No Christmas

No Christmas?

Mt 2:1-15

INTRO: Last Year a small book by John Grishom called “Skipping Christmas” was a hit. About a couple Luther & Nora Krank tired of all the commercialism & stress of Christmas, decided to skip it, no lights, no gifts no celebrations. From that the book tells of all the ramificatiosn with neighbor & friends. Realizing they couldn’t skip Christmas no matter how hard they tried

**Of course we The Grinch that Stole Christmas famous book & movie

A. But I submit to you, That Satan is the Grinch that has tried to

steal or stop Christmas since the beginning & continues to

steal its true meaning,

1. Since the first promise of the seed of the woman, the

coming Messiah. He has made every effort to stop Jesus’ birth

a. Destroy Abraham or his descendants

2. Now it is time for Jesus to come into the world, has Joseph

& Mary travel a long way hoping for delivery complications

a. Birth in filthy barn, filth, cold, disease, crazed animals

3. Jesus is born but can still stop Christmas, get rid of the baby

a. Herod the Great, the Awful, Tyrant

4. Three Wise-men/ Kings come seeking Him

a. Wise men still seek Jesus

b. Natural to come to local leader, surely he knows of the

birth of the King

5. Pointed the way to Bethlehem, & asked to return the news

so Herod can worship the King, yeh, Right!

a. He lied, later we find out after the wise men were warned

of God to return home another route

b. Herod had ALL the babies 2yrs & down murdered

6. What if the Grinch/Satan had succeeded? Jesus never was

born or during the Christmas season as a baby, He was

murdered?

a. What if Christmas wasn’t Christmas? Never was or has

been?

I. No Rejoicing: Glad Tidings Celebration

A. All these years Christmas has developed from a simple

recognition of the birth of the Messiah

1. To a Mega commercialized, season with things that has

little to nothing to do with the birth of the Savior

2. Yet we celebrate

a. We keep trying to get back to the original intent of the

season. Keep the reason of the Season Jesus

3. Christmas is a family time, a joyous time a time for

memories, fantasies, giving, visiting, singing & love

a. Yet if no Christmas, none would be

b. It is the Christian holiday of Christmas that has affected all

other religious holidays, Hanukah tries to keep up but it

was never the festive occasion that Christmas is

1. No other religion has a holiday on the scale or as festive as

Christmas

4. No Christmas would do away with most celebrations in the

world

5. Of course we wouldn’t have the on going debate about

a. Religion vs secular ideals & freedom or from religion

1. Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holiday or Christmas parades or

Holiday parades or winter Solstice or Christmas break in school

B. No parties at work or school

1. No gift exchange, no dirty Santa,

2. No hassles shopping, mall, finding the perfect gift or getting

that gift for the person who already has everything

a. Well there is something good

3. No Search for the perfect Christmas tree

a. No decorating the tree or the house

b. No Christmas specials on tv or Christmas song on the

radio

c. No annual “It’s a Wonderful Life”

4. Getting this, things would be drab, dull

a. We wouldn’t have this holiday to look forward to all year,

we only have to look forward to Tax Day or April Fools

Day or Holloween

1. I submit to you there wouldn’t be a “Thanksgiving Day’

2. No Redeemer, No God, No one to give thanks to

5. With all the stress, hoopla, hassles of Christmas I am glad

we have it

a. But let me give some more consequences of No Christmas

II. No Redemption: Gospel/ Gift

Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death;

Ga 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

…. but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.