Christmas is for Everyone - Even the Good People
Luke 1:26-28
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
I love Christmas. From the time that I was a little child to this very day, I have always loved Christmas. And I mean all of it, including Christmas parties, Christmas decorations, Christmas shopping and Christmas church services. It is my favorite time of the year.
Now I have a question for you. Who is Christmas for? I suppose the world would answer that question by saying Christmas is for children. And truthfully, there is something very special about a child’s perspective of Christmas. Christmas through the eyes of a child feels magical and extraordinarily exciting. Just this past weekend, I took my grandchildren Christmas shopping and I could see it in their eyes.
But let’s be sure we remember something very important. While there is indeed something special about Christmas and children, Christmas is not only for children. Christmas is for everyone! Matthew 1 is probably not the scripture passage you expect to read when talking about Christmas, after all it is the listing of the genealogy of Jesus. Genealogies provide important facts of history and, yes, they provide a framework for understanding all that preceded the birth of Jesus. But the genealogies of Jesus give us something else as well. It tells us something about the people that need Jesus, and particularly the grace that He offers.
And one of those people listed in Matthew 1 is Mary. Matthew 1:16 says, “Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.” Now there is no doubt that Mary was a special person. From all indications, Mary was a good person. The Bible says she was a virgin in Luke 1:28; she is someone that honored her purity. She lived a pure life. She was also religious, having honored the law of God. But let’s be clear, Mary was not perfect. There was nothing about Mary that was sinless. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing in scripture to suggest that Mary was ever a dispenser of grace. In fact, in Luke 1:28 the Bible says that Mary was called “favored one.” The word “favored” means “grace.” Mary was pure and religious, but Mary was a recipient of grace. Let me say it this way, Mary was a good girl by all secular means, but her good deeds and good life were far from enough to make her perfect or holy. For that she needed the grace of God. And that grace would come only from her son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, Christmas is for everyone. When God took on flesh and became man, he became man for everyone, even good people. Dr. Adrian Rogers, the former Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN said it this way, “There are none so good they need not be saved, and none so bad they cannot be saved.”
If you have convinced yourself that you are a “pretty good person,” then I have a verse of scripture for you. The prophet Isaish said this in Isaiah 64:6, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.” Did you see that? “All of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”
Christmas is for children and certainly the coming of Christ is for the most wretched sinner, but Christmas is also for “good” people. Good people need grace as well. If you are trusting in your good deeds, your church attendance or your acts of morality, then you are trusting in the wrong things. You need exactly what Mary needed, the grace and favor of Jesus.
I love Christmas because there is something for everyone in the message of Christ. The gospel message is for everyone because everyone needs the saving grace that only comes in the person of Jesus.
If you don’t know Jesus, would you take the time to email me at david@davidsmithministry.com. I would cherish the opportunity for us to talk about how you can know Jesus and experience His amazing grace!
Merry Christmas! I pray you will experience and know the grace of Jesus, the baby who changed everything!