Why Christmas?

THE "WHY?" OF CHRISTMAS Spring Valley Mennonite; December 25, 2022; 1 John 4:10, John 3:16, Romans 5:8 Merry Christmas! In First Peter 1:12 we read that the angels are curious about our salvation. I read a delightful story this week by Henry Van Dyke entitled "The Christmas Angel". Van Dyke was a Presbyterian minister, born in 1852. He was not only a renowned clergyman, but in addition to his pulpit ministry was Professor of English literature at Princeton University; he also served as Ambassador to the Netherlands and Luxemburg when appointed by President Woodrow Wilson. He was a prolific and renowned poet and author. He died in 1933. I'd like to read parts of Van Dyke's "The Christmas Angel" as part of our inquiry of "Why Christmas?" THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL STORY The scene of the story is among the angels in heaven, discussing how to solve the problem of evil they observe on earth. The first angel to speak was awesome in appearance and power. His solution to the evil on earth was as follows: "The Earth is full of oppression and unrighteousness," said the tallest and most powerful of the angels. His voice was deep and strong, "The Earth is tormented with injustice," he cried, "and the great misery that I have seen among men is that the evil hand is often stronger than the good hand and can beat it down. "The arm of the cruel is heavier than the arm of the kind. The unjust get the better of the just and tread on them. I have seen tyrant kings crush their helpless folk. I have seen the fields of the innocent trampled into bloody ruin by the feet of conquering armies. I have seen the wicked nation overcome the peoples that loved liberty and take away their treasure by force of arms. I have seen poverty mocked by arrogant wealth, and purity deflowered by brute violence, and gentleness and fair-dealing bruised in the winepress of iniquity and pride. "There is no cure for this evil, (except) by the giving of greater force to the good hand. The righteous cause must be strengthened with might to resist the wicked, to defend the helpless, to punish all cruelty and unfairness, to uphold the right everywhere, and to enforce justice with unconquerable arms. Oh, that the host of Heaven might be called, arrayed, and sent to mingle in the wars of men, to make the good victorious, to destroy all evil, and to make the will of the King prevail! "We would shake down the thrones of tyrants, and loose the bands of the oppressed. We would hold the cruel and violent with the bit of fear and drive the greedy and fierce-minded men with the whip of terror. We would stand guard, with weapons drawn, about the innocent, the gentle, the kind, and keep the peace of God with the sword of the angels!" Then another angel began to speak and made answer to the first angel. He, too, was tall and wore the look of power. But it was power of the mind rather than of the hand. "I hold not the same thought," said he, nor, though I desire the same end which he desires, would I seek it by the same way. For I know how often power has been given to the good, and how often it has been turned aside and used for evil. I know that the host of Heaven, and the very stars in their courses, have fought on the side of a favored nation; yet pride has followed triumph and oppression has been the first-born child of victory. I know that the deliverers of the people have become tyrants over those whom they have set free, and the fighters for liberty have been changed into the soldiers of fortune. "Power corrupts itself, and might cannot save. The Earth is full of ignorant strife, and for this evil there is no cure but by the giving of greater knowledge. It is because men do not understand evil that they yield themselves to its power. Wickedness is folly in action, and injustice is the error of the blind. It is because men are ignorant that they destroy one another, and at last themselves. "If there were more light in the world there would be no sorrow. If the great King who knows all things would enlighten the world with wisdom, wisdom to understand his law and his ways, to read the secrets of the earth and the stars, to discern the workings of the heart of man and the things that make for joy and peace--if he would but send us, his messengers, as a flame of fire to shine upon those who sit in darkness, how gladly would we go to bring in the new day! "We would speak the word of warning and counsel to the erring and tell knowledge to the perplexed. We would guide the ignorant in the paths of prudence, and the young would sit at our feet and hear us gladly in the school of life. Then folly would fade away as the morning vapor, and the sun of wisdom would shine on all men, and the peace of God would come with the counsel of the angels." But then, another angel spoke up: "Too well I know," he spoke on, while the smile on his face deepened into a look of pity and tenderness and desire, "too well I know that power corrupts itself and that knowledge cannot save. There is no cure for the evil that is in the world but by the giving of more love to men. The laws that are ordained for earth are strange and unequal, and the ways where men must walk are full of pitfalls and dangers. Pestilence creeps along the ground and flows in the rivers; whirlwind and tempest shake the habitations of men and drive their ships to destruction; fire breaks forth from the mountains and the foundations of the world tremble. Frail is the flesh of man, and many are his pains and troubles. His children can never find peace until they learn to love one another and to help one another. "Hatred and envy and contempt are the curse of life. And for these there is no remedy save love--the will to give and to bless--the will of the King himself, who gives to all and is loving unto every man. But how shall the hearts of men be won to this will? How shall it enter into them and possess them? Even the gods that men fashion for themselves are cruel and proud and false and unjust. How shall the miracle be wrought in human nature to reveal the meaning of humanity? How shall men be made like God?" The angels sat perplexed. How can the love of God defeat the power of evil? Then from between the rounded hills, appeared a young angel, (like) a little child, singing a song with the words, "I know it! I know it! I know it!" All the angels rose and turned to look at him with wondering eyes. Multitudes of others came flying swiftly to the place from which the strange, new song was sounding. Rank within rank, like a garden of living flowers, they stood while the child-angel floated into the midst of them, singing: "I know it, I know it, I know it! Man shall be made like God because the Son of God shall become a man." At this all the angels looked at one another with amazement, and gathered more closely about the child-angel, as those who hear wonderful news. "How can this be?" they asked. "How is it possible that the Son of God should be a man?" "I do not know," said the young angel. "I only know that it is to be." "But if he becomes a man," said the angel of power, "he will be at the mercy of men; the cruel and the wicked will have power upon him; he will suffer." "I know it," answered the young angel, "and by suffering he will understand the meaning of all sorrow and pain; and he will be able to comfort everyone who cries; and his own tears will be for the healing of sad hearts; and those who are healed by him will learn for his sake to be kind to each other." "But if the Son of God is a true man," said the angel who proposed wisdom as a solution, "he must first be a child, simple, and lowly, and helpless. It may be that he will never gain the learning of the schools. The masters of earthly wisdom will despise him and speak scorn of him." "I know it," said the young angel, "but in meekness will he answer them; and to those who become as little children he will give the heavenly wisdom that comes, without seeking, to the pure and gentle of heart." "But if he becomes a man," said yet another, "evil men will hate and persecute him: they may even take his life, if they are stronger than he." "I know it," answered the young angel, "they will nail him to a cross. But when he is lifted up, he will draw all men unto him, for he will still be the Son of God, and no heart that is open to love can help loving him, since his love for men is so great that he is willing to die for them." "But how do you know these things?" cried the other angels. "Who are you?" "I am the Christmas angel," he said. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10 I. WHY DID JESUS COME? John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." The simplest answer to the question "Why Christmas" is that there was absolutely no other way for we sinners to be reconciled to God other than God the Son becoming a baby, living a sinless life from an infancy until death, and satisfying the Justice of God through His death on the cross. As God cannot die, and man cannot be sinless, the holy Son of God had to become man to become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We absolutely cannot separate the child in the manger from the Savior on the cross. We most often associate the sacrifice of Jesus with His death, but we cannot fully fathom the sacrifice the Son of God made to take on human flesh as a tiny baby. The self-sufficient God Who possesses all power, the Creator God who spoke all things into being, the all-glorious God dwelling in perfect light and righteousness visited this sin-enslaved world, leaving the perfection of heaven and becoming human like us. He wasn't born in a palace, although the very most magnificent earthly palace would fall far short of the glory of heaven; Jesus was born in the stable and laid in a feeding trough. Knowing the end of his life would come nailed to a cross, and for the first time in existence alienated from His Father because of our sin; what great love for utterly helpless and utterly lost and sinful humanity was demonstrated at the incarnation! What lessons about God and what He values is seen in the Bethlehem birth! Passing over the powerful, the rich, and the religious, Jesus was born to a poor, temporarily homeless working-class couple. They became refugees in Egypt, fleeing the wrath of Herod, ending back in Nazareth subject to hateful gossip suggesting an illegitimate birth. He experienced rejection by the Jewish nation, murderous hate from the religious leadership, misunderstanding by His family, abandonment and denial by his closest friends, criticism, hunger, thirst, weariness, constant temptation from Satan and His enemies-yet He endured all these things with perfect patience, kindness, and love. All of this to demonstrate love: "And God demonstrates His love, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Christmas day-The King of the universe takes on human flesh. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King. Christmas Day: the day our salvation was secured. II. WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO ME? Christmas means that the Savior of all mankind has come. The predicted Messiah, who came to reconcile sinful man to God, was born. He lived a sinless life and revealed the compassion and kindness of God as He walked the paths of earth. He voluntarily gave His life as a sacrifice for my sins, and for the sins of everyone who trusts Him. Christmas means we can rejoice that our sins are forgiven! Christmas means we have peace with God, peace within myself, and peace with others; as the Christmas angel proclaimed: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased!" Christmas began the process of restoring mankind and all creation to its original perfect state. Just as all the 300 plus prophesies of Jesus' birth, life, and death were perfectly fulfilled, so will all the prophesies of His return and earthly kingdom be literally fulfilled. Jesus' first advent was most humble, and He came as a servant, and He came to die. His second coming will be in power and glory! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and He will reign forever! Christmas means all this is possible. We celebrate the day when God became man. Joy to the world, the Lord has come; let earth receive her king! 5