"Prelude to His Birth: The Last Sunday of the Year"
1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 12-19
Robert Warren
November 25th, 2001
Today is the last Sunday of the year. I know that you’re thinking that I’ve had too much turkey to eat this last week and have obviously lost track of time. But that’s not true. Well, I did have too much turkey to eat, but I haven’t lost track of the time. Today is that last Sunday in the church calendar. Next week begins the season of Advent, when we focus on the first coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, the first Sunday of Advent is also the first Sunday of the church year, beginning naturally with the birth of Christ. So, here in the last Sunday before Advent we are at the end of the church year. To be honest, this is a pretty funny kind of Sunday, sort of stuck in the middle of everything. Last Sunday we were talking about Thanksgiving and the holiday week in front of us. Next week we will beginning Advent and our whole emphasis will be on the birth of Christ; the church is going to undergo a massive facelift after the service this morning as decorations go up, starting with the Chrismon tree. But here we are in the middle of the two holidays, winding things up in anticipation of the season in front of us.
But to be honest, this Sunday’s message is crucial to understanding the weeks ahead of us. You know what you are going to hear about in the next month, in sermons, songs, decorations, and the symbols all around you. You will hear about the baby Jesus, born in a manger, come to bring peace to the earth. You will get cards in the mail that proclaim, "Joy to the World." You will hear songs that tell about that Silent Night in the Little Town of Bethlehem. You will see manger scenes which reenact the cave in which Jesus was born (since most scholars agree that the manger was probably located in a small cave). Trees will go up in stores, churches and homes which represent the eternal life that Jesus came to bring. Christmas is a magical time for many people, filled with peace, joy, and love. But we’re not there yet, we’re here at the Sunday before Advent season begins, and this Sunday gives us the real meaning behind it all.
Today, before we boil the figgy pudding (whatever that is) and sing the lovely Christmas carols, before we get to the beginning of Jesus’ life, we have to wrap up the life of Jesus from the year before. What does all of this mean? Why did Jesus come to the earth in the first place? In order to get to the beginning of the church year we have to spend some time at the end. For many people, their entire encounter with Jesus Christ will revolve around the events that will be remembered in the upcoming month. They will remember the beautiful story of a virgin giving birth to a precious child. They will respect the husband who was willing to give his wife the benefit of the doubt and bear the shame of the questions surrounding the birth of his son. People will consider the visitors who came to see the young child: the common shepherds and the glorious wise men. To the majority of the people in the world the story of Jesus is just that: a pleasant story, a myth even. A man was born under incredible circumstances to bring a message of joy and peace to a difficult world. A man lived and urged us all to live better lives. Jesus is up there with Buddha, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln; legends who urged us to a better plane of existence. The Jesus that most people will know as the church year begins will never grow up: he will forever remain the child in the manger.
All around the world people are digging out their manger scenes. They will lovingly place all of the figurines on a table or a mantle. The shepherds, the sheep, the wise men, Mary, Joseph. Then, they will take out the baby Jesus and place him with great care in the little manger in the middle of the scene. In about a month, they will pack up all of their decorations. One of the last things they will pack up, not to be seen for another year, will be the baby Jesus: wrapped in newspaper and placed back in the box for a year in the closet. In the hearts of many people the same thing will happen this month. Jesus will be taken out of storage for a month, but when he is placed back in storage he will still be a little baby in a manger with no threat to the world as we know it.
Here at the end of the church year, though, we remember the rest of his life. We remember his love for God’s word, even at the young age of 12 when he shocked the old men with his wisdom. We remember his love for everyone he met, from the lowly fishermen to the rich young ruler who couldn’t let go of his money. We remember his compassion for the sick, the lonely, the sinner, and the lost. We remember his miracles; how he walked on the water, calmed the storm, fed the multitude, healed the sick, and turned water into wine. We remember the passion that he had for so many things: he could weep openly, laugh heartily, and rant and rave at the self-righteous hypocrites. We remember the tender things, the meals he shared with his disciples, the hours he spent in prayer, the intimate talks with his disciples.
But most of all, here at the end of his life, we have to remember the reason he came to earth. He wasn’t just a healer. He wasn’t just a preacher. He wasn’t just a good example. He wasn’t just a prophet. He was a sacrificial lamb. He was born to die. The plan for his life from the very beginning ended up at the cross; anything less would not have been sufficient. The head that bowed in prayer would be crowned with thorns. The mouth that spoke such love and peace would be twisted in pain and agony. The heart that beat with such compassion would be pierced with a Roman spear. The hands that gave sight back to the blind would be driven through with spikes. The feet that walked so many miles to bring good news would also be pierced. The voice that called the dead from the grave would cry out to God for mercy.
I would apologize for being such a downer so close to Christmas, but we know that his life was not the end of the story either. Here at the end of he church year we don’t end with a horrible death. Jesus’ life did not end on a sad note, nor does the church year. No, the last message of Jesus life is not just a wonderful life which began in a manger, but it’s not a tragic life that ended on a cross either. No, the last sermon for the year has to end where his life began, in a cave. The cave where Jesus was laid in death would soon be emptied, only three days after he was laid there. We must remember on this day of all days that the last word of Jesus life is one of resurrection. Jesus’ life is not just about a beautiful story of his birth. Jesus’ life is not about a wonderful man who preached great philosophy and touched many lives as an example to all of us. Jesus’ life is not about the tragic death of a martyr. No, Jesus’ life is all about a glorious resurrection, the victory over death for all mankind. Jesus’ life, the Good News of the Gospel, is in the defeat of death and sin. The message that we have to rejoice over is not that Jesus was born, but that he died and rose again. God became man, died the death we deserved, and rose as the first fruits from the grave. Without this truth, we have nothing to celebrate in the month to come.
Hear the words of Paul as he shares this good news:
1 Corinthians 15: 1-8;
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Here, in the last chapter of Paul’s lengthy letter to the church at Corinth, he gives the sum of all that the church believes and hopes in: that Jesus died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Incredibly, he says that this is the core of what the believer has taken their stand on. This is the Gospel by which we are saved, if we hold firmly to this truth. The birth of Jesus, as important, miraculous, and astounding as it was, was only the first step on the path to his resurrection and ours. He goes into great detail to give the proof that the resurrection indeed occurred: it was witnessed by Peter, then the Twelve, then to over five hundred of the disciples and finally to Paul himself.
How important is the resurrection to the believer? How crucial is it to our hope and joy? He goes on in verses 12-19:
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
How important is the resurrection to the believer? Without it, Paul says, we are to be pitied more than all men. Why? Because we have placed our hope in something that is never coming to pass. We would be worse than those who have no hope at all, because we have placed our hope in something so glorious and incredible that it surpasses all of our understanding. We would have sacrificed everything in this life for no more than a fairy tale. We would have prayed to a God who was not there and followed a Law that was based on nothing. The Resurrection is so crucial to our faith that without it our faith is futile, our lives are worthless, our hope is hopeless. All of our preaching and all of your faith is useless. If Christ was not raised then he was just a martyr, a philosopher, a clever magician. But if he was raised...oh, if he was raised then that is all the difference. For if he was raised then we know that death will be defeated, that our faith is not in vain, that our hope is secure, that the new life we celebrate at Christmas is only the beginning of the eternal life which is to come. If Christ is raised from the dead then we have something to live for, something to die for, something to celebrate.
I preach this message today because it is so easy to lose sight of the end of Jesus life as we celebrate the beginning at Christmas. I want us to remember as we unpack the little baby Jesus from the packing paper of last year that without the resurrection of Christ we have no reason to celebrate. In fact, Christ’s birth would be a tragedy when you consider the death that he died. But when we consider the empty tomb of Christ’s resurrection, we know the rest of the story and we rejoice.
We need to take time in our celebration of the Advent season to reflect on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you tell the Christmas story in your house, make sure that you include the good news that the baby who was born here on earth is no longer on this earth because he has ascended into heaven following his resurrection. Take every opportunity to tell those around you that the reason for the season is not just Jesus, but the risen Jesus. When you see a Christmas tree or a wreath or any other decoration, let it remind you that your savior has risen from the dead and is preparing even now to return to earth to bring eternal life to the living and the dead. And whatever you do, don’t miss out on this glorious Gospel... if you don’t know Christ, know this: there is no joy in Christmas for those who don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You can not truly celebrate Christ coming to earth as a baby if you are not prepared to meet him when he returns as a victorious King. Perhaps this year as you pack up the infant Jesus from your Nativity scene you should leave behind a representation of an empty cave to remind you all year that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because we celebrate a risen Lord who is returning soon.
On what have you made your stand? On what is your hope based on? Is your faith futile? If your joy of Christmas does not include the joy of the resurrection of Christ and the hope of your own resurrection when Christ returns then it is meaningless. So, if you know Jesus and call him Lord, then share the source of your joy with those you celebrate with in this upcoming season. Proclaim his resurrection as your celebrate his birth. But if you have not yet met the risen Lord, why don’t you end this church year by making a new beginning in your life by asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to receive you as one of his own?
