The Purpose Of Christmas Series

Introduction: A young boy desperately wanted a bicycle for Christmas, so he asked his parents for the bike; His parents wanted to teach him the importance of prayer, so they suggested the young boy should write a letter to Jesus and pray for one instead."

Not pleased with the response of his parents, he immediately threw a temper tantrum and his parents sent him to his room.

Once he was in his room he decided to take his parents advice and write a letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

I’ve been a good boy this year and would love a new bicycle. Can you see if I can have a new Bicycle?

Your Friend,

Johnny

Now Johnny knew that Jesus really knew what kind of boy he had been that year, so he ripped up the letter and decided to give it another try.

Dear Jesus,

I’ve been an OK boy this year and I want a new bicycle.

Yours truly,

Johnny

Well, Johnny knew this wasn’t totally honest so he tore it up and tried again.

Dear Jesus,

I’ve thought about being a good boy this year and can I have a bicycle?

Johnny

Then Johnny looked deep down in his heart, which by the way was what his parents really wanted. He knew he had been bad boy and hoped he would receive something simply because Jesus loved him. He then crumpled up the letter, threw it in the trash can and went downstairs, where his mother had a Nativity set on the fire place mantle. He then took the statue of Mary wrapped it in a blanket and hid it under his bed.

Then he wrote this letter.

Dear Jesus,

If you ever want to see your mother again – give me a bicycle.

We have to admit some people will try anything to get what they want for Christmas!

Christmas is not about getting what we want rather Christmas is about getting what we need. The first Christmas God was using pinpoint accuracy to bring his plan to fruition to give us what we needed most; a savior!

In this series of messages we have noted how God has used his angels to communicate his perfect plan; a perfect plan that included angelic visits to both Zechariah and Joseph to inform them how they were both to be a part of God’s divine plan.

Today I want us to focus on another angelic message of Christmas. In Luke 1, we find the angel coming to visit Mary with a message of the true Purpose of Christmas.

The text begins with some simple facts.

Luke 1:26-28,

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Christmas is a God orchestrated event!

Vs. 26 tells us it was God himself who sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth. One does not have to study scripture very long to know that God is always seeking out a relationship with man and not the other way around.

It is His holy pursuit of us that demonstrates His love for us – The book of Romans reminds us that God in longing for a relationship with us, that longing finds its fulfillment in Christmas, as God sends his son to us.

While the event of Christmas is God orchestrated, God chooses to use people to bring about his purpose.

Two people are mentioned in Matthew’s narrative;

Joseph – a descendant of David

Last week as we studied the life of Joseph we discovered he was arighteous and kind man, his vocation was that of a carpenter and once he discovered God’s plan he was a willing participant. Yet when Luke mentions Joseph, he mentions only one item about this man he was a descendant of David. Why is that so important to Luke? As Luke was writing this gospel, he wanted his readers to know God was orchestrating Christmas and God keeping His word. A thousand years before Jesus walked on this earth, God promised David one of his descendants would be the Messiah.

The second person is mentioned is Mary

Luke points to her purity stating she was a virgin. She was engaged to Joseph. The engagement normally lasted 1 year, and it was during this time she received a visit from the angel Gabriel with an incredible message; "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

No woman has ever been more honored in all of history than Mary. As the mother of Jesus, she is been the best known woman in the world. Both portraits and statues have tried to capture her likeness, yet the Bible does not speak of her beauty, but of her character – she is highly favored by God and God has chosen to use her in His divine plan. It is important to note she is honored by God not because of her own merit, but because she is God’s chosen instrument for the purpose of demonstrating God’s grace.