The Miracle of Christmas

(The following is excerpted from my sermon for this past Sunday.  There are quotes at the end which are not footnoted, but this is a sermon, not an essay. The full sermon can be downloaded at the end. Enjoy.)

The miracle of Christmas is so much more than just the miracle of the virgin birth and the coming of the Christ-child.

The miracle is that God would care enough for this fallen and corrupt creation not to abandon it, but to preserve a line of inheritance throughout the ages of man so that in the fullness of time – when the time was just right according to His perfect plan – He could give the very best that Heaven had to offer on behalf of all mankind.

So who is this Child whose birthday we celebrate every Christmas?

• To the Jews He was just another noted rabbi who was confused about the workings of God.
• To Islam, He is only a messenger, born of a virgin, but whose importance was transcended by Muhammad.
• To the Mormons, He is referred to as Savior, but they believe that, instead of being eternal God, that Jesus was born to the god of this world who was at one time a man himself and is only one among an infinite number of gods.
• To the Jehovah Witnesses, He is a kind of god. He was created by God and is neither the eternal Son of God nor part of the Trinity.
• To Scientology, He is only a good man and a good teacher who Himself was a product of reincarnation and offers no hope of salvation.
• To the world, He is the baby in the manger that completes the Christmas scene – lost amidst the halos of Mary, the songs of hovering angels, the sounds of a stable, and the glitter of tinsel and the decorations of the season.

But for those who know Him as Savior, He is…

• Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9.6)
• Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2)
• Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
• Bread of Life (John 6:35)
• Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
• Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22)
• Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)
• Lamb of God (John 1:29)
• Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
• Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
• Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)
• The way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
• Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
• King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)

Ray Pritchard said…

If he is not God, we are fools to worship Him.

If he is, we would be fools not to.

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most well-known names in history. He was one of the greatest military commanders of all time and was, at one time, the Emperor of the French. He controlled an empire that spanned all of Europe.

What did Napoleon say about Jesus?

I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison.

Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of people would die for Him.

Everything in Christ astonishes me. His spirit overawes me, and His will confounds me ... I search in vain in history to find anyone similar to Jesus Christ, or anything that can approach the gospel.

Dr. Philip Schaff, the famed historian, said…

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mahomet, and Napoleon. (and someone else added… or Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, and Mao Tse Tung!)

C. S. Lewis said there are only three possible reactions to Christ:

•  You can shut Him up for a fool,
• You can spit at Him and kill him as a demon, or
• You can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. 

But you cannot write Him off as simply a good teacher or a good man, and you certainly cannot ignore Him.


Sermon 19Dec2010     mp3     Word     pdf