“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS…”
Lk. 2:6-14
INTRODUCTION
A. CHRISTMAS QUIZ
See how well we know the facts about the first Christmas:
1. When Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, how did they get there?
a. They walked
b. Joseph walked; Mary rode a donkey
c. They took a chariot
d. We don’t really know
(The correct answer is “D.” The Bible gives no record of their means of travel.)
2. How many angels spoke to the shepherds?
a. A multitude
b. Two Gabriel and Michael
c. One
d. Not sure
(The right response is “C.” Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them…”)
3. What song did the angels sing?
a. “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
b. “Joy to the World”
c. “Glory to God in the Highest”
d. None of the above
(This is a trick question. The correct choice is “D.” According to Luke 2:13, they were: “…praising God and saying…” There’s no mention of them singing anything.)
4. What animals were present at Jesus’ birth?
a. Cows, sheep and camels
b. Horses, sheep and donkeys
c. Lions and tigers and bears
d. None of the above
(There is no mention in the Bible about any animals being present. The answer is “D.”)
5. In what books of the Bible can you find the Christmas story?
a. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
b. Matthew and Luke
c. Mark and Matthew
d. Matthew, Mark and Luke
(The right choice is “B” -- Matthew and Luke.)
B. TEXT
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
C. THESIS
1. We’ve all heard the little song, “All I Want For Christmas” and we know that the request of the child is for their two front teeth. Don’t we wish that’s ALL they wanted? But usually their wants go a little further, often a LOT further. And it’s not just the kids.
2. What do we REALLY want for Christmas? To know I think we have to answer three questions:
a. Which Christmas?
b. Can it fit in a box?
c. Is it a Thing or a Person?
I. WHICH CHRISTMAS? THE TWO EVENTS
I believe that in America we celebrate two separate events on December 25.
A. THE CONSUMER CHRISTMAS
1. WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT CHRISTMAS?
A Barna Research Group poll found that:
a. 37% of adults (88% identified themselves as Christians) said the birth of Jesus is the most important aspect of Christmas.
b. 44% said family time is the most important.
c. 3% said presents or parties were the most important part.
d. 3% said the most important part of Christmas was that they got a Paid Holiday.
e. Barna commented, "Americans are more likely to correctly recall the significance of April 15 than they are to connect Christmas with the birth of Jesus.
2. ILLUS.: OMITING JESUS
a. Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal.
b. One lady replied, “We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy.” “But where is he?” inquired the friend.
c. “Oh,” said the mother, “you didn’t think I’d bring him, did you?”
d. That’s not too different from the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas! [Bible.org]
3. So WHAT HAS CHRISTMAS BECOME?
a. A month-long shopping spree
b. A time of gaining seven to ten pounds
c. Enduring traffic jams at the local mall, Wal-Mart
d. The retailer’s calendar starts celebrating Christmas the day after Halloween. By the time we actually get to December 25th, we’re more than ready for the whole thing to be over!
B. THE GENUINE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS
1. The real Christmas has nothing at all to do with
*the number of shopping days left
*planning elaborate family dinners
*whether there are gifts under the tree
*or whether there is a tree at all.
2. The REAL Christmas is that:
*God has come down as the Baby of Bethlehem
*Salvation has Dawned
*Lamb of God, Who takes away…Jn. 1:29
*Lion of the Tribe of Judah has Prevailed Rev.5:5
*The Way & Truth, Who Crushes Error, Jn. 14:6
*The Light of the World dispels the Darkness Jn. 8:12
*The Prince of Peace Banishes Fear, Isa. 9:6
*Resurrection & Life Defeated Death Jn. 11:25
*Emmanuel, “God with Us”, has come! Mt. 1:23
3. Christmas really has to do with Freedom! “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed”.
4. Christmas is about Expectation. “This same Jesus will come again”, the angel said in Acts 1:11. Jesus came once, but He is coming again! Christmas reminds us of that. Let’s expect it!
II. CAN IT FIT IN A BOX?
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE WISH FOR, ARE NOT THE KIND OF THINGS YOU CAN PUT IN A BOX. GOD HAS SEVERAL GIFTS HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU FOR CHRISTMAS:
A. LOVE
1. Love is not something that you can buy at the store, but everyone in the world wants it. They would rather have love than all the other things they are getting this Christmas.
2. Would YOU like to have love this Christmas? The best kind of love has no conditions and never changes. This kind is extremely rare on earth. But the good news is, it’s not rare in heaven.
3. The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world…”
4. God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness”. Jer. 31:3
5. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Romans 8:38-39.
6. “And 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, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge”. Eph. 3:17-19.
7. GOD OFFERS YOU THAT KIND OF LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS. The reason Jesus came was so that you could know how much God loves you!
B. GOOD HEALTH
1. Many people would gladly give up all their Christmas presents if they could have their health restored.
2. Health is another of the intangibles that can’t be bought and put in a box, yet it’s one of the things we want the most.
3. So when you’re answering the question of, “All I Want for Christmas is…”, you might want to ask God for this intangible – Good Health!
C. FORGIVENESS
1. Forgiveness is another gift God wants to give you this Christmas. Forgiveness is freedom; freedom from past guilt.
2. The angel said to Joseph, “…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”. Mt. 1:21
3. Jesus IS OUR FORGIVENESS! He frees from our past. We are justified;” just as if I’d” never sinned at all.
4. This Christmas, why don’t you receive the gift of forgiveness. God says that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
D. HAPPINESS
1. 4 days ago (12/19/12) Gallup Research Polls released a study that found that THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE in the world WERE NOT:
a. the people of Qatar, the richest country;
b. it wasn’t Japan, of highest life expectancy;
c. people of Canada, most college graduates.
2. Seven of the top ten happiest countries were in Latin America! Though relatively poor, they are well rested, smile & laugh a lot, are treated with respect, and have feelings of joy every day. [Not to mention a strong revival has been going on there!]
3. But in our complex society, we think we must have cars, computers, microwaves, cell phones, 4 wheelers, boats, designer clothes, job promotions, determination to see our kids excel in music, sports, education, etc.
4. Paul said, “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength”. Phil. 4:11-13.
5. This Christmas let’s remember the words Jesus said to us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”. Luke 12:15.
III. IS IT A THING, OR A PERSON?
A. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH LAME PRESENTS?
1. We all get them; presents we don’t like or can’t use.
2. What adults say they do with that not-quite-right holiday gift: Survey Says...
31%: Keep it
30%: Hide it
13%: Toss it
12%: Give it away
6%: Return it
B. THE GIFT OF A PERSON
When choosing “All I want for Christmas is…”, ask yourself, “Is this gift a person or a thing”. A person is usually the best gift we can get.
1. ILLUSTRATION.
a. Pastor Clifford Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. "They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation.
b. When Dad unpacked the microwave and plugged it in, literally within seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into two frowns! Even after reading the directions, they couldn’t make it work.
c. Two days later, my mother was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave oven even to boil water.
d. ’To get this darn thing to work,’ she exclaimed, ’I really don’t need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!’"
2. When God gave the gift of salvation, he didn’t send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son.
CONCLUSION
A. WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
1. Mr. B.J. Cassidy was looking forward to Christmas; that was a paradox. How can one enjoy Christmas when their loving spouse recently passed away from cancer, and yet Christmas is a time for celebration...
2. “I had a friend, recently divorced, who was going through his first Christmas without his children that he loved so dearly. I called and invited him over to my house for Christmas. He didn't seem overly thrilled, but had nothing else to do. I did the same for another divorced person who had a day without family or friends. I told them to dress nice but withheld my plans from them.
3. The 3 of us, at my house, made Christmas canes from pipe cleaners, and after an hour I told my friends to get in my van, as I had a surprise for them. So off we went.
4. First stop, a nursing home, left few dry eyes. We visited the ones who had no company, prayed with them and left them little Christmas canes and some candy. One lady asked us to pray for her, and as we prayed we really felt the power of God.
5. Second stop, a hospital...cancer wing. First you need to understand how hospitals work with the sick. If possible, patients are sent home for the holidays. The ones remaining in the hospital live too far, are too ill, or have no support from family or friends. About 1/2 of the cancer wing was deserted.
6. We visited the staff and gave them candy and our little Christmas canes, then we visited the dying and ill.
How can one describe being humbled? The patients asked for our prayers. We visited with every patient in the wing. We left the patients with a smile. When we left the hospital, we were exhausted and had tears, but felt elevated to a 'high' impossible to describe.
7. Last stop. We visited my wife's grave, decorated it, placed candles and sang Silent Night. Our voices were quivering because we found Christmas that day. We gave all we had to give, and it cost us about 5 hours of our time and about 2 dollars in pipe cleaners and candy. I said a silent prayer of thanks to my wife for teaching me to give.
8. May we, in this crazy but special time of year learn from the Teacher of teachers, Giving IS better than receiving. Merry Christmas to all! B.J. Cassady.
B. THE CALL
1. Can we look past the “Consumer Christmas” to the Miracle of God’s great Gift?
2. Christmas offers us God’s love, forgiveness, healing, and inner joy. We need to learn how to receive these gifts from God!
3. What will you give Jesus for His birthday this year? What God wants is the same as He gave to you: Jesus gave His life for you, and wants you to give your life to Him.
4. Let’s pray!
[I'm sure that this message is mostly derived from my Sermon Central compatriots. I wrote it 5 years ago and unfortunately didn't leave notes of my sources. I would be glad to give you credit if you will contact me. Thanks.]
