WSG 20-11-2011
With Christmas just around the corner and this being the last Family Service before the New Year, I wanted to ask the question
Why is Christmas so special?
What is there about Jesus Christ that marks him out as being different from all the other babies born in Israel 2000 years ago?
In human terms, he didn’t do any of the things associated with greatness.
When Mohammed – the founder of Islam died – he left a book – the Koran –with all his teaching in – and an army in place to propogate his teaching
When the Buddha died, his supporters, the nobility of Nepal propagated Buddhism and they set about continuing the work he had started.
Jesus on the other did none of the things associated with greatness. Indeed quite the opposite.
He wrote no book. He had no army
He enraged this nobility of Israel against him to such an extent that they stirred up the Romans to execute him.
And when he died, his followers were scattered.
And that should have been the end of it – but it wasn’t
So why was he so special?
Has it to do with who he really was – and is – The son of God?
Has it to do with His mission here on earth?
Yes there is, of course, some good ethical teaching in Jesus words – but His real mission was to reconcile us to God
St Paul put it very well when he said this – and this went on to become the earliest known Christian Creed.
Speaking about Jesus, Paul wrote in Philippians 2:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Note that St Paul expected Jesus’ Kingdom is going to come
What a paradox. The man who was crucified 2000 years ago is the same Jesus that one day God will exalt on high and at whose name every knee shall bow
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon I of France (1769-1821), was one of the greatest military commanders of all time.
He conquered the larger part of Europe and did much to modernize the nations he ruled.
When Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled on St. Helena, he was asked by one of his friends, ’Who was the greatest warrior the world has ever known?" Without hesitation, Napoleon answered, "Jesus Christ.’ "But" said his friend, "you have not always talked that way. When you were winning battles, even up to the very time of Waterloo, you left the impression that you were the world’s greatest warrior."
This is how Napoleon replied: "Yes, I have always acted as though I was the world’s greatest conqueror. I have had lots of time to think since I have been here on this island. The Caesars, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Charlemagne and myself have fought with blood and tears and swords of iron, and we lost. All of us lost. We lost our sceptres, our crowns and our offices.
The only sword Christ had was a broken reed: His crown, some twisted thorn: His army, a band of fishermen and farmers. His ammunition a heart of redeeming love. He lives, and I and my kind die. I stand here and call for the Old Guard to come, but they do not hear me. There are no responding voices. My old soldiers do not hear me. I hear nothing but the waves as they bite at the rock beneath my feet. But after 2000 years have gone into the tomb of time, Christ calls and men answer. If need be, they give their bodies to be burned: if need be, they follow Him into the heart to Africa; but better still, they live patient and triumphant lives in His name. Yes, the other warriors and I will ride down to dust, but Christ will live forever.
In our materialistic world, where Christmas seems to be all about giving and receiving presents – if the advertising on TV is to be believed - we need to reflect what Christmas is really all about?
We seem to have lost the plot here in Britain about the meaning of Christmas, with all the extravagant presents we buy each other.
With families trying to out buy their neighbours.
And with people taking out loans that will take them another eleven months to pay off - simply to buy their children the most expensive toys they can.
Christmas has to be about Jesus
I would suggest that there is no getting away from it - the central figure of Christmas has to be Jesus Christ
And today is “Christ the King” Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent.
A day when we reflect on that the Kingship of Christ means
But how is Jesus different from the Kings who preceded him and those who came after
And I think there is one other special area in which He is different.
And that is this
His followers will be changed people
Jesus put it well when he said, in our Gospel reading, this about his followers (the people on God’s right hand in the story)
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.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 "The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
The characteristic of his Kingdom is that his followers will do HIS WORKS, sometimes without even realising they are doing it.
I believe the key to this parable in Mt 25 is the nature of the sheep and the nature of the goat
In Israel, in Jesus day it was difficult to tell the sheep from the goats. They look very similar
The difference however is in their nature
As one commentator has written:
The earliest animals to be domesticated were sheep and goats. They are very common in the Middle East, and the Hebrew language is particularly rich in vocabulary that distinguishes sheep according to sex and age. Our ancestors in the faith were impressed that sheep suffer in silence.
They compared men to sheep and considered suffering in silence to be the sign of a real man (Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32-35; Mark 15:25-37). Sheep came to symbolize honour, virility, and strength.
Goats were considered lascivious animals. Unlike rams (male sheep), goats allow other males access to their females. Goats symbolize shame and shameful behaviour. http://liturgy.slu.edu/ChristKingA112005/theword_cultural.html)
The sheep represents those who are Disciples of Christ – and Christlike qualities come out in their relationship with others.
The goats signify those that have a differnet nature – those who are not Christ’s.
In other words, following Christ is not following a set of rules but having a new nature – that is we become changed people.
Put more theologically we are being changed daily - if we are true disciples of Christ . We become more of a "holy people".
Because when Christ lives in you, it becomes second nature to do the works of God.
It’s like a tree – you know a tree by its fruit.
The apples don’t make the apple tree, but we recognise a tree that bears apples as an apple tree.
That is the Kingdom of God is all about.
It is about changed people – people who have changed because they have met the risen Jesus
