THE PURPOSE OF JESUS CHRIST

(Christmas Notwithstanding)

� 2000 William R. Cunningham
December 24, 2000

Introduction

Here we are at another Christmas season. This is the time where we collectively spend millions of dollars to purchase gifts for family and friends. Christmas is the greatest commercial time of the year because we run to the stores to purchase all types of items for gifts and put many merchants in the black (profit). At the same time there are those that adamantly claim that Jesus Christ is the reason for the Christmas season (as they too go out and purchase gifts). If someone from another planet would look down on the earth at Christmas time, I doubt very seriously if they would get the idea that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. Instead, they would find that this particular time of year is wrought with joyous celebrations, gift giving, high suicide rates, the increased awareness of the unfortunate, and a ritualistic increase in church meeting attendance.

Christmas is indeed a joyous time of year. It is a season where family and friends get together for dinner and gatherings. Now I am reminded of an observation that I have made over the last few years. An instance of that observation is that people do not listen to each other and therefore do not deal with each other in realistic terms. People tend to deal with each other according to their own concepts and perceptions of things (personal worldview). For example, you might tell your spouse that you don't like hugging or that you feel uncomfortable being hugged or hugging anyone. Your spouse might respond, with a hug I might add, with something like, "Ah, you know you like MY hugs. Come here" (as he or she hugs his or her spouse).  He or she missed the point because he or she was not listening to his or her spouse. One put their perceptions over and above what the spouse was revealing about himself or herself. The situation regarding hugging was not dealt with in a realistic manner according to the spouse that says he or she has a problem with it.   The same principle applies to many things and Christmas is one of those things. We don't look at Christmas as it really is. Instead, we look at it with the illusion that it is all about Jesus Christ. Sure Jesus is incorporated into the season but even a cursory look at the Christmas holiday would reveal that the season is not all about Jesus Christ.  Note, however that I am referring to the practice of the Christmas holiday because by definition it is all about Christ.  The problem is that we don't practice that particular definition during the Christmas season.  Also, note that I am not saying that what we do practice is wrong or bad.  I am merely suggesting that we look at the Christmas season as it really is.

So what is the purpose of Christmas? Some would say that the purpose of Christmas is directly related to Christ. However, historically and practically that is far from the truth. Christmas is said to be that time of year where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. So what does that have to do with giving each other gifts, Christmas parties, and ritualistic feasts? Could it be that Christmas is a bit more than merely a celebration of the birth of Christ? Indeed, if we would take a realistic look at what happens during the Christmas season and what we do during this season then we would have to answer yes. This is not to say that gift giving; office parties, and feasts are bad or wrong. I am only pointing out the fact that Christmas is not defined in practice as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Now Christmas actually has a rich history that has very little to do with the celebration of Christ's birthday, which incidentally most likely did not occur in December. It is OK to recognize the birth of Christ but doing merely that is insufficient at best and is not much more than a pagan ritual of celebrating the birth of a god. If we don't realize the significance of that birth then we are doing no more than participating in a religious ritual, which again is no greater than a pagan practice. However, if we understand the significance of Christ's birth, Christmas notwithstanding, then we do much more. The awareness is not in the birth of Christ. Rather, the awareness is in the purpose of Christ. So instead of Christmas being merely a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, which is ritualistic at best in practice, Christmas can be a season that we set aside to recognize the purpose of Christ, which was implemented by his birth.

I know what you might be thinking at this point. What a way to start a lesson right before Christmas. Remember that my motive is the pursuit of the truth and not merely to present the traditional things that you are used to hearing. So where am I going? What I want to highlight here is the purpose of Christ since Christmas is said to be a celebration of his birth. So we are going to go on a journey to Christ and not Christmas. I want to present to you the purpose of Jesus Christ in spite of the Christmas season. I want you to know the purpose of Christ-Christmas notwithstanding.

Christmas is

What is Christmas? Let me now present to you the meaning of Christmas based on my observations.

The Birth of Christ

The typical churchgoer will say that Christmas is the celebration or recognition of the birth of Jesus Christ. The clich� is that "Jesus is the reason for the season." So Christmas is a time of celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas church services, Christmas parties at churches, and a plethora of festivals and meetings are how Christians implement this celebration. I find it very amusing sometimes when Christians tell me that Jesus is the reason for the season and then spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy gifts for other people. What does that have to do with the birth of Christ?

Again, religion has an answer. Religion says that our gift giving is a symbol of the greatest gift that God gave to the world, namely Jesus Christ. As God gave us the gift of eternal life through Christ, we celebrate or acknowledge that by giving each other gifts. I don't want to sound cynical but in my mind that is very lame. Why not just be real? Why not simply admit that Christmas is a lot more than merely the celebration of Christ's birthday? In any case, to many Christians, Christmas by definition is the celebration of the birth of Christ and He is the reason for the season.

Gatherings and Giving

However, as I said earlier, if you would look at the typical practices during the Christmas season, you would find that the reason for the season is much more than Jesus. The true reason for the season is that of gift giving and family gatherings. Christ seems to me to be more ritualistic during this season then a real part of it. However, I should recognize the fact that there are surely those that truly celebrate the birth of Christ as the primary objective during this time of year. I find those to be a minority however.

I would bet that you spend more money for gifts during this time of year than any other time of year. I am sure that you realize the high commercialization of this season. There are many more commercials on the radio and television attempting to solicit your funds. Merchants want your money. It's that plain and simple. They know that the Christmas season is the time of year where you are programmed to spend more money.

Even charitable organizations take advantage of this time of year. They know that you are in the mood of giving during this time of year so they solicit you for gifts. Churches will have special food drives and dinners to feed the poor. Governments will do special things for the homeless and less fortunate. We will tolerate family members that annoy us and pretend that we are having a good time and enjoying their company. We will play this hypocritical game because its Christmas time. After all, we are supposed to have a giving heart during this time of year. These of course have nothing to do with Christ or his birth.

Party Time

To many others, Christians and non-Christians, Christmas is a time to party. It is most likely that your place of employment had a Christmas party or two. Even those that are not Christians party during this time of year at designated Christmas parties. It's just the air I guess.

Realistically Please

Realistically Christmas has little to do with the birth of Christ (in practice). Historically there is a lot more bundled into Christmas then merely the birth of Christ. However, Christmas has been designated as that time of year where we recognize, acknowledge, and celebrate the birth of Christ. I believe the greatest way to do this is to acknowledge his purpose. Celebrating Christ's birth is meaningless if we don't know whom He is and what He came to do. If we don't know these then our celebrations are no more than the birthday celebration of a brother or friend. It also wouldn't be much more than a pagan practice of celebrating the birth of a god.

I think that we should be real with ourselves and recognize that Christmas is a lot more then the celebration of Christ's birthday (in practice). If that weren't true then we wouldn't be so fixated on buying gifts for all the people we give them to. Our hearts and minds would be fixated on Christ and we would spend more TIME on meditating on all that is Christ instead of spending MONEY on things that have nothing to do with Him. Some are so busy celebrating the birth of Christ and yet don't realize that they don't know who Jesus Christ is.

So let's take this time to recognize the purpose of Christ in spite of the Christmas season. Yes. Buy your gifts, eat at your dinner gatherings, and visit family and friends. Those are indeed very good things and if this is the time of year that we set aside to highlight those things than so be it. However, let's not define Christmas as one thing and yet practice another because that is hypocritical. Above all of the things that go on at Christmas time, which realistically has little to do with Christ, let's recognize Christ and really make Jesus the reason for the season in our hearts. In addition to that, let's make Jesus the focus of our life in general. Don't wait until Christmas to meditate and acknowledge Christ. A special time to do this is fine but let's not make it the only time.

Who is Jesus Christ

Do you really know Jesus Christ? Do you know who He is? You should know the answer to these if you are indeed a Christian. The name Jesus Christ well describes his predestined purpose. The name Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation." Yahweh is the national name of God to the Hebrew people. The word Christ is the Greek form of the word Messiah, which means the anointed one. Jesus Christ is the salvation of the LORD and he is anointed by God to save those who are lost. Consider the following scripture.

Matthew 1:20 through Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (the virgin birth) and was destined to save His people from their sins. This is very important because it is the basis of the doctrine of salvation. Not only does Jesus save (provides salvation to all those who believe), he also is the best picture that we have of God (See Matthew 1:23). Consider what the writer of Hebrews says of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1 through Hebrews 1:3 (NCV) In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets many times and in many different ways. But now in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things, and through him he made the world. The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.

Knowing what Jesus is like will enable us to know what God is like. This is why Jesus could say, "If you have seen me then you have seen the Father" and "I and the Father are one." See John 14:7,9. So we see that Jesus is our salvation, the anointed one of God, and the image of God on earth. How do these fit in with his purpose? Let's examine these individually, starting with Jesus being the image of God.

The Image of God

How would you know what God is like? Perhaps you heard stories told to you by your pastor, mother, father, deacon, etc. How would they know? Somewhere in the past there must be a standard by which all of our knowledge of God originates. It just so happens that this standard is Jesus Christ. We could say that a purpose of Jesus Christ is to reveal God to humans. Examining the life of Jesus Christ will enable us to comprehend what God is like and what he desires of us.

The Anointed One

The word anointed means to endue with power. It literally describes the procedure of rubbing or smearing a person or thing, usually with oil, for the purpose of healing, setting apart, or embalming. Jesus was anointed in that he was set apart for the ultimate task of providing salvation for the world and that God's power and authority resided with Him. Consider the following scripture.

Matthew 3:16 (NKJV) When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Jesus was empowered by God to do a task. That task was to die on the cross so that we might live. His task was to preach the kingdom of God and reveal God to all people. The Holy Spirit of God abided in Jesus so that he could carry out his mission on the earth, which included healing all types of sicknesses and diseases.

The Purpose of Jesus Christ

Ultimately, the purpose of Jesus Christ was to save us from our sins. Consider the scripture that we discussed earlier.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

We have to realize that salvation is more than the "I'm going to go to heaven when I die" mentality in order to understand the full context of this purpose. We were originally created in the image of God but sin separated us from God. Consider the following scripture.

Romans 5:19 (KJV) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

So by the obedient act of Jesus Christ suffering and dying on the cross, many can be made righteous (in right standing with God, i.e., justified). Jesus provided a way for us to be reconciled to God.

Good Will Toward Us

Consider the following scripture.

Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

A savior was born to us, who is Christ (the anointed one) the Lord (the sovereign ruler). The birth of Christ brought glory to God, peace on earth, as well as good will toward people. The will of God for us was manifested by the birth and subsequent death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But I'm Alone

We should remember that Christmas is not a joyous time for all. People have a heightened awareness of their loneliness during this time of year because most people around them are having a good time with family and friends and yet they have no one. Pray for these people and care for them as well. Spend time with your friends that are alone. At least give them a call and invite them to dinner or just to talk. Make this a practice all of the time instead of just during the rituals of this holiday season.

If you are one of those lonely ones then realize that you are not alone. I could give you the standard statement that God is always with you and therefore you are never alone. You know and I know that having another human being with us makes all of the difference. Sometimes people won't say anything to you because they don't have the slightest idea that you are lonely. They may reckon that you want to be secluded so they don't infringe upon your private space. So open up to people and build relationships. You'll be surprised at how people will open up to you. Now I also have to say that God is with you. So pray and spill your guts to him. He will help you to overcome your loneliness. I learned recently from a recording I heard by Ravi Zacharias (www.rzim.org) that worship is a crucial part in dealing with and overcoming loneliness. So be encouraged that God loves you and there are many people out there waiting to love.

Conclusion

The purpose of Jesus Christ can be summarized as follows; 1) To save us from our sins, 2) To reveal the Father to us and lead us to Him, 3) To reveal the Kingdom of God so that we can live according to God's WAY. Overall, Jesus came to reconcile us to God so that we can have eternal life. Jesus came to free us not bind us. Jesus is the express image of God so that when we see Jesus we see God the Father. We are free from the bondage and penalty of sin when we believe in Jesus Christ.

I'm sure you realize now that Christmas in America and other parts of the word have little to do with the celebration of the birth of Christ in the context that I have described in this lesson. Again, the gift giving and gatherings are fine and well. However, if you truly believe that Jesus is the reason for the season then at least know him and his purpose-and that all year long.

Jesus is not the reason for the season, which implies a beginning and end. Instead, Jesus is the reason for life. His purpose and the significance of his birth are not isolated by the Christmas season. Remember him all year long, as I know some of you do. Remember your loved ones and friends all year long. Remember the less fortunate all year long. In other words, practice love all of the time and you would do well in promoting the true significance of Christ or Lord and Savior. You also have an opportunity to spread the message of Christ to people since Christmas is associated with him even among the non-Christians.