SERIES: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…
“SOMEONE TO RESCUE ME”
(adapted from a sermon by Bob Russell)
ISAIAH 9:6-7
OPEN
A little girl climbed up onto Santa’s lap in the mall. As soon as she was settled, Santa said, “And what
would you like for Christmas this year?”
The girl’s eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped as she looked at Santa with horror. Then she said, “Didn’t you get my email?”
Last week, we started a series called All I Want for Christmas… All of us have had intense longings and desires at Christmastime. It usually had to do with the hot, new items being sold at the given time. But as we grow older and more mature, we recognize that our desires and needs go much deeper than anything that can be bought or sold in a store.
God knows what we really need. On the very first Christmas, He provided for our deepest needs. He did that in His Son. 700 years before Jesus came, God told us through the prophet Isaiah what the Messiah would be like.
Is. 9:6-7 – “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 greatness 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. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
God knew what would truly satisfy us. Last week we looked at the first deep need that is provided for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was the need for “Someone to Advise Me.” This week, we look at the second deep need. It’s “Someone to Rescue Me.”
The term “Mighty God” points to a God who is mighty in battle. He is a warrior king who successfully wins at warfare. Later in the Bible, in the book of Revelation, we see Jesus pictured in such a way.
Rev. 19:11-16 – “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are
many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped
in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses
and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down
the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God
Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Today, as we look at this title of “Mighty God,” I want us to consider our need for someone to rescue us. If you were to ask people what they wanted for Christmas, there would probably be very few who would say: “I want someone to rescue me.” Most people feel little need for deliverance. We take pride in being self-sufficient.
When we are immature, we generally desire the gifts we WANT. We tend to shy away from the gifts we really NEED. Young children want toys. However, there is a need for new clothes. The immature person lacks the ability to understand what is desired and what is necessary.
And people who are spiritually immature don’t feel the need of a mighty God to rescue them. But it really is their greatest need. Let’s look together this morning at three basic Biblical principles that give us insight into why we need a mighty God to rescue us.
First Biblical Principle:
EVERY PERSON IS HOPELESSLY LOST IN A WORLD CONTAMINATED BY SIN
AND IS IN NEED OF RESCUE
The Bible says, “…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). And, “…the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
Do you remember when the space ship, Columbia, blew up on re-entry on February 1, 2003? Seven crew members lost their lives in that heartbreaking tragedy. NASA investigators concluded that the source of the problem occurred on takeoff when a small piece of flyaway foam from the fuel tank hit the lower side of the left wing and damaged it just enough that it couldn’t withstand the heat of reentry.
For 15 days and 22 hours the seven crewmembers carried on their mission not knowing they were doomed from the start. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. They couldn’t see the damage on the underbelly of the wing. They didn’t know they needed rescue, but they did. As NASA engineers debated the extent of the damage to the shuttle, a flight director emailed the astronauts to say there was “absolutely no concern that breakaway foam harmed the spacecraft.”
There were voices of authority saying there was nothing wrong—that there was no reason for concern. But the crew was doomed with no hope of escape. Though they didn’t know it, they were in desperate need of rescue.
Even if the astronauts had known, there was nothing that they could have done. They could not have saved themselves. They didn’t have the equipment or expertise to get out of the spacecraft and repair the damage. Those seven astronauts in that doomed spacecraft are a picture of the spiritual condition of all mankind.
When sin first entered into the world through Adam and Eve, it may have appeared to be just a little thing, but the whole planet was violated. Rom. 8:22 – “…the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time”
Adam and Eve’s sin separated the world from God, dooming everyone on this earth. 1 Cor. 15:22 says, “in Adam all die.” When you add to that the fact that each of us has sinned individually, we have all compounded the problem. There is no hope apart from a divine rescue.
We go about our daily activities of business, pleasure, and study on a planet that is alienated from God and doomed to destruction. Jesus says in Mt. 24:38-39, “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
There are voices of authority telling us all is well. We’re okay. Science will save us; education will save us. Politicians will work it out. If we can just learn to be tolerant toward diverse groups we’ll survive. But the Bible predicts in 2 Pet. 3:10 – “…the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”
We can’t save ourselves. There’s nothing we can do that can repair the damage that’s been done. It’s irreparable. Eph. 2:12 describes our condition by saying that we’re, “separate from Christ, …without hope and without God in the world”
Centuries ago, the Roman poet Horace was laying down some guidelines for the writers of tragedy in his day, and he was critical of those who resorted too readily to the supernatural to solve the knotty problems which they had developed in the course of their plot. He advised, “Do not bring a god onto the stage unless the problem is one that deserves a god to solve it.”
Here is a problem which only God can solve: man is separated from God by sin. No amount of human effort can correct the problem. We are all destined to die and be separated from God for eternity.
Second Biblical Principle:
JESUS CHRIST IS THE MIGHTY GOD WHO CAME FROM HEAVEN TO RESCUE US
When Joseph first heard that his fiancée Mary was going to have a baby he was so disillusioned. But being a noble man he decided to separate from her as quietly as possible so that Mary wouldn’t be disgraced. While he was trying to figure out what to do he had a dream. Mt. 1:20-22 tells us that God’s angel spoke to him 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. 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.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us.’ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
Notice, there were two names given to the coming Messiah. The angel said, “The child will be called Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us.’” The Creator of the universe did not look down from heaven and see the baby Jesus and say, “That’s a good looking baby; I’m going to adopt Him, give Him special powers and then let Him die for the sins of the world.” The second name is Jesus, which means “God saves” or “God is salvation.”
No! God looked down and saw the plight of mankind and said, “I will go myself to the world to rescue them. We don’t speak of Christ’s adoption; we speak of His incarnation. God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, came to earth to visit. Jesus proved He was God by doing things that only Almighty God could do.
He had an extraordinary birth. He was born of a virgin. He lived an impressive life. No one could find fault in Him. He taught deeply profound truths. No man spoke as He spoke. He performed powerful, undeniable miracles: calming a storm, walking on water, raising the dead. He made amazingly accurate prophecies concerning His own future. In Mt. 20:18-20, He said, “We are going up to Jerusalem, …where I will be condemned to death and will be turned over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day I will be raised to life!”
He died an incredibly inspirational death. After watching Him die, the cynical centurion who had overseen many executions walked away muttering, “This man really is the son of God.”
He celebrated a spectacular resurrection. The stone that sealed His grave was rolled back and He came out bodily from that tomb. He left in a thrilling, dramatic way. As the disciples gasped, He ascended into the heavens and disappeared in a cloud into the presence of His Father.
And today He reigns in heaven. One day He will return with a mighty shout of triumph. Right now He makes a mighty generous offer: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
No one could do those powerful things except a mighty God. What more could Jesus do to prove that He is Immanuel, God with us?
There’s a cartoon that shows a prosecuting attorney before a judge. The prosecutor says “Judge I want you to throw the book at this guy. Our records show he’s a repeat offender. He was arrested for selling these same bogus ‘Fountain of Youth’ pills in 1990, 1880, 1770, and 1660.”
There does come a time when the evidence trumps the argument. What else could Jesus do to convince you that He is the mighty God in the flesh? The Apostle John said in Jn. 1:1 & 14 – “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God” – all things were made by Him – “And the Word became flesh and lived among us” In Jn. 20:28, the disciple Thomas called Jesus, “My Lord and My God.” The Apostle Paul said in Rom. 9:5 that “Christ, who is God, is forever to be praised.”
He shall be called the mighty God but He shall also be called Jesus for He shall save his people from their sins. The prophet Zephaniah said in Zeph. 3:17, “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.”
Let’s go back to our story about the shuttle Columbia. Let’s just imagine that NASA engineers correctly diagnosed the serious nature of the damage to the Columbia. They then send a second craft into outer space that comes alongside the one that was doomed. Word is sent to the seven inside the damaged craft—they need to leave to get back to earth safely. A tethered astronaut from the second craft walks several feet through space and knocks on the door of the damaged craft. He says, “Follow me.”
Can you imagine the seven astronauts asking, “Is there some other way?” Or, “Are you sure it’s that serious?” They’d be grateful for the one way of escape provided. Jesus came to earth and knocks on the door of your heart and says, “Follow me to safety.”
Jn. 3:17-18 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
But to rescue us Jesus had to do more than risk His life and say, “Follow me.” He had to sacrifice His life on the cross to pay the price for our sins so that we could be set free from sin and death. The Bible teaches us that without the shedding of His blood there would be no remission of sins.
Is. 53:5-6 reads, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Our first biblical principle: Every person is lost in a world hopelessly damaged by sin. Our second biblical principle: Jesus Christ is the mighty God who came to rescue us.
Third Biblical Principle:
YOU ARE FREE TO CHOOSE TO TRUST CHRIST FOR YOUR SALVATION OR REJECT HIM
Rev. 22:17 says, “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” In the movie, “Bruce Almighty,” Jim Carrey plays the part of Bruce Nolan, who is given the privilege of playing God for several days. God wants to show Him how tough it is to be in charge of the universe. In the initial instructions God gives him two limitations: “You cannot tell people who you are, and you cannot change free will.” Even the secular world acknowledges the reality of free will.
God grants you the freedom to trust in Him and be rescued or not to believe and be separated from him. He doesn’t violate free will. The wise men chose to believe that a king had been born when they saw the star, but Herod chose to reject Him—same evidence, different choices.
In Mk. 16:15-16 Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Dr. James Jauncy wrote, “God never burglarizes the human will. He may long to come in and heal but he will never cross the picket line of unwillingness.” God wants to rescue you, but not to kidnap you against your will.”
You must choose to believe of your own free will. Heb. 11:6 says, “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.”
You choose to believe there is a God who created you. You’re not here by evolutionary accident; you’re here by intentional, divine creation. You choose to believe God has visited this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for your sins and arose from the dead. You choose to believe God has revealed the truth about Christ in the Bible, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, the inspired Word of God, the source of truth.
There is good evidence to believe in Christ but you have to choose to respond by faith. There are people more intelligent than you who believe, and there are some more intelligent who scoff. You have to choose to humble yourself and receive Christ as a little child.
But make a decision. Either believe in Christ or reject Him—don’t be lukewarm. Jesus said in Rev. 3:16, “Because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
We all need to realize and accept this great need: I need someone to rescue me. And Jesus will do that. The Bible says he “rescues us from the present evil age” (Gal. 1:4). It also says that He “rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10). It tells us that He rescues us “from every evil attack and will bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18) and that He “rescues us from the dominion of darkness” (Col. 21:13)
The prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah Chapt 9 called for someone who would be light in a land of darkness. Is. 9:1-7 – “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 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 greatness 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. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
CLOSE
Bob Russell shared an interesting illustration about darkness and light several years back with the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. He said:
Every once in a while we get a bird inside this sanctuary. He doesn’t really want to be in here, but he’s trapped. We don’t want him in here because he can be messy and disruptive in worship. Do you know how the facilities department gets a bird out of this huge room? They don’t put out poison birdseed or take a shotgun to him. The goal is not to destroy but to release.
The solution is simple. They turn out all the lights until it’s pitch black and then turn on a bright light on an exit hallway and the bird instinctively flies to the light.
Jesus said in Jn. 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We were trapped in the darkness of sin. But Jesus came as the mighty God to illuminate the way to salvation. If you don’t come to Him, God loves you so much that He may allow the darkness around you to increase so that the light looks brighter.
I challenge you today to follow your God-given instinct and choose to come to the light. If you do He promises to, “[rescue] us from the dominion of darkness and [bring] us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). Why don’t you come to the light that is shining in the darkness today?
