THE VISITATION #2: JESUS IS THE SAVIOUR
ILLUSTRATION: Santa Letters
• Dear Santa, you did not bring me anything good last year. You did not bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance. Signed, Alfred.
• Dear Santa, I’m not going to ask for a lot. Here’s my list: The Etch-A-Sketch animator, 2 packs of #2 pencils, Crayola fat markers and the big gift...my own color TV! Well, maybe you could drop the pencils; I don’t want to be really selfish.
• Dear Santa, (From a 4-year-old). I’ll take anything because I haven’t been that good.
OPENING: Christmas can be a stressful time for people.
• Stress = a force or a pressure that strains or deforms.
• One of the things is money – spending too much money on your credit cards.
• Another thing that can cause stress is family gatherings, or having no family, if you feel like you’re all alone. If you’ve lost a loved one this year, that can cause stress.
• Shopping can put pressure on you. A study said only 1 out of 4 women feel pressure when shopping. All men feel pressure when they go shopping. A British Psychologist did a study and put men in a mall and monitored their blood pressure rate and discovered that shopping is actually hazardous to your health. So guys I just gave you an ‘out’. The blood pressure rate rises to that of a fighter pilot going into combat. It’s a battle!
• I still have to do my shopping this week…
WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6).
THE CHRISTMAS STORY:
“1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
• Is there room for Jesus in your heart and home this Christmas?
THE VISITATION: Last week we read Zachariah’s prophecy:
“Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us.”
THE BIG IDEA: Jesus came into the world as the Saviour to reveal God’s glory and to bring us freedom from fear, the joy of salvation, and peace on earth.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
• Glory – Hebrew kabod = honor, abundance, riches, splendor, dignity.
• Glory – Greek doxa = brightness, magnificence, excellence, grace, majesty.
JESUS CAME TO REVEAL GOD’S GLORY!
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth… For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:14,17-18).
• To understand God’s glory, let’s put the Christmas story on pause for a moment…
THE STORY OF MOSES: SHOW ME YOUR GLORY:
• In Exodus 33, the Lord told Moses to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land.
• “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (v.11). Wow!
“And Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:18-23).
QUOTE: Charles Spurgeon, A View of God’s Glory.
“Now, what attribute is God about to show to Moses? His petition is, “Show me thy glory.” Will God show him his justice? His holiness? His wrath? His power? No. Hear the still small voice – “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” Ah! The goodness of God is God’s glory. God’s greatest glory is that he is good… “I will make all my goodness pass before you.” There is a panorama such as time would not be long enough for you to see.”
• The glory of the Lord is the goodness of the Lord!
THE CHRISTMAS STORY CONTINUED:
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
• The shepherds saw the glory of the Lord and heard, “Good tidings of great joy!”
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
What does it mean that Jesus is the SAVIOR?
• “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).
• This reminds us that we are sinners, we have blown it, but God came so we could be saved, forgiven, made new and whole!
• “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).
• But thanks be to God that we can be forgiven, and our brokenness can be healed!
What does it mean that Jesus is the CHRIST?
• The Greek word ‘Christ’ is the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’. It means the anointed one.
“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” (Luke 4:17-22 – quoting Isaiah 64:1-2).
• Jesus didn’t just come into the world as a baby in a manger so you could have a pretty nativity scene on a Christmas card! He came to set you free, heal your broken hearts, etc.
• Quote Acts 10:38 – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.”
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
• The visitation of God is good news of great joy for all people!
1. We can be free from fear – when we know that Jesus is near.
2. We can rejoice in our salvation – forgiveness of sins, and freedom from sin’s power.
3. We can experience peace on earth – peace with God and with other people.
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO THE GOODNESS AND GLORY OF GOD?
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” (Luke 2:1-20).
• Let us follow the example of these shepherds and glorify and praise God, and share this good news with others!
ALTAR CALL: Do you know the joy of salvation?
The Christmas story is a story of miracles – God in His goodness still performs miracles today!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
