Pastor asked me to deliver a Christmas message tonight. So, I’m going to begin by putting Barry on “Front Street.” For those of you who are not familiar with the phrase, “Front Street” simply means I’m going to share something with you that’s personal and not particularly flattering about Barry. And I’m only willing to do this because you love me!
As a child, for me, from December 20th on, it seemed like time stood still. It felt like Noah was building the ark all over again. You’ve seen the movies. The person passing time constantly looks at the clock – tick, tock, tick tock. In the evenings, to pass the time, I’d sit and watch the artificial aluminum Christmas tree change colors as the color wheel turned and shined on it. I loved looking at that tree. And honestly, it was one of the things that made Christmas so special for me.
Finally Christmas Eve would arrive. I would go to bed thinking about the presents that would be waiting for me on Christmas morning. When our Father woke us up, my brothers and sisters and I would run to the front room, see the presents and yell “Merry Christmas” and begin tearing up paper. Oh, the sounds of Christmas! When we finished opening presents and playing with the toys, we’d go back to bed. We’d wake a few hours later ready to continue our Christmas celebration.
Now, what did you not hear in this retelling of Christmas for Barry? Who’s missing? Not once did I say “Happy Birthday Jesus” or even acknowledge that Christmas was about the birth of our Lord and Savior. Now don’t get me wrong. I knew all of that – just like I knew that hot water would burn you or a twisted ankle hurts like the dickens! You get my point.
Front Street – As a 10, 11, 12 year old, being thankful for the birth of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, was not on my mind on Christmas morning. I was, dare I say it, “laser-focused” on unwrapping my presents and playing with my toys.
You see, our family had already attended, and most of us children had participated in, the Christmas program at Church where we celebrated Jesus’ birth. But on Christmas morning, it was about the presents. It was about the answer to the weeks’ long lingering question: “Did I get what I wanted?”
Let’s fast forward a few years to Christmas in the Barry Johnson household. Again, I’m putting Barry, and Barry alone, on “Front Street.” When our children were under the age of 11 or 12 is when I enjoyed Christmas the most because they were just like me at that age. The children counted down the days. They were excited because they knew they were going to get presents.
When Christmas Day arrived they rushed to the tree to find their presents and I would watch them. There’s nothing quite like seeing your children truly happy. And Christmas does that. Laughter. Giggles. The tearing of paper. Oh, the sounds of Christmas! And many times, the children never went back to bed. They would just fall asleep on the couch, in a chair, or on the floor and Doris and I would have to cover them with blankets.
Again, what did you not hear in this retelling of Christmas for my children? I don’t remember telling them, on Christmas Day, the reason why we celebrate Christmas. I don’t remember talking to them about Jesus’ birth and the reason we celebrate it on Christmas until they got much older. Stephen, am I right about that?
Front Street – The joy of seeing my children enjoying their presents and toys on Christmas overshadowed helping them understand why the day was so important.
I wanted to share this with you for a couple of reasons. First, a person can know something, but not truly know and appreciate its significance. As a child I knew that we celebrated the birth of baby Jesus on Christmas. Who didn’t know that? But understanding the truth that His birth was the single most important birth to happen in human history since creation escaped me.
Sister Jamie said something last Sunday night that is so important for us to understand. She said you can’t talk about the birth of Jesus without also talking about His death and His resurrection. These three events, although 33 years apart, brought full circle God’s plan of redemption and salvation for humanity.
And that’s the second reason for my sharing these parts of my life with you. Recently, the Lord added another layer of understanding that helped me grasp, just a little more clearly, why Christmas Day is so very important.
Why was Jesus born?
Turn with me to Matthew 1. We’re going to read verses 18 – 21.
(18) Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Do you see the word “of”? It’s the Greek word “ek.” Ek is a primary preposition that tells you the origin of something. In fact, it tells you the DIRECT and IMMEDIATE source of origin. Verse 18 is telling us that the child’s origin is from the Holy Ghost, not Joseph. Now keep this in mind
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privilege.
(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of (ek) the Holy Ghost.
(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Let’s stop here for a moment. The word save is the sozo in the Greek and it means “to save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss or destruction.”
What did Jesus come to save us from? From our sins. In the Greek, the word means “to be without a share in; miss the mark; err, be mistaken; miss or wander from the path of righteousness and honor; do or go wrong; wander from the law of God; violate God’s law, sin.”
In these two words, save and sins, we see that Jesus was born to deliver the human race from its current condition – not having a share in an eternal life with God. In its current condition, the human race is not capable of serving God.
Do you see the phrase “his people?” It is not limited to the Jews.
Turn to John 6:37. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Now turn over to Titus 2.
(13) Looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
(14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
We see in John and Titus that we are also Jesus’ people!
We are looking at why Jesus was born. Turn to Matthew 18:11. “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
The word lost, in a nutshell, means the person who will not see heaven and will spend an eternity in the lake of fire. Our Lord and Savior came to give us a chance to “opt-out” of eternal damnation!
I’d say this is pretty important, wouldn’t you? After all, this tells us why Jesus left heaven and came to earth, right?
Well, let me share something with you that has the potential to destroy some folks in the body of Christ. Did you know that most of the “newer” translations omit this verse? They omit the verse where Jesus Himself says “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
These translation omit this verse: American Standard Version, English Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Bible, Contemporary English Bible, the New English Translation and the New Revised Standard Version. Sadly this is not an exhaustive list.
The Amplified Bible, while including this verse, says “Many manuscripts do not contain this verse.”
The King James Version and the New King James Version are the only Bibles that include this verse without explanation. The King James is not perfect but it does not pick and choose which verses should or should not be included like these other translations.
Now turn to Luke 2. Mary and Joseph have come to the temple to offer the required sacrifice when a male child is born. A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem at that time. The Bible says he was just and devout and that the Holy Spirit had told him that he would not die without seeing the “Lord’s Christ.’”
Let’s pick the record up with verse 28.
(28) Then took he (Simeon) him (Jesus) up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
(29) Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
(30) For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. (“My eyes have seen your deliverer!”)
Now let’s look at why Jesus needed to be born
Turn with me to Genesis 3. We know the story. Eve is seduced by the serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit and shares it with Adam. They eat and find themselves naked before God. In verse 13 Eve tells God that the serpent seduced her and that’s why she ate. In verse 14, the Lord curses the serpent.
Verse 15 is the verse we’re after. God tells the serpent “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
We see that God makes a clear distinction in the “seeds.” There’s the serpent’s seed and there’s the woman’s seed. The first thing that should jump out at you is the “woman’s seed” because we know that the seed comes from the husband.
Now do you see why I wanted you to remember Matthew 1:20 where it says “for that which is conceived in her is of (ek, the point of origin) the Holy Ghost?”
Now turn to Genesis 5.
(1) This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
(2) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
(3) And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.
In these three verses, we see two images and likenesses. Originally, God created the male and female in His likeness. This means that Adam and Eve had the same life and nature that God had.
But there’s a change in verse three. It says Adam began having children after his likeness and image. This tells me that Adam’s likeness was no longer like that of God.
What does this mean? We find the answer in Romans 5:12. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Adam’s likeness did not contain God’s life. Instead, it contained spiritual death. This is the death this verse is talking about. It’s the death that all of us received through the act of procreation.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is why Jesus needed to be born. Without His birth and subsequent death and resurrection, we would not have had the opportunity to receive the eternal life that God originally gave to Adam and Eve.
Turn with me to John 3. We’re going to look at four passages where Jesus, Himself, tells us why He was born – why He is Christmas.
John 3:16 and 17 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Jesus was born – Christmas came - for the whosoever who believed in Him.
John 10:10. “The thief cometh not for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus was born – Christmas came – to give the “they” eternal life.
Turn to Mark 10. We’re going to read verses 42 through 45.
(42) But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
(43) But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
(44) And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
(45) For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus was born – Christmas came – to seek and save the lost.
Turn to Luke 19:10. “For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.”
Now, in the verses that we just read from John, Mark and Luke, who was the focus? Was it Jesus? No. The people that He came to save, to deliver from the sin nature and the lake of fire were the focus. Jesus came for those who would believe in Him. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus came for us! Jesus was born for us!
? We are the “whosoever” in John 3:16 and 17 that “believeth in him!
? We are the “they” to whom Jesus came to give spiritually alive life in John 10:10!
? We are among the “many” for whom Jesus gave His life as a ransom in Mark 10:42-45!
? We were the “lost” that Jesus came to seek and save in Luke 19:10!
Yes, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. But, ladies and gentlemen, Jesus, and if you will allow me, Christmas, came for one reason and one reason only – Christmas came for you! Christmas came for me!
Do you see this? Yes, we celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas. And yes, we say He’s the reason “for the season.” But you have to know that He was born for you! Christmas, the day we celebrate His birth, is also the day we celebrate His being born for us!
Ladies and gentlemen, we celebrate our Lord and Savior’s birth because, without it, we would be condemned to the lake of fire for all eternity.
I want to read three passages to close this message.
Point to myself and then the audience:
In the Body of Christ, we often say that we are Jesus’ hands extended. Again, for this message, I’m going to say we are “Christmas’” hands extended. For someone, you are the promise of Christmas.
? This is the face of Christmas!
? This is the mouth of Christmas
? These are the hands, arms, legs and feet of Christmas!
Ladies and gentlemen, as we continue to look into the mirror (2 Corinthians 3:18), as we continue to look more and more like Jesus, we will be able to show the world that yes, Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, but it is also the day each one of us can look at with a thankful heart and say “I am the reason Jesus was born. I am the reason for Christmas. Jesus came here for me so that, through me, the Father’s will can be done on earth.”
This is the message that I have missed all of these years about Christmas. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus. But it’s also about us – those of us who said “Yes” to Jesus’ offer of eternal salvation. He was born to give us that opportunity. Ladies and gentlemen, we are the reason for Christmas. We are the reason for the birth of God’s only begotten Son! Us!
When I asked the Lord about the message, this is what He said: “You are the reason FOR Christmas.”
Jesus is the Reason we celebrate Christmas. And we, you and I, are the Reason He came.
