The Greatest Christmas Ever
Copyright © 2007 James L. Melton
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psa. 75:6-7)
My reason for choosing the above text will become more apparent later. The message title is The Greatest Christmas Ever, which might seem a bit exaggerated, but I believe you’ll be in agreement with me by the time we are finished.
Colossians chapter two speaks of Christians not making a big deal about special days, but the fact is that Christmas already is a special day. You cannot change that. The entire world slows down and changes its pace on this day, and you will have to play along to some degree (meals, family gatherings, special store hours, days off work, etc.). So, we all observe Christmas one way or another, even if we don't celebrate it.
Some Christians try to emphasize Christ in Christmas by reading Scripture about his birth, singing spiritual Christmas carols, and speaking about the greatest Christmas present of all, the gift of eternal life. Maybe some of that is okay, but then again, we should be magnifying Jesus every day, not just on Christmas day, especially when He wasn’t even born on Christmas.
If you know that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th (and He wasn’t, but that’s a separate message), you might feel a bit peculiar in celebrating His birth at that time. If so, maybe every day can be Jesus day and December 25th can be set aside to celebrate something that really did happen on that day. After all, plenty has happened on December 25th, most of which goes completely ignored year after year.
There are some December 25th events that we can just as well ignore. You probably don’t need to sit around the fireplace drinking boiled custard and celebrating the birthday of Sol the Roman sun god (est. 274 A.D.), the crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III (800 A.D.), Cab Calloway’s birthday (1907), or the birthday of Barbara Mandrell (1948).
Then there are some December 25th events that you might at least keep in the back of your mind. John Phillip Sousa completed his Stars and Stripes Forever on December 25th (1896). It is also the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton (1642), a Christian who discovered the law of gravitation, and it’s the birthday of Clara Barton (1821), the famous Civil War nurse who founded the American Red Cross
Another one to remember is the Christmas Truce of 1914, when, during World War I, German troops ceased firing to sing Christmas carols. At points along the Eastern and Western fronts, French, British, and Russian soldiers would stop fighting and join in the singing. That’s worth telling to someone.
But if you can’t remember any of that, please remember the story that I’m about to tell you. This did happen on December 25th, and you owe this one to your children and grandchildren.
The date was December 25, 1776, the greatest Christmas ever. You say, “Preacher, what in the world happened that was so important?” Oh, just the fact that a general and his men crossed a river. Of course, the general was George Washington, the father of your country, his men were 2,500 Continental soldiers, and the river was the Delaware.
That Christmas was, by far, the greatest Christmas ever. Please grant me your patience as I present two good reasons for making such a claim.
I. IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHRISTMAS
Would you not agree that up until now no nation has done more good for the world than the United States? This world is in a mess these days, but just imagine the mess it would be in if God had not raised up the USA over two centuries ago! I don’t have the space to give multiple history lessons here, but can we agree that it was important for the world, and not only for the USA, that we win the Revolutionary War? Of course it was.
If Charlemagne had not been crowned, the world would have been better for it. If Sol the sun god had never been born, the world would have been better for it. But if we had lost the Revolutionary War, nothing would have been better and much would be a lot worse.
Well, we were not winning on December 25, 1776. Things were looking bad. We had lost some major battles in recent months (Long Island, August 27; Chatterton Hill, October 28; Fort Lee, Nov 24), and Washington’s beaten down army had been pushed back to the West bank of the Delaware. The whole thing actually should have been over on August 27th, but a strange fog showed up just in the nick of time and hid Washington's troops as they escaped Brooklyn over to Manhatten (Kips Bay). Why, one might even think that God was on our side!
Well, anyway, here’s the father of our country on Christmas Day, 1776, with his beaten down army on the West side of the Delaware. The British were so confident that the whole war was nearly over that some of their officers had begun shipping their luggage home. It didn’t look like we stood a chance of winning, but if we could win, that day just might become the most important Christmas ever. Would you agree? Can you document anything better that ever happened on December 25th? I didn’t think so.
Well, as it turned out, we did win. So, which is the greatest Christmas ever?
II. IT WAS THE MOST INSPIRING CHRISTMAS
The greatest history-making events occur when two things happen: man does his part and God does His part. That’s a pretty simple formula. The hard part is that God usually says, “YOU go first.”
Many of the men in the Continental Army weren’t ready to go anywhere but home. Many had quit and many more were finishing up their terms of service, not going to re-enlist. Looking back, you might find fault with them, but just put yourself in their shoes. On second thought, that would be tough to do since many of them had no shoes. Some actually left bloody footprints behind as they walked through the snow. I’ll not criticize them for wanting to quit because I’ve quit a lot easier things than that. But I’m sure glad they didn’t quit!
So, how did we win? Wisdom, just a good ole’ dose of wisdom granted to our first “George W” from the Father above. Regardless of how large and intimidating an army might be, without wisdom they’re just a bunch of fools. (Prov 4:7).
The British had the most powerful military in the world, but we had George Washington, a man who believed that “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Not a bad start, huh?
Washington had already gone down in history as one of the greatest and bravest military commanders ever. Here are a few words from page 59 of M.L. Williamson’s Life and Anecdotes of George Washington regarding the fierce battle at the Monongahela River where General Braddock was killed:
“Throughout the deadly fray Washington displayed the greatest courage and presence of mind. The other aides had been wounded early in the action and he alone was left to carry the orders to the General (Braddock). Two horses were shot under him and four bullets passed through his coat. The Indians singled him out for death, but in vain. He rode on as protected by enchantment . . .”
Though disputed by some historians, another episode of divine protection is believed to have played out some fifteen years later when an Indian chief from that battle ran into Washington and his doctor once again. The old chief had these words to offer:
“I am a chief and ruler over many tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man’s blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe—he hath an Indian’s wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you (pointing to Washington) knew not how to miss. T-was all in vain, a power mightier than we shielded you . . . Listen! The great spirit protects that man (pointing to Washington) and guides his destinies. He will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire.”
The chief went on to say:
“I had 17 fair fires at him with my rifle, and after all could not bring him to the ground.”
Now, that’s the man we had leading our army on December 25th, 1776. Here’s what happened. British General William Howe, after winning a series of victories against Washington, went to his winter quarters leaving about 1,400 men (Hessian mercenaries) at Trenton, NJ, under the command of a Hessian Colonel named Johann Rall (sometimes spelled Raul or Rahl). Washington reasoned that the Hessians would be drinking and partying through the night and be sleepy headed and hung over the next morning. So, he decided to cross the Delaware on Christmas night under cover of darkness and then march nine miles south and attack them at Trenton early the next morning. It was a long shot, but if they could pull it off, the Americans just might still have a chance at winning the war.
They began crossing at 9:00 on Christmas night. Nearly seven hours later some 2,500 men had crossed the Delaware without alarming the enemy.
Now, watch God have some fun. A Loyalist farmer spotted the men crossing the Delaware and ran to tell Colonel Rall, who was partying and playing cards at the home of a man named Abraham Hunt. Rall refused to take time to see the man, so the man scribbled the warning message on a piece of paper to be given to Rall. Hunt walked in, handed the note to Rall, then Rall stuck the note in his vest pocket without reading it! The next day, as he lay dying on an operating table, the bloody note was discovered and Rall said, “If I had read this at Mr. Hunt’s I would not be here.”
Washington and his men killed 23 enemies, took about 1,000 prisoners, loads of ammo, guns, and canons, and had only 4 men wounded. None were killed. Do you think maybe God had a hand in all that?
That was just one victory, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. The morale and momentum of the war did a 180 degree turn. Men chose to reenlist and new recruits signed up in the spring. We went on to win the war and become the greatest nation in world history.
Never forget it, friend. On December 25, 1776, God gave America a great Christmas present. He gave hope to the Continental Army, and that hope grew into the very freedom that you and I enjoy today. May we never forget it.