Last week, we saw Jesus' life come to an end on the cross. We now follow Him and see Him prepared for burial. He had no tomb of His own, no great tombstone to mark His grave. He was simply placed in a donated tomb. That tomb donated by a man who loved and respected the Lord. Jesus was wrapped in linen and laid in the tomb carved out of the rock. Then a great rock was rolled in front of the tomb to block the entrance.
Politics being what they were and always seem will be, there were guards placed at the tomb. The Pharisees were worried that the followers of Jesus would come and take His body making it look like He rose on the third day as He said He would. Pilate commanded that they take guards and secure the site. So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. To the best of their ability, there was no way anyone was going to make it look like Jesus rose by stealing His body.
Early that Sunday morning Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb and what they saw is recored in Matthew 28: 2-10. " Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightening, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!", he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember what I have told you."
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."
There it is, plain and simple. If Jesus had just been born, it would be an incomplete story. If He had been born, lived, had been crucified and buried, again it would be an incomplete story. But the story is not incomplete for He was born, crucified, buried, and rose from the dead. That is the whole Christmas story. It starts in the manger and ends with an empty tomb. But His story goes on from there for He is with each of us every day, helping us to find our way.
If we go all the way back to before His birth, Jesus knew what He was doing, He knew what His life would be like. Before He ever came to earth, He knew His first night here would be in a manger, surrounded by animals and in the care of a couple of teenagers. Before Christmas Day, He knew He would spend His life showing mankind the way back to God. He knew His own family would reject Him and make fun of Him for His claims of being the Messiah. He knew His healing and miracles would often be met with a lack of gratitude. He knew the more He gave, the more people would want without being thankful. He knew He would be plotted against and arrested. He knew His closest friends would desert Him. He knew He would be lied about, mocked and beaten within an inch of His life. He knew His life would draw it's last breath while nailed to a cross.
And here is the greatest Christmas gift ever, HE CAME ANYWAY! He came anyway, for you and for me.
He was born, He was crucified and buried. And on the third day, He did escape the tomb and showed Himself to His followers. And He is in heaven seated at the right hand of the Father, all the while interceding on our behalf.
Romans 3:22-26. "We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in the past. For He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus."
Romans 5: 6-11. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God."
Now we can see why the angels were rejoicing and spreading the good news that quiet night when Christ was born. The future of mankind would be changed forever that one night in a manger. That little baby would change the course and future of the human race for all eternity. Now, that is something to rejoice about!
Yes, He came anyway - He loved and loves that much !
If He gave that much - if He cared that much - can we then make loving that which motivates us as He did? Can we view those around us as He did? He came to earth and set the example of perfect love. He came and showed us what it is to "love one another". Can we take up that mission and honor Him? Can we love one another as a way of giving back to Him some of what He so willingly gave every one of us?
Romans 5:17-21. "For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man Jesus Christ.
Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
That is the big picture of the Christmas story. He came that we might live for all eternity with Him. He lived that we be made righteous. He died so that we be guaranteed a place in heaven. He rose and is seated at the right hand of the Father that He may intercede on our behalf. Yes, He loves that much.
Let the Christmas story burn in our hearts and imaginations. Let the Christmas story motivate us to get past all the possessions of this world, jobs, money and stuff. Let this Christmas story encourage us to let old wounds heal, reconcile bitter relationships and overcome prejudices. Let His great gift, giving us victory over sin and death through Jesus, heal us and renew us. Make this Christmas the Christmas that we surrender and turn the corner freeing ourselves to love again.
Let our gift back to Him this Christmas be the gift of a spirit free of anger, hatred or unforgiveness. Let our gift to Him be a love for people, family and friends that guides and directs our actions, thoughts and tongue.
Let every Christmas from now on be a reminder of His great gift and of our desire to love somebody. To love everybody.
Merry Christmas to you all.