Christmas, not like it should be
Matthew 2:1-12
If you will turn in your Bibles with me to Matthew 2:1-12, as we read some of the Christmas story this morning.
Many times we ponder what things would be like if we only had done it this way or we thought about it a little longer than what we did before we jumped to a conclusion. And while the Christmas story is set in stone, written by God our Creator, and cannot and will not be changed. Praise God it came all together as it did for all of us. But what happens when our Christmas or any Christmas is not all that it should be or just plain outright different?
What would the first Christmas had been like if the wise men were wise women? They probably would have asked for directions at the local camel filling station, they would have probably made it to Bethlehem on time to actually see the baby as an infant and not a toddler, most likely they would have made them a great dinner, and hey come on they probably would have gone to Pier One and got some more decent and practical gifts right?
Wow that would have been a lot different. But, it did not happen that way. And when we look at the Scripture set before us in Matthew Chapter 2, the truth unfolds, and think about this for a moment. It could have been a quite bit different had the Magi not found Baby Jesus a year or two after He was born. It could have led to a whole host of issues with King Herod getting his hands on Jesus, Mary and Joseph could have been harmed. But, the star that led the Magi or Wise Men to Baby Jesus was sent by God and God planned it to take them as long as it did to locate Baby Jesus, not by accident, not by happenchance but by Divine intervention, and An Inspired time chosen only by God.
We can think of all kinds of possibilities and different outcomes to most anything and Christmas being no different. But, if Christmas does not seem like what it should to you then lets work on that this morning and see how we can have a better Christmas with each other.
First, don’t chase after all those things of Christmas that seem magical or out of this world as they will only disappoint you in the end. But seek the right things in Christmas this year.
Let me ask you this question and I want you to think about it for a moment.
What do you want to get out of Christmas this year?
What would make this Christmas extra special and awesome to you?
Now some of us probably had certain things snap right into our head, like a white snowy Christmas, the best most expensive Christmas present ever to be had, a new car, a new home, a perfect marriage, a perfect church, Holiday spirit that never fades away, or whatever came to your mind just now.
To not disappoint you this Christmas most of us will not get what we asked for. Some may not get anything. But, we will never receive anything we really want and then blame it all upon the commercialism of Christmas. But family, even though we all have let Christmas get so commercial it is not Christmas that is the problem in our disappointment over what we receive. The problem is our expectations are to high and should not be, don’t set your expectations so high this year, sure its great to receive gifts and to give gifts but bring your expectations into level with the Wise Men in the Bible. See we as humans as Christians as non-believers, whomever, we are looking for and expecting the wrong things!
The Wise Men give us a glimpse as to how to make this Christmas better then ever and they do so by showing us what to look for and at. Look back over verses 1 and 2 with me.
The Wise Men came to Jerusalem looking for an opportunity to worship Jesus. They had heard that a King had been born, quite possibly from the prophecies of the Old Testament that they had probably already read. But regardless of how they heard God moved them to come and worship the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Almighty Savior, Jesus Christ, not only Savior to the chosen people of Israel but to the entire human race. And what points me to say that not only did the Wise Men come to seek the right thing, they sought be looking in the right place. Look at verses 4 – 6 with me again.
Right here it tells is that they sought most likely the Old Testament for their knowledge of the Christ Child, the Savior. The Wise Men sought to find satisfaction in Christ, but if we are looking for satisfaction in gifts from family and friends, or snow, and a Christmas ham, one or all will give you disappointment this year and years to come. But seek the right thing Jesus not only during Christmas but throughout all the seasons.
Now the second thing that we all can do this Christmas to make it better than ever, is to give the right thing.
Look back with me on verses 10-12.
The Wise men upon following the star that God used to lead them to Christ the Savior, arrived at the home of Joseph, Mary, and the young child Jesus. Not only did they make it to this location but they also bared many gifts. Part of their worship to Jesus was presenting Him and His mom and dad with gifts. Gifts that may not have seem so wonderful to a first time reader or even to us now, but if we look at those gifts we can get a better understanding that they were the right thing to give to Baby Jesus at that time.
Think about these gifts for a moment. In verse 11 it says the gifts given by the Wise Men were “gold, incense, and myrrh.”
Gold was the best gift in those times to give to a King, symbolizing a kings royalty. And as we know Jesus is the Almighty King.
The gift of incense was a gift that a priest would use. And Jesus is the Highest Priest ever and brings the Message of God and Salvation to us. Incense was used heavily by priest in the Temples and so forth during worship and ceremonies, primarily as a means to symbolize one’s prayers going up to God in Heaven. Which we do not have to do as Jesus is our direct connection for those that are saved for our prayer life.
And the third gift noted in verse 11 is “myrrh” Now, this is maybe the strangest gift, but the Wise Men who must have read Isaiah in the Old Testament know it would be appropriate because of Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus Christ’s crucifiction. Myrrh was used as a fragrant oil to cover the bodies of the deceased with before they were buried.
In John 19:39-40, John describes the burial process of Jesus, with “He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier has visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 – Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, and strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” (NIV)
See how appropriate these gifts were. The right gifts for the only King that came to save the world from their sins.
What if we give the right things this Christmas? Now I am not talking about the latest Wii game, or hottest cell phone that can play music, call your mom, and play a game at the same time. But I am talking about something even bigger, something even smarter and it costs nothing. The gift of loving your family, showing kindness to everyone you come into contact with, helping the hurting, forgiving those who you have hurt or forgiving those who have hurt you. Simple gifts. And taking it one step further, how about showing at least one person the plan of Salvation and how Christ came as the ultimate right Gift to the World to save us all from the grips of hell.
Christ gave of Himself, so that we may have eternal life, but what if you give of yourself so that this Christmas others will see your Salvation in Christ and see your witness in Christ and that just might lead them to Christ if nothing else.
This Christmas go about seeking the right things which is Worshiping Jesus Christ all the time.
Go about giving the right thing – which is giving yourself to all and especially those who are lost and in need.
Let me conclude today’s message with a heart warming story.
In 1994, two Christian missionaries answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of the government-run program were in the orphanage. It was nearing Christmas and they decided to tell them the story of Christmas. It would be the first time these children had heard the story of the birth of Christ. They told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
When the story finished, they gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins that they had brought with them since no colored paper was available in the city.
Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut form tan felt which the missionaries had also brought with them.
It was all going smoothly until one of the missionaries sat down at a table to help a 6 year old boy named Misha. He had finished his manger. When the missionary looked at the little boy’s manger, she was startles to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, she called for a translator to ask Misha why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manager scene, Misha began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.
Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending. He said, “And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did.
But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a gift. So I asked Jesus, “If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift.” And Jesus told me, “If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.” “So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him-for always.” As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS.
What will you do this Christmas so as not to get wrapped all up in giving the wrong things, but seeking the Right Thing, Jesus Christ, and Giving the Right Thing, yourself?
