Unwrap the Gift of Christmas
December 24, 2004
Luke 2:10-12 (New International Version)
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
INTRODUCTION: One Word.
You all look so nice this evening, I just have to take a picture. (Hold up stapler). Please scoot closer together, and smile. (Push stapler)
Have you seen that commercial for Staples where Grandma takes a picture of the family with a stapler?
First couple times I saw the commercial I thought grandma had drank too much eggnog or something. Then I watched the look on grandma’s face, and realized she was giving hints to the family for Christmas of what gift she wanted.
Since the Christmas season began, one word has fallen from our lips more than any other. Maybe you haven’t stopped to think about which word that was. I don’t think it’s the word joy or carol or tree or food. I think it’s the word gift. If you listen in on conversations in shopping malls and on parking lots, you will hear the word mentioned several times in one conversation. Let’s face it, we have lists of gifts we hope to buy. Some of us have lists of gifts we hope to receive.
This evening we celebrate God’s gift of His Son born in a manger. And here’s what is so shocking, not only did God send His Son to be born here in a manger. God sent His Son knowing that he would go here to a cross. Gifts cost. The advantage of waiting until the last day to shop for Christmas presents is your Visa bill does not come until after Christmas. Tonight as we celebrate God sending His Son into the world, let us Unwrap the Gift Jesus Brings (3 Boxes up front with objects included)
GIFT 1. Unwrap the gift of PURPOSE. I (Open the box inside is the video), “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” He’s the one who had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.” Ever had friends like that? They find the flaw in your life, and just pick at it?
Yet God is in the business of transforming life’s flaws to fulfill life’s purpose. One foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say, “Rudolph with your nosed so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight? Then all the other reindeer loved him.” They didn’t before, but when Rudolph’s purpose was unwrapped, they shouted out with glee.
That first Christmas, an angel comes to shepherds and says in Luke 2:10, The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy.” -- (GW)
Shepherds at this point in history are in the all the other reindeer used to laugh and call them names category. Today we love shepherds, but not in that day. Their testimony was not admissible in court. They weren’t trusted. You wouldn’t want your daughter to marry one or your son to become one. All the other people used to laugh and call them names. Yet it is to shepherds working the night shift that the angel shares the message, a message that offers everyone joy for a Savior has been born. What the world despised, God utilized to fulfill His purpose and to fulfill their purpose.
We do not always know why events happen. Why we followed path A instead of path B. Why did we zig instead of zag. Or like Forest Gump’s momma said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get.” Anybody know the secret code for a box of See’s candy? I can figure out the ones with the nuts and the nougat, but crème fillings are always a mystery to me. Now if I made the chocolates and placed them in the box, then I might know the answer. That’s why God can give the gift of purpose. He made us. He placed us in this world. He knows what the future holds, and He knows what our lives are becoming. Paul tells us in Colossians 1:15-16, 15We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. 16For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. -- (Msg)
Your life is not an accident. Christmas reminds us that there is purpose in life and that God is the giver of purpose.
GIFT 2. Unwrap the gift of FORGIVENESS. (Open the box inside is a broken toy.) Sometimes we make mistakes, and toys get broken. Life gets broken, and we aren’t sure how to fix it. Forgiveness is the makeover work God does on my heart to make my life new.
A couple weeks ago, I needed to make 6 copies from part of my tax return to send to the financial aid office at Concordia. So I go into a nearby copy store, and start making my 6 copies when I read this sign above the copy machine, “Mistakes must be paid for.” All of a sudden, I start thinking what if I hit the thousand copy button by mistake, how can I pull the plug, how much will that cost, do I have enough cash to cover that many mistakes?
If mistakes must be paid for and if you break it you buy it. Who pays? Who can pay? So where do you go to find forgiveness? The angel says to the shepherds and to us in Luke 2:11, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. -- (NKJV)
We need forgiveness not only because mistakes must be paid for, but because we find in unwrapping this gift of forgiveness God takes the broken toys of our lives and fixes them (put toy together).
Mistakes must be paid for. According to John Ortberg, “there was a survey in US News and World Report a few years ago that asked people, Who do you think is most likely to get into heaven? There was a list of famous people:
Mother Teresa: 79% of the people said they thought Mother Teresa would get into heaven—which means that 21% are grading pretty tough, doesn’t it?!
Oprah was next at 66%.
Michael Jordan landed right beneath her at 65%. Must have been a lot of basketball fans.
Colin Powell came in at 61%.
OJ Simpson was at the bottom of the list with 19%.
But there was one vote getter who topped even Mother Teresa. According to this US New and World Report survey, one individual received an 87% shot at getting into Heaven. Take five seconds, turn to the person next to you, and see if you can guess who got the top rating. The number one person on the list was the person taking the poll!
What does this say? It says that out of all the famous people in the world, I’d put Mother Teresa at the top. But the one I’d say has a better shot than Mother Teresa at getting into Heaven is—ME. I beat Mother Teresa 87% to 79 %! I can be so deceived. I’m no Mother Teresa, and even Mother Teresa said, “I can’t do it on my own.””
Neither can you, neither can I. I can’t do it on my own. I don’t live up to God’s plan for my life. I have a moral debt before a perfect, holy God. There’s a gap. I acknowledge that Jesus came to earth to teach and to show us what life is supposed to look like—a life that is right on the inside. When He died on the Cross, He showed God’s love—God’s willingness to embrace all that suffering and all that hostility and all that junk. He took my place. He paid my debt. I don’t have to try to earn my way to God any more, but simply unwrap the gift of Jesus, the gift of purpose and the gift of forgiveness.
Mistakes must be paid for, and there is one who pays for us all. Joseph is told in Matthew 1:21, She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. – (NCV)
GIFT 3. Unwrap the gift of PEACE. On this Christmas Eve night, I need to mention the 3 scariest words in the English language. Do you know what they are? Let’s unwrap the gift of peace and find out. (Open the box inside a box with the words, “some assembly required.) Here they are right on this box, “Some assembly required.”
I saw a Sears ad last week that featured, “Professional Assembly Available.” I was thinking where were you when I was trying to put my BBQ together and ended up with 72 extra pieces?
When it comes to assembling peace in life, a sense of wholeness and of having life together, then some assembly is required and it takes a professional like God to put life together. Yet you wouldn’t have known it was God that first Christmas. The angel describes to the shepherds the way to find this prince of peace in Luke 2:12, You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay. -- (CEV)
One Christmas ad featured these words, “It’s what’s inside that’s what matters, of course. Something designed with eternity in mind. Something crafted with meticulous care. Perhaps the answer to a secret wish. Perhaps a surprise full of boundless joy. Or a promise for the rest of your life.” Below was a picture of a wrapped box from Tiffany’s.
The ad is right, it is what’s inside that matters, but it is not found in a box from Tiffany’s though I’m sure many ladies think that would make a good gift, but not an eternal one. The eternal one is dressed in baby clothes and lying in a manger, and he brings in his life, death and resurrection the gift of peace.
Such a gift leads angels to break out in a song of peace in Luke 2:14, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. -- (KJV)
During the recent uprisings in the Middle East, a couple who serve with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Israel, communicated the following in a letter: They said that “The result of the fighting and killing has left a profound sense of discouragement that hovers over the country. Several times we have come into closer contact with this conflict than our comfort zone allowed.
Yesterday a friend shared with us something she observed that was a delightful reminder of God’s care for us. She watched a shepherd caring for his flock near the area where guns are fired. Every time the shots rang out the sheep scattered in fright. The shepherd then touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them, and the sheep settled down immediately because they trusted the shepherd. And then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened again. Each time, the sheep needed the shepherd to orient them again and to reassure them they were safe.
We are like those sheep, and our Shepherd reaches out and touches us with his staff, speaking words of calm and comfort. Where do you need His special touch this night? Where are the shots ringing out that you need Jesus to touch and settle you down? Maybe it’s a family issue. Maybe the death of a loved one. Maybe financial tension or holiday stress. Or maybe it’s just all of the above. This night be touched by the child of Bethlehem, the baby in the manger for Jesus comes with the gift of peace.
CONCLUSION: Unwrap the gift now.
Ever met a child who when offered a chance to open a Christmas gift, said “no, not right now, I think I would like to wait until February to open my Christmas gifts?” Ever met an adult who turned down that chance? The whole reason Christmas exists, the whole purpose is so you can have a relationship with God. Unwrap the gift! Jesus came here to the manger to grow and go to here the cross, and he did both of those for one reason, he wants to come here to live in my heart. He wants to be born in your heart this Christmas.
Don’t miss the purpose of Christmas. It’s not about what’s under the tree. It’s about Jesus who hung on the cross. That’s how much He loves you. And God wants to adopt you into His family. You are the reason He came. What are you waiting for? What is holding you back? Unwrap the gift of Jesus and find purpose, forgiveness and peace. Unwrap the gift Jesus brings, and watch your life be transformed. Unwrap the gift of Jesus now. Amen.
