Jack Hibbs - Why Atheists Love to Hate Christmas (01/23/2026)
Introduction
Listen, grab your Bibles. In fact, more than grab your Bibles because I’m just going to go too fast, but do have your Bibles ready. Grab the note paper that’s in front of you and begin to write some scriptures down, or get the teaching on CD or online and make a copy for friends or direct them, should they care about the message. I think maybe the title might be the first thing that gets people up in arms perhaps, but the title tonight is this: in light of Christmas, why atheists love to hate Christmas. That’s the title.
Expanding the Title
But then I thought, well, that’s kind of too dialed down; it’s too focused. I don’t want to just pick on the atheists because Christmas is a big deal. It’s an awesome thing, and why do we get so excited about it as believers, for that matter? It’s the number one celebrated holiday—holy day—in the world. I don’t know if you know that or not, but it is, and I’m sure it will continue to be so. But if tonight had a subtitle, it would be not just why atheists love to hate Christmas, but the subtitle would be why weirdos love to hate Christmas. And you say, well, what’s a weirdo? A weirdo would be anybody that has a problem with Christmas. So that includes atheists. I love you if you’re an atheist tonight; I’m glad you’re here. But let’s be honest, we’re going to push back tonight because there’s been a lot of stuff going on about Christmas and how it ought not to be talked about. It’s a religious holiday, and it’s only for a certain segment of people.
Christmas in the News
I heard on the news today—are you kidding me? Tell that to Target and Walmart; that’s the last thing they want to hear. No, the fact of the matter is, if you’ve got a problem with Christmas, you’re either an atheist or you’re a weirdo. Something’s wrong, and we’re going to look at some reasons why Christmas ought to be so exciting and so important to you. Now listen, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you tonight I’m going to give you arguments that either, as a believer, you get excited about and you want to use in your own witnessing, or if you listen to this right now and you’re not a Christian or you’re an atheist or a weirdo, I’m going to be using the Bible to argue for the Bible. Usually, that’s a defeat; you don’t want to argue your case that way because it defeats you out of the gate when you’re talking to an atheist or weirdo. They’ll say you’re just using your own Bible to make your point.
Using the Bible
Here’s the cool thing about the Bible: the Bible is unlike any other book that mankind has ever known. So allow me to use the Bible to make my argument, but listen, why I’m doing that is because I’m laying it out at your feet for you to attack it. Okay, I want you to attack it. I want you to go after it. I want you to hear what you hear in the context of how God presented his word, and if you don’t like it, then tear it apart. You go home and you dissect it and you just make it not true. Prove it wrong. That’s how God operates, okay? So it’s a lot of fun if you think that way, and if you put your thinking into some real effort. But I do hope this message winds up in the hearts and minds of people that you might know; that would be great.
Atheist Billboard
Listen, the first thing I want to do is show you a slide—a slide regarding Christmas. This is a billboard sign from American Atheists; some of you have seen this. Atheist.org, which is funny because it’s a 501©(3) religious organization, tax-exempt in the United States of America, but they’re atheists. I find that quite cute and funny. And they’ve got a lovable, adorable Santa who’s saying, «Go ahead and skip church. Just be good for goodness' sake. Happy holidays.» Hey, listen, everybody should be good just for goodness' sake. But why do you think the atheists would even care about saying, «Go ahead and skip church»? What’s their problem? Isn’t that funny? Isn’t that funny that we actually, though tonight we’re pushing back, we’re completely fine with atheists? They don’t bother us because frankly, they don’t have anybody to pray to, and they have no God of comfort in their time of need, and they have no truth to stand on. But that’s okay; it’s a free country.
The Real Issue with Christmas
But the fun thing about what we’re going to be doing tonight is looking at this passion that they have to tell the world you need to skip church. I’m just going to put this out to you tonight: why should that concern them? What’s the problem with that? See, the angst against Christmas isn’t the fact that people go out and buy gifts and hang up ornaments on trees. The angst against Christmas is the real problem: the angst is the message of Christmas. That’s the problem. That’s why Christmas is a problem. After all, listen, atheists buy gifts for their kids and their friends. Atheists have Christmas dinners. Atheists put lights on their house. They have, and if they have little kids, they might even dress up like Santa. All that’s fine as long as you keep Christmas relegated down to some sweet, cute, overweight philanthropist with reindeer who goes around distributing things to people. That’s okay. But the moment you go to the truth about what Christmas is, people get up in arms.
Christmas Challenges Thinking
And the pure and simple truth is, Christmas challenges the way people think and how they think. That’s a fact. What in the world are we doing at Christmas time if we’re not worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ? A few more things before we get to our passage to read tonight. So, having decided to really focus on the fact that weirdos love to hate Christmas, I want to show you this next slide. We have a couple to show you. Same group: «Make Christmas great again.» Where’d they get that slogan from? «Skip church.» This is another billboard they have. What’s their problem? What are they thinking? Okay, check this out. Next slide. Yes, by the way, that’s one of the least graphic photos that’s on the web tonight if you know the story. If you’re following the news, there’s been an outbreak of terrorist attacks around the world in the last week, several of them in European Christmas markets.
Attacks on Christmas Markets
Now, it’s unfortunate in this country we don’t have Christmas markets because I’ve been many times to Germany and England during Christmas, and it is awesome. It is festive; it is beautiful. It’s family; it’s fellowship. It’s really an amazing tradition that they have. But what’s been going on in Europe this month, people, is a very violent, outspoken, loud, boisterous attack against Christmas. The Muslim world in Europe wants Christmas to stop in Europe, and they’re petitioning communities and cities and towns to remove not only Christmas trees and the celebration of Christmas, but they’re asking also for things that are red and green in that color to be taken down. I’m not kidding. This guy the other day got into a truck—a semi—killed the driver and began driving down a Christmas market street, yelling «Allahu Akbar» as he began to kill people with that truck. And this has happened again in several other places, and it’s very tragic.
More Incidents in Europe
But the Christmas season in Europe—in fact, we just saw in the news last night that in Italy, in a mall, 12 Muslim youth, shouting «Allahu Akbar,» attacked a 25-foot-high Christmas tree and tore it down and began to just tear it apart like ravenous dogs on a bone. It’s all on video; it’s all on film. What’s the deal? What’s wrong? What’s the problem? Is it the tree? Is it the ornaments on the tree? Were these Muslims allergic to evergreen trees? Do you understand where I’m going? I’m being very sarcastic tonight with a purpose. It’s all a spiritual issue. It’s all because of Jesus Christ. Next slide. That’s enough of the truck I wanted to show you, but there’s part of a Christmas tree hanging out of the cab of that truck, and that’s where unfortunately he escaped, and he’s at large tonight somewhere in Europe.
The Biblical Account
But what’s the issue? Here’s the issue. Look in your Bibles now, if you would, to Luke chapter 2. This is the issue. The issue is this: Luke chapter 2. Why in the world right now is there such an angst against Christmas like never before? Here’s the reason. Luke chapter 2, verse 4: Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth—first of all, my atheist friend, those are real places. Though I’m using the Bible, note this in my argument: those are real geographical places; they actually exist. Joseph was a real guy. Galilee is still there today, and the city of Nazareth—I go through every year; it’s really there—in Judea, a real place, to the city of David, that’s in Jerusalem, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
The Birth of Jesus
And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord—now, I’ve never seen an angel of the Lord, but so far everything up until this moment is factual: real shepherds, real place, real cities, real people. Even the Roman government in secular history says we got that. Angels? Never seen one. I wasn’t there. How do, if I’m an atheist or a weirdo, what’s my angst with this? I would just simply put it this way: according to eyewitness accounts, angels appeared in the atmosphere, and the people recorded what they saw. Let’s just leave it at that. It’s admissible in court; you can submit that because it’s an eyewitness account. If you believe it or not, it doesn’t matter; it’s an eyewitness account, and it’s reported.
The Angel’s Message
And they said the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Verse 10: Then the angel of the Lord said to them, «Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.» That’s the Christmas message. So why an atheist or a weirdo would have a problem with this is beyond me. Do you not want good tidings of great joy? Absolutely, who doesn’t want that? «For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior"—that’s where the story goes off the rails—"who is Christ the Lord.» Everything about that announcement is now volatile. Whoever we’re talking about is Christ the Lord. It’s not just that he’s Christ the Lord; there’s a problem. There’s a problem with those who don’t want to accept the Christmas message, and here’s the problem: he is the Savior. That’s the problem. You can give me a little stout man with black boots coming to my door with a glued-on beard and giving me gifts and eggnog—that’s not a problem. I’ll have a tree in my house and lights on my house. I’ll buy gifts; we’ll exchange gifts, and we’ll go to Christmas parties, and we’ll even get cards to people—not a problem.
The Offense of the Savior
But when you start to mention that it’s all about Christ the Lord, the Savior, we got a problem, ladies and gentlemen, because the very Christmas announcement suggests that mankind needs a Savior, and that’s an offense. Now we got a problem. Verse 12: «And this will be the sign to you: you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.» And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, «Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.» What a beautiful greeting, even if you don’t believe it. What a sweet thing to put in a holiday card. And so it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, «Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.» And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
The Shepherds' Response
Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them. Another gospel records that the Magi came. By the way, it wasn’t three kings—you know, «We three kings of Orient are.» It wasn’t three kings. The Magi—they traveled in great caravans. We get that from the song. There’s no record—we get that also thinking that they gave just three gifts, and that’s all it was. There was probably, based upon the Magi, which originates out of what is today Iraq and the region of even parts of Persia—today Iran—they would have come from the time of Daniel when Daniel was in Babylon. There was the Magi.
The Magi’s Journey
That’s why the Bible says in the gospels that they came from the East toward the west—some 600 miles. They came in caravan, divinely somehow led, studying, understanding the Magi scriptures that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They followed the star; they came. You see, well, that’s just the Christmas story; you’re making that up. That’s interesting; that’s recorded in Roman history—Herod and all the gang. It’s all recorded there outside the Bible. Keep that in mind. So listen, friends, as we look and consider tonight, I want you to write down number one: why atheists and weirdos love to hate Christmas is because, number one, it turns out that God kept this promise. Christmas means that God kept his promise. And as Christians, we’re excited about Christmas because of what the Bible says and what God did. We love promises because they bring us hope. Everybody loves promises. Well, the Bible teaches us that God keeps his promises.
God Keeps His Promises
But listen, we’re skeptics tonight, and we’re going to say, well, I don’t know if I believe that. So I want you to be thinking: we’re celebrating Christmas. In Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, going back 3000 years ago, the prophet said, «For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.» The ancient prophet announced that God had made a promise that the Messiah would come, and he would be divine: a child would be born, a son would be given, and he would go by certain titles—all of these are titles and attributes of God.
Prophecy in Micah
The Bible also said 2500 years ago—so some 500 years before Jesus was even born—in Micah 5:2, the Bible says, «But you, Bethlehem, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.» God kept his promise. That’s why Christmas is a problem with some people. You’re either handing out gifts and drinking eggnog and you’re celebrating a little chubby guy in a red suit, or you know the truth: it’s about God keeping his promises, and the Messiah has come. You got to choose; you got to figure this out. It’s either one way or the other. Reindeer either fly, or Mary had a little lamb. According to the Bible, Mary had a little lamb, and he would be born in Bethlehem—true or false. Do your homework.
God’s Unfailing Promises
Titus chapter 1, verse 2: Titus chapter 1, verse 2 says the truth of God gives us confidence of eternal life, which God has promised us before the world began, for God cannot lie. God keeps his promises. The reason why atheists and weirdos love to hate Christmas is because the message of Christmas is simply intolerable. We can’t have the message of Christmas get out because that means we have to have a Savior. And if the Savior is promised by God, now we’re accountable; we need to answer. Number two: it turns out that Jesus Christ is more famous—more famous than all. Jesus—I know there’s t-shirts going around town; it says «Make him famous.» Have you seen those t-shirts? Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a nice t-shirt; that’s fine. But you know what? He’s already famous. Jesus Christ is the most famous, period.
Jesus' Fame
Remember the Beatles? Those of you—anybody remember the Beatles? They once boasted that they were more famous than Jesus. That was, of course, after their drug and dope run that they made that statement. But I doubt it. You see, it turns out that Jesus Christ is more famous, and the fact of the matter is atheists and people who want to reject Christmas just can’t get away from the fact that Jesus Christ is the Christ of the Bible. The bestselling book in all of the world, year after year, is all about Jesus Christ. But listen, here’s a couple reasons why not only Jesus Christ is more famous than all, but why people who struggle with Christmas struggle with it. Number one: the date on the calendar drives them crazy. Everybody knows that the world is older than—what year is this? —2016. Everybody knows the world is older than that, but why is it 2016? Because—have you ever heard of the acronym AD? The AD stands for «in the year of our Lord Christ.» Did you know that? A lot of us were told that it stands for «after death.» That’s not what AD means. It means «in the year of our Lord Christ» or «in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ.» Did you know that? AD. Did you know that bothers people? But this is 2016 AD or AD 2016.
BC and AD
Do you know what BC means? Before Christ. Number two is the fact that they use his name to cuss and to curse. Jesus Christ—his name might be the atheist’s most popular name. People who do not know God love to use his name all the time, do they not? Isn’t that interesting? Nobody cusses in the name of Muhammad. Nobody cusses in the name of Buddha. Nobody drops a brick on their foot and says, «Oh, Confucius! Buddha! That hurt!» It’s never happened. Isn’t that interesting? What do you think? Because it’s all spiritual, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a spiritual issue. The third thing about Jesus being famous is that there have been more books written on Jesus, there have been more hospitals built in his name, there’s been more universities dedicated, more documentaries produced, more commentaries published than any and all other people in human history. Jesus Christ—what do you think about that? What do you think about that? Why is that? Okay, why is that true? So, I don’t believe that; I don’t believe in the Bible. Well, let me ask you this: why is his name so famous that has affected so many people to do so many amazing good things?
John’s Testimony
The Apostle John in John chapter 21:24 says—listen to this—he says, «This is the disciple who testifies of these things and wrote these things.» Listen to him; it sounds like he’s in court. «And we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.» John says, «Amen» to that. Isn’t that awesome? As I mentioned earlier, the gospels—there’s four gospel accounts, each giving a certain highlighted genre of events and addresses mankind’s greatest concerns and answers man’s deepest questions. Just the gospels alone—for example, Matthew chapter 4:23. Matthew 4:23 says, «And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases among the people. Then his fame went throughout all Syria"—boy, they could use him tonight—"and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. Great multitudes followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis"—that’s 10 cities, 10 big cities—"Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.»
Jesus' Ministry
This is Jesus Christ. This is Christmas. And so my question to you after reading that part of Matthew: why would anybody have a hard time with Jesus if we keep Jesus just doing these things? He’s okay; he’s kind of like Santa, right? Come on, he’s just doing good things. Nothing’s stirring things up. He’s preaching; he’s doing miracles; he’s healing people. Great crowds are following him. This is all good. But that’s not where it ends. The Bible goes on to tell us if we look at Isaiah chapter 42—now we jump back thousands of years ago, way before Matthew’s gospel, a thousand years nearly before Matthew’s gospel. Isaiah 42—the great prophet speaks about the coming of the—tonight our—the Christmas Messiah, our Messiah. «Behold! My Servant"—notice capital S; this is the Messiah, God’s servant upon earth—"whom I uphold, my Elect One in whom my soul delights! I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.» Isn’t that awesome? «He will not cry out, nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench.»
The Gentle Messiah
You know, that’s a precious statement. You say, what in the world is he talking about? A life that is beaten down and defeated—he will not crush you. A person that’s discouraged—he will not discourage you further; he’ll pick you up. Are you wiped out? Are you devastated? Are you tired of fighting? Are you tired of living? Jesus says, «Excellent, come to me.» And though you may think your life is at its end, «I will pick you up.» Merry Christmas. «He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for his law.» Verse 5: «Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.»
God’s Promise to the Messiah
This is God the Father speaking to the Messiah, the Son: «To open blind eyes"—did Jesus do that? Did he open blind eyes a thousand years later? —"to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is my name.» Isaiah 35:5—you guys okay? Isaiah 35:5: «Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.» Jesus did that. Isaiah 35—ask any Jew you know at Hanukkah; ask them, «Hey, Isaiah 35—I’m curious, my friend—ask your Jewish friend, what’s Isaiah 35 talking about?» He’ll tell you the Messiah. He’ll tell you, when the Messiah comes, he’s going to open up the eyes of the blind. It’s too bad they don’t see that yet.
Healing the Blind
Matthew chapter 20:29. Matthew 20:29: «Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him"—that is, Jesus—"and behold, two blind men"—so remember, we don’t believe any of this; we’re skeptics tonight; we’re atheists. You just read Isaiah 35, and now you’re reading nearly a thousand years later eyewitness accounts—"and behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! '» Then the multitude warned them—this is hilarious—the multitude warned them. You know why they warned these two blind guys? Because they could afford to; they could see. The blind guys couldn’t see. Don’t you think this is really—this is kind of a sad commentary on humanity. There’s two blind guys—what do they’ve got to lose? They can’t have jobs; they have to beg. They’re like this. They hear that Jesus is passing by, and so they just, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us!» And people are saying, «Shh, stop it; that’s embarrassing.» Well, if you’re blind, what do you care, right? If you’re blind, why do you care if you’re embarrassing or not? Would you not be desperate if you knew Jesus was passing by and you were blind? Would you say, «Well, I’m just going to be polite and not say anything»? Are you kidding?
The Blind Men’s Faith
These two guys: «Hey, we got a need over here!» And by them saying «Son of David,» those blind guys know more than we think. Allow me to elaborate: «Jesus, we know who you are. You’re the Son of David.» That’s a Messianic title. Ask any Jew around. «You are the Savior; you’re the Messiah. We know the book of Isaiah, just around verse or chapter 35. It’s time for us to cry out because we’re blind. We know who you are. We may be blind, but we’re not blind.» And the multitude warned them that they should be quiet, but they cried out all the more. Don’t you like these guys? Saying, «Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!» So Jesus stood still and called to them and said, «What do you want me to do for you?» Isn’t that funny? Again, you say, why is Jesus doing this? He’s drawing faith out of them. Jesus knew they were blind; it’s kind of cute, actually, what he’s saying. So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. Of course they did. Why do you follow him? Didn’t he open your eyes? At some point in time in your life—he’s awesome.
Jesus' Widespread Fame
You see, Jesus’s fame spread throughout the entire Roman Empire, up into Turkey, Asia Minor, Europe, beyond, until it landed in your ears tonight. No, Jesus is more famous than all. That bothers people. Number three: why atheists and weirdos love to hate Christmas—and third point is, sorry to rub it in, but Jesus is the one and only. There’s no other way to put it; he’s the one and only. Okay, here’s the lightning round. I’m going to ask you to write these down, and if you’re listening right now because someone’s handed you a way of you hearing this audibly, then check it out later. We’re going to look at the «I am"s of Jesus in the Bible. You say, well, who cares about the «I am"s—his «I am» statements? Somebody might say to you, well, you know, at Christmas, I want to argue, Christian, Jesus never claimed to be God. When somebody says that, they’re just—they’re sincere, but they’re admitting they have no Bible knowledge whatsoever.
The «I Am» Statements
Because when Jesus used the statement «I am,» it’s the Greek «ego»; it has a Hebrew equivalent found in the book of Exodus when Moses ascended to the top of Mount Sinai, and God gave him the Ten Commandments, and God said, «Go back down and tell the people I sent you to them.» Moses rightfully turned to him and said, «Who do I tell them sent me?» I mean, Moses knew it was God, but in what name? These people worship all kinds of gods. He says, «Tell them this: 'I Am that I Am' has sent you to them.» «I Am» is the self-contained, forever-living, never-having-a-beginning, never-having-an-ending one. He’s God. He doesn’t need any external power source; he doesn’t need any time. He is eternal because he’s eternal; he’s never had a beginning, and he’ll never have an ending. He lives outside all that you and I know. And the Bible says it’s Jesus, the Christmas Christ. John chapter 8, verse 58: Jesus said, «Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.» Wow. Jesus right there in that one verse is enough, declaring himself to be God. Abraham had been dead for over a thousand years, and Jesus says to the crowd, «Before Abraham ever was, I am.» Right about that, their yarmulkes began to spin around in circles off the top of their head. Who in the world would declare themselves to be the eternal God?
More «I Am» Declarations
Listen, somebody do that today—you’re going to have them locked up for being insane in public. Listen, next verse: John 14:6—Jesus said, «I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through me.» Yikes. This is the Christmas Christ. John chapter 10:9—Jesus said, «I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.» Tremendous statements. No one has ever come on the world scene and said such things. Jesus did. John 11:25: «And Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.'» What a statement. If anybody believes in me, at that moment of death, he only blinks, and he continues to live in the next world to come. That’s what Jesus is saying. Listen, if you’re a Christian tonight, you never die. Listen, you see, well, that’s ridiculous. You could drop dead right now, pastor, of a heart attack. Listen, my—excuse me—my body drops dead. This is not all there is to me. Hallelujah! Thank God. Got up this morning, had to take some ibuprofen for my back, and I remembered, «Lord, this body stinks, man.» The Bible says I’m going to get a new one. The real you is on the inside, not the outside.
Jesus' Eternal Nature
Jesus said, the moment you die in this world, you wake up in the next. Man, you can’t—listen, you’re not going to find that underneath your tree this Christmas. Revelation 1:8—Jesus said, «I am the Alpha and the Omega"—that’s the name of God—"the Beginning and the End,» says the Lord, «who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.» No wonder why people have a hard time with Christmas if Jesus isn’t their Lord. This is the Christmas Christ. It’s either reindeer and eggnog, or it’s Jesus. I mean, think about it; you got to pick one. Philippians chapter 2:10: «At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth"—that’s the spirit realm—"and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.» Wow. And then my all-time favorite—you know it—Proverbs 30:4: «Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the entire world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!» Boom. Wow. You should—I don’t know—clap at that or something. That’s amazing; that’s awesome.
No Other Name
Acts 4:12: «Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.» 1 John 5:20—First John 5:20: «And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.» Now listen, I’m going to give you a quote in a moment; you’ll see it on the screens—from a man who was a renowned atheist, a famous weirdo. And he began to study, and he began to research, and he wrote this. Go ahead and put it on the screen, guys.
C.S. Lewis Quote
[quote]I’m trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus Christ: 'I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. Now it seems to me obvious that he was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that he was and is God.[/quote]
C.S. Lewis, famous atheist who converted to Christianity after he researched the claims and historical and archaeological background of Jesus Christ, went on to be, of course, one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century.
The Sacrifice of Christmas
Number four: why atheists and others love to hate Christmas—because nothing says sacrifice more than Christmas. The baby came to die. When the Hebrew prophet John—John the Baptist—we don’t often think of him as that, do we? We don’t think of John as being the last prophet of the Old Testament era, but he was—announced Jesus’s sacrificial ministry. He made it very clear in John chapter 1:29. The Hebrew prophet announced that, on the next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, «Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!» John was announcing that Jesus came into the world to be the sacrifice. In John 12:32, the Bible says—and I—Jesus said, «If I am lifted up from the earth"—that’s a statement of crucifixion—"I will draw all peoples to myself.» And verse 33 says Jesus said this, signifying by what manner of death he would die. Jesus said, if I’m going to be crucified, if I’m lifted up on the cross—watch this prophetic statement—all peoples on the earth will have to consider this; all people will have to think about it.
Jesus' Prediction of Death
Matthew 17:22: «Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.'» Jesus said that in advance. And by the way, for those of you who are skeptics about this, later on we find out that when he said it, none of his disciples believed it. That’s pretty cool. They didn’t believe it until after his resurrection. 1 John chapter 2:2: Jesus came as the Christmas sacrifice. It says he is the sacrifice for our sins; he takes away not only our sins but the sins of all of the world. Luke 23—a lot of verses, I know, but these are all things that can be researched and proven true. Luke 23:44: «Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness"—Jesus is now on the cross—"over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' Having said this, he breathed his last.» And so when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, «Certainly this was a righteous man.» The sacrifice—Jesus.
The Resurrection
Number five: why do people struggle with Christmas who don’t believe? Because the resurrection—the resurrection of Jesus cannot be true. That should be, because the resurrection of Jesus cannot be true. That’s what people at Christmas time—they ultimately have to face this. And people—listen, ask people—this is what can’t be true at Christmas season when you get in the debate time with your family. It’s this: tell them, listen, the baby—Christmas Jesus—came at Christmas because he had a date with the cross. Jesus died on the cross—the whole world knows that—but Jesus rose again from the dead. See, the issue is this: the reason why people struggle with Christmas is because enough people know the story and how it ends. The awesome thing with our story is how it ends: it ends with a beginning. You ever think about that? Christianity ends with a beginning. It ends with the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that’s the beginning. And so people will argue, and if they never articulate it, they’re saying it in their head: that the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be true. It just can’t be true; it could not have happened.
The Trouble with Christmas
People struggle with Christmas because they know if they let this story become true on Christmas Day, then it’s got to be true on Easter. That’s the trouble with Christmas. This is something that people just cannot accept. I saw in a magazine—because you know those magazines at the checkout stand at the grocery store; they all must be true, right? Every year it’s coming up on the New Year; Elvis is going to show up again. Well, I got news for some of those publications: Jesus was not murdered. Did you know that? There’s books in libraries that say Jesus was murdered. Jesus wasn’t murdered. And I hate to break the news to Bill O’Reilly and his bestselling book, but nobody killed Jesus. Did you know that? Jesus was not a victim. His PR stunt didn’t go wrong. All of these buffoonery arguments people put out—the Bible tells us clearly that Jesus Christ came to die, and he knew it, and he said so, and so did the ancient prophets.
Jesus Lays Down His Life
In John chapter 10:17, the Bible says, «Therefore my Father loves me"—Jesus is speaking—"because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.» Is that an awesome statement? «No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father.» Jesus is saying, «I’m going to die at just the right time, and when I’m ready to die, I’m going to dismiss my spirit,» like we read a moment ago. That’s amazing; it’s awesome. John 14:18—are you guys really okay? You’re super quiet. You all right? Too many verses. John 14:18: Jesus said, «I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.» Jesus was speaking about coming back to you. Even now, if you become a believer in Christ, he says, «I won’t leave you orphaned. I’m going back, but I’ll send the Holy Spirit to all those who will accept me.»
The Presence of Christ
And everybody in this room who became, at their moment, at their time, a Christ follower—a real believer in Jesus Christ—you know what I’m talking about. You know that God has got a mark upon your life. You know that God’s in your life constantly, 24/7, and you’ve never been alone since the day you accepted Christ. You can go all the way out to the Mojave Desert and walk around and get lost, or go to Death Valley where nobody is, and you will never feel alone as a Christian. I find that profound. Because I don’t know about you, I don’t want to go off—we have a few moments left, and I have seven points total, but we’re almost done. But here’s the deal, and this may be one reporter’s opinion, but before I accepted Jesus Christ, I was busy working during the week, but then when the weekend would come, like around Thursday, I’d start making phone calls. I know none of you did this, but I’d start making phone calls because I want to find out what’s going on. «Hey, what’s going on this weekend? What’s going on this weekend? Anybody know what’s going on? What’s happening? What are we doing?»
No More Loneliness
Why did we do that? I don’t know why you did or didn’t do it; I know why I did it. I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t want to be lonely. That was my big—I don’t want to be lonely. I didn’t care if I was one person or with 100 people; I just didn’t want to be alone. And you know what? The night I accepted Jesus Christ—I didn’t know it at the moment, of course; I didn’t know at that moment—but I woke up a few days later to it. From that moment I accepted Jesus Christ, it dawned on me: I have not been craving anyone’s presence. I found myself not reaching for the phone—back in those days, I know it’s hard for young people to realize, but we had phones that were connected to a wall with a cord on it; like, you had to dial. I didn’t do this anymore. I didn’t pick up the—"Hey, what’s going on?» I never did it. That’s been 40 years. In fact, now as a Christian, it’s like, «Jesus, where can we go be alone?» Right? Think about it. You want to—you want to go be alone with him. No matter where you go, you can be in a closet, you can be in the desert, you can be on a mountain, you can be at the bottom of the sea swimming around—he’s there, and you know it. It’s so amazing. I love that about him; it’s amazing.
Talking to God
Before, people—you know, you see people talking to themselves; you say, like, «I need the doctor.» And then you become a Christian, and you’re just driving; you’re talking to him. You’re pretending you’re on your Bluetooth, but you’re talking to God. It’s awesome. He’s amazing. Number six: why atheists and weirdos hate Christmas is because the Christmas Christ is alive. He’s alive. He’s more alive than I know my last name—I mean, I assume my last name is my last name. He’s more alive than the reality of you and I standing in front of each other right now. Jesus Christ is alive; he lives. He’s changing people all over the world all the time. Governments are terrified of him. Did you know that? You mention his name, and they could arrest you. They’ll start—if you’re in China, they’ll start listening to your phone calls because you keep mentioning Jesus. It’s true.
Personal Story from Russia
I remember getting kissed by a Russian grandma—scared me to death. I was preaching the gospel in 1992, just off of Red Square in Moscow. And a babushka—Russian grandma—she had black fingers and hands from the black mud. She had two baskets of mushrooms full from the country. And I don’t know, man, she must have been 4 and a half feet tall. She was so incredibly tiny. And I’m preaching the gospel with my translator, and there’s a crowd gathered around. And this little—she was like a little tank—she just came right through people, and she came up, and she’s all hunched over, and she’s listening, and there’s tears going down her face. And I’m speaking, and I’m looking at her, and I’m speaking, and my translator’s translating. And when I was done, she put her basket down; she walked up, and she’s crying, and she grabbed me by the face—she just grabbed me by the face with those black, soiled hands—and she kissed me right on the lips, and she starts bawling, and she’s crying. And the translator’s now—she’s bawling—like, «Go, what in the world’s going on?» She said, «This woman is in her 80s, and she remembers when she was about 10 years old, when the Communists came in and tore the crosses out of their flat—out of their house—and confiscated their Bibles and said, 'God is dead.' And she said, 'I have prayed for 70 years that I would hear the gospel back in my country again.'»
Jesus is Alive
Let me tell you something: I’ve never cried being kissed by an old lady, but I did that day. Wow. Jesus is alive. Governments are terrified of him, and it’s so cool. They can build a wall; he just steps right over the wall. They can’t stop him. He’s so amazing. He’s alive. And Matthew 28, verse 1: the Bible says, «Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.» That’s—that’s spunky, man. «His countenance was like lightning"—wouldn’t you like to have seen that? Or maybe not; I don’t know—"and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and indeed he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him. Behold, I have told you.'»
The Women Meet Jesus
So they went out quickly from the tomb—it’s right there in Jerusalem today; you can see it—with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, «Rejoice!» So they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him. Jesus is alive. Revelation 1:17—I love these two verses, church; we’re almost done. I love these two verses. Listen to this: Revelation 1:17 and 18. And when John says, «When I saw him"—that’s Jesus; John in the heavenly vision, right—"I fell at his feet as dead.» I passed out; fell down. «But he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am he who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.'» Oh, man—that’s the Christmas Jesus.
The Spirit of Gifting
Number seven—we end: why atheists and weirdos love to hate Christmas—it’s because Christmas brings the spirit of gifting. I’ll end with this explanation. We’re humbled by this season if we pause and think about it. The world doesn’t want to be humbled at all. I’ll prove it to you. The Bible tells us that God alone provides eternal life. He created life; he created your life. He saves; he washes away sins. We were not originally created with original mom and dad as sinners. Adam and Eve became sinners by choice. Can’t have worship, can’t have love, can’t have a relationship without choice. But with choice is a risk. Wherever there’s choice, there’s a free moral agency. If you’ve got to put a gun to someone’s head to get them to tell you that they love you, you’re living in an illusion. God does not roll that way. Christianity—the Christ of Christmas—does not put a sword to your throat and say, «Love me or you die.» That is insanity. It’s got to be a choice.
God’s Gift
Jesus brings the spirit of gifting, and I mean it this way: in John 3:15, the Bible says, «Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.» Do you hear that? See, here’s the thing: I was with a sweet and generous gentleman from this church yesterday, and he got me a gift. It shocked me. And I don’t know about you, but it’s like, when you—are you as sick as I am? When you get a gift, you kind of feel like, «Okay, now what? I have to give you something now.» Where does that come from? Pure pride. When someone gives you a gift, it’s humbling. You ever think about that? Stop for a moment and think. Oh, I don’t know, Jack—I just hope I get that—I just hope I get that thing, you know? I’ve been asking my girlfriend for it or my mom for it or my husband for it. I just hope I get that thing. Okay, I understand that.
The Humility of Receiving
But if you just slow down and pause for a moment and think: for someone to take the time and to do something and to put the effort and the money even into gifting you something—it’s hard to receive. It’s humbling to receive. And so it’s funny because he blessed me, and then he said, «Let’s get something to eat,» and I said, «Yes, I’ll pay.» And he goes, «No, you’re not.» And right there in the line, I just sensed the Lord say, «You need to stand down.» And that was like, «Oh"—it’s all pride. The reason why—listen—the reason why you have a hard time with Christmas is because the ultimate gift is having your sins forgiven, having your feet washed, as it were. That’s humbling. It’s a lot easier to wash someone else’s feet than to have your feet washed. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go get your feet washed; it’s freaky. Jesus tonight wants to wash your soul clean of its sins. The tough part is you got to let him. And we’re humans, so we go, «I’ll wash them.» But Jesus would say to you tonight, «Well, that would be great if it’s possible, but the filth that’s on your feet is the same filth that’s on your hands. You’re just spreading the filth around—spread a little filth around. That’s what’s going on.»
Jesus Washes Us Clean
Someone from the outside has got to wash you. Someone from the outside who’s cleaner than you is the only one qualified to wash you. That’s what Jesus came to do: wash you. So I want to give you an opportunity, and I know it’s humbling; I know it’s terrifying—we all know it—but I want to give you an opportunity tonight to accept Jesus. Because if you want to hang on to your atheism or your weirdness, you better have some really super duper reasons that can outdo God’s word. Because it ain’t about you and I; it’s not about you and the people around you. It’s about you and him. And you better have some really good excuse as to why his Son wasted his time on the cross—because I guarantee you he didn’t.
Prayer
Let’s dim the lights. Let’s pray. Let’s make a decision. [quote]Father, as we come tonight, we’re about to leave this place, being reminded again of the awesomeness of Christ’s coming—Christmas. And Father, tonight I pray that there might be somebody here who it clicked for them tonight.[quote]
There was some encouragement, I hope; there was some instruction, I hope; but more importantly, there’s some conviction. I hope that people would wake up this evening to the fact that many of us in this room tonight have already woken up to, and that is: I can’t save myself. None of us are righteous and clean enough to clean ourselves. We need an outside source. We need the I Am to save us. And that would mean tonight, my friend, that you would take the humble road and surrender.