IS CHRISTMAS REAL?

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

                This Sunday we will celebrate Christmas. It is an exciting time for most people. Most people, in one way or another, will celebrate Christmas, even if they are not religious. At the heart of Christmas is the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. For all of the other things that have been added to Christmas, the birth of Jesus is still at the center. The question that needs to be asked is, is the story of Jesus’ birth true or is it just a religious myth?

                Christmas is so embedded into Western society that most people would not bother with the question of it being true or not. It just is an annual tradition. Yet there are those who routinely want to eliminate Christ out of Christmas; to make it a purely secular holiday. But without the birth of Jesus, Christmas falls apart. It has no real meaning or purpose, other than to benefit the retailers we make an enormous amount of money off of it. If the story of Christmas is true, it has important implications for all of life. If the story of Christmas is just a myth, it has no relevance at all.

                Those who want to oppose Christmas point out that December 25 used to be a pagan holiday and has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. This seems like a legitimate argument, except upon closer examination it is really a paper tiger; irrelevant. Every thoughtful Christmas knows that December 25 is not the actual date of Jesus birth. No one knows the actual date. December 25 is the date the church has chosen to celebrate Jesus’ birth. It was intentionally chosen to counteract the pagan practices associated with that date.

                There is really no problem with celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25. In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth the II’s birthday was celebrated on the first Monday of June, even though her actual birthday was April 21. In the US we celebrate Presidents Day, originally named Washington’s Birthday, on the third Monday of February. Our celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 is no different.

                What is more important is the truth of the story. Christmas is not just about any baby being born to a young woman in a stable in Bethlehem. It is about the promised Messiah being born to a virgin in Bethlehem. If the “historical Jesus” born on that occasion was just another Jewish baby, then Christmas has no meaning. If the Jesus born on that occasion was the incarnate Son of God, then it makes all the difference in the world.

                C.S. Lewis, in his book “God in the Dock”, makes the argument that the real issue isn’t if Christianity is helpful or desirable, it is if Christianity is true. If it is just another human philosophy to help people cope with the trials of life, then it is of no real value. But if it is true, then it changes everything.

                I want to suggest that it all begins with Christmas. According to the Bible, God invaded our world in person on that first Christmas.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-2,14 (NIV)

                In his account of the birth of Jesus, Luke is very careful to record the important details of the event. He places the event in real time and in a real place. Along with Matthew’s account, they show how the birth of Jesus fulfilled the promises about the coming Messiah. He was born of a virgin. He was born in Bethlehem. He was born into the line of David. None of these things could have been manufactured artificially, unless somehow Mary and Joseph were the most amazing coconspirators of all time.

                When you strip away all of the trappings and traditions that have surrounded Christmas, we are left with one thing, the birth of a child. Not just any child, but the very Son of God. If this is true, then it changes everything. If it is just a heart-warming myth, then it isn’t worth celebrating. Each of us must make the choice for ourselves. As Ripley said, believe it or not.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)