First Baptist Church
December 24, 2001
Christmas Eve
When one of his speaking engagements ended, Landon Saunders would always take questions from the audience. On one night a young man began a dialogue with him that was spellbinding the audience. It was obvious this man was not being cynical, nor was it apparent that he was seeking attention, he just had to understand. So he half asked and half stated what Saunders had been explaining —
"You mean to tell me God became a baby and He was born in a stable?"
Saunders answered, "Yes, that is what I mean to say."
The man continued, "And then after becoming a baby, he was raised in a blue collar home? He never wrote any books, never held public office, yet He called Himself the Son of God?"
Saunders simply replied, "Yes, that is right."
"You mean He never traveled outside of His country, never studied at a university or under any great teachers, He never lived in a palace, and yet He wanted to be known as the Creator of the universe?"
Again, Saunders replied, "That’s correct."
The man continued to press Saunders, "So He taught people about God, about living a pure life; and then was crucified? He was betrayed by His own people? Nobody, not one of His followers came to His defense? And then He was executed like a common criminal? All for teaching about God?
Another short answer came from Saunders, "That’ the gist of it."
The young man was moving around awkwardly, not wanting to attract attention, yet he had to know the answers. So he continued on —
"And after being killed he was buried in a borrowed grave?"
Saunders answered, "Yes, he had no grave of His own, and did n’t have the money to purchase one."
The audience was spellbound by this dialogue. Two men were talking and questioning the holy and sacred. Two men on opposite sides, one trusting, the other wanting to trust, hoping that somehow he could find the trust to come to the other side of that chasm.
The young man had more emotion in his voice as he asked, "And according to what’s written, after 3 days in the grave he was resurrected and appeared to over 500 people?"
Again a simple "yes" from Saunders.
"And you mean to tell me that all of this was to prove that God still loves His people and provides a way for us to return to Him?"
"Yes, that’s right," answered Saunders.
And that’s when it happened, everyone in the room seemed to sense what question was coming next. The young man then asked, "Well, doesn’t that all sound rather . . ." pausing for a moment to think of the right words, he finally said, "Doesn’t that all sound rather absurd?"
All heads now turned to Landon Saunders to see how he would reply. And his response, as usual, was a simple one, "Yes, yes. I suppose it does sound absurd, doesn’t it?" (1)
Not the answer we want to hear about Christianity. Absurd? The birth of Jesus . . . ABSURD? The cross . . . ABSURD? The resurrection . . . ABSURD? How can it be? Is it absurd?
Well, my friends, I am hear tonight to tell you that it may sound absurd, but it is not. What God did makes sense. It makes sense that Jesus had to come to earth and live as we do. It makes sense that someone had to be our sacrifice, because a sacrifice was needed to bring forgiveness to us so that we could come before God. It makes sense that a Savior had to come so that we could experience what it is like to have a relationship with God and to experience His grace. And it makes sense that only one person could perform this monumental task, the Son of God, Jesus.
However, WHY God did this seems to be absurd. Think about it, that type of love just isn’t logical. Would you really lay down your life for someone you REALLY don’t know? Be honest. How do you really explain that type of love without looking at the cross and seeing the pain of my sins and yours coming upon Jesus.
Think about it, for thousands of years we, boys and girls, men and women have tried to charm God, we’ve tried to be His friend, buddies with God. And for thousands of years we had let God down more than we lifted Him up in praise and worship.
Think about all those Bible characters God called on to lead His people. They were truly characters of the first order. What about Aaron, Moses brother and right hand man, the first high priest of the Israelites. He witnessed the plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, and yet this saintly man of God helped the people worship a golden calf, all while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the ten commandments.
And there were the sons of Jacob. The boys whose names would live on forever as the 12 tribes of Israel. If they were so noble, why did they gag and sell their younger brother, Joseph, as a slave to the Egyptians?
There was Samson, lying on Delilah’s couch, drunk on wine, perfume and soft lights. He’s thinking ‘she’s putting on something more comfortable.’ She’s thinking ‘where did I put those scissors?’
There was Adam wearing a fig leaf and hiding from God with fruit dripping off his face. Moses banging his staff and throwing temper tantrum after temper tantrum. King Saul looking into a crystal ball for God’s will. Noah, drunk and naked in his tent. David, committing adultery and murder. Solomon taking on more wives and worshiping other Gods. Peter saying he’ll die for Jesus, and a few hours later denying that he ever knew Jesus. The disciple Thomas was willing to die for Jesus, yet he doubted the resurrection.
Oh, I could go on and on with others, including the prostitutes. These were the chosen ones of God. And this is the royal lineage of the great King of kings and Lord of lords?
It becomes clearer to see the absurdity in what God did. Sending His Boy, His Son to leave the peace, love, joy, comfort of heaven and send Him to earth, to live and experience life just as we do. Somehow it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Even after people abandoned Jesus, spit on Him, mocked Him, beat Him and threw Him out like trash, it just seems absurd that God would hang in there with us, not saying "I’m through with them, they’re all a bunch of losers." Instead, God hangs on, waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting for you and I just to call on Him, to claim Him as ours. Nope there’s not a thread of rationality or logic.
And then we hear stories, stories that make us stop and think and wonder about this God.
In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They related the following story in their own words:
It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me.
The children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help.
All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat -- he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.
For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the story accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him — for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes were full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him — FOR ALWAYS.(2)
That is the story of Christmas. Our God, the one and only true God, who sent His Son, His one and only Son, to love us and when we become unlovable, to love us more, and when we are hurting and afraid, to love us more and more.
Yes, friends the story of salvation — believing in God may seem rather absurd, but it is true, for God so loved the world that he sent His only Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but would find everlasting life.
Place your name in that scripture of John 3:16, For God so loved (YOUR NAME), that He sent His Son, so that when (YOUR NAME) believes in Jesus, (YOUR NAME) will not perish, but (YOUR NAME) will have everlasting life and the promise that God will always, always be with (YOUR NAME).
That is today’s GREAT NEWS!!
1. From Max Lucado’s book, "God Came Near" chapter 3.
2. Author unknown. Posted by Jeff Spencer, via Ecunet, "Bottom Drawer," #4022, 12/10/99
