The Christmas Purpose
Introduction
What is Christmas? Dr. Robert G. Lee said, “Christmas is the joyous celebration of eternity’s intersection with time.” The apostle Paul said, in Galatians 4:4, “When the fullness of the time was come God sent forth His Son, made of a woman.”
Why do people refuse what Christmas offers? I read this past week of an incident which no doubt occurs regularly.
A sorrowful wife stood just outside a psychiatric ward in a large hospital. Her husband, a patient in the hospital, was with her. He looked vacantly into space as she pleaded, “John, here’s a Christmas present for you. Take it, John, and look at it.” John made no move. Again the plea was made. “John, dear, all of us at home thought you would like your present so much. Look at it, John. Isn’t it nice?” The loving, urging voice failed to reach John’s mind. He was powerless to grasp the meaning of a Christmas gift.
Millions in the world today are like John. They refuse God’s great gift of love–the Savior. There is this difference, however, between that mentally ill man and those who refuse God’s gift: he didn’t knowingly refuse the gift offered to him, but many people deliberately and knowingly refuse the gift of God–the Savior and eternal life. Millions knowingly refuse the gift of Christmas.
Turn to Galatians 4:4-5 and read with me about the purpose of Christmas. How did this purpose become known to us?
I. The Christmas Purpose has its Roots in Heaven Itself
God in His amazing mercy set in motion the solution to a catastrophe which occurred in Genesis 3– sin, which broke our perfect fellowship with Him.
With that in mind, what had happened before the fullness of time had come? The world was being prepared for the advent of Christ. A number of things had taken place:
1. The announcement of an angel to Zacharias (Luke 1:3-23).
2. The conception of John the Baptist (Luke 1:24-25).
3. The announcement of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38).
4. The announcement of the angel to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25).
5. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56).
6. Journey of the holy family to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5).
The fullness of Mary’s time had come. She had pondered these things in her heart during these months, and now the time had come. From the portals of heaven, Christmas was contemplated.
The next event was the incarnation through the virgin birth. This momentous event on which all history turns was unheralded, unattended, and unknown, except for the animals and the angels.
II. The Purpose of Christmas was Manifest on Earth.
Things had been happening on earth for quite some time. Prophecies had been fulfilled. The world had been prepared politically for the birth of Christ. The world conquest by Alexander the Great, and the development of a common language–Greek–had helped to show the fullness of time. The world had been prepared morally. Heathenism, paganism, and false religions had buried God in the visible world. A literal God, an almighty God, the God of love was unknown in the midst of superstition and unbelief. All of the religious experience of the day had produced an epoch of despair. Philosophy and moral values had produced widespread corruption and a longing for better things.
The fullness of time had come. Other events that show this fullness of time as follows:
1. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5).
2. The announcement that the angels made to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14).
3. The visit of the shepherds to the manger (Luke 2:15-20). God’s Son had come to earth!
The impact of this event can never be measured. Henry Bosch made this comparison. “Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet, the influence of Christ’s three year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet, some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.
"Jesus wrote no poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth.”
III. The Purpose of Christmas is to be Fulfilled in Us.
It is a fundamental truth of God’s Word that Christ is reborn in the regeneration of every child of God. Paul wrote, “I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). When a person is born again, it is literally true that there is another incarnation of God. We can say, “Christ lives in me.”
When you are born again, Christmas comes to your heart. Have you crowned Christ King of kings in your heart? Are you ready to acknowledge Him as Master, Lord, and King? If you will, Christmas will take on a whole new meaning. We need that - desperately.
Julianne Holland, 13, an eighth grader in Mechanisburg, Pennsylvania, wanted to do her part for Jesus at Christmas. Without informing her parents, she addressed a letter to Jesus in care of the local post office. It landed on the desk of Presbyterian Donald L. Orner, 62, director of customer services at the postal center in Harrisburg.
“Dear friend,” wrote Julianne. “I am 13 years old. And you must think I’m weird for writing a letter to Jesus when everyone knows it wouldn’t get anywhere. But, I wanted to give you a message.
“Every Christmas all people think about is getting presents. But that’s not the reason at all. I think Christmas means getting all your friends together and having a good time because Jesus is born, and that’s just the beginning of all the beautiful things He did for us. By being born He let love into the world.”
Replied Orner: “We have no mail route to heaven, but I am sure that (Jesus) is aware of what you wrote. He knows our thoughts, our feelings, in every line of your beautiful letter flowed out across all the miles that no mailman could ever travel and touched His heart. You said your letter wouldn’t get anywhere – it touched my heart, and be assured, Julianne, He knows. May you have a happy Christmas, and God bless you.”
Conclusion
May the purpose of Christmas be fulfilled in us!
The wise men brought their gifts because they believed Jesus was the King of the Jews, the King of kings. Have you worshiped Him as King? Do you adore Him as the angels did?
Christ is the Savior of the world, and He wants to be your Savior too. He died to make satisfaction for your sins. Will you accept the only authentic Christmas gift?