Hogey watches the Hallmark channel. For those of you who have met him you know what a shocking statement that is. For those of you who don’t know Hogey, I should explain. Hogey is my father-n-law and a recuring character in many of my sermons. He is like a goldmine when it comes to preaching illustrations. For example, Hogey watches the Hallmark channel. Which is shocking because Hogey is a no-nonsense kind of man. For many years he worked as an umpire for high school and college baseball games. In fact, he is in the Saginaw county sports hall of fame for his officiating which means Hogey was very good at ignoring all the criticisms and complaints that are often offered by disgruntled coaches and proud parents. Hogey calls em as he sees em and he doesn’t really care if you don’t sees em as he calls em. Even off the field sometimes Hogey comes across as gruff and grumpy but beneath that umpire’s exterior is a gooey center. Hogey likes to curl up in his lazy boy wrapped a blanket and watch endless hours of the Hallmark channel. He just can’t seem to get enough of those modern fairytales about a greedy investment banker from out of town who falls in love with a small-town girl who somehow keeps the family farm going with her spunk and spirit. I have never actually seen Hogey brought to teers by a Hallmark movie, but he does have a box of tissues by his chair.
Hogey watches the Hallmark channel which is proof that everyone likes a good fairytale. I think part of the reason we like fairytales is they are a temporary escape from reality. In a fairytale the bad guys get what’s coming to them, the good guy gets the pretty girl, and the family farm is saved. Everyone likes a good fairytale because the reality is life, real life, seldom turns out like that. In real life the bad guy more often than not gets away with it, and the good guy turns out to be not so good after all, and the pretty girl is usually disappointed and disillusioned in the end. The reality is life, real life, often stinks and sometimes you just want to escape into a fairytale. Fortunately, tis the season for fairytales. This time of year, there are a plethora of tales (yes, I just used the word plethora) there are a plethora of tales about a winter wonderland full of magical mistletoe, gravity defying caribou, and sleigh driving saints. During the Christmas season, I myself have been known to curl up on the couch, wrap myself in a blanky, and watch a fairytale or two or three or as many as I can. However, The problem with a temporary escape from reality is the escape from reality is only temporary. Fairytales aren’t real. They can’t help real people who live in a real world with real problems, which means fairytales can’t help you.
Thankfully, your faith is not a fairytale. This time of year, there is one story told that is unlike all the others, and that story is the Christmas story. I know the story about a baby born in Bethlehem to poor parents who turns out to be the King of creation and the Savior of the world sounds a lot like a fairytale. The story of our redemption sounds too good to be true and that is exactly what the Devil wants you to think. The Devil is happy to have you listen to the Christmas story, as long as you listen to it like it’s a fairytale about a poor princess who goes on a long journey to her ancestral home where she gives birth to a magic baby who is destined to rule the world. The Devil wants you to believe the Christmas story is a fairytale because then the Christmas story can’t help real people who live in a real world with real problems, then the Christmas story can’t help you. But your faith is not a fairytale! The Christmas story is true. It really happened. A real baby was born in a real world to save real people, real people like you.
The Holy Spirit warns us about treating the Christmas story like a fairytale. He says, “19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.” The Spirit’s fire is the faith that burns inside of you. The Holy Spirit lit this fire inside of you either through the pouring out of water from the font or the preaching of the Word from a pulpit. By the grace of God, the fire of faith burns inside of you and no one and no thing can take the Spirit’s fire from you, but you can put it out, you can extinguish your faith. All you must do is treat the prophecies with contempt; treat the Christmas story like it has no value or worth. Now you might ask yourself, who would do such a thing? Surely not you, surely not I. There is nothing more important to us than coming to church on a Sunday morning and listening to the Christmas story; there is no sporting event, no social activity, no snooze button that can keep us from listening to that story … right?!? And as we listen to that story, we always pay attention, we never daydream during a sermon, even though we have heard the same stories year after year… right?!? Then after we have heard the story, we are never skeptical of the angelic appearances even though we have never seen one ourselves, we never doubt Mary’s virginity because no girl has ever lied about that, and we never question how the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form, though such a thing is a beyond our comprehension… right?!? Who would ever treat the Christmas story with contempt? Surely not you, surely not I… right?
Just in case you have been tempted to treat prophecies with contempt; just in case you have been tempted to treat the Christmas story like a fairytale The Holy Spirit invites you to “21 Test everything.”; examine the Christmas story to see if it is true. When people ask me how they can be certain that a story like the Christmas story is true, the first thing I do is invite them to read it for themselves. But I warn them the Bible is a book like no other. First, by calling itself “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”[1] the Bible claims the ability to make believers out of its readers. Second the Bible is a collection of historical documents like no other. The Bible is the only book that predicts historical events before they happen. All other historical documents record events that have happened in the past. The Bible records historical events years, decades, centuries, millennia before they happen. Some of those recorded events are about the Christmas story.
About 600 years before the Christmas story takes place the prophet Jeremiah prophesied the story would be about one of King David descendants. In Jeremiah 23:5-6 we read, “5 The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.” Then, 600 years later, the Christmas story tells us “26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel announces the child “32 will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.[2]
About 700 years before the Christmas story takes place the prophet Micah prophesied the story would take place in the little town of Bethlehem. In Micah 5:2 we read, “2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Then, 700 years later, the Christmas story tells us “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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.”[3]
Also, about 700 years before the Christmas story takes place the prophet Isaiah makes one of the most incredible prophecies about the story. Isaiah prophesied the Christmas story will be the result of a virgin birth. In Isaiah 7:14 we read, “14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Then, 700 years later, the Christmas story tells us “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” When Joseph understandably questioned the virginity of his pregnant fiancé an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and explained “20… Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”[4]
These are but three key elements of the Christmas story. All of them were recorded hundreds of years before the events took place. There are literally hundreds of other prophesies about the main character in the Christmas story, all of which were recorded years, decades, centuries, millennia before they happen, all of which in time were perfectly fulfilled. You want to know how you can be certain the Christmas story is not just another fairytale? Test it and you will discover overwhelming evidence that the Christmas story is true.
The Christmas story really happened. A real baby was born in a real world to save real people, real people like you. Which is why the Holy Spirit invites you to “21…Hold on to the good.” Hold on to the Christmas story. Hold on to it not simply with a mind that has the characters and content of the story memorized but hold on to it also with a heart that cherishes the meaning of the story. The Christmas story does not just offer you a temporary escape from reality, it offers you a new reality. A reality in which the one and only good guy sacrificed Himself so that bad guys and girls like you and me could enjoy an eternity of happily ever afters in heaven. Hold on to the Christmas story - make every effort to hear it, for it is the most important story ever told. Hold on to the Christmas story - though you have heard it all before listen to it closely that you may know it better. Hold on to the Christmas story – though it says some incredible things it has proven those incredible things to be true. The Christmas story is a story like no other. Hold on to the Christmas story.
Hogey watches the Hallmark channel because like everyone else Hogey likes fairytales. I have already watched my fair share of fairytales, but I am sure before the season is over, I will be watching a few more. I hope you can find time over the next week or so to watch a few fairytales yourself. Just be sure to remember the Christmas story isn’t one of them. The Christmas story really happened. A real baby was born in a real world to save real people, real people like you. Your faith is not a fairytale. Hold on to the Christmas story. Amen.
[1] Romans 1:16
[2] Luke 1:26-27 & 32
[3] Luke 2:4-7
[4] Matthew 1:18 & 20