Christmas exist because Christ exist; and, Christ came because sin leads to everlasting death. Christ came to purchase men and women He ransomed from every tribe, people, nation and language (Revelation 5:9-10), that He might be gloried in the hearts of man. The incarnation, Jesus first coming, if anything, was an act done by God for God’s own glory, that all who would taste and be satisfied in salvation by Christ alone would give God great glory, praise, honor, and worship. Christ first coming, therefore, was and is a missional mandate; namely, those without hope might taste the excellencies of Christ coming, and, the excellencies in presenting the Gospel to the eternal hopeless.
THE EXCELLENCIES OF CHRIST COMING
Before coming to faith in Christ I knew nothing of His soul satisfying nature. I can remember sitting alone, age 19, Christmas Eve. There I was, a bag of cocaine to my left, and a pouch of ecstasy to my right; fuming at the thought of God’s existence. In that time, nothing satisfying about the thought of God, or the thought of Church existed within myself; it all seemed dismal and boring. I knew not of the overwhelming excellencies of Christ saving power, nor, His amazing grace, kindness, joy, beauty, satisfaction, faithfulness, and mercy. How could I know of something that I had not yet experienced? Christ hood-winked me with Himself at a seemingly unapproachable time. I had no interest in Him. My concept for Christianity was certainly blind of anything excellent. However, when His Spirit come upon me, I found in Him delightful adoration, I found delightful excellency that surpassed my fleeting passions and hardened offenses.
When I review the times of season past, at Christmas time, I am brought nearer to the depths of His mercy, love, and faithfulness, which He joyfully displays in my life; His past, present and future grace. The excellencies of Christ coming at His incarnation were and are for the purpose of magnifying the glory due His name. By purchasing the right to save a wretch like me, thus, has brought my person into a perpetual state of magnifying the glory due His name. God, in Jesus Christ, tasted of death that I might taste of the supreme satisfaction of His life (Hebrews 2:9).
THE EXCELLENCIES IN PRESENTING THE GOSPEL TO THE ETERNAL HOPELESS
Feed the poor and preach the Gospel. The story of Mary of Bethany is peculiar in that it draws out devotion to Jesus verse social justice. The young woman receives a costly oil as an inheritance, worth about one year’s wages. She knows something about Jesus and His Messiah-ship that even the disciples do not; devotion and adoration. It seems to me that at this stage of the disciple’s journey, they have, or at least think they have, a pretty good idea of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Yet, we discover that at the pouring out of this costly oil, they all became indignant, and they all appeal to social justice! “What a waste” they said! “This could have been sold and given to the poor” they said! Jesus responds, “For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:1-8)
Why does this woman’s act of devotion get memorialized? Why should we mention this wherever the Gospel be preached? Jesus is not implying that we should not care for the poor. He is necessitating His worth of devotion and adoration, more so than providing for the poor. Salvation of a mans soul, a mans hearts soaked in devotion to Jesus is more important than social justice. Social justice, then, becomes an overflow of devotion to Jesus; we care for the poor and the needy out of lovesick obedience to Jesus. And, if our social justice’s are founded upon devotion to Jesus, how on earth would we leave the preaching of the Gospel out of the equation, in the name of “love?” We cannot! We must not! Preaching the Gospel is an act of love. A soul coming to Christ is the ultimate social justice! Avoiding preaching the Gospel is the ultimate social injustice! Fallen men need Christ! Filling bellies does not possess within itself the power to receive Christ love, Christ must be mentioned. People need to know that Christ love is the reason, lest by default they consider you one of a few kind hearted people. In our clothing and feeding, let us also clothe and feed the needy soul with Christ.
This Christmas season, let us not grow weary. The best gift of all is Christ Himself. The excellencies of Christ mercy towards the sinner must also become excellent in our own hearts. The spiritually dead, dying and lost are in need of their Savior. They do not know it, but we do. They do not know of His mercy; but we do. The preaching, proclamation, testifying, sharing, writing, of the Gospel, is to actively make much of Jesus and it glorifies God in doing so. Jesus is worthy to glorify.
America, oh Christian America. Beloved! Come now and put the whims of cultural Christmas on the back-burner; let us grab hold of the biblical mandate of making much of Jesus to those who do not know Him. Jesus, on the day we celebrate His first coming wants souls, not material gifts that bring temporary happiness. Let us gladden ourselves in the delighting of glorifying our Savior by proclaiming His amazing grace and mercy this Christmas season. Amen!