SERIES: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS
“MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET”
LUKE 1:26-38
OPEN
In the famous 1947 film classic Miracle on 34th Street, which was re-made in recent years, a man claiming to be Santa Claus is placed on trial. The judge is hoping to provide an answer for the age-old question, “Does Santa Claus really exist?” The judge comes to the conclusion that if you believe in something strongly enough then it becomes true. However, in reality just believing in something doesn’t make it true.
If you believe in the literal Santa Claus, you pretty much have to believe in miracles. Flying deer, an overweight Santa descending into your house through a narrow chimney, delivering millions of gifts all around the world in one night…all of this would take a great deal of faith to accept. According to a piece called The Mathematics of Christmas, here’s how it would have to work.
Let’s assume that Santa only visits those who are children in the eyes of the law, that is, those under the age of 18. There are roughly 2 billion such individuals in the world. However, Santa started his annual activities long before diversity and equal opportunity became issues, and as a result he doesn’t handle Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children. That reduces his workload significantly to a mere 15% of the total, namely 378 million. However, the crucial figure is not the number of children but the number of homes Santa has to visit. According to the most recent census data, the average size of a family in the world is 3.5 children per household. Thus, Santa has to visit 108,000,000 individual homes. (Of course, as everyone knows, Santa only visits good children, but we can surely assume that, on an average, at least one child of the 3.5 in each home meets that criterion.)
That’s quite a challenge. However, by traveling east to west, Santa can take advantage of the different time zones, and that gives him 24 hours. Santa can complete the job if he averages 1250 household visits per second. In other words, for each Christian household with at least one good child, Santa has 1/1250th of a second to park his sleigh, dismount, slide down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, consume the cookies and milk that have been left out for him, climb back up the chimney, get back onto the sleigh, and move on to the next house. To keep the math simple, let’s assume that these 108 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth. That means Santa is faced with a mean distance between households of around 0.75 miles, and the total distance Santa must travel is just over 75 million miles. Hence Santa’s sleigh must be moving at 650 miles per second -- 3,000 times the speed of sound. A typical reindeer can run at most 15 miles per hour. That’s quite a feat Santa performs each year.
What happens when we take into account the payload on the sleigh? Assuming that the average weight of presents Santa delivers to each child is 2 pounds, the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons -- and that’s not counting Santa himself, who, judging by all those familiar pictures, is no lightweight. On land, a reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Of course, Santa’s reindeer can fly. (True, no known species of reindeer can fly. However, biologists estimate that there are some 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, we cannot rule out flying reindeer.) Now, there is a dearth of reliable data on flying reindeer, but let’s assume that a good specimen can pull ten times as much as a normal reindeer. This means that Santa needs 214,200 reindeer. Thus, the total weight of this airborne transportation system is in excess of 350,000 tons, which is roughly four times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth.
Now, 350,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance, and this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. The two reindeer in the lead pair will each absorb some 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second. In the absence of a NASA-designed heat shield, this will cause them to burst into flames spontaneously, exposing the pair behind them. The result will be a rapid series of deafening sonic booms, as the entire reindeer team is vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Meanwhile, Santa himself will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500 times greater than gravity. That should do wonders for his waistline.
It’s a lot of fun to play along with the myth, but sane adults don’t accept the story as literally true. But the theme of Miracle on 34th Street is that it doesn’t matter if the story is fact or fiction. The important thing is that if you believe in Santa strongly enough, he becomes real for you.
The difference between what is actual truth and what is termed as “relative truth” is important for us to understand. For instance, if you think that you can run off the edge of a cliff and defy gravity like the Road Runner and Wiley Coyote, it doesn’t matter how strong your belief—it won’t hold you up. Gravity will take over every time, and you’ll get hurt. If you believe with all your heart that I’m only going to preach for just five minutes…well, I’ve got news for you…you’re living in Santa Claus land! Belief is of real value…but only if it is justified by fact.
The actual story of Christmas – the birth of our Lord – also involves a miracle, but this one happens on an unknown street in Nazareth some 2000 years ago. A young lady named Mary was told she was going to give birth to the Son of God. So what, you might say…births happen all the time. But this was slightly different, seeing that Mary was a virgin. Let me ask you, do you really believe in the miracle of the virgin birth or do you think that part was just made up? Is the miracle of the incarnation literally true or is it a myth that we have pretended to believe for so long that it has just seems real?
Lk. 1:26-38 – “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.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be
afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to
give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give
him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never
end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary
answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.”
Three times in this chapter, Luke points out that Mary was a virgin. Notice, he was trying to make a point – this conception was a miracle. A miracle can be defined as “an act of God contrary to the laws of nature as we understand them.” It’s an event when God sort of overthrows the natural laws He established and intervenes supernaturally.
Luke relates this miracle as factual not fictional. Most fictional stories, like the ones we read to children at bedtime, start off with the famous phrase…“Once upon a time…” But when you read the story of Jesus it doesn’t begin, “Once upon a time.” Luke begins his Gospel narrative by saying in Lk. 1:3 – “I have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, and I’m writing this orderly account to you.”
. I want to invite you to join me this morning to take another look at Luke’s account of the angel telling Mary that she is going to have a baby. May it reinforce our faith in the reality of how God became a man through the miracle of the virgin birth.
FAITH IN THE MIRACULOUS IS ESSENTIAL
Christianity begins with the basic notion that miracles are a reality. They are uncommon; they are mysterious, but they are fundamental to the supernatural plan of God. The Bible speaks of three major miracles that I believe we must accept as true to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Don’t mistake me for a legalistic Pharisee, but to deny these truths is to flat-out deny the core of Biblical doctrine, which is the foundation of our faith.
First of all, a Christian must believe in the miracle of creation. When you think about something as complex as the human body, or to be even more specific – the human brain, how can anyone conclude that there was no designer behind all this? Did all this happen by accident? The Bible says, “The fool says in his heart there is no God.”
A few years ago, Jay Leno joked that an atheist had produced a new Christmas movie called, “Coincidence on 34th Street.” But think about it, if you reject creationism, you have to believe this whole world was an
incredible series of coincidences and that it evolved from pretty much nothing, which exploded into something. Now, I realize I’m oversimplifying the scientific explanation, but even after carefully studying their standpoint, I think it takes more faith to believe that than to accept the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Secondly, a Christian must believe in the miracle of the incarnation. It’s fundamental to our faith to believe in the fact that God revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ. John tells us in Jn. 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” He also tells us in Jn. 1:1 that “the Word was God.”
The prophet Isaiah said in Is. 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” As you know, Immanuel means, “God with us.” The virgin birth is essential to the Christian faith because it fulfills that prophecy.
It demonstrates that God is intervening in His world. It shows that Jesus is God’s Son, not an illegitimate child of a human father. To be a Christian you have to believe that Jesus is not just an impressive historical figure but that He is a supernatural being.
A Christian must also believe in the miracle of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. This one is pretty obvious, seeing that this entire movement we call Christianity was built on this reality. This miraculous act showed the power that God has over sin and death, and provides atonement, as well as the hope that we will also have life after death.
Romans 10:9 says, “…if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, it kind of goes without saying that if you don’t believe in the miracle of Jesus’ bodily resurrection, you cannot be saved. This is the main stipulation for acceptance into the kingdom – faith in the Living Christ.
Denying the resurrection also means you’ll have no hope for life after death, because if Jesus, who was perfect, didn’t make it…we sure won’t either. That’s what Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:17-20 – “...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
DOUBTING THE MIRACULOUS IS NORMAL
Let’s go back to our passage and re-read a brief portion. Lk. 1:34-38 – “‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the
angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth
your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have
said.’ Then the angel left her.”
It’s interesting that the first person to question the reality of the virgin birth was Mary herself. Mary’s initial response was not, “What an honor! Why did you pick me?” Her first response was, “How can this be? I’ve never been with a man.” We all know this pregnancy was contrary to the laws of nature, so she found herself puzzled.
Another person who had questions about Jesus was John the Baptist. John was in prison. He was put there by Herod the Tetrarch because John had rebuked him because Herod had taken up with his own brother’s wife.
In Lk. 7:18-28, we see where John is discouraged enough over his situation to start having doubts about Jesus being the Messiah. John’s followers tell him all about what Jesus has been doing and what the people were saying about him. So John sends a group of followers to ask Jesus if He truly is the One they have been waiting for or should they be looking for someone else. These followers go to see Jesus.
Lk. 7:21-23 – “At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have
seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on
account of me.’”
What did Jesus think of John’s doubts? Lk. 7:24-28 – “After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to
the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what
did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in
luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in
the kingdom of God is greater than he.’”
Even one of Jesus’ own apostles had doubts about who He was. In John 20, after Jesus was resurrected from the grave, the disciples are all gathered together in a house. Jesus appeared to them but Thomas was not there.
Jn. 20:23-25, tells us, “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’”
How did Jesus respond to doubting Thomas? Jn. 20:26 – “A week later his disciples were in the house
again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and
put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.’”
Let me ask you, do you ever question the identity of Jesus like Mary, John the Baptist, and Thomas? We are bombarded all the time by things like The Da Vinci Code, which has certainly caused many Christians to have a few doubts about Jesus’ divinity.
You wonder, “Was He really born of a virgin, or is that just the writer’s way of enhancing the legend? Is He really the Son of God or was he just a skillful teacher?” Maybe you were totally convinced years ago when you were young, but life has been hard, and you’ve been wounded, and now you wonder, “Is all this about Jesus really true?” You wonder if the miracles in the Bible are legit. Is it really God-breathed, or are there errors and exaggerations? Maybe you feel guilty for having such doubts. You may think that you’re a horrible Christian for entertaining these questions.
But let me offer you some encouragement. If you experience doubt about the supernatural, you’re in good company. Mary, the mother of Jesus, Thomas, the apostle of Jesus, and John, the baptizer of Jesus all doubted…even though they stood nose to nose with Him…and yet they were loved and approved by Jesus.
Some of the world’s greatest scholars became believers in the supernatural as a result of their honest doubts. C.S. Lewis, acknowledged by both the religious and secular communities as a brilliant scholar and teacher, is one such example. Early in his teaching career, he was an atheist, but as he studied more, the Lord made a
believer out of him. Soon after, he wrote a book entitled Miracles. He admits there are times when Christianity looks highly unbelievable, but then again when he was an atheist, there were times it looked highly unbelievable as well.
The Lord has always been very patient with honest doubters though. He had a way of inviting people to investigate the evidence for themselves. Remember His tactic with John the Baptist? He sent the messengers back to John with evidence of the miracles He was doing, and left it up to John to draw His conclusion from that. He didn’t scold John for his disbelief, and He’s not afraid of our questions.
Notice how patient the Angel Gabriel was with Mary. After she expressed her doubts, he gave her a detailed explanation of how the miracle would pan out. Lk. 1:35-37 – “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’” And Mary’s response in Lk. 1:38 – “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.”
You see, Mary’s doubts were answered, and though she didn’t fully understand, she accepted her special role by faith. Later, Mary gives a prayer of praise when she meets her relative Elizabeth – the mother of John the Baptist. Listen to what she says in Lk. 1:46-49 – “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”
FAITH IN THE MIRACULOUS IS POSSIBLE
The Psalmist said in Ps. 77:14-15 , “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people…”
The longer you are a Christian, the bigger God should appear to be, and the smaller you appear to yourself. So, let me ask you…how big is God to you? Is He bigger and wiser than your mind can fathom? Is the One who created life out of dust capable of creating life in the womb of a virgin? The Bible assures us that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. However, pride keeps a lot of people from coming to God. It’s hard for some to humble themselves and admit, “God is much bigger, smarter, and more powerful than I.”
When Isaiah went into the temple, He saw the Lord, high and lifted up, and the respected prophet immediately felt small. He said in Is. 6:5, “Woe is me, I’m undone. I’m a man of unclean lips. I’m unworthy.” You see, the closer you get to God, the smaller, more inadequate, more sinful you will feel. And the closer you get to God, the smaller you may appear to others.
Bob Russell said, “Your worldly friends may accuse you of being an intellectual midget or having emotional weaknesses and needing a crutch. So, you’re tempted to keep your distance from God to maintain your dignified image. But not one of those friends you’re concerned about impressing have loved you enough to die for you. Not one of them can help you at all when you come to the moment of death. Not one can really transform your heart from within.”
So, when you allow pride to keep you away from God, you miss out on a relationship with Him and His people and the benefits of the kingdom. Paul said in Phil 3:10-11 – “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so,
somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
The closer you get to God, the more powerful you realize He is. There is no miracle too challenging for Him to accomplish. Gabriel told Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.” Being a Christian starts with faith in a huge God and a willingness to swallow our huge egos. We have to humbly say, “I believe God is more powerful than I. I submit myself to Him as an awesome, miracle-working God.”
CLOSE
Christian apologist Norm Geisler wrote, “God is not asking you to take a blind leap of faith into the darkness. He’s asking you to take a reasonable step of faith into the light.” To believe in the Miracle on 34th Street is more like a blind leap of faith. But to believe in the miracle of the virgin birth, the atoning death, and bodily resurrection is a reasonable step of faith into the light.
If we are willing to humble ourselves, then we would have to admit that the virgin birth of Jesus Christ really did occur over two thousand years ago. This miracle not only tells us something about the power of God, but also about the heart of God. Our Creator was so consumed with having a relationship with us that he stooped about as low as possible by entering this world by means of a stable.
The miracle of the incarnation demonstrates that our powerful God is so concerned about us that He became small. He reduced Himself to a tiny cell implanted inside a virgin’s womb. He snuck into the world He created almost unnoticed. And not only was he born for our sake, but he also died for our sake…to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And all of this happened as a result of the miracle on a small side street in Bethlehem.
Today, if you’ve never stood before others and confessed Christ as your Lord and confessed that you believe in the miracle of His birth and of His resurrection, then what are you waiting for?
Heb. 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith is not naively trusting in the impossible; it’s wisely trusting in the invisible. God has given plenty of evidence to believe. It’s not indisputable evidence, or else no faith would be needed. But it’s sufficient evidence to convince me that Christ came to save me. Are you willing to take that step of faith into the light today?
