Theme: Hope for the lost world
Text: Is. 11:1-10; Rom. 15:4-13; Matt. 3:1-12
Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent, a time when most Christians are preparing to celebrate the coming of Christ. It is a time when many people are confronted with various problems that result from the pressure to please loved ones or the consequences of wrong decisions and actions. It is often about money, sickness or the loss of a loved one. It is also, very often, the result of the widespread wickedness in the world today. Greed has become the determining factor in our behaviour and actions and we are no longer concerned about the evil consequences of our actions. I recently saw a friend and was surprised at his appearance and the amount of weight he had lost. It was not the result of an illness but the result of a beating he was subjected to at the hands of armed robbers. Such events make us better understand why “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) to bring hope for the lost world.
The source of hope for the lost world is the Word of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. (John 1:14) He fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah’s virgin birth in a manger in Bethlehem. He was of the lineage of David, filled with the Spirit of the LORD, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection. The source of hope for the lost world is the victory of Christ over Satan and sin. Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God, came to reveal the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and God’s judgment on sin. His death established His victory over Satan and sin for “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) and “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”. (Hebrews 9:22) The source of hope for the lost world is the power and authority of Christ. When Jesus Christ defeated Satan He reclaimed the power and authority he had stolen and gave it back to man. He has given every believer “authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy”. (Luke 10:19)
Jesus Christ “was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin”. (Heb. 4:15) He qualified as the perfect sacrifice for sin to redeem mankind from destruction. Jesus Christ did what the Law was not capable of doing. The Law was given to point out and reveal sin but lacked the ability to deal with sin. This is why when God gave the Law He made provision to atone for sin by the shedding of the blood of sacrificed animals. Under the Old Covenant, a person who had sinned was required to bring his sacrificial offering to the priest. He would lay his hands on the offering; confess his sin that is then transferred to the animal. In a similar way the pureness of the lamb is transferred to the one offering the sacrifice. Since the wages of sin is death, the one offering the sacrifice then kills the animal to pay the penalty for the sin that had been transferred to it. In the foreknowledge of God, all this was designed to foreshadow what was to be accomplished by Christ. It was a prophetic forecast of the saving, redemptive work that Christ would accomplish for us by the shedding of His blood. No sinner can come into the presence of a Holy God. When Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness our past, present, and future sins were all forgiven. Jesus Christ has paid the full price for our sin.
Believers have a message of hope for the lost world. Unbelievers need to hear the good news that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for sin. They need to hear about God’s love and faithfulness and understand the meaning of His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. The message to the lost is a message of forgiveness. They need to hear that Christ, who was without sin and had never sinned, was made sin with the sin of the whole world, past, present and future to pay the price for their forgiveness. Because of the blood of Christ “God will be merciful towards our iniquities and will remember our sins no more”. (Heb. 8:12) The message to the lost is a message that God has justified the sinner, just-as-if he had never sinned. Christ shed His blood to pay the penalty for sin so that we do not have to bear the Judgement of God.
The blood of Christ has not only paid the penalty for sin but has also imputed to us the righteousness of Christ.
Christ paid the penalty for sin with His blood for “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”. (Hebrews 9:22) Jesus Christ, our Creator, took our place and endured God’s divine judgement on our sin to pay the price for our forgiveness. When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal in the Old Testament God answered his prayer to send down fire from heaven. The fire not only consumed the sacrifice but also the stones of the altar, the dust and the water poured on it. This was an indication that the judgement of God was far greater than the sacrifice. This was the reason animal sacrifices had to be offered over and over again. When Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin, He absorbed all the judgement that fell on Him. It was only after absorbing the full judgement of God that He cried “it is finished” and released His Spirit into the Father’s care indicating that in His case the sacrifice was far greater than the judgement. There is therefore no more need for a sacrifice “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified”. (Heb. 10:14) The penalty for sin has been paid in full and we have eternal redemption. We can rest in the finished work of Christ and come boldly before His presence, justified and clothed with His righteousness. Jesus Christ gave His life for us and is the only hope for the lost world.
The bearer of the good news to the lost is the believer. He is a new creation. We are spirit beings who possess a soul and live in a body and at salvation our spirit is recreated perfect, holy and set apart for God. We know our spirit is recreated perfect because at salvation the Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirit. He is the One who empowers us to walk in the spirit and lead the lost to Christ through the preaching of the gospel for “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”. Through the preaching of the gospel they “are saved by grace through faith”. (Eph. 2:8) Christ wants us to be what the Scriptures declare about us that ‘as He is so also are we in this world’. (1 John 4:17) We are to have the attitude of Christ who did not come to be served but to serve. As believers we serve Him by preaching the gospel, leading the lost to Christ and making them His disciples.
Believers, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, are bearers of good news that needs to be shared. They have the example of the four lepers described in 2 Kings in the time of Elisha when the Syrians laid siege to Samaria. The siege led to starvation and the worst affected were four lepers living outside the city gates. They took a chance by going to the Syrian camp and found it empty with all their provisions intact. After eating all they could, they were suddenly conscience stricken by the thought that thousands were dying of starvation in the city while food was within their grasp. Grateful for what had happened to them they decided to tell the others and thereby saved the city. God has met a greater need in the lives of believers. He has freed us from the power of Satan, sin and death. We also should with grateful hearts share the Good News that is the only hope for the lost world. Believers have benefited from the Good news. We cannot keep for ourselves. We need to share it with the lost. Let us go to them with the good news.
God transcends time and knows the end from the beginning. The Law of Moses, given at Pentecost, pointed to sin and death and man’s need for a Saviour. The Holy Spirit also given on the day of Pentecost pointed to God’s forgiveness and life made possible by our Saviour. At the giving of the Law 3000 Israelites died whereas at the giving of the Holy Spirit 3,000 unbelievers were saved. There is hope for the lost world as the gift of the Holy Spirit continues to give life today. Christ has redeemed us from sin and is the hope for the lost world. Christ’s plan is our plan, His purpose our purpose and His mission our mission. Let us use the resources God has made available to bring hope for the lost world to the praise and glory of His holy name. Amen!
