The Lutheran Hour
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"The Real Gift of Christmas: To Believe"
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Text: Luke 7:18-28
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Grace, and mercy, and peace to you in Jesus’ Name, the One who came that first Christmas and is coming again, Amen!
What a scene. What an episode in history. John the Baptist, the one who was publicly preaching and teaching about Jesus, calling people to get ready for Him, to repentantly prepare them not only to meet Him, but to believe in Him and to follow Him; here he is, John himself, sending his disciples, his followers, to Jesus to ask an incredible question.
“Jesus, are you the One, the real One from God, or did I misunderstand, is there someone else still coming?” Wow! What a question!
Faith, doubt, trust, struggle. John is perplexed by what he thinks he sees and he can’t get his mind around the whole picture of God’s saving work in this world. The message of Advent, then, is a call to faith in God from God’s perspective. But even today, with the Old and New Testaments in our hands, with the recorded testimony of God’s promises fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, even now, like John, there can be times when doubt creeps in, when circumstances seek to undermine our trust in our Savior.
In Peru, there is a mountain that challenges all the great climbers, it’s called the Aconcaguay. It is the highest mountain in the Andes, the highest in the Western Hemisphere, a geological challenge of the highest magnitude. But there is a spiritual side to the challenge of its climb. There are those who say that to master the climb you not only need to respect the mountain, you need to trust in the one who creates such magnificence. The locals tell a story, then, of a mountain climber who was desperate to conquer the famed peak. But he wanted the glory all to himself.
He started climbing, first up this edge, then another, and with each step, he felt his confidence growing.
Then, as darkness fell, things got suddenly worse. Visibility was zero. There was no moon and the stars were covered by clouds.
He had no sense of direction and he felt very much alone. About 100 meters from the top, disoriented, he suddenly slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked down by gravity. He was certain he would die.
But then he felt a jolt, a jolt that almost tore him in half. Like any good mountain climber, he had safely staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist, anchoring himself to the mountain along the way. Now, in this moment of stillness, suspended in freezing mountain air, he shouted, “Help me, God! Help me!
All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven: “What do you want me to do?” “Save me!” he replied. So the voice from the heavens said, “Then cut the rope that is holding you up.” There was another moment of silence and stillness.
The man never said another word, he just held tighter to the rope he had fashioned. The next morning the rescue team said they found a frozen mountain climber with a vice-grip frozen to the rope two feet off the ground. He was that close to walking down the mountain to safety.
There are indeed some things you need to respect and believe in before making the biggest climb of your life!Trust, faith; it’s always about the One who calls us to believe, the One who is the true object of our faith. When we fail to see the fullness of His work on our behalf, when things don’t appear to us as we think they should, we’re not just dismayed, we’re often tempted to doubt that God really cares for us at all.
Even someone like John the Baptist was struggling with Jesus. Incredible. He wasn’t merely hanging two feet off of the ground. He was in a prison cell for faithfully calling “all people to repentance and forgiveness in God’s grace alone.” But here’s the key, even in His struggle, he still looks to Jesus for the answer. He sends his people to Him and:
20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'”The season of Advent challenges us to get ready to receive Jesus anew each Christmas, to lay our lives at the feet of the One who literally has come to give us life and salvation as a gift of His grace.
But, our limited vision of things, our self-made predicaments, even our faulty, vice-gripe on what we think we control in life, it often prevents us from seeing God’s great love for us.
This is the big question of our text today. John the Baptist sends his disciples to query Jesus Himself. “Jesus, are You the Promised Messiah of God, or not?”
Now remember who this is. It’s John. He was God’s chosen instrument to be the forerunner of Jesus. Remember his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” Wow! I can imagine what John was expecting. When Jesus comes, he thought, look out!
And John had done his job well. He was willing to speak the truth even to powerful men like Herod, the Pharisees, the rulers. That’s why he’s in prison, falsely accused by corrupt leaders. But prison wasn’t the source of his dismay. It was seeing what Jesus was doing and not fully understanding that. That’s what caused him to lose his focus, lose his bearings, become discouraged! “Jesus, are you the One who has come, or should we expect another? Are you come to judge or not?” Should we truly expect something else?
We do the same thing that John did especially at Christmas time.
We lose our focus. We build up false hopes and dreams about Christ and Christmas. We get caught in the materialistic game of the gifts we want, the gifts we buy, rather than focusing on the Gift that God gives. And, in the midst of troubles, struggles, illness, or pain, we often fail to see how our lives fit into His mission of forgiveness and salvation both for us and for others! Then all it takes is one bad moment or event, and all that manufactured joy comes tumbling down.
When I was young, I remember several times when I lost my focus during the Christmas holidays. I remember how my brothers and I almost always ruined Christmas each year (well, maybe it was a bit more me than them, since I was the oldest)!
Every year we went to the extended family celebrations and all received our special gifts from the person who chose us. But every year, at the gift-giving party on my dad’s side of the family, my brother got two gifts, not just one, and not only that, his special gift was always more expensive and more fun than ours. You see, his Godmother had no children, so she lavished gifts upon her Godson!
So, every Christmas, on the way back from that party, I felt that it was my duty to get into a fight with my brother over his great gift. You know, if we all can’t “share in his good fortune” then no one should! Poor Mom and Dad, every year I can hear them saying, “Stop it you ungrateful kids or we’ll just have to take all these gifts back!”
But, we missed it, didn’t we? Well, at least I did, that’s for sure. But, I’m so thankful that we had parents who wouldn’t let Christmas be ruined or its message be lost. You see, for Mom and Dad, Christmas meant much more than family get-togethers or presents, much more than just we kids getting along. It was about a Baby, a cross, a resurrection. Real forgiveness, joy, and peace, a message from God that made all those other things possible and meaningful.
Maybe you are asking a question like John today; asking “Is this really what Christmas is all about or should I expect something else?” But don’t just ask the question, hear Jesus’ answer too.
John asks, Jesus answers; you ask, Jesus answers.
But, maybe, like John, there is some disappointment even in the question. Maybe for you, too, there is disappointment, doubt, even despair. That’s a common thing among us human beings. But such things come when we miss God’s Gift at Christmas.
John’s despair came from his misunderstanding of Jesus’ work. He knew that there must be justice, sin much be paid for. He expected Jesus the Judge. What he failed to see was “Jesus the Savior, executing justice on His cross, calling all people to faith in His gracious work for them,” then promising to return on the last day to judge the living and the dead!
The Jesus of the final judgment must first be the Jesus of the manger, the Jesus of the cross, and the Jesus of the empty tomb. There is resurrection, forgiveness, life, and hope in Him!
If you miss that, then Christmas is just about office parties and family get-togethers, or buying and sharing gifts. If Christmas is about what you and I bring to the party, it’s never enough, and such yuletide cheer always runs out. It’s no wonder that pain and heartache overwhelm them, it’s no wonder that disappointment always seems to be right around the corner.
So, just think again about this John in our lesson. He wasn’t an ordinary person. He was a man’s man, a real hearty type! If there was one person on earth who was strong enough to deal with just about anything…it was John. And yet even John is suffering from a bit of despair.
Learn with me from John today that you can’t manufacture good feelings about things, especially about the things of God. But, also learn from John, that even then, when confusion and despair seem to overwhelm, even there, your best solution is to go to Jesus with your questions, go to Him with your hurts.
The Bible is God’s love letter to the world and amazingly, it’s coming to fruition in the very life of this Baby in the manger. Advent preparation says that if Christmas is about Jesus, then nothing else but Jesus will do!
John asks; but thank God, Jesus answers. And He doesn’t just give John a “yes or no” answer. He tells John to see the whole picture, all the promises of the Old Testament, all the biblical hopes for the Messiah. Jesus says, “That’s me!”
Jesus answers John! I am the Messiah, I am your Messiah, I am your Lord. Refocus John. Look and see!
Jesus says, “See this. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and Good News is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of Me!”
Jesus answers John. “It may not be what you expected, John, but I am your Lord, your Savior! Just look and see. I am doing the things that the Messiah would do. All the miraculous things that would occur when the Messiah was to come; they’re happening now right before your eyes. And John, I will finish the job, on My terms! The day will come when I will come to judge the living and the dead, but the day has come now for the fullness of the world’s salvation.”
John asks, Jesus answers, John sees and believes!
So, what are you looking for this Christmas? In the maze of parties, of family get-togethers, of shop-til-you-drop shopping sprees, such merriment, even chaos won’t bring the ultimate blessings of Christmas. Faith in the Babe of Bethlehem is joy in the midst of the parties, it is joy in the midst of the struggles. Faith in Jesus is peace in the midst of the celebrations; it is peace in the midst of the chaos.
If you are looking for a Gift that not only blesses your life but brings real life and salvation that will last, look to this Jesus alone, trust in Him!
You know, one thing about the Christmas season is there is always a plethora of new toys and gadgets to wow us. But even the greatest of these technologies are sterile if they are not connected to something real, something lasting.
I just read last week about modern nuclear submarines. If you want to see incredible technology at work, take a look at one of these things. These incredible military vessels can stay underwater for ninety days, but hear this; even these incredible machines, they must, every ninety days, resurface to maintain proper alignment with the North Star. While underwater, the submarine’s navigational system is affected by the earth’s magnetic forces. Because the submarines carry missiles of mass destruction, they must pay close attention to keeping the navigational equipment aligned to the true reference point of the North Star.
Can you even imagine the destructive capability of such a submarine, with faulty alignment, with no clue where it was in the world? That 90-day adjustment means everything to any successful mission.
Well, your life is much more important than the mission of a nuclear submarine. Even with all the techno toys of the shopping season, even with the best holiday bonus, or the perfect family get together, a Christian is a person who faces life anchored in Christ, aligned with Him as the North Star of life.
Trusting in Him doesn’t mean that all problems in this world suddenly cease. The world is sinful, evil, and passing away. But faith in Him means that Christians attack life, with all the confidence and hope that only the Babe of Bethlehem can give. Do you remember the story of Moby Dick, the terrifying white whale? It’s been said if Captain Ahab had the confidence that Christians have, he would have gone after Moby Dick with a rowboat, a harpoon, and a jar of tartar sauce!
Confidence, Christian confidence in the saving work of Jesus, that may not have been what John expected, but this was the Jesus who saved even him.
When John, from his unjust imprisonment in Herod’s cell, sent disciples to ask Jesus if He was the One to come or not, Jesus answers to him, and He answers to us all: “I am the one for you, John!” “I am the one for you, Pastor Seltz!” And for all of you listening to my voice today, Jesus Himself is saying, “I am the One for you, not only for Christmas now, but for life and salvation forever.” So, this Advent, refocus your attention on that Babe of Bethlehem as your Lord and Savior. May faith in Him, empower your advent preparation, your Christmas celebration, and your life in Him for others. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 16, 2012
Topic: Where Do The Traditions of Christmas Trees and Christmas Presents Come From?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions about Christmas traditions. Today we’re talking about Christmas trees and Christmas presents. Where do these things come from?
SELTZ: Mark, these are traditions that Christians hold dear, aren’t they? This one that we’re talking about today is about gifts and who doesn’t want to talk about that?
ANNOUNCER: Certainly. Well, what lies behind these traditions of Christmas trees, Christmas gifts?
SELTZ: Well, let’s start with the Christmas tree. The use of evergreen branches during the celebration of Christmas became very significant in the Christian church. The evergreen symbolizes the new and eternal life we are given in Christ–even in the midst of our wintry world of sin and death.
ANNOUNCER: This reminds me of the discussion we had some weeks back about the Advent wreath.
SELTZ: That’s right. Evergreens! So, Christians in the Middle Ages began to present dramas during the Christmas season that depicted the story of creation. They hung fruit from evergreen trees and called them “paradise trees.” After the practice stopped, people brought these “paradise trees” into their homes. Sometimes these trees were decorated with round pastries to symbolize Holy Communion. Some say this is where the tradition of Christmas cookies came from. Of course, the fruit and the pastries are where Christmas ornaments came from, too.
ANNOUNCER: Now, I’ve heard Martin Luther’s name associated with the Christmas tree tradition as well.
SELTZ: Legend has it that the great church reformer, Martin Luther, was walking outside one Christmas Eve and was impressed by the beauty of the snow on the evergreens set against the starry background of the sky. So, in order to share his experience, he brought a tree into his home so his family and any visitor could see the beauty, as well. So, he placed a star on the tree with candles and decorations to portray the beauty of that night sky, even the beauty of the star over the manger at Bethlehem.
ANNOUNCER: Now, how did this Christmas tree tradition make its way to the United States?
SELTZ: It is said that the first Christmas tree was brought to America by Lutheran soldiers from Germany during the American Revolution. The tradition grew to the point of having Christmas trees appear even in church.
ANNOUNCER: Very good. Let’s talk about presents. When did Christmas presents begin to appear under those trees?
SELTZ: Presents. Giving and receiving presents was a tradition in the Roman Empire as citizens celebrated the lengthening of the days after December 21st. Christians took up this practice in order to point people to the greatest Gift of all, Jesus our Savior. But the tradition of Christmas presents wasn’t simply rooted in pagan traditions. In the Bible, the actual story of Jesus’ birth speaks about gifts being given that first Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: Here you’re talking about the visit of the Magi.
SELTZ: Yes. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter two, we hear the Magi–also referred to as Wise Men or Kings–from the east visiting Jesus. They came to worship Him. As part of their act of worship, they presented Jesus with gifts. You remember what those gifts were, right?
ANNOUNCER: Well, the Bible mentions gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
SELTZ: Absolutely, and they were precious gifts in those days, they were gifts that blessed the Holy Family and even provided them items of value before they fled into Egypt. All of this gift-giving became standard practice for Christian celebrations.
ANNOUNCER: Unfortunately, those presents nowadays have become something of a distraction.
SELTZ: Well, they sure have; especially when it distracts us from real giving and tempts us more to be about the “what am I getting” this year and having that kind of spirit. The point is that all these traditions, though; they were to point ultimately to Jesus Christ. That’s why it’s good to have time to prepare for Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: Which is where the season of Advent comes in. It helps us to take time out in the middle of all of the Christmas sales, the Christmas parties, the Christmas shopping, to stop and really remember the true reason for the season.
SELTZ: Well said. The season is about Jesus and the new life He brings. It’s the most precious Gift of all. While all of these things we buy will one day pass away, the life Jesus gives is eternal. The forgiveness and hope we receive from our Savior, it lasts forever. During this busy and distracting time of year, I would encourage people to reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas by attending services or by taking time for devotions each day. It’s a great way to remember the best Gift of Christmas this year!
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Seltz. And, if you’d like resources to help you make your Christmas even more special this year, go to our website and download a free copy of the Advent devotional booklet. You’ll find it at www.lhm.org. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Hark! The Glad Sound” arr. Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
“O Tannenbaum” arr. Arthur Harris, transcribed by Wm. Sylvester. From What Child Is This? by the Concordia University Wind Symphony (© 1999 Concordia University) Masters Music Publications, Inc.