Christmas is a Big Deal Because it is the Antidote to Death

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time. To quote the song, it’s supposed to be, “The most wonderful time of the year.” But if we’re honest sometimes Christmas is also the most difficult time of the year. Though it is a time when we enjoy being with family it is also a time when our losses become that much more acute. It is at Christmas when we are reminded of the empty place around the table, or the relationships that are strained.

Personally, this has been a tough year for me. I know for many of you it has been tough as well. I know that as you sit here tonight thinking about Christmas, your minds go to the people you have lost or the hurts you have felt. Tonight, I’m not asking you to forget about those things, but my hope is to show you that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus offers us hope in the midst of pain. It doesn’t make our pain any less real, but the manger reminds us that God’s plan is almost always bigger than we can see—and He cares about you more than you know.

Throughout the Advent season we have been preaching a series of sermons that finish the statement, “Christmas is a big deal because…” So far we have said that Christmas is a big deal because it is the fulfillment of God’s promise, because it is God’s rescue plan to save us from our sin, and because it brings us true and lasting peace. Tonight I want to remind you that Christmas is a big deal because it is the antidote to the problem of death.

Jesus, Born to Die

So often when we think of Christmas, we think of the beautiful (if somewhat inaccurate) scene of Mary and Joseph and Jesus in a stable surrounded by shepherds, wise men, angels, and farm animals, with a bright star shining overhead. We think about such a serene picture and the beauty of that night. But the real beauty is not found in the gathering of people around the baby in the manger, but in the reason that baby was born. That little baby was born so he might grow up and die in our place, then rise again, defeating death once and for all. The baby Jesus was born for the expressed purpose of dying.

When you think about it, death is one of the few things all human beings have in common. (Cynical people also point out that taxes are the other thing we all have in common!) But death was not part of God’s original plan for human beings. God did not design us to have to experience death, disease, and much of the pain and frustration with which we are all familiar. It is only because of sin that any of these things have become part of the human condition. Unfortunately for us, we all share the same fate—from the moment we are born we are moving toward our own death.

Jesus was born so He could deal with he problem of sin once and for all and make it possible for death to ultimately be defeated. As we look at the baby in the manger, we must remember his purpose was to be born so he could die—but his death was necessary in order to accomplish something much greater.

This is one of the things that we must remember as we walk through life and experience all manner of different pains and struggles—God’s plan often doesn’t make sense to us…but He has a plan that is greater than we can ever imagine.

Think about if you heard this story for the first time. You read about this baby who was born in this wonderful way. You read about the many people and angels who celebrated His birth. You read about how this was the baby who had been promised for hundreds of years. Then you read about how that baby grew up and healed people, loved people, and taught people about God. It seems like a wonderful story…until you read about the religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus, came up with false charges against him, and had him publicly beaten and publicly executed. If you didn’t know there was more to the story, it would be really depressing. It would seem senseless. We’d find ourselves asking why. The good news is, that’s not the end of the story.

Jesus, The Defeater of Death

The story didn’t end with Jesus’ death. Instead, we find that three days later Jesus rose from the grave, very much alive!

Jesus continued his ministry on earth for another 40 days and then went back into heaven, promising that one day He would return once more, to finally end the curse of sin and make us whole once more. What I want you to see is this: sometimes we don’t understand why God allows certain things to happen because the story isn’t over yet. In the middle of our story things sometimes look hopeless and senseless. If you have experienced death or hardship, you may feel this way. I just want to remind you, the story isn’t over. God has a plan, even if you can’t see it yet.

The evidence for this is Jesus Christ himself! God’s plan is perfect, a plan to ultimately redeem all the hurt and pain we face in this life. This is part of the reason Christmas is a big deal—it shows us God has a plan to fix everything wrong with this world, including the pain of death.

This is the promise and hope we find in Jesus. Because He conquered death, we have confidence that we will too. He promised us this. Listen to what Jesus told his disciples before his death in John 14,

1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. (John 14:1-3, NLT)

Jesus told his disciples He was going to prepare a place for them in heaven, and one day they would join him there. That promise applies not only to Jesus’ disciples back then, but to us even now. Because Jesus has conquered death, He makes it possible for us to do so as well!

This is great news for the believer facing the death of a loved one or even facing their own death. Death in this life is not the end of the story. We know that when our lives end here we will be with Jesus (and other believers) in heaven. This means for the Christian, the death of another Christian is not really goodbye—it is really more like, “See you later.” This is part of the hope we find at Christmas.

Jesus doesn’t promise us that everyone goes to heaven when they die. That seems to be the common perception in our society today. Most people seem to think all you really need to do in order to go to heaven is to die. Others will tell you that you have to be a good person in order to go to heaven. When you ask them to define that, most can’t. They will simply tell you that really bad people (like Hitler, everyone seems to agree that he’s not in heaven) go to hell. The question is, how good is good enough? And who decides whether we are good enough? In the moments when we are honest with ourselves, we know we really aren’t worthy of heaven. We know what we’re really like, and we don’t measure up. So, if you have to be good enough to go to heaven when you die, we’re all in trouble.

That’s why the message of Jesus is so comforting. We don’t have to be good enough. Not everyone goes to heaven when they die, but it’s also not something we have to earn. Listen to what Jesus said in John 11,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NLT)

Jesus says the determining factor in whether we live after we die is very simple—whether we trust in Jesus and follow him in the way we live. If we will trust Jesus not only to take care of us when we die, but also to lead us even now, then we will never really die. But notice Jesus’ last words in these verses. He asks a question, “Do you believe this?” That is the question that makes all the difference. It’s one thing to know the facts of Christmas. Maybe you can recite the story and explain the significance of everything in it. Maybe you even know what gold, frankincense, and myrrh are…but if you do not believe Jesus enough to trust him with your life, then you will not experience the resurrection he has made possible. So I would encourage you tonight to be honest with yourself and to answer the question, “Do you believe this?” The answer to that question has consequences that will affect this life and the life to come.

The Pain of Death is Still Real

The resurrection of Jesus is good news for those who believe, because it means the end of this life is not the end of the story. It means we can live even though we die. And it means that there is hope, even as we say goodbye to someone we love. But though this hope should temper the pain of loss, it does not make the loss any less real. The death of a loved one is still painful because we must now live without that person. We must continue to carry on until the day of our reunion. And that is hard.

Sometimes people have the idea that Christians shouldn’t grieve, because we believe in heaven. But that isn’t true. In 1 Thessalonians 4, listen to what Paul says,

13And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NLT)

The Bible does not teach us that it is wrong to hurt or grieve over those we love. Rather, it reminds us that we grieve differently. We grieve with hope for the future. Because of Jesus, we know that the story isn’t over. But it is still hard to grieve.

In the book of John we read the story of Jesus losing his good friend Lazarus to death. Jesus was told that Lazarus was near death, yet Jesus delayed for two days before going to see him. The delay is curious because it meant Jesus didn’t arrive until after Lazarus had died. What no one else knew is that Jesus delayed because he had a plan that was much bigger than Lazarus; and allowing Lazarus to die was an important part of that plan.

When Jesus arrived at the house of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, they were understandably upset. They had been grieving for their brother, and when they first saw Jesus, they each said the same thing, “If only you had been here, our brother would not have died.” I almost wonder if there was an edge, an anger in the way they said it, as though they blamed Jesus for Lazarus dying. Jesus seemed unfazed by their frustration. He understood they were hurting.

Shortly after returning to see the family, Jesus asked to be taken to Lazarus’ grave. We are told that as he went, Jesus wept with the family. If you know the story, you know how it ends. Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after being dead for 4 days! So why would Jesus weep with his family if he knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead? Because Jesus understood their pain, and he felt their pain too.

God did not design us to die. He did not design us to experience the pain of losing those we love, but it’s an unfortunate consequence of our choice to sin and rebel against Him. Jesus saw how much it hurt to lose someone you love and he grieved alongside Mary and Martha. God does not condemn us for feeling pain. He does not condemn us for asking why. He does not get angry that we don’t understand why he allows us to experience some things that are incredibly painful. Instead, He enters into our pain with us.

What does this mean for us? It means that whenever we face difficult circumstances (whether the death of a loved one, the death of a dream, the death of a relationship, or the death of the life we thought we’d have), we don’t have to face them alone. If you have ever faced grief before you have probably discovered that the best thing people can do to help you isn’t to tell you platitudes or to try to make sense of it for you. The best thing someone can do is simply to be present with you, to enter into your grief, and to let you know you are not alone. That simple act of love and empathy brings far more strength and comfort than any number of words can. Here’s my point—that’s what Jesus does for us. He understands our grief and enters into it with us. We can come to Him with whatever hurts we have without fear of being laughed at, ridiculed, or pushed aside. God doesn’t get tired of hearing about your hurts. He doesn’t expect you to simply “get over it” the way friends and family might. He understands and aches with you. So rather than running away from the Lord, we should run to Him.

The good news of Christmas is that Jesus came into the world to defeat death once and for all. And He did. But death will still be part of the human experience until Jesus returns once more. But because Jesus came to earth, he understands our pain. He mourns with us. And He sticks by us. If Christmas is a time of mixed emotions for you, that’s what I want you to remember. Even if no one else around you seems to notice your pain; even if you are sitting in a room full of people and feel utterly alone, you are not. Jesus is right there with you. He shares your pain and is weeping at the hurt you’re going through. Jesus defeated death, but He also helps us to cope with a life that is full of pain because of sin. If you ask me, that’s a reason to celebrate Jesus coming into the world.

Conclusion

Christmas is many things to many people. For many Christmas is about family, or presents, or snow, or music, or thousands of derivative Hallmark movies, or any number of other things. But the real meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ coming into the world to accomplish what only He can. Jesus’ entrance into the world fulfilled the promises that were made long ago, it dealt with the problem of our own sinful condition, it brings us a peace that goes beyond our circumstances and penetrates into our very souls, and it also sets in motion the process of dealing with the problem of death in our world. Jesus was born to die, and because He died and rose again, we can have confidence that those who trust Him will live again as well. That’s good news.

For some of you Christmas is a hard time. You may look around a room full of people and see only the empty spot. You may be around people who love you, but feel like they are tired of your pain, so you feel like you have to put on a happy face and pretend like your pain doesn’t exist. Please remember that the entrance of Jesus into the world gives us hope, even in the face of death and hardship.

Maybe your Christmas isn’t melancholy. Maybe it is a time of pure joy (as it should be)! If that is the case, I celebrate with you. Maybe you look around though and see pain in the eyes of another. Maybe your mind goes to someone this year who you know will have a difficult time at Christmas, but you are scared to say something to them, for fear of making things worse. Talk to your friends. Tell them you’re thinking about them. It’s ok. More than anything else, those who are grieving often fear that they are all alone. They think they are the only ones who remember the loss. They think everyone else has moved on. It’s a very lonely place. So help your friends to know they’re not alone. Help them know you see them. You don’t have to have some special words to make things better…words can’t fix their pain. But your love and your care can. Simply entering into the pain of another is far more healing than anything else you can do.

In some ways it might seem like this is kind of a downer approach to Christmas worship, but that is not my intention at all. My intention tonight is to help you see that Christmas offers us great hope, encouragement, and joy—even in the midst of sorrow, trials, or difficulties. There is a reason we celebrate the entrance of Jesus into the world—because He changed everything.

So how is it that Jesus gives us hope? First, he shows us we don’t have to face hardship alone. We are reminded that Jesus feels our pain, He sticks with us, and will never abandon us. Even when we feel like the whole world has forgotten about us, we know God has not. The baby in the manger reminds us that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for you and for me. We are never alone.

Second, Jesus shows us that sometimes we don’t understand because the story isn’t over yet. Jesus’ life is the perfect example of how God’s plan often doesn’t make sense until everything is revealed. Think about how we call the day on which Jesus was murdered “Good Friday.” Think about how we celebrate the fact that Jesus was born in order to die. Those certainly don’t seem like good things…until we see the whole story. It is when we see the big picture of what God is doing that we come to understand how He is using even the painful things for good. So when you find yourself despairing that you don’t understand, or questioning why, remember that the story isn’t over yet.

Third, Jesus tells us how the story ends. Jesus told us, and then demonstrated with his own life, that death is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of the next chapter—a chapter where everything is once again made right. Because of Jesus we need not fear dying, and we need not despair when those we love die. We may still hurt and grieve, but we grieve with hope, knowing that the end of this life is not the end of the story. We may not know how all the pieces fit together yet, but we know that at the end of it all, God will destroy sin, He will restore us, and we will live together with Him (and those who have gone before us) in Heaven for all of eternity.

When you think about these things, you can understand why Christmas is such a big deal! It marks God beginning to bring His plan to fruition. It reminds us that Jesus came in order to give us hope, and to promise us a future that is better than we can imagine.

You may have come into this place tonight feeling down for one reason or another, but I hope you leave knowing the hope that is offered to us through Jesus Christ. Regardless of what you face, I hope you will remember that God loves you and stands with you. He sent His son into the world to save you and to give you a future. Though you can’t see how all the pieces fit together yet, you know how the story ends. For those who trust in Christ, our best days are still ahead of us. If we actually remember that this Christmas, then it truly will be the most wonderful time of the year.