Classic TV Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Christmas is the Season of Change
INTRODUCTION
Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas has always been a favorite of mine.
In this annual Christmas story, the old Grinch who lives on a mountain has been annoyed by the merriment of the Who-ville townspeople at Christmas. According to Dr. Seuss, the Grinch’s heart is two sizes too small, so the Who-ville holiday decorations and celebrations disturb him. Most of all, he is deeply bothered by all the noise, Noise, NOISE of their Christmas morning festivities!
To counteract their Christmas joy, he takes all of their decorations, every last present, all their Christmas food, and every ounce of Christmas preparation that could be bundled up and taken away. The climax of the story (and I hope I’m not ruining it for those who are unfamiliar with the Grinch) is that on Christmas morning, as the sun is coming up, the Grinch looks down on Who-ville, hoping to see their Christmas day sorrow when they realize their Christmas things are gone. But before the Grinch can even slink back to his cave, the Who’s down in Who-ville start singing their Christmas music, joyously gathering together.
"Fa-who-for-ay; da-who-dor-ay; welcome, Christmas, come this way; fa¡Kda¡Kwelcome, Christmas, Christmas day." They continue, singing, "Christmas day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp." The Grinch can hardly believe his ears. He begins to get furious, but then something happens. He suddenly puzzles how Christmas came. "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." Suddenly the Grinch realizes that Christmas is about more than presents, or decorations, or a feast. He has a thought he’s never thought before: "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store; Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more."
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS REMINDS US THAT CHRISTMAS IS THE SEASON OF CHANGE.
TRANSISTION This is the truth that Isaiah hints at in his prophecy more than 400 years before birth of the forgiver.
Turn with me to the Prophet Isaiah. He writes one of the longest books in our Bible and he addresses numerous subjects and issues. He would be the main voice of God in the land when the northern kingdom of Israel would be destroyed.
Looking forward to the coming of the messiah he pens a prophetic word, turn with me to Isaiah 9:2,3.
Isaiah 9:2, 3
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; . . .
TRANSISTION This morning we are going to be reminded that Christmas is the season of change by remembering three things.
Christmas is the season of change because. . .
I. Things were not always this way.
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
A. We used to Walk in Darkness
Let me give you three facets of what Isaiah means to Walk in Darkness
1. Enslaved to shameful and destructive ways (sin).
Have you ever been enslaved to a bad habit?
Anyone here ever bite your nails in secret.
Did you used to be a closet drinker
Sneak food into your room as a child.
Drawn to the wrong websites on the net.
On the hit television show LOST, one of the strand castaways is stashing food and secretly binging on it. He filled with shame, yet he is unable to stop so he’s gorging on ranch dressing, and peanut butter.
Isaiah reminds us that we were once trapped like that in sin.
We Walked in Darkness
2. Unable to navigate life with purpose and meaning.
When I was in the USCG we were once lost in NY harbor. Our compass had been removed for recalibration. Heavy fog had sucked in and all of NY harbor was down to about 100 feet of visibility. So there we were between Brooklyn and Staten Island, lost unable to navigate, unable to fulfill our purpose all we could do was run in circles.
Isaiah reminds us that we are all once like that, lost if a fog of meaningless and purposelessness.
We walked in darkness.
3. Endangered, constantly on the verge of calamity.
Walking in Darkness also represents the reality that once we lived in an endangered way. Where just around the corner calamity lurked ready to destroy us.
In Newton Iowa, a teen out with friends goes to a Halloween fun house. He is enjoying a good time laughing and joking with friends. In an act to demonstrate his bravado he throws opens a door and rushes into the darkness. He falls headlong down a flight of steps and dies.
Isaiah saw our lives like that, always on the verge of calamity. Death lurked just around the corner.
That led him to describe life before Christmas a second way. He said we were living in the land of the shadow of death.
B. We were Shadowed by Death.
1. The dread of death hung over all humanity.
The green mile is the story of men on death row and the guards that carry out their sentences. It gives a unique look at the dread of the passing clock as a condemned man watches the minutes slip by.
2. It’s grip could not be avoided.
Shaka king of the Zulu nation, powerful warrior, dyed his hair with English boot black in an attempt to hide his aging. As powerful as he was he could not stop his own death.
Isaiah reminded us that we all once lived in the shadow of death.
TRANSISTION But Christmas is the season of change because we are reminded that. . .
II. God Changed the World.
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
In Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings all of the Roherin have locked them selves behind the walls of helms deep. Despite their valiant attempts to hold back the hordes of orcs that are attacking their situation looks hopeless. Making one last desperate foray they sortie forth anticipating their doom. Yet on the hills outside of the keep, Dawn is breaking and with the light comes Gandalf with an army of mounted warriors in relief of the siege. To read the account or to see the scene on film in that moment when the light dawns you know all has changed, hope is on the way.
Isaiah predicted that on those people trapped in the darkness, a new light would dawn.
Christmas reminds us that God changed the world he changed how everything worked.
A. Those lost in Sin can now find forgiveness, direction and purpose¡XNo more Darkness
B. Those without hope now embrace a new destiny¡
No more the Shadow of Death
One of Jesus, best friends said it this way.
John 3:16-18
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. NIV
III. We Can Experience Change
whoever believes. . .
whoever believes. . .
A. Attainable--available to any of us
1. Becoming one of those believers who discover eternal life
2. Becoming one of those who is no longer condemned
B. Exclusive--requires a choice of us.
Summary
The Grinch, living in the darkness of his own heart discovers that just maybe the message of Christmas isn’t just about gifts and feasts. Having come to that realization leads to his change, his heart change.
This year every time you see the character of the Grinch, every time you hear the song, let it remind you that Christmas is the season of Change.
That change comes through a relationship with the gift of Christmas: Jesus, the Forgiver, the creator, the one and only.
Sometimes we all need to examine where we stand concerning that relationship. Is it real is it genuine. Sometimes we need to recommit to it.
I find a prayer like this to be helpful.
PRAYER: Jesus, I desire to be more than a Christmas Christian¡Xsinging the carols, attending the services. I desire the change that comes from a real and growing relationship with the great gift of Christmas, the Forgiver, the Star Hanger, Jesus. Amen
Desiring Change?
You may be just beginning your relationship with Jesus and you’d like to know more about how to begin it.
You may be feeling a need to recommit your relationship Jesus and you like to talk to some one about it.
You may want to pray with someone about this issue.
Meet us at the front as we close.
