Christmas for All the People (Luke 2:10-14)
- to be honest with you, I think that my favorite Christmases took place when I was a child
- how could you complain?
- to start with, school was cancelled for at least a week - closer to two
- all sorts of strange things began to happen
- in those days, I don’t remember Christmas festivities starting much earlier than the first week of December, but I still remember things like the Santa Claus parade, sitting on Santa’s lap, eating homemade fruitcake
- those were the days that you were even allowed to sing Christmas carols in the public school
- I remember the excitement of seeing presents wrapped under the tree, family arriving and bedding down on the floor, or really, wherever there was room in the house
- Christmas was a fun time for me
- I think my favorite Christmas was the first time I had money
- I had begun working part-time and had accumulated a wad of cash
- and so, without any credit cards, and with a big thick wad of cash in my pocket, this teenager set out shopping
- and I bought gifts for everyone
- a toaster-oven for my mother - that was a big-ticket item for me in those days
- finally, after years of $4 gifts for my family, they all got something better
- nobody was forgotten - not my friends at church, not even the girl I liked but had never talked to
- that was the Christmas to end all Christmases
- it wasn’t all secular
- on Christmas Eve we gathered at the church, reflected on the true meaning of Christmas
- and on Christmas Day, without fail, I remember my preacher uncle standing up and giving a few reflections
- but for me, the Christmases I enjoyed most took place when I was a child
- I used to wonder what was getting all the parents stressed out
- what’s there about Christmas not to like?
- I used to marvel that for parents, weeks of nagging and lists of requests, not to mention work parties, open houses, Christmas pageants and choirs, evenings and Saturdays of shopping, cooking, baking, decorating, wall-to-wall people in the house, credit card bills - I used to wonder how that all didn’t add up to happiness
- but now the shoe’s on the other foot
- it’s only December 13, but it already feels like it’s been Christmas for months
- my first Christmas event this year was in November
- I have half my shopping done and none of it wrapped, but I feel overwhelmed at the thought of even entering a shopping mall and fighting with the crowds
- my calendar is sadly lacking in empty spots
- and with all the rush, commercialism, and pressure, it’s easy to conclude - Christmas is for kids
- that the only people who really enjoy Christmas are children - too na�ve to really understand what it’s all about
- or perhaps simple enough to see through all the junk and able to see the true meaning of Christmas
- maybe you think Christmas is for children, or families, or, if you’re really cynical, retailers
- perhaps in your weaker moments you’ve sighed and longed for January to come, and for life to return to normal
- researchers tell us that December is one of the most depressing times for people - a time when many at the very least just endure the season, and at worst are driven to very dark thoughts
- I want to ask two questions this morning of Christmas: what is Christmas about, and who exactly is Christmas for?
- QUESTION NUMBER ONE: WHAT IS CHRISTMAS ABOUT?
- with all the commercialism and stress, what is Christmas really about?
- let me read from the Luke 2:13 and on
- (Luke 2:13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
- (Luke 2:14) "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
- the end of verse 14 is pregnant with meaning, and it tells us, in order, the two things that Christmas is really about
- first and foremost, Christmas is something that brings glory to God
- as part of God’s eternal plan, the birth of Christ brings glory to God
- why? because the glory and majesty of God became apparent in human form
- glory should be given to God in the most of exalted ways, when we see what’s transpired in a little village in Bethlehem
- one commentator says, "Having been informed of the Savior’s birth, a birth under such circumstances and with such a self-sacrificing purpose, these angels never before had been so thrilled! No wonder, therefore, that from the bottom of their hearts they shout, ‘Glory to God in the Highest!’" (William Hendriksen)
- so that’s what Christmas is still about today
- God’s glory is the primary purpose of the plan of salvation
- it’s an opportunity, first and foremost, to worship God for what he has done
- but the angels gave the second purpose of Christmas – the second reason Christmas took place
- it’s the second thing that Christmas is all about
- Christmas is a message of good news to people
- "on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests"
- while interpretations on this verse vary, I think what the angels said is: "Peace is now given to people whom God has graciously chosen"
- upon whom does God’s favor rest?
- it rests upon those, as Ephesians 1:4-5 says, whom God "chose…before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight"
- in other words, it rests upon all those, who in the grace of God, respond and follow him and become one of his people
- that’s what Christmas is all about
- one of the reasons why many find Christmas to be such a depressing and stressful time is that we live as if Christmas were about other things
- this year, I’ve still sent out cards and I still plan to open presents
- I will still have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head
- but that’s not what Christmas is about
- Christmas is about one of the greatest events that ever took place in history: the coming of Jesus Christ as Savior, which brought glory to God and good news to people
- that’s what Christmas is really about
- Luke 2 answers a second question
- QUESTION TWO: WHO IS CHRISTMAS FOR?
- (Luke 2:8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
- (Luke 2:9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
- (Luke 2:10) 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.
- Christmas is for all people
- Christmas is a message of good news for all people, regardless of nationality, age, wealth, fame, social position, gender, and education
- we have made a huge mistake in allowing Christmas to become the possession of just children and retailers
- just look at those who first heard about his birth
- it is a message to all classes
- the first ones to learn of Jesus’ birth were poor, downtrodden shepherds
- they were a despised class
- the Pharisees of that time said there were six professions that were unworthy
- one of those was being a shepherd
- a shepherd was not permitted to give testimony in a court of law
- a shepherd was not permitted to enter a synagogue, because his activities were considered ritually unclean
- people did not have dealings with shepherds
- shepherds in that time were usually very young, just as David in the Old Testament was only a boy
- they were considered as untrustworthy
- and yet God chose them to be the first witnesses to the birth of Christ
- in Jesus’ home town, Nazareth, he stood up to speak in the synagogue, quoted from Isaiah 61:1, and said:
- (Luke 4:18) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
- (Luke 4:19) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
- (Luke 4:20) Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
- (Luke 4:21) and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
- Jesus’ ministry was to the poor – to the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed
- the gospel is a message of good news to poor, downtrodden shepherds, and it’s a message to us this morning
- Christmas is not only a message to all classes, it’s also a message to all nations
- Matthew 2 tells us that pagan, idol-worshiping sorcerers or magicians came with gifts from a land in the east to worship Christ, sometime after his birth
- in what is sometimes called the Great Commission of the Old Testament, Isaiah 49:6 says of the Messiah:
- (Isaiah 49:6) "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
- Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world"
- that’s who Jesus is
- and the message of Christmas is to all people, and that includes people of every nationality and every country of the world
- Jesus was announcing that he is the one whose presence would benefit all people – not just the Jews
- Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world
- 80% of Ontario’s visible minority population live in Toronto
- and over 80 different languages are spoken in our city
- last year, over 80,000 people from 169 countries moved to our city
- it is expected that within three years, foreign-born residents will comprise more than 50% of our population
- and Richview Baptist Church is in the middle of this explosion
- we have a strategic opportunity, because we have a message of good news that’s for all people – regardless of nationality
- we have an opportunity to demonstrate that Christmas is not just a North American holiday
- Jesus Christ is heaven’s gift to all nations
- Jesus came to save the whole earth – all the people of the world
- somebody once wrote:
God is the life of all free beings. He is the salvation of all…of the educated or the illiterate, of the healthy or the sick, of the young or the very old. He is the outpouring of light, the glimpse of the sun, or the changes of the weather which are the same for everyone without exception. (Author unknown)
- a gem dealer once visited a gem and mineral show
- he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato
- he looked at the stone, glanced at the price, and said in the most casual voice to the person tending the booth, "You want fifteen dollars for this?"
- the seller had seen that the rock wasn’t as attractive as the others he had on display, so he lowered the price to ten dollars
- the dealer bought the stone
- it was a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, and was later appraised at 2.28 million dollars
- our world wasn’t a beautiful place when God sent his son to redeem it
- many would say it’s even worse now
- but just as the gem dealer recognized the worth of the "potato" stone and god the deal of a lifetime, so God recognized our world’s worth
- only he didn’t get the deal of a lifetime – he gave it to every person on earth throughout the ages
- in Christ, we’re neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female
- we’re all reduced to the common denominator of sinners in need of salvation
- that’s why Christ came; that’s what Christmas is all about
- I don’t know who you are, but if you’ve come thinking that Christmas is for kids, or if you think Christmas is anything but an occasion for God to be glorified, and for the good news of a Savior to be given to all people, then you’re missing the point
- because that’s what Christmas is all about
- Christmas is for all people
- so Christmas is a message to all classes and all nations
- but there’s one more thing to notice
- it is a message that benefits only those who respond
- (Luke 2:14) "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
- we could get into a complex theological argument about who these people are, but let’s get down to the point
- the message is available to everyone, but not everyone benefits from it
- only those who respond – those upon whom God’s favor rests – receive the benefits that come from Christ’s coming
- salvation and its fullness are not automatic for everyone
- Darrell Bock writes, "Only those who respond to God’s grace and follow the path lit by the rising sun will experience the peace into which that path leads. Jesus comes for all, but not all respond to and benefit from his coming"
- there’s a response required, a verdict that you need to reach
- in one of the great Christmas passages, Jesus explained to Nicodemus why he came to earth:
- (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- (John 3:17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
- (John 3:18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
- Jesus said himself that a response is necessary
- those who believe in him don’t perish; they will have everlasting life
- these are the people that have put their trust and confidence in Jesus, that he alone can save us
- nothing else could ever save us from what we should fear most – eternal condemnation
- but according to Jesus, whoever does not place trust in Jesus is condemned already, because they haven’t believed in the name of God’s one and only Son
- so there’s a choice to be made
- are you going to let God’s favor, God’s good will, be to you?
- I challenge you to come to a verdict on this matter this morning
- who is Christmas for?
- Christmas is for all the people
- Jesus is heaven’s gift to all nations
- he’s God’s gift to you
- so don’t let Christmas be about kids, or retailers, about gifts, or even about families
- let it be about the good news of Jesus Christ, that will be to all people
- after the 1996 Olympics, a man posted a web site entitled "Feel the Flame Forever Burn: Atlanta's Olympic flame is alive and well. Find out why I have it, how I got it, and what I plan to do with it"
- well, we don’t have the Olympic flame
- we have the light of the world, the message of good news that is for all people
- let’s make this Christmas about why we have the good news that shall be for all people, how we got it, and what we plan to do with it
- let’s make Christmas about the good news of great joy that will be for all the people
- [benediction]
- O God, what a marvelous gift you have given in offering yourself to all people!
- bless the world, save the nations
- and may we in love, obedience, and thanksgiving celebrate the day of your coming
- Amen.