Christmas In The Dirt - For You

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

No event in the history of the world has been so celebrated as the birth of Jesus.  Christmas is the single largest economic event of the year worldwide, both in spending and in impact. Yes, this evening around the world, billions of people gather together to sing songs, exchange gifts, and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas trees have been put up, gifts have been wrapped, songs have been sung, Christmas cookies have been made, and lights shine—all because of the Babe who was born in Bethlehem. 

However, in spite of all of these dramatic displays of Christmas around us, Luke in his Gospel gives us a picture of Christmas that is little bit different than what we have assumed about Christmas. That is to say, Luke tells us the Christmas story in a most unspectacular fashion.

Indulge me for a moment!  

According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph must have been very poor, not rich.  And, we can also assume they were very anxious, not calm – the reason being, Mary was not giving birth in a clean room with warm water, soft blankets, and medical care. Instead, she was far from home, exhausted from travel, and very pregnant. 

Let’s consider the circumstances a bit more.  

When they arrived in Bethlehem for the census, the town was swollen with people - crowded, noisy, and chaotic.  This resulted in there being no room in the inn for them. No guest room. No spare bed. No place where a woman in labor would reasonably be welcomed.

As a result, they found a cave most likely behind someone’s home—a rough, dark place used to shelter livestock. The ground was hard. The air was thick with the smell of animals, hay, and manure. This was not a silent night in the way we imagine it. Animals shifted, snorted, and breathed heavily. And there, in that dirty cave, among animals and filth, with no midwife and no comfort, Jesus was born.

And get this, Jesus was born as all babies are born—small, vulnerable, and needing to be cleaned.  After being wrapped, Jesus was laid in a manger, which was not a decorative wooden box but a feeding trough with splinters and the slobber of cattle.  

And so, that night, a baby boy was born. And there was no crowd, no celebration, no applause. The only people who were present were Mary and Joseph.

So, considering this most unspectacular and humble story of Jesus’ birth, why are we so attracted to this story?

It would make sense to be intrigued and captivated by this story if Jesus had been born in Rome, which was the capital of the Roman Empire at that time. It would make sense to be gripped by the story of Jesus’ birth if He had been born in some spectacular golden palace with trumpets and fiery torches! 

But a dirty cave? 

A feeding trough crusted from animal use? 

The smell of sweat, blood, hay, and manure? 

Seriously, why on earth do we celebrate this unspectacular and humble story? 

Why do we have so much glory tied up in such miserable, uncomfortable, and unimpressive circumstances in a tiny, dumpy town?

And to make matters even more unusual, the first message of Jesus’ birth was not delivered to princes and powerful people; rather, the angels went and looked down to the lowest of people—shepherds. These shepherds were men who smelled like their sheep. They were men who slept outdoors. Men who were dirty and tired. Yes, the angels did not go to proclaim this message to the high priests or the educated elites in the cities, but went out into the countryside to dumpy and dusty shepherds doing the night shift.

It is as if this story and the circumstances of Jesus’ birth intentionally ignored what was high and mighty and impressive. It was as if the birth of Jesus deliberately bypassed the splendor, polish, and power of the world.

Dear friends, that is precisely what is going on here. The birth of Jesus turns away from what we humans deem to be impressive, valuable, and worthy. God does not arrive protected from the mess of human life. He arrives right in the middle of it. But if this is true, why then do we celebrate such an unspectacular and humble story in such dramatic and bold ways?

It is quite simple. We celebrate and honor the story of Jesus’ birth because it is the story of God turning toward sinful humanity. 

Listen up. The story of Christianity is the story of the Son of God descending, not hovering above us, but sinking Himself into the middle of real human life — into dirt, sweat, blood, weakness, and need. It is the story of the Son of God putting on real flesh and real bone, coming in humility—coming so low, so ordinary, and so accessible that no burdened sinner would ever think that Jesus was too distant for them.

You see, we humans seek greatness by racing around like madmen, reaching to useless heights of honor and prestige. We try to climb upward toward supposed glory. We want to be king of the hill, top dog, and on the A-squad. We want to be the first-round pick, on the starting lineup, and part of the in-crowd. However, God completely ignores what is high and lofty according to the world. We see this most clearly at Christmas when the birth of Jesus bypasses all loftiness and plunges downward, so low that the Savior will never be out of reach of anyone.

Dear friends, the birth of Jesus is the birth of the Messiah for every single lowly sinner in this world. And that is why no event in the history of the world has been so celebrated as the birth of Jesus. 

Hear the good news of Christmas, dear friends: Christmas is the story of the Savior being born to save us sinners. There in the cave, in the manger, lay the hope of the world. There in Bethlehem was the light breaking into a world darkened by sin. There, wrapped in cloths and lying in an animal feeding trough, was salvation for sinners—victory over death, hope of the resurrection, and life for the dying. Yes, in that dark and uncomfortable place, the Kingdom of God came to earth.

This message should humble and excite you.  It should humble you because Christmas is for sinners only.  Do not be so foolish as to presume that you are not a sinner, for that would eliminate you from the joy of Christmas.  And secondly, the message of Christmas should fill you with joy.  Jesus came not because our lives are put together, but because our lives are not.  The gift of Christmas tells us that the Son of God came into the real world, into real suffering, to grant real forgiveness, and real eternal life – for real people like you and me.   

Dear friends, the Christ was born to you in the midst of those unspectacular circumstances long ago. And that is why we are here tonight. Yes, we are here because Christ Jesus the Lord was born for you to be your Savior. He was born for you—in your world, into your mess, and for your sin. Nothing is surer than that. You have it on the highest authority.

He was born for you to live the life that you could not live.

He was born for you to carry your weakness in His own body.

He was born for you to die the death that you could not die.

He was born for you to forgive your sins, to rescue you from death, and to give you eternal life.

And so tonight, we give glory to God for the simple, humble, gritty message of Christmas. This is not a polished, sentimental story for people who have it all together. This is good news for sinners. Even if you are grieving, even if you are sick, lonely, exhausted, depressed, or ashamed—especially if your sin feels too deep, too dark, too ingrained—do not despair. Do not despair, because Christmas is God breaking into the mess. The Son of God does not stand at a safe distance; He descends. He puts Himself right into the depths of this broken, chaotic, and sinful world to be your Savior.

And as your Savior, He does not sell you salvation but hands it to you freely, as a gift – purchased and won at the cross for you.  Full, finished, and complete forgiveness of sins from the babe in the manger who went to the cross for you.  

Dear friends, we celebrate and rejoice tonight and tomorrow with all the festivities because Christ came to you and me.  He came in the flesh, in the dirt, and to the cross and unto the resurrection… never to leave you nor forsake you but to be with you and me to the very end of the age.  

Merry Christmas. Amen.