The Purpose of Christmas

A Time for Celebration

John 3:16-21

Opening Words: It has been written, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.” Those words still hold true.

This is the second sermon in a five part sermon series I have called The Purpose of Christmas. There is more to the Christmas than cards and gifts. There is a spiritual side. Each one of these messages is designed to help you appreciate the spiritual side of the Christmas. Let me call today’s message A Time for Celebration. Our scripture lesson comes from the third chapter of John, verses sixteen through twenty-one.

John 3:16-21 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. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever 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. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Motivational speaker and author Leo Buscaglia will never forget the day his father came home from work and announced to the family that his partner had absconded with the firm’s money. There was no other option. He was going to have to declare bankruptcy. The family’s reaction was predictable. They were devastated. However, his mother didn’t just react to the news, she responded. The next day his mother went out and sold some of her jewelry and bought food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that "the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week." I believe she is right. The time for joy is now.

There are only twenty-three days left in the year 2008! Will you remember this year as a good year or a bad year? For many it has been an extremely difficult year. Answer these questions in your heart. Has anyone here in the last twelve months lost a loved one to death? There was a little more room around the Thanksgiving table. Has anyone here in the last twelve months received some bad news from your doctor? The blood work didn’t look quite right. Has anyone here in the last twelve months not completely recovered from surgery? Has anyone here in the last twelve months struggled with depression? You know God has been good to you but you have a hard time getting out of bed. Has anyone here in the last twelve months fell victim to anxiety? It is the price we pay for living in a fast paced society. Has anyone here in the last twelve months taken a pay cut or lost a job? Is anyone here still afraid of losing their job? Has anyone here been turned down for a loan? Your credit score just wasn’t high enough. Has anyone here lost a few dollars in the stock market? Has anyone one here in the last twelve months filed for a divorce? Is anyone here afraid of 2009 because you don’t know what the future holds? Leo Buscaglia’s mother was right! The time for joy is now. There is not a second to waste!

That is what makes Christmas so wonderful. Christmas is a time of joy. Christmas is a time to celebrate! Don’t short change yourself. Christmas is not just a time to visit with family and friends. Christmas is not just a time to buy presents and send cards. Christmas is not just a time to go to parties. Christmas is really a time to celebrate God’s great love for the world. You really can’t celebrate Christmas until you embrace the Good News. God left the perfection of heaven and entered our imperfect world in human form. God came to experience all the things that you and I experience. Jesus was the incarnation of God, Himself. It was such a pivotal event that history was divided. We started counting time again at the moment Jesus was born. Every time you date a letter, write a check or fill out an application you are remembering the greatest event in human history. Do I have to say it? Christmas is worth celebrating!

Today, I want to talk about three points of basic Christian theology that are worth celebrating. Each one blossomed for us when Jesus was born. They are part of the spiritual side of Christmas. They are what make Christmas worth celebrating! If you really embrace each point it will change the way that you experience Christmas. So if you are ready to start celebrating say, “Amen!”

God loves you!

First, at Christmas we should celebrate the fact that God loves us! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” As a matter of fact, love is the very nature of God. It is impossible for us to fully understand God’s love for us. It is like an ant trying to understand the internet. Love is the very nature of God. Never forget, God loves you!

There is an old preaching story about a medieval monk, who announced he would be preaching the next Sunday evening on "The Love of God." When that evening came the congregation gathered as shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say. When we actually stop and consider the pain of the cross how can you question God’s love? Never forget! God loves you! And all of God’s celebrating people said, “Amen!” We need to celebrate God’s love for us.

God is with you!

Second, at Christmas we should celebrate the fact that God is with you! God is omnipresent. In other words, God is everywhere. Consider these two pieces of scripture with me. Psalm 139:7-10 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Emmanuel is one of the names for God in the Bible. Emmanuel means “God is with us.” The Good News is you don’t have to face any situation alone because God is there. Many try to ignore him but He is always present. Never forget, God is with you.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but Christmas can also be a lonely time of year. If your family is close to you geography then you are blessed. Many people in our area live alone because people have been forced to move away to find employment. Many struggle being separated from family. There is no substute for being with family, especially during the month of December. I can not tell you how many people I have visited over the years that are lonely.

That was Gloria's story. She lived alone. Her children had scattered around the country to find better weather and work. Ohio was her home so she stayed. On a December afternoon we sat in her kitchen drinking coffee and eating homemade cookies. We had a wonderful visit. When the time came for me to leave, I prayed and she showed me her home. Her home was beautiful and I was surprised to find a computer in her guest bedroom. I looked at Gloria and said, “I am impressed. I did not know you knew anything about computers.” She said, “I don’t. It was a gift from my daughter who lives in Oregon. She wanted me to learn how to email and download pictures of my grandchildren. The thought was nice but I don’t need a computer. I need my daughter. “

It is worth celebrating the fact that God is with us. God didn’t send us a computer to help us find the answers to our problems. He didn’t send an instruction manual to help us save ourselves. God came to us in person to help us with our greatest problem, forgiveness. God is always with us! And all of God’s celebrating people said, “Amen!” We need to celebrate God’s love for us. We need to celebrate that God is with us.

God is for you!

Third, at Christmas we should celebrate the fact that God is for us! In other words he wants us to enjoy our time in this world. He wants you to live with meaning and purpose. The problem is our world is broken. Consider these two verses with me. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Never forget, God is for you!

I love the story of the man who decided to join a monastery and one of the rules of the group was that you were only allowed to speak two words every ten years. At the end of ten years he said, "Bad food!" Ten more years went by and he said, "Hard bed!" Finally, on his 30th anniversary with the brothers, he thundered, "I quit!" And the priest in charge responded, "You might as well. All you do is complain anyway."

That is not the story of God. With all the grumbling and mumbling we do about the hardships in life God doesn’t grow tired of us. God wants you to be happy and successful in your life. God is for you! And all of God’s celebrating people said, “Amen!” We need to celebrate that God loves us. We need to celebrate that God is with us. We need to celebrate that God is for us. Let me end wit this story.

Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal. One lady replied, "We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy." "But where is he?" inquired the friend. "Oh," said the mother, "you didn't think I'd bring him, did you?"

Don’t celebrate Christmas without the baby! The baby Jesus is the incarnation of God, Himself! His presence changed everything. His presence means God loves you! His presence means God is with you! His presence means God is for you! The time for joy is now. Let the celebration begin! And all of God’s joyful people said, “Amen!”