MESSAGES

FROM THE

WORD

THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS

SERIES:  Christmas

December 19, 1999

            I love the Christmas season.  Especially the gathering of families and giving of gifts.  When I was a child, our parents had a Christmas tradition.  Before we went to the Christmas Eve service, we would open one present from under the tree.  With few exceptions, we could choose any present we wanted.  I don't know how, but every year the present I selected turned out to be socks or under clothes.  When our children were younger they had a tradition.  Together they would sneak out to where the gifts were and our oldest daughter would somehow open a few gifts and then wrap them so well that we didn't know what they had done. 

            I don't know when the first Christmas was where people gave gifts to each other, but it goes back at least one thousand years.  The practice is patterned after the gifts of the wise men as they came to the Christ child and offered Him gifts.  Certainly in our society, the gift giving has gone way overboard.  The average American will spend almost $1000 this year on gifts and travel.  During the month of December, Americans spend more than one billion dollars on wrapping paper.  It is important for the people of God to have a Biblical perspective on Christmas.  What would a Biblical perspective be?

1)                  Understand the priority of Christ during this season

2)                  Practice contentment

3)                  Remember that things will never bring satisfaction

4)                  Keep in mind the less fortunate

With that in mind, I want to look at Christmas from a different viewpoint.  We often see Christmas through the eyes of Mary or Joseph, through the Wise men, shepherds or residents of Bethlehem, or through the opponents of the Christ child.  We often talk about the gifts brought by the Wise Men, or the gifts that we might bring to the child.  I don't know if you have ever thought about the gifts that were given to us on that Christmas morning.  That is what I want to draw to your attention this morning.  The Bible tells us, "We love Him, because He first loved us".  Throughout the scriptures are mentioned gifts and sacrifices that we are to make.  The basis of those gifts and sacrifices is the reality that God has given to us first.  We give to Him, because He first gave to us.  What are some of those gifts God has given to us?

FIRST, CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF THE GIFT OF A SAVIOR.  This is an issue in our world today, because many believe that they have nothing to be saved from.  That is not what the scriptures state.  We read,                    LUKE 19:10; ACTS 2:40; 1 COR. 1:18,20        What are we saved from?  It is pretty clear that God's desire is to save us from the penalty and power of sin.  This is why Paul wrote,                 ROMANS 3:23; 6:23         The message of the Christ has always been that man is a sinner and Christ was the means of salvation. 

This is the heart of the Christmas story.  The night was not unlike many other nights.  Shepherds out in the field taking care of their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly you will remember that an angel appeared with a proclamation.  He stated,      LUKE 2:11         There were many reasons for which Christ came, but first and foremost, Jesus was born to bring forgiveness for the sins of the people. 

For thousands of years, Jews had gathered to offer sacrifices on the Day of Atonement so that God would overlook the sins of the people and offer forgiveness to sinners.  At Christmas, as at every other time of the year, forgiveness is the greatest gift we need.  A new car, suit, TV, VCR, or jewelry are nice gifts, but they are not our most needed gift.  We can get along in life without those nice things.  Without forgiveness, we are in bad shape.  This is why John the Baptist looked at Jesus as He came to be baptized and said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world".  Jesus was the sacrificial lamb that God used to cover the sins of the world.  If you have not received Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have failed to open the biggest gift under the tree.  And, it has your name on it.

SECOND, CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF THE GIFT OF PEACE.  In a world of turmoil and confusion, we need peace.  Jesus often talked about peace.  In fact, He is even called the "Prince of Peace".  Throughout His ministry, Jesus talked about His coming to bring peace to the hearts of people.  We read,                 JOHN 14:27; 16:33          This was not an after thought of God.  Have you ever gone to someone's home and suddenly realized you had forgotten it was their birthday?  The Father was not in Heaven wondering what He should do and suddenly blurted out, "I know!  While Jesus is on Earth, He can give them peace".  Bringing peace to a tormented world was one of the reasons Christ was born.  This was predicted by the prophets and proclaimed by the angels.  We read, LUKE 1:79; 2:14          Because He was the Prince of Peace, He could offer peace to a world in turmoil. 

I read an article in the paper this week that predicted a dramatic rise in mental health cases during the next decade.  There are many reasons for mental health problems and I do not want to minimize or make light of this problem.  However, most of the cases of mental illness can be directly traced to a violation of a Biblical pattern or command.  When we spend all of our time worrying instead of trusting, it will create emotional conflict.  If we work 70-90 hours a week and refuse to rest, it will create physical problems.  If we spend all our time in the pursuit of stuff, problems will be created.  Obedience to God and His ways results in peace.  Violation of His will results in turmoil.  This is why one of the results of being filled with the Spirit is peace.  When we are filled with God's Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will come forth and "LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE…" will be the result. 

When those shepherds saw the host of Heaven light the sky, their first response was panic.  In fact, just about every time an angel made an appearance, their first task was to keep the people from falling apart.  It was a very fearful thing to have an angel pop up in your neighborhood.  However, when angels did appear, peace was always a by-product.  God makes Himself known, so that His peace might result.  In fact, when He appeared to Gideon, He even called Himself "JEHOVAH-SHALOM", that is God our peace.  One of God's gifts to us at Christmas is peace.

THIRD, CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF THE GIFT OF GOD"S FAITHFULNESS.  For 400 years, the people of God had listened for God's voice and heard only silence.  We are not told why God did not raise up prophets during this time, but I have an idea.  Before Malachi was written finalizing the Old Testament, God sent prophet after prophet to warn the people, to proclaim God's word and to preach against sin.  Sermon after sermon, book after book, prophet after prophet came and went.  The result of all this was a rejection on the part of God's people for God.  It is almost as if God was saying back to His people, "I sent all sorts of prophets and you rejected them all.  Because you refused all of them, I will not send any more for a while.  If you want to know my will, check into what I said before."

God's faithfulness is seen in many ways throughout this story.  God's faithfulness to His word is seen as God used a pagan king to move Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem where the prophet predicted the Messiah would be born.  His faithfulness to His people was demonstrated during this silent period as He continued to watch over them in spite of their continual rejection of His plan.  His faithfulness is seen as the wise men brought gifts that were used during Mary and Joseph's trip to Egypt after Herod tried to have the Christ-child killed.  Certainly His faithfulness is seen in the lives of Simeon and Anna.  We read,                     LUKE 2:25-38       This must have been some conversation.  For decades Simeon had come to the Temple waiting for the Messiah to come into Jerusalem.  He felt God had promised Him a meeting with the Messiah before His death.  Anna had spent nearly her entire life in the Temple praying and fasting for the deliverance of God's people.  In both instances, God was faithful to their dedication.  We are not told how Simeon knew this was the Christ.  John knew Jesus was the Messiah when the dove landed on Him.  Simeon just knew this was the real thing.  We are not even told whether Simeon was looking for a child.  We are only told that Simeon was faithful to God's leading and God was faithful on His end.  One of the great characteristics of God is that He is faithful.  That is why we can trust Him.

FOURTH, CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF THE GIFT OF PROVISION.  Throughout this story God continues to provide for His people.  In some cases it is a special word.  In another situation it is financial resources.  With Joseph it was encouragement to marry Mary after it became known to Him that she was pregnant and the child wasn't his.  How would you like that obligation.  To the shepherds He provided peace and good news.  To Simeon and Anna, He provided  contentment as they waited for God to accomplish an impossible task.

Throughout God's word we are told of story after story where God proved Himself able to provide for His people.  In almost every situation, His provision appeared in different ways.  There is no pattern in the way God provides for His people.  For Joseph, God provided by having him sold into slavery, falsely accused and jailed.  For Joshua, God provided by having him walk around a city seven times and shouting.  For Peter, God provided tax money by having him go fishing.  Every situation was totally unique and so God's provision was totally unique.

There is a great example of this in a word study found in First Peter.  Peter is a book written to believers facing great persecution.  We read,          1 PETER 1:6                     Trials come in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes.  Have you ever gone through a rough time when a friend came to comfort you and you blurted out, "you just don't understand what I'm going through". The question is not what sort of trials are we facing, the issue is how are we going to overcome them.  We read,     1 PETER 4:10           The word Peter uses for "various" in 1:6 is the same as "manifold" in 4:10.  It has to do with being many faceted.  It is as if God is telling us that for every shade, shape and size of trial we may go through, God has a corresponding match of His grace.  As we experience the trials of life, God may deliver us from the difficult situation.  Usually, though, He allows us to go through the trial and provides for us an over-abundance of His grace.

FINALLY, CHRISTMAS REMINDS US OF THE GIFT OF LIFE.  I suppose that one could say this incorporates all of that which we have discussed.  When the Bible talks about life, it is not discussing the stuff we find under the tree.  It is discussing that which makes our existence meaningful.  Jesus put it this way.            JOHN 10:10                           Jesus was not talking about living to our 100^th birthday.  He was talking about having a life of meaning.  That includes life on earth.  I believe it also includes what the Bible refers to as "eternal life".  After the death of Lazarus we read,               JOHN 11:17-27         Jesus restored the physical life to Lazarus, but it was eternal life that Jesus was really discussing. 

Jesus was not born in that manger so the people of God could accumulate more stuff.  He was born in that manger so we could spend eternity in the presence of our Heavenly Father.  This is the tragedy of Christmas for most Americans.  An event that was designed to help us focus on eternity has been turned into an event that focuses on the temporal.  It isn't to late, though.  Each year God gives us reminders and opportunities to focus on that which is really important.  Paul wrote to his friend Timothy to warn people against the lure of materialism.  Those words are for us as well.  We read,           1 TIMOTHY 6:19          This world is not life, it is only preparation for that which is real life.  That baby in a manger came so that we might have real life and that we might keep things in perspective.  Jesus came into our world, so that we might be able to go into His world.  When we kneel at the manger and receive Him as Savior and Lord, we are preparing ourselves for that moment when we will enter His world to be with Him forever.