Scripture: Luke 2:1-20
Theme: Christmas Eve/Day Devotion
Proposition: Jesus Christ has transformed the 25th Day of December.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from our Heaven Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world.
What a wonderful time of the year! This evening let's take a moment or two and share some quick devotional thoughts concerning our Jesus' Birth. Let spend some time celebrating that we are on the eve of the greatest event in all of history, the birth of God's only Son, Jesus Christ. Tonight is one of the holiest times of the year.
Yes, we could spend a great deal of time discussing and theorizing about December 25th being the actual day of Christ's birth. More and more we in the church understand that December 25th was not the actual birth date of our Savior Jesus. Our messianic Jewish friends more accurately point us to a date around October 3rd or 4th. They do that based on ancient documents and a more accurate reading of prophetic scripture. Theologically it makes more sense for the birth of the Messiah to have occurred during the season of either Succoth and Rash Hashanah than it does around the pagan date of December 25th. And upon reading some of the ancient writings of the prophets and rabbis I would have to agree that a date somewhere between September 20th and October 4th in our calendar would be a better time frame.
The problem is that the Early Church just did not take the time to record the exact date. Today we celebrate December 25th because after a century or two of debate (2nd to 4th century) the Early Church for the most part settled on this date to celebrate Jesus' birth. The Eastern Orthodox Church still opts for January 6th. The reality is that those early Christians wanted to celebrate the birth of Jesus and so after much debate and discussion the majority of the church today still looks at December 25th as the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.1
The date is not as important as the celebration and the worship we have for Jesus. God could have just one day written the date across the sky but so far that has not be a part of His divine plan. And so, we in the western church will continue to celebrate December 25th, while others will celebrate January 6th and still others will celebrate a day between September 20th and October 4th.
With all that in mind however, I would like for us to see for a few moments what the celebration of Jesus' birth has done to December 25th. There is a great deal of discussion about what the world has done to Christmas. We fuss and complain about how Christmas has become this commercialized event that no longer focuses on Jesus but on commerce and festivities. We fuss and complain a great deal but I am afraid this evening we actually forget how the celebration of Jesus' birth has transformed December 25th. In fact, it has transformed a whole season of days.
1. Jesus has made December 25th the day we celebrate the Incarnation - GOD WITH US
The celebration of Jesus' birth on December 25th has made this to be the day that all over the world we celebrate the miracle and mystery of God the Son coming to earth as a human. December 25th is now one of the greatest days of the year to share the Christians message of God's love. It is this day that we are able to tell the world the story of salvation. We are able to tell the world that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten son and that whoever believes in Him can experience everlasting life.
Did you know that most Muslims do not celebrate the birthday of Mohammed? The same is true of the Buddhists who normally do not celebrate the birthday of the Buddha. In this regard we Christians are quite unique. We celebrate Jesus' birth because we are proclaiming the Incarnation. We celebrate Jesus' birth because Jesus came to give His life so that we can be redeemed, made new and made into His image.
It was not by accident that God sent His holy angels to announce the birth of His Son. God orchestrated the whole event. He wanted everyone from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich to know about the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph that night. We may not know the birthdates of our presidents or even of the major figure of history but even today each year a day is set aside to celebrate the birth of God's only Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus has made this day - December 25th stand out like no other day of the year. All over the world people far and wide know that this day is the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior of all mankind. They may not know anything about Jesus but they know that this is the day Christians celebrate His birth. It is then up to us to teach them about the Incarnation, about the love God has for each of us that He became a human being so that he could save the world from sin.
II. Secondly, Jesus has made December 25th a day of peace.
Nation after nation during the most intense wars possible have systematically laid down their arms on December 25th. Perhaps the most famous happening on Christmas Day in 1914 between the fighting forces of Great Britain and Germany.2
The fighting had been furious. Causalities were mounting and tensions were rising. Each side was set to completely destroy the other. Suddenly, a young German soldier started singing Christmas songs and before both sides knew it they had laid down their weapons. They even joined in a joint time of peace and good will. They exchanged supplies and small gifts with one another. Even these hardened soldiers understood that on Christmas day there should be peace and good will towards all men, including their enemies.
If only we could take the peace that we share with one another all over the world on this day and extend it to the other 364 days of the year. You would think that if a bunch of enemy combatants were able to put down their weapons on Christmas day in reverence to our Savior and LORD then we as a world should be able to do that all the rest of the days of the year. Let us pray for peace tonight to be a reality throughout all of our world. Currently, there are over 42 nations in conflict with one another. Last year (2014) there were over 180,000 conflict casualties worldwide.3 Let us bow our heads for a time of prayer.
III. Thirdly, Jesus has made December 25th a day we celebrate Children
We live at a time when people are being misinformed about conception, live and its value. We sadly live at a time when it appears that fetal parts are being pandered for profit. Therefore, is not by accident that it is on Jesus' birthday that we celebrate the value of life; especially the lives of children the most.
Think about it. Why do we uplift children and the needs of children so much during this season? Why do they seem to receive the focus of attention? Isn't it nice to know that it is on the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior that we reach out to the least of our society. We put our children at the center of our programs, our homes and our lives. We allow children to take center stage. We all do the most we can to make this season and Christmas morning one of the greatest times of their lives.
I don't think it is by accident that it happens that way. Anymore than I think it was by accident that Jesus valued and promoted children in his days here on earth. Jesus spent a great deal of time reminding everyone the importance of little children. How can we enter into the kingdom of heaven? Like a little child who believes and trusts in His heavenly Father (Matthew 18:3). Like a child who surrenders his all to His Heavenly Father (Luke 18:17). Like a child who learns how to be open and obedient (Mark 10:13-16).
IV. Fourthly, we see Jesus has made December 25th a day of great sharing.
In the US alone there will be over 625 billion dollars spent on gift giving surrounding the Christmas season. Now, before we fall into the trap of commercialism let's think about that for a moment or two. It is on Jesus' birthday that as a world we spend more money and time doing good for one another. We take the time to be with family, we take the time to do something nice for one another and we take the time to share ourselves with one another.
What a joy Jesus must have as He watches His children share with one another. What a joy Jesus must have as the poor, the widow, the needy, the lost and the least are given food, clothing and shelter. What a great miracle Jesus has done to December 25th. A day when we focus not on what we receive but a day we focus on what we can share with one another. The Network for Good estimates that 30 percent of annual giving occurs in December. Again, that does not happen by accident. It happens because of what Jesus has done to December 25th when His children participate in fulfilling the Great Commandments of loving God, others and ourselves.
V. Finally, Jesus has made December 25th a holy day of Sabbath
Almost everyone that is able takes off December 25th. Most business will shut their doors for Jesus' birthday. While they may not realize it they are practicing a holy Sabbath on Jesus' birthday. It is the one day where it is declared not just a holy day but a day where we are to rest and be with family and friends.
There is something about that baby in the manger that causes us to drive hundreds and thousands of miles to be with family. There is something about Jesus' birthday that we practice best the art of acceptance and forgiveness with our families and friends. There is something about Jesus' birthday that allows us to take a pause in our agendas.
Tonight, as we close by coming forward to receive the Lord's Supper, let me encourage and challenge you to let Jesus' transform your December 25th. Let it be not only a day where we:
Celebrate the Incarnation
Celebrate a time of peace and good will
Celebrate children and innocence
Celebrate by being generous and kind to family, friends and strangers
Celebrate by practicing Sabbath
but let me encourage you to make it a day of special reading His Word, of praying and spending time with Jesus and a day of consecration and commitment.
Yes, it is true that our world is trying to change December 25th. However, as Christians we already know that Jesus has changed it for the better. All we have to do is to continue to share the Good News.
Let us pray as we come to receive the Lord's Supper.
1 Nineteenth-century liturgical scholar Louis Duchesne explains that “towards the end of the third century the custom of celebrating the birthday of Christ had spread throughout the whole Church, but that it was not observed everywhere on the same day” (Christian Worship, Its Origin and Evolution: a study of the Latin liturgy up to the time of Charlemagne, p. 260). Although the date of Christ’s birth is not given to us in Scripture, there is documented evidence that December 25 was already of some significance to Christians prior to A.D. 354. One example can be found in the writings of Hyppolytus of Rome, who explains in hisCommentary on the book of Daniel (c. A.D. 204) that the Lord’s birth was believed to have occurred on that day:
For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th, Wednesday, while Augustus was in his forty-second year, but from Adam, five thousand and five hundred years. He suffered in the thirty-third year, March 25th, Friday, the eighteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, while Rufus and Roubellion were Consuls. http://www.catholic.com/blog/jon-sorensen/why-december-25
2 http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/christmas-truce-of-1914
3https://www.iiss.org/en/about%20us/press%20room/press%20releases/press%20releases/archive/2015-4fe9/may-6219/armed-conflict-survey-2015-press-statement-a0be
