Why Do We Need Christmas?

Why Do We Need Christmas?

Luke 1:67–80 NLT

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. 76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” 80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

INTRODUCTION:

You and I live in a world that has come to question all traditional values. Traditional concepts that govern the behavior of everyday life are being cast aside for what some people call progressive interpretations of life. Truths that were once held dear are called into question.

The month of December marks the beginning of the season that used to be considered one of the most sacred seasons of the entire year. Christmas, has long been known as the joyous season commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ into the world of men. For decades, the Christmas season has become increasingly more secularized and commercialized. As a result of this secularization and commercialization, the true meaning of Christmas has become lost to a great portion of the population. Nativity displays and other depictions of one of the most joyous events in all of human history have become targets of lawsuits and public demonstrations attempting to force the suppression of the Christian message from the public arena.

As Christmas approaches, I believe it is vitally important that we get some biblical answers to some key questions. Over the next 4 weeks, we will seek to answer these contemporary questions with principles found in the pages of God’s word, the Bible.

Today we will seek to answer the question, why do we need Christmas? With many the responses to this question range from indifference to extreme antagonism. If we can get a handle on the biblical answer to the question of whether or not Christmas is needed, we can then move on to answer other questions.

Here are TRUTHS that will help to answer this morning’s question: “why do we need Christmas?”

I- WE NEED CHRISTMAS BECAUSE THE CONDITION OF MANKIND REQUIRED DIVINE INTERVENTION (Luke 1:67 – 68).

Luke 1:67–68 NLT

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited (ἐπεσκέψατο) and redeemed (ἐποίησεν) his people.

A- God intervened in the course of human history in a way that made it clear that something supernatural was occurring.

1- Here in Luke chapters 1-2, God supernaturally revealed his power in the lives of people.

ἐπεσκέψατο= to look into with a view to help

ἐποίησεν=redemption that is spiritually based

a. God sent the angelic messenger to Zachariah with the message of a miraculous intervention in his life that would impact his family and ultimately, the rest of the world. Because of Zachariah’s unbelief, he was unable to speak until after his son was born. (Luke 1:5–23).

b. God performed a miracle on behalf of Zachariah and Elizabeth enabling the birth of their son John, when such an event was humanly impossible. (Luke 1:24 – 25)

c. God sent the angel to the virgin Mary, announcing that she would soon become pregnant with the Messiah of Israel. (Luke 1:26 – 38)

d. After submitting to the will of God, the Lord made her aware of the miracle that Zachariah and Elizabeth were about to experience in their lives. The reaction of the unborn John to the presence of Mary and the child that she carried in her womb bore witness to the magnitude of the miracle of which all of them were a part. (Luke 1:39 – 56)

e. The manner of John’s birth and the miraculous occurrences surrounding his birth confirmed that God was up to something special. Zachariah’s ability to speak was restored following his demonstration of obedience to God. Relatives and friends who were present at the birth of John verbally acknowledged that God was going to do something extraordinary with John. God’s intervention was obvious.

(Luke 1:66).

Luke 1:66 NLT

66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

( Luke 1:59 – 80)

B- The spiritual condition of mankind, as spelled out in Scripture, demonstrate that man needs God’s intervention and help.

1- The beginning of Zacharias praise for God points to the fact and need of God’s intervention. (Luke 1:67 – 75)

a. Zachariah described the great need for God’s intervention on behalf of Israel.

(1) In verse 68, Zachariah says that God has visited and provided redemption for his people.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has visited and redeemed his people.

(2) Zachariah prophesies that the purpose of God’s intervention is to rescue his people so that they may serve him. (Life transformation) (vs. 74-75)

74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.

2- The preaching of John the Baptist constantly pointed to the need of individuals for God’s intervention in their lives. (Luke 3:3 – 18)

3- The ministry and preaching of Jesus also demonstrated the need for God’s intervention in the lives of people.

a. The miracles that Jesus performed demonstrated man’s helplessness and need for God’s intervention.

(1) Lepers healed

(2) Deaf made to hear

(3) Lame made able to walk

(4) dead raised to life

b. Jesus openly proclaimed that he came to give his life as a ransom for human beings. (Matthew 20:28)

Matthew 20:28 NLT

28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

C- Following the resurrection of Christ, the preaching and writing of the apostles proclaimed that God’s intervention in the world was necessary.

1- The universal problem of sin makes it impossible for man to relate to a holy God.

(Romans 5:12)

Romans 5:12 NLT

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

(Romans 6:23)

Romans 6:23 NLT

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

II- WE NEED CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT PROCLAIMS THE LOVE OF GOD FOR MANKIND. (LUKE 1:76 – 80)

Luke 1:76–80 NLT

76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” 80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

A- God’s love for mankind is so great that he is unwilling to leave mankind in his helpless condition. (Luke 1:69)

Luke 1:69 NLT

69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,

1- In his natural state, man is hopelessly bound by sin. (Ephesians 2:12)

Ephesians 2:12 NLT

12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

(Isaiah 64:6)

Isaiah 64:6 NLT

6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

2- Even though mankind is at war with God, He provided the way for man to be reconciled to himself. (Romans 5:6-11)

Romans 5:6–11 NLT

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

B- God’s love for mankind is so great that he makes sure that the message of forgiveness is proclaimed (Luke 1:76 – 78)

Luke 1:76–78 NLT

76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

Zechariah prophesies that John’s purpose in life is to prepare the way for the Savior by preaching the Good News. (vs. 76-77)

He will be charged with the task of telling others about how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

Cambridge Greek Testament: Greek Text Chapter 1

τοῦ δοῦναι γνῶσιν σωτηρίας τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀφέσει ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν

God has established his church to share the same message.

(Acts 1:8)

Acts 1:8 NLT

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Mark 16:15)

Mark 16:15 NLT

15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

Matthew 28:18–20 NLT

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

CONCLUSION:

Why do we need Christmas?

Because the condition of mankind requires divine intervention.

Because it proclaims the love of God for mankind.