Love: The Reason For Christmas
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13; Matthew 1:18-21; Mark 10:42-45
For the next four weeks we are going to talk about love, hope and faith. Specifically we will talk about:
• Love: The Reason For Christmas
• Love: The Reason It’s Most Important
• Hope: The Reason We Believe
• Faith: The Reason We Hope
In this short series we will close out the year with love and open the New Year with hope and faith. I wrote part one on Hope for last Sunday but we were unable to have service due to the weather. However, I believe the flow is actually going to work better with our ending the year talking about the importance of love. We will open the year with hope and why we need it in order to believe what the Bible says, and why faith is the reason we have hope. These three, love, hope and faith are at the core of every Christian’s life. So let’s get started with love being the reason for Christmas and next week we will talk about why love is most important.
In the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, Paul told the Church in Corinth: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13) From these verses we see that Christians should possess faith, hope and love but the most important thing is love. Now, the love this passage is talking about can only be found in the person who is born again, the person who has accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. How do you know this Pastor? Dionne Warwick had it right when she sung “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” She didn’t know, or perhaps she did, that the love she was singing about was the kind of love that we can only receive from Jesus. It is the one thing that is most needed in this world and yet it is primarily this time of year when people feel most like sharing it. This time of year exists because of love. We are sitting here today because of love. I want you to think about that this morning as I share with you part one of this series “Love: The Reason For Christmas.”
This morning, as I have done so many times in the past, I’m going to begin by putting myself 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 me. And I’m only willing to do this because you love me! As you know, I was born on December 13th so the month of December had a double meaning for me. On December 1st there would be 12 days until my birthday. On my birthday, then there would be 12 more days until Christmas. The 12 days between my birthday and Christmas were the longest twelve days of my life as a child. During those 12 days it seemed like time stood still. It was like I was in an old movie where people knew something was getting ready to happen and everyone was just watching the clock waiting for it. Tick, tock, tick tock as the seconds passed with nothing happening. Before I understood or could read a calendar, like all kids I would daily ask my mom how many more days until Christmas. I spent many hours, some alone and some with my siblings, just sitting in the living room watching the artificial aluminum Christmas tree change colors as the color wheel turned and shined on it. I loved looking at that tree as it was one of the things that made Christmas so special for me.
The week before Christmas we would have our annual Christmas program at Church. That program was all about the Christmas story. We would sing Christmas songs as a choir and then the deacons would “estimate” the value of the Christmas tree. You see, in the Church I grew up in, there was a big Christmas tree near the pulpit and underneath it there would be gifts for the kids. The deacons would stand up and make a big show of looking at all the gifts and then one would say with a loud voice what they collectively thought the value of the tree was. This was part of the program that I never understood but later I learned that “individual” Christmases was measured by how much a family could afford to spend that particular year. So people would say this is a “big” Christmas for us or this will be a “small” Christmas and it was based on what they could afford to spend. After that the gifts would be handed out and then everyone was given bags with apples, oranges, candy and nuts in them. The Church’s Christmas program held me over until Christmas day.
Finally Christmas Eve would arrive. I would go to bed thinking about the presents that would be waiting for me on Christmas morning. When we were younger our dad worked at the hospital. He would arrive home early on Christmas morning while it was still dark. He would wake us up as soon as he got home so we could open our presents. I thought he did this because he was excited to see us opening gifts, but at that time he needed to go to sleep so it was better for him to get us up as soon as he got home and then everyone could go back to bed for a few more hours of sleep. 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. I have one old family video of our opening our gifts on Christmas morning and every time I watch the video it brings back many fond memories. Oh, the sounds of Christmas!
Now, what did you not hear in this retelling of Rodney’s Christmas. Who’s missing? Not once on Christmas morning 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 and cake and ice cream goes great together. However, as a child and even as a pre-teen, 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. As I said previously, we had already attended and participated in the Christmas program at Church where we celebrated Jesus’ birth so that “box” was already checked. But on Christmas morning, it was about the presents – my presents. It was about the answer to the weeks’ long lingering question: “Did I get what I wanted?”
Now let’s fast forward a few years to Christmas in the Rodney & Nikki household. Again, I’m putting Rodney, not Nikki, on “Front Street.” When the kids were small we wanted to teach them to give; that it wasn’t just about them receiving gifts. So we started taking them to different nursing homes to hand out presents to the residents. I cannot tell you the pure joy that some of the older residents had on their faces when they received a small gift from two little beautiful girls. The girls enjoyed giving the gifts and they were not afraid of the older people as they had been around older people their whole life. This is one of my favorite memories of Christmas because they understood that while they were giving gifts, they too would also be receiving some on Christmas morning.
I really enjoyed Christmas with our girls when they were young and still impressionable. Even as they aged out of playing with the box the gift came in versus playing with the actually present, they were always excited about Christmas. They counted down the days and were always ready to go out and look at all the Christmas decorations. When Christmas Day arrived they rushed to the tree to find their presents and I would watch as they opened each one. They would open their presents and then show each other what they had received and then proceed to the next present. 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 because after they opened all their presents and cleaned up the mess, they were hungry. And Nikki always made sure that Christmas morning breakfast was the best. When all was said and done on Christmas morning I did not consistently refocus their minds on why we celebrated Christmas – that it wasn’t just a holiday for getting presents like their birthdays, but that it had another, deeper meaning.
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. You see, as a Christian we cannot 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.
We all know that Jesus is the reason for the season, but I want to ask you a question? Why was Jesus born? Turn with me to Matthew chapter one and we’re going to read verses 18 – 21. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, decided to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save His people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:18-21)
Do you see the word “of” in verse 18? 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. In verse twenty-one, the word save is 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 sin 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.” 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. One more point from verse twenty-one. Do you see the phrase “His people?” It is not limited to the Jews, but everyone who calls on the name of Jesus.
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.”
Titus 2:13-14 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:13-14) We see in John and Titus that we are also Jesus’ people!
Now look at Matthew 18:11. It reads, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” The word lost, in a nutshell, means the person 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? If you are using a translation of the Bible that is not King James or New King James then there is a chance that your Bible probably omitted this verse also. They omit Matthew 18:11 where Jesus Himself says “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” The American Standard Version, English Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Bible, and several others all omit this verse. 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. But even if you take it out of the book of Matthew, the same thought was recorded in Luke 19:10 which says, “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
So why did Jesus need to be born? As we have read, He came to save us. He came to save us because of what took place in the Garden of Eden. He came to save us because man fell – man sinned. You know the story in Genesis 3, how Eve was seduced by the serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit and then she shares it with Adam. You know how after they ate it they find themselves naked before God. You know what happened when God found out what they had done and the curse He pronounced on the serpent and the woman. In verse 15 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.
Remember what we read in Matthew 1:20? It says “for that which is conceived in her is of (ek, the point of origin) the Holy Ghost?” 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. However, in Genesis 5:1-3 we see there’s a change. In verse three it says Adam began having children after his likeness and after his image. This tells us that Adam’s likeness was no longer like that of God. So 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. We’re going to look at three passages where Jesus, Himself, tells us why He was born – why He is Christmas. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Jesus was born – Christmas came - for whosoever would believe in Him.
John 10:10 says, “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.
Mark 10:42-45 says “But Jesus called them to Him, and said unto them, ‘You know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their leaders exercise authority over them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever would be great among you, shall be your servant: and whosoever of you will be the first, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.’”
Now, in the verses that we just read from John, Mark and earlier in Luke, who was the focus? Was it Jesus? No. It was the people that He came to save, to deliver from the sin nature and the Lake of Fire. 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 and me! 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. Jesus is the REASON for the season but we are the WHY behind His decision to come. He came for you and He came for me! 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 for many years about Christmas, even as a Christian. 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 “why” behind the decision for Him to come. We are the reason for the birth of God’s only begotten Son! Us! Jesus is the Reason we celebrate Christmas. And we, you and I, are the Reason He came. Hallelujah!
Next week we will continue with Love and why for everyone, Christian or not, it is the most thing that we need, have, and can share.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. Our service Sunday worship starts at 9 a.m. and Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
