Matthew 1:18–25; 2:1–2,11

Family Bible Study
Chair of Theatre, Samford University; Southwestern Seminary graduate

Why Jesus?
Matthew 1:18–25; 2:1–2,11
When we look at the story of Christmas, what jumps out is how every one involved in the story is compelled to talk about it. From the gospel writers to the shepherds to the wise men, the story is one of declaring just as the gospel writer does in Matthew 1:18: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.” We are compelled to tell the story as well.

When I was a teaching assistant working on my doctorate, I was warned not to try to convert the students I taught to Christianity. I think the fact that my master’s degree was from a Baptist seminary made the public university faculty a bit nervous. It really wasn’t a problem for me during most of my time as a teaching assistant, as I rarely had the occasion to get to know the students that closely.

I took a side job, however, working in the academic center for athletes. As a general tutor in a range of subjects, I got to know some young men and women who would gain great fame and fortune in their respective sports. But one young man who crossed my path and I grew to like a great deal still haunts me. He was the single finest college basketball player I ever saw, but he suffered from a severe learning disability that kept him from displaying the intelligence and sensitivity in the classroom I knew he had. His grades were faltering and the NBA was calling.

So one day, as we were walking across campus together, he asked me if I thought he should turn professional. I knew the poverty that faced his family and that he might never graduate because of his learning disability, so I told him that it would not be the worst decision he could make.

Then I broke the rules and told him he needed a strong spiritual foundation before he entered the fast-paced lifestyle of the NBA. He asked me what I meant. I paused and thought about how I might lose my teaching assistantship or my chance to work with athletes, and I simply said he would find it if he looked.

A few months later, the young man announced he was leaving school, and a few months after that, he adopted another religion and changed his name.

My chance to share what I knew would give him a strong moral compass and hope slipped past me; I missed the chance to share Christ. I still pray for him and hope someone will have the courage I lacked when I failed the mission of the manger.

Our faith story is unique and worthy of our courageous declaration. It all starts with the understanding we have of Jesus as God descending to walk and live like us.

Matthew 1:23 describes the incarnation this way, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means “God with us.” This is quite a concept; Christ was fully human, yet divine, meaning without the sin that taints our efforts and relationships. What sets Christianity apart from other religions is what our Lord did while with us. Christ’s teachings, coupled with the sacrifice on the cross, make Christianity the faith that must be shared.

Jesus as Savior is essential to the Christmas story. The tragedy of the secularized Christmas is that Jesus as Savior gets lost. When I was young, I loved the animated Christmas specials that became a part of the American Christmas landscape. “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “The Little Drummer Boy” were my favorites. These programs were harmless fun and had simple messages of love, forgiveness, compassion and personal sacrifice.

Now, as I look back on it, the sacrifice part is, perhaps, the most important part of the Christmas story. It is easy to talk about the birth and the ministry, but the big story is not complete until we deal with Matthew 1:21: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” The sacrifice of the cross can’t be left out.

Once we consider the whole picture of our faith — Jesus, the child born of a miracle, Messiah, Teacher and Lord, Christ, the sacrifice and resurrection — we are able to proclaim our Lord is worthy of worship, celebration and our courageous proclamation.