Christmas & Butterflies

THE BUTTERFLY & THE CATERPILLAR

12-8-02

Luke 2:11, Hebrews 10:1-10 + Others

Christmas! It is…

Ÿ More than a baby in a manger;

Ÿ More than shepherds and angels;

Ÿ Even more than Wise men traveling 2 years bearing gifts.

Christmas is when… the living Son of God…

Ÿ Stepped out of his glory...

Ÿ Became one of us...

Ÿ Walked the mile in our moccasins...

Ÿ Took our sins upon himself...

Ÿ Poured out his righteousness upon us ... and

Graced us with ALL the heavenly blessings as he returned to the right hand of God the Father.

This is what we celebrate at this time of the year.

This is what we celebrate throughout the year.

We serve a living Savior ...

He’s in the world today.

I know that he is living ...

Whatever men may say.

I see his hand of mercy ...

I hear His voice of cheer.

And just the time I need him ...

He’s always near.

This is a season of miracles.

Ÿ The timing ... on the exact day ...

Ÿ The place ... exactly where God said it would be ...

Ÿ The transition ... a Holy God becoming a mere man.

Ÿ The purpose ... that no one should perish ...but have everlasting life.

This is what all the lights are about!

Jesus—the light of the world—has come among us.

REMEMBER: God’s ways are not man’s ways!

God used a heathen king to set the plan in motion.

When it happened... he announced it

Ÿ Not to the kings of the world...

Ÿ Not to the high and mighty among men...

Ÿ But to the lowly keepers of the sheep...

Ÿ To those at the bottom rung on the social ladder

Ÿ To those who had nothing to give ... but everything to gain.

Up at Callaway Gardens…in Georgia… IF you can get through the Christmas lights… you’ll find the real story of Christmas in the Butterfly House!

As a springboard into Christmas… do you remember when Elijah called down the fire from heaven ... and it

Ÿ Burned up the sacrifices ... the alter ... and the water which had been used to douse it, and

Ÿ Then the earth swallowed up the priests of Baal.

WHEN Jezebel sent for Elijah ... and he fled the country.

1Kings 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

In the Greek: A VOICE ATOMIC!

That’s the way it is at Callaway ...

God is not in

Ÿ The multitude of lights ...

Ÿ The 12 days of Christmas ...

Ÿ The toy drums ... or

Ÿ Even in Santa Claus

But in the STILL SMALL VOICE of the lowly butterfly ... you can see the picture of Christmas ... as it really is:

In the Butterfly house there are thousands of butterflies of every description flitting about in a controlled environment.

I’m convinced there is no such thing as an ugly butterfly...

Colors that almost defy nature ... and

Surely that will drive a peacock to shame.

But that’s getting ahead of the story:

Christmas is not so much ...

Ÿ In the glory of the butterfly ...

Ÿ As it is in the lowly caterpillar from which he comes.

Science calls this process: METAMORPHISM ... the process of metamorphosis ...

WEBSTER defines this as: a change --- a radical change of form, structure or substance; an alteration in appearance, character or circumstances.

This is a picture of that first Christmas!

Jesus is the beautiful butterfly...

Ÿ With all the glory of Heaven ...

Ÿ His infinite majesty ... power ... and position ...

John would open his Gospel with this picture ... the majesty of Jesus the way he was—before Christmas—and the way he is now—seated at the right hand of God—rather than as a child of poverty in a cow stall in a lonely hillside of Judea:

In the beginning was the WORD ... the Word was with THE God ... The Word was God ...

LOGOS ... equal to God the Father is every way ...

Ÿ Yet ... someone to go between man and God ...

One capable of knowing THE unknowable God ...

Ÿ Yet capable of revealing that same God to us.

GOD is unknowable ... because he is INFINITE ... and we are FINITE.

We are limited in our understanding!