Its finally almost here – after weeks and weeks of waiting, after weeks and weeks of eager anticipation, after weeks and weeks where the excitement has grown and grown, after weeks of hype - It’s finally so close you can almost taste the excitement in the air.
Of course you all know what I’m talking about….. Yes – it’s the X-
Factor Final!
Opening sequal of X Factor
I’m sure we are all very familiar with The X factor. Love it or hate it – it’s a show that travels all over the UK looking for the next big star – a show that goes around looking for people who have that special something. And hopeful ‘wannabe’s’ que up in their thousands to perform in front of four (criminals) judges – Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh, and Sharon Osbourne – and these four judges then set out to destroy the contestants hopes and dreams and aspirations, one by one – and usually with very good cause.
Six million people tune in to watch the show every week – Why? Why do people find it such compelling viewing? Some probably watch in the hope of seeing real musical talent, they watch in the hope that they will witness the discovery of someone who actually has the X-Factor: that authentic, indefinable star quality. Others – no doubt are attracted by Simon Cowell – ‘Mr X-Factor’ himself. A man who is often rude, critical, debasing, and condescending toward the hopeful wannabe’s. Simon Cowell learnt very early on that being hated can make you just as much money (if not more) as being loved.
Why do so many people apply to The X-Factor, given the near certainty of rejection or ridicule? What is it that makes contestants risk everything in their attempts to win? If I’m honest, I think it’s because The X-Factor claims to fulfil some of our deepest human needs.
In an age when everybody is a nobody, the X Factor offers to make us a somebody. In a culture dominated by criticism and judgement, the X-Factor offers the hope of approval and affirmation. So rich is the show’s promise that they actually use religious imagery. In the opening credits a great X appears in the sky and descends in glory into London – it’s as if we are about to see heaven itself pouring out its best on the chosen one. That’s why the contestants are so motivated: for them, everything in the world is at stake.
Searching for the X-Factor
Many people will go through life looking for that something special, looking for that bit that they know is missing deep down inside. Looking for the X-Factor that will make everything perfect, everything whole, everything complete. That one thing that will fulfil all of our needs, all of our ambitions, all of our dreams.
Does anyone really have the ‘X-Factor’? What even is it? If we had to define it, we would perhaps say that The X Factor is that ‘unidentifiable quality that a person has that makes them unique, that makes them special or exemplary’. To a certain degree I suppose you could argue that Athletes have the X Factor, you could argue that entertainers have the X Factor, you could argue that business entrepreneurs have the X Factor. It might be hard to fully describe what it is - but we definitely know it when we see it.
The Xmas Factor
I do think that it is interesting that in the opening credits of the X Factor they show the X coming down out of the heavens and landing here on earth. Because for me, that brings something else to mind. For me, it brings to mind the story of a God who left the heavenly realms and came to live on earth as a human being. And you know, here in the Western World, we are very good at taking God out of the situation and putting X in his place. That’s what we do every year when we change Christmas to Xmas. We take God out of the celebration and because of that, instead of love, joy and peace to all men, in its place we get greed, self-indulgence, and large overdrafts instead.
Jesus - The Xmas Factor
But this morning I want to take the X back out of the Xmas Factor, and put God back in his rightful place. I want to stop thinking about the X Factor, and start thinking about the God Factor.
If the X-factor is about uniqueness then remember that the birth of Jesus was unlike any other birth and Jesus was unlike any other baby who came into the world.
The nativity story
We’ve just heard the story of the first Christmas through the readings, the carols and pass the parcel.
Mary is pregnant and she goes with her husband, Joseph, to Bethlehem because a census had been ordered by Caesar. They find shelter in a stable because the local inn was full. And there she gives birth to a son who they call Jesus.
Shepherds watching their sheep nearby are told of the birth by a company of angels. They hurried off, and found Mary, Joseph and the baby. When they had seen him they ‘went back to their fields glorifying and praising God’.
Wise men seeing his star in the east brought gifts of Gold, Frankinsense and myrhh.
Such a simple story about the birth of a child. But it’s no ordinary story, because this is no ordinary child. From the moment he was born, the world was destined never to be the same again. The birth of this child, although so meek, although so mild, although so humble, although quietly in a back street cow shed – would have such a massive impact on this world that it would split history into two!
If the X-factor is about uniqueness, then here is a story of a baby whose very birth was unique – born of a virgin, in the back of a cowshed.
If the X-Factor is about uniqueness, then here is a story of a baby whose life was unique - He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place where He was born.
And yet twenty long centuries have come and gone, and today He is still the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. John Lennon - from the beatles - famously once said ‘We’re more poplular than Jesus’ – He was wrong!
Because all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of humanity upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.
I think Napoleon Bonaparte put it well when he said,
‘Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself have founded great empires, but on what did those creations rest? Upon force. But Jesus founded his on love … Jesus Christ by some mysterious influence … draws the hearts of men towards him that thousands at a word would rush through fire and flood for him, not counting their lives dear to themselves … I know men, and Jesus Christ was more than a man.’
And as Christmas approaches, we are reminded that Jesus, despite having lived over 2000 years ago, still has billions of followers today, all over the world.
The desires that The X-Factor claims to answer are universal – we were made that way – but people are striving for authenticity and are tired of manufactured offerings. We all need to be affirmed as individuals, to be approved or forgiven and to know we are valuable. We all need hope and purpose. We all need to be loved.
The X-Factor may seem to offer these things but it cannot keep its promises, even to those who win. In contrast, God's promises – eternal and infinite value, unconditional love, peace, joy and hope – are given freely to those who seek them. Jesus said, ‘I have come to bring life and life in abundance.’ This is the real ‘X-Factor’ and it is available to all.
In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown!
I pray that, this year, you don’t miss Xmas Factor.
• For the God Factor is here.
• The God Factor is everywhere.
• The God Factor has come into this world.
The unknown God is born and he has a name. The God who was once unknown, the X-factor – has now been born. That God has a name, for God is found in Jesus – the wonderful counsellor, the mighty God, the prince of peace, and is here he lies – a babe in the manger.
So, this year make sure that you make the real Xmas Factor your Christmas number one.
A Christmas blessing
And now may we be as faithful and obedient as Mary and Joseph,
as full of wonder as the shepherds,
and as persistent and generous as the wise men,
as we celebrate the coming of Jesus the Messiah into our world,
and may the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with us, with our families, our friends and neighbours,
today, this Christmas, and for evermore. Amen
