The Effect of Christmas
Various Scriptures
December 25, 2022
This morning as we gather together on Christmas morning
There is not a main text that we are going to study.
Instead what I want to do this morning is
Apply the reality of Christmas
To what we’ve been studying for this entire past year.
THIS PAST YEAR on Sunday morning
We’ve studied through 2 books in the Bible.
We’ve studied 1 John and we’ve studied Malachi.
And not to rehash either of those books,
I do want to layout that each of those books dealt with
THE ISSUE OF READINESS regarding the arrival of the Messiah.
Malachi spoke about readiness regarding the FIRST COMING
John spoke of readiness regarding the SECOND.
We remember:
Malachi 3:1-2 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.”
And we remember:
1 John 2:28-29 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
1 John 4:17 “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
• MALACHI spoke to a group of indifferent religious people to show them that they were not ready for the coming King.
• JOHN spoke to a group of genuine believers in order to show them how to have confidence before the coming King.
And in both instances the answer is actually the same.
HOLINESS
It is holiness that prepares you for the coming of the King.
• That is why Elijah (John the Baptist) came…
• That is why Elijah will come again…
• That is what Malachi and John both wanted from their audience…
• HOLINESS IS THE KEY TO READINESS
And THIS MORNING I want to take that one more step
As we talk about the realities of Christmas.
WHAT DOES HOLINESS HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS?
There are a lot of sentiments
That are elevated during the Christmas season.
• We talk of love and joy
• We talk of peace and good will toward men.
• We see generosity and giving and fellowship.
What I want you to understand this morning is that
When a person truly understands the point of Christmas
The purest and most genuine effect on their lives will be holiness.
If our understanding of Christmas does not produce holiness
Then perhaps we’re not understanding
Exactly what God has done and what God will do.
SO LET’S DISCUSS A LITTLE HERE…
I want to consider the two main focuses of Christmas.
#1 WHAT WE CELEBRATE
Clearly Christmas is a celebration.
We’re not even going to get into the corruption of Christmas
That takes place among a pagan culture.
But for the Church…
For believers…
Christmas is a celebration.
That we agree on, it’s why you are here this morning
WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING?
Let’s just simplify it.
• At it’s core it is “God with Us”
• At it’s core it is “Emmanuel”
That God the Son left the glories of Heaven to be clothed in human flesh
That He might come and save His people from their sins.
WE CELEBRATE THAT.
But we can get even more specific.
1) HE FULFILLED THE LAW
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
We are dealing with HUMANITY
That HAS BEEN CONDEMNED by the Law of God.
The Law represents God’s holy expectation for humanity.
And ALL HUMANITY IS RESPONSIBLE to it.
Some may argue that only Israel was under the Law, but that’s not true.
For Paul makes it clear in Romans 2 that
God wrote His Law on the conscience of every man.
The Jews just had less excuse for breaking it because God spelled it out for them.
But ALL humanity is under the righteous expectation of God.
And all humanity will be judged
By their failure to live up to the righteous expectation of God.
And humanity has failed miserably.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
• We could continue on about how there is none righteous not even one
• Or how death spread to all men because all sinned.
• But you get the idea.
• All mankind had fallen short of God’s righteous expectation.
SO God sent His Son, “born under the Law”
He was circumcised at 8 days old.
In Hebrews 10 we learn:
Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
So Jesus came as a human, born under the Law
So that He might fulfill the Law of God.
• This is why we love the story of His temptation and how He resisted every
one.
• This is why we love that twice from Heaven God spoke that He was “well-
pleased” in Jesus.
Jesus came to accomplish what we could not accomplish.
He came to live a human life that was pleasing to God.
And then to IMPUTE that righteousness He earned to our account.
That is a tremendous reason to celebrate at Christmas.
He came to fulfill the obligation that we had failed to fulfill.
2) HE ATONED FOR SIN
Philippians 2:6-8 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
When He came to this earth,
• It was NOT to show off.
• NOR was it to only be some sort of righteous example.
He came to fulfill the righteous obligation we had failed to fulfill Then He came to endure the punishment that we had earned.
On one hand was a command left UNDONE.
On the other hand was disobedience left UNPUNISHED.
Christ checked both boxes.
• He came for the purpose of the cross.
• He came to bear the full wrath of God.
• He came to endure our shame and sin and scorn and suffering.
• He came to stand in our place.
Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
And how could we not celebrate that?
How could we not celebrate One who would come to this earth
To take the punishment that we deserved?
It is easy to celebrate His atoning death.
3) HE CONQUERED DEATH
Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Because we had sinned, we earned the wages of sin, which is death.
And from the time of Adam, mankind had no answer for death.
Man lived in absolute fear of the reality.
But Jesus came and FACED death.
Jesus came and TASTED death.
Jesus came and DESTROYED death.
After His death on the cross He rose from the grave
And made that promise that “because I live, you will live also”.
HE CONQUERED DEATH
• We love the story of the resurrection.
• We love Matthew 28 and how Pilate tried to seal and secure that tomb.
• But nothing could stop the sinless Son of God, not even death.
He came to die so He could defeat our enemy.
HOW COULD WE NOT CELEBRATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
1. WE HAD a Law that condemned us…
2. WE HAD sin that enslaved us…
3. WE HAD death that tormented us…
And Jesus came to conquer them all.
• He was born a human…
• He was born under the Law…
• He faced death…
• He conquered the grave…
All to fulfill what was spoken about Him by the angel to Joseph.
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
• He gives us His righteousness.
• He receives our punishment.
• He defeats our enemy.
Christmas is certainly a time of celebration.
What we celebrate at Christmas is salvation.
Without His first coming there is no salvation.
• We are condemned by the Law.
• We are enslaved in our sin.
• We are doomed to eternal death.
But at His first coming He fixed all of that.
WE CELEBRATE SALVATION!
#2 WHAT WE ANTICIPATE
Christmas is not just a celebration, if you look at it correctly,
IT IS ALSO A TIME OF ANTICIPATION.
For all those promises that were made about the coming King…
They were only PARTIALLY FULFILLED at His first coming.
We think of the famous Isaiah 9:
Isaiah 9:1-7 “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
• While it is true that Galilee saw a great light…
• While it is true that a Child was born to us…
• Most of that promise is STILL TO COME.
We are still waiting for the global peace.
We are still waiting for Him to reign on David’s throne.
Even the songs we sing like “Joy to the World”
Are more about the second coming than the first.
• “Joy to the word the Savior reigns”
• “No more let sins or sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground”
Those are promises yet to be fulfilled.
We are waiting for that day.
So while Christmas is about celebrating salvation.
It is also about anticipating salvation.
WE ANTICIPATE SALVATION
(the fullness of salvation from sin)
Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”
WHAT KIND OF SALVATION?
1) We are still waiting for Him to come and REDEEM THIS CREATION.
Romans 8:19 “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”
All creation groans under the curse of sin
And it waits eagerly for the Redeemer to come and reverse the curse.
2) We are still waiting for Him to come and REMOVE SINNERS.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 “…the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”
• Our world suffers under the weight of sinful men.
• We mourn the wickedness that is rampant and spreads
• And we long for the day when the King will return and remove the tares from among the wheat.
3) We are still waiting for Him to come and RESCUE HIS OWN.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”
• After the tares are removed then the righteous will shine like the sun.
• We are waiting for our ultimate deliverance from the Satan devil who longs to steal, kill, and destroy.
4) We are still waiting for Him to come and REIGN UPON THE EARTH
We want to see that child on David’s throne.
We want to see that kingdom physically manifest on the earth.
And while we celebrate what Christ did in His first coming,
We cannot help but anticipate what He will do at His second.
TURN TO: REVELATION 19:11-20:6
For we are certain that if Jesus had not come 2,000 years ago as a baby
Then we would not be saved.
But we also understand that
If He does not come again then we still cannot be saved.
This is why John is weeping in Revelation 5
When no one is found who can open that scroll.
WE STILL WAIT FOR SALVATION.
Total – final – eternal – complete salvation!
SO WE CELEBRATE AND WE ANTICIPATE
But back to the question that we started with.
WHAT DOES HOLINESS HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS?
Do you want to know what it looks like to truly celebrate Christmas?
IT IS HOLY LIVING.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CELEBRATE the fact that
Jesus came to this earth and fulfilled the Law
And bore your sin and conquered the grave
THEN WALK IN THE HOLINESS THAT HE PURCHASED.
DO YOU NOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO USE THE GIFTS YOU BUY THEM FOR CHRISTMAS?
• Jesus came to produce righteousness for you and to impart that righteousness to you.
• He came to remove the wrath that dwelled upon your head and bring you near to His righteous Father.
• He came to remove the penalty of sin which is death and to grant you eternal life where you can dwell in the presence of His holy Father for all eternity.
His gift to you is HOLINESS
Do you really want to celebrate Christmas? THEN USE IT
Romans 8:1-4 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
If you truly want to celebrate what Christ did for you
Then walk in holiness.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ANTICIPATION?
If you really anticipate that
Jesus Christ will return and judge sinners
and reward the righteous
Then your most fitting response is again obvious.
IT IS STILL HOLINESS
Isaiah 35:4-10 “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
When Jesus returns He will set up “the Highway of Holiness”
And only the holy will walk upon it.
ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THAT?
The best and most pure way to celebrate Christmas
Is by living the holy life Christ purchased for you.
The best and most pure way to anticipate Christmas
Is by living the holy life that Christ expects from you when He returns.
Romans 13:11-14 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
We’ve spent a year talking about how true believers live
And what it means to be ready for the coming of the King.
If you are truly grateful and if you truly believe He will return.
THEN WALK IN HOLINESS.
HE DESERVES IT for what He did when He first came
HE DEMANDS IT based on what He will do when He comes again.
Holiness is the ultimate effect Christmas should have on your life.
If it produces something else,
Then perhaps you’re missing the point.
