Intro: In this scene Georges perspective on life is all different. Having seen life as it would have been without him, George realizes that life at all is a gift to be cherished. He has pleaded with God that he be allowed to live again and God has answered his prayer with a yes.
[scene 27, 2:03:15 beginning with George running into the house looking for Mary. Ending at 02:07:17 the end of the first line of Hark the Herald angels Sing.]
The drafty old house he used to be disgusted with is now “wonderful”. Even the prospect of going to jail is “wonderful”. The kids, who were under foot and irritating when he was fixated on financial ruin, are now a welcome sight. And this is all before he knows that the townspeople have gathered funds to help him in his crisis! That is just icing on the cake of the gifts God is placing in the Bailey household.
Did you notice the song being sung as Janie plays the piano? “Hark the herald angels sing/ glory to the newborn king/ peace on earth and mercy mild/ God and sinners reconciled.”
Now maybe it’s in the film out of tradition. On the other hand, George is helped in the story by an angel sent from heaven. So I doubt it’s an accident that joy is here associated with the intervention of heaven.
I want you to remember that song while we study the words of Jesus. Our text is
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10, NIV.
1. Jesus actually wants me to have an overflowing life.
A. This is the first things I want to encourage you with today. The text said, “I came that you may have life to the full!” So it is clear that God in heaven is not satisfied that we are satisfied with so many unsatisfying attempts at satisfaction.
That’s really amazing. I mean, why should he care that my life feels empty? But the message of the Bible is that he does. There is a God, he made your life, and he earnestly desires that you feel his joy! For your insides to be sunny. For there to be a bounce in your step. I want you to marvel to yourself “God wants to share his joys with me!”
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem that first Christmas, it was to inject into humanity the antibiotic of joy.
Remember the carol? “Joy to the world, the Lord is born!” It comes out of the angel song in Luke 2:
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10, NIV.
““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”” Luke 2:14, NIV.
B. I used the term “antibiotic” intentionally a moment ago to indicate that to experience joy or abundance requires the killing off of other life hampering, unsatisfying things.
These are spiritual germs. We call them sin. That is also at the core of why Jesus came that first Christmas.
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”” Matthew 1:21, NIV.
To have an abundant life, I need to stop singing the wrong songs. The sin songs.
[The Dixie Chicks celebrate sin in their song “Sin Wagon”. But friends, it’s a huge mistake we make!]
The Bible has a lot to say about the music of human life. God in his grace addresses all the songs we tend to sing in our search for an abundant life. In a message on this topic Rick Ezell points out a number of them. Let run through a few.
1) The song of pleasure:
If you haven’t sung it yourself, you’ve certainly heard other’s sing it. If I could retire early and spend my days in hot tubs and bars I would be full! If I could take a cruise, or have a yatch full of bikini clad women... If I could win a boat load of cash at the boats...
People try these things everyday. Their hearts race for a hour or two and then it’s over. The next time they try it will take a little bit more to arrive at the same low level of pleasure.
“All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.” Ecclesiastes 1:8, NIV.
2) The song of performance:
The workaholic sings this song. He is out for the satisfaction of the job complete. When you meet him on the street he tells you all his latest accomplishments. In fact you know very little about the person standing in front of you. You only know all about his job. He can’t sit still. He doesn’t enjoy anything unless he’s working.
"Man is always working, never satisfied" (Eccl. 4:8 GN).
Don’t miss this: not even good, humanitarian performance fills up the soul! Bob Geldof was a British rock musician who decided to do something about the famine in Ethiopia during the early 1980’s. He put his own career on the back-burner and spent an entire year of his life organizing fund-raising events for dozens of famine relief organizations. He was the inspiration behind the song "We Are The World" and "Live Aid" event. His efforts helped raise more than 100,000,000 dollars toward famine relief. Later, Geldof wrote a book that sums up this experience. The book is called, "Is That It?" Geldof recognized that even though his accomplishments were significant, after all was said and done he couldn’t escape a feeling of unfulfillment. For more than a year the famine in Ethiopia had been his "reason for living" and after all he had accomplished, he realized that hardly a dent had been made in the problem of world hunger, and his efforts hadn’t brought him peace of mind.
3) The Song of possessions:
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10, NIV.
Money will buy a
bed but not sleep;
books but not brains;
food but not appetite;
finery but not beauty;
a house but not a home;
medicine but not health;
luxuries but not culture;
amusements but not happiness;
religion but not salvation-- It is a passport to everywhere but heaven.
Have you ever had moments when you realize that you have more stuff and money now than you’ve ever had in your life, but you don’t feel anymore content? You may be singing the wrong song.
4) The song of position:
Many people make this assumption: If I were famous like Britney Spears, I would have a full life. There are other variations on the tune: If I got that promotion... If I was elected to that...
Actor Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
illy: You might remember from the film It’s a Wonderful Life, that though George Bailey spent much of his life wishing to become something special, in the final celebration scene at the end of the film, his famous flying ace brother Harry names George, in actuality, the “richest man in town.”
This is a central theme of the movie. It is not position that enriches or fulfills a man!
OK. God is saying these don’t work. All the things we immediately believe, and daily pursue thinking they will give us the abundant life. Abundant living comes from something else.
2. Lasting fulfillment is the gift of Christ.
Now here’s an outrageous claim. “I have come to give you life, and not just average life, abundant life!” You mean my personal contentment, my inner satisfaction, my fulfillment as a person, my experience of “real living” is tied up in a person. One person. This person, Jesus?
And yes, that is in fact the teaching of God’s word.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:4, NIV.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;” John 11:25, NIV.
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35, NIV.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever. John 6:51, NIV.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6, NIV.
And then of course, our text...
A. So here’s the logical conclusion, friends. If you really want to live, either in eternity or now for that matter – if you really want to live, you need the person Jesus in your day, this day, and everyday.
You need to talk to him about the goings-on at work.
You need to ask his advice on your purchases at Kohls.
You need to take your children to him.
You need to follow him through your day, and talk to him repeatedly. And listen for his answers, and signs.
And why is this so? Why is Jesus more a hope for a full life that the fact that you jet outta town 3 times a winter to hunt, or snowmobile, or ski?
I’ll tell you in a minute. First, one more thing...
3. What am I looking to for “life”?
A.Do you know what you’ve placed front and center in your life? Do you know what song you habitually sing in your pursuit of joy? Steven May put it like this...
“1. When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you think about?
2. During the day, what do you spend most of your time thinking about?
3. As you fall asleep at night, what tends to dominate your thoughts?
More than likely, the answer to all three questions is the same, and THAT is your reason for living.
A football coach might say that all day long he thinks about winning a championship—that is his reason for living.
A novelist might say that all day she thinks about finishing her book—that is her reason for living.
A parent might say that all day long he or she thinks of how to take care of the children—that is their reason for living.
Others might have more immodest goals: some may say they think about food all day long, or sex, or money, or their problems, or taking the next drink, or their career. Whatever you think about all day long—that is your reason for living.
B. [Next you need to ask], Is it a good reason? Here’s an easy way to tell. Ask yourself: is it worth dying for?
Is your job worth dying for?
Is a little money worth dying for?
Is a pizza worth dying for?
Is conquering a video game worth dying for?
Is what you’re living for worth dying for?”
[fill in your own box or blank...]
If what your living for isn’t worth dying for, it’s also probably not worth living for.
Conclusion: Now the answer to the question of why Jesus is the one essential ingredient for your happiness in your business life, your family life, your sex life, your physical life, etc.
Jesus is eternal. He is God himself. Your soul is also eternal, in the sense that it was created to endure on into eternity. To fill an eternal item, you need an eternal supply. You need an eternal song to sing. You need to know the eternal purpose for which you as an individual were created.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life...” John 1:1-4, NIV.
"The enjoyment of [God] is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied... Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends are but shadows, but enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean." -Jonathan Edwards
This all brings us back to that opening song in the clip.
“Hark the herald angels sing/ glory to the newborn king/ peace on earth and mercy mild/ God and sinners reconciled.”
It is our reattachment to God that fills this life with meaning and makes it wonderful.
Christmas is so important because Christ is quite literally the answer to everything. Jesus doesn’t require that you forget all the goals, and beauties of life and live in a monestary in order to find joy. He just requires that you arrange all those things around him. He is after all, your God. And it is he that makes it a Wonderful Life.
