Christmas for All the People (Luke 2:10-14)

Big Idea: Christmas is about honoring God and sharing Jesus' message, but only those who accept it will experience his favor.

To be honest with you, I think that my favorite Christmases took place when I was a child. How could you complain? To start with, school was cancelled for at least a week – closer to two. All sorts of strange things began to happen.

I don't remember Christmas celebrations starting before the first week of December, but I do recall the Santa Claus parade, sitting on Santa's lap, and enjoying homemade fruitcake. Those were the days that you were even allowed to sing Christmas carols in the public school. I remember the excitement of presents under the tree, family arriving, and making room for everyone to sleep on the floor. Christmas was a fun time for me.

I think my favorite Christmas was the first time I had money. I had begun working part-time and had accumulated a wad of cash. And so, without any credit cards, and with a big thick wad of cash in my pocket, this teenager set out shopping. And I bought gifts for everyone. A toaster-oven for my mother – that was a big-ticket item for me in those days. Finally, after years of $4 gifts for my family, they all got something better. Nobody was forgotten – not my friends at church, not even the girl I liked but had never talked to. That was the Christmas to end all Christmases.

It wasn't entirely secular. On Christmas Eve, we gathered at the church, reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas. And on Christmas Day, without fail, I remember my preacher uncle standing up and giving a few reflections. But for me, the Christmases I enjoyed most took place when I was a child. I used to wonder what was getting all the parents stressed out. What is there about Christmas not to like?

I often wondered how all the nagging, requests, work parties, open houses, Christmas events, shopping, cooking, and decorating didn’t lead to happiness for parents. But now the shoe’s on the other foot. It’s only December 13, but it already feels like it’s been Christmas for months. My first Christmas event this year was in November. I've done half my shopping, but it's all unwrapped, and the thought of going to a crowded mall feels overwhelming. My calendar is sadly lacking in empty spots.

And with all the rush, commercialism, and pressure, it’s easy to conclude – Christmas is for kids. That the only people who really enjoy Christmas are children – too naive to really understand what it’s all about. Or perhaps simple enough to see through all the junk and able to see the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe you think Christmas is for children, or families, or, if you're really cynical, retailers. Perhaps in your weaker moments you've sighed and longed for January to come, and for life to return to normal. Researchers indicate that December is often a depressing month for many, with some merely enduring the season and others experiencing very dark thoughts.

Two Questions

I want to ask two questions this morning of Christmas: what is Christmas about, and who exactly is Christmas for?

What's Christmas about?

With all the commercialism and stress, what is Christmas really about? Let me read from Luke 2:13-14:

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 among those with whom he is pleased!”

The end of verse 14 is pregnant with meaning, and it tells us, in order, the two things that Christmas is really about. First and foremost:

Christmas brings glory to God.

As part of God's eternal plan, the birth of Christ brings glory to God. Why? Because the glory and majesty of God became apparent in human form. We should honor God in the highest ways when we consider what happened in Bethlehem.

William Hendriksen says:

Having been informed of the Savior's birth, a birth under such circumstances and with such a self-sacrificing purpose, these angels never before had been so thrilled! No wonder, therefore, that from the bottom of their hearts they shout, "Glory to God in the Highest!"

So that's what Christmas is still about today. God's glory is the primary purpose of the plan of salvation. It's an opportunity, first and foremost, to worship God for what he has done.

But the angels gave the second purpose of Christmas – the second reason Christmas took place. It's the second thing that Christmas is all about.

Christmas is a message of good news to people.

"...on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased." Interpretations of this verse differ, but I believe the angels meant: "Peace is given to those chosen by God."

Upon whom does God's favor rest? According to Ephesians 1:4-5, God chose those who would be holy and blameless before the creation of the world. In other words, it rests upon all those who, in the grace of God, respond and follow him and become one of his people.

That's what Christmas is all about. Many people feel Christmas is stressful and depressing because we often forget its true meaning. This year, I've still sent out cards and I still plan to open presents. I will still have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. But that's not what Christmas is about. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, a significant historical event that brought glory to God and good news to humanity. That's what Christmas is really about.

Luke 2 answers a second question.

Who is Christmas for?

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." (Luke 2:8-10)

Christmas is for all people. Christmas brings good news to everyone, regardless of nationality, age, wealth, fame, social status, gender, or education.

We have made a huge mistake in allowing Christmas to become the possession of just children and retailers. Just look at those who first heard about his birth. It is a message to all classes. The first ones to learn of Jesus' birth were poor, downtrodden shepherds. They belonged to a thoroughly contemptible social class. The Pharisees of that time said there were six professions that were unworthy. One of those was being a shepherd. A shepherd was not permitted to give testimony in a court of law. A shepherd was not permitted to enter a synagogue, because his activities were considered ritually unclean. People did not have dealings with shepherds. Shepherds in that time were usually very young, just as David in the Old Testament was only a boy. They were considered as untrustworthy. And yet God chose them to be the first witnesses to the birth of Christ.

In Jesus' hometown, Nazareth, he stood up to speak in the synagogue, quoted from Isaiah 61:1, and said:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
(Luke 4:18-21)

Jesus' ministry was to the poor – to the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. The gospel is a message of good news to poor, downtrodden shepherds, and it's a message to us this morning. Christmas is not only a message to all classes, it's also a message to all nations. Matthew 2 describes how pagan magicians from the east brought gifts to worship Christ after his birth.

In what is sometimes called the Great Commission of the Old Testament, Isaiah 49:6 says of the Messiah:

It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world." That's who Jesus is. Christmas carries a message for everyone, regardless of nationality or country. Jesus was announcing that he is the one whose presence would benefit all people – not just the Jews.

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world. 80% of Ontario's visible minority population live in Toronto. And over 80 different languages are spoken in our city. Last year, over 80,000 people from 169 countries moved to our city. It is expected that within three years, foreign-born residents will comprise more than 50% of our population. And Richview Baptist Church is in the middle of this explosion. We have a strategic opportunity to share our good news with everyone, regardless of nationality. We have an opportunity to demonstrate that Christmas is not just a North American holiday. Jesus Christ is heaven's gift to all nations. Jesus came to save the whole earth – all the people of the world.

Somebody once wrote:

God is the life of all free beings. He is the salvation of all…of the educated or the illiterate, of the healthy or the sick, of the young or the very old. He is the outpouring of light, the glimpse of the sun, or the changes of the weather which are the same for everyone without exception. (Author unknown)

A gem dealer attended a gem and mineral exhibition. He noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked at the stone, glanced at the price, and said in the most casual voice to the person tending the booth, "You want fifteen dollars for this?" The seller had seen that the rock wasn't as attractive as the others he had on display, so he lowered the price to ten dollars. The dealer acquired the stone. It was a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, and was later appraised at 2.28 million dollars.

Our world wasn't a beautiful place when God sent His Son to redeem it. Many would say it's even worse now. Just as the gem dealer recognized the hidden value in the plain "potato" stone, God saw infinite worth in his Son and chose to share him with us. He didn’t keep this valuable gift for himself, but offered it freely to everyone throughout history, blessing all immensely.

In Christ, we're neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. We're all reduced to the common denominator of sinners in need of salvation. That's why Christ came; that's what Christmas is all about.

If you believe Christmas is just for kids or not meant to glorify God and share the good news of a Savior, you're missing the point. Because that's what Christmas is all about. Christmas is for all people.

So Christmas is a message to all classes and all nations. But there's one more thing to notice. It is a message that benefits only those who respond.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
(Luke 2:14)

We could get into a complex theological argument about who these people are, but let's get down to the point. The message is available to everyone, but not everyone benefits from it. Only those who respond – those upon whom God's favor rests – receive the benefits that come from Christ's coming.

Salvation and its fullness are not automatic for everyone. Darrell Bock writes:

Only those who respond to God's grace and follow the path lit by the rising sun will experience the peace into which that path leads. Jesus comes for all, but not all respond to and benefit from his coming.

There's a response required, a verdict that you need to reach.

In one of the great Christmas passages, Jesus explained to Nicodemus why he came to earth:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18)

Jesus said himself that a response is necessary. Those who believe in him don't perish; they will have everlasting life. These are the people that have put their trust and confidence in Jesus, that he alone can save us. Nothing else could ever save us from what we should fear most – eternal condemnation. Jesus said that those who do not trust in Him are already condemned because they do not believe in God's one and only Son.

So there's a choice to be made. Are you going to let God's favor, God's good will, be to you? I challenge you to come to a verdict on this matter this morning. Who is Christmas for? Christmas is for all people. Jesus is heaven's gift to all nations. He's God's gift to you. So don't let Christmas be about kids, or retailers, about gifts, or even about families. Let it be about the good news of Jesus Christ, that will be to all people.

After the 1996 Olympics, a man created a website called "Feel the Flame Forever Burn," celebrating Atlanta's Olympic flame. "Find out why I have it, how I got it, and what I plan to do with it." Well, we don't have the Olympic flame. We have the light of the world, the message of good news that is for all people. Let's make this Christmas about why we have the good news that shall be for all people, how we got it, and what we plan to do with it. Let's make Christmas about the good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

O God, what a marvelous gift you have given in offering yourself to all people! Bless the world, save the nations. And may we in love, obedience, and thanksgiving celebrate the day of your coming. Amen.