THE MAN BEHIND CHRISTMAS

Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

It’s a wonderful thing, Christmas.... It’s wonderful for many reasons. It’s a time of sharing with friends and family. It’s a time to show love for our fellow man. It’s a time to celebrate the miraculous event that is the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

This morning I want us to focus on exactly what it is that makes this a special day.... You see, two thousand years ago in a common stable with hay and straw and manure and dirt and probably rodents crawling around, the King of all kings was born....

The angel of the Lord called Him a Savior, the Son of the Highest and said He would be called Jesus.....

This tiny little infant would come to be known by more people than anyone else in the history of mankind....

He would become known in a personal way, not merely the knowledge of, but really known by men and women all over the world... this tiny little baby.

What do you think was the first thing that Mary did after Jesus was born, before she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in the manger? If she was anything like most mothers I’ve talked to she counted his fingers and toes to make sure He was all right....You see, the scripture says Jesus was born of a woman so He was completely human. But, the Holy Spirit caused Mary to be with child when she had never been with a man so he was also completely God.

Now, even more than most women, I believe that Mary simply had to want to make sure that Jesus was all right, so I feel sure she counted His fingers and toes.... Now that’s not in the scripture, but we’re talking about a human Mom here.

It’s interesting to note also that nowhere in the Bible does it say anything about Mary being sinless... She wasn’t... After all she was descended from Adam just like we all are and had a sinful nature.... Nowhere in the Bible are we told that we are to worship Mary.... We are told merely that she had found favor with God.

Now, if Jesus was born of a woman then that shows His humanness.... Can you imagine being there in that dirty, smelly stable with your new baby? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but since they were in a stable where there was a manger I feel sure that there were other animals there as well.... Probably donkeys, maybe goats.... But I’m sure that Mary didn’t mind, because she had just delivered a perfect little baby boy....

What do you suppose it was like to see Jesus smile for the first time? You know, that sweet little smile that only a baby can produce.... Do you think He had hair when He was born? What color do you think it was?

These are human aspects of Jesus.... So was that day a few months later when He took His first steps.... He probably wobbled a bit and then plopped down on His bottom, just like all the other human babies in the world do when taking their first steps....

What do you think it would have been like to watch Him waddle around after Mary as she was doing her chores a year or so later?

Can you imagine what Jesus might have looked like when He was 5 or 6 years old and had lost all His front baby teeth? What kind of games do you think He might have played with the other children as He grew up? Can you imagine Him running to catch up with the other boys and perhaps tripping and falling and skinning His knee? I bet He did.... You see He was a human little boy...

But I bet He was also different from the rest of the children in some ways.... I bet He was obedient, I bet He never talked back to His mother or Joseph....

Can you imagine the other boys coming over and asking Mary, "Can Jesus come out and play"?

Do you ever suppose she told them He wasn’t there, but was at the synagogue? I bet that happened a lot...

Jesus was a special child for sure.... When He was twelve years old and He and His parents went to Jerusalem and He became separated from his family and they found Him in the temple where He was amazing the elders there with His insight, remember what He said when they chastised Him for not coming with the family?

Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

He said, "Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business....?" Jesus was truly a special child.... a human child.... But He was also God...

And even though the scripture doesn’t talk about Jesus again until He is thirty years old, He lived His life and did the things that He needed to do to make a living and care for His mother and family....

He picked up the family trade of carpentry.... Do you ever suppose He got a splinter in His hand from the wood? How about hitting His finger with a mallet? Did He sweat when He worked? Do you suppose He worked up an odor like the rest of us when we work out in the heat and sweat while we work?

I think He did..... He was human.... He was as human as you and I are today... He had the same bodily functions, He got hungry, thirsty and tired. He felt loneliness, sadness, joy...

I also think he had a sense of humor... Can you see Him laughing? I can.... especially when He’s surrounded by children... The children that always seemed to want to come to Him... Have you ever noticed that children don’t like to hang around grumpy people? Jesus experienced everything that you and I experience as a human being because, while He was God, He was also man. He knows what we face day in and day out... He’s been there too...

But Jesus didn’t come to Earth so that He could experience what it’s like to be human.... Since He is God in man’s form and He knows all things, He already knew what we go through as mere humans.

The reason He came to Earth is so that we could come to know what God is like.... In the form of man, Jesus let us see into the nature of God... We got to see the love that God has for each and every one is us... We see the wisdom that God has... We have only to look at Jesus to know God....

What did Jesus tell Thomas? John 14:6 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Athanasius, who lived from 295-373 AD said this about Jesus, "He became what we are that He might make us what He is."

Jesus also came in order to save us.... On our own all of us would be doomed to an eternity of suffering without God. We would be cast into the lake of fire... But WITH Jesus, all that simply fades away.... It’s not in the future for those who believe.... Praise God for sending His Son for the likes of me!

That’s what Christmas is all about... It’s more than a baby being born in a stable and being laid in a manger...

It’s more than shepherds in a field and wise men making a journey.... It’s more than giving gifts and spending time with family....

It’s all about God loving us so much that He took on the form of a lowly man, an insignificant being, in order that He might save us from ourselves and our sinful natures....

Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Imagine the love that God must have for us that He would come down from on high as one of us in order to save us and to give us a chance to be with Him one day!

Joseph Damien was a nineteenth-century missionary who ministered to people with leprosy on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Those who had leprosy grew to love him for the sacrificial life he lived out before them.

One morning before Damien was getting ready to lead daily worship, he was pouring some hot water into a cup when the water spilled out and fell onto his bare foot.

It took him a minute to realize that he hadn’t felt any sensation. He was gripped by the sudden fear of what this could mean. He poured more hot water on the same spot. No feeling whatsoever.

Damien immediately knew what had happened.... As he walked to deliver his sermon with a tear on his cheek....

At first no one noticed the difference in his opening line.... He normally began every sermon with, "My fellow believers." But this morning he began with, "My fellow lepers." He had known that he might contract leprosy himself, but he chose to minister to those forgotten people anyway...

In far greater measure than this Jesus came into this world, knowing what it would cost him. He took on the burden of our sins that we might be made pure.

"For this I came into the world," he said in John 18:37.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Said this about Christmas. "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you . . . yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand." Yes, Christmas is much more than a baby being born... Christmas is hope and infinite joy and reaching out to others and love.... Mostly love...

Christmas can be summed up in these words...For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This man Jesus who felt all the same things we do felt the nails go into His hands on the cross... He felt each and every blow of the hammer when they nailed His feet to the tree.... He felt the pain of our sins as He died in order that we may live...

This man who bled just like we do was more than a man, much more... This man was Our God, Our Lord and Savior... He gave His life as an atonement for our sins...What are you willing to give Him this morning?

"A GIFT FOR JESUS"

What can I give Him,

As poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring Him a lamb;

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give him?

I’ll Give my heart!

Give Him your heart and you will find that He has already given you His.... Offer Him your heart and see if He doesn’t fill you with His love.

May God grant you:

the light of Christmas, which is faith;

the warmth of Christmas, which is love;

the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;

the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;

the belief in Christmas, which is truth;

the all of Christmas, which is Christ. Amen

by Roger Wilson