Here we are at last! -- Christmas
Day!
After all the shopping -- the parties -- the
eggnog -- the trips to the air-port -- the Children's Christmas Programs -- it
comes down to this!
2000 years ago a baby was born in the little
town of
He is here in this room today -- & we
are here to worship Him as King of Kings -- & Lord of Lords.
The very fact that Jesus came the first time
as prophesied throughout the Old Testament -- is proof that He will come again
someday -- as He has promised!
His First Advent only points the way toward
His Second Advent!
When Jesus came the first time -- He came in
a manger.
When He comes again -- He is coming in
majesty.
He was born as a poor, helpless, homeless
baby in a cow barn.
When He comes again -- He will come as the
King of Kings -- & Lord of Lords -- of the whole Universe!
The first time -- He shed His royal blood
for our redemption.
When He comes again -- He is going to be
dressed in royal robes to reign in righteousness.
The first time -- He came to a crucifixion.
When He comes again -- He is coming to a
coronation.
No longer will He wear a crown of thorns --
but He will wear a crown of glory.
The first time He came -- He was despised
& rejected of men.
When He comes again -- every knee will
bow.
When He came that first Christmas -- a host
of angels came to a few lowly shepherds abiding in the field -- keeping watch
over their flock by night -- praising God by saying: --
"Glory
to God in the highest -- & on earth peace,
good
will toward man."
When He comes again -- the clouds will be
gleaming in glory as Jesus Himself triumphantly steps out of heaven.
And we will meet Him face to face.
Hallelujah! -- It may be sooner than we think!
John's Gospel describes that glorious
Christmas event in the words: -
"The Word was made flesh -- & dwelt
among us -- (& we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father) -- full of grace & truth” (
"The Word became human & lived here
on earth among us. -- He was full of unfailing love & faithfulness. -- And
we have seen His glory -- the glory of the only Son of the (Heavenly) Father” (John
1:14
Think about it for a moment! -- The Son of
God -- became the Son of Man -- so that the sons of men -- may become the sons
of God!
When Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves
years ago -- he brought in a young man named Terry McGuirk -- to oversee the
Braves.
But before Terry took over responsibility
for all the people in the Braves organization -- he wanted to know what it was
like to be at the bottom -- & to be an ordinary player on the field.
So that year -- Terry McGuirk appeared at
Spring training disguised as a rookie -- trying out for a position on the team
in left field.
Terry was about 25 years old at the time --
& was a superb athlete -- who had played baseball in college.
Now he experienced first-hand all the things
you go through as a "nobody rookie" walk-on: -- sore muscles --
getting yelled at by the coaches -- suffering countless humiliations -- all in
the attempt to make the team.
After that experience -- much to the
surprise of everyone -- Terry became the head of the Braves organization.
One of the reasons the Braves have been so
successful is that the leader at the top knows how it feels to start at the
very bottom.
At Christmas -- the God Who is up there --
came to join us down here.
He played on our field; -- He perspired
under our sun; -- & He even learned how it feels to strike out.
The story is often told -- about a prince
who was running an errand for his father one day in the local village.
As he did so -- he passed through a very
poor section of the town.
Looking through the window of his carriage
-- he saw a beautiful young peasant girl -- walking along the street.
He could not get her off his heart. -- He
continued to come to town -- day after day -- just to see her & to feel as
though he was near her.
His heart yearned for her -- but there was a
problem.
How -- how could he develop a relationship
with her?
He could order her to marry him; -- it was
in his power to do so.
But he wanted this young lady to love him
from the heart -- willingly.
If he brought her to the palace -- crowned
her head with costly jewels -- & adorned her in royal robes -- of course
she would not resist -- because no one dared resist him. -- But would she love
him?
Of course -- she would say she loved him --
but would she truly?
Or would she live with him in fear --
privately grieving for the life she left behind? -- Would she be happy at his
side?
How could he know her true feelings?
If he rode up to her cottage in the forest
accompanied by an armed escort -- with bright banners flying -- that would
overwhelm her.
But he did not want a cringing subject; --
he wanted a lover -- an equal.
He wanted her to forget that he was a prince
-- & she a humble maiden.
For it is only in love that those who are
unequal become equal.
So the prince clothed himself in beggar's
rags -- & slipped unnoticed through the palace gates.
He walked the roads. -- He tilled the
fields.
And later in a market-place -- still in his
tattered clothes -- his hands now calloused from rough work -- he bumped into
her -- & introduced himself.
Then he wooed & won the hand of this
servant girl.
On their wedding day he whispered in her ear
-- "My dear beloved, you will someday be a queen."
And they were wed in royal splendor -- &
lived blissfully ever after -- as future King & Queen.
My friends -- this is what Jesus has done
for us.
The King of Heaven fell in love with His
bride -- the church -- & humbled Himself -- so that He might win our love!
The King of heaven put aside His heavenly
robes & divine prerogatives.
He came to us as one of us. -- He lived
among us; -- ate with us; -- drank with us; -- felt with us -- all to win our
love.
He could have forced us; -- He could have
overwhelmed us; -- but He chose to romance us.
It almost seems like a fairy tale! -- But
what brings us & millions of other people together this season is not
make-believe!
The incarnation of God in human flesh -- in
the birth, life, death & resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth -- was an
historical event as real as the very pews on which you're sitting!
The eternal God entered this world as a
microscopic human embryo -- grew within Mary -- & was born in a simple
manger -- having set aside all His divine attributes -- save one: -- the
attribute of love!
He came so that today -- we might receive
Him by faith -- & have among us & within us -- the life of God -- the
eternal indestructible life of God's own spirit!
In his portrayal of the nativity scene --
Rembrandt focused attention entirely on the Baby in the manger.
He did this by painting a shaft of light so
that it falls exclusively on the Christ-child.
Although Rembrandt included other figures --
they are shrouded in the shadows.
Rembrandt wanted nothing to detract from the
significance of that baby -- Who was God in the flesh.
He wanted Christ to be the sole object of
adoration -- & rightfully so!
This Jesus -- born in
He is -- in fact -- the Wind beneath my
wings -- the Treasure that I seek -- the Foundation upon which I build -- the
Song in my heart -- the Object of my desire -- the Breath of my life -- He is
my All in all!
And you too -- can make this same
life-changing discovery!
He is the Source of life; -- He is the
Sustainer of life; -- He is the Significance of life!
Years ago -- a man was driving his car down
the road when the engine coughed & wheezed & sputtered before stalling.
Try as he might -- the driver could not
restart the engine.
Finally -- he stood glaring at it -- &
in frustration -- he kicked the tire.
Just then a long, sleek, polished black
limousine pulled up beside him.
The chauffeur hastily jumped out &
opened the back door from which stepped an elegantly dressed gentleman.
The gentleman asked the driver as to what
seemed to be the problem.
The exasperated man replied that he had no
idea; -- the car had just quit running. -- The gentleman asked to have a look
for himself under the hood of the car.
The man scoffed at the idea of such a finely
dressed man having any knowledge of the mechanics of a car's engine -- but the
gentleman persisted in his offer.
Since no one else had stopped to offer help
-- the driver skeptically accepted the assistance -- & threw open the hood.
The gentleman leaned over the engine --
twisted a few wires -- tapped a few cables -- & tightened a few plugs.
Then he told the driver to try to start the
car once again.
This time -- the engine responded
immediately.
As he closed the hood of the car -- the
driver turned to the gentleman -- & thanked him graciously.
Then he inquired: -- "By the way --
what is your name?"
The gentleman replied simply -- "Henry
Ford."
Henry
Ford had made the car -- so he had known exactly what was wrong with it --
& how to fix it!
Jesus Christ is the One by Whom -- for Whom
-- through Whom every thing was made.
Therefore -- He knows what's wrong in your
life -- & He knows how to fix it
Is there something broken in your life today?
Is your heart broken? -- Does your life need
mending?
What needs "fixing" -- in your life
today?
Jesus -- the Creator of life -- knows how to
make your life work!
Let Him take charge; -- give Him the
authority to put it right!
This -- my friends -- is Christmas! -- not
the tinsel -- not the giving & receiving -- not even the carols -- but the
humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift of the Christ child!
Your choice to either receive or reject God's
marvelous gift of His Son -- is one you must make personally!
You can resist the choice -- ignore the
choice -- put off making the choice --
deny you even have the choice -- assume you have made the choice -- close your
mind & forget about the choice -- ridicule the choice -- but you are
compelled to make a choice!
I have always loved that story about Wally
-- who at age 9 -- was still in the second grade at school.
Most people knew that Wally had difficulty
in keeping up.
He was big & clumsy -- slow in movement
& slow in mind.
Still -- Wally was well liked by the other
children.
Wally fancied the idea of being a shepherd
in the Christmas play again -- but the play's director assigned him a more
important role!
After all -- she reasoned -- the Innkeeper
did not have too many lines -- & Wally's size would make his refusal of
lodging to Mary & Joseph even more forceful.
No one on stage -- or off stage -- was more
caught up in the magic of the evening than was Wally.
He stood in the wings & watched the
performance with such fascination -- that from time to time the director had to
make sure Wally didn't wander onto stage before his cue.
Then the time came -- when Joseph appeared,
slowly, tenderly guiding Mary to the door of the
"What do you want?" -- Wally asked
swinging the door open.
"We seek lodging" -- Joseph
replied.
"Seek it elsewhere" -- Wally
looked straight ahead -- but spoke vigorously. -- "The
"Sir -- we have asked everywhere in
vain; -- we have traveled far -- & we are very weary."
"There is no room in this
"Please, good Innkeeper -- this is my
wife, Mary. -- She is heavy with child -- & needs a place to rest. --
Surely you must have some small corner for her. -- She is so tired."
Now -- for the first time -- Wally, the
Innkeeper relaxed his still stance -- & looked down at Mary.
With that -- there was a long pause -- long
enough to make the audience a bit tense with embarrassment.
The prompter whispered from the side --
"No! Be gone!"
Wally automatically repeated the words: --
"No! -- Be gone!"
Joseph sadly placed his arm around Mary --
& Mary laid her head upon her husband's shoulder -- & the two of them
started to move away.
However the Innkeeper did not return inside
his
Wally stood there in the doorway -- watching
-- caught up in the moment
His
mouth was open -- his brow creased with concern -- his eyes filling
unmistakably with tears.
And suddenly this Christmas pageant became
different from all the others.
For Wally cried out: -- "Don't go,
Joseph! -- Bring Mary back."
And Wally's face grew into a bright smile --
as he said: "You can have my
room."
Some people thought that the pageant had
been ruined.
Yet there were others -- many, many others
-- who considered it the most Christmas of all Christmas pageants they had ever
seen.
And you can make this Christmas the best
Christmas for you -- as you invite Jesus into your home -- into your life --
into your heart.
My friend -- can Jesus Christ find room in
your heart -- this Christmas?
When Jesus first came -- He came to forgive
your sins & my sins -- & be our personal Savior!
All He asks is that we simply believe in Him
& receive Him into our heart!
The next time He comes -- He'll not come as
the simple loving, humble Savior -- but
as Judge of all the earth -- dividing the sheep from the goats -- believers
from unbelievers -- sending some to heaven -- & some to that place called
hell.
When He comes the second time -- how -- how
will you meet Him?
Will you meet Him as your Savior -- or will
you meet Him as your Judge?
O come
let us adore Him.
O come
let us adore Him.
O come
let us adore Him --
Christ
the Lord.
We'll
praise His name forever. --
We'll
give Him all the glory. --
For He alone is worthy. --