Sermon - The Meaning Of Christmas

		NORTHWEST FILIPINO BAPTIST CHURCH
Sermon
	The Meaning of Christmas I John 4: 7-15 December 1, 2002 We are gathered today to worship our Lord on this first day of December 2002.This month, our minds, ears, and eyes will be filled with the sights, and sounds of the celebration of Christmas. I believe this will be a joyous month – a good break from all the news of gloom and doom because of the downturn of the economy, and a news of hope from all the scare of the news of terrorism around the world. But first let us have a glance at the mind and heart of the Apostle John why he wrote this general epistle of I John. Our NIV Study Bible explains that at the time of the writing of this letter, about 85-95 A.D., the believers in the churches that were scattered in the Province of Asia (now modern Turkey) were struggling with the false teaching, or heresy which was known as GNOSTICISM. It’s main teaching was that the spirit is entirely good, while matter is entirely evil. This teaching has many implications. Foremost, however, is the denial that Jesus Christ is human. A form of Gnosticism called Docetism, teaches that Jesus only appears to be human. The other form, called Cerinthianism teaches that Jesus is only human but that the divine Christ joined him at his baptism and left him before he died. This teaching, therefore rejects the true humanity and the true deity of Jesus Christ. This is mainly the theological issue that the Apostle John addresses in this first epistle. Today, perhaps, we do not have the same heresy to address to. But I submit to you, that we do have our modern form of heresy, especially during the celebration of Christmas. It is the heresy of misunderstanding, or revising, if not rejecting the true meaning of Christmas. For example, the Chicago Tribune last Thursday has an article on the dilemma that our public schools face on how to celebrate Christmas with political correctness in view of our society’s religious diversity. How would Jews react to the Christmas celebration- also the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists? And our society and laws, wanting to please everybody, now wants us to celebrate Christmas without GOD,AND WITHOUT CHRIST. Christmas now becomes a ‘ HAPPY HOLIDAYS’, “The Santa Season” thus the “Santa parade”…and to many, JUST AN X’MAS CELEBRATION. This is ridiculous, this is sad. However, I am glad that we have as a season, the celebration of Christmas. Because, as Christians we can call on our friends and neighbors, and all of us, to a remembrance of the true meaning of Christmas. This is a season of evangelistic opportunity. Thank God, a season of hope and joy has come. Thank God that we have Christmas. But what really is the meaning of Christmas? Let me suggest to you three things as found in our Scripture text this morning. They are: Christmas is all about God, the REVEALER, it is about Christ, THE REDEEMER, and it is about us, THE REDEEMED. FIRST, notice in I John 4: 9- CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT GOD… Obviously, without God, there would be no seasons. Because God is the Creator, without him there would be no creation. There will be no Christmas, and there will be no one to celebrate it. That is why, it is ridiculous and plain insanity to say that we can have Christmas without God. Notice also, that Christmas is about THE LOVE OF GOD. Christmas reveal to us the nice, the beautiful side of God. This is not to say that there is the ugly side of God. No. God is perfect in all his character and nature. There is no ugliness in Him. But you see, the Bible also reveals to us “ the wrath of God” .The final wrath of God will come in the final day of judgment- but, listen, before he unleashes His wrath, He first comes to us in LOVE. Christmas therefore is the manifestation of the great love of God for us. May we then say, that Christmas for us should be a season for love! Notice further, that God when he loves does not only love in words, but He loves in deeds. What did He do? In our text, it says: He sent His son – He gave His son- Jn. 3:16; Isa. 9:6.In this verse, The Son -----is also an everlasting Father… A great mystery- the mystery of the Incarnation… The second Person of the Trinity in his humiliation Jn: 1:1; 14; 18; I John 4: 9- These verses explain and give answers to the two great problems of Man: namely, THE INVISIBILITY OF GOD and THE INCOMPREHENSIBILITY OF GOD v. 12. These are the reasons why so many people do not believe in God. They say, the cannot see Him, and they cannot know Him. But John says, NOW WE CAN SEE AND KNOW GOD. – 1 John 4: 13-14. All of the problems of man concerning the invisibility and incomprehensibility of God is given an answer in the PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST. 11. SECOND, notice in 1 John 4:10 - CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT CHRIST. A. It is about His atoning sacrifice for our sins. In v. 14. It is about Christ who is the Savior. - John Ryrie puts it this way, “ Without the incarnation we would have no Savior, Sin requires death for its payment, God does not die. So the Savior must be human in order to be able to die, But the death of an ordinary man would not pay for sin eternally, so the Savior must also be God. We must have a God-Man Savior and we do in our Lord. Heb. 10:1-10.” ( p. 245, Basic Theology) Notice, there is no other Savior! 111. THIRD, notice in v. 14- CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT US… BELIEVERS. A. We who have seen God through Jesus Christ have a task. What is it? It is to testify that the Father sent his Son to be the savior of the world. We testify that: We are saved through Christ alone. We are secured in Christ. v. 4- You are of God – We came from God by creation and redemption. v. 6- We are of God- We belong to God by faith in Christ. v.12-13- God dwells in us – we in Him, He in Us. We are in a mysterious and vital union with God through Jesus Christ. v. 14- Therefore we can testify about our assurance in Christ., and that with Him we have eternal life (I John 5: 11-12). Conclusion: Christmas may mean many things to many other people, but to us, Christians, Christmas is about God and His love. It is about Christ, who is our only savior from Sin. It is about our task; to testify of what we have seen and known. We understand the meaning of Christmas as we know the Motive of God – His love; the Manner He sent His Son – to be the only Savior, and our Mission as believers- to testify to the world of this great news of Salvation. Therefore, anyone can have a True Christmas if anyone has Christ.