But Why? (2)

The older I get, the more I realize that three-year old’s are a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for being.

What one question does a three-year-old ask all of the time?

Why?

We kind of program them to stop doing that - it makes us a little bit crazy them asking it over and over again.

But you know, that might be a mistake.

We may need to ask why a lot more often than we do.

When I was in school, we read a poem by John McCrae entitled “In Flanders Field.”

Anyone remember that?

In Flanders Fields, the poppies grow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, thought poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

John McCrae wrote this poem about World War 1 - a war he fought in

He saw so many people get wounded and die.

And being a soldier, he didn’t want the dead to die in vain.

“Take up our quarrel with the foe:” he says.

Keep up the fight.

Keep the fight going lest we all have died in vain.

World War 1 started on July 28, 1914 - at least that’s the official date - lots of things happened that set that “war to end all wars” in motion.

The governments involved thought it to be a quick and easy affair.

Go out - dig a few trenches - whip the enemy - and come home - everyone will be home by Christmas.

Only they weren’t.

The fighting was horrible.

McCrae wrote a letter to his mom:

“For seventeen days and seventeen nights none of us have had our clothes off, nor our boots even, except occasionally. In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for sixty seconds ... And behind it all was the constant background of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed, and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way.”

I’m sure that letter comforted his mom.

It was a horrible war - it was the first war of the new, mechanized age.

Tanks were used for the first time.

Airplanes that had just been invented about 10 years before became killing machines.

Chlorine gas was used and mustard gas.

The men fought from trenches dug by hand that filled with water when it rained and then froze when it got cold.

By the end of the war, a scant 4 years later, 20 million soldiers and civilians were dead, 21 million more were wounded.

Why?

Because governments - governments - ordered farmers and factory workers, their barbers, their cabbies, their milkmen and their salesmen to fight.

To defend their country to the death if they had to.

But no one really asked why - until they did one night.

One night the farmers and factory workers, the barbers and cabbies, the milkmen and salesmen - on both sides, asked why.

December 25, 1914.

The British heard singing coming from the German trenches.

Christmas Carols, popular tunes, “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

The Brit’s started singing with them.

The German’s put up a Christmas tree; they decorated it with candles.

A few intrepid men ventured out of the trenches into no man’s land and greeted the enemy.

More and more men cautiously stepped out from both sides, against orders by the way.

And the men who had been trying to kill each other just moments before made a truce.

Men who, as Dr. Jay Winter said, realized that “wearing a uniform was a parenthesis in their lives,” they asked why.

So, for the next 24 hours.

No shooting.

No killing.

Only friendship as German and British farmers and factory workers, barbers and cabbies, milkmen and salesmen, talked and laughed and remembered life back home.

For 24 hours.

They shared gifts they had received from back home.

There are even rumors they had a soccer game.

For a self-imposed, totally against orders, 24 hours.

Why?

Well, because it was Christmas.

Yes, we know, but why?

In a war, in anything, what makes one day different from the next?

Well, it’s Christmas.

It’s a time to be home, to see family, to celebrate life and love and friendship.

To eat and give gifts and party and rest.

But why?

Why do we do that?

Well, it’s a tradition.

Well, if it is mere tradition, then make a new tradition.

Traditions come and go with the times.

But they didn’t want a new tradition; they wanted THIS tradition.

Why?

Well, it’s because this is the day we celebrate Jesus being born.

And again, I get that - we all know that - we’d all answer these questions the same way.

But why?

Why this baby?

The BBC reports that the Population Reference Bureau estimates that over the course of all human history, over 107 billion people have been born.

107 billion.

And of the 107 billion, we celebrate Christmas because of one.

Because of one.

Why this baby?

Asking why is frustrating, isn’t it, but see, three-year old’s understand, there is a lot of why that needs to be discovered.

Why this baby?

Because he was the Son of God.

He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is the Messiah.

I hate to break this to you but, of the 107 billion plus babies that have been born, Jesus isn’t the only one that made that claim.

There were many people - still are - that walk around and claim to be the Messiah.

And the king of kings title?

People that we have studied in history class: Xerxes, Artaxerxes, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great and Cyrus II of Persia.

In fact, every Persian king of every age wore the title, King of kings and Lord of Lords.

The name means nothing - hundreds, if not thousands of people claimed that title.

It means nothing.

Well, Jesus healed people - so what?

There have been healers in every age.

He had compassion on the poor - so does Bill Gates.

He opened people’s eyes to their potential.

Great, so does Dr. Phil and Oprah and Joel Osteen.

Well, because of Jesus, I am free, I am saved, I am new.

And people have been saying the same thing about all kinds of spiritual and motivational speakers forever - they changed my life!

Why Jesus?

What makes Jesus “the one” out of 107 Billion.

Here’s the story we come to church to hear at Christmas:

Luke 2:1–14 ESV

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!”

But this is the story that makes Jesus “the one”:

Matthew 28:1–8 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

And that’s all I have to say.

If the second story is not true, forget the first story.

Celebrate a big fat man in a red suit until something better comes long.

But if the second story is true, celebrate Jesus.

Do that, and your life will never be the same.

Would you let me pray for you?