“Christmas Love”
December 14, 2008
“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:18-23
"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
As I was praying about this service, trying to get direction from God as to what He wanted me to share with you, I felt very strongly that God wanted me to tell you just a couple of things. First of all, that He loves you. No matter how many times we hear it – we still crave more. No matter how many times my wife tells me she loves me – I want to hear it more. No matter how many times my mom tells me she loves me – I want to hear more. No matter how many times my son or daughter tells me they love me – I need to hear it more. No matter how many times my grandchildren tell me they love me – I never get enough.
Monday I went to Redding to do my weekly shopping and to see Monica and the grandkids. Monica is a single mom and works so hard at the bank, then has to come home and cook a meal for the kids and then entertain and care for them until bed time. They she starts all over and does it all again the next day.
So I decided I would have a hot meal ready for her when she got home. I went to the store and bought the fixin’s and made her my special tater tot casserole. After I got it in the oven, I called her and told her I would pick up the kids. When I went into the day care – Breauna sees me first and screams “Papa!” And comes running to me and leaps into my arms. She’s nine and a light little thing. Five year old Nate sees me next and with a look of joy screams “Grandpa!” He comes running and jumps into my other arm. Seven year old Caleb sees me last, and he screams, “Grandpa!” And comes running. He sees Bre in one arm and Nate in the other – and a look of disappointment comes on his eight year old face. But I open my arms and he leaps up between Bre and Nate and we all have a group hug! I tell ya, it’s worth taking care of them just for those hugs!
I want to tell you that God loves you. There is always room in His arms for you. There is a special place in His heart – just for you! That is what Christmas is all about, isn’t it? God loves us so much that He put on fleshly form, (we call that the incarnation) and came to earth to be born in a manger so He could grow up and die on a cross for us - to save us from our sins.
That kind of love is hard to believe, isn’t it? In 1994, two Christian missionaries answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. It was nearing Christmas and they decided to tell them the story of Christmas. It would be the first time these children had heard the story of the birth of Christ. They told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.
When the story was finished, they gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins that they had brought with them since no colored paper was available in the city.
Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt which the missionaries had also brought with them.
It was all going smoothly until one of the missionaries sat down at a table to help a 6 year old boy named Misha. He had finished his manger. When the missionary looked at the little boy’s manger, she was surprised to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, she called for the translator to ask Misha why there were two babies in the manger.
Crossing his little arms in front of him and looking at his completed manger scene, Misha began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending. He said,
"And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him-for always."
As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who loved him. Someone would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS.
Do you have a hard time believing God loves you? Maybe you are like this little girl I heard about. W. Paul Jones tells the story of a women who shared this story from her childhood as a polio victim: “When my mother left me in Sunday School, I always asked to wear her locket. She thought I liked the locket. That wasn’t it at all. I knew I wasn’t worth coming back for, but I knew she would come back for her locket.”
The little girl didn’t realize how valuable she was. She didn’t realize that the Son of God had come to earth as a man just for her. That is one of the things we learn at Christmas. God loves you so much He left the glory and splendor of heaven to be born in a stable. That’s why we celebrate so much at Christmas. We are reminded once again, of how valuable we are to God. We are so valuable that Christ died so we could be forgiven and live eternally with him. The Bible says,
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
It is not by your good works or the things you do that makes God love you. It’s isn’t because you use your gifts so well that He loves you. You don’t need to bring something valuable with you to the judgment. Jesus has paid it all. You are the thing that is valuable. Sure, do good; use your gifts; store up treasure in heaven – but understand, those are just expressions of our love for Him. We don’t need them to make Him like us. He already loves you. Do them only out of love. May this Christmas you realize how great is God’s love.
“…I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:17-18
The second thing I want to share with you this Christmas season is that God incarnate left the spender of heaven, with all its glory and goodness, to come to this sin fouled planet so He could provide a way you could join Him.
Look around you. See the colors. Smell the pine. Hear the Christmas music. We sang “JOY to the World”. We sang, “Come on, Ring those Bells!” We sang, “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, it’s a happy holiday!”
I think Christmas is about as close to heaven as we can get here on earth. There is JOY! There is LOVE! There is GLORY! There is CELEBRATION! Do you think heaven will be a little like that?
When I think of heaven I think of nature – high mountain peaks I’ve climbed; sunny ocean beaches I’ve explored; fragrant flower gardens that look and smell beautiful. When I think of heaven I think of beautiful music – piano and orchestra music; fantastic guitar licks; angelic singers. When I think of heaven I think of love - the faithful love of a committed wife; the special love between father and son and father and daughter. I think of tiny arms wrapped around my neck and shouts of “Granpa! Granpa!”
This Christmas, be reminded that this is celebration is a taste of heaven. The spirit of generosity; giving and receiving the very gifts we longed for; the smell of candles and Christmas trees and peppermint candy; the sound of love in the Christmas music; he glory of lights and colors. Every single thing you look at and experience - realize that it is an expression of God’s love and a promise of what is to come – only a million times better. In heaven, you will feel totally loved and adored. You will feel totally safe and secure. You will receive glory and honor and praise. Heaven will be – well, heavenly!
One last thought. There is a legend which tells about the return of Jesus to glory after His time on earth. Even in heaven He bore the marks of His earthly experience, with its cruel cross and painful death. The angel Gabriel approached Him and said, "Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there." "I did," He said. "And," continued Gabriel, "do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?" "Oh, no," said Jesus, "not yet. Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know."
Gabriel was perplexed. "Then what have you done," he asked, "to let everyone know about your love for them?"
Jesus said, "I’ve asked Peter, James, John, and a few more friends to tell other people about me. Those who are told will in turn tell other people about me, and my story will be spread to the farthest reaches of the globe. Ultimately, all of mankind will have heard about my life and what I have done."
Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. He knew very well what poor stuff men were made of. "Yes," he said, "but what if Peter and James and John grow weary? What if the people who come after them forget? What if, way down through the centuries, people just don’t tell others about you? Haven’t you made any other plans?"
And Jesus answered, "I haven’t made any other plans. I’m counting on them." Twenty-one centuries later He still has no other plan. He’s counting on you and me to spread the Word. He’s entrusted us with the gospel message. This Christmas, don’t just spread Christmas cheer – spread the Christmas message. Tell someone else how much God loves them.
“Come on, Ring those Bells!”
