This letter came from a daughter living in New Brunswick to her mother in Ontario: "Dear Mother: I'm writing this slow 'cause I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left. My hubby read in the paper where the most accidents happened within twenty miles of home, so we moved. I won't know the address for awhile yet as the last New Brunswick family that lived here took the numbers with them for their next house so they won't have to change the address. This place we're rentin' has a washin' machine. The first day, I put four new shirts in it, pulled the lever, and I haven't seen them since. It only rained twice this week: three days the first time and four days the second time. The coat you wanted me to send that you forgot here was too heavy to send in the mail. So we cut off the big buttons and put them in the pockets. We got a bill from the funeral home, said if we didn't make the last payment on Aunty's funeral bill, up she comes. I heard that Sis had a baby this morning but I haven't been over there yet to find out if it's a boy or a girl so I don't know if I'm an Aunt or an Uncle. Our neighbour up the road fell in the whisky vat. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully, so he drowned. We cremated him and he burned for three days. Three local kids from Moncton went off the bridge in a pick-up truck. The one that was driving rolled down the window and swam out. The two sitting in the back drowned. They couldn't get the tailgate down. Not much to tell this time. Nothin' much happens 'round here. Love, Your Daughter."

You're probably wondering what this story has to do with the sermon today. To be honest, nothing at all. I just wanted you to laugh a little, because laughter is good for you. And we don't laugh enough. Researchers say that on the average, a child will laugh 150 times a day, while an adult will only average 15 laughs per day! We need to laugh more, because it is good for us. Norman Cousins was hospitalized with a crippling disease. It was supposed to be incurable. He checked out of the hospital and began watching old funny movies. He discovered that 10 minutes of laughter provided two hours of pain-free sleep. Amazingly, his debilitating disease was eventually reversed! Doctors can tell many more stories about laughter being the best medicine. Experts tell us that laughter improves any meal because it aids digestion. It also helps me when giving my son a bath. Needless to say, he hates the part where you have to rinse the shampoo out. He hates it running down his face and he cries every time. But I have found that certain bath toys can make him laugh hysterically. So now, as soon as I pour the water over his head, I make him laugh - and it is pretty funny to see him laughing uncontrollably through his tears. The laughter gets him through!

There are various kinds of laughter. Some of them are good: the laughter when your funny bone has been tickled, the laughter of joy, and the laughter of relief. There are also some kinds of laughter that are not so great: the laughter of mockery, ridicule, and unbelief. We will be talking about two main kinds today.

The first kind of laughter is the kind the Sarah exhibited when she learned she would have a son at the age of 90. Read Genesis 18:10-12. Sarah was not laughing out of joy. She was laughing out of ridicule and unbelief. She laughed because she thought, "these visitors must not know me or how old I am." She was sure such a statement was a mistake. It was impossible for her to have a child. It was an absurd notion. It was so absurd that the thought seemed funny.

What happened next, however, is very important: Read Genesis 18:13-15. God hears the laughter and addresses the situation. He understands that Sarah is not laughing because she is delighted with what the Lord says, she is laughing because she believes it is impossible. And God's response to Sarah is this: "Sarah, your god is too small." He asks her a rhetorical question: "Is ANYTHING too hard for the Lord?" The expected answer is "No." The God who created the universe with a word is not limited by the world He created. What seemed impossible to Sarah was not impossible to God at all.

Can you sense the message here for you and me? Do you see the importance of this passage for our every day living? It applies to anyone who feels they are in an impossible situation. Those facing infertility…is your problem too hard for the Lord? Those facing an overwhelming illness…God is able to meet your needs. Those who look at their rebellious children and feel they are "hopeless"… the problem may seem beyond you…but do you think it is too hard for the Lord? Those who face old wounds that seem impossible to overcome…is this beyond God's power to mend? Those raised in dysfunctional homes…God can unravel the mess and heal the pain. Those who look at the cost of a college education or retirement and say, "It is impossible!"…Do you really think it is impossible for the God of the Universe? Those who feel that their marriage is hopelessly over…Can't the God who made you one renew the love?

The list could go on. I suspect I have given enough examples to help you see your own need in light of these words. The simple laughter of Sarah reminds us that we often laugh when we should trust. We often throw our hands up into the air when we should be putting them together in prayer. We are too prone to focus on our lack of strength instead of his sufficient strength. We often laugh the laugh of unbelief and ridicule when it comes to God's love!

That is the first reason why God's Son, this Child coming into the world, makes us laugh. Because God's plan of salvation that He was working through his Son sounds ridiculous to us! Illogical! Unbelievable! Does this make sense? There's an almighty God I need to answer to, and He demands perfection from me, even though I can't be perfect. But He loves me, so He plans to sacrifice his Son in my place? What kind of God is this?? Then this Son of his comes here to earth where He is both true man and true God. How is that possible?? Look how He came into this world! Born in a stable! Laid in a manger! How lowly! What kind of a God would do it that way? A virgin birth? Come on!! Then He would go on to be crucified? What kind of weak God would do that?? And rise again? No way!! And that we would be saved only through faith in Him and what He's done? That's ridiculous!! It is obvious that if we are going to receive a reward like heaven, it will have to be something we can earn! That's what my common sense tells me. And finally, where is this "Peace on Earth" He came to bring? Sure doesn't seem to be working to me! Wouldn't you agree that there is almost nothing about Jesus that makes any sense to our human way of thinking? No, He really makes us laugh, doesn't He! The same way that birth announcement made Sarah laugh.

The Bible records that Sarah laughed again, though, about a year later. This time, it was a different kind of laughter. Read Genesis 21:2-7. Now Sarah has a son in her arms. It is too good to be true. She laughs out of joy. And relief. She laughs at herself for how silly her lack of trust in God had been. She realized now that nothing was impossible for God! And that made her laugh out of true joy! So much so that she even named the boy "Laughter." That's what the name Isaac means!

I bet you have experienced similar kinds of laughter. The laughter of joy at life's great events: a birth, a marriage, some good news. The laughter of joy when you won something that was completely unexpected. The laugh of joy when your favorite sports team does something unexpectedly well. Very similar is the laugh of relief. I recall watching people get done with a very scary roller coaster ride, as soon as the car came to a stop, laughing from relief. A friend of mine described walking away from a near tragic accident, which totaled the car he was driving, but he didn't get a scratch. He told me how he just began laughing. A laugh of relief. It's also a glorious feeling when that piece of paper under the windshield wiper blade turns out to be an advertising circular! What else makes us laugh in relief? Finding out that the mess you're in is fully covered under your insurance policy. Finding something you thought you'd lost before you go out and buy a new one. Realizing after you've locked the keys in the car that you forgot to close a window. And how about getting stopped after you were caught going well over the speed limit, and having the officer let you drive away with just a warning?

That kind of relief is similar to the one that this Child born in Bethlehem has given us! Similar, but no where near as awesome! We should have been stuck with more than a parking violation or traffic ticket. We should have been stuck with a violation against God and a ticket to an eternity in hell for the way we have broken God's law. Instead, He sent his Son to bring us good news…you get to go free! No ticket! No punishment! Rather, an eternity in heaven! A gift that lasts longer than a lifetime! Friends, this is relief! This is joy! This should, and does, make us laugh a hearty laugh of joy and relief! The baby Jesus came here to bring us laughter…laughter that we once doubted Him, laughter at the devil and death, who no longer have power over us, laughter that God actually came through with the impossible, the laughter Sarah laughed when she had a son, the laughter of utter joy, relief, and happiness! We just walked away from something much worse than a car accident without a scratch!

So I want you to laugh this Christmas. It's a season that brings much to laugh about. Christmas shopping, though fun, can be difficult. Did you hear about the guy who bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas? A friend of his said, "I thought she wanted one of those sporty SUVs" "She did," he replied, "But where am I gonna find a fake Jeep?"

You know Christmas is almost here when: 10) There are more pine needles on your carpet than on your tree. 9) The credit card is smoked along with the turkey and ham. 8) It's A Wonderful Life has been shown for the 13th time. 7) A trip to the mall and back is more challenging than the Indy 500. 6) The Salvation Army bell ringers start accepting credit cards. 5) You are pulling an all-nighter because of the words "some assembly required." 4) Your Christmas list is written in black while your check book balance is written in red. 3) Santa's belly is not the only thing shaking like a bowl full of jelly. 2) The NFL referees aren't the only ones giving away games. 1) The infamous fruitcake returns from its 12 months of hiding.

Laugh this Christmas! It's good for your health! And there may be a lot of funny things that make us laugh this season. But one stands out above them all! With that Child born in Bethlehem, God delivered the impossible! True peace for every one of us with Him! The guarantee of eternal life in heaven! Laugh with me the laughter of joy and relief! Amen.

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