In Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, the 8th Chapter, 9th verse, we find the intellectual, the spiritual and the emotional basis for a great Christmas. “For you know the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor, that through His poverty, you might become rich.“
Prayer: O gracious God, help us realize the richness of heaven, the wonder of Your grace, forgiveness, peace and power and realize how rich we are because You came in Jesus Christ our Lord. In His Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
Last month I sat leafing through a national magazine and I became fascinated by the want ads in the back of the magazine. Now, that may seem a little strange, but they were very interesting. One in the financial column caught my eye. It said, “You can get rich this Christmas. Just allow us to use all of your money for the next 31 days; we’ll give you a quick turnaround and by the end of the month, you’ll be rich.“
That’s quite an offer. I sat back and began to think of the kind of ad I might write. I would put mine in the “Life Opportunities“ column, and it would go something like this. You Can Be Rich This Christmas. There is a Father who is looking for people to share an inheritance with His Son. He wants people who will claim they are joint heirs with His Son in using a never-ending inheritance. Unmerited love, inner peace, unqualified forgiveness, non-stop joy, guidance every day, courage in suffering, hope in the midst of uncertainty, the power to face death and the assurance of eternal life. All you have to do to qualify for this immense wealth is to admit that you’re poor, and He’ll make you RICH.
Now that’s an offer for Christmas. You can be rich this Christmas—in the only way it makes any difference to be rich. All throughout the New Testament, there are magnificent reminders that heaven is filled with richness—Jesus came to share that richness and you and I can be spiritually rich in and through Him.
I’ll never forget talking to a very rich multi—millionaire in Dayton, Ohio. Over time we became good friends, and this elderly man accepted Jesus as his personal savior. And he began to grow in Him; his heart was so full of the love of Christ that He could hardly contain it. One day, as he lay dying, he asked me to come and see Him. He said, “Steve, I’ve turned over my wealth to my two children—everything I have is now theirs—but Oh how I long to be able to share with them the richness of my heart.“
You know that was God’s problem 20 centuries ago—that was the problem He faced as He and His Son looked upon the planet earth and saw the degradation, the estrangement, the hurt, the pain. He longed that His people might know all of the power of His love. In a sense, He had to figure out a way to transfer all of the wealth of heaven so that it could be drawn on by the people of earth.
Christmas is the celebration of a tremendous transfer of wealth. And you and I are rich because of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul in the midst of sharing with the Corinthian Church about how they should respond to the needs of others—made this remarkable statement in II Corinthians, Chapter 8, Verse 9. You know, he said, YOU KNOW, the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, though while He was rich, for your sakes became poor that through His poverty, you might become rich. That’s the Gospel, that’s the Good News, and when you understand that, you’re ready to really understand Christmas.
He was rich; indeed He was Co—equal with God, the One through whom all things were made, the One who shared the Glory of God. But He came out of the Ivory Palaces into the world where we live to make us rich.
Soren Kierkegaard, a great philosopher and theologian of another generation, told a wonderful parable about a King who fell in love with a maiden in a nearby village. He tried to figure out how he might be able to win her love.
He thought of sending her part of his wealth, or sending an emissary to tell of his wealth and then he thought about the possibility of taking great processions of power into the little village to tell her how much he loved her.
But then he was reminded that the only way he could bring love to that woman was to go and live in that village—to serve her until she knew him and knew what he was like and be willing to marry him.
That’s not far from the Old Testament doctrine of Israel, the Bride of Christ. And the Lord came Himself that He might live in the midst of us. He was rich—Oh he had everything—all power in heaven and earth was at His command. But He left the glory of heaven; he left the joy of heaven; He left the Peace of heaven and He became poor for our sake.
Think of it, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a destitute, humble, poverty stricken teenage girl—a virgin. He was born in a cattle stall, wrapped in rough swaddling clothes and placed in a feeding trough—that’s what manger means. When He was under attack, His parents took the money they got from cashing in gold, frankincense and myrrh so they could escape to Egypt.
And when they returned several years later, He lived in a humble, little town called Nazareth. There He learned a carpenter’s trade. And when He began His ministry, He said, “Birds have nests, foxes have holes, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.“ He didn’t write any books—He didn’t lead an army—He preached the Glory of HEAVEN, the Love, the Acceptance, and the Forgiveness of God. And He was that to people. And His message cut to the very core of human need.
What does it mean to be in Jesus and to be rich in Him? It means that you have the riches of Glory; that is the wonder of the Presence of the Lord is ours. The riches of Grace, which means that we are loved unqualifiedly, the riches of goodness, which means that God will always be consistent with you and me. All that is ours—He’s just heaped it up in the Spiritual bank of life and said—come draw on it—it is yours. That’s what Paul said—All things are yours, the world, life, death, the past, the future, because you belong to Jesus.
You are rich—do you know that? Paul said, For you know; what I want to know is DO you know?
Why then live as a spiritual pauper in the midst of this kind of spiritual wealth. You’re not poor, no—with Jesus Christ—you’re a joint heir. For he stooped, He came, our poverty to share. You’re rich dear friends. When you make Jesus the Lord of your life and receive His Spirit. Then you can celebrate Christmas.
May God Bless you as you and your loved ones celebrate this beautiful Christmas season.
