Below is the Christmas Eve message manuscript.

Introduction

Why Jesus? Have you ever thought of that question? On Christmas, we celebrate a baby being born to a humble girl from Nazareth. A baby called Jesus. It’s an event in history that changed everything, even affecting our calendars. But what is so special about this moment? Why Jesus and not another faith? What made that night so spectacular that we gather year after year to celebrate it?

Tonight, I want to answer that question simply: why Jesus and why his coming is such good news for people like us.

Recently, I was reminded of the beauty of why Jesus.

It happened as our family was attending the movie David this week. We went into the movie theater and were looking around for seats when one of my kids bumped into me, spilling popcorn everywhere. They quickly started to pick up the popcorn, and it looked like they wanted to put it back in the bag or eat it! I quickly said, “No, don’t do that!” But I later reflected on how similar this is to us and to the life we live. We make a mess of our lives and quickly try to fix it ourselves. This only compounds the mess, like trying to pick up the popcorn, our fingers are dirty, and it can spoil the entire bag. 

What’s more, we make a mess of everything around us. Some of us are very aware of the mess and sin of others but fail to recognize our own contributions. But this is not just a problem out there; it’s a problem we contribute to. Christmas reminds us that the solution is not found in our own efforts; it’s not found in pretending that there is no mess or that it’s not a big deal. The solution is found in the one who entered into the mess for us so that we might be clean. That’s what we see in the Bible’s story of Christmas. There is a Messiah who has come, who shows us the character of God, and who comes to accomplish God’s mission to save us and usher in a new creation.

The Old Testament Points to Jesus

That Jesus is the answer does not come out of nowhere. It is throughout the Bible, and Matthew and Luke both quote or allude to many Scriptures that point to Jesus

Mitchell Chase says it like this,

“2,000 years after Abraham hears of a seed

1.400 years after Moses learns of a prophet

1,000 years after David hopes for a future King

700 years after Isaiah tells of a son-bearing virgin

600 years after Daniel speaks of a stone

9 months after Gabriel appears to Mary

Jesus is Born.”

This past year, I saw a sign for Buccee’s in Pennsylvania that said Buccee’s 537 miles. That billboard stood out from the many others that said “next exit, McDonald’s” or “next exit, Sheetz.” It was pointing to something a far way off. Ambitious, perhaps, signaling the coming of a location soon, maybe. Having a sign that may either end in disappointment or show that it’s worth the hype. The further away the more this seems to be true. In the Bible, we see signs from the very beginning. In Genesis 3, there is a promise of one to come who will crush the head of the serpent. A sign that starts to point right after sin. And throughout Scripture, we have sign after sign; the entire Old Testament points to him. We heard that in the reading of Matthew, at the quotation from Isaiah 7:14, and the Gospel of Luke starts with the story of Jesus, connecting him with the Davidic messiah, and it ends in Luke 24 with Jesus showing how all of the Bible points to him. It’s not just one sign; it’s signs all across the landscape of the Old Testament that find fulfillment in Jesus. Even signs that were somewhat contradictory, like a suffering messiah and a victorious messiah, are answered in Jesus.

Why Jesus? Because he is the long-awaited messiah of Israel who has come to be the savior of the world.

Jesus Provides the Way

We see Jesus providing the way for everyone, even those who come to him during his birth. Why Jesus? Because he provides the way for all. Because he alone satisfies all who come to him.

When Jesus is born, notice who comes to him.

On one hand, shepherds, ordinary men doing ordinary work, were surprised by angels in the night. On the other hand, wise men, scholars, watchers of the sky, seekers of meaning. Different People. Different Backgrounds. Different Paths. Same Destination. And when they arrive, Jesus does not disappoint. The wise men worship. The shepherds leave rejoicing. What they were truly searching for, whether they knew it or not, was found in the child lying in the manger.

Sometimes we think the goal of Christianity is simply to go to heaven. But the heart of the Christmas story shows us something even better: God with us. When Jesus comes, sickness is healed. Hunger is satisfied. Chaos is calmed. This is true when he walked this earth, and it will be true when he comes again. But because of his first coming, a new creation is already taking place as hearts are made new.

Scripture says that in Christ, we are a new creation. And while that newness is lived out, it is not achieve; it is received.

To come back to the popcorn moment:

My child, who dropped the popcorn, was disappointed when we sat down. They sat looking at their bag of popcorn, and I leaned over and said, Take mine. They looked at me and said, “But I spilled mine, I shouldn’t take yours. It was my fault.” I replied, “Yes, but I want you to have mine. Please take it, it is for you.”

That is what Jesus has done for us. We made the mess. We couldn’t clean it up.
And instead of standing over us in disappointment, Jesus steps forward and says, “Take mine. It’s for you.” He lived the life we could not live. He died the death we deserved to die. And now he offers forgiveness, new life, and peace with God as a gift, received by faith.

This is a gift that begins now and lasts for eternity, never wearing out, breaking down, or getting old. Those who come to Jesus find a sufficient savior who brings everlasting joy and peace. This does not mean life in the mess of today will be easy, but it does mean that we will never be alone. The one who gave his life for us is with us even now.

That is why Jesus. And that is why Christmas is good news.