Christmas Is Christ!
Christmas Is Heaven's Idea
John 1:1-5, 14, 18
Down through the years we have witnessed the actions of many seeking to remove Christ from Christmas. Just this week, Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chaffee found himself at the center of a controversy because of a new release from his office that invited "all Rhode Islanders" to come see the 17-foot Colorado blue spruce donated for the annual "holiday tree lighting" ceremony being held in the State House next week.
The Rhode Island legislature responded by passing a non-binding resolution stating the state’s policy is to have a “Christmas tree” not a holiday tree, but the controversy lingers.
One representative, Doreen Costa, called the governor a Grinch and said, “I’m sick of being politically correct,” she said. “Nobody’s been offended by calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. If we have a Menorah in the State House, what are we going to call it – a candle with sticks?”
The truth of the matter is you may try, but you really can't take Christ out of Christmas. To try to take Christ out of Christmas is like trying to take heat out of fire, or wet out of water, or oxygen out of air, or notes out of music. You can't really take Christ out of Christmas.
It is possible, however, to leave Christ out of Christmas. You may have all the trappings and decorations and songs and words, and all of the other things about Christmas except Christ. It goes on every year and it will go on this year.
They will have the beautiful lights and they will have the gorgeous decorations. They will be moving in and out of the stores and they will be purchasing billions of dollars of gifts. They will be giving and exchanging gifts. They will go through all of the activities of the Christmas season, but there will be no room for Christ in their celebration of Christmas.
When you leave Christ out of Christmas you have what a lot of people have this time of year. All you have is a mess when you try to take Christ out of Christmas.
So what I want to do during these days of the month of December is zero in on the meaning of Christmas and try to keep us focused on the Christ of Christmas.
And I want to do it by way of some mysteries. In the Bible you will discover that the Bible not only tells the story of Christmas, but it also tells the significance of Christmas. It presents Christmas to us from not only the viewpoint of history, but also the viewpoint of theology.
It will give you the literal accounts, but it will also give you the spiritual applications. As you study the meaning of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will find yourself encountering many, many mysteries.
We are familiar with Christmas riddles. Kids, I have some for you. Listen! What do elves learn in school? The "elphabet"! Why was Santa's little helper depressed? He had low "elfesteem"! What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted flakes! What kind of candle burns longer, a red one or a green one? Neither, candles always burn shorter!
Hopefully I can get a little deeper than that as we consider some Christmas mysteries. I want us to have as a theme verse 1 Timothy 3:16. It kind of sets the stage for us for the next four weeks. It says, "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh."
There are four great passages in the New Testament which explain to us the mystery and the meaning of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is John 1 which we will consider this morning. There is Philippians 2. There is Colossians 1. There is Hebrews 1. You will discover, as you look at each one of these, that the meaning of Christmas is revealed in their words.
For instance, this passage we are going to look at this morning, John 1. When Matthew and Luke tell us about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ they begin in time. But John begins in eternity. You will discover that we are given a presentation of Christmas from heaven's point of view in John 1. Christmas was not an idea that some philosophers or politicians or some group somewhere on the earth got together and decided it would be a good thing to do. Christmas was an idea that was born in the heart of God from all eternity.
We are going to look this morning at what Christmas means from heaven's point of view. The story of Christmas was played out on the earth, but it was scripted in heaven. Let's look at what John says about the meaning of the birth of Jesus.
Since Christmas is Heaven’s Idea, that means that,
I. Jesus Is Heaven's Language
In these verses, we discover, by way of one of His God-given titles, who Jesus is. He is referred to as The Word.
Now the Bible is the written Word of God, but Jesus Christ is the living Word of God.
What is a word? A word is a vehicle of communication. It is by means of words that we communicate our thoughts and our hearts to someone else. I speak to you and as I use words, I convey what I'm thinking and feeling to your heart and mind.
When the Lord Jesus Christ was born, God was communicating His mind and His heart to the world. God was communicating His Word. And the language through which He communicated was Jesus.
Someone said that Jesus Christ is God spelling Himself out in a language which man can understand.
Now words are made up of letters. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega. That means that He is the A and the Z and all of the letters in between.
Christmas means that when Jesus Christ came into the world, He was heaven's language. He was God's Word to mankind.
You will notice that these verses also talk to us about where Jesus came from. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God."
Here's what you have to understand about the purpose and the meaning of Christmas. Never think that when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem's manger that it was the beginning of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches what we call, in theological terms, the pre-existence of Jesus Christ. That means that Jesus Christ existed before He was born.
In Isaiah 9, verse 6, the Bible says, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. You can't give that which did not previously exist. These verses of Scripture make it very clear to us that before Bethlehem, the Lord Jesus Christ was in continual existence.
We see that in the phrase, "In the beginning was the word." Literally that means, "in the beginning was continually existing Christ." That means that Jesus Christ was the pre-existent one.
In that phrase, we see the concept of eternity. “In the beginning of what?” Most likely He’s addressing the beginning of creation. In the beginning of the universe. Genesis 1, verse 1, is very similar. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
We really don't know how old the universe is. Some people say that it is billions of years old. Some people say it is millions of years old. Some say it is thousands of years old. We really don't know how old the universe is. But I'm here to tell you, however old the universe is, in that beginning Jesus Christ already existed. He was and is and ever shall be the eternal one. "In the beginning the word WAS." Eternity!
Now only “was” the Word, eternity, but “The word was with God." That's Trinity. The Bible teaches that Jesus existed in eternity and does exist and shall forevermore exist with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity.
Do I understand the Trinity? No. But the Bible teaches the Trinity. The Bible says that God is one God and yet God exists in three persons. I don't understand that, but I believe that.
And I will admit to you, there is not really any good way to even illustrate that, much less understand it. Every human illustration falls short in one way of another. I’ve heard preachers use an egg. It has a shell, it has a yolk and it has a white. They all exist separately, and yet together they form an egg. That’s pretty good until you scramble that egg, and you can no longer separate the three parts.
And yet God never gets scrambled. The three are separate and distinct and yet forever the same.
And we see that God has given us illustrations of Himself everywhere we look.
We can go to the world of mathematics and add one plus one plus one and equal three. And at the same time one times one times one equals one.
Or you go to the world of nature and try to understand it. The Trinity is stamped on God's world of nature in the universe. The universe is a trinity. The universe is made up of time, space, and matter.
Time itself is a trinity. It is made up of the past, the present, and the future. In fact, you are a trinity of body, soul and spirit.
Even in our roles as humans we see it. I am a son, a brother and a father.
We do not understand this and yet the Bible says, "In the beginning was the word." That's eternity. "In the beginning the word was with God." That's Trinity.
Then notice the next phrase: "The word was God." That's deity.
He is forevermore Sovereign God. When Jesus was born in the manger, God entered this world in the flesh. His name was to be called Emmanuel, God with us.
Who is Jesus? He's the Word. Where did Jesus come from? He came out of eternity. What did Jesus come into the world to do?
Look down at verse 18
That phrase means God has been declared. He has been led forth Him. He has shown Him. When Jesus came into the world, He came to make visible the invisible God. He came to reveal the Father to us.
If you want to know what God is like, you look at the Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to know what God would say, you listen to what Jesus had to say. If you want to know what God would do, you look at the things Jesus did. He came into this world to reveal the Father.
That's not all Jesus came into the world to do.
Look at verse 14
He came not only to reveal the Father, but the word was made flesh. For what purpose was the word made flesh?
Think about "made flesh." He already existed and yet the Bible says when He was born in Bethlehem that it was the word made flesh.
There's another statement in Galatians 4, verse 4, which amplifies that. "When the fullness of time was come God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law."
The reference there is to the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born the Bible says He was born of the Virgin Mary. When He was made flesh, He was made flesh supernaturally.
Does it make any difference whether Jesus was virgin born or not? It makes all the difference in the world! Why?
If Jesus Christ were not virgin born that means He had a human father. If Jesus had a human father, that means He had a fallen nature. If Jesus had a fallen nature, that means He did not live a perfect life. If Jesus Christ didn't live a perfect life, that means He could not offer a sacrifice for us.
If Jesus could not offer a sinless sacrifice, that means He could not be our Savior. If Jesus Christ is not our Savior, that means that Jesus Christ is just a man like anybody else. No man can do for you and me what we need done for us! He was made flesh! That’s the significance of the virgin birth.
There's another verse that tells us what He was made for us.
Turn to II Corinthians 5, verse 21. "For he (the Father) has made him (Jesus) to be sin for us."
Jesus was made flesh. He was born.
But Jesus also was made sin. That's why He was born. The meaning of Christmas is that God spoke His language in the person of His Son the Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ came out of eternity. He was born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life. Then the Bible says that when they took Him and put Him on that cross outside Jerusalem, in that moment, He who knew no sin was made sin for us, for you and for me. That is what Christmas is all about!
Listen Christmas is Heaven’s Idea, and Jesus is Heaven’s Language.
It also means that
II. Jesus Is Heaven's Light
verse 4, 9
Jesus is heaven's language. He is the Word. Jesus is heaven's light. Of course, we know that Jesus is the light of creation.
This past Tuesday night, they lit the Christmas tree downtown. Every year, in the White House, they get a big Christmas tree and have a big ceremony and the president or the first lady will pull a switch and the White House Christmas tree comes on.
Notice what verse 3 of this chapter says.
That simply means that when the whole universe came into existence, Jesus flipped the switch that made it happen. The whole universe lit up at His word.
That’s Genesis 1:3.
"And God said let there be light." He pulled the giant switch and light was. Jesus is the One who turned the lights on in all of creation.
Jesus is also the One who is the light of conscience.
It says in verse 4, "the life was the light of men." In verse 9 it says, "That was the true Light which lights every man who comes into the world." That means that there is some light in every person. Every person is born with some light.
Romans 1:19-21
That means that everybody is brought into the world with some light. God has revealed through His creation, His existence, and His eternal power. Yet, the Bible says that mankind has rejected that light of conscience. Now, man is living in moral darkness.
That means that all around us there is no understanding of right and wrong. Think of the moral problems we face in society.
Let me show you how far we've gone morally. Just ten years ago, the story surfaced of a German computer expert who was charged with killing, dismembering and eating the flesh of an Internet acquaintance. He said he was only doing what the victim wanted.
It names the person and says that this man said his fantasies began as a child when he was lonely and imagined killing and eating a younger brother. He sent out on the Internet a solicitation from people who wanted to join him in acting out his fantasy. A man took him up on it. They met and undressed. He said, "Now you can see my body and I hope you find me tasty." He stabbed him, recorded his act on a videotape. It took 10 hours for him to bleed to death, as he urged his murderer to keep cutting him.
He froze some of the dismembered parts, eating the flesh over the following months, then buried others. He says, "My friend enjoyed the dying."
All in all, 280 people he chatted about cannibalism with at least 280 like-minded people on the Internet.
In Germany alone about 200 people were offering to be slaughtered, 30 were ready to do the slaughtering and 10 to 15 wanting to watch.
We are living in a day where people are walking around in this world, otherwise enlightened, otherwise intelligent people. They can converse with you on a variety of subjects. You can talk to them about sports and their faces light up. You can talk to them about the stock market and their faces light up.
Then introduce a spiritual subject and you can see the darkness as it covers their face. They don't have a faint idea of what you are talking about.
Jesus is heaven's Light. The Bible says that the true light is shining. And verse 5 says that the darkness can’t overcome it. That means you can't turn it out. You can't take Christ out of Christmas. He won't bail out. He is right in the center and heart of Christmas, and He is turning on the light in people who will open up their heart and life to receive Him as their Savior.
And I’m telling you this world is full of those who once didn’t understand and couldn’t comprehend, but one day the light came on and their lives are absolutely transformed because fo the Christ of Christmas.
If you really want to have a Christmas like you have never had in all of your life, all you need to do is to open up the windows of your heart and say, "Lord, let the light shine in." When Jesus comes to shine in your heart, you will know what Christmas is all about.
Jesus is heaven's Language, the Word. Jesus is heaven's Light, the True Light now shining.
And
III. Jesus Is Heaven's Life.
Verse 4 says, "In him was life."
We know that's true about the physical universe. Jesus is the source of all life. You look at the beautiful flowers that blossom, and we know that Jesus is the One who gives those flowers life. You look at the trees as they are rammed into the dirt and know that Jesus is the One who gives that life. We know that Jesus Christ is the source of all physical life.
We also know that we are living in a world that is surrounded by death. Death is all around us. Those beautiful flowers so full of life, in a matter of days they begin to wilt and die. That little puppy, wiggling its tail, licking your cheek, dancing around you, rushes out into the street and a car hits it. Your pet is dead.
That loved one is so bright, so loving, so good, so kind. They get a little older and they die.
Death puts all beliefs to test. If what you believe is not good to die by, it's not good to live by.
An infidel and a Christian wife had a lovely young daughter who was dying of a terminal disease. She said to her dad, "Daddy, do you want me to die with your belief or mother's belief?" Death puts all beliefs to the test.
Physical life overcomes death, but the Bible says, "You has he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins." People are spiritually dead. The good news is that Christmas means that Christ can come into your heart and He can give you a brand-new spiritual life. It comes about by a miracle birth.
Look at verses 12-13
It is saying that the same God who sent His Son to be virgin born can give to you a brand-new birth experience, a spiritual, a miracle, a new birth by receiving Christ as your personal Savior. He will give you everlasting life.
Many of you have been to the dentist or maybe had surgery where they gave you an anesthetic. Aren’t they wonderful?
Lisa delivered four babies. With three of them she had an epidural. I tried to discourage her because they are unscriptural. God said women would bring forth those babies with the pain of child birth.
Maybe you’ve had surgery under anesthetic. You didn’t fell a thing did you? But you know what happened? It wore off!
You know what I’m talking about? You start getting that queasy feeling in your stomach and the pain begins.
Listen: John is reminding us that because of the Christ of Christmas, we are given the privilege and high honor of knowing and possessing eternal life. There is only one thing in all the universe that is eternal and that is God.
And when you and I get saved we are given God’s own life, the life of heaven. That means we have, through our experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, something that never wears out. It is eternal in nature. It has no unpleasant aftereffects. It just gets better and better and more and more wonderful.
Look again at verse 12
Here's how you can get it. You believe ON his name.
Romans 10:9-10, 13
On December 17th, we will celebrate the 98th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first sustained air flight. It was on December 17th, 1903, on Kl Devil’s Hill, outside of at Kitty Hawk NC, on their 4th attempt, that plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12 second, 120 foot flight.
That afternoon, ironically, they walked the four miles to Kitty Hawk and sent a telegram to their father back in Dayton, Ohio:
Success
four flights Thursday morning
all against twenty one mile wind
started from level with engine power alone
average speed through air thirty one miles
longest 57 seconds
inform Press
home Christmas
Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to the newspaper office and told the editor of her brother’s new flying machine, and informed him, they would be home for Christmas.
He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.
On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the 6th page of the paper: “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”
The most important story of the year – man’s first flight – and the editor missed it!
Listen: Christmas is Heaven’s idea, and it’s all about Jesus. the Christ of Christmas.
Through Heaven’s Language, Heaven’s Life and Light is offered to you. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Christ of Christmas.
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
