Merry Christmas! I cannot believe it’s here…in a two short days we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Once a year we celebrate the greatest gift given to mankind. Once a year, each Christmas, for a few fleeting days we and millions of our neighbors turn aside from our preoccupations and join together in community of wonder.
Eugene Peterson says, “If in the general festive round of singing and decorating, giving and receiving, cooking meals and family gatherings, we ask what is behind all this and what keeps it going all over the world, among all classes of people quite regardless of whether they believe or not, the answer is simply "a birth." Not just "birth" in general, but a particular birth in a small Middle Eastern village in datable time—a baby, named Jesus—a birth that soon had people talking and singing about God, indeed, worshiping God.”
This wasn’t an ordinary birth…there are births all around us and we know from our own personal experience. Birth means that a new person is alive in the world. A miracle in it’s self…that soon is obscured by late-night feedings, diapers, fevers, and inconvenient irruptions of fussiness and squalling. It doesn’t take long or a genius to figure out as parents you are in for the long haul…years and years of the child’s growing up time that will stretch our stamina and patience…sometimes to the breaking point.
How is it that the birth of Jesus has managed to set us back, how is that this birth was something special, something unique…and it continues to do so century after century…
This wasn’t just any birth. The baby’s parents and the first witness were convinced that God was entering human history in human form. Their convictions were confirmed by angels and the Magi and Shepherds …This new and exteriorly life now was before their eyes, right in their neighborhood. Men, women and children from all over the world continue to be convinced right up to the present moment.
Jesus’ birth was where God interceded; it is where God entered into human history personally…The Bible says in John 1:14 “the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”. He moved in…
And for thirty years or so, men and women saw God in speech and actions as a fully functioning human being, he was subject to the same conditions. He was under Jewish religion, Roman rule…God was made incarnate as a human baby is still not easy to believe, but people continue to do so. Many, even those who don't "believe," find themselves happy to participate in the giving and receiving, singing and celebrating of those who do. Incarnation, in-flesh-ment, God in human form in Jesus entering our history: this is what started Christmas. This is what keeps Christmas going, this is the greatest gift!
Why is this greatest gift?
Isaiah 53:2-6 gives us our first clue about Jesus, (Read)…He grew up ordinary, there wasn’t anything special about him …in fact many considered him ‘stricken by God”…why….because he carried our infirmities our sin and on the cross he was pierced for our transgressions…he was crushed for our iniquities…
Isa 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of glory of God”…We have all chosen a path for ourselves…Yet despite ourselves God intervened….”You see, at just the right time, when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly….God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we where still sinners Christ dies for us”.
We found ourselves enemies of God because of our sin, we found ourselves out of relationship with God…it is through the death of Jesus on the cross that we have ‘restored’ relationship with God, it through the blood of Christ we have the forgiveness of sin…
This morning we opened with a baptism, we herd a testimony about a changed life through Christ. Why is this so important…
Romans 6:3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Roman 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
See the greatest gift in Christ in the new life! We where lost sheep, each of us has gone there own way…but God intervened and entered the world, he was born and lived the sinless life and he suffered on the cross, but on the third day he rose again….
The Dominguez family set off Sunday afternoon, dressed in T-shirts, jeans, light jackets, and sneakers. Their plan was to drive into the mountains, find the perfect Christmas tree and head back home to Paradise. They found one tree and cut it down and started to drag it out to the pickup truck they left behind. It didn’t take long after a little snow had fallen to realize they where headed in the wrong direction.
Soon they knew they where lost, they dropped the tree and started looking for a road. After some time they found a road. The family split up, two head east the other two went west…as soon as started to get dark they met back together having found nothing. They spent that night huddled against a tree with limbs over the top of them. Fredrick the father realized to survive they where going to need better shelter.
They found a large concert pipe used for drainage and took refuge. For three days they stayed in the large pipe. During the day they sang songs and night they huddled together to stay off the freezing wind.
Mean while hundreds of volunteers where desperately combing the hillside looking for the family. There was approaching storm on the way. Authorities feared for the worst. CHP helicopters where grounded because of winds, but the weather broke for a thirty minute period. One CHP officer took advantage of the opportunity and made one more loop.
On the ground the family heard the approaching helicopter and Fredrick jumped out of the pipe barefoot and ran yelling and waving…he had earlier used branches and twigs to spell out the word “help”…which the CHP officer saw…he landed on the road near by and rescued the family.
I see this story and I can’t help but to think about Christ…many of us have found ourselves lost in this world, which is cold and many times ruthless. We all try to find shelter, which at best provides temporary relief to the impending storms. Who will rescue us? Thanks to Jesus Christ who enters our world and rescues us! He saves us and restores us, he gives us a new life in Him. The Dominguez family will not care so much about material gifts this Christmas…they will be celebrating the life, their new change at life. This morning you have the same opportunity…The Bible says…
Romans 10:9-10”and if confess with your month, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised from the dead you will be saved, for it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”…
If you never have trusted in Christ then do it this morning…and if you have trusted in Christ…
Think about the gift of New Life he has given you…and celebrate!
