Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The Scandal that Rocked Christmas
Eleven Million Dollars. $11 million. That’s a nice round number for the Christmas tree that sits in the lobby of the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. It is 43 feet high. Covered with 181 diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, precious stones, and gold. News organizations around from Australia to Ireland to Japan to the US called the tree “Over the Top,” “Outrageous,” “Excessive,” “Extravagant,” and “Scandalous.” Should you decide you would like to see the tree personally, it will cost you an even million bucks for a one week stay at the seven star hotel. As you walk to your room, you will pass by a vending machine that dispenses solid gold bars.
Then again you may decide that that’s not for you. Even if you managed to take on a lifetime of debt to make the trip you may choose not to because that kind of extravagance might not be your scene. I have no doubt that most if not all of us here tonight would be uncomfortable in that setting. I have no doubt that the majority of us would feel out of place, perhaps even a little offended, put off, and somewhat disturbed.
If you are among those who likely experience such feelings then do I have news for you tonight? If such extravagance and outrageous displays are difficult for you to embrace, then has God got a surprise for you? Because God in his infinite love for you has gone over the top. God in his unrestrained devotion to you has produced a scandal unequaled in the history of the universe. Just what is that scandal, you ask? . . . Jesus Christ! Yes you heard me right.
One of the things the Bible makes clear is that God scandalizes, offends, and pushes our sense of what is decent and acceptable in Jesus Christ. Jesus, the one that you and I know as the sweet little baby of Bethlehem. Jesus, the one baptized by John in the Jordan River. Jesus, the one who put little children on his lap to bless them. Jesus, the one who walked on the water, who multiplied a few loaves of bread and fish to feed thousands, who said to the man “take up your pallet and walk,” who raised Lazarus from the dead, who healed the man born blind, who made the deaf to hear.
This is the same Jesus who taught us to pray, who promises eternal life, who heals our diseases and forgives our sins. This is the same Jesus who casts out demons and forgave the woman caught in the act of adultery, who touched the unclean, and made friends out of outcasts.
This Jesus that you have come to know is God’s gift to the world, a gift so staggering that it’s difficult for us to comprehend. This Jesus Christ who was born in a manger to two Jewish teenagers, crucified and resurrected is in the Bible’s language “a scandal.”
Paul says in I Corinthians “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles," (I Corinthians 1:22-23).
In fact, in Jesus Christ, God lays the whole kingdom on the line. He puts it all on the table. The vaults of heaven are kicked wide open.
A gift so over the top it’s hard for us to know what to do with it.
Of course, this is something that we see every year about this time, especially if you have young children. It wasn’t that long ago that Karin and I were parents of very young children. I remember those early Christmases. The tree was up, ornaments from the lowest parts of the tree taken down because little hands couldn’t leave them there. And gifts were under the tree. Then that special morning came. Karin and I had shopped for weeks, planned for months for the special gifts and surprises under the tree. We were excited for them. But it never failed. The first Christmas or two, the kids didn’t quite get the concept.
We would give them a gift and the little knucklehead would just look at it. I thought I could read their minds, “Nice box dad. You put some pretty paper on it. And look at the bows and ribbons.” We would say “open it.” And they would, slowly, carefully, cautiously. “No, no, no . . . honey, just rip it. Tear it open. Have fun.” And they would. They opened the gift and gave the look “is this for me?” “Yes it is” we would nod. “And you see all these other gifts around you? These are yours too.”
The amazing thing with gifts and outrageous shows of love is you have to encourage and convince people that it is for real and it is for them. It takes a while to get used to the idea.
The same happens to adults, you know. One year along time ago, Karin and I refinanced our house. And when you do that you get a check back from the mortgage company. It’s the escrow check. When we refinanced I didn’t tell Karin about the extra check. When it came in the mail, I got it and hid it. At Christmas time, I took the money and bought Karin a truckload of gifts. She had always gotten the short end of the stick at Christmas time. She would give the kids her last nickel if she had to go barefoot. So I wanted her to have a little extra. When she got up Christmas morning and saw the dozens of professionally wrapped boxes with clothes and such and she just didn’t know what to say. She just didn’t know how to respond.
The same thing happens for every individual who takes in the staggering graciousness and generosity of our God. We pause, not knowing exactly how to respond. What do you do when someone goes over the top for you? God went over the top in giving you the gift of Jesus Christ. God held nothing back. Everything he had, he put within our possession.
The Bibles says “He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32).
God is head over heal in love with you. He is nuts about you. He is bananas about you. Everything at his command is yours, even his most precious treasure, his son.
Now, this is where things can get a little uncomfortable. Here is where you might be asking yourself if this is a scene you can be a part of? Here is where you might be tempted to step away from such extravagance. Why? Well, if you are like me, you look at yourself and say “It’s too much.” You think to yourself “God shouldn’t love me so much. If only he knew what I was really like. If only he could see what I have done, heard what I have said, been where I have been. If God knew all that I am ashamed of, he wouldn’t love me so.”
Listen to me, my people, and brace yourself . . . God already knows. God did what he did with complete foreknowledge, foresight, and forewarning of everything about you. What is so scandalous and over the top is God knows it all and still sent his Son for you.
The gift is for you. Open it up. Get into it. Put it on. Take it in your arms. Receive the life, the love, and the laughter the kingdom has to give.
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