December 22, 2024
While doing sermon prep the past few weeks, I discovered something I knew in general but had never really looked into specifically. When I did look into those specifics, I discovered that the gospels tell the “Christmas Story” in 40 or 41 verses. That’s it. Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-20 combine to give us 40 verses. Mark doesn’t include the birth of Jesus and the only thing John mentions is the fact “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:18). That’s 41 verses. That’s it, and that’s all. On the other hand, there are a whopping 700 plus verses that the gospels tell us about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. For those keeping score, that’s 40 for Christmas and 700 for Easter! I don’t share this with you because I don’t think Christmas is something to celebrate. The birth of Immanuel is absolutely praise worthy. But I share this with you to remind you as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we can’t allow ourselves to separate it too far from His death. Without the death of Jesus on the cross, His birth would be the birth of just another good, moral teacher. The first prophecy given about Jesus in Genesis 3:15, “He will bruise your head” refers to the death of Jesus. It is the blood of Jesus that paid the price for our sins and allows us to be reconciled to God. It is the death of Jesus on the cross that paved the way for God to reverse the curse that was on you, me, and the rest of creation. When Jesus came at His first advent, He came as a humble baby. He came as a suffering servant to pay for our redemption. When Jesus comes at His second advent, He will come as conquering King, and that curse reversal will be complete, and all will be made new. So, let’s celebrate the birth of Immanuel this Christmas season, but as you look at the little baby in the cradle, don’t forget the cross.
Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy
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