`“The Christmas Story”
Matthew 2:1-16
“The Christmas story is fascinating to me. There is so much going on. God the Creator takes on human form as a baby. He was born in a barn with all those colorful images; Wisemen from the East came to see Him after following a star that led the way to Him. There is an evil king who is out to kill Him and kills all the babies in the area under two years of age. Image the grief and sorrow of so many that first Christmas! Angels, Wisemen, Evil king, shepherds and on and on goes the characters of Christmas. Each one has a story. Each one has a lesson. I wish I had the time to explore them all – but I want to share a few things that stand out in my mind this Christmas.
First of all, what it is all about. It is about love. All the hoopla; the lights and colors and music and celebration is about love for you. God really, really loves you! God really, really values you! God really, really yearns for a loving relationship with you!
Isn’t that amazing? Think about it! The Creator of heaven and earth; the Creator of all that exists, left the glory and splendor and joy of heaven to take on the flesh of a little human baby. He set aside His omnipotent power to take on the weakness of a baby. A baby can’t even fed himself or wipe his nose. He can’t live without assistance. Jesus set aside his omniscience to take on the ignorance of a baby. Think about that! The one who created DNA and cells and molecules and the galaxies and mysteries of the heavens set aside that brilliance of knowing- to have it wiped clean and start from zero knowledge. Jesus set aside his omnipresence to be wherever someone took him. He had no choice if he wanted to be in one place or another. He went where mom or someone took Him.
I don’t think we can fully comprehend what it cost Jesus to become that little baby in the manger. We must not miss why Jesus made such a great sacrifice for us. It was because of love. It was because of the great love He has for you; it was because of the value He places on you.
You may be thinking, “Not ME! I’m not worth it! I am so full of faults and flaws and failures that I am not worth the effort!” God thinks you are! You may think, “I have sinned and done despicable things. I am ashamed and embarrassed by what I have done and what I have said.”
That makes God’s love all the more remarkable. He knows us. He knows everything we have ever done; every curse word; every vile thought; every sleazy temptation we have given into – and He still loves us. He still wants a loving relationship with us. Isn’t that amazing? It is not so much because of who we are but because of who God is. God is love. All the celebration is not just for the Christ child. It is for the lengths God will go to love you. You are that important to Him. The Bible says,
“As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 16:3
David said, “He delivered me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19b
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” Psalm 8:3-6
God created us to have dominion over the works of His hands. He made us to be caretakers of this world. He made us His stewards; His managers; His partners. That is what we were created for – to partnership with God. The Bible calls God our Father and Jesus our brother and us His children. What a future and destiny we were created for!
But you know the rest of the story. Satan snuck in and lied and Adam and Eve fell into sin. Now we all are inclined to sin continually, the Bible says. And we do. We all have sinned and come short of God’s glory and will. How tragic it would be if that were the end of the story - but it isn’t! God came up with a plan to bring us back; a plan to restore the relationship we were made for. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son for us. Jesus loved us so much He came to earth and laid all His power and might aside to be born in a manger so He could die on a cross for us. That is love.
We celebrate that love at Christmas time. We light candles and give gifts and eat a holiday feast. Most people don’t have a clue of what is going on – just like that first Christmas. But a few do. A few are enlightened. A few realize it is a celebration of love. Here’s the point. Love most be given and received to become a relationship. Every Christmas is a testimony of God’s love for us. It is a testimony of His longing desire to have a relationship with us. But a relationship take two willing individuals. God’s love is never questioned. He loves – always. But He wants you and me to love Him in return. Talk is cheap. Most people who claim to be Christians have experienced God. They may have had one or two or maybe many experiences with God. They date God but they don’t commit to Him. God loves you so much He is committed to you. He sacrificed what was of greatest value to Him. He wants you to sacrifice what is of greatest value to you – your will. The Scripture says,
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” John 17:18-19
Do you understand that something sanctified is something that is completely given over to God. The articles in the temple were sanctified. That means they were used 100% for God. The priest didn’t use them to cook their dinners with or use them at potluck or Christmas dinner. They were 100% dedicated to God’s use.
When we are sanctified we are 100% God’s. We give our thoughts and words and actions to God – not 51% of the time (most of the time) not even 80 or 90 percent of the time – but 100% of the time.
John Westley said he thought there were very few Christians who were truly sanctified. There are very few Christians who have surrendered completely to God. We hold 10% or 5% or 1% back. The Gaithers used to sing, “If He isn’t Lord of everything He isn’t Lord at all.”
Most of us do pretty good most of the time – but when we get mad or disappointed we reserve the right to get out of God’s will and into our own. We are just a little rebellious. Mostly we are obedient, tho.
God has so many blessings He wants to pour out on us. He wants to make us victors and overcomers. He wants to bless us physically, financially and spiritually. But our will hinders His will. Our rebellion hinders His reward and desirous will. It is kind of like a parent of an infant trying to feed the child some ice cream. If the child is struggling against the parent he can’t be blessed. But when he surrenders to the parents will and receives that taste of heaven – WOW! Bliss and blessing!
What kind of things are we missing because we won’t surrender our wills completely to God? God has so many expressions of love He wants to bestow on us. I think of Jesus words to Jerusalem,
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Luke 13:34
Imagine Jesus putting His arms around you. Imagine Him looking longingly at you with arms outstretched. That is love. But we foolishly push Him away to do our own thing and go our own way.
This Christmas would you give God the gift of your complete, wholehearted love? Recognize how much He loves you. Realize the lights and colors and smells of Christmas is an expression of love. In return he doesn’t need frankincense, myrrh or gold. He has that already. It want the gift of your will – not 90% or 99% but 100%. Live to please Him. If you will - I promise you joy and peace and love this Christmas.
SONG
