What you think about Christmas?
Notes
Transcript
Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Christmas is about Jesus!
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning! Welcome to our Church Online Christmas Service! Thanks for being with us to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Even though this is our Christmas service, it’s still part of our sermon series “Master Builders.” It’s been a series on how our thinking impacts our living. We’ve been discussing important topics in the Christian life, so that we can rightly think about them, which will impact how we live. This is all part of our year-long focus on “Growing in Christ.” Here at TRC, we want to be people who are continuing to grow in our faith!
[In-Person- Well, this week is both our final message in the Master Builder series, and our final message for 2020. Next Sunday, we’re going to take off so our families can rest]. This morning, we’re going to discuss the important topic of… Christmas! Bet that was a surprise!
Christmas is an important topic (and day) for Christians. It’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus! But the holiday also has many characteristics and pieces that point to other key Christian topics...
For example… when I think about Christmas, I think about:
Christmas trees.
Presents
Love.
Peace.
Hope.
Joy.
Maybe you can relate to those thoughts? And I’m sure there are plenty more thoughts! But today, I’d like to use these 6 thoughts, filtered through the Christmas story found in Luke 2, to help us think about Christmas! And hopefully, it’ll change the way we live, not just in the Christmas season, but every day!
Let’s begin by reading the Christmas story as Luke tells it:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Before we jump into the first of six thoughts, think about this: As Christians, Jesus should be the center of our lives. He should be the most important thing! After all, we call ourselves Christ-ians. And this is applicable to Christmas too, especially since the phrase “Christmas” can be interpreted, “An dedicated time to worship Christ” - Christ’s mass (worship service).
And since we’re on the subject, you may wonder, “Is that why some abbreviate it Xmas?” Because they want to “cross out Christ.” Well, yes and no.
Yes - I’m sure some do it for that reason...
But No, because the historical use of the letter “X” comes from the greek letter for “Chi,” which is the first part of Christ. So, in case you were wondering, you don’t have to be offended by Xmas - it is a true, biblical, and appropriate abbreviation for Christmas.
Anyways, what I was getting at was I’m going to use this principle of “Jesus at the center” to help us see that everything about Christmas points to Jesus!
Okay, thought number 1: When I think about Christmas, I think about...
Body:
Body:
Christmas Trees:
Christmas Trees:
So, I’m not sure if you noticed … but… there was no mention of trees in the Christmas story. Unless, we say, “The manger was made of wood, which came from a tree.” But, that’s a stretch.
Furthermore, there’s been accusations that the use of Christmas trees actually come from pagan traditions. Therefore, we really shouldn’t use them! But, the evidence is lacking. And, most likely, our Christmas tree tradition comes from 16th-century German Christians, who decorated trees in winter as a sign of hope.
Anyways, no Christmas trees in the Christmas story. So, how does it connect to Jesus? Well, while there’s not a tree in the Christmas story, there is an important tree in Christianity. The apostle Peter once said to the Jewish religious leaders...
The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
The phrase “tree” is another way to refer to the Cross - the place where Jesus died for our sins. The “tree” is an important part of the gospel - the good news! And here’s the connection to Christmas.
While the gospel has its climatic event on Easter, the gospel started on Christmas! As we mentioned last week (and just read)… The angel said to the shepherds...
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The good news - or gospel - is that on that first Christ, the Savior had finally come! The Savior who would one day save us from our sins by dying on a tree!
So, as you look at your Christmas tress, let it give you hope like it did our German brothers and sisters. And more importantly, let it remind you of WHY Jesus came on that first Christmas: That is, to be our Savior! Let the beauty, lights, and memorable ornaments cause you to think of the beauty and light of the Savior, and remember His sacrifice!
Thought number 2: When I think about Christmas, I think about...
Presents:
Presents:
I love presents! When I think about presents, I get like this!
I love receiving presents. I love giving presents. And in the Christmas story, they gave presents too… but NOT in Luke’s story.
The apostle Matthew writes..
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
When we exchange presents this Christmas, it can (and maybe should) cause us to think about the gifts the wisemen brought Jesus with great joy. But, as awesome as that is… it makes me think about another gift given that first Christmas...
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That first Christmas, the greatest gift given was Jesus. He is the world’s Present from our Heavenly Father. Jesus referred to Himself this way to the Samaritan woman at the well...
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
And He was truly a GIFT! Meaning, God didn’t give His Son because He owed us. Jesus didn’t die for our sins because we deserved it. In fact, it’s the opposite! We sinned against Him. We rebelled against Him. We put ourselves on the naughty list. We don’t deserve presents! Nevertheless, God still GIFTED Jesus to us...
Which makes me ask: Why? Why would God give us such a present?
Well, that brings us to though number 3: When we think about Christmas, we often think about...
Love:
Love:
Why did God give us such a present? It’s because He loves us!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This Christmas, as you fill your hearts and homes with love, let it remind you of God’s ridiculous, radical, and crazy love that filled the world on Christmas!
I often think of God’s love this way. John 3:16 says, “God loves us so much that He gave His only Son...”
Two words grab my attention:
Son - this isn’t a dollar tree gift. This isn’t a regift from last year’s White Elephant exchange. This gift cost God something. It’s invaluable! He gave the life of the eternal Son of God - the 2nd Person of the Trinity! Think about that!
Only - Not only was it God’s SON, it was also His ONLY SON! I got three sons. And I love you all. But I ain’t giving up any of my sons for you. But God LOVED us so much that He gave His ONLY Son.
For some reason that I can’t personally understand, He is madly in love with us. The apostle John couldn’t comprehend it either. He writes...
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
This Christmas, take time to reflect upon the great love God has for you! And when you see the little nativity scenes, look at Jesus - lying in a manger - and know it’s proof that God loves you!
4th thought: When I think about Christmas, I think about...
Peace:
Peace:
You know, there are different types of “peace” in the world. There is:
Greeting “peace.”
The hope of “world peace.”
And then there’s God’s supernatural and completely satisfying peace.
I want us to think about the last one. After all, on Christmas, the angels sang...
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
So, what’s the big deal about this kind of peace?
Well, we just talked about God’s crazy love, right? And God loves because He is love. But God is also holy. Meaning, He’s perfect and pure. Additionally, He’s “just.” Meaning, He must judge sin. He can’t let evil go unpunished.
So, here’s something to think about: Although God’s crazy about us, He’s also a holy Judge. God loves us, but our sin separates us. And that’s why Jesus came!
When Jesus died on the Cross - He paid for our sins. The sins we should’ve been judged for, God judged Jesus for instead. And when we put our faith in Jesus, that payment is applied to our lives. And, our relationship (the separation between us and God) is fixed!
The apostle Paul said it this way...
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
He also mentions...
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
It’s kinda scary to think about, but our sin made us enemies with God. But because of Jesus, we now have PEACE with God! And that’s the peace the angels sang about. Because of Jesus, there would once again be peace between God and man!
This Christmas, as you think about peace, remember the supernatural and completely satisfying peace that Jesus brought to earth, which the Christmas angels sang about.
Thought number 5: When I think about Christmas, I think about...
Hope:
Hope:
You know, hope isn’t a wish. Sometimes, we treat it that way. Like my son Kade said last week, “I hope I get a PS5.” That’s a wish! And it’s a wish that’s not coming true apart from a Christmas miracle!
Hope in the Bible... is a guaranteed future promise of God that we look forward to. And the Christmas story is full of this kind of hope! When the angels said to the shepherds...
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The hope that brought was based on a promise God had made long ago. Something the people of Israel were looking forward to!
When the wise men came from the East, they were following a promise. It’s a promise they referred to when they told King Herod...
saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
It was a promise of salvation to those outside of Israel. Which is why they traveled! It gave them hope! They looked forward to it!
And on Christmas, the entire world received hope. This King of the Jews. This Savior. He came to give hope to the entire world! Which is why the angels said...
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
This is the hope of Christmas… the promise that God makes to the world...
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Because of Jesus, God has PROMISES - He GUARANTEES - that whoever turns from their sin (repent) and calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. They will have the PROMISE of eternal life. No matter who you are. No matter where you’re from. No matter what you’ve done. You can have real hope!
Which brings us to our 6th and final Christmas thought. When I think about Christmas, I think about...
Joy:
Joy:
The angel proclaimed good news that would bring “great joy!” And when the shepherds saw the good news was true, when they saw the newborn Kin, it says they...
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
They responded with great joy!
In one of his books, author CS Lewis, mentions about how joy needs to be expressed through action. That’s what happened to the shepherds. They heard good news. Saw good news. Felt great joy. And then expressed it!
And so, this Christmas, let your joy be full and unrestricted. Be joyful this holiday season. It’s okay. You should feel joy. You should act different in response to that joy! Especially as you think rightly about Christmas. When you think on how Jesus has brought “joy to the world.”
Response:
Response:
As we close, I’d like you to think about what we’ve discussed about Christmas.
How our beautiful trees remind us of the beautiful sacrifice of Jesus.
How exchanging presents remind us of Gods gift of Jesus.
How He gave us Jesus because He’s crazy in love with us!
How this Christmas, we can rest in peace because of Jesus.
How, even in the darkest of times, even in 2020, we - and the whole world! - can have hope because of Jesus.
And how we can live joyfully as we respond to our right thinking about Christmas - because we’re rightly thinking about Jesus!
So, here’ my Christmas encouragement to us all: This Christmas, make Jesus the center of your life.
Maybe that’s for the first time. Maybe this is the first time you’ve ever heard the gospel (the good news of Jesus). Or, maybe it’s the first time it’s made sense. And you’re ready to receive God’s Christmas gift to you. If that’s true, in the quietness of your heart, tell Jesus you’re sorry. And that you’re ready to receive His gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Or, maybe you’ve already done that. Well, this Christmas, let me challenge you to step it up. Make Jesus the “center of your life” in a greater way. I’m not sure what that means to you,but I’m positive the Holy Spirit can tell you. Seek God asking Him to help you “Grow in Christ.” Then, let His joy change you. Let it cause you glorify and praise God as your respond to Jesus.
Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for Christmas. More importantly, thank you for Christmas. God, this Christmas, help us to make it all about Jesus. We want the tree, presents, love, joy, peace, and hope… but we realize they get their meaning from Jesus. He is the “reason for the season.” And Lord, we don’t want to keep this good news to ourselves. We want to share it with others. So Father, help us to spread Christmas to our family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Whether that’s in-person or online. May the whole world hear the good news of Jesus during this season. And may their hearts respond to Him. We pray this in Jesus name, amen.
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Also, don’t forget to share the Church Online service with your friends. It’ll be available on FB, YT, IG, and directly from our website. We’ll also be showing it Christmas Eve (@ 5 pm), Christmas Day (11:00am), and Sunday December 27th at our regular Church Online time of 10am.
Have a great day. Merry Christmas! God’s richest blessing to you and your family!
[In-Person: Merry Christmas. If I won’t see you, have a Happy New Year. Praying Blessings over your family for the remainder of 2020! Go share the good news of Jesus with someone! We will not be meeting In-Person next Sunday. Take the time to rest, spend time with the Lord and with your family!]