A Christmas No One Can Steal
A Christmas No One Can Steal
Introduction
J. Mike Minnix, Editor
John 1:14-17 reads
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
I suppose one of the most well known Christmas stories among children and families is from the pen of Dr. Seuss: “How The Grinch Stole Christmas." Actually, no one can really steal Christmas. We can give away the real meaning of Christmas, which many people do each year, but no one can steal Christmas. In fact, I want to talk to you about the Chistmas that no one can steal. Neither Scrooge nor the Grinch can take Christmas away from those who know the author of it. No one can ruin it for those who have the real meaning of Christams in their souls. You see, for the Christain Christmas is secure - and that is true because God is the author of it, and He made it secure for all who experience the real meaning of Christmas.
God knows what this world needs most - and that is forgiveness for sin. Let me explain that a bit. You know that children are told that only good boys and girls get the best toys for Christmas. If that were true - if only good boys and girls got toys at Christmas - the toy makers would go out of business. Children get toys because of love - because of grace - a love they don't deserve much of the time. That is exactly what Christmas is about. Every adult has been a bad boy or girl. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We don't deserve a gift from God. But God, through His love and grace made available to us forgiveness, cleansing and a promise of heaven when this life is over. He gave us Christmas - the gift of His Son for our sins. He offered that to everyone through the One for whom Christmas is named. You can't say "Christmas" without saying His name - Christ.
During the time surrounding Christmas, we eat too much, go to fast, and usually spend way too much money. We end up tired and weary. Many people come to Christmas day exhausted, over weight, and financially tested. Some people find Christmas emotionally difficult as well. They miss loved ones with whom they shared many Christmases in the past. Christmas can be a lonely time of year for many people. But, if our focus is correct during this season of the year, we can experience anew the real meaning of Christmas. We can be sure that no one can steal Christmas from us.
Let me tell you a story I read somewhere many years ago. It was written as something that actually happened and it is sad indeed. A young married couple decided to hold a christening party on the night of their baby's dedicaation at their church. When the guests arrived, the infant was laid on the guestroom bed so the mom and dad could greet people coming to their door. A few guests came into the room, and not noticing the baby, flung their coats upon the bed. Soon the infant had been completely covered by heavy coats. By the time the mother went into the bedroom to bring the baby out for everyone to see, the little infant was dead. The next morning, the newspaper told the tragic account of the baby that had been smothered to death at his own party. We must not be guilty of covering up Jesus in the midst of our parties and gatherings at Christ-time. It is actually impossible to smother Jesus out of Christmas, but the world will do all it can to smother His message of grace and salvation.
Think with me for a few minutes about our text today - John 1:14-17.
I. Christmas Began Because of Grace
Here we note that Christmas came about because of the grace of God. That means that God's love, a love we can never actually deserve - was shown through the baby laid in the manger. His birth was not the result of man's goodness but rather the result of God's grace and love. That baby came because of the unmerited love of God. What an amazing grace existed in the heart of God to send His Son into this sin-cursed world for our redemption.
A. We Didn't Invent Christmas
Christmas did not begin in the mind or heart of man, it was initiated in the mind and heart of Almighty God. We read in Isaiah 9:6-7 ...
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Note that Isaiah told us that "the zeal of the Lord" performed this great miracle. God’s burning love broke forth in the demonstration of amazing grace on the night Jesus was born and laid in that manger. This may have been a silent night in the minds of some, but it was anything but that in heaven. No wonder God sent angels to sing the announcement of His birth to the Shepherds. No wonder we still love the hymns and Christian songs about Christmas. Each time we sing them or hear them we are reminded of how much God loves us - enough for Christ to come into our world and make salvation possible. God’s zeal was aflame and His will was being accomplished when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. Glory erupted on the night Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
B. We Don't Merit Christmas
We do not deserve the Christmas gift that was laid in that manger - we don't deserve Christmas - but in His grace God made this gift available to us anyway. He sent His Son to offer us a relationship with Him. Jesus came to heal us of the disease of sin. He came to deliver us from the sentence of death.
In one church that I pastored years ago, I made the mistake in one of my early sermons of expressing my love for banana pudding. In fact, I told the members in a sermon that I believed in heaven banana pudding would be made in a marvelous way. The bananas would be as big as telephone poles and the vanilla wafers would be as big as semi-truck tires. The next week one of the members came to my house with a Tupperware dish – a very large one – filled with banana pudding. It was outstanding! However, the next week she sent another one. This went on week after week. I told her husband to let his wife know that she had to quit sending us banana pudding. I was gaining weight like a Sumo wrestler and our children were beginning to resemble balloons. He said, “Preacher, you can’t tell her that. She loves making this for you. If you can’t eat it, just share it with neighbors.” So, the banana puddings just kept coming, week after week. Finally, we simply had to give it away or throw it away.
Well, our son loved the banana pudding and he would get into the refrigerator to eat it when we were not watching him close enough. We warned him in no uncertain terms that he was not to eat the banana pudding unless we served it to him. One day my wife and I walked into the kitchen, and there stood Christopher with the refrigerator door standing wide open. “Chris,” I said, “are you eating that banana pudding?” He looked out from behind the door and wagged his head to say that he was not eating it. But, there was a problem. He had a vanilla wafer stuck to the side of his face and his hands were covered with pudding. We couldn’t be angry at his childish denial, so we just burst out in laughter.
When it comes to sin, you and I have the vanilla wafers of it hanging on our faces and the bananna pudding of guilt clinging to our hands. You can wag your head to say it isn’t so, but we all know that I am right. We don’t deserve Christmas. We don’t merit Christmas. My dear people, we only have Christmas because of God’s amazing grace.
What is "grace?"
G God's
R Redemption
A At
C Christ's
E Expense
The Wise Men brought Him gold, but it was nothing compared to the riches given to those of us who have come to believe upon Him. He became poor that we might become rich. He left streets of gold for the path to a cattle stall. He left the company of the Heavenly Father and sparkling angels for the company of sinful man. He left the banquet table of glory for a feeding trough. He left the robes of deity for swaddling clothes. Yet, He gives those who believe in Him a promised home on the avenue made of gold. He takes our rags of sin and gives us a robe or righteousness - His righteousness. He takes us from the company of dying companions and places us in the realm of eternal saints. No wonder the songwriter penned, "Hallelujah, what a Savior!"
You see, God knew what we needed most. Somewhere I read a statement, the exact nature of it I can’t recall, but it goes something like this:
"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need was inventions, God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an banker;
If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer;
He knew we needed forgiveness of sin, so He sent His only Son to be our Savior!"
So, first we need to know that Christmas is about God's love and grace offered to all who repent of sin and recieve His Son Jesus by faith.
II. Christmas Is Bright Because of Grace
"We have seen His glory..."
Christmas is a time of glory - a time of bright, effervescent glows. From brightly wrapped packages, to sequin-glistening sweaters and dresses, to twinkling lights on Christmas trees, Christmas is a time of beauty and brightness. And, so it should be. For that first Christmas set the stage for the beauty of every Christmas that follows.
The night when Christ was born, a star glistened in the sky over Bethlehem. When gifts were brought to Jesus, they included the sparkling glitter of gold and the sweet smell of frankincense. The grace of God presented a dazzling night of beauty and light. In fact, when I think about the lights on a Christmas tree, I cannot help but think of Jesus - and, of the grace of God. Think with me about some of the lights people place on their Christmas trees, and let each one speak to you this year about the wonder of God’s gift – Jesus!
A. The Blue Lights of Christmas.
The blue lights speak of the sadness and sorrow of sin. The world lay in sin the night Jesus was born. Men and women lived in the blue haze of iniquity and hope was far from them - for there was none righteous, no not one. Elvis used to sing, "I'll have a blue Christmas without you." It will be a blue Christmas for anyone who spends it without Christ.
B. The Red Lights of Christmas.
The red lights on the tree speak of the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. He came into the world to save sinners. He came to face a cross at Golgotha. He came to shed His blood - perfect blood for sinners like us. When you see a red decorations on Christmas trees let it remind you of the blood shed for our sins.
C. The White Lights of Christmas.
The white lights speak of His purity He gives all those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Also, the white lights remind us of how bright the future is for every person who knows Jesus as Lord and Savior.
D. The Green Lights of Christmas.
The green lights speak of life - eternal life. The evergreen does not turn brown in the winter. Let the other trees lose their color, but the evergreen remains beautiful and green. It is a symbol of life in the midst of death.
The green lights on a Christmas tree can also serve as a symbol of our service in Christ. Green is the color of "GO.” Those who know Him also desire to GO with Him and for Him.
E. The Yellow Lights of Christmas.
The yellow lights can provide a warning to our generation. The offer of Christmas - of life in Jesus - is limited in time. One must come to Christ and receive the gift of grace before it is too late. The shepherds did not waste time but hurried to see what had come to pass. Yellow lights should remind us of our temporal abode on this earth and the limited time we have to receive Christ and serve Him.
III. Christmas Continues To Bless Us Because of Grace
"One blessing after another!"
Christmas is about being blessed. We are blessed by good friends, good food, good cheer and good gifts. These are but symbols of what Christmas is really all about, for Christmas is about being blessed with one blessing after another in Christ - all of it because of the grace of God. The unmerited love of God holds out blessing upon blessing to all who will receive them. I came to the Lord as a child, and knew I was called to preach when I was 12 years old. In all these years, He has never failed me. I have failed Him, but He has never failed me. I almost 80 years old now, and everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.
But one thing is important regarding God's blessings, we have to receive that which He offers. We actually have a choice. Listen to what the two choices are.
A. We Can Choose The Law
Did you notice in our text today that John mentions the Law and compares it to Christ. You see, the Law came through Moses, and it states that which we must do in order to be right with God. There is one glaring problem - no one can keep and obey the Law of God. Well, that was true till Jesus came into the world. He lived in this world without sin - a feat no one else could ever accomplish. The Law tells us that we are all sinners, for all of have broken God's laws. Don't misunderstand me, the Law is good, but the Law cannot save us.
If you think someone can go to heaven by being good, you are badly mistaken. At the judgment God is not going to weigh your good deeds against your bad deeds to see if you get into heaven. One sin condemns us! That's right - sin separates us from God and we are all sinners. The scripture tells us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Choosing the Law - or thinking you can go to heaven because of your goodness - is actually choosing death and separation from God forever. I know that what I am saying is not popular, but it is true. The wages of sin is death!
B. We Can Choose Grace.
But we have anotbher offer made to us by our Creator - we can choose grace. Jesus came that first Christmas to live a sinless life, to die in our place, and was raised from the dead to offer us forgiveness from our sins, and life with Him forever. Choose Christ! Choose grace!
When we receive the grace of God, the love of God, the Son of God, we also receive something else.
C. We Can Have Life
Yes, life is granted when we accept the grace of God in Jesus. I chose life in Christ and it is the greatest decision I ever made or ever will make in my life. Since turning from my sin and accepting Christ as my Savior, I've had a peace that goes behond understanding. I have something now that a Grinch cannot steal, sin cannot ruin, and death cannot end. I have forgiveness, purpose, joy, and LIFE eternal.
God's amazing grace made Christmas a reality. Christmas cannot be stolen from us if we keep our attention on the purpose of Christmas - the purpose was the display of love for sinners like us - the display of God's amaing grace.
Conclusion
It was the week before Christmas and parking spaces were hard to come by. There were long lines, crowded stores, rude people, and grossly inflated prices. In one long checkout line, one man was heard to say, "They should kill the guy who started Christmas." One wise and godly woman in the line said, "They did - they hung Him on a cross."
Therein lies the REAL Christmas story. We did kill Him. He came to die, but He rose from the dead and made Christmas joy available to all who receive Him. Will you come - like the shepherds came? Will you come to Him - like the wisemen came? Will you trust Him to be your Savior? You can - today - right now - because God loved you enough to send Jesus into this world that first Christmas so long ago. In His Son. God offers you a life that time cannot rust, death cannot end, and the grinch cannot steal.