A Strange Plan for an Estranged World
Intro: Sing “Strange Way to Save the World”
Prop: God’s plan to send His Son Jesus as a human was and is His only strategy to save this world.
TS: Let’s look at a few details concerning God’s plan to save the world.
I. The Need for Help… Darkness
-Isaiah 9:2 refers to the time before the Messiah would come and says that the people were living in darkness. Darkness can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. In the Bible darkness is generally symbolic of evil, or at least the absence of God’s light.
-Before creation there was darkness. It wasn’t good or evil, just dark and empty. But God made light a major part of His creation, and the first humans, Adam and Eve, enjoyed that light … for awhile. They disobeyed God and darkness started to creep into the world. Before long humans were hating one other, abusing one another, and even killing one another. Man needed help, but most would not receive it, and all but 8 people died in a massive worldwide flood. Darkness kept making a comeback and has been welcomed by many for thousands of years. Help was needed!
-Well, darkness can describe our mood or emotions sometimes if we are depressed, gloomy, or just plain grouchy! Darkness can describe the life of a person who is short on hope. They have no reason to be happy or cause for celebration because life seems to be a burden to bear. Some people have been through so much pain and disappointment they don’t think they will see any improvement.
-Darkness can also describe the character of a person. Jesus said in John 3:19 that men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Darkness gives you a place to hide. John 3:20 “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
-However, as we will see in the next point, exposure to light is exactly what we need.
II. The Plan for Rescue… Light
-God did not keep His plan for rescue a secret. In fact He had been telling people His plan for hundreds of years, preparing them for the implementation phase. Several of these hints were written down in the Jewish Bible, the Torah. Let’s take a look at some of them.
-First, we can go clear back to the first book of the Bible and find a few references to God’s plan:
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
Genesis 22:18 God told Abraham, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
-So we start to get the idea that God has a plan. Help is on the way. Later we see more details. God Himself would come to earth, and this is how it would happen:
BE BORN AS A HUMAN MALE
Isaiah 9:6-7 [6] 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. [7] Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. ... 700 B.C.
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John 1:1-3, 14 [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. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
BORN OF A VIRGIN
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 700 B.C.
Mattthew 1:20-23 [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] 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." [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: [23] "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
FROM THE HOUSE OF JUDAH
Isaiah 37:31 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. 700 B.C.
Matthew 1:1-2, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son [descendant] of David, the son of Abraham: [2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, [16] and [a later] Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
FROM THE ROOT AND STUMP OF JESSE
Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. 700 B.C.
Isaiah 11:1-5 [1] A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. [2] The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- [3] and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; [4] but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. [5] Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 700 B.C.
Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
Matthew 1:1-2a, 5-6, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: [2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, ... [5] ... Obed the father of Jesse, [6] and Jesse the father of King David. [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
FROM THE HOUSE OF DAVID
Isaiah 16:5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it--one from the house of David--one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. 700 B.C.
Matthew 1:1-2A, 6, 16 [1] A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: [2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, ... [6] and Jesse the father of King David. [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
BORN IN BETHLEHEM EPHRATHAH
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 700 B.C.
Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
Over the years there have been a number of "Bethlehems" in Israel. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem Ephrathah, referred to in Matthew as "Bethlehem in Judea", was a village about five miles south of Jerusalem, and there also was a town named Bethlehem about seven miles northwest of Nazareth.
BE FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE
Isaiah 9:1-2 [1] Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan -- [2] 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. 700 B.C.
Matthew 2:22-23 [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, [23] and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Matthew 4:13-16 [13] Leaving Nazareth, he [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- [14] to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: [15] "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles -- [16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
HIS BIRTH WOULD TRIGGER A MASSACRE OF INFANT BOYS
Jeremiah 31:15 This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." 625 B.C.
Matthew 2:16-18 [16] When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. [17] Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: [18] "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
COME OUT OF EGYPT
Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 725 B.C.
Matthew 2:14-15 [14] So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, [15] where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
MISSION WOULD INCLUDE THE GENTILES
Isaiah 49:6 he [the Lord] says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." 700 B.C.
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6 [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. [2] He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. [3] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; [4] he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." [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, 700 B.C.
Matthew 12:14-21 [14] But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. [15] Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, [16] warning them not to tell who he was. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: [18] "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. [19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. [20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. [21] In his name the nations will put their hope."
-Let me quickly give you some stats on the probability that any one person in history could fulfill these prophecies by coincidence.
- Peter W. Stoner writes:
The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound, and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way. 74
-The following probabilities are taken from that book to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to just eight prophecies, "we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that
Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 to 17th of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
III. The Power of Acceptance
-If we accept God’s plan for our rescue, not only will we find the help we need, we will also receive the right to be called a son or daughter of God.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
-God’s plan is in operation right now. He has sent His light into this world. His light is available to us. However, it won’t do us any good unless we receive. In the next couple of weeks many will give and receive gifts. Rarely do we refuse a gift from someone we care about. That would be considered rude. However, it would be rare for someone to try and force a gift on someone who was not interested in it.
-God is not forcing anyone to accept His gift of forgiveness and lasting life. But He does offer it to everyone in general, and you in particular.
Conclusion: Maybe God’s plan doesn’t make a lot of sense to you. Maybe it really seems like a strange way to save the world – Sending His Son as a little baby who was born to die as a sacrifice – how unthinkable! However, as we’ve seen today, a lot of very credible historical evidence exists that confirms God’s plan for us.
1 John 5:11 says it all: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
-How’s your life today? Do you have the Son of God in your life? You can have a relationship with Him by talking to Him and coming clean with everything in your past and present. If you will trust Him, He will let you in on His plan with all the benefits of forgiveness, peace, provision, and a future with Him that never ends.
