begin to see the true cost of Christmas.
1 Timothy 1:15 says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...”
But Jesus Christ wasn’t the only person who paid a price at the first Christmas. Mary and Joseph both did as well.
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
We praise the kind of woman that Mary was, and we think well of her. And rightly so—she was a Godly young woman! But while being the virgin mother of Jesus Christ was a high honor and great privilege, it was not an easy burden to bear. The virgin birth of Christ is the only one that has ever happened; who would believe Mary’s story that she had not been immoral before marriage? People who had thought well of her would be disappointed, even shocked and appalled. They would avoid her; she would experience public shame and reproach. She would be seen as a fornicator…and all of it would be unjust, because all she had done was be so faithful to God, that He had chosen her for this important job! Her dreams of a happy, inconspicuous life with Joseph, raising their family, were dashed to pieces. Imagine the cost she had to pay for Christ to come!
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Joseph was a Godly man as well, and he was doubtless shocked and grieved to learn that Mary was expecting a child. He loved her, and thought she would be faithful to him! He knew he had not sinned, and was wondering how he should break their betrothal without making a public example of her and shame her even more. I imagine he was eager to show that he had not been guilty of fornication, like she apparently was.
But then the angel appeared to him in a dream, and told him that Mary had not been unfaithful, and that she was with child by the power of the Holy Ghost! The birth of this child had been foretold centuries before, and he is the Son of God!
I imagine Joseph experiencing a whirlwind of thoughts. He must have been thrilled that Mary was not in sin, and astounded that she had been chosen for this important role. He may have felt privileged, humbled, and blessed to be given the opportunity to provide for this blessed child that she would bear. He was probably excited to think about what this child would do as He grew up into adulthood. What mighty works would God accomplish?
But at some point, Joseph began to see the cost that he would have to pay as well. Who would believe that he had seen an angel? Others would probably see this as a convenient excuse to explain away Mary’s pregnancy! If he married her, people would assume that the child was his, and he was just as guilty as she was; he was just being honorable in marrying the mother of his child. No one would believe their story. They would have this stigma on their lives for a long time. And indeed that was the case.
John 8:39-41 says, “They [the Jews] answered [Christ] and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
Even after Jesus had begun His earthly ministry, the suspicions over his conception were thrown back in His face. Joseph and Mary undoubtedly heard these things as well. They were being shamed unjustly. Christmas came at a high cost to them!
Mary’s hardship and pain didn’t end with the stain on her reputation. As John 19 reveals, Mary was also present to see the cruel and violent beating and execution of Christ at His crucifixion. Was it a rare and blessed privilege to be chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus? Yes it was. Did it come at a high price? Yes it did.
Today, in 2022, we are approximately 2,000 years removed from the birth of Christ. None of us have met Mary or Joseph; none of us have known any virgins who gave birth. But though we are many years distant from the birth of Christ, the cost associated with Christmas may still apply to us today. Let me explain what I mean.
Jesus made it very clear what His purpose was on the earth. In replying to Pilate’s question if He were a king, Jesus said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Jesus came to preach the truth, so that all may know it.
What truth was this that Christ preached? We find an example in Mark 1:14-15, which says, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Christ came to preach the Gospel, and He came to die and carry out the Gospel. The Gospel is the blessed truth of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. He died for the sins of all sinners, He was buried for 3 days and 3 nights, and He rose again from the dead, defeating death and securing eternal life for all who will repent and believe the Gospel. He is the only one who can save you and give you a home in Heaven. He is the only one who can rescue you from eternal damnation. He is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! That is why He came. That is why we celebrate Christmas, the miraculous birth that started it all. So how does Christmas still carry a cost?
After Jesus was born, King Herod heard from the wise men that the King of the Jews had been born, and he attempted to kill the young Christ by having all the children of that age massacred. Matthew chapter 2 tells us this. When Christ began His earthly ministry, we find that the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and more, were constantly dogging his steps, trying to sabotage His efforts and find a way to discredit Him. Eventually, they carried out a plan to have Him killed.
In the decades following Christ’s death, we find the first century Christians being under near-constant persecution from the religious and heathen alike. Christians were threatened, beaten, and killed. Since that time, this persecution has continued in these and many other forms around the world. It continues yet today, and is growing worse. Why does this happen? Because sinners and the devil do not like the truth; they do not like Jesus Christ. Sinners do not want to hear that they are condemned, and that all their good works “are as filthy rags,” as the prophet Isaiah tells us. Sinners do not like to be told that they are under judgment, and that only Christ can rescue them from God’s wrath. Following Christ comes with a cost: that cost is the shame and ridicule and opposition of an ungodly world.
Dear listener, are you a true follower of Christ? I’m not asking if you’ve heard of Him. I’m not asking if you’ve prayed to Him. I’m asking if you’ve been rescued and redeemed by Him. Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Saviour? Has the Lamb of God taken away your sin? If so, when did that happen? Many people believe that church membership means they are going to Heaven. Many people give money to church, or read their Bible, or help others, all as a means of earning God’s grace. But God’s grace is a gift; it cannot be earned. Salvation is a gift; it cannot be purchased. If you are trusting in what YOU have done to earn Heaven, then you are not going there, my friend. Sinners go to Heaven only because the precious blood of Christ has been applied to their account, washing away their sins. And that only happens when, as Christ preached, a person repents of their sin, and believes the Gospel.
There’s a cost to this. Many people don’t want to come to Christ, because they don’t want to give up their religion. Many families are established in religion together, but they don’t know Christ. When one of them discovers that the real source of eternal life is Christ, they realize that in order to be saved, they will need to reject what their religion teaches. They see that their rejection of that religion will offend their loved ones.
Jesus told us this would happen. He says this in Matthew 10:34-39:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Jesus didn’t come to create a harmonious, peaceful earthly atmosphere. Sin doesn’t allow that to exist! He came to bring peace with God to the human heart. When a person repents of their sin and believes the Gospel, it brings peace with God, and it also brings conflict with lost sinners around them. There is a cost associated with following Christ! Have you experienced this cost? If you’re not saved yet, are you willing to pay this cost? As Jesus said, if you’re not willing to pay the cost, you can’t be saved.
The message I’m preaching this morning can sometimes be seen as confusing, because there are many people in the world who use Christ’s name and who talk about salvation as if they have it. There are many “Christian” denominations out there. And in a similar way, perhaps my title of, “The Cost of Christmas,” isn’t quite accurate. Anyone can go through the motions of celebrating the holiday of Christmas. Anyone can say, “Merry Christmas,” decorate a Christmas tree, and give gifts. But just because you go through the motions of celebration doesn’t mean it reaches your heart.
In a similar way, there are millions of people on this earth who give lip service to Jesus Christ. They say they know Him, they say they serve Him, and they say that they are going to Heaven. But they have never paid the price of knowing Christ. Their religion is superficial. They don’t know Christ in their hearts. He has not transformed their lives. They have never repented and believed the Gospel; they do not have eternal life.
It’s one thing to celebrate the holiday of Christmas, and think about Jesus as a newborn baby. It is yet another thing to bow your knee to Him, to trust in Him as your Saviour, and to worship Him as your Lord. When you do that, you will enjoy blessings you cannot imagine! But you will also see there is a cost attached to it. It is the cost of Christ.
Don’t misunderstand me: knowing Christ is the greatest blessing you could ever have, here in this life, and in the life to come! But you cannot follow Christ and be a friend of the world. If you choose Christ, there will be a cost.
The real cost of Christmas isn’t in gifts or holiday celebrations. It is in a daily walk with God Himself, learning of Him and living like Him. It is the greatest blessing we may enjoy…and it is attached to sacrifices, both small and great. But just as the temporary financial sacrifice for Christmas gifts can bring the lasting joy of wonderful times spent with loved ones, the temporary cost of following Christ will bring the eternal reward of living in Heaven with Him!
No matter what price we pay to live for Christ, let us remember that He paid more to give us the gift of salvation!
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Is Christmas more than just a holiday to you? Do you know Christ personally? When were you saved? If you haven’t been saved, you may be…even today.
If you have any questions about this broadcast or about other truths from the Bible, we at Bible Baptist Church would be glad to visit with you! You may contact us in a number of ways. First, you may contact me via email by writing to truthfortoday@bbcgf.org. You may also find our website at www.bbcgf.org. Bible Baptist Church is located at 6367 Gateway Drive in Grand Forks, and we have regular Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening services. You are welcome to attend any of them. If you would rather watch the livestream of our services, or if you would like to watch archives of past services, you may find them on our website as well.
Thank you for listening today! Please tune in again next week at this same time for more truth from God’s Word, on Truth for Today.