Christmas Unwrapped

For me....going out and getting drunk, with friend, having a good time, having a good laugh presents mainly, I know it's meant to be about love n'all that. Presents is spending money. Being with my family, because we live all over the place, so it's a time we all get together. The worst thing about Christmas is the anticlimax of it all I think. The expense! No buses. Well it is traditionally the birth of Christ and that's still what we are going to be celebrating ultimately. I'm celebrating it, because as it seems to be a family tradition about having Christmas dinner together, buying presents. There's nothing else to do! Sorry is that my most stupid answer, but there is nothing else to do isn't there! Hi I'm J.John and i'm in the heart of the West End in London. I'm standing just outside the Dominion Theatre where Hillsong Church meet for their services every Sunday. I'm here to to speak at their Christmas service and I hope as you watch and listen you will find this programme interesting, entertaining and illuminating. Enjoy as I unwrap what the meaning and the message of Christmas is all about. Thank you very much. Good evening, isn't the Christmas season a great season of the year. I love Christmas. I love Turkey, Tinsel, Tia Maria, I love it all. It's a great season. Some of the things that we say, some of the things that we do, I just so enjoy. Did you know that a man does through three stages in his life. Stage one, he believes in Santa claus. Stage two he doesn't believe in Santa Claus. Stage three, he is Santa Claus! It is such a fun season and during this season, obviously different people had different expectations and different perspectives. There was a little boy who wanted a bicycle for his birthday. So he got down on his knees he prayed for a bike, his birthday arrived.....no bike. But then he thought, Christmas is only a few weeks away, I'll have a second chance, got down on his knees and began to pray for a bike for Christmas. Then he thought, "No, I prayed for my birthday and I didn't get one". So he got up and started to walk around the house, and then he saw a statue of Mary, and then he had an idea. Took the statue down, wrapped it in a blanket put it in a draw, and said "Jesus if you wanna see your Mum again, get be a bike!" I don't know whether your the negotiating type but there are people who think they can negotiate with the creator of the universe. There was a mother who said to her daughter "What Mummy hopes to give you this Christmas is a little baby brother, but it's actually going to be quite painful for Mummy to do this. Mummy has to be rushed off into hospital, and she just explain a few of the little details regarding the labour and the birth. And sure enough as Christmas approached, Mummy was rushed off into hospital gave birth to a little baby boy, and it was great rejoicing in the family home at Christmas time. The following year at Christmas, Mummy said to her daughter "Darling, what would you like for Christmas. She said "Mummy if it's not too painful could I have a pony?" Well I don't know whether your expectations are in the realm of the miraculous. One of the things I really enjoy about the season of Christmas are infant school nativity plays. I've got three sons, and over the years I've been too many nativity plays, and they're great. There was one infant school where the highlight of the year was the annual Christmas production, and there's one little boy who was desperate to play the part of Joseph. The day arrived when the teacher announced all the roles but this little boy was not chosen to play Joseph. But he was chosen to play the innkeeper, but he didn't wanna be the innkeeper, he wanted to be Joseph. The day arrived when the school presented their annual Christmas production to the entire school. All the families, realities, friends. Then you get to that point where Mary and Joseph arrive at the innkeepers door. Knock on the door. Door opens. door opens innkeeper comes out. Joseph says "Can my wife Mary and I, can we come in for the evening?" The innkeeper said "She can come in but you can't. I wanted to be Joseph." There are many different versions of Christmas, and because there are so many different versions of Christmas, it's really good, just to take some time out and stop and say, let's go back to the original scripts. What did the original script actually say. The only true historical reason for celebrating Christmas is as the birthday of Jesus Christ, but nobody celebrates the birthday of a dead person. You only celebrate the birthday of someone who is alive. It is because Christians believe and no that Jesus Christ is alive that there can be a true celebration of his birthday. Now just imagine it's your birthday, your having a party. All your friends, and all your family are going to come to your birthday party. The door bell goes, you open the door, they're all standing there holding presents. They all say, "It's your birthday" You say "It is my birthday, come on in". They all come in, and then they all say, "It is your birthday", you say "Yeah we clarified that, is my birthday", and then they all get their presents out and give them to one another! Does that remind you of anything? The only true historical reason for celebrating Christmas is as the birthday of Jesus Christ, so we all get presents out and give them to one another. That is funny isn't it! Well I think it's really funny. Someone said "Christmas means giving presents" No... Christmas doesn't mean giving presents, but of course we do give presents, because it is Christmas. When we go back to the original script, we learn that there were a group of people known as the wise men. Have you ever wondered what would have happened had they been wise women? I'll tell you. If they were wise women, they would have asked for directions and arrived there on time. I don't know if you know, but the wise men arrived quite late. When the wise women arrive they would have brought a casserole. They would've cleaned out the stable, they would have helped with the delivery, and they would have brought far more practical presents. The original script says they were wise men. Now, that's got nothing to do with academia it's not about intelligence it's about understanding.