I would like to wish everyone here a very merry Christmas on this Christmas Day 2002. I pray that you have had or will have a blessed day with family and friends as we celebrate the birth of Christ. This morning, if you would, please turn to Luke chapter 2 as we are going to be looking at a silent night, is there such a thing in relation to Christ? As you are turning there listen to this article from U. S. News & World Report, December 2, 2002 and titled “Without Irving Berlin, Christmas Would Be Silent.” The article starts out by saying. . .
Had Irving Berlin dreamed of the white Christmases he actually used to know, his classic carol would have pined for the frozen Siberian village, plagued by Russian raids and religious persecution, that his family fled in 1893. But it was sleigh bells and glistening treetops that made his 1941 “White Christmas” the top-selling and most frequently recorded song in history. . .
Of the 25 most-performed holiday songs in America, 10 were written or cowritten by Jews. In 1945, Mel Torme composed “The Christmas Song,” Johnny Marks turned out “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” French composer Adolphe Adam started it all in the early 19th century with the music for “O Holy Night”; this month, Barry Manilow released his second Christmas album.
In a sense, says Rosen, Jews made Christmastime what it is today. Fitting in was a top priority for many early 20th-century immigrant Jews in the United States, and Christmas served as a symbol of their adopted country’s greatness. Whether in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, or Hollywood, Jews helped manufacture and market an idealized, secular version of holiday cheer. But Rosen believes there’s a uniquely Jewish element to the melancholy of “White Christmas.” “It’s face-pressed-up-to-the-glass thing, something he couldn’t be part of,” he says.
Feelings of marginalization led Berlin and his contemporaries to embrace Christmas, says Rabbi Joshua Plaut of the Center for Jewish History. Now, “people feel secure enough that they can use the holiday to express their own sense of Jewishness,” says Plaut, who is writing a book on how Jews spend Christmastime. (“There’s a whole chapter on Chinese food,” he says.) and Jewish kids can sing the moving lyrics of their very own wintertime holiday song: “Hey, Natalie Portmanica, it’s time to celebrate Hanukkah,” courtesy of this generation’s Irving Berlin, Adam Sandler.
- U. S. News & World Report, December 2, 2002, Vicky Hallett
There is no doubt that Christmas time has been secularized where people are more interested in buying gifts, going to parties than celebrating and receiving the greatest gift that has been ever given to man, Jesus Christ! Now as much as people try to silence Christmas, take Christ out of Christmas, I don’t think that can be done. You see, if you took away all the Christmas songs, took away all the decorations that point us to Christ, God would still find a way to shout out loud that Christ is born, that He is alive, that He is the Savior of the world! Maybe you doubt that, maybe you don’t think that is true? If you do, listen carefully to our text this morning as we pick up in Luke chapter 2 starting in verse 8.
Here we see a group of people who are going to be introduced to the Messiah. No, not kings, not rulers, not politicians, not famous people, but shepherds who were outcasts of society, they couldn’t even testify in court and were considered ceremonially unclean. And think about this, the sheep they were watching over in the fields were the same sheep that would be taken to the temple to be offered as a sacrifice unto God.
But now things are changing, these shepherds are going to meet the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world as He will pay the penalty for them on the cross of Calvary! Now as these shepherds tended their flocks in the fields an angel appears to them and they are terrified to say the least. Hey, I watch a scary movie and I am terrified!
And notice what these angels said to these shepherds out in the fields, “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:10-12.
What is that great news, those good tidings of great joy for all? It is that in the city of David, in Bethlehem, the House of Bread, the Bread of Life is born, our Savior, the Messiah, God incarnate! You see, the good tidings of great joy speak of our salvation that has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ!
I don’t know how many times you have heard that before, nor do I know how many times people in America have heard those good tidings of great joy. My guess is that more than once most people have heard this and probably several times or more and yet it doesn’t seem to move them. It doesn’t seem to fill their hearts with joy.
You see, their should be fear for those who don’t know Jesus but the good tidings of great joy is that if He is Lord and Savior of your life, you will be saved! Thus, that fear is replaced by His love and peace. But again, for many, they are not moved by this but listen again to the response of the angels to this news, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Luke 2:13-14.
I remember in school, I was pretty young, I don’t remember what grade I was in, but the teacher asked another student a question and I was so excited that I knew the answer that I shouted it out! It was not that often that I did know the answer so I tried to take advantage when I did!
But here we see that same attitude you might say with the heavenly hosts as they all of a sudden just burst forth singing praise unto God! They could not hold back any longer and can you imagine as they sung what their voices were like, angelic you might say! Of course, they were angels!
The thing I want you to take notice of is this praise is in response to what God has done and our praise unto God should also be proclaimed for all He has done for us, especially sending His Son to pay the penalty for our sins!
Now verse 14 of Luke chapter 2 is not translated correctly here in the New King James Version for they make it seem to imply that the earth will be filled with peace and goodwill to all men, and that is not the case. The verse is better translated from The New American Standard like this, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” You see, it speaks of peace and goodwill to God’s people, those that have received Jesus Christ into their lives as Lord and Savior!
Today people are looking for peace. You may remember the song by John Lennon, Give Peace A Chance and the chorus is simple, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” And that is what we hear today by many people. Looking for the good in man and that the world is getting better and better. I am not sure what planet they are on but the world is not getting better and better, but more evil, just listen to the news and take a look around you and the reason is simple, men’s hearts are evil. There truly will not be any true peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ returns!
During the time of Jesus there was the famous PAX ROMANA in effect, which was a Roman Peace that had been in effect since 27 BC. And just because there is an absence of war doesn’t guarantee the presence of peace! Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “While the Emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He can not give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace.”
I think that is very true, man is looking for that peace,
that inner peace and it seems to elude his grasp. Why?
I think Isaiah 48:22 makes the point very clear as we read,
“‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for
the wicked.’”
You see, the problem is sin and it has separated us from God, as Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Thus, we cannot have peace with God until the issue of sin is dealt with. That is why Jesus was born! You see, God’s peace is not given to those who have good will but to those who are recipients of God’s good will or favor and that can only be done as we make peace with God through Jesus Christ!
I understand that in this day of tolerance it is not politically correct to say that Jesus is the only way, but understand that Jesus was not politically correct in His day and they wanted to kill Him. It wasn’t that He didn’t love people, He hated sin and that should be our attitude also, loving people and hating sin! In John 3:36 we are told, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” You see how simple it is and if it is true, which I believe it is, then outside of Christ there is no peace, there is no salvation, there is no good tidings of great joy!
Paul, in Romans 5:1-2 put it this way, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” You see, first we must make peace WITH God, and the only way we can truly have peace with God is through His Son Jesus Christ! Peter said, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” Again, sin has separated us from God and Jesus is our bridge builder, the one who gave us access back to God through His finished work on the cross of Calvary.
Tragically many today miss the point, they take Christ out of the picture, not only at Christmas, but throughout the year, and their lives are not filled with peace as this story illustrates for us:
Without Jesus to wash us whiter than snow, there can never be a genuinely White Christmas.
Consider Lindsay, for example. His father, a distant and severe man, worked him especially hard during the holidays. Lindsay was given extra chores at the family ranch, and his old man whipped him if he didn’t work hard enough. Lindsay lived in fear of these beatings, which often drew blood. But even worse were the verbal floggings, the names, the insults, the belittling put-downs. They seemed especially harsh at Christmas.
The memories stayed with him all his life, tormenting him like demons every December. One friend said, “Lindsay was never able to find happiness. He became a hard-drinking hell-raiser who went from woman to woman and couldn’t find peace or success.”
Finally at age fifty-one, he angrily watched Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” one last time, then put a gun to his head and a bullet through his brain.
“I hated Christmas because of Pop, and I always will,” he once said. “It brings back the pain and fear I suffered as a child. And If I ever do myself in, it will be at Christmastime. That will show the world what I think of Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas.’”
Ironically, sadly, he was Bing’s son – Lindsay Crosby.
(That bizarre story is itself a parable of what happens when we gut Christmas of its true glory. If only Lindsay had really understood that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day so that our sins, though they be as scarlet, shall be as white as snow. “Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool,” Isaiah 1:18).
- Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, pp. 108-109
A tragic story but it doesn’t have to be like that, all a person needs to do is to ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins and to be Lord and Savior of their lives, and He will! It is at that point; when you have made peace WITH God that you can then have the peace OF God fill your life!
Paul, in Philippians 4:6-7 tells us this, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Once you have made peace WITH God through Jesus Christ, then you can experience the peace OF God in your life, as I have said. You can go to Him with all your burdens, all your troubles and as you give them to Him He in return will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. And His peace will guard your heart or your emotions and His peace will guard your mind or your thoughts! You see, true peace is found in Jesus!
Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Notice, in the world will be tough times, tribulation, but as we come to Jesus He will see us through those times because we can find peace through the storms of life in Jesus!
But for many, even Christians at times, they seem far from this peace. In fact, their lives are many times like this family:
A wife called the doctor one morning saying, “Doctor, come quick! It’s my husband!”
“What’s the matter?” he calmly replied.
“Well, he got up this morning and took his vitamin pill. Then he took his appetite suppressant, his anti-depressant, and his tranquilizer. He also took an antihistamine and some Benzedrine. Then he lit a cigarette, and there was this explosion!”
- Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, p. 604
Now we laugh at that but it can be very true for many, that they are looking for peace in all the wrong places and what they find is an explosion. If that is where you are at this morning you need to give it to Jesus, to lay all your burdens down at His feet, all your anxieties! Peter put it this way, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7. Don’t lose sight of that fact, that Jesus loves you and He can handle your problems better than you can! You see, Jesus doesn’t promise us a peace without storms, He promises us a peace through the storms of life!
That is what God has for us today, here and now, peace with Him through Jesus and the peace of God once we have made peace with God! You see, the kingdom today is internal and spiritual but one day it will be external and physical as Jesus Christ comes back and set’s up His kingdom on this earth. Then true peace will fill this land as the Prince of Peace rules and reigns, but as I have said, He can rule and reign in our hearts and lives now and we can enjoy that peace now!
It is as Isaiah 9:6-7 tells us, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” You see, righteousness will fill the land in the kingdom age but until then, don’t miss out on the peace that God has for your life. Don’t just leave here this morning as you came in, unchanged.
For the shepherds, when they heard these good tidings of great joy, it moved them and they responded to the call and traveled to Bethlehem to see the Savior of the world, the Messiah, God incarnate, not sitting upon a throne dressed in gorgeous robes, but a babe in a manger or feeding trough and wrapped in swaddling clothes!
And as they left they were changed, they couldn’t hold back what they heard and saw, and they are proclaiming the good tidings of great joy that the Savior is born, the Messiah, God incarnate!
You see, no matter how silent we may be, God will speak forth the good news. The thing is He desires to use us as His vessel to speak through. If God has touched your life, don’t hide the good news, proclaim it! Remember as a child as you opened your Christmas presents how excited you were? Now I did know the packages that contained clothes and underwear, those I was not too excited about. But the toys, the hockey sticks and-so-on, I wanted to shout to the world what my parents gave me!
Our heavenly Father gave us His Son, born to die on the cross of Calvary. That beautiful face would one day be beaten so bad that in no longer resembled a face of a man. His head would wear not a crown of a king but a crown of thorns. His newborn skin, so pink and soft would one day be bloodied by the scourging. His tiny hands and feet would one day have spikes driven through them. Why? Because “. . . as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:14-17.
That is the free gift we have received, eternal life through Jesus Christ. In this season that is suppose to remember His birth, it seems to be filled with anxiety and hustle and bustle. Don’t lose the focus, Jesus is the reason for the season; enjoy the peace that He wants to give to you. And once you have received Him, may you proclaim it with joy to others that they too can enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ and then experience the peace of God in their lives.
Now you may think that you are just the average Joe, God won’t use you. Think about this as I begin to rap things up this morning. James S. Stewart said:
And is there not a world of meaning in the fact that it was very ordinary people, busy about very ordinary tasks, whose eyes first saw the glory of the coming of the Lord? It means, first, that the place of duty, however humble, is the place of vision. And it means, second, that it is the men who have kept to the deep, simple pieties of life and have not lost the child heart to whom the gates of the Kingdom most readily open.
- James S. Stewart
With all the precious gifts that have been exchanged or will be exchanged this day, may we not lose sight of the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ! It is as the angels said, “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Luke 2:10-14.
May we proclaim the message and go forth in joy praising
and giving glory to God for all He has done for us!
Let me leave you with this verse from Isaiah 52:7, which
says, “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet
of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Let our voices sing out to the King and about the King, “Our God reigns!”