Christmas through the eyes of the Father
Well, for most of us the family gatherings have passed, the meals have been shared, the gifts have been exchanged and several are probably ready for a long nap. If you are like me, you really love Christmas, but sometimes feel emotionally down the day after Christmas.
You look around and about the only remnants left of Christmas is the Tree. Some of us may be taking down our tree today, and many of us will leave our trees up for several more days – even a week or two. We’ll probably take our tree down sometime around the 1st of the year.
See, I love the Christmas tree – I love the beauty of the tree – I love the lights – I love the smell – well, I used to love the smell. See, we became sell-outs while we lived here in Moweaqua – December 1996. I like to call that the Christmas that almost let to court. It was quite an ordeal – I won’t go into the details – but the end result, after two live trees bit the dust and we ended up w/ a “Charlie Brown” tree, the Taylor’s became artificial tree people.
Today we are in the final part of our three-part Christmas series entitled Viewing Christmas.
12/12 – Christmas through the eyes of Mary – Luke 1 – the Call, the Cost and the Courage of embracing God’s will for her life.
12/19 – Christmas through the eyes of Joseph – Matthew 1 – being a righteous man of God and listening to the voice of God.
Today – 12/26 – we are looking at Christmas through the eyes of the Father
- You can’t celebrate Christmas without understanding the Tree.
- Another way of communicating my point is this:
“Christmas through the eyes of the Father is the picture of 3 trees.”
1. The first tree of Christmas must be the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
- Genesis 2 and 3 – our past shame
- You may be thinking – how can you equate the fall of man w/ Christmas?
- Christmas became needed when Adam and Eve ate the fruit.
- Look at Genesis chapter two – God has created the heavens and the earth. He has created man – Adam and gives him everything he would possibly need to survive – a garden in the east, in Eden – listen to verses 8 and 9.
- Verse fifteen tells us: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” – everything sounds good.
- Look at verse 16 and 17 – “the LORD God commands the man, ‘you are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’”
- Sound pretty good to me – how about you? Any tree in the entire garden, except for one?
- Can you imagine if God told you, “you can eat from any restaurant in Decatur, anyone, except for Red Lobster – but if you eat at the Lobster, as my mom calls it, you will surely die.” - I think I’d hit the Texas Roadhouse, Carlos, Cheddars, Steak N Shake – I’m not a big buffet fan, but maybe Hometown or Country Buffet’s – I’d steer clear of Red Lobster – well, I say I would, but it might be kind of difficult to pull off – the temptation – what am I missing?
- The narrative doesn’t end in chapter two – after God creates a suitable helper for Adam – her name is Eve – we get ready for the rest of our story.
- Look at verse 25 of chapter two – “the man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” This is innocence – this is pre-fall – this is a state of total communion w/ the Creater, God.
- But it doesn’t last for long – look at chapter three – you probably know the story – Eve and Adam are tempted by the serpent “Did God really say, ‘you must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
- Look at verses 1 through 6 – we can call this paradise lost – and it changes them and changes the world forever.
- It was so tempting – so enticing – such a potential thrill – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Sounds like the downward spiral of sin we see in James 1:14 and 15.
- Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – and this fall began right here in Genesis 3
- The result of an awful decision involving a tree.
- And you cannot understand Christmas through the eyes of the Father without viewing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
2. The second tree of Christmas is the Tree of Redemption – The Cross.
- Matthew 27 – our present redemption
- Christmas became realized when Jesus died sacrificially on the cross.
- That may not jive w/ your understand of Christmas – the birth of Jesus – but understand this – Jesus was born in order to die.
- And we find this out in the Christmas narrative – look at the gifts of the Magi in Matthew 2 – what were they? God and Incense and Myrrh – do you understand the significance of Myrrh – it comes up twice during the death of Jesus:
o Mark 15:23 – wine mixed w/ myrrh was offered to Jesus just before he was nailed to the cross.
o John 19-39-40 – myrrh is applied to Jesus’ body as part of the burial process. (actually 75 pounds of myrrh – usually seen only in the burial of royalty)
- Here is the point – the second tree of Christmas – the Cross – helps us escape the sentence of death we deserve. The sentence we have earned.
- Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our LORD!”
- That is our present redemption – the Cross
- Matthew 27:32-44 – the Crucifixion of our Lord – Jesus Christ.
- Don’t forget, according the law of the O.T. – sins had to be covered by the blood of an animal sacrifice.
- And Jesus Christ became the one time for all time Blood Sacrifice.
- 2004 was a unique year in many ways, but one of the most talked about and controversial events was the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ.
- I realize even w/in Christianity, disagreements exist over this film – and understand, if you have not seen this movie or are morally opposed to viewing it, you have that right.
- But I personally am so thankful for the film. It put into pictures a world changing event that I, for one, often understate or under-appreciate.
- See, without the Cross – we have no hope. And because of the Cross, we have redemption.
- You’ve heard it said, “wow, he was a really good man” or “her deeds were wonderful.”
- But understand – it’s not about being good or doing good things – it is about understanding you and I are lost and sinful people in need of a Savior.
- And that Savior, our Savior – Jesus Christ – came to this earth and became the one time for all time sacrifice – dying a terrible, death of execution.
- All so you and I can live.
- And you know who was watching? Our Father in heaven.
- I have a weakness in my preaching – I talk too much about my family. I understand some of you are tired of hearing about Marla and Jordan and Peyton – but I couldn’t find another illustration that fit.
- Here is the point – there are at least three people in this world I would trade my life for, and I would do anything humanly possible, including sacrificing my life, to protect Marla and Jordan and Peyton.
- But God our Father turned away and allowed Jesus to die on the Cross.
- John 3:16 – “God so loved the world, he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
- And you cannot understand Christmas through the eyes of the Father without viewing the Tree of Redemption – The Cross.
3. The final tree of Christmas is the Tree of Life.
- Revelation 22 – our future hope and victory
- Christmas will be needed no longer when Jesus comes again.
- It is wonderful being a Christian and living in this world. And I hope if Jesus is Lord of your life – you enjoy life.
- I hope you live a “cup half full” kind of life.
- I hope and pray you are blessed by fellow Christians and are a blessing yourself – an encourager.
- Someone like a Bob Phillips – former preacher here at Moweaqua and someone who has helped mold my life personally – he was the preacher at my home church from the time I was in the sixth grade until 1998.
- Always encouraging – always seeking to help others.
- One thing I love about Bob is how he signs each letter he writes – he attaches the same scripture each time – 1 Cor. 15:58 – “Therefore my brothers, stand firm, let nothing move you, always give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD, for you know that your labor in the LORD is not in vain.” – I love that encouragement!
- But understand this – a day and time are coming when the frustrations of this world will be no more for the Christian. Disease will be no more. Death will be no more. Depression will be no more. Disgust and Dismay will be no more.
- Listen to Revelation 22 – I’m going to read all 21 verses – it is incredible hope and it tells of the third tree in our story this morning = The Tree of Life.
- Wow – I long for the day when death will be no more and victory will be the story of the day.
Conclusion:
- Bottom line: If you are a believer – you should love the Christmas Tree – or should I say Christmas Trees – this is how the Father views Christmas – the shame of sin which began in Genesis 3; the redemption of all by the death of Jesus on the Cross; and the hope will live for – the Tree of Life – eternal life – we see in Revelation 22.
- However, if you are not a believer – today is your day. Don’t wait another day to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.
- The Christmas Tree – we can’t experience the holiday without it, can we? Probably, but most of us would not want to. So, do me a favor – next year – whether it is an artificial tree or you cut one down yourself.
- When you gather together to decorate the tree – take a moment and remember the Three Trees of Christmas. My guess is you will never be able to look at a Christmas Tree the same way again – I know I won’t!
