“Christmas Questions”
INTRODUCTION: This morning, I want to ask some “Christmas Questions” … WHY?
I’ve always had a questioning mind: LIKE:
o How can a brown cow, eat green grass, and give white milk?
o If man evolved from apes, why do we still have apes?
o If a man stands in the middle of the forest, speaking … and there is no woman to hear him … is he still wrong?
Somebody sent me this set of TEST QUESTIONS to answer:
o What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic? SANKA
o What do prisoners use to talk to each other? CELL PHONES
o What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long? POLAROIDS
o What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t work? A STICK
o Why do gorillas have such big nostrils? BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH BIG FINGERS!
I have a QUESTIONING mind … “Inquiring minds want to know.” SO … I came up with some “Christmas Questions” about the Christmas story. NOT … to question God or His methods. BUT … to get a better understanding of WHY God did what He did concerning the birth of His Son.
Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
The time was right … the stage was set … everything was ready … THEN Jesus was born. It was GOD’S PLAN … GOD’S TIMETABLE … GOD’S DESIGN. God was in charge … AMEN? Nothing happened by accident or chance. God had a PURPOSE in all that He did.
QUESTION #1 – WHY GABRIEL? – Luke 1:26
Why not MICHAEL, the Arch-angel … or another angel? There were 10’s of thousands of angels to choose from.
God chose GABRIEL instead of MICHAEL … WHY?
MICHAEL was a special angel … sent to Israel … the Jews. Angels are God’s “messengers” … and Michael’s messages were always to the Jews. Jesus was born … NOT just for the Jews … BUT for the whole world.
When we look at GABRIEL, we see that God chose him to tell Daniel (Daniel Ch. 8) of the 2nd COMING of Christ. WHO BETTER to tell Mary of the 1st COMING of Christ?
It was GABRIEL who told Daniel the TIME that Jesus would be born. Daniel 9:25 – “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:”
Since God used GABRIEL to tell the TIME of Jesus’ birth 600 years earlier … God would use Gabriel to ANNOUNCE His birth to Mary. God was CONSISTENT in His MESSAGE and His MESSENGER.
QUESTION #2 – WHY MARY? – Luke 1:27-28
STORY – “Once there was a little boy who was really mean. At Christmas-time, the little boy wrote out 12 pages of toys that he wanted his parents to give him for Christmas. His parents were out-raged that he should so selfishly ask for so many things. They sat him down in front of the manger scene in the Living Room, and told him to sit there, look at the manger scene, and remember what Christmas was really about. Then, he should write a letter to Jesus.
The mean little boy sits there for awhile, staring at the manger scene, then gets a pencil & a pad of paper and begins to write: “Dear Jesus, if you will bring me all the toys, I’ll be good for a whole year.” He thinks for a minute, then tears up the paper. He writes again: “Dear Jesus, if you will bring me all the toys, I’ll be good for a whole week.” But, once again, he tears up the paper.
He once again sits in front of the manger scene, and gently reaches over and picks up the figure of Mary, places it into a shoe box, and sets the shoe box in the back of his closet. Then, he writes another letter: “Dear Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again …”
WHY MARY? Mary was a VIRGIN. Jesus HAD to be born of a virgin or Jesus would have had a sin nature like Joseph.
BUT … WHY MARY? There were LOTS of virgins Nazareth, I’m sure. We’re given a CLUE in 1:38.
#1 – She was willing to be used of God ANY WAY God wanted. She was a yielded vessel. Mary: “Just say it, Lord … and I will do it.”
#2 – She believed – 1:45
WHAT did she believe?
1.- She believed in the PROMISES of God … that God would send the Messiah.
2.- She believed in the POWER of God … that God would DO what He had PROMISED.
3.- She believed in giving PRAISE to God – 1:47
Even if it meant: rejection by her people … possible stoning … running for her life … God uses people who want Him to be a part of their life. That’s why God chose MARY.
QUESTION #3 – WHY JOSEPH? Matthew 1:18
“espoused” – like an engagement … only legally binding. This was the 1st part of the marriage process … they didn’t live together … it took a “divorce” to break it.
Joseph was an HONORABLE man … “before they came together” – 1:18. He respected Mary & their relationship.
1:19 – “just man” – he could have had her stoned to death.
Joseph didn’t react hastily or irrationally or on impulse – 1:20 – “he thought on these things”.
WHY JOSEPH? BECAUSE, God could trust him. AFTER ALL, Joseph would be raising God’s Son. Who would you trust to raise your child? In our will, we named some dear friends as Legal Guardians for our children … to raise them in case something happened to us. They were people I could TRUST.
STORY – An elderly couple took their 6 yr. old grandson to church on Sunday morning. The grand-mother sang in the choir, so she told the boy that he would be sitting with his grand-father in church. She took the boy aside, gave him a dollar, and told him to poke his grand-father now and then to keep him awake during the sermon.
Grandpa slept through the sermon, and after church, grandma asked the boy why he hadn’t followed her instructions. The boy replied: “You gave me a dollar to keep him awake. Grandpa gave me 2 dollars to let him sleep!”
God could trust Joseph with the care of His Son. Because of Joseph, we read of Jesus, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
WHY did God choose Joseph? BECAUSE God could TRUST him with the raising of His dear Son, Jesus.
QUESTION #4 – WHY BETHLEHEM? – Luke 2:1-5
I would have chosen JERUSALEM, the Capital City … or ROME, the center of world power … or NAZARETH, where Mary & Joseph lived. WHY BETHLEHEM? Bethlehem was like Bell … a small village … outside of Jerusalem (about as far away as from Trenton).
To complicate it even more, there were TWO Bethlehem’s … NORTH in Galilee … and SOUTH in Judah. The O.T. predicted which one … Micah 5:2 – “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;”
BUT … WHY BETHLEHEM? See 2:4
Joseph’s ancestor was King David. Since there were no computers back then, all family records were kept in the city where their ancestors came from. God arranged for a tax to be taken by Caesar Augustus, so Mary & Joseph would have to travel to Bethlehem. REMEMBER, God is in charge of planning the birth of His Son.
BUT … WHY BETHLEHEM? “Bethlehem” means ‘house of bread’. Jesus came from Heaven to earth to be the “Bread of Life”. SO … God saw fit for His Son, the “Bread of Life”, to be born in the “house of bread”.
QUESTION #5 – WHY SWADDLING CLOTHES? Luke 2:7
Doesn’t it seem STRANGE that the Bible would mention this “insignificant” detail? Why was this so important to tell us? “swaddling clothes” were strips of linen cloth, used to wrap up newborn babies. BUT … there was ANOTHER USE for these linen wrappings. They were ALSO used to wrap up bodies for burial. When Jesus was taken down from the cross … Mark 15:46 – “And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulcher …”
God had every detail planned out. Baby Jesus was wrapped in burial clothes … BECAUSE … He was born to die on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins.
NOTICE: - “wrapped” – 2:7. It’s the 1st CHRISTMAS … and Jesus was “wrapped” as a present from God to the world. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He “wrapped” His only begotten Son …” Jesus is a GIFT … a LOVE GIFT from God.
What happens if you leave your gift under the tree? In our house, we traditionally designate 1 person to hand out the gifts from under the tree. If a gift were left under the tree, you wouldn’t receive it. (that’s why they don’t let me hand out the gifts anymore!). The free gift of eternal life that Jesus came to give you … must be RECEIVED … or you won’t have it.
QUESTION #6 – WHY THE SHEPHERDS? – Luke 2:8-12
Why wasn’t the birth announcement of Jesus delivered to the Mayor of Bethlehem … or the City Council … or the Priests? WHY THE SHEPHERDS? They were looked upon as 2nd class citizens. They didn’t smell good … didn’t dress well … not very educated. Most of them only became a Shepherd if you couldn’t do anything else.
STORY – After church one Sunday, a little boy asks his mother, “Is it true that shepherds have dirty socks?” “Why in the world would you say a thing like that?”, his mother asked. The little boy replied, “Because in church we always sing, ‘While shepherds washed their socks by night …’”.
WHY THE SHEPHERDS? See 2:8 … “by night”. The Shepherds weren’t asleep. Everybody else in Bethlehem & Jerusalem were sound asleep. Those who were ASLEEP when Jesus came … MISSED IT. When you’re asleep (RING BELL), you miss out!
There are a lot of Christians who are “spiritually asleep” … and are missing out on the peace, joy, victory and blessings of God … RIGHT NOW. Jesus once said – “Why sleep ye? Arise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Those who are asleep when Jesus COMES BACK, won’t be ready for His return. When you’re ASLEEP, you miss out on a lot.
BUT … WHY THE SHEPHERDS? They were lowly … poor … humble … BUT READY!
IF SALVATION COULD BE:
… bought with MONEY … only the RICH would be saved.
… achieved by MORALITY … only the GOOD would be saved.
… produced by FAME … only the FAMOUS would be saved.
… secured by RELIGION … only the RELIGIOUS would be saved.
BUT … God’s call is like that to the Shepherds. He calls those who are READY!
QUESTION #7 – WHY THE WISE MEN? Matthew 2:1-2
These are probably the MOST UNLIKELY of people to follow the star. WHY?
1.- They were GENTILES. Jesus was presented to the JEWISH Shepherds FIRST … THEN to the GENTILE Wise Men. WHY?
As we read our Bibles, we see that the JEWS rejected Him … THEN … He was presented to the GENTILES. God wasn’t going to leave the GENTILES out of His Son’s birth.
2.- They were SCHOLARS … men of learning. Wise men still seek Him … and the Bible says that it is the “fool” that has said in his heart, ‘there is no God’.
They presented 3 GIFTS to Jesus:
o GOLD … a gift normally given to a KING … Jesus is the “King of Kings”.
o FRANKINCENSE … used by the PRIESTS … burned on the altar of incense … showing His DEITY.
o MYRRH … used in EMBALMING … it tells of His DEATH.
BUT … the GREATEST GIFT of all is seldom mentioned … 2:11. They FIRST gave THEMSELVES … “fell down and worshipped Him”.
WHY THE WISE MEN? Because they have a LESSON to teach us about wise gift-giving.
CONCLUSION: There’s 1 MORE QUESTION I need to ask. If you have never trusted Jesus to save you from your sins … WHY NOT? Why refuse His free gift? If you refuse what Jesus has done for you … by dying to pay the penalty of your sins … there’s nothing else God can do for you. He has already done all there is to do.
We spend a lot of time picking out the best Christmas gift for those we love. God spent a lot of time & planning on the very first Christmas gift … His Son, Jesus. He is the PERFECT gift. “1 size fits all.” He is a gift that you’ll never return … never exchange.
If you have never received this gift of eternal life that God has to offer you through His Son Jesus … trust Jesus today … and He’ll give you the best Christmas … the best life … the best eternity you can ever have.
STAND – PRAY
HYMN - #375 – “‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Christmas Questions”
INTRODUCTION:
God had a PURPOSE in all that He did in planning this birth.
QUESTION #1 – WHY GABRIEL? Luke 1:26
- Michael, the Arch-Angel was God’s messenger to the Jews.
- Jesus was born for the whole world … not just the Jews.
- Gabriel announced the 2nd coming of Jesus (Daniel 8).
- Gabriel told the time Jesus would be born – Daniel 9:25
QUESTION #2 – WHY MARY? Luke 1:27-28
- 1:38 – There were lots of virgins in Nazareth to choose from.
1.- Mary was willing to be used by God any way He wanted.
2.- Mary believed God – 1:45 … His promises, power.
3.- Mary gave praise to God – 1:47
QUESTION #3 – WHY JOSEPH? Matthew 1:18
- Joseph was an honorable man, respecting Mary.
- 1:19 – Joseph was a “just man”.
- 1:20 - God could TRUST him to raise His Son, Jesus.
QUESTION #4 – WHY BETHLEHEM? Luke 2:1-5
- Micah 5:2 – There were 2 Bethlehems.
- 2:4 – King David’s records were kept there.
- “Bethlehem” means ‘house of bread’ … Jesus is the ‘Bread of Life’.
QUESTION #5 – WHY SWADDLING CLOTHES? – Luke 2:7
- This seems like an insignificant detail.
- “swaddling clothes” - also used to wrap the dead – Mark 15:46
- Jesus was born to die to pay the penalty for your sins.
- God “wrapped” the 1st Christmas present … His love-gift.
QUESTION #6 – WHY THE SHEPHERDS? Luke 2:8-12
- 2:8 – Those who were asleep missed His birth.
- The “spiritually asleep” will miss out, not only on His blessing NOW, but won’t be ready when Jesus RETURNS.
- The Shepherds were READY!
QUESTION #7 – WHY THE WISE MEN? Matthew 2:1-2
1.- They were Gentiles – God wouldn’t leave us out!
2.- They were scholars – Wise men still seek Him!
3.- They brought gifts – The GREATEST gift – 2:11
CONCLUSION: Why refuse God’s free gift?
- There’s nothing else God can do for you, than to send His Son Jesus.
- Jesus is the PERFECT gift.
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH – Ray Scott, Pastor
