The Original Christmas Tree -The Cross Series

Original Christmas Tree – LK 2:11-12

The Cross

What comes to our mind when we stop and think about that symbol that is perhaps one of the most popular symbols of the Christmas season.

I am talking of course about the Christmas Tree.

Yet in my mind, I am convinced that the original Christmas tree was not pre-lit or artificial, it was not decorated with ornaments or lights but it was the tree that had the one light on it…the light of the world.

It was the original Christmas tree that set us free....Yes the cross.

To me the cross will always be the original Christmas tree because Christ came to this earth for the very purpose of giving His life upon that tree at Calvary... the cross.

Let us look again to see that purpose for which God sent His Son to this earth.

Lk chapter 2 and verse 11 says

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."

LK 2:11-12

The message sent to earth was this

“ A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO YOU”

The angel said you will find a baby BUT the angel did not say

“God is giving you a baby”…

The message from God was this:

“I am giving you… a SAVIOR.”

Sometimes we loose sight of that at Christmas.

We see the sweet little baby and forget that Christ’s whole reason for coming was to be our SAVIOR.

Let us be reminded that…

God did not place our gift under the tree but instead He placed our greatest gift on the tree.

-Christ on the cross-

Christmas is really about a Savior and therefore the original Christmas tree is the cross.

Perhaps that seems a little graphic for some to imagine and yet it is absolutely nothing less than the truth of God’s love for us.

Make no mistake about it the whole reason for Christmas is that we all needed a Savior…not a baby.

The gift God gave was not just a simple babe born in a manger but a savior sent to fix the broken lives of the people God loves.

Lives broken because of their sin but repaired by the love of God in Jesus Christ.

The story is told of a mother who is decorating the Christmas tree and nearby is her teenage daughter.

The mother says

“I still have a lot of decorating to do here, I don’t know how I will get it all done.

The daughter replies

“Well, I can help...if I don’t have to go visit Uncle Jim with you.”

The mother responds

"Nice try, but your going!"

The daughter says

"But mom why do I have to go there?”

“There are murderers there and people who beat their wives and all sorts of people."

The daughter then picks up an ornament and notices it’s broken.

She sighs with sadness and disappointment over it’s being broken.

The mother comes over to the daughter and observes the broken ornament. She shares with her daughter how special the ornament is and that her father had made it when she was only six years old.

The mother additionally shares that this was Uncle Jim’s favorite ornament.

When he was a little boy he would take it from the tree and hold it and enjoy it so much.

The mother then looks at the ornament and then at the daughter and says

"You, know this ornament reminds me of your Uncle Jim. He is broken, just like this ornament.”

“Uncle Jim is precious to God because God made him.”

Then the mother smiles and says

“God can fix Uncle Jim’s brokeness.”

She hugs her daughter and says

“we can fix this ornament.”

The daughter says

"Yes, mom let’s do that and as soon as we are done let’s go visit Uncle Jim together.”

Do you know anyone... whose life is broken... like that precious ornament?

Do you have a son or a daughter…

a mother a father whose life is broken and needs repair.

Aren’t you grateful for Jesus and that original Christmas tree that brings restoration to broken lives?

Every one of us has been a broken ornament at some time.

A precious ornament of God’s creation, yet broken because of our sin.

Rejoice this Christmas because of Christ on the original Christmas tree we are no longer broken.

God restores us through Jesus Christ.

Let’s think about the Christmas tree for just a moment.

If you had to choose a part of a tree that you would say is the most humble part of a live Christmas tree what would the most humble part be?