I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles tonight to Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two, beginning with verse number one. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth unto Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished. that she should be delivered. 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. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. I want to call your attention to the first five words of John chapter 15 and verse 22. where Jesus said, if I had not come. If I had not come. We've been listening with pleasure for the last several weeks to our pastor preaching on the different reasons why Christ came, right? And tonight we're gonna look at it from the opposite viewpoint and we're gonna talk about Christmas makes a difference. Last year, One day different from this, December 23rd, I preached here at Grace on the greatest gift ever wrapped, where Mary wrapped the baby Jesus in the swaddling clothes we found in our text. But you know, over 2,000 years ago, this world lay wrapped in solemn midnight darkness. It was not an atmospheric darkness only. It was a spiritual darkness that was over the face of the earth. For four centuries there had been no open vision. in that inner testament period from the end of the Old Testament to the beginning of the new, 400 silent years basically. The worship of God except here and there in a little remnant was dead in the human heart. It was a long silent night with spiritual darkness that could almost be felt. But then in our passage of scripture that we read tonight, the heavens were trembling with coming glory. First we see the shepherds responding to the call of the angels to worship God and how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Then we see the star The first, maybe we might call it the first Christian missionary, the star. which led the wise men, possibly as long as a year later from the manger scene. You say, why? Why as much as a year later? Well, when you read the passage in Matthew chapter two, you find that Mary and Joseph and the baby were not in a manger anymore, not there in the stable, but they were in a house. And then you look at the fact that Herod, when he learned about Jesus, what did he do? He killed, had all the baby boys that were two years of age and under killed. And so it was probably a year later, at least that length of time, But now, the veil of darkness is rent in twain, and Jesus Christ, the light of the world, is here among men. One person put it this way, a little child, a little star, a stable rude, the door ajar. Yet in that stable, crude forlorn, the hope of all the race was born. Jesus Christ, Born into this world, divinity became humanity. And the blessing is, he still has his human body. And when we see him in heaven, I believe we'll still be able to see the scars in his hand. and we'll see and know that this is really the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived for 33 years approximately here on this earth, as you know. And then he was falsely accused and went through two different trials and people made up lies about him. And then finally he was put to death on the cross. But he was buried then, and then three days later, hallelujah, he arose from the dead. But what if Christ had not been born? What then? What if Christ had not come? Christmas does make a difference. I wanna give you four reasons tonight why. Now, there are many others that you could probably list, but I just want to focus on four. First of all, without Christmas, all the promises of God concerning a coming Redeemer would be broken. I want to call your attention to five verses of Scripture. First of all, the first verse of prophecy in the Bible, which is Genesis 3.15. where it says, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, not his seed, but her seed, he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The first verse of prophecy in all the Bible, Genesis 3.15. And then in Isaiah chapter 11, verses one and two, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch. If you look at it in the Scripture, you'll see the word branch is capitalized. It's speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And then in Isaiah chapter 59 and verse 20, And the Redeemer, speaking about Jesus, and the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord. And then in Isaiah chapter 62 and verse number 11. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, say you unto the daughter of Zion, behold thy salvation, Talk about Christ. Thy salvation cometh. Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. And then in Zechariah chapter nine, verse nine. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy king is come. speaking about Jesus, cometh unto thee, he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. It's interesting that there are at least 48 different Old Testament prophecies regarding the Lord Jesus Christ that are then fulfilled in the New Testament. World Bible Handbook lists 48 different prophecies, Old Testament about Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament. You read, look at other study Bibles and some of them have in the 30s and so forth, but I found that there were 48 listed in World Bible Handbook. Those Jews in the Old Testament times had been taught to believe that the Messiah was coming. The one who Haggai chapter two verse seven called the desire of all nations was to come. And it was in this expectancy that they lived and worked and died. It was in this faith that their hands had been stretched out through thousands of years. It was this hope that the fires were kept burning on human altars while their hearts beat high with the thought of coming glory. Without Christmas, those hands would have been stretched out in vain, and what would have been true of them would be equally true of us. Without Christmas, all the promises of God concerning a coming Redeemer would be broken. But there's another reason why Christmas makes a difference. And that is, without Christmas, we would never know the true, real character of God. In Greek mythology, Hector was about to leave through the gates of Troy to do battle with the mighty Achilles. His nurse brought his infant child to bid him farewell. When the moment came that the father must say goodbye, He reached out to take his little boy in his arms, but with his helmet on and the plume waving in the breeze, his little boy became so terrified that he turned and clung crying to his nurse. Hector, surmising the reason for the little one's fear, took off the fierce and shining armor from his head and laid it on the ground. Instantly, laughing through his tears, the child leaped into his father's arms. So too, when men think of the majesty of God, when we think about his divine splendor and power, we are afraid, we're taken back. But what was it that Jesus said? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. One person said this, God reveals himself in Christ to his children in the sweetest aspects of his love. The only perfect revelation that God made of himself, he made in his son, Jesus Christ. And if you look at him through Jesus, you will know what kind of God he really is. After all, in John 10, 30, Jesus said, I and my Father are one. And then in John chapter 14, verses eight and nine, Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth, or will satisfy us, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? The late William Beterwulf, who was a great evangelist of years gone by, said this, read the story of Christ's wonderful life, full of compassion and tenderness and forbearance, and if you want a single word to characterize it all, you will have to take four letters and write them over it from the cradle to the cross, from the beginning to the end, the word love, and that is God. And that too, by the way, is the spirit of love and goodwill. The late Morgan Cook of the Philadelphia Inquirer told once in his editorial column of a little fellow who was saying his prayers one Christmas Eve. He had finished his childish petition and had gotten up from his knees. Then he said, I forgot something. And kneeling down again, he closed his eyes and said, dear Jesus, I hope you have a happy birthday. Without the coming of Jesus, without Christmas, you and I would not know the true, real character of God. There's a third reason why we would be lost without Christmas, and that is without Christmas, we couldn't have the forgiveness of sin. Colossians 1.14 says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. and a verse very similar to that in Ephesians chapter one, verse seven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. Matthew 20, 28, even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to what? To give his life a ransom for many. One writer put it this way, my sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to his cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul. Galatians chapter four, verses four and five, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to do what? To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Think of it, standing before an infinitely holy God on the day of judgment without the Christ of Christmas. You and I would have a mountain of unforgiven sin towering above us as a witness to the justice of our eternal condemnation without Christmas. you and I could not have forgiveness of sins. And then without Christmas, we would be without hope and without God in the world according to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 12. And death and Satan would be our conquerors. We see A mother with empty arms whose child had died and someone put it this way, two little feet went pattering by years ago. They wandered off to the sunny sky years ago. They crept never back to the love they left. They climbed never more to the arms be rift years ago. But listen to the hope of the mother. Again, I shall hear the two little feet pattering by, their music a thousand times more sweet in the sky. I joy to know that a Savior's care will keep them safe till I meet them there, by and by. Think about it, a world without Christ, a world without Christmas. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. And then that great passage in Titus chapter 2, for the grace of God. that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Some years ago, I don't remember what year it was, but I remember hearing about the incident when it was taking place. An S-IV submarine wrecked and was submerged in the bottom of the ocean off Providence Town, Massachusetts, with 34 men aboard. Rescuers were coming from all directions in response to the SOS call that had been signaled abroad. An admiral of the U.S. Navy was placed in charge of the rescue, and all power by our government was given to save the men. The only means of communication was by the method of signal tapping. The one message that was tapped out again and again by the doomed men was, how long? will it be now? How long will it be now? Oh, the infinite pathos, the heartbreaking despair of it all. How long will it be now? One by one, they died. And then came painfully the last despairing tamping. How long will it be now? and the signals ceased. The rescuers did their best, but the doomed men died because help did not come. Thank God for Christmas. Christ did come, as we've been hearing Sunday after Sunday in recent days, he did come. And someone has reminded us that it's one thing to say Jesus, but quite another to say, my Jesus. My question for you tonight is, can you say that? My Jesus. It was Elisha Hoffman who sang, what a wonderful savior is Jesus, my Lord. Is Christ really yours? I mean, Christmas is upon us, right? Is the Christ of Christmas truly yours? It's related to me that the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Hamilton in Scotland was an earnest Christian. Now, there's been 16 generations of the Duke of Hamilton. The last one was born in 1974, the 16th generation. And I'm not sure which one of these was the future Duke of Hamilton. But this man was an earnest Christian. I hope the rest of them are. He was stricken with a malignant disease that ended in his death. As the hour of his departure from the world drew near, he took his Bible from under his pillow and read the passage from 2 Timothy 4, verses 7 and 8. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. As death got closer and closer, he called his younger brother to his side. and addressing him with deepest affection and seriousness, closed with these remarkable words. And now, Douglas, in a little time, you'll be a Duke, but I'll be a King. Luke chapter two, verse 11, unto you is born this day in the city of David, A savior, which is Christ the Lord. And then the verse that we heard this morning, Luke 19 10. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Hallelujah, what a savior. Without Christmas, all the promises of God concerning a coming Redeemer would be broken. We would never know the real character of God. We could not have forgiveness of sins. And you and I, we'd be without hope and without God in this world. With death and Satan, our conquerors. I wanna close this short message tonight with a poem written by our friend, Judy Prophet, who lives in Asheville, and she wrote this on December 7th, 2016. It's called The Father's Gift. She said, when we envision Christmas, we think of the manger scene. We think of Mary and Joseph, and we hear the angels sing. But there's another part of the story and it's the father in heaven above who sent his son to the earth to prove his infinite love. He knew what his son would suffer, he knew how abused he would be, yet he permitted this all to happen because he so loved you and me. When our children leave home, How we miss them. When we pass by their bedroom door, we wish they were still little children and we could have them home once more. Some of the time, I feel that way. Now the heavenly throne is half empty, occupied by the father alone. The son's place where he sat beside him is empty now that he is gone. A day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. We know that time is not measured in heaven, but think how long it seemed he was away. So when you think of that first Christmas morning, how Jesus willingly came, remember how hard for his father to send him to such sorrow and shame. We say Christmas is all about Jesus. And we know he and the father are one. So give thanks to our father in heaven for the gift of his wonderful son. Thank God for Christmas. Thank God for the Christ of Christmas. And my prayer is that as you celebrate Christmas with your family and your friends, that we'll not forget, as pastor said this morning, the reason for the season, right? It's Jesus. It's Jesus. It's Jesus. Without Christmas, we would be in terrible shape. But thank God, Christmas did come. And we celebrate it. And we love the Lord of Christmas, Jesus Christ. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Our Father, we thank you tonight for your many, many blessings on our lives. Lord, you've been so good to us. You sent your darling son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come to this old sinful world and to die for our sins. You died for my sins. You died for all of our sins. And then you made the way of salvation so plain and simple that even I could understand it and be saved. And Lord, I just thank you for doing that. Thank you for coming, for living, and then dying on the cross in our place. And then on that third appointed morning, you rose again from the dead. And you appeared to your servants for 40 days, and then you ascended back to the Father's side. But one day, thank you, Jesus, you're coming back. You're coming back and you're gonna set all things right. And then later you're going to rule and reign over this renewed earth forever and ever and ever. And we thank you for that. We pray these things in Jesus' precious name. Amen.