Christmas is a Big Deal Because it is God's Remedy for Fallen Man

Copyright Dec. 16, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

We make the comment often: The best way to understand the birth of Jesus is to see the manger in the shadow of a cross. In other words, Christmas is a Big Deal because it is the way God provided to remedy our alienation from Him. In theology this is called Atonement.

Atonement means two people who were formerly divided are brought together and made as one. The coming of Christ made it possible for sinful human people (you and me)to be once again brought into a good relationship with God. This morning we will look at what was involved in God's rescue plan.

Substitution

Sin has a much greater impact than we think. We shrug off rebellion against the ways of God with a wave of the hand saying, "Hey, everybody makes mistakes!" or "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt" or even "it seemed like a good idea at the time." We assume time will heal all wounds (and by extension, erase all our rebellious acts).

God sees it differently. When we sin, we spurn His authority and spit in the face of His love.

When soldiers go into basic training, they learn something very quickly: they must obey the commanding officer, or they will wish they had. There are no "degrees of disobedience." You do what you are told, or you are considered insubordinate. This is because the military must work together. They must react quickly, or people will die. They must learn to take and respond quickly to orders.

We understand this with the military, why don't we understand it with the Creator of all there is? Why do we think we can disobey God when it seems convenient, without rupturing the relationship we have with God?

Because God is Holy, pure, and unstained, He does not associate with sinful mankind. To do so would compromise His character and perfection. God cannot and will not let sin go unpunished. Those who sin must be excluded from fellowship with God. This is the problem God sent Christ to rectify.

The dilemma was great: a Holy God must punish sin as a capital offense. We are told the wages of sin is death. In today's vernacular it would be treason or a class X felony. EVERY sin is like a class X felony! God needed a way to maintain His justice, while at the same time extending His mercy to us.

God decided to pay for our sin through a substitute (Jesus). For that to happen, three things had to be true: the substitute needed to be without sin (in other words, they had to succeed where Adam failed) and they needed to trade their life for us (the just for the unjust; or the sinless for the sin-filled) and God had to accept the sacrifice.

The book of Hebrews tells us Jesus was in every way tempted like we are he faced anger, lust, bitterness, ambition and more . . . but did not give in to those temptations. He faced the full force of those temptations even though you and I gave in long before we faced the full force of the temptation. So Hebrews says,

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus succeeded where we did not. This qualified Him to offer His life in exchange for ours. Suppose you were in prison on death row. On the day of execution one of the other prisoners screams out, "Let me take his place." If you were the guard you would just laugh. Why? Because the man had own sin to die for! Jesus had to be sinless or it would not be possible for Him to serve as our sacrifice.

Think about it another way, what does it take to be able to provide an antidote to an infection or deadly disease? It takes having the disease and overcoming it. It is the overcoming which produces an antidote that can be used to help others. We have a sin disease. We need a substitute who endured sin in it full force but did not fail. That someone is Jesus.

Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life for us. Paul said,

6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7Now, 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. 8But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8)

Imagine a big lake. You are in the middle of the lake and suddenly you become incapacitated. You are conscious but unable to help yourself. You only stay afloat by desperately wiggling about. You need help!

From the shore people call out instructions on how to swim. They share victory stories they remember. But of course, it does not help. You don't need instruction or inspiration, you need someone to rescue you!

Now let's suppose the people on shore in your group would like to come out and rescue you but they are incapacitated too. They cannot swim to save you without drowning themselves.

Suddenly a man jumps out of a passing car, dives into the water and rescues you. . . that is what Jesus does for you. What would your response be?

John MacArthur writes,

Here's a side to the Christmas story that isn't often told: those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day walk up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant's head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear. Jesus was born to die. (God with Us p. 116)\

Not only did Jesus give His life for us, God found it acceptable. We can now be made right with God by putting our hope and trust in Christ. We are not saved by our good works, we are saved because we have put our trust in our Great Savior. We follow Him, not to earn favor but to demonstrate gratitude.

Author Max Lucado draws a great illustration,

The decision had been made. The troops had been deployed and the battleships were on their way. Nearly three million soldiers were preparing to slam against Hitler’s Atlantic wall in France. D-Day was set in motion. Responsibility for the invasion fell squarely on the four-starred shoulders of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The general spent the night before the attack with the men of the 101st Airborne. They called themselves The Screaming Eagles. As his men prepared their planes and checked their equipment, Ike went from soldier to soldier offering words encouragement. Many of the flyers were young enough to be his sons. He treated them as if they were. A correspondent wrote that as Eisenhower watched the C-47s take off and disappear into the darkness, his hands were sunk deeply into his pockets and his eyes were full of tears.

The general then went to his quarters and sat at his desk. He took a pen and paper and wrote a message—a message which would be delivered to the White House in the event of a defeat.

It was as brief as it was courageous. “Our landings … have failed … the troops, the Air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches itself to the attempt it was mine alone.”1

It could be argued that the greatest act of courage that day was not in a cockpit or foxhole, but at a desk when the one at the top took responsibility for the ones below. When the one in charge took the blame—even before the blame needed to be taken.

Rare leader, this general.

Unusual, this display of courage. He modeled a quality seldom seen in our society of lawsuits, dismissals, and divorces. Most of us are willing to take credit for the good we do. Some are willing to take the rap for the bad we do. But few will assume responsibilities for the mistakes of others. Still fewer will shoulder the blame for mistakes yet uncommitted.

Eisenhower did. As a result, he became a hero.

Jesus did. As a result, he’s our Savior.

Before the war began, he forgave. Before a mistake could be made, forgiveness was offered. Before blame could be given, grace was provided.

The one at the top took responsibility for the ones at the bottom. Read how Jesus describes what he came to do.

“The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”[1]

This is the message of the gospel. This is the message of Christmas.

Victory

Christmas also directs our attention to victory. Not only do we gain victory over the sickness and addiction of sin in our lives, we also gain victory, through Christ, over the Devil. Listen to these words from Hebrews 2.14,

For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14)

We desperately need to think like victors rather than a loser. We are all too aware of our failures.

An "f" on a paper

A divorce or breakup

Not getting the job we really wanted

Falling to a familiar sin

A Bad investment

A rejection on a project you worked on for a long time

Even though the Bible says Christ has broken the power of the Devil in our lives we don't feel like that is true.

Perhaps another illustration will help. When a war ended (especially in the past without the Internet) there were areas that did not know the war had ended. The fighting continued. In much the same way, Satan is defeated with the death of Christ and His subsequent resurrection. So, the question could be asked, "Why don't we act like the war is over?" Is it Satan or is it us?

I suspect Satan resists the truth, but He knows he is defeated. He is trying to take out as many professed believers as he can, but he knows he will ultimately be crushed and cast away for all eternity. He seeks to create as much havoc as possible.

So that leaves us asking, "Could it be that we are the ones who don't realize the war is over? Do we continue to fight in our own strength trying to defeat a foe superior to us (and failing)? The Lord came to earth to defeat Satan ON OUR BEHALF. The victory has been gained and it is now up to us to live in that victory.

We do this by deciding to ignore the accusations of Satan that tell us that "we don't measure up", "we are not good enough," and "you are beyond forgiveness." We do this by clinging to, reciting, and reminding ourselves of the promise of God that through Christ we are forgiven, He loves us, and He will NEVER let us go. You will have to do this again and again because Satan is persistent and does a great job of tying in to our own insecurities.

What does a person look like who is living in the victory that comes through Christ?

They Embrace, celebrate, and are overwhelmed with gratitude for the forgiveness that is theirs in Christ. They have traded insecurity for gratitude and peace. They KNOW they are saved because of Jesus.

They freely admit weakness and struggle because they know grace and new life is a process. They also know their acceptance is not anchored to their performance, but to His.

They relate to others with humility recognizing their freedom is a gift, a gift God will give to anyone if they will truly trust Christ. They don't view every relationship as a contest that leaves a winner and loser.

They are enthusiastic witnesses because they are not worried about fitting in, they are more concerned about faithfully telling others how they can find freedom.

We no longer need to live like losers . . . Christ has gained the victory for us through His death and resurrection.

Since this is True . . .

Since Jesus was tempted in every way we are tempted, but did not give in, it means we can look to Him for real help in navigating the minefields of life.

Who would you rather guide you through a dense and dangerous jungle? Someone who has read lots of books about the jungle or someone who has actually successfully navigated the jungle several times? I want the guy with experience.

And so it is with us, you can read all the self-help books you can get your hands on, or you can listen to the One who faced the worst life can throw at you and emerged victorious. You can go to seminars, or sit at the feet of Jesus. You can spend your life trying to gain the approval of the crowds or you can devote your life to seeking the "Well Done" of the one who died and rose on your behalf. I hope the decision is an easy one for you.

Because He gave His life for us, we should trust Him even when life is not going the way we expected. He sees what we do not. He understands what leaves us confused. He has a purpose for what seems completely random. When life slaps us in the face we have a choice: do we view this as everyone else does or do we trust the hands we know are holding us.

Here are three truths to keep in mind this Christmas Season:

Since Jesus paid in full, the work of salvation is now complete. Let that sink in! When Jesus said, "It is Finished," He meant it.

Since Jesus paid in full, all efforts to add anything to what Christ did on the cross are doomed to failure. Ray Pritchard writes,

"Let me put it very simply. If Jesus paid it all you don't have to. If you try to pay for your salvation, it means you don't think he paid it all. There is no middle ground between those two propositions! God is not trying to sell you salvation. He doesn't offer salvation at half-price. And you can't split the cost with him or pay for your sins on the installment plan. God is offering you salvation free of charge. Jesus paid in full, so you wouldn't have to pay anything."

Since Jesus paid in full, the only thing you can do is accept it or reject it.[2]

Christmas is not simply a story about the birth of a baby. It is the account of God's rescue plan for lost and broken people (which is all of us). It is a story to retell with great enthusiasm and energy. The Christmas story is not just for December. It impacts every day of our lives. Every time we look in the mirror and are tempted to wrinkle up our nose at what we see, we are reminded God loves us. It may feel like the rest of the world considers us invisible, but He does not. Not only does He see us, He loves us. He loves us so much He came to rescue us, so we would never have to be in bondage again.

This is not just good news. It is the BEST news; it changes EVERYTHING! It changes how we view ourselves (we are no longer broken but healing), our trials (opportunities for growth), our death (not the end, but the beginning), sin (it is no longer the pleasures of the world but it is that which KEEPS US from genuinely enduring and joy-filled life).

Are you looking to change your life? Do you want to get off the treadmill of futility? Are you looking for someone to see you as a person of value? Then Jesus is the One you are looking for. Run to Him, jump into His arms and let new life begin. Dare to take Him at His Word.

1 “D-Day Recalling Military Gamble that Shaped History,” Time, 28 May 1984, 16.

[1] Max Lucado, And the Angels Were Silent (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1992), 27–28.

[2] Ray Pritchard In the Shadow of the Cross p. 84-86