The Impact Of Christmas

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

(PowerPoints used with this message are available for free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #419.)

TEXT: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:37-41; Malachi 4:2b

Why is so much attention given to Christmas? Mother's Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, even Easter, are important holidays, but put them all together & they don't make the impact that Christmas does.

What is so very special about Christmas? What is it about Christmas that seems to bring about such a transformation in our communities, our homes, & even in the lives of so many people?

And what do you think of when you think about Christmas? What words pop into your mind? Home? Family? Christmas trees? Presents? Crowds? Food? All of these, & more, I imagine!

This morning, as we look at the familiar passages of the Christmas story as recorded by both Matthew & Luke, there are some other words that come to mind - words such as Wonder, Joy, Love, Fear, Peace, Purity, Righteous & Blessed.

But this morning I want us to focus on the words Joy, Purity & Righteousness, & Love.

I. JOY!

A. The 1st word is "Joy." When the angel appeared to the shepherds the first words out of the angel’s mouth were “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)

After Mary listened to the angel & asked how she could possibly find herself expecting a child, the angel responds in Luke 1:37, "Nothing is impossible with God." Then the angel leaves.

For just a moment, put yourself in Mary's place. She is all alone. The angel has just told her that she will bear a child & his name will be Jesus. She isn't married. Then the angel is gone & she is all alone.

On the one hand there is the joy of the angel's announcement. But on the other hand there would be all the gossip & rejection that surely would come her way. Who would believe her? Would her parents? Would Joseph? What could she do?

Finally, it was decided for her to visit a kinswoman, Elizabeth, who was also much older & also expecting a child whom we now call John the Baptist, & he was also the result of a miracle from God.

Luke 1:39 says that Mary got ready & hurried down to a town in the hill country of Judah. That trip probably took several days.

As she travels along, she thinks about the angel's announcement, & the child inside of her & the glory of it all, yet wondering how Elizabeth would react. How would she receive the news? Would she believe Mary? But God had already taken care of that.

B. Listen to the amazing words of Luke 1:41, as Mary entered Elizabeth's home, "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb & Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

“In a loud voice she exclaimed, 'Blessed are you among women & blessed is the child you will bear. Why am I so favored that the mother of the Lord should visit me?'"

What a greeting! What a confirmation of the angel's announcement! And in Luke 1:46-55 Mary opens her heart & praises God for His great love. Her’s is a joy that can't be contained anymore.

C. There is a wonderful passage of Scripture in Malachi 4:2 on the last page of the O.T. Malachi is talking about the “Day of the Lord.” In the last part of vs. 2 he says, "You will go out & skip about like calves released from the stall."

ILL. You who are farmers & ranchers know what that is talking about, I presume. One man explains, "I can remember calves being born in the cold of winter & how Grandpa would take care of them & make sure they had plenty of straw.

“Mother made sure they were warm & had plenty to eat. Throughout the cold days of winter they were always kept in the barn because it was too cold outside.

He says, "I can remember when the first warm day of spring came & Grandpa opened the barn door & turned the calves out to pasture.

“When they got outside you could see them running & skipping & clicking their heels together & raising their noses & snorting because they were breathing fresh air. They were so overjoyed they could not contain their joy.”

Malachi prophesied that when we understand what Christ & Christmas is all about there will be so much joy in our hearts that we can't keep quiet about it.

II. PURITY & RIGHTEOUSNESS

The next words are "Purity & Righteousness." When you think of Mary you think of purity. Here is Mary, probably a teenager among many other teenage girls. There must have been many temptations.