DON T MISS THE POINT By Neil Smith at Christmas Day Service at King of Kings 09:00 INTRODUCTION Right Let s do a poll by show of hands... Who was up the earliest this morning? Anyone before 7am? 6am? 5am? Here s another one Who was the latest buying presents? Friday? Saturday? Christmas Eve? At the petrol station this morning? We all get excited about Christmas for many reasons - many reasons that are good family time, showing our love for one another through gift giving, super yummy food! These are all great things, especially the yummy food! But if that is all we celebrate we miss the Point of Christmas, and I don t want you to miss that! DON T MISS THE POINT That s our message today. So what is the point of Christmas for you? I want us to look briefly at three people in the Christmas story this morning who saw the real point of Christmas. It is so easy to get side tracked by the cute nativity story with all the sheep and the stars. I m sure many of you went to see some really cute plays this year But when you look at the Nativity at that first Christmas story what do you see? I ve got my little nativity scene here this morning (Have a cradle with a baby in it or a baby in a blanket beside you) 1
And the question is when you look at the Christmas nativity - what do you see? Let s start with the incredible lady herself Mary what did she see? MARY LOOKED AT HER SON AND SAW THE SON OF GOD I know all moms have a certain bias to their children but even with that love us parents all know our kids are no angels! Right?! They re little scallywags! Born little mischief makers! For Mary it was different though, although I am sure Jesus, being fully human as well, behaved just like other little babies he was completely without sin. And when Mary looked at him, she saw that Tristan read this passage to us last week, and we re going to read it together today Luke 1:26-38; In the sixth month of Elizabeth s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. 34 How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail. 38 I am the Lord s servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her. 2
Nine years ago my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. I can still remember how excited and overwhelmed I felt awaiting her arrival. Would she be healthy? Would Shelley be okay? I cannot express in words what it felt like to finally hold her but every parent knows what I m talking about. I wonder what Mary felt as she held Jesus for the first time... I know all moms have that overwhelming emotion when holding their child, but imagine holding the Son of God... She knew that this child was not an ordinary child, but rather God come to bring salvation to the world. The fullness of God packed into a helpless baby. Charles Spurgeon had said it much better than I could; Infinite and yet an infant... Eternal and yet born of a woman. Almighty and yet nursing at a woman s breast. Supporting a universe and yet carried in a mother s arms. Heir of all things and yet the carpenter s despised son. Who do you see when you look at the Nativity a helpless baby or the Son of God Himself? Mary looked at her son, and she saw the Son of God. Let s look next at the Shepherds you know what they saw? THE SHEPHERDS LOOKED AT A BABY AND SAW THEIR SAVIOUR Follow along with me in Luke 2:8-18; And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. 3
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Who did the shepherds see when they rushed to that birth scene? I wonder who they expected to see? Can you imagine what they were thinking? What would the Saviour of the World look like? And when they came and found Him in a manger did they turn away and say; No surely not! He is not amazing enough! Was that their reaction? No ways this was their reaction They spread the word far and wide that the Saviour has come! Although the scene was lowly the message was powerful this Child had come to bring salvation and peace with God for everyone not just the fancy and the powerful but for the ordinary for everyone. He is not elite or exclusive, He came for the whole world to all who will receive Him. So who do you see when you look at the nativity? A little baby or the saviour of the world? The Shepherds saw the saviour of the world! One more group to go the Magi! What about them? What did they see? Well THE MAGI LOOKED AT THE INFANT AND SAW THE KING OF KINGS Just think about that! When these people looked at little Jesus they saw the King of Kings amazing! Look with me at Matthew 2:1-12; After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 4
Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. This story is amazing on so many levels! We see here that another set of visitors come to see the baby Jesus by this stage, he was more likely a toddler and the family had moved to a house. Yet these pagan astrologers looking for a King based on the signs they read in the sky, looked for Him at the palace because that s the logical place for a King! Yet he was not there! But even when they were directed to Bethlehem and finding Him in a normal little old house they still fell down and worshipped Him. Because when they saw Jesus they did not just see a little child but they saw the King of Kings! Think about it The gifts they brought were not exactly child friendly. I think the three wise woman would have been more practical (PUT UP PICTURE OF THREE WISE WOMAN) Give it a moment Diapers casserole for the week lots of formula J Much better gift ideas! Now although some of you might be tempted to think that these men just started their gift shopping late as we normally do! These gifts were exactly right. They brought gold frankincense and myrrh Gifts suitable for a King very telling but also strangely enough suitable for a burial Whether they realised it or not they gifts of the Magi acknowledged both the Kingship of Jesus and also prophetically foreshadowed His death. Because when you looking at the baby in the manger there is a shadow of the cross in the background. And that s really the point is it not? Jesus was born to die to take the punishment of our sin. 5
Isaiah 53:4-5 says; Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. CONCLUSION So what is your response to Jesus this Christmas my friends what do you see when you look to Him? Do you see the Son of God, Do you see your Saviour, Do you see the King of Kings who came to die for you? Make sure that you don t miss the point this Christmas and make sure that you don t miss the opportunity to bow your heart to Him in worship or to perhaps even submit your life to Him for the first time today. Boys and girls playing with the toys can wait Mom s and dads the Christmas lunch will be ready on time what s more important way more important is that right now. each of our lives are right with God. None of us know if we will make another Christmas. Don t miss the opportunity to surrender your life to the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, the King of Kings, who came, because he so loves each and every one of us. Let s respond to him in prayer right now the worship team can come up and join me here as we pray Heavenly Father thank you for Mary who showed us how to see the Son of God thank you for the Shepherds who showed us how to see the Saviour. Thank you for the Magi who showed us how to see the real King of Kings who came to this earth to live a perfect life and to die in our place, on a cross, to take the punishment we deserved. Jesus we see you now we can see the love in your eyes we see you now for who you truly are far more than just a Christmas baby in a manger But an infinite all powerful. Allmighty God!... Universe maker!!! Salvation bringer!!!! Light of the World!!!! Saviour of the world!!!!! Lord of all!!!!! There is none like you King Jesus!!!!! Friend, if you have never bowed to knee to Jesus, and repented of your sin, and received the forgiveness he offers. Don t miss it! This is the point of 6
everything. Don t miss Jesus. And if you feel you have been missing him, just respond to him this morning Just say; Jesus, I m sorry Jesus I need you in my life I repent of my sin I surrender my life to you Come into my heart Save me I commit my life to you. Be my Lord. In Jesus name. Amen. If you prayed that prayer come tell one of us up here this morning. We will have some leaders up here ready to pray for you after the service. For the rest of you God bless you, and Merry Christmas to you all! 7