ONE PERFECT PLAN
Part 5 of the Christmas Perspectives Series
John 3:16; Philippians 2:6-7
A father and his son were taking a nature hike through the woods when they came upon some ants working furiously to clear a path. The ants were scurrying here and there trying desperately to provide a clear path for ant travel. They worked individually as well as a team, but to no avail. Father and son watched a long time in silence. Finally the boy looked at his Dad and said, "I wish I could help the ants." Father responded by telling his son that his presence would send them to hide for safety. After some more silence and some more observation the son spoke with much intent. "You know, Dad, if I could become an ant, become one of them for a short time I could help them." (Autoillustrator.com, CHRISTMAS "I COULD HELP THEM")
John 3:16 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Philippians 2:6-7 (NIV)
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
For the past few weeks, I have shared with you some different perspectives on the Christmas Story. And tonight I would like to conclude with the most important perspective of them all. God Himself.
God’s perspective is one that gives us much hope, gives us much joy, and leads us to great wonder. You see for God, the Christmas Story is not about one event singled out in eternity – but it is part of His greater plan that began right after the fall of man and carries through to his creation of a new heaven and earth and the destruction of the old.
I could not even begin to know the mind of God as Jesus lay as a babe in the manger. But the scriptures do tell us the heart of God. The heart of God is that man would be reconciled to Himself. The Heart of God is that you and I would know Him. The heart of God is that you and I would worship Him. The heart of God is that you and I would draw near to Him. The heart of God is that you and I would have an intimate relationship with Him. The heart of God is expressed in his coming to Earth – as one of us – in a form we would know.
The step that God took in doing this is much greater than if we were to become an ant. It doesn’t even compare. And yet God did this – because of His love.And his love extends to all who would receive it.
He announced His birth to the shepherds to show that His grace, his love isn’t limited to the privileged, to the prosperous, or to the righteous.
He announced His birth to the wise men to show that His grace, his love isn’t limited to the Jews, or to those who have a spiritual heritage.
He announced His birth to Simeon and Anna to show that His grace, his love is for all who would wait on Him and desire it.
And this evening I announce His grace, His love to you. In the midst of your family time and your activities these next few days take some time to reflect on God’s love for you and the leap He took to bridge the gap between His love for us and our being able to love Him.
Television communicastor harry Reisner wrote the following:
Eleven years ago in my previous incarnation on this broadcast [60 minutes] I did a little Christmas piece, it seemed like a good idea to repeat it. The basis for this tremendous annaul burst of buying things and gift buying and parties and near hysteria, is a quiet event that Christians believe actually happened a long time ago. You can say that in all societies there has always been a midwinter festival, and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan, but you come back to the central fact, of the day and quietness of Christmas morning, the birth, of God, on earth.
It leaves you only three ways of accepting Christmas, one is cynically, as a time to make money or endorse the making of it. One is graciously, the appropriate attitude for non-Christians, who wish their fellow citizens all the joys to which their beliefs entitle them, and the third, of course , is reverently.
If this is the anniversary of the appearance of the Lord of the universe, in the form of a helpless babe – it is a very important day. It’s a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story that a virgin was selected by God to bear his Son as a way of showing His love and concern for man, it’s my guess, that in spite of all the lip service given to it, is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It’s a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It’s so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic, and beyond theology.
It has a magnificent appeal. Almost nobody has seen God, and almost nobody has any real idea of what he is like, and the Truth is that among men the idea of seeing God suddenly, and standing in a very bright light, is not necessarily a completely comforting and appealing idea. But everyone has seen babies, and most people like them.
If God wanted to be loved as well as feared, he moved correctly here. If He wanted to know his people as well as rule them, He moved correctly here, for a baby growing up learns all about people. If God wanted to be intimately a part of man he moved correctly, for the experience of birth, and family-hood is our most intimate and precious experience.
So it comes beyond logic. It is either all falsehood or it is the truest thing in the world. It’s the story of the great innocence of God the baby. God in the power of man, and has such a dramatic shock toward the heart, that it, if is not true, for Christians, nothing is true.
So, if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is till worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some final quiet morning, the touch will take. (Autoillustrator.com, CHRISTMAS)
PRAY.
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church on December 24,2000 for the Christmas Eve Service. This message is Part 5 of the sermon series: Christmas Perspectives. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1873, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
