Christmas At The End Of The World | Not The Whole Story
You can hear a story your whole life and still not know the “WHOLE STORY.“
Nicholas of Myra
- 270-343AD
- He faced Persecution for his faith
- Bones showed a severely broken nose, most likely from Persecution
- He was Known for his GENEROSITY
Nicholas of Myra was a part of something called “The Council of Nicaea” in AD 325
- Was the COUNCIL OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
- Christians we under persecution for the first 300 yrs
Council was to confirm what “Orthodox” Christian faith was
- Were coming against something called the “Arian controversy”
- Claimed that Jesus and God were not “THE SAME” = No Trinity
Legend says that at some point, Nicholas of Myra became outraged by the heresy and slapped one of the Arians
Well, you may not know it or not, but you HAVE heard of Nicholas of Myra before
- You know of him as SANTA CLAUS…
You didn’t know his WHOLE STORY…
When you don’t know the whole story, you miss out on what’s really happening, and WHAT’S AT STAKE
This is really true for Christmas
- Especially in our culture
Christmas has become a “Happily Ever After” type thing
- A Season for JOY, GOOD CHEER
You can’t have joy without first going through or understanding the Pain that the Joy has overcome
Psalm 30:5b
Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
That’s the whole story of Christmas
Christmas is the JOY of God’s answer to mankind’s pain
This is why each week, we have looked at the verse in Psalms…
Psalm 121
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
That’s the whole story of Christmas
- Our help HAS come from the Lord
- Because the LORD HAS COME!
Matthew 1:23
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
With that in mind, Let’s look at the WHOLE STORY leading up to the first Christmas
The People Of Israel
The whole story is this…
Most of us know how the story of the Israelite people started…
- A Promise to Abraham (Family that would bless the WHOLE EARTH)
For a time, Israel was a successful kingdom
- Saul, David, Solomon
- Things went downhill from there
- Kingdom split
Starting in 587 BC – What is known as the period of EXILE
- Solomon’s temple was DESTROYED by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
2 Kings 25
8 On the seventh day of the fifth month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 9 He burned the Lord’s temple, the king’s palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. 10 The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population. 12 But the captain of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.
This is like someone coming in and burning OUR Whitehouse…
- It signaled the END of their nation
But did it signal the END of GOD’S Promise?
Except for a brief 50-year revolt (Maccabean Period) that ended BADLY… the Israelite people considered themselves in exile for the next 600 years…
Certainly did not look to God for God’s promise to Abraham…
But that’s not the WHOLE STORY…
Malachi 4
1 “For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.
4 “Remember the instruction of Moses my servant, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
We can’t imagine HOW MUCH HOPE THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM…
- That God still had a plan
- That the promise to Abraham was still there
- That they were still God’s people
But there’s a problem with this…
After Malachi prophesied this, God went Silent for…
OVER 400 YEARS…
- No prophecies
- No return to greatness
- No fulfillment of the Promise
UNTIL…
A single angel spoke to 3 people
- Zachariah
- Mary
- Joseph
Told them that God was about to change the WORLD
The end of the old world was coming, and it would change EVERYTHING.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. 14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
That’s why we can say “CHRISTMAS AT THE END OF THE WORLD”
- Because the Light of the WORLD CAME to end the world of
- Sorrow
- Pain
- Heartbreak
By being the way for us to return to God, our creator
That’s the whole story…
While we could… I don’t want to stop here
That’s the story of Christmas, But what about YOUR STORY?
Do you know your whole story?
1: Your Past
Your past does not tell YOUR WHOLE STORY
God did not say, Abraham, as long as your children do EXACTLY as I say, I’ll keep my promise!
God kept his promise DESPITE what the people of Israel did
Christmas is the STORY OF GOD’S MERCY!
Christmas didn’t come for perfect people
- And you don’t have to be perfect for Christmas to be present in your life!
2: Your Present
Your present circumstances do not tell YOUR WHOLE STORY
- God is not finished with you
- He has a plan/purpose for you
During His silence, God was preparing for His BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH
Trusting God in the present is Christmas FAITH IN ACTION
- Trusting God now because of what He has done in the past
Our enemy will lie to you – Try to convince you that Your past, Your mistakes, Your present circumstances tell YOUR WHOLE STORY
- God’s done with you
- He’s forgotten about you
- He doesn’t love you
- He won’t save you
- You are ALONE HERE
That is a lie BECAUSE!!
Matthew 1:23
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means God with us).
IMMANUEL = GOD WITH US
GOD WITH YOU!
So when the enemy starts repeating the same lies.
That he knows your whole story, you remind him that…
Psalm 121
1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
The Whole story is…
He is with us; we need not fear – Isaiah 41:10
Those who trust Him will be kept in perfect peace – Isaiah 26:3
He goes before us – do not be discouraged! – Deuteronomy 31:8
He has overcome the world! – John 16:33
He will instruct and teach you – Psalms 32:8
He will give you rest – Matthew 11:28-29
His grace is all you need! – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
He knows his plans for you! – Jeremiah 29:11
By His wounds you are and will be healed – 1 Peter 2:24