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Scripture: Colossians 1:11-22
How many of you are familiar with Disney’s movie about Aladdin? I just want you to remember one small part, and even if you haven’t seen the movie, I think you’ll get my point. The scene I am thinking of is where Aladdin meets the genie for the first time and learns about his captivity as a genie in the lamp. The genie describes it like this, “Phenomenal cosmic power! Itty bitty living space.”
That is a pretty good picture of the incarnation, the birth of Jesus as a human, or as it says in Philippians, “Jesus gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” Now the genie was trapped in this situation and he didn’t like it. He wanted to be free! But we know that Jesus was not trapped. He chose to confine all his magnificent glory in the itty-bitty living space of a human body. And really that started out as the even ittier and bittier size of a human embryo inside of a human body, inside Mary’s womb, just because he loves you and wants to be with you.
I’ll tell you something else. Through Facebook I speak with muslims to share the gospel, answer their questions about Christianity and refute their false teachings as they try to defend the quran. One of the things I read a lot is how silly it is for Christians to believe that God became a man. They say, “It is an insult and a disrespect to claim that God was carried in a womb for nine months then was delivered … to live as a child. It is beneath God’s dignity to nurse from a mom and need a diaper change. We should NOT attribute this claim to the almighty, the omnipresent, the omniscient, the creator of the world and the all wise.” But since we know that’s what really happened, what I say in response to muslims is, “That just goes to show you how humble our God is, and how much God loves you that he would be willing to submit to that kind of experience just to get closer to you.”
Then they will say, “But God can’t become a man.” To which I say, “My all-powerful God can do whatever He wants.” Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
That’s the Christmas story theologically. It tells us who Jesus is. This little child in a manger was almighty God born to be Emmanuel, God with us! And it tells us why Jesus came to be born as a baby. He came to live with us. He came to show us how much God loves us. He came to die for us and prove his love. Then he rose again to prove his power to forgive and give eternal life. The best Christmas gift the world ever got was the one God gave us on the very first Christmas. Nobody has ever been able to top that.
I wonder, do you ever look forward to meeting up with someone one you love? Of course, you do. You anticipate their arrival and you can’t wait to see them again. Suppose you’re waiting at the airport for someone who has been gone a long time. Doesn’t it just put a joyful smile on your face when they finally show up? Jesus is our joy because, in Christ, God came to be with us! And we get to be with God, here and now, though now seeing as through a glass darkly, and then one day, forever and ever in glory! We are anticipating his arrival, but we don’t know when, only that he will come soon, and it just might be in the very next moment!
Until then, the greatest joy for a Christian is found in giving to others because we have so freely received so much from God. This only makes sense because God’s greatest joy is also found in giving to others. He started the whole idea and inspires us to imitate him. We’re all familiar with that famous Christmas line in Luke 2:10, “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” But this week I noticed that there are two other times earlier in the story. In Luke 1:14, the angel told Mary personally, “You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” And then when Mary went to visit Elizabeth, her cousin exclaimed, “When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.” That’s Luke 1:44.
Christmas time is the joyful season of celebrating God’ great gift! And that’s why we give gifts too! Since God is a gift giver, whenever we give gifts, as image bearers of Christ we are continuing his visibility. Jesus said, “As the father sent me, so I send you.” Now if Jesus was sent to make God visible to the world, then so are we! And the gifts we bear in particular are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It’s not the stuff we have so much as the attitude and love in which we bring it.
I heard a story that happened in a grand old church. It was very churchy place, with a choir that wore robes, a big organ, large stained-glass windows, large and lofty prayers. Everybody wore suits. Even the preacher wore a vestment robe. One Christmas season, the church was full for a special service. People were arriving late to standing room only.
But one young man, dressed in raggy jeans, sporting longer hair, as well as a few tattoos, did not settle for standing in the back. He walked down the center aisle looking for a seat. Finding none, he continued on down the aisle until he came to the front. There he sat down on the floor, in front of the front pew. Many of the members and regular attenders were aghast at the impropriety. But nobody knew what to do.
The service proceeded of course. During the opening hymn, people saw one of the oldest of the elders start to walk down that center aisle, hobbling along in his cane. As he approached the young man in front, certain people began nudging each other and whispering about how old faithful would probably get the young man to move back where he belonged. While the hymn proceeded, people could see him lean over and quietly speak to the newcomer, and they were sure he was telling the guy where to go.
Then the song ended. The young man sat down. And hard as it looked to be for him, old faithful sat down on the floor too, right beside the trouble maker! Now the preacher stood up and said, “Friends, I did have a sermon prepared for today. But I’m not going to preach it. I don’t have too. You have just witnessed the best presentation of the gospel I have ever seen. Go and do likewise!”
Christmas is a joyful time. And if you really want to feel that joy, share the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Scripture: Colossians 1:11-22
How many of you are familiar with Disney’s movie about Aladdin? I just want you to remember one small part, and even if you haven’t seen the movie, I think you’ll get my point. The scene I am thinking of is where Aladdin meets the genie for the first time and learns about his captivity as a genie in the lamp. The genie describes it like this, “Phenomenal cosmic power! Itty bitty living space.”
That is a pretty good picture of the incarnation, the birth of Jesus as a human, or as it says in Philippians, “Jesus gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” Now the genie was trapped in this situation and he didn’t like it. He wanted to be free! But we know that Jesus was not trapped. He chose to confine all his magnificent glory in the itty-bitty living space of a human body. And really that started out as the even ittier and bittier size of a human embryo inside of a human body, inside Mary’s womb, just because he loves you and wants to be with you.
I’ll tell you something else. Through Facebook I speak with muslims to share the gospel, answer their questions about Christianity and refute their false teachings as they try to defend the quran. One of the things I read a lot is how silly it is for Christians to believe that God became a man. They say, “It is an insult and a disrespect to claim that God was carried in a womb for nine months then was delivered … to live as a child. It is beneath God’s dignity to nurse from a mom and need a diaper change. We should NOT attribute this claim to the almighty, the omnipresent, the omniscient, the creator of the world and the all wise.” But since we know that’s what really happened, what I say in response to muslims is, “That just goes to show you how humble our God is, and how much God loves you that he would be willing to submit to that kind of experience just to get closer to you.”
Then they will say, “But God can’t become a man.” To which I say, “My all-powerful God can do whatever He wants.” Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
That’s the Christmas story theologically. It tells us who Jesus is. This little child in a manger was almighty God born to be Emmanuel, God with us! And it tells us why Jesus came to be born as a baby. He came to live with us. He came to show us how much God loves us. He came to die for us and prove his love. Then he rose again to prove his power to forgive and give eternal life. The best Christmas gift the world ever got was the one God gave us on the very first Christmas. Nobody has ever been able to top that.
I wonder, do you ever look forward to meeting up with someone one you love? Of course, you do. You anticipate their arrival and you can’t wait to see them again. Suppose you’re waiting at the airport for someone who has been gone a long time. Doesn’t it just put a joyful smile on your face when they finally show up? Jesus is our joy because, in Christ, God came to be with us! And we get to be with God, here and now, though now seeing as through a glass darkly, and then one day, forever and ever in glory! We are anticipating his arrival, but we don’t know when, only that he will come soon, and it just might be in the very next moment!
Until then, the greatest joy for a Christian is found in giving to others because we have so freely received so much from God. This only makes sense because God’s greatest joy is also found in giving to others. He started the whole idea and inspires us to imitate him. We’re all familiar with that famous Christmas line in Luke 2:10, “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” But this week I noticed that there are two other times earlier in the story. In Luke 1:14, the angel told Mary personally, “You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” And then when Mary went to visit Elizabeth, her cousin exclaimed, “When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.” That’s Luke 1:44.
Christmas time is the joyful season of celebrating God’ great gift! And that’s why we give gifts too! Since God is a gift giver, whenever we give gifts, as image bearers of Christ we are continuing his visibility. Jesus said, “As the father sent me, so I send you.” Now if Jesus was sent to make God visible to the world, then so are we! And the gifts we bear in particular are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It’s not the stuff we have so much as the attitude and love in which we bring it.
I heard a story that happened in a grand old church. It was very churchy place, with a choir that wore robes, a big organ, large stained-glass windows, large and lofty prayers. Everybody wore suits. Even the preacher wore a vestment robe. One Christmas season, the church was full for a special service. People were arriving late to standing room only.
But one young man, dressed in raggy jeans, sporting longer hair, as well as a few tattoos, did not settle for standing in the back. He walked down the center aisle looking for a seat. Finding none, he continued on down the aisle until he came to the front. There he sat down on the floor, in front of the front pew. Many of the members and regular attenders were aghast at the impropriety. But nobody knew what to do.
The service proceeded of course. During the opening hymn, people saw one of the oldest of the elders start to walk down that center aisle, hobbling along in his cane. As he approached the young man in front, certain people began nudging each other and whispering about how old faithful would probably get the young man to move back where he belonged. While the hymn proceeded, people could see him lean over and quietly speak to the newcomer, and they were sure he was telling the guy where to go.
Then the song ended. The young man sat down. And hard as it looked to be for him, old faithful sat down on the floor too, right beside the trouble maker! Now the preacher stood up and said, “Friends, I did have a sermon prepared for today. But I’m not going to preach it. I don’t have too. You have just witnessed the best presentation of the gospel I have ever seen. Go and do likewise!”
Christmas is a joyful time. And if you really want to feel that joy, share the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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