Our Beliefs : Sermons : Sermon Archive - 2006 : December 24, 2006

Theme: Behold God's Plan in...the Love of God

Church year occasion: Christmas Eve

It was Christmas Eve, and Della only had $1.87 to buy a present for Jim, her husband. But what could $1.87 buy? Not much. They were poor, barely making enough to survive. They owned only two treasures between them -- Della's beautiful hair and Jim's gold watch that had been passed down from his grandfather. But Della loved Jim. So she went out and sold her beautiful hair for $20, and with it she bought the one thing that would make Jim's watch look even better -- a platinum chain to hang it from. She could hardly wait for Jim to come home. But when he did, and when he saw that her hair had been cut off, he was speechless. Quietly, he gave her his present wrapped in a small box, and it explained why. She opened it to find two beautiful combs she could wear in her hair -- except now she had no hair to wear them in. It was a bittersweet gift. But she still wanted Jim to have her gift. So she held it up in the light -- the beautiful chain for his watch. But when he saw it, Jim laughed somewhat sadly. Then he told Della the way he could afford the combs for her hair -- he had sold his watch to buy them.

You may have recognized that story as The Gift of the Magi written by O'Henry. Even though they had no money, they showed that they possessed something far more valuable than anything money could buy -- they had love. And that love was shown through the tremendous sacrifices they were willing to make for each other.

Sacrifice is what Christmas is all about. Certainly Mary and Joseph were to give great sacrifices. Their lives were turned completely upside-down by Mary's miraculous pregnancy. Now they would be looked down on, and their poor lives would be made even more difficult as they were now called on to raise God as their own son. But they were willing to do it because through faith they loved God.

But their sacrifice and love for God would pale when compared to their baby's love and sacrifice for them. After all, this was God himself born into the world of men. The humble circumstances of his birth hinted at his purpose. He was here to serve. Even though the most princely palace wouldn't have been worthy of him, he, the Creator, chose to be born in a smelly stable and laid in a manger where cows had just slobbered over their supper. Joseph would have picked a different spot if it were up to him. But it wasn't. Mary wouldn't have chosen to be traveling when she was nine months pregnant or give birth to her first baby in a stable. But it wasn't up to her either. This was the plan. God's plan. On this night, in the nothing town of Bethlehem, while the world barely even noticed, the greatest act of love, the greatest act period in all of human history, would begin. And God did it because he loves you! And me! Paul describes the plan in Philippians, chapter 2: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!"

The crying baby in a stable hints at the love of God. But the God-Man dying on a cross would make His love crystal clear! For that is why God was born -- to die. The Apostle John wrote, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

Are you troubled by your sins? You should be. They are an affront to God. They show that we have placed something or someone in front of him in our lives. They show our sinful natures which all too often have us looking to our own interests instead of looking out for others. They have earned for us the punishment of God for all eternity. But thankfully that was not God's plan for you. Jesus was born to take your punishment, pay the price for your sin, set you right with God, bring you eternal life. Our minds can't even put our arms around that. Our mind can't grasp it. God punishes himself for our sins. We who were doomed to hell are given heaven as a gift of God's love, and a reason for living now in this world. The Apostle Paul says it this way: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)

At Christmas we begin to see that love of God for sinners like you and me on full display. Jesus became our blood brother and laid down His life that we might live forever. Behold! That is God's plan. And that is God's love. Amen.