What’s Christmas All About? Living in Ecstasy”
Luke 2:10-14
What difference would it make if all this about Jesus being the Son of God was true? Judging by the reaction of the angels and shepherds, we would be ecstatic. To be ecstatic is to be beside oneself, overpowered with emotion, transported to a different state of being. Certainly this describers the angels at the time of their announcement – and it captures the state of the shepherds as well. Perhaps if we can get the message of the angels into our hearts we, too, can live in ecstasy.
The angels brought a message from God: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Notice their first words: “DO NOT BE AFRAID.” Now why would the shepherds be afraid? Because the holy God was speaking to them.
And tonight He speaks to us. He announces that He is with us – THE HOLY GOD IS WITH US. Think of the great gap between God and humankind. It is too vast for words to describe it. God is eternal, not limited by time; He is omnipresent, not limited by space; He is omnipotent, with no limits to His power; He is omniscient, with no limits to His knowledge. He is infinite, we are infinite. And we cannot cross the gap; we have no way to reach God. We live in two different worlds. In fact, we cannot handle His world – it is too pure, too holy, too perfect. Surely the thought of this God being with us can be frightening.
But “Do not be afraid.” Rather than hanging on to His glory Jesus humbled Himself and came all the way down to us, moved into our district, just to be with us. We can visit someone who lives in poverty, but that’s not the same as taking up their poverty. We can visit someone who is ill, but it’s not the same as taking up their illness. We can visitor someone in prison, but it’s not the same as taking up their imprisonment. But Jesus came and took up all of our lives into Himself. He didn’t just come to be with us, he came to share our load. As the prophet Isaiah predicted, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows…but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
That should make us ecstatic. GOD LOWERED HIMSELF SO HE COULD RAISE US UP; HE CAME TO US SO WE COULD BE WITH HIM. Although the storms of life swirl around me, at the core of my life everything is okay – I am not alone. Margaret Waage wrote of an especially important Christmas eve in her life. She got off her job at noon and stood dejectedly in the crowd waiting for the subway train. She had worked by herself all morning since her fellow workers had been given the day off. Now many people around her were talking about their trips home to their families. Some had little children with them. But Margaret had no home – just a rented room – and no plans, no husband and no children, even though she was getting well into her thirties. Suddenly she heard the crystal notes of two flutes interweaving. Down the platform were two young girls, playing Christmas carols. In their serene young beauty, they looked like angels in disguise. She added her quarter to the pile of change in their open flute cases. The train came and went, but she lingered, fascinated by the people who came and dropped coins, even bills. Most were shabbily dressed, but their faces seemed alight with happiness. It occurred to her that these were the poor, the people Christ had greatly loved. On that cold, noisy subway platform they were joined, without knowing one another, in the great Christmas Feast of Love that she had lost sight of in her self-pity. Finally she heard the girls play “O Little Town of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.” And suddenly, in the middle of that bleak subway station, everything changed. Margaret realized she did have a Christmas feast to go to! The Lord’s Supper at church that evening. Of course she had a home! “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt. 18:20) Of course she had a child! The Holy child could be born in her every day as she sought to love Him above and beyond the hope for a worldly marriage and children. Margaret took the next train, feeling warm and contented. She knew that those two young strangers had given her a magnificent Christmas gift. They had put Christ back where He belonged – in Christmas and in her heart.
In the midst of the storms God is with us, sharing our plight, holding us close, reviving our spirits. He came down so He could raise us up. As we have sung, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.”
There is a second note of good news in the angels’ proclamation. A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN! Jesus Christ brings salvation, wholeness, and healing to us. He is our helper, redeemer, rescuer, and deliverer. SALVATION HAS COME TO US! In France in the 17th century, St. Vincent found a baby abandoned in the cold. He went to the Sister of Charity and asked them to take care of the baby. But the Mother Superior refused abruptly and said that such children were creatures of sin and were destined by God’s will to die. St. Vincent replied, “When God wishes someone to die because of sin, he sends his Son to die!” Jesus came to die for our sin!
That should make us ecstatic! Our sin has been paid for. That brings up a question for you tonight. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR SIN? It’s easy to condemn it on others, to try to forget it, ignore it, or run away from it. We can even try to change its name: we can call it psychoses, neuroses, accidents, blunders, errors in judgment, mistakes, or weaknesses. But changing the label does not change the contents – sin is sin. And we are sinners. We cannot eradicate sin in our lives. We can produce children who are smart, nice, obedient, good looking, talented, and skilled; but we cannot produce perfect children. And neither could our parents! We come into the world as instruments out of tune, in need of repair. We repeatedly offend a holy God and must own up to our sin. So what will you do with your sin?
During World War II a little boy and his dad were driving home on Christmas Eve and drove past many homes with decorations in the windows. The little boy noticed that many of the homes had a star in the window. He asked, “Daddy, who do some people have a star in the window?” His dad informed him that the star meant that the family has a son who was gone from home fighting the war. As they drove on the son spotted the evening star in the sky. “Look daddy,” he exclaimed, “God must have a son in the war too! He’s got a star in His window!” Indeed, Jesus came to do war with sin. He did not come to spy on us, punish us, ridicule us, downgrade us – or to raise our standard of living or make things easy. Rather He came to do battle with sin so He could forgive us. And that battle took Him to the cross! Jesus could have come with thunderbolts, with fire, or with a whip to punish sinners; but He came with grace and love!
No matter what your sins, no matter how heavy your guilt, YOU ARE FORGIVEN! Jesus paid the price and brings you new life. When my family lived in Kalamazoo, one New Year’s Eve we experienced a very unusual freezing rain; it left the walks and roads clear but ice covered all the fences, bushes, trees, and power lines. To take a walk was like being in a crystal palace! What were normally barren trees and plain – even ugly – objects were beautiful shining testimonies to God’s handiwork. I’ve never seen nature so glorious. Yet such it is
with the coming of Jesus. Because of His birth and death we are beautiful in the sight of God. Our ugliness, our failures, our sin, our rebellion, and our guilt are covered by Jesus. Your sin can be forgiven. What was it we sang? “O Lord, descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.” Pray that prayer tonight; let go of your sin; get rid of your guilt; become beautiful and acceptable in the sight of God!
And by the way – this message is for you; each and every one of you. No one is excluded. A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN – TO YOU. For you Jesus gave up His glory. For You He emptied Himself. For You He was lifted up to die. He did not come to fulfill any need of His own but the deepest need you have. Regardless of who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done or not done – whether or not you understand the message or can believe it – whether you are rich or poor or young or old – whether or you’ve been naughty or nice – Jesus was born for you! No one is excluded and no one is short-changed. No one is overlooked. You are the object of God’s love. If there was no one else in all the world Jesus would still have come and died – just for you. If that doesn’t make you ecstatic, nothing will.
In 1988 there was a story in the LA Times entitled “A Mother’s Search for Russell Love.” It told of a woman in Houston named Beverly Elliott. She had not seen her son, Russell Love, for four years and had not heard from him in two years; but she knew he was homeless somewhere in Los Angeles County. The FBI and L.A. Police said they could not help her. Longing for her son to come home, in October she ran a personal ad in the Times for twelve days. It read, “Russell L. Love from Houston or anyone knowing where he lives, please call his mother collect: 713-447-5968. Russell, your mother will never forget you. She loves you!” She desperately hoped someone would get in touch with her. A man named Ralph Campbell, who had spent twenty five years living on the street, had once given some extra sandwiches to a friend. He remembered that this friend had turned to another homeless man and said, Russ, do you want a sandwich?” Campbell phoned the newspaper. He led a reporter to some shipping containers in a parking lot. There were some bedrolls there just where he thought this Russ might be sleeping. The next morning the reporter returned and saw a young, blond man asleep, rolled up in a bright yellow blanket. When he awoke, he lay there and smoked a cigarette. The reporter asked if he was Russell Love. He said he was. “Your mother wants you to all her,” said the reporter. On Friday he did so. They talked three more times over the next week and after she sent him some money Russell flew home. Upon his return they “grabbed each other and hugged and hugged.” Said Russell, “It feels great to be home.” I’d say Russell was ecstatic.
It feels good to be home. Tonight you have the opportunity to come home, to return to your Father. He has not forgotten you and He never will. He will always love you. Jesus is waiting for you, to take you there. All He needs is you. You are, after all, the one He came for in the first place. COME HOME.
