THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

TEXT: MATTHEW 2:1-12.

The true meaning of christmas is the worship of Christ. The English word “Worship” comes from the old English word “Weoordhscipe.” This word was later shortened to “worthship.” Is concerned with the worthiness, dignity or merit of a person or in the case of idolatry, a thing. In the religious world the term is used for reverent devotion, service or honor, whether public or individual paid to God.

The webster dictionary list several words for worship including adore, admire, dote, esteem, exalt, love, magnify, regard, respect, revere, reverence, venerate.

In the Old Testament Hebrew one word is constantly used for worship “Shachah,” it occurs 172 times. Shachah means to bow down, to do reverence, fall down, prostrate, stop crouch and beseech humbly.

Worship is an attitude. Abraham fell down prostrated himself completely before the three angelic visitors who came as God’s messengers to inform Abraham about the planned destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Eleazar the servant of Abraham fell down and worshiped the Lord bowing himself to the earth-Genesis 24:52. Worship is bowing down in an attitude of honor to God-Exodus 4:31.

The New Testament word for worship is “Proskuneo.” 59 times it means “to kiss towards” to kiss the feet in homage. The New Testament (Greek) word is more descriptive than the Hebrew word. To the bowing is added kissing and kissing requires contact-Ephesians 2:13.

The Old Testament saints tended to gesture to God at a distance. The New Testament saints are brought close to embrace God, to love Him, intimately and to touch God in deep-seated worship with our senses, our emotions and our wills.

The New Testament worship is not a “show” but genuine expression of the attitude of the heart.

Worship includes action. It’s alright to shout, to lift hands, to dance and to cry in the spirit, to clap your hands. Now here is how people respond to the true meaning of Christmas-Matt. 2:1-12, “Where is the one who was been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him”-Vs. 2.

The true meaning of christmas is the worship of Jesus.

Matthew 2:1-12 contains three (3) different attitudes towards the true meaning of christmas. Let us learn:-

THOSE WHO ARE HOSTILE TOWARDS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS (King Herod).

• King Herod was the first in a long line of people to become hostile towards the true meaning of christmas.

1. He starts off by being disturbed-Vs. 3.

• King Herod and all Jerusalem with him are disturbed.
• King Herod is greatly agitated.
• King Herod is alarmed.

1. King Herod moves from being disturbed to being deceitful-Vs. 7-8.

• He pretends to be a big fan of christmas.
• “Go and make a careful search for the child, as soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
• I will join you in worship.

1. King Herod becomes destructive-Vs. 16.

• Why are Herod and many more like him hostile to christmas?
• Telling people that the true meaning of christmas is worship of Jesus Christ is going to disturb a lot of these same people.
• Those who are most likely to be disturbed about the true meaning of christmas are those who believe-

1. Christmas is all about giving gifts.
2. Christmas is all about giving and going to parties.
3. Christmas is about singing christmas songs.

• The wise men did not come to give gifts or to party or to sing songs.
• While there is nothing wrong with partying, singing and giving gifts.
• The true purpose of Christmas is to WORSHIP HIM.
• Herod was disturbed that the true meaning of christmas is to worship.
• Today, things are not any different!!
• During christmas season you find lots of people, deceitful people pretending to be worshippers of Jesus Christ.
• Many people this christmas are just going to be like Herod.
• Many will party, give gifts to each other, sing christmas carols, but “fail to fall down and worship Christ the Lord.”
• Many find the true meaning of christmas (WORSHIP) to be offensive.
• Herod and Jerusalem together with him tried to destroy christmas, but they could not do it!!
• The true meaning of christmas causes people to be disturbed, cause them to be deceitful (pretending to be true worshippers of Jesus Christ or to be distractive trying to destroy chritsmas.
• Others will call it “Happy holidays” or “seasonal celebrations, but christmas is Christ.
• Will you truly worship Jesus Christ this christmas?

THE SECOND GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE THE INDIFFERENT.

• Those who are indifferent are represented by the priests and teachers of the law-Vs. 4-6.
• The priests and the theologians know the true meaning of christmas.
• They know christmas is the worship of Jesus.
• They can actually show it to you from the Bible but they are indifferent to it.
• In what ways are they indifferent towards the true meaning of christmas?
• They are not like those who are hostile to the true meaning of christmas.
• They are not disturbed, deceitful or destructive towards the true meaning of christmas.
• But this is, how they are indifferent to the true meaning of christmas; THEY DISMISS IT!!
• They know the true meaning of christmas, they know where Christ was born.
• They know why Christ was born, but they are not excited about “WORSHIP OF CHRIST.”
• Why did they dismiss themselves from the worship of Christ?
• The answer is worldliness!!
• When Herod called them to “Statehouse,” they went there running. When God ordered them to go to Bethlehem together with the wise men and the shepherd-They refused!!
• They were lovers of Herod and haters of God!!
• Are we worshippers of the emperor or worshippers of Jesus Christ?
• Are we Herod lovers or are we a God lover?

THE THIRD GROUP IS REPRESENTED BY THE WISE MEN.

• The wise men are not among the disturbed, deceitful, destructive or dismissive to the true meaning of christmas.
• The wise men were drawn by the true meaning of christmas-Vs. 2.
• “We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him.”
• The wise men teach us several things:-

1. When you are drawn by the true meaning of christmas then no distance is too great or obstacle to overcome.
2. The wise men travelled thousands of miles and it took 2 years in order for them to worship Jesus.
3. Today you may feel you are thousands of miles or even years away from worshiping Jesus.
4. Remember Jesus is not in Bethlehem today, today Jesus Christ is bedside you-Rev. 3:20.
5. The wise men teach us that when you are drawn by the true meaning of christmas then NO sacrifice is ever too great for us to make.

• The wise men brought to Jesus Christ some very expensive gifts-gold, frankincense and myrrh.
• But the greatest gift of them all is Jesus Christ Himself.
• Their gifts could not take away their sin and reconcile them back to GOD. Only the blood of Jesus Christ do that.

1. The wise men also teach us that when you are drawn by the true meaning of chrismas your life will change for better-Vs. 12.

• When you don’t obey the true meaning of christmas you go back to Herod, hostility, indifference.

CONCLUSION

• Which group of people represent you today? Are you the Herod type? Hostile to Christ, pretender?
• Are you the priest/theologian type, indifferent?
• Are you the wise men type? Excited, worshipper and giver?