Why We Celebrate Christmas

Luke 2:10 KJV 1900

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:11 KJV 1900

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Before we can appreciate the good news, we must understand the bad news

The bad news is that we are all sinners.

We are helplessly and hopelessly lost in sin.

There is NOTHING, we can do on our own to change our eternal punishment for our sins.

We are bound for hell.

When we come to that realization, we will be desperate for help. Desperate for a Savior.

Buried in shame and guilt, we will cry out for forgiveness and redemption.

With that in mind, I want to look at a biblical example of this desperation.

Psalm 51 ESV

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Isaiah 53:4–5 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

We don’t celbrate the birth of a mere child. We celebrate the coming of our Savior. We celebrate the answer to David’s prayer, not only David but the prayer of every old testament believer who prayed, with a broken and contrite heart for forgiveness. But not only those in the Old Testament, but the answer to every sincere prayer for mercy ever prayed or that ever will be prayed.