The Heart of Christmas is Love

Good morning and merry Christmas!

We are so glad you have come here today to celebrate the reason for the season who is Jesus Christ.

Don’t get me wrong, Christmas is FULL of great things and traditions.

We LOVE getting together with family we haven’t seen in a while.

We play games, tell jokes, chase dogs, watch movies, sit in front of the fireplace, and so on.

We LOVE all the great food we share at Christmas time.

Everyone breaks out their favorite dish… and they are ALL good! Especially the ones that feature… chocolate. Those are my personal favorites.

We LOVE the gift exchanges.

We have fun with presenting family members with things we think they will like and enjoy.

We LOVE taking a break from the weekly routine.

It is nice to shut down for a moment and remember the things that matter most.

But at the heart of this season is someone we LOVE the most… and that is the greatest gift this world has eve received… Jesus Christ.

We decorate our homes, set up the trees, do all of the shopping, prepare all the food, memorize the best punch lines and such… but the most important part of this season is represented by what is often the least glamorous part of the decor.

It isn’t often decked out with glitz and glamour.

It isn’t often adorned with flashing lights or tinsel.

Most often it is a simple display, made of wood or hay… that presents a scene that is forever ingrained in our memories… and rightfully so.

It isn’t a scene of luxury or comfort.

It isn’t a scene of convenience or leisure.

It is a scene of promise… a scene of love. It is a scene like no other that presents the moment our Savior was born.

Can you remember what it looked like… when your first child arrived in this world?

I can remember the sights and the sounds. I can remember the security of the hospital and the help of the trained staff. I can remember the presentation of my son… and the sound of his first cry. I can remember the moment Kristy held him and the sound of her voice.

But for Jesus, it was a different story.

He didn’t come in a hospital or even a palace. He didn’t come in the comfort of someone’s home or bedroom. He arrived to the sounds of animals in a stable, hay for a bed. He came in a way that would be hard for us to imagine…

And the manger scene helps us to see the humble beginning… the unique way in which our Savior came to this world.

And in all reality… it wasn’t so much about how He came - specifically born in a stable and laid in a manger. What was most important was why He came. Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem… just as the prophecies had foretold… and He came in the name of love.

Jesus is the heart of Christmas… and the heart of Christmas is love.

Today we close out our Christmas series with a message on love. We have been in a sermon series where we have discovered the heart of Christmas.

It can be easy to get lost in all the gifts, decorations, and parties and miss the central focus of the Christmas season. Jesus was born to bring the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love, which is the real reason for Christmas.

The first week we learned that we are offered hope in the middle of our circumstances because of God’s faithfulness.

The hope we have in Jesus is not a wishful hope or desire. It is a PROMISE. A Guarantee. In Christ, hope takes on new meaning!

The second week we looked at the wonderful gift of peace that Jesus’s sacrifice makes available to us.

Again, this peace is unlike anything that can be found in this world. In Christ, peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of our Savior. In Christ, peace takes on new meaning!

Last week we learned that joy is ours no matter the circumstances because God dwells with us.

Our joy is not based off how we feel or how things are going. It is based off the truth that we have been saved and that God’s presence is forever with us! We can walk through the valley and still experience the fullness of His joy. In Christ, joy takes on new meaning!

For this final week of our series, we will take a look at a theme within the scriptures that truly holds all of it together. At the heart of Christmas is the great love of God for each and every one of us.

So… let’s talk about gifts for a moment. Some of us have already had our gift exchanges and some are still waiting to unwrap those packages under the tree.

Now… have you ever received a gift before that… left you speechless for all the wrong reasons? Kind of like the big pink bunny suit in “The Christmas Story?” Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say in such moments… so I have a few lines for you to tuck in your memory just in case you face this awkward moment.

Well, well, well, now, there’s a gift!

No, really, I didn’t know that there was a Chia Pet tie! Oh, wow! It’s a clip-on too!

You know, I always wanted one of these! Jog my memory—what’s it called again?

You know what? I’m going to find a special place to put this.

Boy, you don’t see craftsmanship like that every day!

And it’s such an interesting color too!

You say that was the last one? Am I glad that you snapped that baby up!

You shouldn’t have! No, really, I mean it. You really shouldn’t have!

I’m sure we have all been there, right? And yes… if we are completely honest, those moments can be awkward and we do our best to make the best of it. It’s the thought that counts right?

Gift giving is an art. You have to know the person, their likes and dislikes. You have to know their needs and wants, their tastes and desires. Sometimes we nail it… and other times it falls flat.

This morning, we are going to talk about the most amazing gift this world has ever received.

With this gift, there is no question regarding the motive or the reason behind why He was given. When He arrived, it was good news that brought joy to all who would receive.

When God sent his son to be born, it was an expression of his unfailing and relentless love. His love is a gift that is thoughtful because it meets our greatest need—our sinful state. It is a gift that is priceless because it could never be purchased apart from Christ’s blood. It is a gift that is timeless because the grace of God is never ending. Above all else, at the heart of Christmas is love.

God’s gift of love to us is… perfect. And we are going to look at just how perfect this gift is for each and every one of us today.

GOD’S GIFT WAS RIGHT ON TIME

Have you ever received a present from someone and you could not believe how perfect the timing was? Maybe because of something you were going through or because of a need that was met, it was as if the giver knew just what you wanted or needed.

The book of Galatians talks about the timing of Christmas as Paul wrote to the church in Galatia.

Galatians 4:4–5 NIV

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

From the moment creation was broken by sin, God began to unfurl a plan to restore and rescue all that he had made. The Bible is an account of his divine efforts and faithfulness to reverse the effects of the Fall. Motivated by love, God partners with those who love and trust him to enact the greatest rescue plan in history.

Paul wrote that when Jesus came and was born to Mary, the fullness of time had come. It was the right moment in history to send his son to make a way for the world to be restored. Because of love, God was not willing to sit back and watch his creation suffer forever. He went to great lengths to be with us and make us a part of his family once again.

What is perhaps most amazing is that when Jesus came, he came to meet us exactly where we are. He was born under the law of God in order to redeem human kind, which is under the expectations of God’s law. In doing so, his perfect life met the requirements that the law demanded.

Where we fail, Jesus is successful. Jesus FULFILLED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS NEEDED.

WE ARE LOVED INTO THE FAMILY

According to Galatians 4, the full expression of God’s love is demonstrated in our spiritual adoption. We become children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are given all the privileges of sonship and daughtership with God as our Father.

We see it laid out this way in John 1:11-14

John 1:11–14 NIV

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Many believers live their lives every day missing the fact that God loves us.

Christmas is all about reminding us of the depth of God’s love - not through shiny presents and flashy gifts… but through a humble beginning - a single moment in time that shows the forever enduring love of the Father.

And through that gift of love, we have the opportunity… the right… to become children of God. And I want you to see how Paul writes about this in Romans 8:14-17

Romans 8:14–17 NIV

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The point I want you to understand today is in Christ, your fellowship with God is completely restored. You are NOT an outsider. You are NOT abandoned or alone. You are brought back into the family as His son and daughter.

Jesus came and did what was necessary to give us this possibility. He laid down His life that we might be forgiven and made blameless in the eyes of the Father. He took on our sin, we take on His righteousness. He took on our brokenness, He makes us whole again!

It’s an unbelievable gift! Adopted into the family and made co-heirs with Christ! The world truly has never seen this level of love before!

LOVE FREELY RECEIVED IS LOVE FREELY GIVEN

The reason love must be at the heart of Christmas is because, if we miss this being the central message of the season, in the midst of the lights and presents, we may never receive it for ourselves.

What is perhaps most tragic about this oversight is that we often give the kind of love that we perceive to be ours. If we have not experienced the grace of God, it is difficult to offer the grace of God. If we do not know the compassion of God, it is difficult to express the compassion of God. But when we recognize the kind of love that God has for us, it becomes the way in which we treat others around us.

As we were found in desperate need of God’s love… so are others facing this same need today. You might share time with them this weekend. You… might be one in need of His love today.

God freely gave us His Son that we might be set free.

His Son freely came, freely lived, and freely gave His life to complete the work that was needed.

He did this for me… He did this for you… He did this for all the world as John 3:16 makes very clear.

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

As Love is God’s motivating factor for sending His Son, I wonder if love can be at the heart of all we do today. Love is at the heart of Christmas because God IS love. Jesus IS God’s gift of love to us. And His love has the power to transform your life in ways you never thought possible.

His love… is what the world has been waiting for.

Luke 2:1–20 NIV

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

This whole story… is about His love. the manger scene… is a demonstration of His love. The cross… is where His of His love for us completed the work that needed to be done. Jesus paid it all with His life… and it all started out in a stable.

He is the greatest gift of love this world has ever received. He is the greatest gift of love… you can choose to receive yourself.

PRAYER - Salvation

PRAYER - that the world would know His love

PRAISE - Thank God for the gift of His Son, Jesus.