Christmas Eve 12-24-24
Messy Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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All is Well...
I want to take a moment and pray b/c all may not be well
—grieving—losing a love one recently, and Christmas is not the same
—missing someone from years ago
—problems in your family, relational problems
—illness, cancer, chronic disease, dementia,
—Christmas just doesn’t meet expectations...
Isaiah 9:6-7—your Son is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace
We’re in Luke 2....
and want to extend a special welcome to you, especially if you are visiting or new.
there may be a few reasons why you are here...
One, your mom or grandma made you. “if you are going to get Christmas gifts and food you have to go to church with me.” totally worth it. Shout out to moms everyone. We are glad you are here.
Maybe you only go to church once or twice a year—we are glad you are here.
maybe you have been coming for a long time..we are glad you are here.
all we ask if that you be open to how God through His Holy Spirit might speak to you today so that you can know Jesus Christ—because that’s what we are all about.
Our sermon series recently has been all about Messy Relationships—untangling complicated relationships in your lives which we all have.
I believe the Christmas Story in Luke gives us 4 movements that help us navigate messy, complicated relationships in our family, friends, world.—issues like grudges, resentment, forgiveness, reconciliation.
but also navigate the mess of this world that you are going through....
4 Movements - I chose the word movement because these concepts have to move through you...
The first movement is: God (vs. 1-7)
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
We learn early on the text that the Roman Emperor— Caesar Augustus—the most powerful man on earth at the time issues a decree that a census should be taken. now, why do kings issue censuses?
2 simple reasons: Money and Power.
This was for the purpose of collecting taxes and might even be for the purposes of seeing how many able bodied men to serve in times of war.
so Joseph and Mary, who was pregnant with the baby Jesus, went to their hometown in Bethlehem.
so it might seem that Caesar Augustus is the most powerful being in this story.
(buzzer sound)
wrong...
we see clues in verse 4—that Joseph’s home town in Bethlehem, the town of David—who is King David in the OT.
and this is a reminder of a famous passage from the Old Testament—a prophecy from God the Father of where Jesus—God the Son would be born:
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Just as King David came from Bethlehem in the OT—now Jesus comes from Bethlehem—the new king.
it may seem like Caesar is in control arranging the pieces—but He’s not—God is, fulfilling His prophecy and Word from centuries ago.
many historians theorize that Jesus was born at just the right historically — there was something called the Pax Romana—Roman Peace. a time of relative stability and prosperity, so Jesus’ message could spread.
There was the Roman road network—a great network of roads that made travel easier and safer so the Gospel could spread.
there was a common Roman and Greek culture and language - making it easier to connect across countries.
I bring all this up because if you are going to deal with the mess in your relationships, your life, the world, your own heart…you have to realize the first movement—God.
There is a God in control—not Caesar, not Biden, not Trump—they are not Him...and you are not him. I am not Him. (turn to your neighbor)
that humbles you.
and if He is that much in power and control back then—He doesn’t just want a slice of your life—or want to sprinkle His blessing on your plans—He wants you to surrender to Him. to know Him. and enjoy Him. The Christmas story reminds us of this—helps us with the mess....because some of us are trying to play god with our lives and relationships.
The second movement is: Man (by that I mean human beings) (vs. 8-(
we see human beings response to God.
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.
they were in the pitch black night—maybe stars shining—watching their sheep as shepherds—and huge bright light appeared…the glory of God and angels
the shepherds were terrified next to that picture of God.
when we start to realize there is a God, a big God, we start to realize how small we are.
We start to react like these shepherds—we are humbled.
you see the shepherds probably thought if God was visiting them, they are in trouble. they can’t compare to an amazing, glorious God.
and we can’t either.
this second movement of man—is actually getting at what the Bible calls “sin.”
We hear that word, may bristle at it at times…but sin simply means putting ourselves in the place of God.
It’s substituting ourselves in the place that God was meant to have in our lives. It’s not living what God wants for us. and it causes all sorts of problems before God, and if we are honest, in our lives and relationships.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
God made us.
God loves us.
and yet—despite all that—we have turned away from God to our own ways.
and if we truly have substituted ourselves for God, then we should have the same reaction the shepherds did. not because God wants to strike us with lightning bolts..
but we have offended Him, hurt him, we deserve God’s punishment and justice for turning our backs on Him.
I believe if we are going to see healing in our lives before God, in our relationships, from our addictions, from our problems....
We have to recognize that the central problem in the universe—is…not the other political or a lack of education or lack of leadership or my family—it’s me…it’s you…it’s our sinful hearts.
in other words---IT’S ADMITTING—WE NEED HELP BEFORE God.
this humbles us—
you may think “I am not that bad...” but Jesus talks about how it’s not just the action that is sin—but even the thought. murder is not just a sin—but anger towards another person.
If I could play all the thoughts and desires of your heart for the world to hear and see—how would you feel about it?
this is hard to admit-and painful—but it leads to movement #3 and healing in our messy relationships and world
The 3rd movement is: Christ—Jesus Christ (vs.10-14)
Luke 2:10–11 (NIV)
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.
this is the Good News…and really an amazing miracle!
if you think about all the miracles that Jesus Christ did—which is the most amazing? (turn to your neighbor)
We might say things like raising the dead like Lazarus, or feeding the 5,000 or walking on water. or rising Himself from the dead—never to die again!
All good choices.
but it is possible that this—being born a baby is the most amazing miracle why?
Theologians calls this the Incarnation. which simply means that God incarnated Himself into our world—He took on flesh.
The eternal Son of God, who has always existed with the Father and Holy Spirit—always—the eternal Son of God added humanity and flesh to His already existing divinity.
so that the baby in the manger, born that day, is 100% man and 100% God. it is truly a marvel and a mystery and a miracle!
it is amazing that God would move into our neighborhood as a helpless baby…the ultimate helper as a helpless babe
Hark the Herald carol - says “veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.”
and He did this—to be our Savior—to save us—not from political oppression...
not from war or the problems in this world...
but to save us from this ugly thing called sin. in fact, the titles used of Jesus, Savior, god, Son of God, and Gospel—good news…all those were used to describe Caesar Augustus, but Luke is telling us there is someone here greater than any political figure or hero—it’s Jesus Christ.
You see if Jesus came back and set everything right the 1st time in the world and ended all evil—he would have to end us—b/c our hearts are evil.
no, He came the first time to deal with our sin problem.
He lived the life that you and I failed to live—He was perfect in every way—Amazing!
He never sinned.
and he came to die…on the cross—for our sins. from a manger to a cross. bearing the punishment for our sins…it was the only way to satisfy God’s justice…and yet show incredible grace to us.
and He rose from the grave. He truly is the King—better than King David in the OT—He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords—with all authority—including over death.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus Christ can heal that sin problem in your heart before Him.
Jesus Christ can heal your heart so that your relationships don’t have to be quite so messy and complicated. so each of us are not turning our own ways—but God’s.
The 4th movement is Response: (so God, Man, Christ, Response) (vs. 15-20)
if we are going to get in on this good news…we have to respond....
one way is through faith. we don’t earn this good news. we don’t pay for our sins by working hard or trying harder.
we accept and believe Jesus did it all for us. it is by grace and faith.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
and then we repent—which means to turn—we were headed one way—and now God has helped us turn another way
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
saved from our sin to new life with God
saved from death to life—now and forever
saved from a life of relational problems to at least the ability now with Christ to forgive, to restore, to reconcile at least try—and be humble and courageous enough to do so.
because I am humbled — Jesus had to die for me—and I am lifted up — Jesus was glad to die for me.
we see the shepherds respond - praising and glorifying God
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.”
they spread the word about him
vs. 20 -
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.
everything about this story is one of grace...
God moving into our neighborhood as a baby—what’s more accessible than a baby—everyone wants to touch a baby
Shepherds, some of the outcasts of society—being invited into God’s work and spreading God’s news. God wants outcasts like lowly shepherds on His team.
and He wants you.
Pray....
Admit I am a sinner
Believe as King
Confess as Lord
May this good news of Christmas—humble me to reconcile with others, to receive correction, may it embolden me because my identity is in Jesus, so I can make things right.
