|
Christmas Eve – The Three Births
A Sermon Preached by Dr. James Flamming
First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Dec. 24, 2004
Tonight the wait is over. Tonight is the night when all
our preparations have been made, or abandoned, and we are here to celebrate the
birth of the Christ child. We are here to join the heavenly hosts and sing, and
join the shepherds and worship. This night let us follow the star of possibility
to the foot of the manger. Hopefully, hopefully, we will not stand like the inn
keeper of old with arms folded and say, “Sorry, you can’t enter my place
tonight.”
But actually, at Christmas, we celebrate three births, not
just one. In medieval times in the great Cathedrals of Europe had three worship
services at what they called the Feast of Christmas. One was at midnight, one
was at dawn, and one was at noon on Christmas day. They seemed to recognize that
much more was going on than is usually celebrated at Christmas. For Christmas
brings us three gifts, not just one. Look at them with me.
The Birth from Heaven
We have claimed Christmas as our story, as if it began 2000
years ago and tonight we gather to celebrate it. But the truth is, Christmas is
heaven’s story, not ours. As I read a portion of the Christmas story from Luke
notice how much there is about God, and heaven, and angels.
While they were there, the days were accomplished that Mary
should be delivered. And when 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.
Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared
with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace to men upon whom his Spirit rests.”
It was an incredible moment when the door between this
earthly realm and that heavenly realm was opened wide and millions of angels
streamed out to sing – Glory to God in the Highest.
Not that this was a last minute happening, a back-up plan
that was suddenly put into place. Paul tells us in Ephesians that God’s purposes
were put in place before the foundations of the earth were put into place.
Before ever the galaxies were thrown out into space, before ever the first leaf
fluttered in the breeze or a voice was heard over the air waves, Bethlehem was
in the mind of God. Then, as the Apostle puts it, the fullness of time arrived.
What a remarkable time that must have been in heaven.
Gene Edwards, pictures it like this. The most ancient of
all of the angels, the Ancient One, who was closest to God even more than
Gabriel or Michael, called the entire angelic host around him. Anticipation
charged the air. Whatever the Ancient One was going to tell them it was
unprecedented. For the most Ancient Angel never spoke to all of them, he sent
Gabriel, the chief messenger angel.
The Ancient One began to speak. “What I have to announce to
you is not something I fully understand. None of us fully knows what is taking
place this very hour. But the purpose for which the Living God created the
universe and the privileged planet, the earth, is at this very moment being
fulfilled. The Ancient Angel continued. “At this moment there grows within a
woman’s womb One who carries with him all that is the highest, the purest, and
is the very life of God. When this child is born he will not only be a Son of
Man, but will be the very essence of God, the very Son of God. He shall become
the doorway to heaven and it will be for everyone, anywhere, who will call upon
his name. His name shall be called Jesus, Savior, for he shall save mankind from
the ravages that sin has wrecked upon their race.
And there was a change in the light that lighted all of
heaven. And the heavenly host turned and looked at the throne of God. And the
door, the door that opened between the realm of heaven and the realm of earth,
were being joined together. And the heavenly host gasped.
The ancient angel continued. As you know that door has not
been opened very often since the tragedy with Adam. Once the Lord stepped
through to visit Abraham, and then for Moses on the mountain. Then there was
that momumental day when Isaiah stood in this very doorway and looked through
the door into heaven and recorded later:
I saw the Lord, high and lifted up.
Above him were seraphs, each with six wings;
And they were calling to one another:
Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord Almighty
The whole earth is
filled with his glory.
Isaiah responded, “Woe is me!” I am ruined. For I am a man
of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen
the King of Kings, the Lord Almighty.”
The most Ancient Angel paused. He looked at Gabriel.
“Recently, Gabriel has passed through this door first to Elizabeth and then to
Mary and Joseph. But today the door is opening in a way it has never opened
before.
The door is moving to earth.” The angels gasped. Their
puzzled looks remained.
The door will become a person, this Jesus who will be both
Son of Man and Son of God and everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will
be saved. And heaven erupted in cheers and hilarity and joy. And suddenly the
door opened and the heavenly host streamed out to sing and praise, Glory to God
in the highest and on earth, peace good will toward men.
Jesus’ birth did not start in Bethlehem. It all started in
heaven. Bethlehem was really heaven’s birth.
Our Spiritual Births
The Birth of Jesus opens the door to the second birth.
For Bethlehem was only the first birth. John 3 describes
this wonder in Jesus conversation with Nicodemus, you must be born spiritually
as well as religiously. And the marvel is that we no longer reach up to heaven,
heaven has reached down to us. Revelation 3:20 says it so well – “I stand at the
door and knock. And if anyone will open to me I will come in and we will enjoy a
spiritual feast together.” The God we know in Christ takes the initiative. But
we have a role and a response. It is like the lights on the tree at home.
Everything is ready, but someone has to plug the lights in and turn the lights
on. That someone is you.
Ann Weems puts it so well --
In each heart lies a Bethlehem,
an inn where we must ultimately answer
whether there is room or not.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we experience our own Advent in his,.
When we are Bethlehem bound
we can no longer look the other way
conveniently not seeing stars nor
hearing angel voices.
We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily
tending sheep or our kingdom.
This Christmas Eve (Advent) let’s go to
Bethlehem
and see this thing that the Lord has made
known unto us.
Now that shopping sprees are over
let’s ponder in our hearts the Gift of
Gifts.
Through the tinsel
let’s look for the gold of the Christmas
star.
In the excitement and confusion, in the merry
chaos,
let’s listen for the brush of angel’s
wings.
This Advent, let’s go to Bethlehem
and find our kneeling places.
The Birth of Purpose
First there is Heaven’s birth at Bethlehem. Second, there
is your personal Bethlehem when Christ comes to live in your heart. But there is
a third birth. A birth of purpose, when a deep conviction comes to live within
you that you are here for a purpose. That purpose is to serve others in the name
of Christ.
Behind the desk of Marilyn Brown Oden hangs a piece of wood
edged with a border of Xs. That piece has no financial nor artistic value. It
was given to her by a friend she met in a unique United Methodist congregation
outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. Her friend, like his pastor, lives his
life in a wheelchair. His legs cannot function and his bent and misshapen hands
appear useless. But for three months those hands toiled ever so patiently, chip
by chip, millimeter by millimeter, for as she had come from America to bless all
of them, he was given the purpose of blessing her. He asked her favorite verse.
It was John 3:16. Carved into that piece of wood, in English, which he could not
speak, were these words: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son. John 3:16.
Somehow his gift to us births within us the purpose and
desire to give back, to take his blessings and bless others, even if our legs
are useless and our hands misshapen.
|
