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GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE

Introduction:

This is the time of year when most folks who celebrate Christmas decorate their homes and businesses. And, at the center of most of these decorations there usually is a Christmas tree.

I’ve heard some folks try to use Jeremiah 10:3-6 to say that Christmas trees are of pagan origin and that Christians shouldn’t even have one. But, if you look at the context of those verses, I believe you’ll find that it shows that the trees mentioned were being fashioned into actual idols and being worshiped.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t look at a Christmas tree as being an idol and I don’t worship Christmas trees in any sense of the word “worship.”

I personally don’t know when or even how our modern day Christmas tree came to be a part of our celebration of Christ’s birth. I’ve read various stories that tell of its origin, but a lot of the stories seem to have more basis in tradition than in historical fact. Nevertheless, we can’t deny that the Christmas tree has become, for the most part, an important part of Christmas tradition.

But we need to keep in mind that no matter what our Christmas traditions may be, the important thing for us as Christians is that we keep Christ central in our Christmas celebrations.

With that in mind, I want us to think about the Christmas tree for a few moments. With many, the selection of the tree is a big thing. It has to be the right shape and right size. Some folks like real trees, others prefer artificial.

Usually, great care is taken to put on the lights and the various decorations in just the right proportion to beautify the tree.

And, if it is all done in the Spirit of Christ, with His birth in mind, it can be a beautiful sight. However, if it just done for show or tradition, it may look real nice, but it loses its real significance.

But, the Christmas tree I really want us to look at today is not any of our trees. It is not the National Christmas tree or any other Christmas tree of present day.

What I want us to look at is God’s Christmas tree.

God’s Christmas tree was a special tree of His own making that holds the true meaning of what Christmas is all about.

In order to find this tree, we have to go beyond the cradle and manger of Christ, beyond Christ’s birthplace at Bethlehem, beyond the land of Nazareth where He grew up, to a hill just outside of Jerusalem called Golgotha, Calvary–“the place of the skull.”

In our text, we read how Joseph was told by the angel that this special, Holy Ghost conceived Child, that would be born of the virgin Mary, was to be named JESUS, which means “Jehovah is Salvation,” because He would save His people from their sins.

We know that this salvation was accomplished on a tree–the cross of Calvary.

Peter said in Acts 10:39–“And we are witnesses of all things which he [Jesus] did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:”

I.            THE OLD RUGGED CROSS IS GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE.

               We are not told what kind of tree that our Saviour was crucified on.

               We are not told who was used to select the tree or when it was selected.

We do know that God created the tree and grew the tree on which His Son was crucified.

               A.         Trees Are Some Of The Most Useful Of God’s Creation.

                            1.          Trees Are Good For The Air We Breath.

                            2.          Some Trees Are Good For Shade.

                            3.          Some Trees Are Good For Fuel.

                            4.          Some Trees Are Good For Fruit.

                            5.          Some Trees Are Used For Building.

                            6.          Some Trees Are Used For Paper And Other Products.

                            7.          Some Trees Are Used For Landmarks. 

                                         (Exp: The Wesley Oak over on St. Simons Island, GA)

                            8.          But, That One Tree That Made The Cross Of Jesus Christ Was Used For God’s Highest Purpose.

It was used to bring about salvation for us all!

               B.         Trees Are Figuratively Used In Scripture To Teach Spiritual Truths.

                            1.          Psalms 1:3 Says That The Godly, Blessed Man Is Like A Tree Planted By The Rivers Of Water.

Psalms 1:3–“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

                            2.          Proverbs 11:30 Says That The Fruit Of The Righteous Is A Tree Of Life.

Proverbs 11:30–“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

                            3.          Proverbs 3:18 Says That Wisdom Is A Tree Of Life.

Proverbs 3:18–“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.”

                            4.          In Matthew 24:32-33, Jesus Gives The Parable Of A Fig Tree Which Represents The Nation Of Israel.

Matthew 24:32-33–“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”

                            5.          In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus Uses Trees To Illustrate Both Good And Evil Men.

Luke 6:43-45–“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

                            6.          But, The Cross Of Christ Teaches The Greatest Truths Of All.

1 Peter 2:24–“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Galatians 6:14–“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

               C.         There Are All Kinds Of Important Trees Mentioned In Scripture.

                            1.          It Was By Means Of A Tree That Sin Was Brought Into The World.

Genesis 2:17–“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

                            2.          It Was By Means Of A Tree That Bitter Waters Were Made Sweet.

Exodus 15:25–“And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: . . .”

                            3.          It Was Under A Juniper Tree That Elijah Stopped To Rest In His Depression And Was Ministered To By The Angel Of The Lord. (1 Kings 19:4-8)

                            4.          It Was A Sycamore Tree That Zacchaeus climbed up to get a good view of Jesus. (Luke 19:4)

Luke 19:4–“And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.”

                            5.          There are many other trees we might mention, but none as important as the tree where our redemption was purchased.

                                         The Cross of Calvary was the reason for Christmas.

Luke 19:10–“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Galatians 3:13-14–“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

And to that end, God took great care to choose His Christmas tree.

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS IS GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE!

                            It Was The Most Useful Tree Of All The Trees God Made.

It Teaches Us The Greatest Truths Of Any Tree God Made.

                            It Was and Is The Most Important Tree Of Any Tree God Made.               

II.           GOD DECORATED HIS CHRISTMAS TREE FOR US!

Just as we decorate our Christmas trees, God decorated His tree, but He decorated it for us!

               A.         God Adorned His Tree With Light! 

When we put up our Christmas tree the first order of business after putting up the tree is to adorn it with lights.

                            But, there was only one light on God’s Christmas tree.

                            Who ever heard of a Christmas tree with only one light?

One light was all that was needed, because God’s Son is that one Light! (John 1:1-9)

John 8:12–“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 9:5–“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Acts 26:22-23–“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.”

John 3:19–“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

God Adorned His Tree With Light!

               B.         God Adorned His Tree With His Gift!

We put ornaments on our trees and gifts under the tree, but God adorned His tree with His gift–His Son! (Titus 3:4-7)

More specifically He adorned it with the flesh and blood of His Son and in so doing, He adorned the cross with the gift that became many gifts that just kind of overlap each other:

                            1.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Kindness!

To be “kind” means to have “goodness of heart.”

The King of Heaven is kind toward unholy people.

                                         God showed that kindness in His gift of His Son.

                            2.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Love!

John 3:16–“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Romans 5:8–“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 John 4:9–“ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

                            3.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Mercy!

                                         “Mercy” is not getting what we do deserve.

1 John 4:10–“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [i.e. atonement on the mercy seat] for our sins.”

Romans 3:25–“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

                            4.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Justification!

Romans 5:9–“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Galatians 2:16–“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

                            5.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Grace!

                                         “Grace” is getting what we don’t deserve.

                                         It is unmerited favor.

                                         It is God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

Romans 3:24–“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

                                         Romans 5:15-21

                            6.          He Adorned His Tree With His Gift Of Peace!

Colossians 1:20–“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;”

Romans 5:1–“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

                            7.          He Adorned His Tree With The Gifts Of Redemption And Forgiveness!

Ephesians 1:7–“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Conclusion

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS IS GOD’S CHRISTMAS TREE!

               It Was The Most Useful Tree Of All The Trees God Made.

               It Teaches Us The Greatest Truths Of Any Tree God Made.

               It Was and Is The Most Important Tree Of Any Tree God Made. 

GOD DECORATED HIS CHRISTMAS TREE FOR US!

God Adorned His Tree With Light!

               God Adorned His Tree With His Gift!–His Son, The Flesh And Blood.

(Kindness, Love, Mercy, Justification, Grace, Peace, Redemption and Forgiveness)

But, for a gift to do you any good, you’ve got to receive it! Have you?

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!