What Christmas Is About Series

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What Christmas is About

Luke 2:8-14

Whenever I watch “It’s A Charlie Brown Christmas” I marvel at the accuracy of Charles Shultz, because not only has he portrayed what Christmas has become, but what Christmas is all about.

Today Christmas is all about the decoration, trees, and gifts, especially this year as people are trying to forget what a terrible year it’s been. Christmas is now, more than ever before becoming a holiday, not a holy day. It’s become a time of feel good emotions and a time where we support our national economy while increasing our personal debt.

Like the Peanuts gang, most people know the story, but the real meaning of Christmas has made no effect on their lives. We’ve got the nativity sets, watch the made for TV specials, and even know that this is a celebration of Jesus’s birth, but like the Peanut’s gang we’re merely going through the motions without the meaning effecting and changing our lives.

Charlie Brown’s question, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” is not only the focal point of the cartoon, but it’s also the focal point of our time together.

Today, I’d like to take a look at Linus’s recitation of the Christmas story found in Luke’s Gospel. Let’s look at Luke’s account.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2:8-14 NKJV)

So, what is Christmas all about? Let’s take a look through the angelic proclamation.

1. Releasing Our Fears

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” (Luke 2:10 NKJV)

There’s a whole slew of stuff we’re afraid of.

• Let’s start with that which is on everyone’s heart and mind today, and that is this current pandemic.

• We’re also afraid the economy will not recover and the national debt will continue to rise putting us into a deeper recession, or depression.

• We’re afraid of going to the doctors because we’re afraid of catching the COVID virus, or that the doctors will find something wrong with us.

• We’re afraid something bad will happen to our children and grandchildren.

• We’re afraid we might lose our jobs, our mortgage will be foreclosed on, or that our marriage might collapse.

There’s a lot we’re afraid of. But if we look carefully at our fears what they all boil down to is a fear of the unknown. What the future holds. This fear has kept us from entering into a full and complete relationship with God, and that’s because only God holds the future.

Fear cripples. It prevents rational thought, and so when the topics of death and God come up, fear cripples a person’s ability to look at what Jesus has done providing us a way out of our fears and into a life of peace.

So Christmas is all about releasing our fears, because God did not send His Son Jesus to scare us, but to save us. That’s why He came as a baby, because who’s afraid of a baby?

2. Finding Forgiveness

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NKJV)

Our greatest need, humanity’s greatest need is salvation. Think about it.

• If our greatest need were information, then God would have sent a great educator

• If our greatest need were money, then God would have sent an economist

• If our greatest need were pleasure, then God would have sent an entertainer.

• But since our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven and to be brought into a right relationship with God, God sent a Savior.

The Bible says that there is no one righteous, no not one, and that we have all sinned, which is what is keeping us separated from God. This is why we need a Savior, to forgive our sins and to bring us into a right relationship with God.