CHRISTMAS – THE HOLY DAY
Matthew 1:18–25 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
ILLUSTRATION Consider Again Christmas When Pope Julius I authorized December 25 to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus in A.D. 353, who would have ever thought that it would become what it is today. When Professor Charles Follen lit the candles on the first Christmas tree in America in 1832, who would have ever thought that the decorations would become as elaborate as they are today? It is a long time since 1832, longer still from 353, longer still from that dark night brightened by a special star in which Jesus the king was born. Yet, as we approach December 25 again, it gives us yet another opportunity to pause. (Copied)
And in the midst of all the excitement and elaborate decorations and expensive commercialization which surround Christmas today, to consider again the event of Christmas and the person whose birth we celebrate.
EXPOSITION
A. Christmas is the Day of God’s Visitation (vv. 18-20)
When Joseph found out that Mary her fiancée was pregnant he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Why? They have never slept together because they were not married yet. Definitely, the child in Mary’s womb was not his. After he made his decision to divorce Mary, the angel of the Lord intervened to save the relationship. The angel appeared in a dream and explained to Joseph who was responsible for Mary’s pregnancy.
Mary perhaps explained to Joseph what happened since it was earlier revealed to Mary by the angel. Joseph obviously did not believe. Therefore the angel explained that the child is from the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit came on Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed Mary. So the child to be born is the Son of God.
Luke 1:30–35 (NIV) 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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.
Therefore Joseph was right that he was not the father of Jesus, Jesus is the Son of God. Yes, the baby who was born in the manger 2000 years ago is the Son of God. Christmas, the day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus is the holy day because it is the day of God’s visitation on earth. In the history of mankind, one day God decided to visit us and establish a relationship with us. That is why; Christmas should be a very unique and holy day for mankind because of God’s visitation. But how did he visit us?
ILLUSTRATION When the President of the United States visited Jacksonville, FL; the While House would have surely sent an advance security team to make sure that the President would be safe. He came with his staff via Air Force One, with all the formal ceremony and welcome party, and met the people in a decent place of meeting mostly the dignitary of the city depending on the nature of the visit.
But when God visited us 2000 years ago, he came in a very humble way to make sure that we’ll be at ease in meeting and talking with him.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NIV) 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
This passage says that Jesus who being very nature God did not consider equality with God. He deserved all the glory and honor due to God and yet he decided to come humbly, born in a manger with a humble family. That even a shepherd was free to come and see him. He took the very nature of a servant – he taught, healed, comforted others, and serve the needs of his disciples. Imagine the Son of God washing the feet of his disciples.
He was made in human likeness with all its limitations and struggles – slept, ate, drank, rested, prayed, agonized, wept, angered, betrayed, and joyful. He related with all kinds of people – poor and rich, prostitute, robbers, beggars, tax-collectors, etc. He took the curse of sin by becoming obedient to death on a cross – accused, criticized, unfairly judged, physical punished and yet sinless and forgiving.
ILLUSTRATION Meaning of Christmas – Materialism A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?" Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?" There was some truth in her answer. -- (Donald Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations, San Jose: Resource, 1992, p. 16.)
It was unfortunate that most people never recognized Jesus for who He is, the Son of God. The birthday we are celebrating on Christmas is not a birthday of just an ordinary person; it was the birthday of the Son of God.
John 1:1–5, 14 (NIV) 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…..14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
ILLUSTRATION When somebody comes or breaks in to your birthday party or celebration and began messing up the event, insulting and criticizing the guests and the celebrant, what would you do?
APPLICATION Today people insult and criticize the celebration of the birthday of the Son of God. What must we do? We respect and tolerate the unbelief of some people about the event. But we should not let them insult the celebrant of the event – the person of the season, the Lord Jesus Christ. We should emphasize the fact that God visited us 2000 years ago and actually forever stayed with us in the Spirit. He is the Immanuel.
We should not also let the businesses to exploit the event, continue to focus on the meaning and message of the event. In our homes, teach your children that Jesus is Son of God, He is God. Honor him by worshiping him and giving him praise through prayer.
B. Christmas is the Day of God’s Salvation (vv. 21-22)
ILLUSTRATION Our Greatest Need – Author Unknown
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist;
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a redeemer.
The child was named Jesus for a reason. The angel said that Joseph should name the child Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. In other words, Christmas is the Day of God’s Salvation. Jesus is not only the Son of God but He is also the Savior.
Luke 2:10–11 (NIV) 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
WHAT JESUS WOULD DO? Jesus came to save us. The verb “save” came from the Greek word “sozo” which means “to rescue, to deliver, to make whole, or to preserve from danger, loss, and destruction. It also means to rescue us from peril, to protect, and to keep us alive. “Sozo” was used to mean deliverance from disease or demons possession (Matthew 9:21-22); the rescue of physical life from some impending peril or instant death (Matthew 8:25); and to spiritual salvation (Matthew 1:21) depending on the context.
Therefore we need to remind ourselves and the people around us, that Jesus Christ whom we are celebrating his birthday is the Savior, the one who will rescue and deliver us from danger, protect and preserve our lives not just for today but for eternity. WHOM WOULD JESUS SAVE? He is not only the Savior of Israel but also of the world. His concern was not just one nation but all the people of the world.
Acts 5:31 (NIV) 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
John 3:17 (NIV) 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
1 John 4:14 (NIV) 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
WHY WOULD JESUS SAVE US? Jesus came to save us for two reasons.
1. Jesus came to save us from our sins because of its effects.Sin is missing the true end and scope of our lives, which is God. It is an offense in relation to God with emphasis on guilt. Sin affects every level of human existence, including the sinner’s relationship with God, with other human beings and with the environment.
a) LACK OF PEACE OF MIND Isaiah 57:20–21 (NIV) 20But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 21 “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
b) BONDAGE TO A CONTINUING HABIT OF SIN John 8:34 (NIV) 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
c) PHYSICAL DEATH Romans 6:23 (NIV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
d) UNCLEANNESS Mark 7:20–23 (NIV) 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
e) GUILT Ezra 9:6 (NIV) 6 and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.
f) SEPARATION FROM GOD Isaiah 59:2 (NIV) 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Who can truly save us from these predicaments? Who can give us real peace, freedom from sin, immortality, purity, freedom of guilt, and closeness to God? Only Jesus can save us from eternal death, sin, and punishment and misery consequent to sin.
2. Jesus came to save us from our sins because we cannot save ourselves.
1 Samuel 2:24–25 (NIV) 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
The verb “save” signifies God’s deliverance of a people or an individual from a threatening situation from which that group or person is unable to rescue itself. In other words, apart from Jesus Christ, we cannot rescue or save ourselves from the present and future danger or peril both physical and spiritual.
Titus 2:13–14 (NIV) 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Philippians 3:20–21 (NIV) 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
2 Timothy 1:9–10 (NIV) 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
ILLUSTRATION It may come as a surprise to learn that among Albert Einstein’s talents was a gift for music. He played the violin and often joined in chamber music sessions in the homes of neighbors and friends. When well past sixty, he decided to give up his participation in chamber ensembles because it was too demanding on his time and digital reflexes. Even so, he continued to play for his own pleasure.
An exception occurred one Christmas Eve when choristers appeared at the Einstein home—112 Mercer Street in Princeton, New Jersey. Hearing the singing, the noble man picked up his violin, went out on the chilly porch, and provided accompaniment for the carolers. (Copied)
The contagion of Christmas is irresistible! Its charm surrounds and inspires young and old, rich and poor, wise and simple. Grateful souls are impelled to join in carols of praise, even the pious Jew. Therefore if we would spread the truth that Christmas day is the day of God’s visitation and the day of God’s salvation people would soon go back to its original significance no matter how old the celebration of Christmas is!
