Why Christmas?

INTRODUCTION: There’s something almost magical about the Advent and Christmas season: children dream of Santa Clause, we picture Christmas decorations, snowy scenes, fire places, piles of presents and smiling families around the fire.  Just a few years ago, I randomly woke up at 3 o’clock in the morning to find that my oldest son was awake and was just sitting in front of the Christmas tree, staring at it.  I could see the lights reflecting on his big brown eyes… It was a magical moment.  Have you ever seen a child staring into a Christmas tree? We are wired to wonder! We are designed to find ourselves in something greater than our own little lives.

But, the truth is that this season isn’t always really as perfect as we imagine.  Some people overdo Christmas shopping and there are too many Santa’s everywhere you go for a child to actually believe in just one.  In fact, over-indulging takes its toll on family life. Parties, overspending, concerts and performances over crowd and over extend us.  For others, it’s just a season of despair and depression, especially given this year. But what is the whole thing about?

Now I could give a quick reprimand to keep Christ in Christmas, as if Christmas is a this wholly other thing that must occur every year… and we should make sure to stick Jesus onto it.   But really? What’s the whole point? Why even do Christmas? 

More than the holiday… More than the Church celebration…. Christmas is about Incarnation.  Christmas is about God becoming a man! By what does that mean? Why is that important? What’s the purpose behind God becoming a baby? That even sounds bizarre doesn’t it.

Why Christmas? Why a body? Why incarnation?

MAIN POINT – Because God’s Entire purposes are wrapped up in Christmas!

Now that’s a bold statement. Surely, I’m not saying that all of the lights and tinsel, songs and cookies are the entirety of God’s purposes. Nope!  Instead, if you strip away all of the veneer, all of the decoration, all of the silly characters, all of the Jingle Bells and other songs. If you boil Christmas down, you get the most beautiful thing the world has ever known.  It’s God’s purposes found centrally and surely in Jesus Christ. It’s found right in the Apostles Creed: We believe in Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary.

You see Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger. Matthew 1:23 makes this clear. The baby is to be named Immanuel, which means God is With Us! But the story of that baby doesn’t end with his birth, but we follow it through even to his death.  And the purposes of God are wrapped up entirely in this baby in a manger and broken man on a cross.

RESTATE MAIN POINT God’s Entire purposes are wrapped up in Christmas

And so today I want to expand this and explain this. Looking at the text of scripture we just read, I want to talk about how God’s purposes are found in Jesus Living and in Jesus Dying.

POINT 1 – God Purposes are found in Jesus Living

EXPOSITION Today’s passage is found in the book of Hebrews, a notorious book because it has no stated author and by all accounts doesn’t even look like a letter.  In fact, a lot of scholars see it as a sermon with exposition & application put into writing because of the preacher’s absence. Further it is clearly a sermon addressed to Jews who followed Jesus as the Messiah.  The preacher continually connects ancient Jewish practice and belief to Jesus.  Jesus is superior to the angels in chapters 1 & 2.  Jesus is superior to Moses in chapters 3,4 and 12.  Jesus is superior to Aaron and the priests in chapters 4-7.  Jesus is superior to Old Covenant sacrifices in chapters 3-10.  Jesus is superior to the patriarchs in chapters 10-12.  Jesus is superior!

But Jesus’ superiority is seen in our passage mainly due to Incarnation. In Bethlehem of Judea around 5 BC, a young Jewish virgin was experiencing the agony of labor as she struggled to give birth to a little baby boy.  This raw, obscure scene is rightly named the Incarnation.

Verses 14, 16 and 17 says… “14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things...16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham... 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect,”

We talk about Jesus 'incarnating' which means putting on flesh. Jesus is superior to angels and all things because He put on meat, He took on flesh! Why is that important? Why did Jesus take on flesh?

Well according to verse 14, it was because the children (speaking of the Jewish people) are human, sharing flesh and blood that He took on flesh and blood. Because we are humans, He became human.

This is important because Christianity stands or falls on this truth.  The Incarnation of Jesus is how God actually came to us.  It’s how He actually saves those who are ‘flesh and blood’.  Jesus became incarnate, He stepped through the invisible spiritual into human flesh, to save the race of Adam.  In the incarnation, the eternal Son of God assumed a human nature.  He was made of the same flesh that we are made of and shared in our same experiences, yet He remained without sin.  

But He didn’t just incarnate Himself for the fun of it.  According to the rest of verse 17 it was “so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God.” And in verse 18,” because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

The purposes of God are found in Jesus Living because in living just like us, He experienced the exact same things we do. Though He Created everything, He became hungry.  Though He never tasted time, He grew tired.  Though He existed sufficiently eternally, He ate, drank, slept, ached and ‘shared in these” things that we all know and experience. This is breathtaking and unbelievable.  Yet this is the first truth of the gospel.  God became a man. He became like us.

But it wasn’t just a random plan, the text says that Jesus ‘had to be made like his brothers and sisters’ so that He might live our life in order to die our rightful death. Jesus became a man in order to become a ‘high priest’ on our behalf. Now when I say He became a priest, I’m not saying that He walked around with a white collar and blessed dogs. No, in the Old Testament and throughout the Ancient World, priests were mediators between man and God.  The priest would represent the entire people before God and offer a substitute sacrifice on their behalf. Jesus functioned as a priest to represent us before God. But in order to be a priest, the Son of God had to become a man!

He lived like us. He experienced what we experience. He represents us by becoming us. So much so that, according to this text, we can look to Him for help in our times of need because He too suffered!

Now, some criticize Christianity saying we stole the idea of the incarnation from ancient myths. However, though there were numerous instances where the ‘gods’ were said to manifest themselves in human flesh, these instances read and sound much more like the examples today of ‘super-beings’ like Superman or Wonder Woman intervening in human affairs. But none of them came to live, suffer, become like, experience, represent and ultimately die for humanity. These characters, never rooted in history, are vastly different from the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION- And yet it is a mystery, a mystery that is hard to comprehend and even accept.  I remember leading a small group at a coffee shop in Kansas City a few years ago.  About half way through our discussion time, a man who had been quietly listening nearby asked if he could join in.  Of course! We continued our discussion when he started to open up about himself and his beliefs.  He was very kind and gentle. He explained that as a Muslim, his biggest objection to Christianity is the Incarnation.  “How could god, who is so big and transcendent and holy and unknowable… how could he become a human… how could he become a baby?” He asked.  This was unthinkable in his mind, and if we’re honest, unthinkable to most of us if we really consider it. After a long pause, where I was praying & trying to figure out what to say, I agreed with him. I told him that he’s right, it is scandalous and unthinkable for God to do that.  Unless… there is something in God’s heart that makes Him want to do that! And then I described the most beautiful thing in the world, how a loving supreme God would actually take on our skin and bones. 

APPLICATION: It is the most beautiful thing! And oh, how after years of celebrations and decorations, we are far too over-familiar with it.  Many scenes in Jesus’ life catch our imagination, but few as forcefully as the nativity of our Lord! To those who follow Jesus, the picture of Joseph and his betrothed huddled with a newborn becomes overwhelming.  Their lowly estate is actually grand! Our minds have to surrender to the beauty here. We feel compelled to bow, and to love… to pick the baby up and feel the immeasurable weight of His tiny frame! To realize that if we had been born generations prior, we could have held God in our arms…

It’s so overwhelming, words can’t give it justice. Only worship.  Which is why Alphonsus Liguori cries out in a Christmas prayer: “My Jesus, supreme and true God! What has drawn Thee from heaven to be born in a cold stable, if not the love which Thou bearest us men? What has allured thee from the bosom of Thy Father, to place Thee in a hard manger? What has brought Thee from Thy throne above the stars to lay Thee down on a little straw? What has led Thee from the midst of the nine choirs of angels, to set Thee between two animals? Thou, who inflamest the seraphim with holy fire, art now shivering with cold in this stable! Thou, who settest the stars in the sky in motion, canst not now move unless others carry Thee in their arms! Thou, who givest men and beasts their food, hast need now of a little milk to sustain Thy life! Thou, who art the joy of heaven, dost now whimper and cry in suffering! Tell me who has reduced Thee to such misery? “Love has done it...The love which Thou bearest us men has brought all this on Thee.”

And that love compels us to love Him in return! Is it compelling you today? Is it capturing your attention and seizing ahold of your affection?  Is this baby, this man, this God more beautiful to you than anything else?

Further, do you realize that, no matter what you have done or are going through today that you can look backward to the temptations and suffering of Jesus? Just as I explained, that baby grew up and experienced your life. You can look to Him and find encouragement in meeting your own temptations and suffering.  When you pray to Him to rescue you from sin and suffering, you are praying to the One who has Himself walked through suffering!  He’s no stranger to your difficulty. And could it be, that the exact thing you’re facing, is something He too faced? Which means you can run to Him and not away from Him.

You see, every stage of Jesus’ life was shared with ours, no matter our stage of life. And you can look to Him there, find a model to imitate, but also realize He lived that stage of life in substitution for yours! Jesus was a little boy, facing the temptations that children face. Jesus faced the adolescent years and saw the kind of temptations that high school students face. Jesus entered into manhood, without a girlfriend, but with the kinds of temptations that come to us all: alcohol, sex, friends. He faced the sting of betrayal, the pain of being misunderstood, the agony of physical abuse, the experience of death itself! He didn’t just stay far away but that He came so near that He absolutely can relate to every joy and trial of life. And whatever we experience, we can find it in His life, learn from how He modeled it and find comfort that He experienced it on our behalf.

Jesus is the solution to our biggest problems in life and death, in sin and suffering. Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses at every level.  Therefore, we can always approach Him with confidence, for He will not quickly or rashly reject or abandon us.  He thinks too highly of our bodies to do that.  He became a man to dignify our humanity.  It’s not just worthless, the son of God took on our frame!

And how He lived His life actually models how we can live our life. You see, the Incarnation is God’s ultimate mission! And it’s our model for life and ministry. Christmas is our model for mission! When God entered our world in and through Jesus, He came to live amongst us. As a paraphrase of John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” And what did He do there? For 30 years, He worked. He took care of His family. He worshipped. He lived faithfully. And when He did start His ministry, He did it in a particular place and time with particular people. God entered our world by coming to live with us and pursue us. God’s Mission drove Jesus to take on the flesh and blood of the people He was seeking to save!

So as Geoffrey Harris says, “In an incarnational model of [life], those who join with Jesus are those who reach out to the marginalized…. Associate themselves with those most in need of a friend – with Christ who asks a loose woman for water; and speaks at length to her; who is on the side of the woman taken in adultery, and stays to talk with her [and beckon her out of sin] … The incarnate Christ is the one who sweats and agonizes with the little ones of the earth, who bleeds for those who are victims of corruption and the brutal misuse of power. Those who follow such a Christ in the world are in solidarity with those He most obviously came to help- not the righteous, but the lost.”

So, this Christmas, what's your incarnational ministry going to look like? If Jesus went about blessing people, who are you going to bless? How are you going to do that?

If Jesus was constantly eating with the people He sought to save, who are you going to invite over to dinner? Can you open up your home to strangers, neighbors, co-workers? Can you celebrate the Incarnation by inviting other people into your own celebrations?

If Jesus was sent to earth, who are you sent to? How can you articulate the message of Christmas – the gospel, in a way that’s more than Merry Christmas? Whose world can you put yourself in, in order to beckon them to Christ?

Can you see it? Can you see that God’s Entire purposes are wrapped up in Christmas?

POINT 2 – God’s Purposes are found in Jesus Dying

EXPOSITION: But the incarnation itself is not enough to secure our redemption. It’s not enough for God just to be a man!  He must die! As verses 14 and 15 make clear, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Now the Bible never expressly says that God Himself died on the cross. God is eternal and immortal after all. God can’t die. However, the Son of God became Incarnate in order to be able to die as the mediator between God and men. Jesus, as the God-man, had to accomplish a specific work – the defeat of death and the devil.

So, looking at what we’ve seen so far… We are human. Therefore, Jesus became Human. In order that He might die for us. To defeat the power of the death and the devil. So that we might be free!

You see, God’s purpose for Jesus Living is Jesus Dying.  The reason for the incarnation is the death of the Jesus. It’s not as if the Son of God had planned to come among us for another reason, just to stay with us. Then something went wrong and thus He was punished with death. No, the purpose of His coming was to die. And in order to die, He had to share in flesh and blood.

And as the text says, through His death He destroyed the power of devil. And what is the power of the devil? Death! Now do you find it weird to say that in dying, Jesus destroyed the devil?  You may find it weird to even speak about the devil regardless. I mean aren’t we modern people who can easily find psychological reasoning’s behind things? Yet the Bible and this text teaches that we can’t fully understand our world without recognizing real supernatural evil figures. I’d suggest doing otherwise may be too simplistic in not acknowledging how evil is multidimensional. Further to deny a devil seems a bit culturally narrow.  White westerners seem to be the only culture that has objection to a devil, most every other nonwhite and nonwestern culture in the world has no problem with it. To deny the devil is to say they are foolish. But even more, if you believe in God, a good supernatural being, why wouldn’t you believe in a bad supernatural being? As I just said, the Bible and this text teaches that we can’t fully understand our world without recognizing a real devil. 

And Jesus defeated the power of this devil! The word destroy doesn’t mean to annihilate, but to nullify.  Somehow, in dying, Jesus broke the back of the devil’s power & took away his capacity to enslave people to fear. How did Jesus do that? 

Colossians 2:13–15 ESV

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

You see it? Jesus nailed to the cross the record of debts and sins that stood against us! That is the power that the devil has. He used our sinful life and record to accuse and enslave us. He used the power and fear of death and hell to condemn and accuse and enslave us! But in the death of Jesus, that power is nullified! Through Jesus’ death, that power is removed! We are delivered from fear of death and slavery to its consequences, that is hell. And that happens because of Jesus’ death. And that happens because God became a man! And that is how the purposes of God are wrapped up in Christmas!

But all of this is possible for one more reason. As verse 17 ends, “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” This picks back up with the concept of Jesus’ priesthood but gives more clarity. Yes, Jesus functioned as a priest to represent us before God. In order to be a priest, the Son of God had to become a man! But what is shocking about this verse is that Jesus is made the propitiation for the sins of the people.  Instead of picturing a priest placing a slaughtered animal on an altar, what we should be picturing is Jesus, a priest, picking Himself up and laying Himself on the altar!

That’s what Propitiation means. It’s a weird word that not many people are familiar with. Propitiation is something that appeases an offended party, to pacify wrath.  It’s something that covers the offense that causes wrath.  Propitiation means that God’s wrath against sin was turned away from us and diverted to Jesus. And this is even possible because Jesus became like us to then die in our place for the penalty of our sins. Jesus lived the life we never lived and died the death we should have died! As the song says, “Blest be the Lamb, my dearest Lord. Who bought me with his blood and quenched His Father’s flaming sword In His own vital flood.’

This should only provoke worship and wonder! If we can imagine ourselves kneeling beside Mary and look up to see the One who entered her womb, the One who grew up before her eyes, now marred and reviled, hanging on a cross… if we could imagine this, then our hearts would be flung into a rage of emotions. 

Jesus’ incarnation was not an abstract thing, it was flesh and blood. The cross was not abstract thing which we just consider and dissect intellectually. No, a real Man suffered the agony of having His hands and feet pierced and pinned to wooded beams! Inconceivably, God took on flesh only to have it pinned to the rough beams with spikes! This is God’s purposes in Jesus Living and Dying! This is how God’s Entire purposes are wrapped up in Christmas!

Now you may be thinking that is part of God’s purposes is too gory, too scary, too bloody, too masculine, too violent for you to ever embrace or believe in. How can I worship a God that looks so bloodthirsty?

ILLUSTRATION - Let me answer that through my own story. As many of you know, I didn’t grow up a Christian. In fact, I despised my interactions with Christians.  I had never heard the gospel. I had never even thought about wasting my time studying Christianity. But in February 2004 I reluctantly went with my mom to see the Passion of the Christ film.  It was a night that I will never forget. People were sobbing and crying throughout the public theater as before my eyes, Jesus was depicted. He was beaten, He was punched, He was tormented and tortured.  It was all so earthy, and fleshy and human. All of the physical pains we try to avoid, He seemed to experience. And I felt angry. I felt enraged. The whole thing seemed so unjust! Why would this happen to such a kind religious man! It made no sense to me.

And that’s exactly right! Jesus really is merciful and gracious, slow to anger too! And my anger was rightly aroused! Just like our anger should be rightly aroused when we hear of a child being molested, a woman sexually assaulted, a politician in scandal, a spouse cheating on you. But just as we feel rightful anger, God does as well.  He should, shouldn’t He? Let’s flip the question around, how could we worship a God who looks at rapists, thieves and slave traders and simply smiles? That kind of God isn’t just or worthy of worship.

APPLICATION - Though as I was watching the film and I felt the whole thing was unjust, truly it was the most just act that has ever occurred. Because you and I have sinned, we are separated from God. We’ve done it. It’s our fault. And rightly, the loving God’s anger and wrath is aroused at our unjust acts. And if we’re honest, this makes sense. If anyone treated us the way we treat God, we would be livid and long for justice. 

But what is even more inconceivable than God becoming a man, more outrageous than our actions against God, is the fact that the Lord decided to take the penalties of our sin upon Himself. He decided to die so that we don’t have to. The incarnation is unbelievable! But His death is the most unimaginable act of justice and love ever! 

That’s what Christmas is about! Jesus was born to die for me, for you! Not because we are so lovable, wonderful or worthy. He was born to die for us because we are so sinful and desperate!

I remember my first Christmas season as a Christian. I was in awe! I had been so dumb to all things God. I was 19 years old and finally realized that Christmas had the word Christ in it! I realized all the Christmas carols were about Jesus. I realized presents were given to celebrate Him. I was so dull to God, I realized it was all about Jesus. I saw Christmas lights and realized He is the light of the world. I saw Christmas tree’s and remembered that He died on a tree for my sins. 

Do you realize that today? Do you believe that today? This is the gospel, the entirety of God’s purposes. Jesus’ life and death gives and can give you hope in the face of death. Do you fear death? Does it bother you that in 50-70 years everyone in this room will be dead? Are you anxious and afraid? You know that other-worldly sobriety that comes when some you know dies, do you feel that today?

Are you struggling with accusing thoughts? Your past or recent actions keep tormenting your mind? You fall asleep with these thoughts rolling in your head? Are you looking for relief? Do you want to be clean and innocent?

Does the thought of your sins scare you? Does God’s anger feel like it’s hovering over you right now? Do you feel condemned? Are you dreading what it’s like to die and stand before a just, loving and angry God?

Are you overwhelmed today? Is the Christmas season pressing on you? Either in busyness or a unique weight you feel you can’t escape?

My friends, Jesus defeated these adversaries! Can all of you look to Him on the cross and find refuge! Jesus offers the hope of life from the dead. The looming prospect of death should cause those of us outside of Christ to fear. However, Jesus saves those who turn to Him in faith and repentance, delivering them from holy wrath!

Jesus destroyed the power of the devil. He took the devil’s damage upon Himself, so that the devil can no longer do any ultimate damage to those who belong to Jesus. He took our shame and disgrace upon Himself, so that we can live free! So that you can live free! And He secured all of this by rising from the dead!

You see, the Advent and Christmas season really is a magical and beautiful time. Not because of all the decoration or lights. No, but because God’s Entire purposes are wrapped up in Christmas! Because God became a baby.  But ultimately because Good Friday is coming! Resurrection Sunday is coming! He’s not a baby in a manger anymore! He’s no longer a broken man on a cross! Jesus didn’t stay in the grave! And He will not stay in heaven forever!

And so today we can sing with the Christmas Carol O Little Town of Bethlehem that “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.’ And further, “Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.’ And we can look to Jesus; the baby who became the Man like us, who then hung on the cross and cried out ‘It is Finished!’ Amen.