Why is Christmas so important to us?

Introduction

We are very encouraged to see our young people put so much time and effort into telling this story.

Thank you for taking the time to be with us here tonight.

Christmas is filled with tradition and many wonderful memories as a family.

Story called the Life of Pi a young man goes on a journey. In a conversation with his father about his different religious beliefs his father says “You only need to convert to three more religions and your whole year will be a holiday.”

There are dozens of recognized religious holidays in America.

Let me take a moment and share why with you why Christmas is so precious to us.

The Creator of the universe sent his Son to be condemned to death, in my place.

The perfect baby in the manger matters to me because I am fully aware that I am not perfect; I have sinned against God and need forgiveness.

This is the kind of mystery that makes Christmas breathtaking. God has a Son. He has had a Son forever.

John 1:1 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14 “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The story of Christmas is the story of God dwelling among us.

Ever been some where and thought. What are you doing here?

Kids see their teachers at the store.

Surprise family member

God here on earth

Luke 19:10 “10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Who is lost?

I was, thought I knew I was in KY, I knew that I did not know God.

This is the story all across this room

This baby would grow up and do what I could not do for myself.

Yes, Jesus would perform miracles that I cannot perform

He would do a miracle on my behalf.

Miracles are when there are is no earthly or natural way for something to happen but it does.

Romans 8:3 “3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

How does Christmas feel to me?

Ill share the words of a fellow pastor who answered like this.

What does Christmas feel like for me? It feels like a man standing on the gallows with the rope around his neck, and the king’s son steps forward, takes the rope off my neck, puts it on his own, looks me in the eye, and — just before he drops to his own death in my place — says, “I love you. I love you. Go show what I’m like now to the world.”

What does Christmas feel like for me? It feels like a man drowning in the icy Atlantic after the sinking of the Titanic, desperate to be taken into a lifeboat, but being refused. Why? There’s no room in the lifeboat. It’s full. And a man — the wealthiest, healthiest, most influential man on that ship — pulls me in as he jumps overboard to make room for me. He looks up as I float away in safety and says, “I love you.”

What does Christmas feel like for me? It feels like I’m in a courtroom where my life hangs in the balance. The prosecuting attorney is the unassailable law of God, and the defense attorney does not exist. There is no defense. It is manifest to everyone in the courtroom that all evidence is against me, and the judge, the son of the king of the realm, brings down the gavel: “Guilty.” I’m sentenced to execution and everlasting ruin. And as they leave the courtroom with me in bonds, the son-judge follows me out, pulls me aside, and says, “I’m going to take your condemnation. You go now, and show the wonder of this moment to the world. I love you.”

Conclusion

We want you to know tonight that Christmas is a big deal here. Why?

It is the time of year we celebrate that “The Creator of the universe sent his Son to be condemned to death, in my place.”

We want to invite you to join us in the celebration!