GOD OF EXTREMES!
Rev. Dennis Marquardt
Matt. 1:18-25
12/19/99
INTRO:
The simple story of God's son coming as a babe in a
manger has become so familiar that we can easily miss
the extreme measures God took to show us He cares!
While being a human baby is nothing for us, for God to
wrap Himself up in our humanity and become subject to
pain and death and life is so incredible that we fail
to appreciate the gesture of God's love!
Why this time of year, we don't really know when
Christ was born?
ILLUS:
Early Christians wisely decided to celebrate the birth
of Christ on a day that was already a recognized
holiday, December 25. Celebrating on this day would
keep them from suspicion and danger. The Romans called
December 25 "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun"
because it was so close to December 21, the winter
solstice. For Christians it became "The Birthday of
the Unconquered Son." -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000
Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing
Company, 1997).
The darkness of mankind is so extreme that celebrating
the great light in the midst of the greatest darkness
only seems appropriate!
The tragedy however is that we have discovered plenty
of ways to be distracted from the Christ child ... to
get so wrapped up in celebration that we have
forgotten the great mystery and power in God's gift to
mankind! It is possible to get so lost in the
celebration that we become lost to the miracle and
message of God!
ILLUS:
The story is told of a christening that was to be held
many years ago by a very wealthy European family. Many
guests were invited to the home for the occasion and
came in the very latest fashionable garb. Their wraps
and coats were carried to a bedroom and laid upon the
beds. After the usual lot of conversation and
commotion, they were ready for the christening
ceremony and someone asked, "Where is the baby?" The
nurse was sent upstairs to look and returned in
ala ...
Rev. Dennis Marquardt
Matt. 1:18-25
12/19/99
INTRO:
The simple story of God's son coming as a babe in a
manger has become so familiar that we can easily miss
the extreme measures God took to show us He cares!
While being a human baby is nothing for us, for God to
wrap Himself up in our humanity and become subject to
pain and death and life is so incredible that we fail
to appreciate the gesture of God's love!
Why this time of year, we don't really know when
Christ was born?
ILLUS:
Early Christians wisely decided to celebrate the birth
of Christ on a day that was already a recognized
holiday, December 25. Celebrating on this day would
keep them from suspicion and danger. The Romans called
December 25 "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun"
because it was so close to December 21, the winter
solstice. For Christians it became "The Birthday of
the Unconquered Son." -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000
Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing
Company, 1997).
The darkness of mankind is so extreme that celebrating
the great light in the midst of the greatest darkness
only seems appropriate!
The tragedy however is that we have discovered plenty
of ways to be distracted from the Christ child ... to
get so wrapped up in celebration that we have
forgotten the great mystery and power in God's gift to
mankind! It is possible to get so lost in the
celebration that we become lost to the miracle and
message of God!
ILLUS:
The story is told of a christening that was to be held
many years ago by a very wealthy European family. Many
guests were invited to the home for the occasion and
came in the very latest fashionable garb. Their wraps
and coats were carried to a bedroom and laid upon the
beds. After the usual lot of conversation and
commotion, they were ready for the christening
ceremony and someone asked, "Where is the baby?" The
nurse was sent upstairs to look and returned in
ala ...
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