I HAVE COME!
John 6:38-40
INTRODUCTION: I do not often preach another man’s message but when I do, you should know and the other get the credit: The outline for this message, as well as much of the material is taken from a message by Robert J. Morgan, found in the Preacher’s Resource Book 2003 and as it fit so nicely into my series I repeat it for you this morning.
A. With that said, even as we’re singing about “joy to the world” and “peace on earth,” our world is filled with wars and rumors of wars.
1. We think especially about Iraq and Afghanistan, we are there on a mission to rout out radicals who see nothing wrong with blowing up innocent people for their own pleasure and purpose
2. Our service men and women are in other places of possible danger all over the world trying to make or maintain the peace, something that is not easy
3. We need to pray for those who are carrying the torch of freedom on foreign soil!
4. Wouldn’t it be great if there could be joy and peace in our world?
B. How we need to understand the great peace initiative of heaven!
1. A little over 2000 years ago another man – actually God-man - went on a mission – a mission of joy and peace, that person is Jesus Christ.
2. John 6:38-40 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
3. Some of the most helpful information about our Lord’s mission comes from His “I am come” statements.
4. That phrase, occurring 10 times in the Gospels, is significant because it presupposes Christ’s preexistence.
5. The Lord Jesus is distinct from everyone else, in that He possesses a double nature—both God and man.
a. He has always existed and always will.
b. He is eternal in the heavens, thus His coming to earth was pre-planned.
6. Before the world was ever formed it was in the heart of God to provide a way for men to have joy and “peace on earth”
7. So when Luke wrote in Luke 2:11-14, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.: - there was an eternal purpose, or mission if you will, behind His coming.
8. Thus the importance of the “I am come” statements.
C. As we look forward to Christmas, a time we celebrate the coming of Christ into our world, lets remember some of these “I am Come “ statements and truly give thanks for what Christmas is all about.
1. There are 4 which I would like to point out to you this morning
a. He Came to Represent the Father
b. He Came to Kindle a Fire
c. He Came to Preach a Message
d. He Came to Enrich Us
2. When I think of all the Lord came to do and accomplished in His 33, or so, years I have to exclaim with Paul, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Cor. 9:15
PRAY
As we contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ’s coming we should know that
I. HE CAME TO REPRESENT THE FATHER, John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
A. I am amazed at how many men the world is willing to follow:
1. Some are ruthless, mean and destructive
2. Some are vile, immoral, and unethical
3. Some are liars, cheats and unscrupulous
4. All have faults, limited understanding and questionable wisdom at times
5. But men will follow them to their graves by the millions
6. Yet, Christ a man in whom no evil or sinfulness can be found or attributed to is put on the side lines and those who do follow Him are consistently demeaned, bad mouthed and ridiculed.
B. But I really should not be amazed: Jesus told us that I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
1. On may occasions we are warned of those who have come for their selves and not for God.
2. Over and over Christ warned of false prophets coming in His name
3. They would do miracles and spout wondrous words, but they would do it for their own gain!
C. Jesus Christ on the other hand came to show the Father
1. Listen to this conversation between Jesus and Philip: Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:8-10
2. Someone once wrote of a ceiling in a cathedral of Europe which was beautiful but so lofty it was difficult to study. The rector put a tilted mirror near the floor, allowing visitors to study the grandeur of the ceiling at their level.
3. This is a beautiful illustration of Christ who is the image of the invisible God, at our level.
4. Jesus came to show us the Father and He did it right well!
Secondly,
II. HE CAME TO KINDLE A FIRE, Luke 12:49 (CEV) I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire!
A. The passage from which this verse is taken (vv. 49–53) can be boiled down to three words: fire, baptism, and division.
1. Christ came to kindle a fire, undergo a baptism, and create a division. a. The baptism was His baptism into suffering, His death on the Cross. b. The division is between those who would receive Him and those who would not.
c. But what did He mean by bringing fire on the earth?
2. In Luke 3:16, John the Baptist said the Messiah would set fire to earth and burn the chaff, fire being a biblical symbol for judgment.
a. Christ came to deal with and destroy the force of evil in the world.
b. In Luke 12, He was saying in effect: “I have come to deal with sin and judge evil.
c. I’m going to kindle a fire and cleanse this world of evil!
3. In the process I am going to be plunged into suffering, and the world will be divided over Me.
B. Everyone must accept Christ or reject Him.
1. That fire is still burning today
2. On the cross Jesus died for sin bring judgment upon it!
3. If we chose to stay in our sin then we chose judgment, hence John 3:36 states He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
When Jesus came into this world He came to Represent the Father, to Kindle a Fire, and, thirdly
III. HE CAME TO PREACH A MESSAGE, Mark 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
A. The content of that message is given in Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
1. This is that wonderful old Greek word: euaggelion. {yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on}
2. The prefix eu means good; the stem word angel means message.
3. This is one of the Bible’s great words, yet it seems an understatement.
4. If you were trapped in a collapsed cave, running out of air, shut in claustrophobic darkness, minutes from death, and you heard workmen breaking through the rubble to rescue you, would you call that “good news”?
B. Here we are, separated from God by sin, trapped on a doomed planet, facing death and hell.
1. And God Himself became a man, dying in our place, rising from the dead to give us life.
2. Is that good news? Yes, but it’s more than good news.
3. The angels put it: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior. Luke 2:10-11
C. Jesus – Immanuel – God with us - came with a message of love from heaven above
1. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
2. Praise God what a message! (Give Gospel)
3. No wonder we hear the angles and heavenly host proclaim, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14
So far we have seen that Jesus came to Represent the Father, Kindle a Fire, and to Preach a Message. There is one last thing I want to show you this morning:
IV. HE CAME TO ENRICH US, John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
A. The story is told of two cities in New York that drew water from the nearby mountains.
1. One depended on a lake that was fed by streams and snow melt runoff and tended to dry up during droughts.
2. The other got its supply from a lake in the Catskills that was fed by underground streams and never went dry.
3. They could never exhaust that lake.
B. Many of us forget we have endless supplies of grace, joy, peace.
1. Many of God’s children are like the first city mentioned.
a. They are trying to get their supply of joy and happiness from the run off of this world.
b. Too often that supply runs dry – this world cannot not satisfy!
2. However, we don’t have to worry about our spiritual reserves.
a. If we’re committed to Christ and walking in the Spirit, we have an ocean of God’s blessing to draw from every day.
b. Christ told the woman at the well, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:13-14
CONCLUSION:
A. Children of God, His desire is that we live abundantly joyful and satisfying lives, but we must come to the one who has the unlimited supply and ask for it!
- Would you not ask for it this morning
B. He came for you! He knew you before you were born, and He loves you. He came from the Father to give you good news, to give you abundant life. Let this Christmas be the one you really celebrate!
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
