Bryan Clements - I Survived Christmas
I Survived Christmas
We look forward to Christmas. Children look forward to it all year long. There is something about this time of year, even for those people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I like the decorations, the music, nativity scenes, people coming together. The hot chocolate and wassail. We have a tradition that on Thanksgiving all of our Christmas movies and music come out. We have to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (All three versions)
Miracle on 34th Street. In one of the versions two of the store employees are talking about Christmas and that all they want to do is survive it.
Undoubtedly, you have heard people say, “I survived Christmas.”
What are they surviving?
· Hustle & Bustle,
· shopping (got to find the right gift, have to get them a gift because they got me one last year),
· crowds,
· family, (the inlaws are coming)
· parties
Maybe they are surviving
· being Lonely,
· Depressed,
· missing loved ones,
· just trying to get through another Christmas time.
I even found articles for ministry leaders that provide survival tips for the Christmas season.
As soon as Christmas day has passed :
The Christmas tree comes down, by January 1st.
We put away the decorations,
the Christmas movies;
it all gets packed away for another year. Christmas was five days ago and we are already done singing Christmas Carols. Only two days after Christmas, KSBJ was not playing Christmas Carols anymore. They are put away until next year.
Isn’t it odd? We look forward to it. We plan for it. Well, some of you plan for it. It seems like it is never going to get here and then all of a sudden it is happening and then it is over.
People look back and they think, “I survived Christmas!”
I want to take a few minutes this morning and look at some of the people who anticipated that first Christmas and they we will look at how they survived that first Christmas:
Turn to Luke Chapter 2 with me.
Simeon-
Luke 2:25-31 (NASB95)
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Simeon had been looking forward to Christmas his entire life.
He knew what the Scriptures said. He knew Christmas was coming.
Jewish People – were waiting for God’s anointed.
Luke 2:36-38 (NASB95)
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Anna knew that the Jewish people were looking for the Messiah to come. The Jews knew the promise of Scripture. Anna told them He was here.
But, They missed it.
Magi
Matthew 2:1-2 (NASB95)
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
(After 400 yrs of silence, he didn’t speak to Jews, it was foreigners)
Wise men. They studied the stars. Not necessarily religious men. But, they were looking for the Christ child. He had already been born when they arrived in Jerusalem asking about him. They went to Jerusalem because they assumed that is where the King of the Jews would be, but the prophecies said he would be in Bethlehem. (Micah 5.2)
Herod
Matthew 2:3-8 (NASB95)
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” (we know better than that!)
Jesus had already been born when the wise men arrived in Jerusalem looking for him. Herod is going about his business when this caravan of wise men show up asking where the King of the Jews is? Now if you are the king that is the last thing that you want to hear.
In that culture when a king was replaced, the old king was typically put to death.
Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason. He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his desires and strengthen his political ties.
It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.”
Herod was looking for Christmas for a whole different reason.
Let me sum this up for you:
The magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King; and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King. These priests knew the Scriptures and pointed others to the Saviour. They told Herod where the Scriptures said the Messiah would be born, but they would not go to worship Him themselves!
They were five miles from the very Son of God, yet they did not go to see Him! The Gentiles sought and found Him, but the Jews did not.
Simeon, the Jews, the Magi and Herod; they all looked forward to that first Christmas. And they each survived Christmas in different ways and for different reasons.
Like Simeon, there are people who know when they have found Jesus. If they don’t live another minute they know that is okay. The don’t need anything else.
Like the Jews, There are those who know what Scripture says and they are still missing Him when He is right there. Those that you present the gospel to and they just don’t seem to get it.
We have Magi, wisemen, among us. Those who are searching for and find him.
They knew who Jesus was the minute they laid eyes on him. They worshipped him and didn’t go back to where they came from.
Herod, on the other hand, just wanted to get past the first Christmas.
He saw it as a threat. A king being born was a threat to his kingdom. Just kill them all, that was his plan. He just thought he had survived Christmas. But he didn’t.
People just think that they survive Christmas. We don’t survive Christmas. Christmas survives us. In spite of us Christmas goes on.
We can pack away the boxes, decorations and even the music.
But, Christmas goes on. It is not meant to be a one-day celebration. Neer was!
Christmas marks the beginning. It doesn’t have an end. It started that first Christmas in Bethlehem and just keeps going.
It should serve as a reminder of what God has done for us. He came to earth as a man, paid the price for our sins and provides a way for each and every one of us to have a relationship with Him. We can’t afford to lose sight of this. We can’t just celebrate it for a short season, put it back in a box and not think about it until next year.
I think that the retailers may be ahead of us here. Every year they set up for Christmas earlier and earlier. It used to be that you didn’t hear the Christmas music and see the Christmas decorations go up until the 1st of December, and then you started seeing them the day after Thanksgiving. It gets earlier and earlier every year.
Now I know that they are doing this so they can make more money, but shouldn’t we want people to think about Christmas as much as they can? We should want them to see the nativity scenes and the Christmas cards announcing the birth of the Savior. Is there something wrong with hearing Christmas Carols in July? (some of the most joyous songs) Look at the world around us, they can’t get too much of this.
So, how do we keep Christmas going?
We find some things in the first Christmas that will show us how Christmas keeps going all year long.
Look at:
Luke 2:16-20 Where we find the shepherds -
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered (were amazed) at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
We find two things here that will help us:
The shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen.
They encountered Christ at the manger, but they did not stop when they left there. They continued to praise God and worship Him.
You come here, to church, expecting to have an encounter with Jesus. That should happen when God’s people come together. But we need to continue to praise God and worship as we go back to the places that we have come from. The shepherds praised him as they went back to tend their sheep. As we go back to our neighborhoods, to our work, to our friends we should follow their example and worship and praise God as we go about our daily lives.
The shepherds didn’t stop at glorifying God. Look at verse 17
Luke 2:17 (NASB95)
17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
The shepherds went about telling people about Jesus and what the angels had told them. They were excited about what they had seen and couldn’t help but tell others about their experience.
We don’t have a problem telling people about good movies that we have seen or about good restaurants. We shouldn’t have a problem telling people the good news. (Bill Bright example – First Class)
When is the last time you were excited to tell somebody about Jesus? Are you looking for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ? It is easy during this time of year to say “Merry Christmas”, but how do you say it the rest of the time?
We carry Christmas on each time that we tell somebody the good news of Jesus.
The shepherds knew that Christmas would survive them. It was just the beginning.
Look at vs 25 and 26
Luke 2:25-26 (NASB95)
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
We looked at Simeon earlier. Along with Simeon we find Anna. These two were serving God faithfully looking forward to that first Christmas. When it finally came they were overjoyed. Simeon saw Jesus and he basically said, “You can take me home now, Lord. This is what I have waited my whole life for.”
Simeon never gave up hope. He waited his whole life for this one encounter with Jesus. He knew God’s promise to him and never gave up hope on it.
Christmas survives us in the form of hope. Christmas is about hope. Hope for a fallen world. Hope for lost people. Hope for us.
Matthew 12:21 (NASB95)
21 “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”
Romans 8:24 (NASB95)
24 For in hope we have been saved,
In 1 Timothy 1:1 Paul writes that he has been sent by Jesus Christ, who is our hope.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
Now, Hope doesn’t mean that we are just wishing for something to happen. Simeon didn’t get up every day saying, “I wish the Messiah would come.” He got up everyday expecting Him to come, expecting to meet him. He had confidence in what he had been promised. Hope means that you wait, expecting results.
Christmas survives us because you can’t put hope in a box and only take it out once a year. Hope is what the Christmas child provides every day for us. Simeon could have given up hope. But he knew what God had promised Him. If you know God’s promises you can’t help but have hope.
Do you know what God has promised you?
He promises us a savior.
Matthew 1:21 (NASB95)
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
He promises forgiveness. Matthew 6:14 (NASB95)
14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
He promises us a future reward: Matthew 5:11-12 (NASB95)
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
New life
Rest
Answers to our prayers
Guidance and Comfort from the Holy Spirit
He promises paradise and eternal life..
Treasure in Heaven
All of these promises give us hope because we know that God is true to his word. Christmas survives us because it is the source of hope in a dark, lost world.
While we are talking about hope, let’s not forget Anna. She never lost hope. At the age of 84 she was still serving in the temple, day and night, waiting on the promise of God. Once she experienced Christmas she had the same response as the shepherds: She began praising God and telling people about Jesus.
Sharing the good news ensures that Christmas survives past December 25th.
Finally, let’s go back to Herod. He was going to make absolutely sure that he survived Christmas and that the Christ child would not survive it. His solution was simple: Find out when the child would have been born and wipeout any child in Bethlehem that could fall within that age range.
Nothing was going to stand in the way of what Herod wanted as king. This is a terrible illustration of what men will do to get rid of Jesus Christ. When man focuses on his own desires and disregards the commandments of God, he is capable of evil in unbelievable proportions.
We see this around us everyday. We live in a fallen world where men seek after their desires with no regard to the people around them. Their attitudes are like that of Herod’s. Herod had no problem killing people and destroying lives to ensure that he got what he wanted.
One writer during Herod’s time put it this way. He said, “You are better off being Herod’s sow, his pig, than you are being his son.” You have a better chance for survival.
Herod thought he had put a stop to Christmas. Without a Christ you can’t have Christmas. It is that simple.
What Herod did not know was that we don’t survive Christmas, it survives us! The Christ child still lives!
The world can turn its back on Christ and Christmas. But, that does not stop it from happening. You can call it something else, but that doesn’t stop the message of Christmas. Christmas survives.
And because it survives we have the message of hope.
We have the promise of forgiveness, salvation and an eternity with Jesus Christ.
We have the same opportunity that the shepherds, the wise men, Simeon and Anna and even Herod had.
We have the opportunity to have an encounter with the living Christ.
We have the same choice to make. Do we turn our back on him like Herod did or do we choose to come and worship him and praise God for the gift of his son?
The shepherds did it. The Wise men did it. We are still doing it today. If you have met this Jesus and had this encounter, then you know what I am talking about. The only reaction that you can have is to worship him.
If you haven’t experienced this, Christmas isn’t over. You can have it today.
Right now. You can come this morning and experience the true meaning of Christmas.
When you leave here this morning I want to challenge you to go in the same manner of those who saw the Christ child. Go and tell people what you have experienced, what you have seen. Tell people about Jesus. That is what they did and that is what we should do.
If we will do that we will see Christmas all year long.