Don’t Miss Christmas
Luke 2; Matt. 1-2; John 1:10
Most of us know December is a very busy month for celebration- maybe the biggest celebration of the year. But you really don’t know the half of it. In fact, there are many official celebrations in the month of December. Let me list a few for you (all of these are official!)
You’ve probably already missed National Safety Razor Day on Dec. 2, National Dice Day on Dec. 4, Bathtub Party Day on Dec. 5, and National Pawnbroker’s Day on Dec. 6. Did you celebrate National Day of the Horse on Dec. 10? How about “Pick a Pathologist” Day on Dec. 13? I like this one: National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day on Dec. 16?
If you missed all of these special days, then do not fret. You can still celebrate National Humbug Day on Dec. 21, National Whiner’s Day on Dec. 26, National “No Interruptions” Day on Dec. 30, and maybe the most important, National Make Up Your Mind Day on Dec. 31.
I guess many of us have missed or will miss the festivities on these special days in December. On the other hand, there is one day in December that you most probably cannot miss even if you wanted to: December 25- Christmas. It is one of the most universally celebrated holidays in our nation, if not the world. And yet I believe that there are many people- maybe even some in this congregation this morning- who will miss Christmas this year.
No, I don’t mean they won’t put up a tree, or buy presents, or sing carols, or even come to church. But they will miss understanding the meaning, or experiencing the power of that night that God did something so wonderful and so powerful that it literally changed human history.
This morning, I want to talk to you about some people who missed Christmas because today many still miss Christmas for the same reasons. I also want to remind you of some people who did not miss Christmas, but experienced the meaning and power of that night in a way that gave them hope and joy. I want to encourage you today, not to miss Christmas.
I. SOME PEOPLE MISS CHRISTMAS.
The annual Nativity play for the kids was going well until the scene where Joseph and Mary knock on the door of the inn, and Joseph asks, “Can you give us food and lodging for the night?” But the little boy playing the innkeeper gets lost in his role, flings the door open wide, and announces, “Come in, come in. You shall have the best room in the house.” But Joseph saved the day when he walks in, looks around, shakes his head, and announces, I’m not taking my wife into a place like this. Come on, Mary, we’ll sleep in the stable!”
The Bible tells us that even with all of the wonderful events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, there were some who were unaware or even hostile to the arrival of the new born King. How did they miss Christmas? The Bible gives us three reasons:
a. They have no room for the King. (The people at the inn.) (Luke 2:7) Quick, what was the name of the innkeeper in the Christmas story? Would it surprise you to know that the Bible does not even mention an innkeeper? The only phrase that mentions the inn is in:
Lk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
How did they find out there was no room in the inn? Did the innkeeper tell them or did they find out some other way? Was any attempt made to make room for Mary and her baby?
The Bible doesn’t tell us. Maybe the no vacancy sign was lit up. Maybe the innkeeper was apologetic, or maybe he was uncaring. Maybe the people in the inn refused to make room. All we know from the Bible is that there was no room for this expectant mother, and so Jesus had to be laid in a manger. (Did you notice the Bible doesn’t say He was born in a stable?).
The point Matthew is making here is that even though Jesus is God’s King, nobody made room for Him when He was born. And many do not make room for Him today, and because they don’t, they miss Christmas. Another reason some people miss Christmas is because:
b. They hate the King. (Herod.) (Matt. 2:3, 16) One of the most wicked characters in the true story of Christmas is the murderous King Herod. When the Wise Men come to Jerusalem to seek the One Who is born King of the Jews, Herod was not in the mood to celebrate. In fact, he becomes very worried. Why? Herod was not a Jew, but what is known as an Idumean- a descendant of Esau. Through he and his family’s political maneuverings, he had been appointed King of the Jews by the Roman Empire. But he was not very popular, and always suspicious of almost everyone who would take his throne away from him. He was cunning, and hated this newborn King so much He later had all of the boys 2 and under in Bethlehem killed. Herod missed Christmas, because He wanted to get rid of Jesus, and there are some who miss Christmas because they hate Jesus so much they want to get rid of Him, too. But there is one more group who missed Christmas because
c. They ignore the King. (The world.) (John 1:10)
Jn 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know [notice, MSG] Him.
There were no headlines in the newspaper the morning after the first Christmas, reading NIGHT OF WONDER: GOD BECOMES MAN! SAVIOR BORN TO REDEEM THE WORLD ENTERS THE WORLD AT BETHLEHEM! Very few people witnessed the miracle of the incarnation of God, the Son, on that night. And most of the world would probably not have been too interested anyway. Caesar ruled in Rome, the High Priests ruled in Jerusalem, and they all lived in their own worlds. History did not stop when Jesus was born- it just kept right on going, and nobody noticed that something wonderful had happened.
The world as a whole ignored the birth of Jesus- in fact, we don’t even know precisely what year, month, or day He was born. The world ignored the greatest miracle that had ever happened up to that time, and they missed the first Christmas.
Just like these folks, you might miss Christmas, too.
You’ve got a full schedule, a full mind, a full heart, and a full life. You don’t have time to squeeze in the Bible, prayer, or church. Your mind is so full of worry, plans, and thoughts you don’t have room for loving the Lord with all of your mind.
Your heart is full of your own dreams and desires that you don’t have room for much consideration about the dreams and desires of the Lord Jesus. You will miss Christmas because you have no room for Him.
No, you would never say that you hate Jesus like Herod, but you have your own little world where you sit on the throne and call the shots. You like to keep everything just like you like it, and you are not interested in anyone else coming in and changing anything. King Jesus is welcome to visit, but not to reign. You will miss Christmas because you do not submit to His authority over your life.
Or it may be that you just ignore the Lord, like the rest of the world. You’re a good person, a moral person, and religious person, but you have never taken Jesus’ words seriously when He says, “You must be born again.” You know Jesus as the Baby in the Manger, the Good Man, but you ignore the fact that He wants to be more than just a symbol or historical figure- He wants to be real to you.
You can enjoy the good cheer, the holiday sentimentality, the lights and presents and food and family- you can do all of these things, and yet you will still miss Christmas. Or you can do as some other people in this story did:
II. SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS.
Right after Sunday school, a little boy was explaining to his younger brother: I learned in Sunday School all about the very first Christmas. There wasn’t a Santa way back then, so these three skinny guys on camels had to deliver all the toys! And Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright wasn’t there yet, so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find their way around!
The Bible tells us that there were some people who experience the power and glory that the birth of Christ produced in this dark world. They experienced Christmas because:
a. They make room for Jesus. (Mary & Joseph). (Matt. 1:18-24) Though the inn has no
room for Jesus, two people were willing to make room in their lives for the Savior: Mary and Joseph.
Mary’s pregnancy filled her and Joseph’s life with some big problems. First, she became pregnant before she became officially married. She told a story about an angel, and the Messiah, but the buzz around town was probably that there was somebody besides Joseph. Then Joseph decides to quietly divorce her, then he mysteriously changes his mind and the buzz gets louder. It’s a safe bet that nobody else really believed, much less understood what God was doing in their life. Their plans for their future had no doubt been quite different.
They didn’t ask for this to happen. They had dreams, and plans, and desires, but they were willing to set all of these aside to make room for Jesus as God’s plan for their lives. Because they made room for Him, they didn’t miss Christmas- they experienced Christmas. Some other folks experienced Christmas because
b. They bow before the King. (Wise Men). (Matt. 2:1-12) Tradition says that the Magi, or
Wise Men, were also rulers in their land, though we don’t know that for sure. What we do know is that they made their long journey from the East to Bethlehem with only one purpose: to bow before the newborn King, and honor Him with their gifts.
Mt 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
That little phrase there means that they laid down with their whole body on their face before the baby King. They bowed in their minds, their hearts, and their bodies before baby Jesus. They bowed as low as you can go! They realized that this baby was more than just an earthly king- He was the Highest King of the Universe, not only worthy of honor, but worthy of worship! He deserved to be loved, and obeyed, and glorified. Because they bowed before Jesus, they didn’t miss Christmas- they enjoyed Christmas! But let’s look at one more group who experienced Christmas because
c. They seek the Savior (Shepherds) (Luke 2:8-20) God must have a soft spot in His
heart for shepherds. Why else would He send angels to announce the birth of Jesus to a bunch of sheep herders? What is just an unusual is that these frightened shepherds cannot just stay in the fields- they have to go to Bethlehem and see this Savior for themselves. Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds exactly where the Baby was, but told them how they would recognize Him when they did find Him: He would be the baby lying not in a crib, or bed, but a manger. They hurried to seek Him, and even after they had found the newborn King, they couldn’t be quiet about Him: they told everybody what Who they had found. And because they were willing to seek the Savior, they found Him, and instead of missing Christmas, they experienced Christmas.
If all these folks could enjoy Christmas, so can you.
If Mary and Joseph could find room in the midst of their confusion, questions, and hardships, you can too. It may not be easy, and it will involve sacrifice. It may mean forgetting what other people think, and letting go of some of your dreams, but if you want to experience Christmas, they would tell you it’s worth it all.
If the Wise Men could crown Jesus King in the Manger, you can crown Him King in your life. You probably don’t have gold, frankincense, and myrrh to lay before Him, but what you do have, you can give. You can surrender your life to Christ wholeheartedly, which the Bible says is your “reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).
If these shepherds could decide to seek the Lord in Bethlehem, you can commit yourself to seeking Him in His Word, in prayer, in doing His will. You can make it your goal in life to look for God’s will, and do God’s will in every area of your life.
You don’t have to miss Christmas- you can experience Christmas more powerfully and wonderfully than you ever have before, if you are willing to make room for Him, bow before Him, and seek Him with all your heart. The question is- will you miss Christmas, or will you experience Christmas?
Once upon a time there was a great king whose love for his people knew no limits. Though the kingdom was very large, the king knew every person by name, and he was known for giving his subjects all they needed to make their lives blessed.
One day the people of his kingdom, in order to show their love and appreciation to their king for all he had done, decided to have a great celebration to honor his birthday. Preparations for the celebration were very elaborate. No expense was spared. They adorned their homes with lights, decorations, and expensive ornaments. There were parties, dinners, and celebrations throughout the kingdom.
All the people brought gifts for their friends and family. In fact, the people spent more on the birthday celebration than they spent at any other time of the year. When the great day of celebrating his birth finally arrived some of his people did come bringing gifts and thanking him for his goodness to them. But to his dismay, most of the citizens never came to his house at all on the day of celebration. And the gifts brought to the king by those few who came were very meager when compared with the gifts they had given themselves.
For the most part the people had been so busy with all the celebrations and personal plans that they had forgotten about the king. Several said they had thought of him, but really could not work it into their schedules or budgets to come see him or bring a gift. A few were known to be quite put out when it was suggested that going to the king’s house or remembering him with a gift was important.
Those people who did come to his house and who brought their loving gifts were welcomed and blessed by the king. But when they had gone and he was alone again, the king fell to thinking of the vast numbers of people who had forgotten and forsaken him. How could they have forgotten? Had he not loved them all?
How could so many of his beloved people who had found the time and money for shopping and feasting and partying and decorating and all sorts of celebrations--how could they possibly be so thoughtless, so ungrateful or selfish? Didn’t they know that He had feelings, too? Wasn’t the purpose of the birthday celebration originally planned to honor him?
If you miss Jesus, you will miss Christmas. Do you need to make room in your life for Christ today? Do you need to surrender your life anew to Him as your Lord this morning? Is God calling you to seek Him again today? Don’t miss Christmas this year- experience the celebration of Christ’s birth with joy and glory. O Come Let Us Adore Him.
