The Reason for the Season

It has been a busy few weeks and I hope that after the Holiday’s that I am back up to at least 2 blogs a week. Thank you all for continuing to read and I hope each of you get something from these post.

The Reason for the Season:

This past Sunday, I had an amazing opportunity in that I was able to preach God’s Word at a church where the Pastor is a great friend of mine. This was their Annual Family Christmas Service and after much going back and forth I decided on a non-traditional approach to the Christmas Story. For today’s blog I am going to hit some of the main topics from that Sermon but will save you by not posting all my notes.

For years, I have heard that Jesus is the “Reason for the Season” but I cannot help but to ask if that is true. Anyone that knew me as a child will tell you that I was a “Why” child. It did not matter what my parents told me I would always respond with “why”. So it should be no surprise that I continue that today. What if I told you that Jesus was not the reason for the Season but instead you were the reason for the season or I was the reason for the season? Before you accuse me of being a heretic, please read on.

The Foundation of Christmas:

If you asked most folks these days what the foundation of Christmas was they would point to the manger and tell you the birth of Christ. I think we need to look further back in order to truly see the foundation of Christmas. Most Christians will tell you that the Christmas story begins when Gabriel visits Mary and tells her that she is carrying the Messiah. They are not exactly wrong, but I want to go back and set the foundation even earlier.

This leads me to ask a series of “WHY” questions.

Why do we celebrate Christmas? It is the birth of Christ. That is the “WHAT” not the “WHY”

Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ? Well, because He is Our Savior. Well, that is the “Who” not the “WHY”

I can ask a bunch of questions but at the end of it all is one simple question:

Why was Jesus born?

Luke 19 tells the story of Zacchaeus and how Jesus was questioned for having dinner at the house of a chief tax collector and a sinner. Jesus’ reply was that He had come to save that which was lost.

That which was lost… Well what makes them lost?

Look back all the way to Genesis 2:17 and see that for the first time sin is defined and a punishment is set.

Genesis 3 shows us that sin has been committed and the punishment must be met.

Because of the original sin, Adam and Eve were set out of the Garden of Eden and “lost”. It was at this time that God knew He had to send His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Each of the gospels mirror this statement of what Jesus’ purpose on Earth was.

Mark 2:17 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew 9:13 “For I came not to call the righteous but sinners.” Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance”

So in true fashion of a questioning mind that leads us to the next question:

Who is He talking about?

So did Jesus come just because of Adam and Eve? No, Adam and Eve’s giving in to the temptation of the serpent gave way for darkness to enter the world and the more we give in the more control it has. None of us though, are any better than Adam and Eve. If you take a look at Romans 3:23 we see that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What is the Price of Sin?

Death (Genesis 2:17)

So we know the following: We celebrate Christmas because it is Christ’s birthday: We celebrate His birthday because He is our Savior: We need a Savior because we are sinners and the punishment for Sin is Death and He paid that price. Sin was born in Genesis 2 and 3 and the foundation of Christmas was set in the Garden long before an angel visited Mary.

So when I said that you and I were the reasons for the seasons. I did not mean it like it was a good thing. The truth is that it is a thing I wish it wasn’t. The next time someone says “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” just remember that your sin is the reason Jesus had to be born. If we were not a world full of sinners there would be no need for Christmas; there would have been no need for Jesus in the flesh. So this year when you ask me why I celebrate Christmas I will tell you that it is because I am a sinner who is so awful that God had to send His Son to die on a cross for me.