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"Christmas is About God's Love for You" Luke 2:8-15

by Clancy Nixon

December 23, 2007

Church of the Holy Spirit

Ashburn, Virginia

www.HolySpiritAnglican.org

Wasn't "A Charlie Brown Christmas" great? Well done, kids. You too, Sven!

The first in your class to grow facial hair, indeed.

I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, and I loved it when it first came on TV in the

sixties. Those were the days before TIVO and DVDs. I remember searching through the

TV Guide to find out when the special came on; to be sure I wouldn't miss it.

Charlie Brown is loveable, isn't he? Sure, he's pessimistic, but he tries so hard;

okay, he's got a persecution complex, but that doesn't mean they're not out to get him.

Charlie Brown is depressed for 2 reasons: first, because the neighborhood kids ignore

him or call him names; and second, because he doesn't agree with the commercialization

of Christmas. Every year, it's the same thing: no Christmas cards for Charlie Brown!

He's been left out. Everywhere he turns he sees commercialism and greed, from his dog

Snoopy to his baby sister, Sally. When he visits Lucy's Psychiatrist booth for advice,

Lucy tells Charlie Brown that what he needs to do to shake his depression is - to get

involved.

The problem is, when Charlie Brown gets involved, he seems to find a way to

mess it up. At least his friends think so. Many of us have childhood memories of other

kids saying cruel things to us. When Charlie Brown pitches in baseball - because no one

else will - the other team creams his pitches so hard that he loses his shirt. I can relate to

that one. When he sees a pathetic little Christmas tree on the lot, I think Charlie Brown

identifies with it, because the tree has been passed over, and it needs love, just like he

does. His so-called friends reject his tree just like they reject him. Leave it to Linus to see

the truth: the scraggly tree just needs a little love. After they apply some love, that tree

looks great. It's a Christmas miracle, and it's the result of Charlie Brown's faith, and

Linus' love. That love prompts the kids to sing of the greatest love of all, God's love for

us in sending his son Jesus, to bring peace on earth and goodwill to men.

The advice to get involved isn't bad advice, as far as it goes. But that is not what

Charlie Brown needs; what he really needs is love. So do we all. We -all - need - love.

Man's greatest need is for love. It's what's drives our desire for friends, and our desire

for success: we think that if we have money and friends, we'll be loved. The problem is,

friends are fickle and often reject you; and money comes and goes. How can we find a

love that will last forever? Charlie Brown is on the right track when he asks the question,

"What is Christmas all about, anyway?" Linus seems to be the only one who knows. He

quotes the Gospel of Luke chapter 2, which tells of an Angel of the Lord appearing in

fearsome glory to some Shepherds in Bethlehem. The angel brings glad tidings - good

news of great joy, that a new King is born, who will be the king of all people. As a sign to

them, they will find the babe in a manger, a feed trough for animals. Then the angel's

friends join him by the thousands, like a heavenly army, and the angelic choir sings a

majestic song of glory to God. Wow. So that's what Christmas is all about.

The bottom line is this. Kids, listen to me carefully: Christmas isn't about getting

presents; the presents are a sign. Who knows what a sign does? What is the purpose of a

sign? [Raise hand] The purpose of a sign is to point you somewhere else. Where do they

point? The presents we give each other at Christmas point to God; and to His great gift

of love to us - Jesus His Son. Christmas is all about God's love. Christmas is about

God's love for you in sending his son Jesus to bring you peace and love and goodwill

with your fellows.

Luke tells us that unto us this day is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord. Jesus

is the savior. His very Name, Jesus, means "God saves us!" He saves us in every way a

person can be saved. He saves us from loneliness. Because of Jesus, we are never alone.

God saves us from rejection. No matter how many of your friends reject you, God still

loves you. Jesus knows what it is like to be rejected. Once you make Jesus your friend,

he will never let you go, he'll never insult you or condemn you. He'll be your friend

forever. Jesus promised to do that, and that's a promise only he can fill, because he's

God.

This Christmas, God wants you to know his love once again. If you have been

like a Violet or a Lucy Van Pelt, you can know God's forgiveness for when you have

been mean to others. Once you know that God loves you, then you can love others, and

you don't have to put them down any more. Even if they do mess up, you can encourage

them. Maybe you feel more like Charlie Brown this Christmas. If people have ignored

you, or called you a blockhead or worse, then like Charlie Brown you can find God's

acceptance and love through Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for you so that you could find

that love.

Christmas is About God's Love for You. Christmas is not just a nice story:

Christmas is a true story, the truest story of all. God loves you, and here at this church,

we love you as well. If you need love in your life, if you need forgiveness, or if you need

to be saved, then here is God's promise to you. If you will open yourself to God in our

faith community, and keep coming back, and give us a chance to love you, then you will

find God's love here. If ever you don't find that love, let me know, and I'll do what I can

to help you find the love you need. Christmas is About God's Love for You. And so are

we.

Amen? Let's stand now, and confess our sins to God, that we might receive his

forgiveness. Then we'll greet each other, and experience his love in this community.