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The Christmas season is crazy enough, but we are all pretty sure that Christmas 2020 is going to be a little crazier than normal. Health scares, lockdowns, financial struggle, political stress, social distance… Are you ready for a crazy Christmas? We need to take time to remember the 1st Christmas was also crazy. Joseph & Mary experienced crazy family drama in Bethlehem, that caused them to spend that night in a stable. Join us as Pastor Chris Fluitt teaches us that while people write themselves out of your story, it is your true family that writes themselves into your story. The people who have included us in their story is what makes Christmas crazy wonderful.
Merry Christmas everyone! We are celebrating Christmas here at Redemption Church in Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt.
We are serving up a fresh sermon series we are calling Crazy Christmas.
Crazy Christmas (title slide)
As if Christmas needed to add any ‘crazy’ to the mix. Christmas is already, normally, a crazy time of year.
Families dealing with loss: There is an empty chair where a loved one used to sit;
Families dealing with financial strain and the guilt of not being able to provide;
Families dealing with the overcrowded schedule. 3 Christmas parties in a day is not something you should try to do;
Families dealing with a Holiday season that is more and more forgetting about the birth of the savior, Jesus Christ.
Christmas is crazy!
With the year we have had, it is likely that this Christmas will be a little crazier than the norm. Will there be a government imposed shutdown/lockdown because of Covid19? You may ask yourself “How are we going to have our family get-togethers under those conditions? What is the safe and wise thing to do?”
I am not here to lecture you or judge you on your crazy covid19 Christmas decisions. I am here today to tell you that this is a Crazy Christmas, and that the first Christmas was also crazy.
The 1st Christmas was Crazy
The Christmas story in your Bible includes all the things that make your Christmas crazy, as well. Over the next weeks we will talk about…
- Crazy Family Drama
- Crazy Travel
- Crazy Unexpected
So if you are already going a little crazy, let me tell you that you are not crazy… you aren’t imagining the struggle… the struggle is real and you are not the only one going a little crazy.
Sometimes it is a relief for someone to look you in the eye and admit that they too are barely holding it together. That is one of the things I really like about Redemption Church. I think we do this well. Let’s practice. Look around the room and catch an eye with someone and give them one of those looks that says, “O.M.G. I am barely holding it together. I am not a perfect parent, spouse, or Christian. You are not alone in struggle.”
Crazy Family
Few things are able to hurt like a family hurt. The preacher should have gotten a free “amen” out of that sentence.
During these holidays, people are jammed together in closer proximity. And, you may find yourself around people whom you…
- Disagree with politically. “Tell me how you could ever vote for so & so”…
- People who are unbelievers and people that are hypocrites…
- People who have hurt you in the past. Abuse, lies, un-kept promises…
- People who just don’t seem to like you and you have no clue why…
- People who are competitive… You share that you went on a five day cruise and they always have a one up story about how they took a 30 day backpacking trip through Mulan and one of the hikers was (fill in random celebrity)…
- People who won’t forgive you… talk to you…
- People who don’t invite you to the party…
You know what it is like to be jammed in with Crazy Family. Now, you may be listening to me and thinking… “hmm I can’t relate. I don’t have crazy family…” Then, I hate to be the one to tell you that if you can’t think of crazy family… it is because YOU ARE THE CRAZY FAM. You are the one we are talking about. Please get yourself together this December! J
The 1st Christmas had Crazy Family Drama
Don’t feel so bad that your fam is crazy… full of dorks, goofballs, ding-a-lings, wingnuts, & knucklehead ‘McSpazatrons’… (SpongeBob Square pant’s movie reference counter: #1)
…The first Christmas family was crazy. This is an often overlooked part of the Christmas story.
Luke 2:1 (NIV) In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Luke 2:3-5 (NIV)And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Luke 2:7 (NIV) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Joseph & Mary had to travel to Bethlehem, because this was the hometown of Joseph. He would have had family & friendships in the town of Bethlehem.
It would have been customary for Joseph & Mary to stay with Joseph’s family in Bethlehem…, especially considering that Mary was so close to giving birth.
But, where did Joseph & Mary stay in Jerusalem? They stayed in a stable with animals and laid the baby in a food trough.
Many sermons are preached about the unlikelihood of a king being born in such conditions. Tonight let’s point out something different.
Where was Joseph’s Family?
They were in Joseph’s hometown. Where was Joseph’s parents? Where were Joseph’s brothers & sisters? Where were his aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends?
His lineage comes from this little town of Bethlehem. He likely had family living in this town… If He had no family living in this town, his family still would have also made the journey back to the town of their lineage. Unless all of Joseph’s family & friends are dead (unlikely), Joseph had family & friends in town. And yet, Jesus is born in a stable… not in a home. Why?
Family Drama: Scandalous Christmas
Don’t feel bad that you have disappearing family. Don’t feel bad that you have family drama. Don’t feel bad that people are gossiping & whispering… The first Christmas also had family drama.
Luke 2:5 (NIV) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Mary was pregnant with someone else’s child. Jesus is the son of God. Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. THIS IS SCANDALOUS!
Mary was pledged TO BE MARRIED to Joseph… They were, as we would say in our culture, engaged to be married, but they had not yet joined themselves in Holy Matrimony. They had not yet had the wedding, or the honeymoon. …and yet she was pregnant. THIS IS SCANDALOUS!
Scripture does not directly say this, but it is logical that the family of Joseph refused to acknowledge Mary, the baby (Jesus), and even Joseph. They offered no place for Joseph & Mary to stay.
Luke 2:7 (NIV) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
We are probably more familiar with the way the King James Version translates this verse.
Luke 2:7 (KJV) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
We often hear the phrase “there was no room for them in the inn.” This translation makes us imagine that the local Motel 6 was completely full. Yet the actual Greek word is not “inn” but guest chamber, “guestroom,” or “place of lodging.” [katalyma]
[ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2646&t=KJV ]
Joseph & Mary on this very first Christmas had no place to spend the night. Because of the scandal, every door had been closed to them. In the hour of their great need, far from home, pregnant and near to giving birth any moment… no one in the entire village offered a space in their home… not a couch, not a spot in the corner, not the floor in the kitchen. The greatest act of kindness they received is that someone must have let them spend the night in their stable. They were treated like animals…
Joseph, a son of David, in the city of David, slept like the shepherd boy David, among the sheep. [Forgotten like David was forgotten when the prophet Samuel asked to see all the sons of Jesse.]
How are you treated by your family? Do you feel disowned? Are the doors closed for you? Is there no room for you in your household? Maybe when you “go home” it is anything but a home. Maybe you feel like a stranger in your own hometown.
People write themselves out of your story
The grandparents of Jesus wrote themselves out of the story.
The aunts and uncles of the Messiah removed themselves from this amazing story.
The cousins, friends, and neighbors erased themselves from the story that mattered most.
There are people who wrote themselves out of the story. There are family members of Joseph who wrote themselves out of the gospels.
This had to hurt Joseph. This had to hurt Mary.
During this Crazy Christmas you may have people remove themselves from your life. It hurts, but know this; you are not alone in this struggle. This struggle was felt by a young family in Bethlehem on the first Christmas.
Your true family writes themselves into your story
Mary was rejected at no fault of her own. People closed the door on Mary, but Joseph wrote himself into the story. He stood by her. He believed her. At the cost of what others thought of him, He chose Mary & this miracle son. Joseph wrote himself into the story.
Others wrote themselves into the story.
Luke 2:8-9 (NIV) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Luke 2:12 (NIV) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:15-20 (NIV) When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
These shepherds wrote themselves into the story.
Luke 2:25-33 (NIV) Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
Simeon wrote himself into the story.
Luke 2:36-38 (NIV) There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
A prophetess named Anna wrote herself into the story.
Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV) After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:11 (NIV) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Magi wrote themselves into the story…
People write themselves out of your story, your true family writes themselves into your story
People write themselves out of your story. If you aren’t careful you will only focus on those who write themselves out of the story… and forget about all the crazy wonderful family members who have chosen to write themselves into your life.
There is difficulty, and there is struggle… but there is also crazy wonderful blessing in your life.
Crazy Wonderful
I pray you have a crazy wonderful Christmas. I pray that you recognize your true family.
I pray that you realize God has written himself into your story… and invited you to be in His family.
John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Do you receive Jesus today?
Do you believe in His name?
Are you a child of God?
Will you write Jesus into your story today?
This could be the most crazy – wonderful Christmas ever.
If you have never received Jesus, today is the day. Meet us in prayer. Look me in the eye and say I want to receive Jesus.
Have you believed on His name? You online, leave a comment we will get in touch with you. We will make sure that you become a Child of God.
You children of God, can we spend some time thanking our crazy wonderful Jesus for writing Himself into our story.
As I pray I want you to come.