Why Christmas Series

We begin a news Sermon Series for the Christmas season. We will be examining “The Why’s of Christmas.”

According to very compentent authority (my wife), the Chgristmas season does not start untill the day after Chritmas. As such there are a few questions I have about the Christmas season:

Why do stores start pushing Christmas before the end of September?

Why are there radio stations that start playing non-stop Christmas music on the November 1st.

Why do store open for Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day?

Why are people offended when I wish them a “Merry Christmas?”

Christmas can be a difficult time for shoppers. I knew man who bought his wife a big beautiful diamond for Christmas. A friend asked the man, “I thought your wife wanted a one of those new sporty 4 wheel drive vehicle?” The man answered back, “Yes she does, but where I can a find a fake Jeep?” [1]

Between now and Christmas we will consider some of the practical why’s of Christmas.

We will ask why did Jesus come 2,000 years ago. Why not sooner? Why not later?

Why the virgin birth? Why was Mary chosen?

Why the wise men? Why are they so important to the story.

Why were lowly shepherds the first to hear the grand announcement from the angels? Why not the kings and nobles and the influential people of the world?

But perhaps the most important question of all, the one that we will examine this morning, Why Christmas? Why did God send Jesus? Why did He have to come and die for our sins.

One commentator I follow, RC Sproul, commented on how the world is offended that there is only one way to God. He said in response, in consideration of how evil the world is, [the question is not, “Why is there only one way?” but “Why is there even one way?” [2] Why would God provide us with a way to Him?

John 3:14–21 (NKJV)

One of the greatest theologians that ever lived, Karl Barth, was asked to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of a captivating closing lecture, the president of the seminary announced that Dr. Barth was not well and was quite tired, and though he thought that Dr. Barth would like to be open for questions, he shouldn’t be expected to handle the strain. Then he said, “Therefore, I will ask just one question on behalf of all of us." He turned to the renowned theologian and asked, "Of all the theological insights you have ever had, which do you consider to be the greatest of them all? It was the perfect question for a man who had written literally tens of thousands of pages of some of the most sophisticated theology ever put into print. [Karl barth was required reading for me when I was in Semenary.] The students held pencils right up against their writing pads, ready to take down verbatim the premier insight of the greatest theologian of their time. Karl Barth closed his tired eyes, and he thought for a minute, and then he half smiled, opened his eyes, and said to those young seminarians, "The greatest theological insight that I have ever had is this: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." [3]

I really do not believe we comprehend the debt and scope of the love of Jesus. When we consider our question today, “Why Christmas?” we wonder what God was thinking? Paul commented on this:

Ephesians 3:18–19 (NKJV) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Why Christmas? Here is the short answer:

John 3:16a (NKJV) For God so loved the world . . .

Let’s go back to creation for a moment. Of everything God created, man and woman were the only creation that was made in His image:

Genesis 1:27a (NKJV) So God created man in His own image;

And He blessed them and gave them dominion over all the earth.

Genesis 1:28a (NKJV) Then God blessed them,

And God called this his last and final creation, on his final day of creation, very good.

Genesis 1:31a (NKJV) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

But what happen. Did God create a flaw in us. No. God gave us the ability to choose. We know the story, we know what happened. God gave Adam and Even only one rule and they broke it. They ate the forbideden fruit resulting in the of man. And that sin nature has been part of us ever since. There was a point that God was sorry He made man: