THE CHRISTMAS WAR

I really struggled with what to preach during this Christmas season. This was the only really Christmas oriented message the whole month. And the content, along with the title, may seem a little strange. But, at the heart of it all, there is a spiritual battle that takes place every Christmas. It is the battle for supremacy: is this about Jesus Christ or about something or someone else? There is, of course, a daily battle, a life long battle for kingship: who rules in our hearts? These are the questions I felt led to pose to myself and to our people 2 days before Christmas, with this message:

THE CHRISTMAS WAR
Matthew 2

Please turn in your Bible to Luke 2.
I need your help here, as we think about Christmas. When you think of Christmas, what comes to your mind? Just shout it out… [give time for people to respond]

Those are all good things, great things, enjoyable things. Christmas is a great time of year. But, for those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, we get concerned that at this time of year, all the frills and thrills of the human side of Christmas time overshadows the real reason to celebrate: the birth of Jesus Christ. But, even for those of us who celebrate the birth of Christ during this time of year, we still fail to recognize one of the key aspects to that first Christmas 2,000 years ago that still impacts us today.

Every Christmas season, we view a Christmas war. It the war of advertisers to convince you that you need to spend the money you are going to spend at Christmas time on THEIR product. So, right around Thanksgiving, we begin to hear the Christmas music in the stores and we begin to see all the advertisements for the new toys coming out and the great prices that this particular store is offering. In fact, one of the discussions most people have around Thanksgiving time was the same one we had: What is being offered by stores at midnight after Thanksgiving? What stores are opening at 5 AM and is there anything worth standing in line and driving and shopping on Black Friday (as it is called)? The war is about money; and every year the advertisers have to figure out how to get the most shoppers and the most money. But, this is not the Christmas war I am speaking of this morning.

A headline in the USA Today a couple weeks ago read: “For Clinton and Obama, war of words rages on.” Two of the Democratic candidates, who are seen as the best possible choices for the Democratic party next November, are having a war of words. With a Presidential election coming next year, the heat of political talk this Christmas season is turned way up. Mud is slung from all directions; and at least right now, people within the major parties are trying to convince us that their candidate is the most electable for a certain political party. There is a war of words at this Christmas time. But, this is not the Christmas war I am speaking of.

Out of all the things you mentioned this morning that you think about with Christmas, I think you forgot a very important topic. None of you said when you think of Christmas, you think of war. Now, some of you might think about that in terms of the Iraq war and the fact that we still have men and women fighting for our freedom even over this Christmas holiday. But, that is not the type of fighting and war that I am referring to. I want you to consider with me, this morning, a type of war that started 2,000 years ago and a war you are still fighting this Christmas season.

We are in Luke, chapter 2, and I will read the beginning of the famous and true Christmas story:

Luke 2:1-7 – “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

If you have ever looked at this story before, and many of you have heard and read this many times – at least once a year at Christmas - then perhaps you have been amazed as I am, at all the circumstances that came together in this story: All of the people, the decisions of government leadership, and the prophecies that were fulfilled in detail, when all the odds would have been against it.

In this passage, circumstances brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, a small village of no significance at that time. Mary was pregnant and ready to deliver soon; but had not formally married Joseph. Not only were those circumstances scandalous, but the story was that she was pregnant without having sex. How does that happen? The story was that the Holy Spirit created the baby in her womb. And what about the atmosphere of the birth itself? With no room in the inn, they were most likely in a shepherd’s cave, to give birth to their first baby – a true miracle of God.

But, our focus, this morning, is not on all of these details. Instead, I want to focus on two individuals that entered us into a life long war at that time. Because as soon as this baby was born in Bethlehem, this issue of power and control became a prominent one, not only for a nation, but for every person who would come to live in the future. Who was involved in this war? Let’s find out.

Please turn back two books to Matthew, chapter 2.

Had you picked up a daily newspaper in 1809, you would have read the big news that Napoleon I, emperor of France, had conquered Austria at Wagram, annexed the Illyrian Provinces (now part of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal republic of Yugoslavia), and abolished the Papal States.

But in that same year:
· In France, Louis Braille, who devised a way for the blind to read, was born
· In Germany, Felix Mendelssohn the great composer of symphonies was born
· In England, William Gladstone, the four-time prime minister and the father of public education, was born
· And Alfred Lord Tennyson, the poet laureate of Great Britain, was born
· Also in England, Charles Darwin, the most influential scientist of the 19th century was born
· In America, Edgar Allen Poe, the master poet and storyteller, was born
· And Oliver Wendell Holmes, the writer and physician who developed surgical techniques still in use today, was born
· Also, in America, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born

But at the end of the year 1809, the only event anyone thought to be important was Napoleon’s conquest of Austria. That was the big news. Today, who remembers the “big news” of 1809? Hardly anyone. Napoleon’s conquest is just a tiny blip on the big screen of history. But the world was changed forever by a few, seemingly, insignificant births that took place that same year.

And so it was with the birth that we read about in Luke 2 and that is recorded here in Matthew. Many other things were of concern to people in that day. And the man we are about to introduce would have been one of the main stories. But, there was a birth that year that changed the world forever. The story continues:

Matthew 2:1 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…”

Let’s stop there for a moment. We get so wrapped up in the details of how Joseph and Mary found out they were going to have a baby, without having sex, and then of course, the travel to Bethlehem, the place where the baby was born and the actual birth. We love the story in Luke 2 about the Shepherds and then we come to Matthew 2 concerning the wise men. We might even talk about Simeon and Anna, two key figures that saw the Christ child and fulfilled prophecy.

But what about this character, mentioned in Matthew 2:1 – Herod the king. He was sometimes referred to as Herod the Great, he was King of the Jews at that time. However, he was not Jewish. Herod was born in Indumea and had Edomite blood in his veins. He had married into the Jewish royal line. He had become governor in 47 B.C. Herod had gained the support of the Romans during the wars and civil wars in Palestine. They saw him as someone who could rule in their favor. In 40 B.C., he received the title of King. According to commentator William Barclay, “Herod was the only ruler of Palestine who ever succeeded in keeping the peace and in bringing order into disorder.”

I love the video series, That The World May Know. Focus on the Family produced it and the historian and teacher, Ray Vander Laan went over to Israel to film it. He takes tours with people and walks them through the Holy Land to help them see some of what is talked about in the Scriptures. On his tape, The True Christmas Story, Ray Vander Laan introduces us to the palace and the power of King Herod.
Take a look.

Video clip – 2.5 minutes

HEROD THE KING
· Lived in a palace
· Lived to be worshiped

In that day, what Herod had built showed his greatness. He had power and vision. He was seen as a great man and had built a good reputation. He had built a fortress palace, the Herodium. It was at the edge of the Judean wilderness, a few miles from a tiny village named Bethlehem. This unbelievable fortress is what people would have noticed as they travelled to Bethlehem, which at that time may have been a town of 300 people, at the most.

So, think about this. When Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem, they most likely viewed the 120 foot high tower, 55 feet in diameter, and saw the picture of power and the greatness of the King of the Jews. I wonder what they thought about that. What did the Shepherds, who saw the angels and heard the incredible news that the Messiah, the Savior of Israel had been born – what did they think as they saw the incredible fortress, a tribute to the honor of Herod, the King of the Jews?

This is the type of place for a king. But, those people who travelled to where Jesus was born, experienced something that didn’t fit their mind pictures of a king’s palace. The pictures and stories of Jesus’ birth today give us the idea that this little barn where Jesus was born was a nice, quaint place, where there were some clean animals, and a nice spot for a beautiful manger, with clean straw, and a clean, quiet, new born baby, smiling along with the proud parents!

But, this was probably more like a dark, shepherds cave, not as pretty as we have made it. It was dirty and dark and probably without fresh straw. It had soot built up on the ceiling where the shepherds would have burned their fires. Most likely, there would be manure spread all over, and a very distinctive smell because of it. This was the place where the new King was born. This was the place where the Savior of the world, the promised Messiah, was born. Unbelievable!

This began a war! Let’s come back, now, to Matthew 2:
Matthew 2:1-3 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled…”

This shouldn’t be surprising. Herod hears from the traveling wise men that a new king has been born. Do you see why he may have been a little troubled? Think about what he had built. Think about his power and renown. Think about some new born, stinky baby, taking all of the attention away from him! No way. This was troubling for Herod. This was war! And we see the real issue here, in what the Wise Men said about their intentions. What did they say: we have come to _______________ _____ - what? We have come to worship him.

I suppose Herod could have had a different response, such as: “The Messiah, the future king of the Jews has been born? That’s amazing! We have been waiting for this. The Jewish people have been waiting their entire existence for this event to take place. We have been praying for this to happen!” Not quite. But, with the news from the wise men, Herod pretended to be very interested in worshipping this new king as well.
Matthew 2:4-8 – “And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

Did you hear Herod’s words? “That I too may come and worship him.” I wonder if the wise men believed him at the time. Later, God told them not to go back to Herod once they found the baby Messiah:

Matthew 2:12 – “And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

JESUS CHRIST THE KING
· Born in a cave
· Worthy of worship

You see: this was an issue of worship. This was a real worship war. When Herod heard that there was a new king born; and that these learned men were on their way to worship Him, that sealed the deal for Herod. He had to find this supposed king and dispose of Him – no question about it. Herod was the king and the only one that should be honored and worshipped as such.

In fact, Herod was so set on destroying this coming king, that when the wise men never came back or sent him word, he took matters into his own hands, to make sure of it – or so he thought:

Matthew 2:16 – “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.”

He had it figured out – that Jesus was still under 2 years old at the time. So, why take chances? Kill all the male babies 2 years and younger. Unbelievable! Herod’s pride and self concern had gotten to the point that killing “innocent” children was worth it for him, if he could kill that one child – the promised Messiah – the coming King. But, this was no surprise to God. Just before Herod’s men came to do their dirty work of murder:

Matthew 2:13 – “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

And that baby, Jesus Christ, was delivered from Herod’s hand. Jesus Christ won that battle; and it was the sign of what would come: Jesus Christ would win the war. But, the war still rages on today.

Here, at Christmas time, we war with all the other stuff that comes with this season:
· The newspaper reported that a California woman thought she had been pricked by pine needles when she reached into her Christmas tree. Turns out, a live bat had hitched a ride in the branches. No one wants to battle at bat in their living room!
· Or did you hear about the 12 year boy in South Carolina that was arrested because his mother called the police on him. And why? Because he opened a Christmas present too early. Yes, you heard that right. He opened his Christmas present too early, his mom called the police, and he was charged as a juvenile for petty larceny. But, according to police spolesman Jerry Warldrop, he was released the next day because (quote): “We couldn’t hold a 12 year old.”!

Did all of you kids hear that story – be warned! Crazy things happen at this time of year, because we are wrapped up in all the temporal and secular stuff that surrounds us. There is a war every Christmas as to what we are going to pay the most attention to. Are we going to enjoy this time as a time to worship Jesus Christ, or as a time to worship materialism? Food, family, decorations and presents can be a lot of fun at Christmas. But, we can be tempted to allow those things to capture our attention and divert our praise and worship from the only One who deserves it.

This is all connected to the true Christmas story of that little baby boy born to be king. In fact, if God had not come to earth as a baby: Jesus Christ, then we would not be singing praises to Him today in our worship services. If Jesus had not died for our sins and rose again from the grave, we would not be concerned with worship at all. But, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead; and we await His coming, to take us back to be with Him forever; and then to set up His Kingdom of peace.

While we wait for that day to come, we fight the battle of life worship, and we fight by singing and giving and serving the one and only God. Gerrit Gustafson, in his book: Adventure of Worship wrote:

“Let’s try to understand. Ever since the Great Sacrifice, a process of coronation has been underway. According to Philippians 2, the Father has already exalted Christ above every name, and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. But like the gap of time between when Samuel anointed David king and when he actually took his throne, there’s also a gap of time between the declaration of Jesus’ kingship and its actual taking effect in history. As the writer of Hebrews declared:

Hebrews 2:8: “In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him”

When Jesus Christ was born, the Wise Men were going to worship a king. But, he was not to be in the position of a king – not yet. As Jesus grew, there were people who wanted, who expected Jesus to set up His kingdom and overthrow the Roman government. But, the time had not yet come. Jesus’ future is to reign as King. But, presently, there is a war raging. We do battle every day, living as though Christ is king of our lives or someone or something else. When we meet together on Sunday, we proclaim that Jesus is our King – and we fight the spiritual war by giving of our praise and giving of our money and giving of our service and giving of our selves.

Please turn in your Bible to Romans 10. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 982 or 1007.

We can easily get caught up with the secular enjoyments of the season. So much so, that the joy is wrapped up in the moment of food and gifts, and does not last past December 25th. I came across this Post - Christmas poem:

“Twas the day after Christmas, When all through the place
There were arguments and depression – Even mom had a long face
The stockings hung empty, And the house was a mess;
The new clothes didn’t fit…And Dad was under stress.
The family was irritable, And the children – no one could please;
Because the instructions for the new toys were written in Chinese!
The bells no longer jingled, And no carolers came around;
The sink was stacked with dishes, And the tree was turning brown.

The stores were full of people, returning things that fizzled and failed,
And the shoppers were discouraged;
Because everything they’d bought was now on half-price sale!

Twas the day after Christmas – The spirit of joy had disappeared;
The only hope on the horizon was 12 football games coming New Years!”

Many people fight the wars of Christmas time that only have to do with a particular day: the war of finances to buy gifts, the war of traffic to get the best gifts first; the war of who is going to give what gift to whom; and then losing the war after its over. Things have to be taken back, credit cards that were maxed out have to be paid, some are not happy with their gifts; and the gifts that were so coveted, are used for a few weeks and then put away forever.

You have probably heard that many people attempt or commit suicide at this time of year.Some statistics say 17% of Americans struggle with major depression and much of that happens at this Christmas time. Government figures say that there are about 30,000 suicides committed each year; and it seems many are done around this time. It is the time when we most want to experience love, and yet our society tries to fill that with a love for things – and it never satisfies. Even those who claim that it is all about human relationships – being with family at Christmas time. Even that is temporal. Human relationships eventually fail, and people eventually die.

I remember my grandfather had died in March of 1989and I was hoping to see my grandmother at Christmas time that year. But, when I mentioned to her in the summer that I was looking forward to Christmas and seeing her, she didn’t respond. She had battled cancer, she was ready to go home to be with her king and Savior Jesus Christ, and I think she knew she would not be around for Christmas. She died December 4, 1989. Our human relationships, even at Christmas time, are truly temporal. There is only one relationship that is eternal, one which we have a great opportunity to emphasize at this time of year. And there is a war fought every year, as to what and whom will be worshiped – at Christmas time.


One of the things can be easily overlooked in Matthew 1,2 with the story of Jesus’ birth and the hunt of Herod for Jesus are all the fulfilled prophecies of Scripture. These were not just circumstances that all took place at just the right time and in the exact manner that Scripture had said. This was not fate. These events were fulfillments of biblical prophecies that had been made hundreds of years earlier.

Here is a sampling of them:
· When it says that Mary gave birth to Jesus
Matthew 1:22 – “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet”
· The Wise Men were able to tell Herod where Jesus was going to be born:
Matthew 2:5 – “They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet”
· God told Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt until it was safe:
Matthew 2:15 – “…This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt I called my son.”
· The fact that Herod would kill the young children in trying to kill Jesus:
Matthew 2:17 – “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah”
· Was it a surprise that Joseph, then, instead of returning to Bethlehem, went to Nazareth? The Bible told us it would happen:
Matthew 2:23 – “And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene.”

SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
· Trust the Word of God

Here is a key player in this Christmas war: are the Scriptures true or not? If they are not true, then we cannot depend on what it says about Jesus Christ and our need for Him. If they are true, then the only way to God is Jesus Christ. If the Bible is true, then we must make a decision to make Jesus Christ the king of our life. Some of the greatest pieces of evidence for the reliability of the Scriptures is the fact that every prophecy of Scripture has come true. And the ones we just looked at in Matthew 1 and 2 have to do with what we celebrate at Christmas time. You can trust the Bible to be right – every time. And the most important information the Scriptures give us concerns how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And it all began with the war that was won 2,000 years ago.

Today, people look at the ruins that King Herod left behind. Yes, they are impressive ruins, but ruins nonetheless. Herod had a great vision. Herod had built for himself; and wanted to be remembered. But, that vision is dead and buried there near Bethlehem.

HEROD THE KING
· Died
· His vision died

The child, however, that was born and hunted down by Herod, was not here to build buildings or a name for himself. He was here to be born as a man, to live by faith, and to die for the sins of the world.

Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

JESUS CHRIST THE KING
· Lived to serve by dying for our sins

People tried to get him to make himself king, but the time was not right. Yes, one day He will return as the coming king; but for now, the way He rules as king is in the hearts of His people.

One day, 30 plus years after the miraculous birth and King Herod’s attempt to destroy him, people would hail Jesus as the King of the Jews; but they would do so in jest, mocking His claim to be the Messiah. It was a sign placed above him as he hung on the cross: King of the Jews.

But, it was as he hung on the cross, dying for our sins, in his humility, that we have the opportunity for eternal life. This is where your most important Christmas decision comes in. It is possible that you are here this morning and would admit that you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You have the opportunity today to make the future King of the world the king of your life. You have the opportunity, today, to accept the greatest Christmas gift ever: eternal life. And there is absolutely nothing you can do to earn it. The Bible says:

Romans 10:9,10 – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
· Trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and give Him your life
If you believe that the Word of God is true. If you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead, as the Bible claims. If you admit that Jesus Christ is the master of your life as you give your life to Him, you can receive the free gift of eternal life. This is where the war rages – for your heart.

Our human nature tells us that we can make our own path, and make it to God by being moral, doing enough good works, and being a part of some religious system. Our world tells us there are many great people to worship, many great things to go after and have, many things to achieve and glory for yourself to be gained. Most people go these ways. But, God is calling you to something different. He wants your heart. He wants your life.

JESUS CHRIST THE KING
· Rose from the dead
· Will be worshiped by all one day

One day, all will say these words:
Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
In the days when the Book of Revelation was written, the Romans were still at the height of their power. Any time a king was conquered by the Roman legions, he was either brought to Rome to prostrate himself before the emperor, or, failing that, he was required to bow and cast down his crown before a massive image of Caesar. The Romans demanded that any conquered king demonstrate his acknowledgment of the Roman Emperor’s superiority. The elders in John’s vision wear crowns, but they show the same total submission to the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

This is a war; and you have to decide you will get your allegiance. A new study by the The Barna Group, conducted among 16-29 year olds, shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago. The study explored twenty specific images related to Christianity, including 10 favorable and 10 unfavorable perceptions. Among young non-Christians, 9 out of the top 12 perceptions were negative, including perceptions that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%) and too involved in politics (75%).

Regardless of your age, it possible that some of these negative perceptions might be an obstacle for you to give your life to Jesus Christ. But, that is a part of this spiritual, Christmas war. You cannot allow your perceptions of Christians to stop you from deciding who you will allow to win the war of your heart. Those perceptions are a part of Satan’s strategy to keep you from following Christ, the one and only true King.

One day, you will bow before this king. You can wait until then, when it too late to follow Him; or you can do it today.The real war wages for your eternal life. Today is the day to give your heart to Jesus Christ. You can do that right there in your seat. You pray to Him without saying anything out loud. You can accept His gift of eternal life. If you have any questions at all, we are here to help you answer those; and even pray with you.

SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
· Worship Him by living for Him
· Worship Him at Christmas time

For those of you who already have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you still are involved in a spiritual war. Not only now at Christmas time, but each and every day, you are tempted to get caught up in our world’s system and to worship something other or someone other than Jesus Christ. Each day, you must die to yourself; and perhaps today, you can identify something that tends to take you away from your total devotion to Jesus Christ.

In our family, we enjoy Christmas trees, music, decorations and giving presents. We love it. But, it is our desire to keep our focus on whom is worthy of our worship this and every time of year. For us, that means reading the Christmas story of Luke 2 before we open presents. It means using other resources, like stories and Christ themed decorations, to remember what this is really all about. It means we emphasize the giving over the receiving. It means we pray and thank God for all the gifts He has given us, especially His Son, Jesus Christ. What are you doing to make sure that Christ wins the war of your heart on Christmas day?

Let’s pray.