Classic Christmas
It Really is a Wonderful Life
December 3, 2006
Everyone has seen Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a wonderful life”. I think that this movie is probably one of the most loved Christmas movies of all time.
The one line that stands out more than any other is when “Clarence (the angel) talks to George about the value of his life… let’s watch…
Video clip
Whether we know it or not our lives impact many people around us. In fact, the ripple effect of one person’s life is really quite impossible to measure.
But no matter who you are – small or great – no life has impacted this world, as we know it as much as Jesus has. In fact, there is no way to fully know the effect Christ has on this world – yet it does not surprise us because of who he is – according to the ancient scriptures.
One of these ancient scriptures was written by the prophet Isaiah over 1000 years before Jesus birth. What makes this truly remarkable is that there is in existence today a copy of Isaiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls dated from before 700 BC.
Isaiah tells us about the nature of the one who comes as a gift from God to human kind.
It Really is a Wonderful Life
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
Isaiah 9:6-9:7
Background: Our text this morning is probably one of the most well known passages in scripture concerning the birth of Christ. It is the predominate Messianic prophecy of the birth of Christ found in the writings of the Major Prophets. It tells of the coming Christ and what he will be when he arrives.
The titles that He is given are impressive in their scope. By Isaiah’s description He is going to be the greatest ruler of them all, encompassing all the attributes one would look for in a person who was sent to lead them.
But what if that event that Isaiah described so beautifully for us never took place, what would our world and even our own personal lives be like.
It goes without saying that the world that we live in would be a much different place if Christ hadn’t come to dwell among us, the first place we want to go is in the area of not only personal, but world wide stability, if Christ had not come we would be a world…
A WORLD WITHOUT PEACE
Nobel Peace Prize
2006: Muhammad Yunus & Grameen Bank – Bangledesh
"for their efforts to create economic and social development from below"
2005: IAEA & Mohamed ElBaradei – Vienna, Austria
"for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way"
2004: Wangari Muta Maathai – Kenya
"for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace"
2003: Shirin Ebadi – Iran
"for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children."
2002: Jimmy Carter – US
"for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development"
2001: The UN & Kofi Annan
"for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world"
2000: Kim Dae-jung – South Korea
"for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular"
1999 – MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES
"in recognition of the organization’s pioneering humanitarian work on several continents"
1998 – John Hume & David Trimble – United Kingdom
"for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland"
1997: ICBLM & Jody Williams – US
"for their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines"
World peace is the absence of conflict
Our passage tells us that this promised messiah would be the prince of peace
The one who would bring an end to conflict
Our world has always been enamored with people who were considered peace makers, they even give awards for it
The Nobel is a prestigious award, given to those who propagate the idea of peace around the world
We have always been searching for a way to make the world a peaceful place
The question could be asked, aren’t we now living in a time where peace is absent from the world
It seems that all we hear about are conflicts and war. The images flood our television screens, and radio waves
Conflict is all around us, and it seems that it impacts every facet of our being
God’s peace is more than the mere absence of conflict – it is His very presence
Our idea of peace and God’s idea of peace are two different ideas
In Isaiah’s day , as well as in Jesus’ day people were looking for political peace
Much as it is in our own day, It seems like there is always some type of peace summit taking place somewhere around the globe
The type of peace that they are searching for is an honorable and profitable endeavor
But the peace that God has in mind is peace between himself and his creation
When man separated himself from God by his sinful actions he came into conflict with God
When sin is present, conflict with God and man is present
Jesus came to bring that conflict to an end
Its true that we live in a time of civil unrest around the globe, but it has always been that way, from the beginning of time
Civil peace is hard to attain, perhaps impossible, Peace with God is attainable, Jesus’ coming made it attainable and when that comes the civil peace comes with it…
A WORLD WITHOUT JOY
Not only would the world we live in be a world without peace, but it would also be a world without… joy.
Joy that comes from knowing Jesus
It is a great joy in my own personal life to know that Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with me
That he is concerned about my life, my comings and goings; my successes and failures; my wants and desires. He is interested in it all.
The most important thing in our lives is our relationship with God. We all need to have personal time with Him on a daily basis. It isn’t easy, I know I struggle with is as everyone else does, but the rewards are phenomenal
The love of God is probably one of the most simple, yet vastly ideas in all of scripture
It’s simple in idea, but complex in content
We can know that Jesus loves us, but can we ever truly comprehend how deep that love goes
Illustration: The German theologian Karl Barth was on a lecturing tour of the United States. Now Barth was one of the most well-known and prolific theologians of his day. His work filled volumes upon volumes. Yet when asked about the greatest truth that he had ever discovered, his reply was this “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so”
Joy that comes from knowing that God cares for us
We have seen how God cared for Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in all that they went through. God cares for us in the same way. He is there to proved not only physical but spiritual needs
Bible teacher John McArthur said “It thrills me to know that the God who created the entire universe, who is the God of space, time, and eternity, who is infinitely holy and completely self-sufficient, should care about supplying my physical needs.”
Just as loving fathers want to provide for their children, God wants to provide for each of us
Joy that endures through both good and bad times
James writes that we are to “consider it joy when we encounter trials” The thing that makes this possible is to know that God is with us and he cares for us.
ShadowLands – CS Lewis. Overcome by Joy
I Jesus had never come we could not know these types of Joys And a life without joy, would be truly miserable
A WORLD WITHOUT SALVATION
A world without peace and joy sounds like it would be a pretty depressing place to be, but that wouldn’t be the worst effect of a world without Jesus, the worst part would be that if Jesus wouldn’t come we would be in a world without…
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:2
A world without the light of Christ wouldn’t be a place anyone would want to be
A person can be walking around in the bright light of the noon day sun and still be covered in darkness – a darkness that can only be removed by the redeeming power of Christ
A world of darkness is a world in need of redemption
To fill that gap between ourselves and God – to find the forgiveness that we all need, and to know that God freely gives it all we have to do is accept the gift of his son Jesus.
Illustration: There is an unusual epitaph on a large headstone in a cemetery outside of New York City. The name of the person in the grave is not on the headstone. There is no mention of when the person was born or when he died. Nor does it indicate anything about the person’s being a beloved mother, father, husband, wife, brother, sister, son, or daughter. Just one word stretches across the headstone: Forgiven. Clearly the most significant fact of this individual’s life was the peace he or she knew as a result of God’s forgiveness.
In this world we need many things, food to feed the masses, medicine for the sick and afflicted, peace for those who are hurting. But most of all in this world we need the redeeming power of Christ
To make it light in the darkest corners of the earth, or right here where we are right now
Isaiah says at the end of vs. 2 that those who walk in darkness will see a great light, that light is none other than Christ
A world missing peace, joy, and salvation wouldn’t be a world that any of us would want to be a part of. It would be a world without Hope. This is the first advent candle we lit in the darkness of this hall. It casts a great light. It is the light of Jesus.
The great news is that Jesus did come; He came that we could have peace with God; he came that we could live a joyous life, even during times of hardship, and most of all he came that we may be reconciled with God and have a relationship with him.
