For You

In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Christmas is a very dangerous time of the year, especially for us Christians.  And the reason why?  It is such a familiar time of the year.  You see, we all know the story.  We all know the hymns and songs.  We get it – Jesus was born and laid in a manger.  The angels sang.  There was no room for Him in the inn.  Yes, we get it.  And that is why it can be so dangerous.  

Even the average pagan knows the Christmas story.  It has been reported that out of all the church services that a pagan can attend throughout the year, they are most likely to come to a Christmas Eve Service.  And the reason why?  Christmas Services are familiar.  Pagans know the story.  They know that Jesus was born and laid in a manger.  The angels sang.  There was no room for Him in the inn.  They get it.  

But, dear friends, do we all really get the Christmas story?  

Please keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with knowing the bare facts of Christmas.  It is good to know what happened, to know the vocabulary, and the basic story.  However, the danger is that when something becomes too familiar, we have a way of putting it in a predictable little box.  And once we have it contained in our predictable little boxes, we often close our ears to the story because we say to ourselves, 

“I’ve got it.  I know the story; Jesus was born and laid in a manger, the angels sang, and there was no room for Him in the inn.  Done; makes sense!”

Again the danger is when the Christmas story becomes so familiar that people will know only the bare facts and that is it.

Now, I would assume that the majority of the people in this sanctuary know the bare facts of the story of Christmas.  In fact, your attendance here in this sanctuary says to me that you and I may have not gotten too tired of hearing the story of Christmas.  Perhaps you and I like hearing the story of Christmas because it conjures up blissful memories of our childhood.  Or, perhaps we don’t mind hearing the story of Christmas because it adds to the Christmas cheer of our children.  But, beware, dear friends, of making the story of Christmas too familiar, too predictable, and too tame that it falls on deaf ears. 

Please hear this loud and clear – the story of Christmas is of no value to you or anyone else if we make it into a mere history lesson, or worse yet, a mere mythological and predictable story that we only hear once a year.  For if Christmas is just a story, it is of no value, because even pagans can know the story and still perish for an eternity.  

But you, dear friends, you are not here in this sanctuary to hear a predictable, familiar, and tame story, as if you have come to this church service to just check off a religious obligation.   You are not here in this sanctuary to make grandma happy.  You are certainly not here in this sanctuary to hear and use the Christmas story for your own holiday aspirations.  No, you are not here for any of these reasons, for all of these reasons are very dangerous, not to mention superficial.  But instead, you are here in this sanctuary because you know that what makes the Christmas story important, vivid, powerful, and relevant is that the Christmas story is for you.  

Dear friends, if the Christmas story is for you and me, it cannot be too familiar, too predictable, and too tame.  If the Christmas story is for you, it cannot be old news.  If the Christmas story is for you, it cannot fall on deaf ears but is fresh every time that we hear it.  

Think of it this way for a moment.  

Sure, we know that Jesus was born and laid in a manger.  But that is not all there is to say.  He was born and laid in a manger for you.  Indeed, your Jesus was not born and laid in an extravagant crib with silk pajamas and gold peddles, as if He was born for majestic kings and angels.  No, the Son of God was laid in an animal feeding trough – a manger.  The Son of God was a natural man in every respect.  Jesus took upon Himself human flesh, not for the fun of it, but for you and me.  Christ Jesus showed His goodness to you and me that He humbled Himself, coming down so low that He became flesh and blood just like you and me.  He became flesh and blood for you and me.  

And so, the Christmas story is not just, 

“Hey everyone, Jesus was born and laid in a manger in Bethlehem.”  

No, that is not the message of Christmas.  But instead, the message of Christmas is, 

“Jesus was born and laid in a manger in Bethlehem – for you.”

The message of Christmas is not, 

“An angel said, ‘Christmas is the good news of joy.”

No, that is not what the angel said!  But instead, the angel said, 

“Do not be afraid!  I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”

Dear friends, the story of Christmas is not some familiar, predictable, and tame story that is kept in our little boxes.  It isn’t a story that is caged up that we can lean over and look at for a moment.  If this is all the Christmas story is, then why bother celebrating Christmas?  Why waste our money, time, and energy?  

But the story of Christmas is not something that remains fixed in the past - something that stays contained in familiarity.  

Christ was born – indeed.  But hear also, He was born – for you.  

The birth of Jesus occurred – indeed.  But also hear that it occurred for your welfare and for your good.  

Listen up!  Jesus should have been born and laid in rose peddles in a king’s palace because He does not have a sinful nature.  But instead, Jesus was born and laid in a dirty manger.   He was born into awful circumstances not to prove how tough He was, but He was born into tough circumstances so that it would be perfectly clear that He was born for you and me.  His birth shows you and me that He takes our births from you and absorbs them into His birth.  

Dear friends, this is the nature of the Christian faith.  The birth of Jesus was not just for Jesus, but it was for you.  And the same goes for the rest of Jesus’ earthly life.  His life was not for Himself but was for you.  His death was not for Himself but was for you.  His resurrection was not for Himself but was for you.  Everything He did, was for you.  

Christmas just happens to be the first visible work of Jesus that was done on your behalf.  

And so, make sure that you do not find joy in the Christmas story as a familiar, predictable, and tame story.  But instead, hear the Christmas story that Christ has become your own by being born in Bethlehem.  He was born in such lowly conditions and died in such painful circumstances so that it would be perfectly clear that no sinner is outside His grasp.  Jesus came all the way down to where you are at by being born so that there is no distance for you to get to Him.  He is at the bottom with you and especially for you.  

Merry Christmas, to one and all.  The gift of Christmas is – for you.  

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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