 In Luke chapter two, starting with verse seven, the writer tells us, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there was in the same country, shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior who is in Christ, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Everyone in Christ the entire world will be celebrating Christmas. There are different time zones already that are ringing in the Christmas season as people are opening their gifts. And when we look at this year for Christmas it looks a lot different than it has, right? I mean, usually we're looking at malls packed with shoppers and who are doing last minute shopping. Things are different this year. People are in a different time. And when we look at last year we can see that people were the preparations that people were making for travel. The plans that we're unfolding for as families were getting ready to get together and have Christmas dinner and going to grandma and grandpa's house and unwrapping gifts. We were now caught up in the hustle and bustle of what Christmas is all about. But now this evening Christmas is upon us. And it looks a little different. It looks different and it feels different than it previously has. But yet in the midst of everything that is going on the one thing that should be placed on the forefronts of our minds with all the festivities that are taking place may be in a limited manner is what is the true meaning of Christmas? That is my question for you this evening. And it's probably that I'm preaching to the choir because we all know what the true meaning of Christmas is. We think of Christ. So what is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it buying and exchanging gifts? Is the true meaning of Christmas found around the dinner table with a family sharing a Christmas dinner? Is it the gifts that are under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, the turkey dinners that friends and family will have? Well, in my case, or probably be, and for some of us here, tamales, right? Menudo por sole, the good stuff. Stockings hanging in the living room and shouts of Merry Christmas to those who pass us in the streets. But is this truly what Christmas is all about? To truly, really grasp what the true meaning of Christmas is, we can look to the Bible. It's not just found in one single portion of the Bible but throughout the entire Bible. And tonight I would like to walk you for a little bit down a journey through the true meaning of Christmas and the reason for Christmas. All the way back to the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, we see the plan of Christmas unfolding. Genesis chapter three, verse 15, which is considered the first gospel was revealed to us to show that God had a plan to save you and I because he loves us that we were in need of a savior. Genesis chapter three, verse 15 says, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed and he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. In other words, the writer of Genesis is saying, I'm gonna place hostility between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring and he will strike you on the head and you will bruise his heel. This is an amazing verse because in the first eight verses of chapter three, we see that sin has entered into the world through Adam and Eve. You see, when sin entered the world, there was this separation between God and mankind and as a result, every one of us was born a sinner in need of a savior. Well, how does this sound, John, like a Merry Christmas story? Well, it gets better. In Romans chapter three, verse 23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So there was a promise, something interesting here to point out in the last portion of Genesis chapter three, verse 15, knowing as the first gospel, as God is speaking to the serpent, he says, he shall strike your head and you shall strike his heel. In other words, God is pointing out that there was a plan that will allow us back into communion with God because he loves you. He loves me. He loves us and the purpose for being created is for us to have fellowship with him. You know, during this time, we see that there's a lot of brokenness, there's a lot of hurt, there's a lot of pain, there's a lot of mistrust and fear and a lot of times we can lose focus that Jesus truly loves us and that God set out a plan all the way back in the book of Genesis for you and I to have communion with Christ again. Why? Because he loves you. He loves me. And God made this promise, he made us away way back then that would be the promise of the coming Messiah, the plan for you and I to have unbroken communion with the Lord, the plan for you and I to be joined together with a loving God, to have a relationship with him that was set forth all the way back in the book of Genesis. Amazing. You know, sometimes we read the book of Genesis and we read something like this and we're like, oh, God must have had a plan B. No, he had a plan A all along. This wasn't a surprise to God. This wasn't his plan B, like, oh, oh, I better think of something fast because sin is entered in the world. He had a plan for us to reunite with him again, the good news of the promise of a savior. Isn't that great news today in the world that is fearful? In a world that is striking everybody with fear and uncertainty? In a time where the true meaning of Christmas has seemed to be kind of just lost in this whole pandemic, in this whole era of fear, we have a tendency to lose what God has intended for you and I to have, which is communion with him. This wasn't a surprise to God, that sin entered in the world all the way back in Genesis chapter three. The promise of a coming Messiah to save us from the power of sin and to put us in right standing with God. This has been spoken about with Old Testament prophets. When you look at Isaiah chapter seven, verse 14, it says, therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign and behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel, Emmanuel, God with us. Another prophetic announcement found in Isaiah chapter nine, verse six says, for unto us a child is born, unto us a Savior is given and the government will be upon his shoulders. A government today is upon his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. Amazing. There was a plan back in the book of Isaiah, a prophetic announcement and the coming of Messiah was spoken about through the prophet Isaiah 700 years before. And now look what happens. When we look again at Luke chapter two, verses seven through 14, you know how many times have we read this passage in school plays, right? Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, goodwill towards men. Or you'll find a babe rocked in swaddling cloth lying in a manger. We read this story over and over again. It's the Christmas story. And we could become so familiar with it when I was going over this, I picked up on something here that I thought was very interesting to me that I have read over hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. The announcement that these angels are making to shepherds, he tells them that a firstborn will be brought forth and he will be wrapped in swaddling cloths, that he's laid in a manger because there's no room in the end. And that there are shepherds that were out keeping their flock by night. And the angel of the Lord stood before them and began this to make this proclamation of a coming savior. And the angel says to him, do not be afraid for I bring you good tidings with great joy for there is born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Now this is what's interesting to me. We're people of, you know, show me and I'll believe, right? The proof is in the pudding. I'll believe it when I see it. That's kind of how I am. My wife will tell me something. I was like, oh, you show me the money first, right? I need to see it before I believe. And the angels, when they brought this proclamation about a coming savior, they said something interesting here that the shepherds would pick up on because he tells them that they'll find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. This will be a sign unto you. And then it says, and suddenly there was with an angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God insane, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Again, when we look at verse seven, we see something very interesting here. We, something that we can pass over that I've passed over time after time. And it's interesting because a lot of times when we read the Bible, we read it through Western eyes. When we take a moment to try to grasp seeing things through a Middle Eastern culture, there's a lot of significant portions in the Bible that really gives us that aha moment. It gives us that moment like, wow, that really makes sense. And here's one of those moments. See, for me, I read over and over that she will bring forth her first son and wrap him in swaddling cloths. You know how many times I've read that? You know, when I had my first born daughter, I thought about this verse, trying to swaddle her in cloth and I was practicing, I mean, I had the idea of rolling her tortilla. I was trying to roll her up that way and it didn't work. But for all this parents who have swaddled our babies in the cloth, you know, when you go to the hospital and the nurses do it for you, they do it really quickly and they do a good job. When I do it, it seemed like arm was sticking out, legs taken out and it just wasn't swaddling. But there's a Middle Eastern perspective on why Jesus was swaddled. See, the significance of swaddling cloths takes us to the Tower of the Flock mentioned in Micah chapter four, verse eight. It's also referenced as Midgal-Edder. In Micah chapter four, verse eight, it says, and you, oh, Tower of the Flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall sit, shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem, the Tower of the Flock. The Hebrew word for the Tower of the Flock is Midgal-Edder as I just mentioned and it's located in the outskirts of Bethlehem. Why is this important? I'm glad you asked. Listen to what Micah chapter five, verse two says, but you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, through you are little among the thousands of Judah, you out of you shall come forth to me, the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. So what does this tell us? It tells us that of course that Jesus will be born and come from Bethlehem. Many scholars and commentators point out that that Jesus was born in this location. You see the Tower of the Flock is a very significant location and had a very significant, a significant meaning to those who are using sheep for temple sacrifices. It was a watchtower that would watch over the sheep for protection, not just regular sheep. These were the sheep that were to be used and cared for and raised up for temple sacrifices. These sheep that were watched over the Tower of Midgal or the Tower of the Flock were designed for shepherds to watch over these sheep in order that they wouldn't be damaged or harmed or diseased in order to be used as a sacrifice. Sound familiar? These lambs that were born in this Tower of the Flock were under the watchful eye of the shepherds who would often inspect them and certify them for the sacrifices used in the temple or designate them to be used or released for common use. So these sheep would be born in this Tower of the Flock and the shepherds would grab them and they would inspect them and they would wrap them in swaddling cloths to protect them from diseases, from broken bones, or from any type of blemish or spot because they were to be used for temple sacrifices. They would be, these new lambs would be wrapped in special swaddling cloths once they were certified again to ensure their safety from harm, diseases, or anything else that may bring a spot or blemish upon them. Remember with me in 1 Peter chapter one, verse 19, that Peter references Jesus as the lamb without spot and without blemish. The shepherds, so you're telling me that the shepherds knew what this meant? Of course they did. In Luke chapter two, verse 12, when the angel announces to the shepherd, and this will be a sign to you that you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. The shepherds knew right away what that meant. In John chapter one, verse 14, it says, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So we see the promise of Genesis chapter 315 unfolding right before our eyes. We see the plan of a coming Messiah with a prophecy over 700 years prior. Then we see the birth of Jesus, and then we see the life of Jesus, and then here comes friends, the true meaning of Christmas. The reason why we celebrate Jesus, why we celebrate the giving and receiving of gifts, because Jesus went to the cross and died for you and I. He went to the cross and provided the ultimate sacrifice that we may have a relationship with God. But what's so amazing about this is that even back then, the shepherds knew when they seen Jesus lying in a manger wrapped with swaddling clothes that this was gonna be the Messiah that would take away the sin of the world. Amen. Is that our sins would be forgiven? You know what's amazing, you guys? As I'm looking around and I see pretty much perfect people here. I think I heard Carlos laughing. I don't know him in Lonnie. There are sins that God has forgiven me for that only God knows about and I thank God for that. There are sins that I have done in my life that are so ratchet, that would bring shame to people if they knew. There are sins that God only knows that He has forgiven us for. And this is what the true meaning of Christmas is all about, that our sins would be forgiven and that were made washed and were made brand new. And that the promise is given back all the way from the book of Genesis is now being fulfilled because Jesus loves you. In John chapter 19 verse 30 says it is finished, paid in full. Jesus, having paid the price for the sin of all who would ever believe in Him, the ultimate victory was His. He had crushed the head of Satan, removing forever His rule over man. The rule of sin and now offers eternal life for all of us here. Isn't that an amazing gift for all of us? But you know what's the interesting thing here? God has always had a plan of salvation in mind. It wasn't, I gotta go back to the drawing board. It wasn't, oh, I need to make some tweaks and changes here. God always had a plan. But why is that? Because He has always had you on His mind. You are always on His mind. He loves you with the love that is eternal. A love that is hard for us to wrap our finite minds around. A love that He says that when you pick up the grains of sand in the beach, that all those numbers of sand, granules that come through the hand, He has more thoughts of you towards all those grains. He loves you. And even before the world was made, Jesus loved you and has chosen you to be holy and without fault in His eyes. This is what I love, what Ephesians chapter one, verse four tells us. It says, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, He chose you, that we should be holy without blame before Him in love. Before the foundation of the world, He chose you, Albert. Andrew, He chose you. Rick, He chose you. Maggie, He chose you. He chose all of us. Before the foundation of the world, Jesus Christ chose you because He loves you. Isn't that an amazing gift that we can have that? Not only celebrate for Christmas, but that we celebrate every day. See, when Jesus died for our sins and He resurrected from the dead, He crushed the head of Satan, defeated sin and now offers a relationship with God and offers us eternal life. So what is the true meaning of Christmas? It's Jesus' love for you and me. We know that John 3.16 and 17 says, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish. But what? Have everlasting life. For God did not come into the world, God did not send His Son to come into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him, we might be saved. You see, the real Christmas story is the story of God becoming a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Why did He do such a thing? Why does God love us so much? Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior. And this evening, we have the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. He loves you. He loves me. I mean that, I don't know if you guys ever felt unlovable. I don't know how my wife puts up with me. Why are you guys laughing? Honey, if you're watching, God bless you. And there are times where I'm unlovable. There's times where I'm thinking, oh man, am I really a Christian? I mean, but you know, regardless, what's so amazing about God's love is that there are no conditions attached to it. I can have a bald head and God still loves me. I can have a lot of hair and God still loves me. Isn't it amazing that our, that God's love for us is not conditional? When we wake up and we don't look the best, God still loves us. When we're going through the most difficult times in our lives and sometimes we feel alone or we feel that nobody understands or we feel that we're in the valley of the shadow of death, God still loves us. In those difficult times when tomorrow doesn't look, doesn't look good, God still loves us. Why does he love us so much? Because God is love. First John 4, 7 and 8 says, be lovable. Let us love for one another for love is of God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. So why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Because out of the gratitude for what Jesus has done for you and I on the cross, the true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved his own and provided a way, the only way through Jesus Christ for us to spend eternity with us. Have you guys ever got a tape measure out? And then if you were to pull a tape measure out, you know when you go home, do it. Get a tape measure and pull it out and count each inch as 1,000 years. Some tape measures are 35 feet long, right? 25 feet long, 10 feet long. And you measure seven inches, 7,000 years or 700 years. You can put a value to any of the inch that you want. And we can unload that whole tape measure and still haven't come close to what eternity looks like. Still haven't been close to the promises of eternal life that Jesus Christ has for us. He gave his only son to take our punishment for our sins on the Christ. He paid the price in full for you and I. Isn't it amazing that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths as a baby because ultimately, he was gonna be our sacrifice for eternal life. But God demonstrated his love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. May I close with a story? Some of you who come to the men's ministry Tuesday morning study may have heard this story. But I think this story really wraps up the love that Jesus Christ has for all of us. And I'll make it brief. There was a man who and a son who spent time looking at pieces of art. And they had a room in their house that had these rare pieces of art that they would look at every day and the son would say, I love this piece of art because of and the father would say, but I love this piece of art because of and they would share time together talking about these rare pieces of art. I mean, it was Van Gogh and it was Picasso and Michelangelo and they were these rare pieces of art that they designated one room for. And every day they would go and they would share how they love these pieces of art. Well, one day the father and the son eventually separated. See, the son was one off to war. And during that time, the father would still go into that room and he would look at those pieces of art and he'd say, my son loved this piece because of this and he'd love this piece because of that. And it brought good memories to him. Often he would shed a tear. Often he would think of how much he missed his son and how much he loved him. Well, one day the father gets that dreaded knock on the door and as somebody from the war department informing him that his child, his only son had now been killed in action and the father was devastated. No longer would he go into that room and look at these pieces of art because it just broke his heart too much. It was too much for him to bear. And one day there was a knock on the door and so he goes and opens the door and there's a young man dressed in a military uniform and he said, sir, you don't know who I am, but I want you to know that I am here because of your son. I am here because your son gave his life for mine. You see, there was a situation that our troop got involved with and there was a hang grenade that went off and it was your son who laid across the grenade that kept all of us alive. And this young man in uniform was holding a picture and he said, I understand that you and your son liked art and so I wanted to give this to you and so he gives him this art and the father looks at it and it's a painting of his son. It's a portrait and immediately streams of tears begin to flow from the father's face from his eyes. And it's obviously an amateur painting. He looks at this painting and he sees the contours of his son's face, the shape of his eyes, his cheeks and it really captured the essence of his son. And the father got that picture, obviously an amateur painting and he held it close to his heart. He goes inside that room where him and his father, him and his son used to go and he puts that picture right in the middle of their room and he would just stare at it. Well, one day the father dies and now they're gonna have an estate sale with all these paintings that were rare. So all these connoisseurs from all over the world, they come and they wanna place the bids on these pieces of art. And everybody was excited because again, all these paintings were there and people started coming in and the auctioneer comes up and he says the first order of business and what he does is he presents this picture of the son before these art connoisseurs and said first order of business and there's a chuckle throughout the crowd because obviously it's an amateur painting. But as the auctioneer begins to say $20 going once and the people are starting to get restless they're like, come on, let's get to the real stuff. Well, will somebody just buy this junk so we can get to the real stuff? And in the back of the room, an old man says $20. The auctioneer says $20 going once, $20 going twice, sold to the man in the back. Hits the gavel, this old man fraily walks up to the front and he takes the picture and he looks at it, holds it to his chest, sheds a tear and begins to walk out. The auctioneer gets back up there and says we have concluded our estate sale, slams the gavel down and everybody's in up in arms. They're gonna start a riot. What do you mean it's all done? We just got here and here's what the auctioneer says and this is the study in one sentence. You know what the auctioneer says? Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you guys, okay? The auctioneer says whoever has the son gets everything. Whoever has Jesus Christ has everything.