Christmas Perspective: When you anticipate the glory of our Christmas celebrations each year, remember, it is only glorious now because suffering came first. When I remember this annually, I will be able to persevere through each year’s necessary trials and suffering as I await the future glory.
3 necessary and surprising aspects of suffering that Jesus fulfilled on the first Christmas for His people
I. Grief Because of the Status of Exile (Matthew 2:18 - “weeping”)
Matthew 2:17-18 - Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.”
II. Ridicule Because of the World’s Rejection (Matthew 2:23 - “Nazarene”)
Matthew 2:23 - …and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
“About 100 B.C., a small clan of newly returned Jews from Babylon settled there and gave it their family name, Natsara. These were the Natsoreans, a Judean family that proudly identified its Davidic lineage and spoke of itself as “the Branch Clan,” apparently in strong identification with prophecy. The people in this town had the idea that Messiah, the Branch, would be born from among them. Meanwhile, those who knew them often scoffed. To other Jewish people in larger, older cities, the Natsoreans must have seemed silly in their assumed self-importance. Their little town could not have seemed more distant from the glories of the Davidic Kingdom in ancient days. Nathanael, upon hearing from his brother that he had found the Christ (John 1:46), asked, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ (Ronald B. Allen, Does Anything Good Come from Nazareth? Kindred Spirit, 23/4 (Winter 1999), p.11)
Isaiah 53:2-4 - For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…
Hebrews 2:17-18 - Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (cf. Mark 9:12)
III. Hope Because the Path of Suffering Is Not the End
A. God turns exile into restoration (context of Jeremiah 31)
Jeremiah 31:15-17 - Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Thus says the Lord, “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord…
B. God turns the ridiculed one into the one in whom we find refuge (“Natser,” “Nazerene,” cf. Isaiah 11:1)
Isaiah 11:1-2 - Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch (“Natser”) from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Faith Church, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas this morning.
In 25 years of ministry, I don’t think I have ever had the privilege of giving a Christmas message on Christmas day.
And everybody says, “And we are thankful, we don’t want to see your loud Christmas clothing for another 25 years.” 😊
My fondest memory of Christmas as a child was going to my grandmother’s very small modest house on Christmas eve.
She would have the greatest spread of sweets that you could ever imagine. Or, at least a 5-year old could ever imagine.
I had spent many afternoons during the two months before Christmas, looking through the Sears Catalog or the J.C. Penny’s catalog pointing out to my grandparents what toys I wanted at Christmas.
The anticipation was great every Christmas eve as my grandparents would shower their family with gifts. Often it was one of the toys I had picked out.
One Christmas was such a bounty that the memory I had was wading through the living room with wrapping paper knee deep after all the presents had been opened—Of course you understand that knee deep to a five-year old’s knees is not a deep as it may sound.
The point being is that I have always thought of Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year….
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you “Be of Good cheer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
Most of the Christmas songs speak of this glory of Christmas…
From secular songs that speak of getting your fix of Christmas—"
“I need a little Christmas”
To Christian songs that speak of “Joy to the world” now.
The opening song of Faith’s Christmas Cantata spoke of Christmas being the best time of all.
BTW: Thank you all Faith Servants, who served so well this Christmas season
- Stewardship Celebration, TOC, CFE, LN, Christmas Cantata, Winter Break
You are thinking this morning, “I know where Brent is going—“ He is going to turn my happy day on its head. I knew it. He’s going to be the scrooge or grinch of Christmas this morning.”
Well, I may be for just a moment…But then just wait for it okay.
There is a reason for why our celebration of Christmas is so filled with elegance, feasting, beautifully decorated trees, gift giving, etc.
And its not what you think. It’s not primarily because of the first Christmas was filled with elegance, feasting, beautifully decorated trees.
It’s what came in and through the first Christmas and after the first Christmas.
We are living significantly post—the first Christmas and post Jesus’ redemptive work. So we view Christmas as a whole.
Mr. Tumnus, had the joyous perspective of our post Christ redemptive work view in the Chronicles of Narinia when he said about Narnia, “Its always winter and never Christmas”
Our view of Christmas is glorious and beautiful precisely because the first Christmas’ were always winter
So, this morning I want to give you a gift.
This morning, the gift is this—a perspective.
- A way to look at Christmas from now on---until those who are in Christ— meet Jesus.
- A way of looking that can give you an annual reorientation of your life and spur you onward.
Here it is:
Christmas Perspective: When you anticipate the glory of our Christmas celebrations each year, remember, it is only glorious now because suffering came first. When I remember this annually, I will be able to persevere through each year’s necessary trials and suffering as I await the future glory.[BA1]
Or, I celebrate Christmas now, because there was a long season of winter first.
This morning in our Christmas series entitled
5 Fulfillments of Christ’s birth that bring Joy
We come to this one on Christmas day….
The Surprising Fulfillment of Hope through Suffering on the First Christmas
By way of a second introduction, I would like you to hear from one of our dear church couples about their Christmas experience
Testimony
David:
We love the Christmas season. It’s a time of celebration and get-togethers, gift giving and rejoicing in Jesus coming to earth.
But amidst all the elegant decorations, beautiful, gift-wrapped presents, and perfectly decorated Christmas trees, it’s easy to forget that the first Christmas was filled with uncertainty, pain and suffering for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Last Christmas, we had a shocking reminder of how God can use a suffering Christmas to be a Christmas where he takes what the bible would call our “light and momentary afflictions” and works them out to achieve for us an eternal weight of glory.
Last year, God allowed us as a family to experience a Christmas of less-than-ideal circumstances. As we’ve shared in the past, Becky has walked a path of suffering since her cancer diagnosis in 2019. Early in December last year she was set to have surgery to help resolve a complication that came about from her cancer treatments.
We had no idea that this would result in a second emergency surgery for Becky just a week after we came home from the hospital and would result in us spending another 21 days in the hospital literally fighting for Becky’s life.
And that meant missing Christmas, New Year’s, and our daughter’s 5th birthday.
Becky:
During these physically painful, miserable, and sad moments, there were points when we felt so dry spiritually. We had to cling to what we knew of God and NOT how we felt in the moment. We repeated to ourselves Romans 8:28 as well as other passages and just had to choose to trust that He was working out a plan for His Glory and our good. We were clinging to the little bite size portions of what we KNEW to be true during suffering like,
1. Suffering is only temporary even though it doesn’t FEEL that way right now,
2. God is GOOD,
3. He is our Provider,
4. He is loving,
5. GREAT is HIS faithfulness.
While my brain was in la-la land from all the side-effects of medicine and pain, I was blessed by the gift of godly music. Staying engaged and focused while listening to podcasts or sermons was difficult. One Sunday, I confess, I fell asleep watching Pastor Viars’ Christmas morning sermons online (?) (not actually on Christmas morning?) - Whoops, sorry about that :). The one thing that constantly helped calm my body and spirit was rich, truth-telling music and that sustained me through those dark, dark days.
David:
During a Christmas of suffering God never let us forget or lose sight of His love and care for us as demonstrated through the relentless support, care, and love from His people. Because of how suddenly Becky ended up back in the hospital and the fact that we don’t have much family here in town, one dear church family took our kids into their family and let them live with them for over a week until Grandma could make it.
Other friends wrapped all our kids’ Christmas gifts, cleaned our house, made meals, threw our daughter a beautiful birthday party and even sent decorations to make Becky’s hospital room more festive and fun.
Becky:
The suffering of our last Christmas gave us a very tiny glimpse into our Savior’s love for us. Jesus was a man of sorrows from the beginning. God’s plan was for Jesus to live amidst and identify with His people’s suffering. That’s why there was no elegance or beauty about his birth.
It’s also amazing the perspective last Christmas’s suffering has brought to this current season. While weeping may last for the night there is joy in the morning. I’m feeling a taste of that “joy in morning” this Christmas. I have felt an excitement and giddiness about Christmas that I’ve never had— and it’s not JUST because I get to be back with my babies this holiday season 😊—although that reunion is a big part of it.
This Christmas we have returned to serving together as a family in the Living Nativity. I was able to return to worship team and continue to be part of the Taste of Christmas. We are, of course, thankful for the gifts of health and being together, but more importantly we are grateful to grow in our adoration of our suffering Savior and the hope He gives us during this Christmas season.
Even if God chose to have every Christmas be one of suffering, it still wouldn’t diminish the glory that is to come. I am so, SO thankful to be physically ABLE to participate in all Christmas things, knowing that these current earthly Christmas celebrations are just shadows of a great joy to come.
Merry Christmas Faith Church Family and Thank you for your tireless support over these past years.
Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 2:18–23
That is on page 2 in the back section of the bible in the chair in front of you.
The publishers of these particular bibles restarted the page numbers in the second section of our Bibles called the New Testament. So, there are actually two page number twos—isn’t that delightful. Find the second page number two more toward the back.
Our Christmas series has been following some of the fulfillment promises, that the Gospel of Mathew has been presenting.
We come to our final portion in Matthew’s presentation of Jesus’ birth.
The Christmas story this morning picks up with baby Jesus, the rightful King, God in the flesh, the pure one born of a virgin, the one who will save, having to depart from his people because of jealous King Herod.
Let’s begin for sake of context with the passage that Pastor Viars spoke about last night.
The Word of God tells us…
13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt (I’m not hearing many joyful Christmas bells are you), and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him. (Wow…if this is the hap happiest time of the year…..I wonder what the other 364 days look like?!)”
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt (Talk about a Christmas journey—fleeing your home because of a maniacal murderer).
15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” (Mary and Joseph, had to had vivid memories not just of the angelic announcements, the mystery of the virgin birth, but a horrendous time of upheaval in their life because of this baby’s birth—talk about trauma).
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. (One question: Do we need a little of this Christmas? To get our fix here? Surprisingly the answer will be yes…cf. Dave and Becky Arthur testimony. )
17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
Because of the phrase “weeping for her children,” it is very natural to think about this prophecy as one fulfilled in the slaughter of the babies, and the inhabitants of Bethlehem mourning over their children. But that is not the primary fulfillment.
The weeping is actually associated with another child that is very much alive.
We will talk about that in a moment.
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,
20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. (Wow, in the Chronicles of Narnia remember Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
On this Christmas morning 2000 years later let’s explore…
Three necessary and surprising aspects of suffering that Jesus fulfilled on the first Christmas for His people
The first necessary and surprising aspect of suffering that Jesus fulfilled on the first Christmas for His people is…
I. Grief because of the status of exile (Matt 2:18-“weeping”)
Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31:15 in this text of His Gospel.
17Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, Because they were no more.”
Matthew’s Jewish audience and today’s careful bible students would have known about the important chapter of Jeremiah 31.
We will develop that more in a moment
For the moment, here is what we need to know, God’s people nearly 600 years prior to this even were in their homeland.
Then, a foreign invader came, and took them captive and hauled them off to the empire of Babylon.
Ramah, in our text, “say Ramah,”
Ramah was the place where the Babylonians gathered the young Jewish men, chained them up, and marched off to Babylon from their home land—very likely never to see them again.
Rachel, the mother of the nation of Israel weeping, is a metaphorical way of saying, the nation of Israel weeps over this great tragedy of their young being hauled off to exile…most likely never to be seen again.—“they are no more”
Who is this passaged being applied to though…is it the children who are slaughtered?
Are the children in exile?
No, they are dead and that by itself is a grievous thing.
Who is in exile?…the Son of God, Jesus !
In this case, it was not a foreign nation that sent Jesus into exile.
What is more surprising….the reason for his exile was a threat from his own people
In this case a foreign nation, of Egypt, was Jesus’ salvation.
Here is my point, the first Christmas, was filled with grief, weeping, because God’s own people, did not recognize him and it was necessary for the King of King and Lord of Lord’s to go into exile and suffering…..
Why….Why did the first Christmas have to be that way?
Why was the first Christmas always winter and not “Christmas” as we know it.
There is one reason. That I’m going to answer in a moment.
So, the first necessary and surprising aspect of suffering that Jesus fulfilled on the first Christmas for His people is…grief.
The second one is not any better…..
II. Ridicule because of the world’s rejection (Matt 2:23-“Nazarene”)
When the narcissistic, maniacal King Herod died, an angel told Mary and Joseph to go back to their homeland. But they did not end up in the capital-city area where the elite, the kings ruled and reigned.
Because of ongoing threats they ended up back in Nazareth.
Matt 2:23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
The Gospel account of Luke in chapter 2:4 appears to indicate that Nazareth was Mary and Joseph’s home village.
While Mary and Joseph, as we know, could trace their lineage back to the Jewish family tribe of Judah and specifically to David who had been born in Bethlehem, their current location was Nazareth.
Dr. Ron Allen, Dallas Theological Professors said of the town of Nazareth,
About 100 B.C., a small clan of newly returned Jews from Babylon settled there and gave it their family name, Natsara. These were the Natsoreans, a Judean family that proudly identified its Davidic lineage and spoke of itself as “the Branch Clan,” apparently in strong identification with prophecy. The people in this town had the idea that Messiah, the Branch, would be born from among them. Meanwhile, those who knew them often scoffed. To other Jewish people in larger, older cities, the Natsoreans must have seemed silly in their assumed self-importance. Their little town could not have seemed more distant from the glories of the Davidic Kingdom in ancient days. Nathanael, upon hearing from his brother that he had found the Christ (John 1:46), asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” - Ronald B. Allen “Does Anything Good Come from Nazareth?” Kindred Spirit, 23/4 (Winter 1999), p.11
There is no specific prophecy in the OT that specifically mentioned the Messiah would be related to the town of Nazareth.
In fact that settlement did not even exist in OT times!!
So what is with Matthew saying that Jesus would fulfill the prophecy that he would be called a Nazarene?”
Well as Dr. Ron Allen mentioned and history attests, Nazareth became a place of derision.
Nazareth, was far from the ruling class.
In todays terms it was “fly over country between the coast”
And even amidst those who dwell in “fly over country,” like Nathaniel in John 1:4—even those in fly over country despised Nazareth…
This then is consistent with the anticipation of the OT in passages like Isaiah 53:2–4…
2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
The point being here is that, “Nazareth” was a place that was despised.
Jesus grew up in the most despised town of the most despise region of his people and homeland.
We return to the question of Why?
Why did the first Christmas have to be filled with this kind of suffering of grief in exile and ridicule?
Why was the first Christmas indeed always winter?
Friends, Christmas for Jesus had to be one of “suffering”
The answer is right there in Isaiah 53:4—Surely our griefs, our sorrows he carried.
In order to be truly a savior of mankind, he had to become like mankind in every way and walk in our paths
He had to walk the path of alienation
He had to walk the path of ridicule/derision
Hebrews 2:17 states,
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.18For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (cf. Mark 9:12)
- Jesus knows well the path of suffering of David and Becky’s lost Christmas
- Jesus knows intimately, the sorrow of death in the loss of your loved one.
- Jesus knows the pain of alienation from his own people
- Jesus knows the hurt of trying to help others only to be met by vitriol, mocking, ridicule.
The first Christmas always being winter and never Christmas had to be this way for Jesus to walk in our shoes.
Friends I do not know exactly what you have gone through this last year, but “Jesus knows”
Say, “Jesus knows”
It was necessary for the first Christmas to surprisingly be characterized by the suffering of grief and ridicule.
But, here it is, the Scrooge (me) because Santa Clause right now. The Grinch…who stole Christmas gives it back with more than you could ever imagine….
III. Hope because the path of suffering is not the end
Matthew intentionally selected his suffering prophecy fulfillment to also indicate that the path of suffering is not the end.
There may be weeping in the evening but joy comes in the morning.
God turns exile into restoration (context of Jer 31)
I mentioned that the Jeremiah 31:15 passage that Matthew quotes about Rachel weeping is in the famous chapter of Jeremiah 31.
Shout it out if anybody know what that chapter is all about! (i.e. the New Covenant that God would make with His people)
Jer 31 is all about Hope. Matthew quoted the ONLY (say “ONLY”) negative verse in Jer 31-- knowing that his Jewish audience knew the significance of the rest of the chapter.
Jer 31: 15 Thus says the Lord,
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.”
16Thus says the Lord,
“Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears;
For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,
“And they will return from the land of the enemy.
17“There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
Matthew, right after explaining Jesus went into exile….and how sad that was….what does Matthew say….Jesus returned.
I can not prove this, but I think Matthew is trying to prepare all of us for something greater.
There will be a time in Jesus’ life in the future where the suffering would become so bad that all hope would be lost.
Jesus would not just be exiled to a distant land but he would be exiled to the grave…..
But if your remember this…friends, suffering is not the end of the path….remember…Jesus would return from the exile….three days later he rose again…
There is the Christmas we know….there is the hope,…there is the joy…!!!
Furthermore….
God turns the ridiculed one into the one in whom we find refuge (“Natser,” “Nazerene,” cf. Isaiah 11:1)
In the popular conception Nazareth, was the backwoods, fly over, despised country….but at the same time…that clan that had settled there that resulted in Mary and Joseph, was indeed from the clan of Judah, from the lineage of David.
And what had God promised in the OT?
Isaiah 11:
1Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch (“Natser”) from his roots will bear fruit.
2The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
The ridiculed one that all despised, would become the branch, the stem of Jesse, that God could cause to grow into a tree under which all people would find their refuge.
The path of suffering though filled with grief and ridicule does not end there for Jesus or for his followers..
God turns the grief into Joy
God turns the ridicule into Glory
The stone whom the builders rejected became the stone on which God’s house is built—the chief corner stone
The most sorrowful of all men, has become the most joyous.
The least has become the greatest….
The ultimate example of this is Jesus and because of Him going through the first Christmas of all winters our Christmas’ are turned into the beautiful ones we know today….
And the annual glory of Christmas is nothing compared to what God has instore for you….
Gospel Appeal:
Believer Appeal:
Conclusion.
Christmas Perspective: When you anticipate the glory of our Christmas celebrations each year, remember, it is only glorious now because suffering came first. When I remember this annually, I will be able to persevere through each year’s necessary trials and suffering as I await the future glory.
Let’s close by singing “Graves into Gardens” on this Christmas morn
[BA1]Men I would like this to be on the PPT and handout, but if it constrains you too much, let me know.
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