Jesus’ sacrifice set aside all other Christmas traditions to set you aside for God!

You might be able to remember what you wanted for Christmas last year, but you might not be playing with it as much as when you first received it. Even if you are still playing with or using what you wanted last year, you still have some things that you would like to receive this year. And the same will be true next year. The toy you want most this year will get replaced, a cycle that repeats Christmas after Christmas.

Even if it is not written down, most of us have a list of things we would like for Christmas. It may have been a while, but some of the most popular toys from the past include Mr. Potato Head, Barbie, Etch A Sketch, NERF Ball, Rubik’s Cube, Gameboy, Razor Scooter, iPad, remote control cars that drive on the wall or ceiling, etc. These popular toys promised to make life great, but they got replaced, and the cycle repeated leaving us wanting. And each year we complain about the commercials and commercialism, greed, entitlement during Christmas, and we talk about all the quality time that we want to have with friends and family, but that does not stop the messaging about buying stuff to make your life better, and our subtle, sneaky or even blatant embracing of the gift getting, traveling, partying, eating, etc. frenzy. Then, each year we lament the money we spent, the gifts that disappointed, were just a fad or broke, the missed family time, how it all went by so quickly and taking our eyes off the baby in the manger. That cycle repeats Christmas after Christmas.

The Old Testament also had a cycle that repeated. Sacrifices and offerings of animals and fruits of the harvest were brought by the Israelites to the Temple year after year. Some lamented this cycle because it became empty of meaning or worth to them. For others, they saw in the sacrifices and offerings the future Savior and God’s promise to make holy, forgive and set aside his people for eternal life in heaven. In our New Testament reading from Hebrews 10, we hear that the cycle of sacrifices and offerings was meant to end with the arrival of Jesus,

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

Although God had told Israel to make the many annual sacrifices and offerings, the way God would take away sin and reestablish his relationship with us would be through the Savior.

From the time of Adam and Eve, the hope for saving us from the cycle of sin and death was not going to come from the birth of an animal or field full of grain. Instead, we would be saved by a baby boy written about in the scrolls of the Old Testament Scriptures as Hebrews 10 continues,

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”

These verses quote a prophecy about the Savior from Psalm 40, so the one speaking here is Jesus. Throughout history, God shared more details about Jesus having his will to save us written down in ink. The long wait for God’s gift caused many to lose hope, while others were encouraged in their faith with the birth of babies from the line of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Rahab, Ruth, David, etc. And our Old Testament reading from Micah 5 added more detail,

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.”

These words affirmed the Savior would come from Judah and be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. He would also rule over Israel, spiritual Israel who are all believers, and he would not only be the Son of Man, but the Son of God, whose origin is from all eternity.

We all get caught up in our Christmas routines. The things we all get caught up in at Christmas are not all inherently evil as if looking at lights, decorating, giving gifts or spending time with family were sinful, but they trap us when they replace Jesus. In Hebrews 10, we read,

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.

Jesus recognized that for the people of his day, their well established and God given routine was sacrifices and offerings. Those were not inherently evil, but if they became the reason for hope or were ignored as pointing to his work, then they became displeasing and undesirable to God. Soon, it will be Christmas, and without the birth of Christ we would have been displeasing and undesirable to God.

We no longer bring sacrifices and offerings to the Temple. Rather than putting your hope in goat sacrifices and grain offerings, your hope that you are pleasing to God and that he desires to be with you rests in Christ as we read in Hebrews 10,

9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The sacrifice for sin has been made by Christ that pleased God and took away all our sins. We are now holy or perfect and without sin. Another way to say that we have been made holy is that we have been set apart from the hopeless world with the hope of eternal life in heaven. Our lives are different and focused because God set aside the first set of sacrifices to establish the second. Christ was born to do God’s will and give us certainty in the prophecy from our Old Testament reading from Micah 5,

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

We have what we need each Christmas with the same gift from God. We do not need to search for or work at something new each Christmas because we have the Christmas child, the free gift, end of the cycle, truth, love, joy, peace and hope that made us holy and set aside for heaven.

Check your list twice this Christmas. We all have a list whether written or unwritten, and we need to be mindful of it or we will miss Christ this Christmas. There are many ways to carry out God’s will by setting aside the first reason for something on your list with what Christ’s birth means for the world. For example, if you love going to look at Christmas lights, then keep as a screen saver, memorize, bookmark or write on a note to keep with you a Bible passage like, John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

gain, looking at Christmas lights is not inherently evil, but how much greater will their light be and how much more hope filling when used to tell and encourage others about Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Or if you can recite every line from the cannon of Hallmark Christmas movies, you can keep on hand, 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

These verses allow you to admit that you may not be as creative as a screenwriter, but you do have people that you talk with, and you can share the simple message of Jesus with them. And, when it is time to open the presents, you can have ready, Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

With these verses you get to talk about the love God has for us and his desire to save us and give us eternal life through faith, so that despite our stocking full of coal level hearts, we get to boast in Jesus. Finally, when you visit with family or friends, you can have in mind these words from our Gospel reading from Luke 1:39-55,

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

These words open the door to talk about the humble state we all live in as distracted, hurt, selfish, broken sinful people who will be left wanting after Christmas if we do not hope in God our Savior. Elizabeth did not know what Mary’s visit meant, but the Holy Spirit worked through Mary’s words to bring her and her baby joy in God our Savior. Along with keeping Jesus on the top of your list this Christmas, also keep on your list sharing what was written about Jesus and how he kept God’s will to save us.

Even if it is not written down, most of us have a list of things we would like for Christmas. Our lists come with promises, but they get replaced. Each year the cycle repeats leaving us wanting, but what we need most and what God wants most for us is for us to be holy. Jesus’ bodily sacrifice is the one-time free and gracious gift that made us holy, forgiven, perfect and set aside from the sinful world to be citizens of heaven. Set aside the distractions to focus on Jesus whose sacrifice set aside all other Christmas traditions to set you aside for God. Amen.