We all probably at one time or another have seen the old TV show “The Lone Ranger.” He always rode in on that great white steed “Silver” accompanied by his faithful sidekick “Tonto.” He’d ride into town ready to deal with the “Do-Badders.”
Of course his identity was perfectly camouflaged by the black mask he wore, so as he rode away at the end of each episode, someone would scratch his head and say, “Who was that masked man?”
It amazes me how much a tiny little mask like that over the nose and around the eyes can change a person’s appearance. Why, I suspect that if he saw himself in the mirror he’d ask “Who is that masked man?”
One late night Marlene and I were still up and decided to watch a little television so we scanned around and found “The Lone Ranger” on an old television show channel. We both said, “What a bowl of corn.” But for the sake of the story we will just play along that indeed his mask could really veil his identity.
Speaking of a hidden identity, I recently heard this story. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into an old saggy, baggy robe and proceeded to wash her hair, and to put in hair curlers. Lastly, she put on a layer of white facial goop. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was that?
Too many people have no idea about who Jesus is. He came as God veiled in a Baby. He grew up to be Jesus of Nazareth, veiled as a simple carpenter’s son. But the song the ladies sang this morning said,
“Long time ago in Bethlehem,
so the holy Bible say,
Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ,
was born on Christmas Day.”
Who was that Baby Boy? God, masked, in a manner of speaking. Very few recognized that this child, Jesus, was the Christ. So we ask, “Who was that baby boy?” We might say “He was God incognito; God in disguise.”
People have had all kinds of ideas about Jesus.
• Some people thought He was a miracle worker using Satan’s power.
• Some thought He was demented.
• Some perceived Him as a threat to their religious traditions.
• Some of the religious leaders especially saw Him as a troublemaker who would upset the apple cart.
• Some of the religious leaders also viewed Him as a lawbreaker, a blasphemer, and misleader of the people.
• Some today think He was mythological, or a misled martyr, or an overzealous religious teacher, a good moral man, a sterling example of right living.
• When Jesus asked, “Who do people say I am?” the disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16 (NASB).
This Baby Boy, God incarnate and incognito, concealed His identity from those who were unwilling to see and recognize Him as the Christ, the Messiah, THE Son of God. He was not at all like the Messiah they anticipated, so they didn’t recognize Him for who He really was and is.
Not a typical Christmas text, but I have chosen a Scripture today that clearly “unmasks” and identifies the person we have come to know as Jesus. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11 (NASB)
A carol asks, “What Child is this?” Of course we have the benefit of knowing, through God’s word, exactly Who He was, or rather, Who He is.
I. HE IS THE ONE WHO EMPTIED HIMSELF FOR US:
A. “Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.” The word, “empty” means to void something or to deprive of benefit or authority. So in emptying Himself, He temporarily voided or deprived Himself of the benefit and privilege of being in heaven equal to God.
1. There He slept, just a tiny, vulnerable, dependant human baby. “By-and-by, them find a little nook, in a stable all forlorn. And in a Manger, cold and dark, Mary’s little boy was born.” What a lowly birth. He emptied Himself.
2. He came to his own but His own did not receive Him, because, despite the prophecies in their own scrolls, they didn’t know who He was.
3. Isn’t it ironic, though, that pagan magi saw His star and understood that a king had been born?
B. Jesus Christ is the one who emptied Himself for us.
1. He did not lose any of His deity or His divine nature. He was fully God and fully man.
2. He did not lose his Miraculous power.
3. He did not lose his perfection and holiness.
4. He was not coerced; He was not a victim He was a volunteer.
5. He emptied Himself of heaven’s prerogative, praise, and position --- but just for a while. The writer of Hebrews wrote, we “see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:7-9 (NASB).
C. Had He not emptied Himself, we could never be assured that He
1. Understands our weaknesses and failures.
2. Understands the power of the tempter to appeal to our own personal lusts.
3. Understands the pain, loneliness, sorrow, weariness, or any other of our human experiences.
D. We need to empty ourselves of certain hurtful things.
1. Empty ourselves of pride, or any attitude that makes us refuse to bend the knee before God.
2. Empty ourselves of any grudges or hatred that we have.
3. Empty ourselves of worry, anxiety, fretfulness, and lean our lives fully in trust of Him.
4. Empty ourselves of all forms of selfishness and greed and avarice and covetousness.
E. Max Lucado relates this story.
When Catherine Lawes’ husband, Lewis, became the warden on Sing Sing prison in 1921, she was a young mother of three daughters. Everybody warned her never to step foot inside the walls. But she didn’t listen to them. When the first prison basketball game was held, in she went, three girls in tow, and took a seat in the bleachers with the inmates.
When she heard that one convicted murderer was blind, she learned and then taught him Braille so he could read. Upon learning of inmates who were hearing impaired, she studied sign language so they could communicate. For sixteen years Catherine Lawes softened the hard hearts of the men of Sing Sing.
The prisoners knew something was wrong when Lewis Lawes didn’t report to work. Quickly the word spread that Catherine had been killed in a car accident. The following day as the acting warden took his early morning walk, he noticed a large gathering at the main gate. Every prisoner pressed against the fence. Eyes awash with tears. Faces solemn. No one spoke or moved. Their hearts were broken at the death of one of the few who had loved them.
Because Catherine had emptied herself of fear, hesitation and judgmentalism she could offer help and hope to those castaways.
Jesus emptied Himself and because He did not come in all pomp and glory, those to whom He came did not recognize Him or give Him the honor He deserves. But we do recognize Him and we need to remember that He emptied Himself for us.
II. HE IS THE ONE WHO ENDURED THE CROSS FOR US:
A. “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
1. It wasn’t that He wanted to go to the cross; He was no masochist.
2. It wasn’t that He was indifferent about going to the cross; He was not an apathetic spectator.
3. It was that He was willing to be obedient. You’ll remember His prayer in Gethsemane, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Matthew 26:42 (NASB).
B. How was He able to do that? What motivated Him to do that? What was the benefit of Him doing that?
1. He was able to do it by the power of God working within Him.
2. He was motivated to do it by His great compassion for us and His deep hatred of sin.
3. He did it to benefit us and the benefit of Him doing that is that we have an opportunity to have our sins forgiven and to live forever.
C. Jesus came to be a servant and not to be served. The greatest service that He could render for us was to provide a way for us to have our guilt removed, our hearts changed, our lives made new, and so that we may have eternal life.
D. We too, have a cross to bear. Jesus made that abundantly clear when he said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 (NASB). A cross is some suffering or loss or sacrifice or pain we’re willing to endure voluntarily.
E. Let me illustrate Jesus enduring the cross for us. Jimmy was a small boy when his parents both died in an accident. His grandmother stepped up and by herself, tried to raise him. She was old and had very little money, but she loved him and worked long, hard hours to provide for him.
One day when Jimmy came home from school she discovered that he had some things that didn’t belong to him. He had stolen them from some of his classmates. His grandmother told him that it was wrong to take something that was not his, even if other people had more than they needed. She made him promise to return the items, and also to promise he’d never steal again. But before long he broke that promise and she found out.
She told him to come with her and walked down the hall toward the kitchen and on the way she picked up a knitting needle from her knitting bag. In the kitchen she turned on one of the burners on the stove and laid the knitting needle across the hot flames. She and Jimmy watched as the knitting needle got hotter and hotter.
Grandmother picked it up with a pot holder and Jimmy could see it was red hot. She told him “If I ever catch you stealing again I will put this red-hot knitting needle across the palm of your hand.” Jimmy’s eyes were big as saucers and he was so scared that he promised never to steal again.
Then as time passed he forgot about the knitting needle so he began to steal again. She confronted him and took him to the kitchen and, again turned on the burner and laid the knitting needle across the flames. Jimmy shook with fear and began to cry seeing it getting red-hot. His grandmother held his hand tight as she picked up the needle with a potholder. Forcing his hand open she brought down the needle. But at the last moment she purposely let go of Jimmy’s hand and the needle came down on her own palm. After that Jimmy never stole anything again. You see, what fear could not do, the sacrificial love of his grandmother did.
And so Jesus emptied Himself taking on the disguise of a human body, He was God Incarnate – God in flesh -- and yet many of the people, then and now fail to recognize Him. Still, He endured the cross for us and as a result, God promoted Him to the highest position.
III. HE IS THE ONE WHO EARNED EXALTATION ABOVE ALL:
A. “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
B. If you desire to, and expect to, benefit by what Jesus did, you, along with me and everyone else, need to bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
1. Many people believe in Jesus in a historic or academic way; but the devil believes and trembles.
2. It’s extremely essential that we believe in Him as Lord and that His is the only name under heaven by which we may be saved. Peter proclaimed, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (NASB).
3. Every philosopher, every religious teacher, every atheist, every criminal, every good person who trusts in works, will one day bow before Him as Lord, but that will be sadly too late to bow before Him as Savior.
C. Even before that time, we need to exalt Him above all. We need to put Jesus at the center of our affections, His will needs to be the highest authority in our lives, His way needs to be our way.
1. We exalt Him by obeying Him, because we believe in Him and we trust in His word.
2. We exalt Him, by making sacrifices of whatever is needed, for the supply of the needy, the comfort of the sorrowing and the salvation of the lost.
3. We exalt Him by being good stewards and managers of all the things He’s put into our hands, our personal possessions and the world itself.
4. We exalt Him as we recognize Him and honor Him as the creator and sustainer of all that is.
D. The benefits of exalting Him are
1. It puts Him at the center of our lives.
2. It puts us at the center of His will.
3. It keeps our eyes averted from sinful attractions
4. It keeps our eyes focused upon the blessings He gives.
E. A boy named Steven demonstrates exalting Jesus. He was invited to go fishing on a big boat with his friend and his friend’s father. It would cost $10.00. He was crushed when his mother refused him the money because his dad had been out of work and they didn’t have it.
He got his piggy bank and had $6.46. Mom still would not give him the remainder. And she informed him that he was supposed to help Mrs. Baker. He didn’t mind helping her, but she was poor and couldn’t pay him. When he got to her house, he noticed that she was sad and her eyes were red from weeping.
She asked him to go to the basement and bring up some bundles of papers she had bound to put out for the trash man. He grabbed an armload, and as he did something fell to the floor. It was an old leather wallet. He picked it up and opened it. To his surprise there was a five dollar bill! He thought, “Wow! That’s enough for the fishing trip with one dollar left over. Mrs. Baker would never know I found the wallet!” But he felt strange and decided to do the right thing.
He ran upstairs and shouted, “Mrs. Baker, look what I found in the basement!” She began to sob, saying, “Oh, Steve! I have looked high and low for that! I have no other money and my pension check comes on Monday.”
She told him she had eaten her last can of soup the day before. He ran home to tell his mother and they returned with a hot meal and a few groceries.
Mrs. Baker praised Steve for his honesty and said, “Most boys would have kept the money.” He admitted to the temptation, and added, “Keeping it would not be a Christian thing to do.” His words so convicted the old lady that she said to Steve’s mother, “You have been telling me about Jesus and I haven’t listened. I see now what a difference He can make. Do you think He could forgive an old woman for her sins?” Later that day he said, “Mom, I’d rather have Mrs. Baker become a Christian than have all the fish in the world.”
In a way, Steve took the mask off of Jesus and revealed Him to Mrs. Baker. Until we make Him known, people will not know Who He is. And not knowing Who He is will go to a Christless eternity.
He is Heaven’s Prince Who emptied Himself to become a servant. He is the Pure and Sinless One Who endured the cross to save us. He is the One God exalted and Whose name is above every name. He the Baby Boy of Bethlehem, the Crucified Christ, the Buried, Resurrected, and Ascended Lord of Heaven. He is our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father. He is savior of all who obey Him in faith.
Do You Know My Jesus? Do you know my Friend? Do you know He loves you?
PRAY, INVITE, SING
