What a Difference One Little Baby Has Made
Christmas Message – 2014
By Rev. James May
Let us begin this morning by reading just three verses in the Gospel of Matthew. In these verses we are given the first glimpse of what kind of difference the birth of a baby boy, in a manger in an obscure little town in the hill country of Judea would make.
Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Every one of us has seen a newborn baby lying in its crib, or being held in its mother’s arms. I don’t ever remember looking into the face of one of those babies and thinking, “What a great threat to the peace and prosperity of the world this baby is!” Looking into the face of my own newest grand-daughter who is now only about 4 months old, I do not look into that face of innocence and think to myself, “I have to watch out for this kid, because one day she’s going to be the greatest threat in my life.”
No, we all look into those faces of our newborn children and grand-children and think to ourselves, “What a beautiful child; and oh how proud we are that they are now and forever, a part of our family!” Any normal human being would gaze upon that baby and think, “Here is a new and precious life. Here is a child that has all of the potential in the world to do great things and to become someone who will make a difference in this world.” We look at that baby realizing that within each one that comes into this world there is a seed of greatness, for it is Almighty God in Heaven who has given a new life, created another human being in His own image and blessed us all with the chance to expand the love in our hearts to include someone new.
How anyone could ever cast aside a baby as though it means nothing; or how anyone could ever purposely harm a precious child is beyond me. All of us here knows that this is not normal, but those who would do such things are under the influence of Satan.
It is the power of the sin nature and the overcoming powers of darkness that would cause anyone to do such things. The murder of innocents, whether in the womb of its mother, or after it has been born into this world is the result of sin in the heart of man; sin and evil that is inspired by the devil himself.
Over 2000 years ago there was a baby boy that was born in a stable and laid in a manger. His birth had been foretold for thousands of years, and the circumstances of his birth had been prophesied right down to the smallest detail. Obviously, this little baby, lying in a manger of hay and wrapped in swaddling clothes carried a greater significance than any other baby that would ever come into this world.
Before this child was conceived, the angel of the Lord had come to his mother and told her that she had been chosen to bear the child that would come. This young woman, chosen from among all of the young women of Israel, was to be blessed and highly favored by becoming the mother of Jesus, the very Son of God. No, she was not without the sin nature, for she had been born under the same curse of sin that every other woman had. She was not holy above all others, but she was a willing vessel and was faithful to the worship of the God of Israel.
God the Father, in His sovereignty, chose Mary to bring Jesus into the world, and Joseph to be the ones to raise Jesus. Mary conceived Jesus by the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit. This is the only instance of a virgin bearing a child in all of human history, because the Son was to be born, would not come into this world bearing the sin of Adam from his birth. Jesus came as a perfect, holy, innocent child and would never sin during his entire life. No other child has ever, or will ever, come into this world with those qualifications. No other human being could ever be offered as the perfect sacrifice to take away every sin of every man that would believe upon him.
This single child, Jesus, that innocent baby lying in a manger, brought with him the power to bring the greatest hope the world has ever had; and along with that great hope, Jesus brought with him the greatest division that would ever enter into the hearts of men.
It is Jesus himself that confessed, later on when he had entered his earthly ministry, what his coming would bring to this world in Matthew 10:34-36, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
We, as Christians, love to look at the Christmas Story, with all of its wonder and beauty, seeing the events that unfold through the eyes of faith and hope, knowing that the birth of Jesus meant the coming of Jesus, who would become our Savior. The scene of the peaceful hillsides of Bethlehem with its shepherds watching their flocks at night, and the appearance of the angels of Heaven singing, “Glory to God and Peace on Earth”, and the Star that shone in the sky that brought such “Exceeding Great Joy”, is a scene that we picture again and again.
But the rest of the world did not, and still does not see the peace and joy and wonder of that night. To the world this is a night of terror and something to be hated and stopped at all costs.
From the beginning, right here in these first few verses of Matthew, we can already see the reaction of sinful man against the coming of Jesus into the world. The great division that the birth of this one single little baby, lying in that manger, would bring begins with all of the powers of hell aligned against him.
Immediately, the power of mankind, to be god himself, was threatened. King Herod, who was appointed king by the power of man from Rome, felt threatened by the presence of a baby who was born as the True King, and One who would become the King of Kings, and the King’s crown that Jesus wore was not one given by man, but by Almighty God. Jesus’ kingship superseded the titles given by man, and gave him authority over ever king and ruler upon the earth.
From the beginning, the very presence of Jesus Christ, and His very existence upon the earth, became the single greatest threat against the power of man; and the power of Satan to rule in the affairs of men. He immediately became the greatest enemy of sinful man and plans sprang into action to eliminate Jesus from the earth and from the mind of men. It started with the murder of every child in the little town of Bethlehem and the areas around it. Every child, two years old and under, was murdered because of the birth of this one child in the manger. The great sword; and the great division; and the absolute determination of both sinful man and Satan to rid the world of any knowledge of Jesus had begun; and it continues to this very day.
With every passing generation, mankind has tried to eliminate Jesus and to remove the knowledge of Him from the consciousness of man. Man simply refuses to acknowledge that there is a God, and that man is not that God, but that all men will be held accountable to the True God.
That determination to be the only power that can create his own destiny began in man with Adam and since that day, man has desired so serve only himself and refuse to acknowledge the existence of one single True God that rules over all.
We know that Jesus came to save the world, and all who would accept him as Savior, but I want to speak to those who have already chosen to follow Jesus. This is a message to church; to the saints of God; to those who have already been adopted into the family of God. this is a message to each of us.
The Apostle James, in writing to the church in James 4:4 says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
James isn’t speaking to the world, but to those who know Christ as Savior and Lord. He says, in effect, you cannot have a love affair with the things of this world, enjoying all that it has to give, receiving the accolades and praises of the world, and holding the friendship of the world in high regards, and still consider yourself as a faithful child of God!
If a born again child of God is going to have a love affair with the world; then you will become an enemy of God. Sooner or later, the love affair with the world will come in direct conflict with your love for Jesus, and at that point a division will come. The affair may last for a while, but it must come to an end if you are to remain faithful to the call of God on your life.
We have seen this happening this week with the great division that has come between national broadcasters and Christian reality show stars when the truth of God’s Word suddenly offended the heart of men caught in a sin that they love. The sword that Jesus promised would come has swung again and now the division must come. You cannot be a friend of the world and a friend with Jesus for very long. Though I man not agree with every doctrine that the Robertson family believes, I do believe that they love Jesus and that they are at the point where they must choose to be faithful to God’s Word or cast aside their beliefs to gain the friendship of the world.
We saw that same thing happen with a young football quarterback out of the University of Florida. Tim Tebow was bold in his affirmation of his faith in Jesus Christ, wearing John 3:16 on his face and praying at every opportunity, always doing his best to give God the glory for his success upon the playing field.
It was inevitable that the sword would swing. The world tolerated this show of faith for a while, and for a while, Tebow held a love affair with the glamour and fame that the world offered. But when he continued to show an unwillingness to yield his faith to gain the fame and fortune of the world, he was set aside and became irrelevant. Whether it was all based upon the fact of his faith in Jesus, or perhaps he didn’t quite measure up to the standards that the professional football leagues hoped for, I don’t know. But I cannot help but believe that his continued show of his faith in Jesus had something to do with his being sidelined and forgotten.
The sword of division that Jesus brought to this world swings today in our national conscience; as congress and the courts of our land, and many of our godless leaders continue to attempt to eradicate the name of Jesus from our public schools and buildings. The name of Jesus stirs the sinful hearts of men who refuse to acknowledge the existence of an Almighty God more than anything else.
Our nation, that was born upon the Word of God, and was known as a Christian nation, has decided that the things of the world are more important than serving God, and as a result the Sword that Jesus brought is swinging furiously throughout the land, dividing sharply that which is godly from that which is not. The division becomes greater with each passing day.
The love affair that the church has had with the fame and fortune of the world and the praises of men must come to an end; or the church will be no more. We, the true church of Jesus Christ, cannot be friends with the world and therefore the world will continue to hate us as its enemy more and more. The sword will not stop swinging and the divisions will become ever greater.
But let’s bring this sword a little closer to home now.
Today we are celebrating our final service before Christmas Day since we will not be having services this Wednesday. We have come together to recognize and to give glory to God for the coming of Jesus as that baby in the manger so long ago. We have come together to pay homage to Christ and to confess to one another that Jesus Christ is truly the Very Son of God and Savior of the World.
But let us be aware that the sword still swings, even in the church, and even among those who call on the name of Jesus and are a part of the family of God. Even in our own families, and in our own lives, the sword is swinging, bringing the division.
Where is your first love? Do you still have Jesus and his kingdom as the first place in your life, or has the fame, fortune, glitz and glamour, and popularity of this world began to draw you aside? Is a love affair with this world a part of your life; or is there a part of you that wants the life that the world offers more than the life of service to Jesus Christ? Christians are not immune to become involved in a love affair with the world. In fact, you are the primary target of the devil to get you involved, and he will appear to promise you almost anything you want.
Christian young people are confronted with what many call “peer pressure”, the need to be accepted by friends and to have those who are popular in school allow them into their circle. How often do they choose friendships and popularity over standing firm for their belief in Jesus? You see, even in school, there is a sword swinging, separating the things of Christ from the things of the world.
There are things that the world offers in our public schools that we cannot partake of and maintain a right relationship with Jesus! So you have to decide – do I serve the Lord, or have a love affair with the things of the world!
Christians, in churches everywhere, have begun to be more and more acceptable of the things of this world, not only into the church, but firstly into their homes. Often its caused by a desire to be at peace with the kids who want to be accepted by their friends who don’t serve the Lord. The standards that once held a great separation of Christian kids and worldly kids have been relaxed to the point that we allow our kids to take part in everything offered, even if partaking in those things violates the law of God and grieves the Spirit. Parents would rather be friends with their kids than to train them up in the way they should go. They fear the sword of division more than the judgment of God against sin in the camp, not realizing that in the end, the souls of their kids are at stake; not just their popularity and acceptance.
Finally, what about your own life? What place does Jesus have in your heart? Is the chance for promotion on the job more important than being faithful in serving Jesus? Do you hide your faith because you don’t want to make waves or take the chance of being passed over? When you’re around friends and co-workers, are you keeping your faith to yourself to avoid conflict? Those are the first signs of the beginning of a love affair with the world!
What a difference the birth of one baby boy in a manger in Bethlehem has made! The entire history of man centers on that one little baby! The eternal destiny of every soul of man hinges upon what we will believe, and what we will do about that one little baby!
That little baby, Jesus, brought a sword; a sword that swings to bring a separation between those who will serve him and those who won’t.
The sword is swinging! Jesus brought the opportunity to make a decision in your own life. Which side are you on? Which side will you choose today, tomorrow and forever? Every day that you live, the sword will be swinging! Which side will you be on when the sword is done?
As you observe the rituals and traditions of Christmas, and you look upon Jesus in that manger scene, remember that He is no longer that baby in the manger. Jesus Christ is Lord! He is King of Kings! He is very God and Savior of the World to those who will choose to serve him.
To everyone else, He is the Great Divider – the One who separates light from darkness and sin from righteousness! Are you on the Lord’s side?
Christmas is joy, peace and glorious to those who choose to serve the Lord. But to everyone else Christmas is a sword; a thorn in the side of the ungodly and an ever-present reminder that there is a God and that there will be a day of accountability as we all stand before him.
I pray that Christmas is a joyful time to you. Enjoy your time with family and friends. But most importantly, make Christmas a time of renewing your relationship with Jesus and making sure that you love Him more than the things of the world. Make sure that Jesus is your life, and that his presence with you, and in you, matters more than anything else.
