Saturday, December 20, 2008

Why go to church on Christmas?

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: `I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:2-11).

Today’s Gospel lesson takes place shortly before John the Baptist was put to death by King Herod. John had lived at the edge of the wilderness, where he preached that God’s Messiah was coming and that everyone should repent of their sins in preparation for the Lord’s arrival. In due time, Jesus came to John personally to be baptized by him; with that baptism, Jesus was consecrated for His holy task of saving us from sin and death. Following His meeting with John, Jesus was set on the path leading to the cross, and John’s work of preparing the world for the Lord’s arrival was done; it was not long after that King Herod arrested John for publicly humiliating him by calling the king a sinner. Eventually, John the Baptist would be executed for offending the royal family.

During his brief ministry, John had been quite a spectacle. He dressed in primitive clothing, calling to mind the prophets of long ago. His diet was restricted to what could be found growing wild in the desert. But what made him truly compelling was his message; in a society where preachers said all the right things and were careful to not offend the wealthy or the powerful, John boldly told it like it was. He compared the sinful religious leadership to children of Satan. He criticized the king for his sexual misconduct. He told the people to abandon their love of money and possessions and instead give to the poor, and be content with what they had. He let everyone know that God’s chosen representative was coming, and that this Messiah was going to sweep away everything evil. If anyone wished to avoid God’s terrible judgment, the time had come to abandon the wicked ways of the world and turn instead to God, humbly asking for mercy.

Everyone likes a good show, and John was the best show around—at least until Jesus came on the scene. John generated all the excitement of an old-style revival meeting. But Jesus raised an important question—why did the people make the long, hot, dusty walk to the edge of the desert to experience John’s ministry? What drew them there? Was it the way that John dressed? Was it his eating habits? Did the people get a thrill hearing this man criticize the powerful and the well-to-do for their sins? Or did they come all that way to hear a message from God?

So my question for you today is this: what are you coming to see? What brings you to church this Christmas season?

Some people come to church during the holidays because they like a good show. Who doesn’t enjoy singing Christmas carols or at least listening to Christmas music? For many people, the holidays wouldn’t be complete without taking a look at how the church has been decorated for Christmas or enjoying a candlelight service. And many people who never set foot in church any other time of the year will at least come to see the children put on a Christmas Pageant.

Other people come to church because it is part of the holiday routine. Church is the thing you do that kicks off the Christmas celebration. It is the place where the relatives gather before going to eat dinner and open presents. Or church is the place where Mom sends everybody so that she can get things ready for the gathering to be held in her house. And some go to church on Christmas because they are alone and have nothing else to fill the lonely hours of another depressing holiday.

Then there are those who come to church at Christmastime because they like the energy of a feel-good experience. The decorations are nice, the music is wonderful, and it is good to see the friendly faces that distance has been turning into strangers, but the best part of Christmas is the message that God is the original Santa Claus. They look forward to a sermon which offers reassurance that God is happy with them, and that starting with the Bethlehem Baby, God has opened heaven to shower them with gift after gift—gifts of prosperity and health, gifts of success and popularity, gifts given as a reward for being a good person.

Are any of these the reason that you travel to God’s house this holiday season? Do you go to be entertained? Do you go because that’s what you do at Christmastime? Do you go to be flattered by how highly God thinks of you?

Or do you go because you need to? Do you go because your life is a mess and you are at your wits’ end? Do you go because tragedy has barged into your life and you are struggling to make sense of it? Do you go because you feel trapped by your bad habits and foolish choices? Do you go because you feel guilty about the pain you have brought into another person’s life?

Do you go to church this Christmas because you are afraid—afraid of yourself, afraid of God, afraid of death?

The people who benefited from going to the desert to see John the Baptist were those people who needed something they did not have—hope. Those who went to see him for a day of fun were soon looking for entertainment elsewhere when the novelty wore off. But those who came to John with trouble in their hearts, they found in the desert something the rubberneckers did not find—they found hope sent from heaven by God Himself. They found the promise of Christmas.

The promise of Christmas is the hope that leads to inner peace. The promise of Christmas is God’s announcement through John that He knows all about our misery, the misery caused by evil. Evil has damaged this world at every level. It is because of this damage that nature turns violent, resulting in loss of crops and property. It is because of this damage that people let dark passions rule their decision-making, resulting in war and crime. It is because of the damage caused by evil that humanity constantly denies the existence of God and our need for Him, and chases us away from His love. Evil produces sorrow for us, and prevents us from seeing the God who is our only hope for rescue from the suffering caused by evil.

Jesus was sent to us by God the Father because He loves us and wants to put an end to our suffering, but not because He approves of us. We are not lovable by nature. Paul tells us an ugly truth: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Isaiah says all our ‘righteous’ acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). God has no reason to love us, not when we love ourselves and ignore Him almost every minute of our lives, not when we put most of our time and energy into pleasing ourselves instead of working for Him. In fact, God hates such behavior; when we ignore Him, we insult the God who gave us life, and to insult God is to die and go to eternal punishment in hell.

But God does love us, even though we are not deserving of His love. So God sent His holy and eternal Son to come and live with us, that we might be freed from the curse of evil. That Son was conceived in a young woman, a virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Son of God was born in Bethlehem, He thus also became the Son of Man. He was named Jesus, because that name described what He came here to do—save us. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, accepting God’s punishment of our evilness in our place, and so saving us from God’s anger—a terrible anger that would otherwise condemn us to an eternity of dying in hell. And when His saving work was completed, Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven, where He listens to our pleas for mercy and forgives us our sins.

The promise of Christmas is the hope that can give you peace. The promise of Christmas is that Jesus came here, to us, to solve our worst problem—the problem of evil. If other people have hurt you, and you are lost in confusion and resentment, Jesus offers you His words of comfort and wisdom, preserved in the Bible. He tells you that He has died to forgive them, and that with His help, you can forgive them too. If tragedy has darkened your life, the Bible shows how Jesus demonstrated His godly power--a power that could end storms, feed the hungry, and restore the sick to health. This power of the Savior is available to you in today’s world well—our Lord only asks that you come to Him for help, and trust Him to use His power on your behalf in the best way and at the best time. If you feel trapped by your weaknesses and a tendency to make impulsive decisions, Jesus promises to listen to your prayers. He shares His wisdom through the Bible, and will send His Holy Spirit to help you think things out and change your priorities—all you need do is ask. If you feel guilty about the pain you have brought into the lives of others, Jesus reminds you that He hung bleeding on the cross so that you can be forgiven--if you really want to be.

If you are afraid of yourself, of God, or of death, Jesus tells you to not be afraid. In John chapter 15 Jesus says, I have called you friends. When we are friends with the Son of God, we need not fear ourselves, for His power is greater than our weakness. When we are friends with the Son of God, we need not fear the Almighty, because Jesus has given us the gift of His righteousness by washing us with His holy blood poured out from the cross. When we are friends with the Son of God, we need not fear death, because Jesus has proven His power even over the grave, and has promised to raise us up to join Him in everlasting life.

This Christmas season, what do you come to God’s house to see? Do you come for religious entertainment? Do you come because it’s a family tradition? Do you come to get a warm, cuddly feeling about your life? Or do you come because you need relief from sin, and you recognize that only the Christ Child can give you that relief? Do you come to church to give thanks to God, for sending Jesus to give you freedom from the misery of sin, and the terrifying prospect of endless death? What brings you to Bethlehem?

Blog Top Sites
Blog Directory & Search engine
Blog Directory