"Christmas begins at the beginning - With Christ"
Sermon Author: Pastor Jeff Steele
To use this sermon: Please Credit Pastor Jeff Steele

Sermon:
Text: Luke 1:26-38
Christmas begins at the beginning - With Christ

The text this morning begins the traditonal Christmas story, or does it?
What we miss most about this season of lighted trees, fancy wrapped
gifts, and cheery “Merry Christmases” is the real reason for Christmas.
For several years there has been a slogan around the country. It made its way onto bumper stickers, lapel pins, and bracelets - “Jesus is the reason for the Season” and that is most definitely true, but what was behind Jesus’ trip to this trouble world? What was God’s motivation for shrinking himself to the size of an embryo and implanting Himself in a teen-age Jewish girl in the little town of Nazareth?

I certainly can’t speak for God. I can speak about God, but I do not speak for Him. I wrote this and sent it to good Christian friend who has a ministry of her own in Florida. She fired right back, “But that’s not correct. In your congregation you do speak for God. He has chosen you to speak for Him in your congregation.”
My friends, that is a very humbling thought. If she is correct, then let me guide you into a thought process here. Perhaps this is how God looked at the first Christmas.

As I wrote the first sentence of this sermon, “The text this morning begins the Christmas story, or does it?” the “or does it” wasn’t even close to my thoughts. The Holy Spirit placed the “or does it” into my head as I wrote. I’ve learned over the last 25 years and 55 or so sermons that when a word or phrase pops into my head, I’d better pay attention. It is the Holy Spirit trying to tell me something

When did the Christmas story begin?

Perhaps our old friend, the Apostle John can explain, “In the beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1,2)

Could the Christmas story, the real Christmas story, have begun at the
beginning?

Our fundamentalist brothers and sisters tell us that the beginning, at least the Garden of Eden story, took place about 7,500 years ago. Frankly, I’m not sure when the beginning of God’s contact with man was, but whenever it was, I believe the Christmas story began then.
You see, God doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Everything He does is part of a process. One event always leads to another and with God, each event has its own significance.

God loved what He’d created in the Garden. And God looked upon what He’d created and said it was good.

According to the big fisherman, John, Jesus was present at the beginning. He assisted the Father and saw what was being done and I’m sure he said, “It’s good.” Then Adam and Eve strayed and God stepped in. Can you see the scene?

God and his two creations standing together in the cool of the night. One, God, looking at the beginning and stifling a tear and two for what might have been, his creations, looking at God, covered with leaves looking ashamed at what happened. Fruit stains mingled with tear stains. God knew.

God knew He’d have to provide a way to reconcile His creations of that time and of all time to Himself.

God loved what He’d created and that included the first two humans,
stained as they were with the evidence of their wrongdoing.
God knew what we call today Christmas, would have to come.
He worked with his creations as they multiplied. He continued to love
them in Egypt, across the Sinai desert, through the Red Sea, and into the land of milk and honey. He saw them at their best and at their worst. He watched, pleased, as Abram offered his son, he listened to the prayers of Moses, He gave himself to His people, and yet they left the path smoothed for them by an all-Loving God.

Yes, God must have thought to himself. I’ll have to provide a way. I’ll
provide a gift that they can’t refuse. A gift that will lead them back to Me. And so, the first Christmas came, carried to God’s people, to us, in the womb of a frightened teen-age girl in a small town in Galilee.
“Fear not,” said the Angel Gabriel, “for I bring you tidings of great joy. The Lord is with you.”

God is waiting this morning to give us a gift. A gift of great value, a gift more valuable than life. Listen to this story of another Christmas and see if you can find the value today that others sought then:

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young
son shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around
the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection.
Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others
adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child
became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp
business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with
art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left
to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action.
The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit the house of a depressed old man.

|A knock came at his door. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."

As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told
everyone of his father's love of fine art.

"I'm an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this."
As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a
portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside
thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and
spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given.

During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even
though his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart. As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored.
He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.

The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art
world was in anticipation. With the collector's passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Christmas Day, the day he had received his greatest gift.

The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on the world's most spectacular paintings.
Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as
many would claim "I have the greatest collection."

The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list. It
was the painting of the man's son.
The auctioneer asked for an opening bid.
The room was silent.
"Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked.
Minutes passed.
No one spoke
From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's
just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff."
More voices echoed in agreement.
"No, we have to sell this one first,” replied the auctioneer. "Now, who will take the son?"
Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. "Will you take ten dollars for
the painting? That's all I have. I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it."
"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer.
After more silence, the auctioneer said,
"Going once, going twice. Gone."

The gavel fell.

Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"
The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was
over.
Stunned disbelief quieted the room.
Someone spoke up, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on here!"

The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the
father, whoever takes the son . . gets it all."

Puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Just as those art collectors
discovered on that Christmas Day, the message is still the same - the love of a Father - a Father whose greatest joy came from his son who went away and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father's love... whoever takes the Son gets it all.

Yes, I believe that Christmas began at the beginning. God saw sin enter
the world. He knew that only He could correct what the first two, Adam and Eve, ruined. The process had begun. Then the Father, our God, took the action that He knew in advance would be required. He decided to correct all of the problems in His world with the first Christmas gift - Jesus Christ.

All we have to do is accept the gift; accept the Christ. Can we answer as did Mary when Gabriel gave her the news, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

Regardless of our current state, our current sin, our current pride we can reach to Jesus, for in the giving of the gift God made a way for us to come home.

The first Christmas did begin at the beginning and it continues today, it is a process. With Christ and only with Christ can we begin again.
This Christmas can be our beginning. We can become new creatures in
Christ just as God became a man. We must let Jesus come into us. It may begin with an embryo-sized faith, just as Christ began on this earth. Like Mary we can nurture, feed, and grow bigger and bigger in Christ until, like Christmas we too give birth to a new creature and a new us, fully quickened by faith, will emerge.
That’s the miracle of Christmas.
Let us pray:

Almighty God, hear us as we pray. We ask for a heart made new by
Christ. A new sense of awe and wonder at all you have done for us. We ask you to begin a process in us that will lead us to a new and fresh knowledge of your son Jesus. Let us grow in Christ until we are born again in faith, love, courage, and commitment.
Amen.