Summary: God in all of His wisdom hid the real date of His Son’s birthday and even His physical attributes ...
“She will bring a Son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name Him Jesus--'God saves'--because He will save His people from their sins." (Msg.)
v.22-23 “All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a Son and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (NLT)
I was inspired by this song from Matthew West’s “Leaving Heaven” that is why the title of this sermon for this week. It’s Christmas season to all Christian nation and people all over the world, though it was not really the 25th of December the birthdate of our Savior Jesus! God in all of His wisdom hid the real date of His Son’s birthday and even His physical attributes, His looks, His height, the color of His eyes, the length of His hair and so on and so forth, because that is not important with the Almighty, what is significant is; He wept, He shouted, He got hungry, He asked for water, He touched them, He had compassion on them, He called unrepentant men: fox, hypocrites, he threw faithless and jeering people outside of a house ... He remained silent in front of a Roman governor, He hanged on the Cross and is alive after the third day and is now sits on the throne of Power! That is the Masterful effect of this Man. The Gospel lived day by day! Alive for us today!
Christmas? Well, He is leaving heaven. Again, and again.
1. TOUCHDOWN EARTH!
I knew the feeling of a touchdown! I’ve rode several planes already. That thud in the ground. The screeching of the brakes. The sighs of relief. The unfastening and clicking sounds of seat belts. The standing up of passengers getting their bags overhead, the queue of people making their way in the aisle ... that feeling of excitement of leaving the plane! Indescribable. Is this the feeling also of our Immanuel when God touched down earth more than 2,000 years ago! Inside the womb, unfastening His placenta into a manger? “See the world is dark, and it needs a light. Gonna hang a star. In the Easter sky. So, everybody’s gonna know where I touched down. I’m leavin ’heaven, Right now....”
LOOK AT THE SIGNS OF A TOUCHDOWN.
The Star.
Wise men of the east really searched for it. "Where is the Child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed His star at its rising and have come to pay Him homage." (Matthew 2:1-2).
The Place.
Micah 5:1-2:
1 Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. 2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (NIV)
As pointed out in the book, 100 Prophecies:
The prophecy, which was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, is effective in a simple way: It eliminates all other cities and towns throughout the world as a place in which the Messiah would be born. It narrows the possibilities to one tiny village, near Jerusalem. And throughout the span of the past 27 centuries, since the time of the prophet Micah, Bethlehem is credited as being the birthplace for the only person who is widely accepted as being the Messiah, by people throughout the world, and that person is Jesus Christ."
And so, the touchdown to Earth was mark by a Star as a control Tower, into the Bethlehem AirPort.
The welcoming parties were Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the angels of heaven. The Inn were closed, and no one would welcome Him. Selected people, selected place. This is how special His arrival is! Not even King Herod was invited for such momentous and historical touchdown! God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of His purposes. We just won’t find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more likely the oldest--what God determined as the way to bring out His best, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of that day even until now haven't had a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they would have greeted the Master of the God-designed life on His touchdown in Bethlehem. That's why we have this Scripture text: “No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it-- What God has arranged for those who love Him” We are those who loved Him. I do not know why I knew Jesus? I don’t know why your hearts are opened to Him? Or the Wise Men? Or the Angels? Or the shepherds? Not even Mary and Joseph? God had seen something in us to meet His heart and His criteria. But just like Mary; “be it unto me, according to your Word, Lord!” By Grace. By His Spirit. The song says; “You’re the reason why Jesus is leaving heaven.”
After the touchdown...
2. THE TRADE-IN:
From Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition ... an item of merchandise (such as an automobile or refrigerator) taken as payment or part payment for a purchase. We were purchased not as merchandise, not a commodity but a priceless creation of God bought not with Silver or gold but by the precious Blood of the everlasting Lamb. Slain from the foundation of the world.
“Well it’s been really nice, Livin’ way up here in paradise. Over the atmosphere; But I can’t stay long gotta make My way.... I’m leavin’ heaven... Today”
The comfort of heaven for the broken life on earth. The throne of heaven for a cross. Eternity for Time. Crown of
Heaven for a Crown of thorns.
Jesus would walk around the broken, dusty, thorny road of earth. Trading in the streets of gold, crystal clear waters and Angelic hosts at His Command ... So, we wonder How much we’re worth? Well, we should know that we’re the reason why Jesus is leaving heaven. Leaving a kingdom and abdicating the crown ... that we may crown Him with many crowns. God is trading everything, all of heaven for His beloved creation. WE ARE HIS IN A TRADE-IN. The ultimate trade-in of all trade-in happened at the Cross. His Life for our mortal life. O, death.... where now is your sting?
3. TOUCHDOWN HEAVEN! – the deal we get.
In the trade-in we touchdown in Heaven. That feeling of an unimaginable beautiful place. And Jesus got back home, made and prepared rooms for us. So, don’t we worry and a promised was made that He will be coming back for us... And we will say goodbye to this broken earth and we will all walk on streets of gold. And if we ever wonder again how Jesus’ love is worth? Time and time again, it was proven, and everybody should know again and again that Jesus’ coming and dying and resurrecting is the reason why we will be seeing heaven! No More, No less!
Touchdown heaven!!!
And as I conclude, I like this article from Max Lucado’s “God Came Near”
It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. God became a man! Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb. Jesus came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The hands that first held Him were un-manicured, calloused, and dirty. For thirty-three years he would feel everything you and I have ever felt. Weak and weary; and afraid of failure. His feelings got hurt.
To think of Jesus in such a light seems almost irreverent. There’s something about keeping Him divine that keeps Him distant and predictable. But don’t do it! For heaven’s sake, don’t! Let Him be as human as He intended to be. Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let Him in can He pull us out!
HalleluJah!
