A little late, but here’s Christmas Eve
Luke 2:1-20; Titus 2:11-14; Psalm 96; Isaiah 9:2-7
I’m sure many of you have heard me talk about how I’m not a huge fan of Christmas. When I tell people, because I’m a pastor, they typically assume that I’m frustrated with the commercialism and secularity of the holiday. That’s really not it at all. I used to say it’s because it’s so busy, with lots of services and events going on, but that wasn’t really it either. It took a long time for me to realize that the reason I’m not a huge fan is quite different indeed.
One thing very curious you’ll notice about the gospels is that Jesus’ birth is not a big deal. Two of the gospels, Mark and John, have no mention at all of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, and only Luke tells it in any kind of detail. Yet over the years Christmas has become a major holiday in the church. In fact, it’s become second to Easter in importance.
So why do the gospels barely talk about it? Matthew treats Jesus birth almost as an afterthought, it’s the first of many Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Christ. Luke, with his intention to give a detailed account of Jesus’ history, focuses a lot more on the uniqueness of Jesus’ birth but even then, spends more times on the events before and after the nativity than the event itself.
And yet here we are on Christmas. Baby Jesus is in the manger; the shepherds and his parents surround him, along with some animals. But we can’t forget one thing: Jesus came to earth to die. We don’t talk about that much on Christmas. We like to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and we might remember that he forgave us of our sin, but the only reason Jesus was born as a baby was to, in the words of Mark’s gospel, “suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and the he must be killed and after three days rise again.” That is why Jesus came to earth.
Our lesson from Titus says, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Paul also says in Philippians, “Christ Jesus … being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, take the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!”
Remember that. The reason for Jesus’ coming into the world is to die on a cross. It’s the football verse: “God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was born to save us from sin and death, and bring us to eternal life. It’s simple stuff.
Yet for some reason, we forget that around Christmas time. We see the baby in the manger, surrounded by the shepherds, and we want to keep him there. But the baby is so much more than just a baby. Jesus is God. God. Became a baby. Can you believe that? The creator of the universe. Became. A baby. A human baby. Who grew up. And then God died for our sins. If God becoming a baby isn’t unbelievable enough, how crazy is that? Jesus, God in flesh, died on a cross for you, for me, and for everyone.
That’s the reason why Christmas is even something worth celebrating. It’s not that a baby was born in Bethlehem, it’s that this baby is God — who grows up, teaches many things, and is crucified. Even then, it’s not much to celebrate. Except that Jesus rose again after three days, becoming the firstborn of the resurrection — something that’s now available to every one of us.
When the people of Jerusalem heard this message at Pentecost, they asked Peter what to do. “How can we take part in this eternal life? What do we have to do?” they asked. The answer is simple: “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” That is it. Is Jesus Lord? Did God raise him from the dead? If the answer to those questions is an emphatic “yes!”, then you have eternal life. That is why Jesus was born, for all people to have eternal life with Him.