The Cost of Christmas
Not long ago, a professor gave his class a word association test. They first wrote down the word “Christmas,” and then they were told to write down next to it the first thing that came into their minds. When the papers were turned in, such answers were given as “tree,” “holly,” “mistletoe,” “presents,” “ham,” and “Santa Claus.” Not one student had written, “the birthday of Jesus.” This, of course, made his point—in much of the world, Christmas is no longer about Jesus. There wasn’t any room for Him in the Bethlehem Inn then, and there isn’t much room for Him in many Christmas celebrations now. Many spend the season complaining about how Christmas is so costly. In fact, it is estimated that over $200 billion will be spent in this coming month, and 31% of that will be in the week before Christmas. But is this really the true cost of Christmas?
During this upcoming season of Advent, we at Christ Our Rock Bible Church are going to be considering what Christmas cost those who were involved in the very first one. There is a cost, however, that is even far greater than that, and even far more important—the cost of Christmas for God. It is not just a sweet, sentimental story about a stable and a handful of sleepy shepherds. It goes far deeper than that, and to see its true relevance and impact, we must begin at the beginning—the very beginning.
Most would probably imagine that that would mean Genesis 3:15, where the very first promise of a coming Savior was made to Adam and Eve after they had fallen from grace through sin. No, we must go further back than that. Paul told the Ephesian church, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (1:3-4) And not only were we chosen to be saved, but God’s only Son was chosen to be the One to do it—“…as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him, do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:19b-21). In fact, God’s Son was not only the one who would give His pure and sinless life to save you and me, it was actually a “done deal,” even before people were created. John, the beloved disciple, who was given the ultimate Revelation, said that those who submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ have their names written “in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8b) God’s promises are so sure, Jesus is considered dead, even before the beginning of time. In other words, when Adam and Eve sinned, God was not in a quandary, wondering about His next move. He had already made it!
You see, the problem was much more serious than a couple of people insisting on eating some fruit. With that display of disobedience, came an entire sin nature, sometimes referred to as “original sin.” Already in Genesis 4, we find Cain, one of Adam and Eve’s two sons, murdering the other, Abel. Only five generations later, “Lamech took unto himself two wives,” (Genesis 4:19a) instead of only one, as God had intended from the very beginning. While society spiraled ever downward, Adam and Eve had yet another son, Seth, who also had a son, Enos—it was then that people began “to call upon the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4: 26b) In other words, under the encouragement of Enos, public prayer and worship began. Hence, two lines were now established—the ungodly family of Cain, seen today in secular society and worldly churches, centering on self-reliance, and, the family of Seth, those who seek the Lord and His ways, depending upon Him. Thus, the world had turned into two vastly different camps—those who knew their need for the Lord and His Spirit, and those who didn’t. Put simply—the godly and the ungodly.
All through history, God would spare no
cost to call people out of one group into the other. From a worldwide flood to the dividing of the
The Psalmists knew this truth, also. The Shepherd’s Psalm tells us, “He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (23:3) David also declared, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” (25:10-11)…”For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” (31:3) Asaph, the psalmist, put it this way, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.” (79:9) Isaiah, the prophet, wrote, “For thy name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.” (48:9-11) Know this—this “deferring” of anger is not just forgetting our sin and moving on. No, our God is a just God, and the price for sin must be paid. In His mercy, this is what He decided to do, even from before the foundation of the world. Isaiah revealed the truth of this amazing cost—“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (9:6-7)
Yes,
Christmas was very costly for God,
and still is! A.W. Tozer,
the great preacher of the 20th Century, spoke of this when he said,
“This is God’s supreme and final
gift. Oh, not the
pearly gates, not the golden streets, not heaven, not even the forgiveness of
sins, although these are God’s gifts, too. Not a dozen, or two dozen, or a thousand, but
countless hundreds of thousands of gifts God lays
before His happy people, and then He bestows this supreme gift—He makes
us the repository of the nature and person of the Lord Jesus.” Imagine—His foreordained purpose was not to
make bad people good, or even good people better, but rather, to make us
residences of His own Holy Spirit! In
order to be so filled however, we must come out of the world’s camp, and enter His camp—the