We talked last week about “What if.” We looked at the Dickens Story “A Christmas Carol” and while acknowledging that “Christ” was not mentioned in the story, as Christians, we look for the message of Christ everywhere. And as such, we said that we might look at the “Spirits” of Christmas past, present and future as manifestations of the Holy Spirit, coming into Scrooge’s life to bring about a change. And we remember the first words he spoke when he awoke to realize he was not dead… and realized he was given a second chance…. “I repent!”
A couple of points to review. First… “I repent”…. A dramatic change of life style. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Co 5:17-18).
But “what if” God had not sent Jesus? “What if” you and I had been born in the OT times? Did the OT folks celebrate Christmas????? Of course not. Wow, no presents. So, what about those folks???
Well, praise God, that’s one thing we will never have to worry about. Because God had the plan for Jesus and for us from the beginning of creation as we will see in a moment.
But as to those OT folks… what about them? This is a question a lot of people ask. Well, here is the answer, the answer that is as relevant today as it was in OT.
. 3 What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Ro 4:2-3)
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:6).
By Faith
11 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham….
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:1-16)
It’s all about faith.
God always wanted the Gentiles, that’s you and me, to be brought into the family of God. Throughout the OT when the “Gentiles” are mentioned it is in the context of those lost, in the darkness. God always intended to bring us into His family of “Chosen” people. And we find evidence of this throughout the Bible. Today’s scripture is a wonderful example.
Read portions of Isaiah 42
42 1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah the Prophet speaks a lot about Jesus, though never by name. God reveals through Isaiah His plan for His people… His plan from the beginning of creation.
I think George Carlin said: “The church is a nonprofit, but not a non-prophet, organization.” Another version of this quotation exists, attributed to Carlin: “Atheism is a non-prophet organization.”
(MOVE)
It’s impossible to tell the future, and yet there are market analysts, Pentagon wizards in Washington (“When we get into Iraq, we will find WMDs”), and pseudo-prophets and soothsayers who do this sort of thing all the time.
How many folks here remember Jeane Dixon or the “Amazing Criswell” ?
Dixon made hundreds of predictions in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and wrote a horoscope book for dogs. Dixon was most famous for foreseeing the assassination of John F. Kennedy — in 1956, and she also said a Democrat would win the 1960 election and die in office.
But her record was far from perfect. She also said that World War III would break out in 1958, cancer would be cured in 1967, and peace would cover the earth in the year 2000.
Criswell, a pop-culture fixture of the 1960s, appeared on The Jack Paar Program in March of 1963, and predicted that tragedy would strike President Kennedy in November. He got that right.
What he got wrong: predictions that a space ray would zap Denver, brain transplants would be sold in vending machines, mass cannibalism would break out in August 1999, and Mae West would be elected president. And that’s not all: As president, Mae West would celebrate by taking her close friends to the moon.
Whether you’re trying to predict the future, or simply making educated guesses about what is going to go down in the culture, you’re in for a rough go of it.
Prophecy as prediction is loaded with risks.
It’s pretty much always been like this.
Except….Except for what we find the biblical prophets doing. What we find them doing is not foretelling, but forth-telling. Not story telling, truth telling.
Isaiah, for example.
In today’s text, God delivers a message through the prophet Isaiah, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights” (Isaiah 42:1).
Isaiah is a spokesperson for God and through him the Lord announces, I have put my spirit upon him (v. 1) … He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching” (v. 4).
Isaiah is speaking about a servant of God, and is making clear that this servant is chosen by the Lord, full of God’s Spirit, and known for his justice and his teachings.
That this has always been God’s plan is also found throughout the Bible. And Jesus has always been. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1)
God sent Jesus because He knew we are weak and perhaps, He determined we needed more than Abraham, or Noah, or Enoch, or Able.
Paul tells us a truth in Romans: 5 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…. God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Paul again, in Ephesians 2 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility Eph 2:11-16
God love us so much He sent His only Son.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17-4:1)
19 For in him all the vfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Col 1:19-20
God came to the earth in the form of Jesus Christ. He came to teach about Murder, Divorce Kindness, Oaths, Idol worship, Love for our enemies, Prayer Giving to needy… where we should really invest our savings… where to store our treasures., about worrying about judging others about the narrow path. And He came that we may have forgiveness for our sins and salvation. Not to make life easier, but to bring the promise of a better life, here and now, and hereafter as well.
Jesus says: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Mt 5:17).
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. (Jn 8:42-43)
27 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” (Jn 12:27-28)
The Death of Jesus
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Jn 19:28-30)
So, we need to remember as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, that His birth means nothing if we don’t understand how it is this event that ultimately led to the cross.
So is it good and right that we celebrate because we have this promise from our Lord Jesus:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Mt 25:31-34)
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Co 1:18).
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Col 2:13-15).
Yes, there is joy in the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Not only would we not be able to celebrate Christmas, we would not be able to reconcile ourselves to our Father. It all started with His birth which we celebrate and leads to the Cross for our salvation…. And to the resurrection, the empty tomb… for the promise of eternal life with Christ.
So, Let the celebration begin.
