Rev. David Holwick ZR Adapted from this sermon
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey (newer 2005 version is at bottom)
December 20, 1992
Matthew 1:20-23
|
I. The wonder of Christmas.
A. Decorating, cooking, writing tons of cards, buying gifts.
B. We get so wrapped up in the preparations, we forget the event!
C. Martin Luther once remarked that Christmas consists of
three miracles:
"The first, that God became man;
the second, that a virgin was a mother;
and the third, that the heart of man should believe this."
#1702
II. God became a Man.
A. Hard to believe the concept.
1) "Incarnation" - that God took a human body - it difficult.
a) How can a person be both 100% God and 100% man?
b) Why does Jesus pray to God? And die?
2) Many modern people reject the idea.
a) John Hick - "The Myth of God Incarnate."
b) Jews, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses don't accept it.
1> Jesus is a supernatural being, but not God.
2> Jesus is a fantastic person, but not God.
3) But Bible insists it is true.
a) John 1:1,13. The Word was God, and lived among us.
b) Colossians 1:15 Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
B. Beauty of the incarnation.
1) God became one of us.
a) OT prophet Isaiah promised this: Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
b) Former announcer and catcher Joe Torre had just been
named manager of the Cardinals.
New York Yankees' announcer Phil Rizzuto suggested that
managing could be done better from high above the
baseball field.
-He would get a superior view from the broadcasting booth.
Thoughtfully, Torre replied, "Upstairs, you can't look
in their eyes."
In Jesus Christ, God also chose to come down on the field
and look into our eyes.
#2087
2) Jesus can empathize with our weaknesses. Hebrews 2:14-18
a) Many religions make God unapproachable.
b) Jesus understands EVERYTHING we go through.
III. A virgin was a Mother. Matthew 1:23
A. Rejected by many modern people.
1) Father Raymond Brown, a leading Catholic Bible scholar,
has declared the issue of the virgin birth "unresolved."
2) Jane Schaberg, who chairs the religion department at the
University of Detroit, goes further.
She contends that the unwed Mary was impregnated by a man
other than fiance Joseph, and that she was a liberated
woman who was
"not identified or destroyed by her relationship with men."
#1810
3) Among Baptists, divisions have been caused over issue.
B. Biblical account.
1) Isaiah 7:14 speaks of a young woman giving birth to a son.
a) "Young woman" can mean either virgin or unmarried girl.
b) Immediate fulfillment was probably by prophet's wife.
2) Angel Gabriel revealed that ultimate fulfillment -
"God with us" -could only through an actual virgin.
a) Greek word for virgin is very specific.
b) Matthew and Luke have very different Christmas stories,
yet both agree Jesus was born of a virgin.
C. Why a virgin birth?
1) Not because of original sin.
a) Catholics also make Mary virgin-born, and her mother,
but stop there.
b) Original sin derives from having Adam's basic character,
not from our means of being born.
2) It establishes that "nothing is impossible with God." Luk 1:37
a) Virgin birth is not the basis of the incarnation, nor
proof of it.
b) It is a sign that God's great gift to humanity is given
entirely by grace.
IV. The greatest miracle of all, Faith.
A. Miracles are difficult for modern people to accept.
1) Ancient people expected great signs to accompany the birth
of kings. We don't.
2) As a non-Christian, the idea of a virgin birth didn't
impress me at all. Seemed like a myth.
3) We are skeptical of anything that breaks the laws of nature,
unless we see it with our own eyes.
B. Christianity has always seemed like foolishness. 1 Cor 1:22-24
1) Our faith is not in reasonableness, but God's power.
2) Rich young ruler was just like us, walked away. Luke 18:23-27
a) Disciples remarked, "If he can't be saved, who can?"
b) Jesus responded, "It takes a miracle." (cf. Luke 1:37)
C. Jesus was born as a king, and he demands our worship and obedience.
1) Repentance is harder to accept than the virgin birth.
2) Our problem is not that Christmas is hard to believe, but
that we don't WANT to believe it. Belief requires change.
"Calvin & Hobbes" cartoon on Thursday, December 17, 1992:
-------------------------
CALVIN: I'm having a lot of holiday stress.
HOBBES: Why? You don't shop for anyone.
You've got two weeks off from school.
And your parents do all the cooking, cleaning
and decorating.
How could you have holiday stress?
CALVIN: Deep down, I doubt my greed for presents can
overcome my desire to misbehave.
#2396
3) By nature, people want to excuse themselves rather than repent.
D. C.S. Lewis once put it like this: "Christianity has no message
for those who do not realize they are sinners."
If we are going to be prepared for His coming, we better do
something about our sin.
That is a side to Christmas that the world ignores.
People take out the appealing parts of Christmas--the sweetness,
the good cheer, the giving of gifts, etc.--
But they have no concept of the deeper meaning of the Christmas
event, that the holy God has invaded our world.
V. Jesus fulfills the greatest needs we have.
Rev. Eric Ritz refers to a Christmas card he received:
"If our greatest need was for information,
God would have sent an educator."
"If our greatest need was for technology,
God would have sent a scientist."
"If our greatest need was for pleasure,
God would have sent an entertainer."
"If our greatest need was for money
God would have sent an economist."
BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS,
GOD SENT A SAVIOR.
#2386
==========================================================================
Version from December 24, 2005:
Rev. David Holwick ZJ Christmas Eve
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
December 24, 2005
Matthew 1:20-23
|
I. The wonder of Christmas.
A. Gifts and letters to the ends of the earth.
1) The post office is moving 800 million pieces - every day.
a) 115 of them were mine.
2) I take a box to UPS, she shows me a map that indicates
the area of next-day delivery.
It goes all the way to California.
This is encouraging, because I mailed my brother's present
on Friday - to Korea.
I think I spent twice as much on postage as I did on
contents.
B. Decorating, cooking, buying gifts.
1) We get so wrapped up in the preparations, we can forget
the event!
C. Martin Luther once remarked that Christmas consists of
three miracles:
"The first, that God became man;
the second, that a virgin was a mother;
and the third, that the heart of man should believe this."
#1702
II. God became a Man.
A. Hard to believe the concept.
1) "Incarnation" - that God took a human body - it difficult.
a) How can a person be both 100% God and 100% man?
b) Why does Jesus pray to God? And die?
2) Many modern people reject the idea.
a) Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses don't accept it.
1> Jesus is a supernatural being, but not God.
2> Jesus is a fantastic person, but not God.
b) British theologian John Hick, who doesn't believe in
the incarnation, admits this:
"If he was indeed God incarnate, [then] Christianity
is the only religion founded by God in person,
and must as such be uniquely superior to
all other religions."
#30233
3) The Bible insists it is true.
a) John 1:1,14 The Word was God, and lived among us.
b) Col. 1:15 Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
B. Beauty of the incarnation.
1) God became one of us.
One of 1995's biggest singles was Joan Osborne's
"One of Us."
Here are some of the words of that song:
"If God had a name, what would it be,
and would you call it to his face,
if you were faced with him in all His Glory,
what would you ask if You had just one question...
Chorus: What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on a bus,
trying to make his way home.
The song had an irreverent tone, but a good question.
"What if God was one us?" could very well be the most
important question ever asked this side of heaven.
#25142
2) Jesus can empathize with our weaknesses. Hebrews 2:14-18
a) Many religions make God unapproachable.
b) Jesus understands EVERYTHING we go through.
III. A Virgin was a Mother. Matthew 1:23
A. Rejected by many modern people.
1) High percentages of ministers don't believe in it.
B. Biblical account.
1) Prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, 700 years before Jesus.
a) "Young woman" can mean either virgin or unmarried girl.
b) Immediate fulfillment was probably by prophet's wife.
2) Angel Gabriel revealed that ultimate fulfillment -
"God with us" - could only be through an actual virgin.
a) Greek word for virgin is very specific.
b) Matthew and Luke have very different Christmas stories,
yet both agree Jesus was born of a virgin.
C. Why a virgin birth?
1) It shows that "nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
2) It shows that God can use you and me to do His will.
a) Virgin birth is not the basis of the incarnation, nor
proof of it.
b) It is a sign that God's great gift to humanity is given
entirely by grace.
IV. The greatest miracle of all, Faith.
A. Miracles are difficult for modern people to accept.
1) Ancient people expected great signs to accompany the birth
of kings. We don't.
2) As a non-Christian, the idea of a virgin birth didn't
impress me at all. Seemed like a myth.
3) We are skeptical of anything that breaks the laws of nature,
unless we see it with our own eyes.
B. Christianity has always seemed like foolishness. 1 Cor 1:22-24
1) Our faith is not in reasonableness, but God's power.
C. Jesus was born as a king, and he demands our worship and
obedience.
1) Repentance is harder to accept than the virgin birth.
2) Our problem is not that Christmas is hard to believe, but
that we don't WANT to believe it.
Belief requires change.
"Calvin & Hobbes" cartoon on Thursday, December 17, 1992:
-------------------------
CALVIN: I'm having a lot of holiday stress.
HOBBES: Why? You don't shop for anyone.
You've got two weeks off from school.
And your parents do all the cooking, cleaning
and decorating.
How could you have holiday stress?
CALVIN: Deep down, I doubt my greed for presents can
overcome my desire to misbehave.
#2396
3) By nature, people want to excuse themselves rather than
repent.
4) But once we ask God to save us and change us, we can
become what God really intends for us.
V. Jesus fulfills the greatest needs we have.
Rev. Eric Ritz refers to a Christmas card he received:
"If our greatest need was for information,
God would have sent an educator."
"If our greatest need was for technology,
God would have sent a scientist."
"If our greatest need was for pleasure,
God would have sent an entertainer."
"If our greatest need was for money
God would have sent an economist."
BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS,
GOD SENT A SAVIOR.
#2386
=========================================================================
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 1702 "Whose Child Is This?" by Richard Longenecker, Christianity Today
magazine, December 17, 1990, page 25.
# 2386 "What Do We Need For Christmas?" by Rev. Eric Ritz, Dynamic
Preaching (www.sermons.com), Winter 1992, Dec 2 bonus sermon.
# 2396 "Turmoil Over Christmas Goodness," by Bill Watterson, Daily Record,
Calvin & Hobbes Cartoons, December 17, 1992.
#25142 "What If God Really WAS One Of Us?" by Matthew Rogers,
www.sermoncentral.com weekly newsletter, October 20, 2003.
#30233 "Why Jesus Was Not Incarnated," by Peter D. Glickenhaus, edited by
David Holwick, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0664255035/102-~
7413241-4308158?v=glance&n=283155.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=========================================================================
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