Acknowledgement – I found great value in a Christmas Sermon series by Darren Ethier – A fellow contributor to this site. His sermons are called “Christmas Perspectives Series.”
The Big Picture
John 3:16-21
A father and his son were taking a nature hike through the woods when they came upon some ants working furiously to clear a path. The ants were scurrying here and there trying desperately to provide a clear path for ant travel. They worked individually as well as a team, but to no avail. Father and son watched a long time in silence. Finally the boy looked at his Dad and said, "I wish I could help the ants." Father responded by telling his son that his presence would send them to hide for safety. After some more silence and some more observation the son spoke with much intent. "You know, Dad, if I could become an ant, become one of them for a short time I could help them."
-For the past few weeks, I have shared with you some different perspectives on the same old Christmas Story that we visit in one form or another.
And this morning I would like to conclude with the most important perspective of them all, God Himself.
God’s perspective is one that gives us hope, gives us joy, and leads us to great wonder. You see for God, the Christmas Story is not about one event singled out in eternity – but it is part of His big picture, His plan that began right after the fall of man. It started then and it will not be completed until the New heaven and earth at the end of the age.
It sounds like an impossible idea, to know and understand God’s perspective. It is just too big for us to get our heads around. In reality it probably is impossible and maybe even crazy to think we could try.
However, I do believe that in a way, God has provided the means to understand at lest a little bit, by reading our Bibles. The scripture today, is just one example that describes God’s perspective or reasoning about the need and the plan the view about the Birth of Jesus - the Christ. If we can’t claim to know what is in the mind of God perhaps we can use the information provided in scripture to find the heart of God.
The heart of God is that man would be reconciled to Himself.
The Heart of God is that you and I would know Him.
The heart of God is that you and I would worship Him.
The heart of God is that you and I would draw near to Him.
The heart of God is that you and I would have an intimate relationship with Him.
The heart of God is expressed in his coming to Earth – as one of us – in a form we would know.
He came to us in a form that could be recognized and trusted by the majority of people because he appeared like them. He looked like everyone else, He was not rich by birth, which matched most of the people. He came in a disguise of sorts, not to fool anybody, but to help out.
When God took the step to become a man he took a much larger step than if we had the ability to become an Ant. The difference between our selves and a an Ant looks very dramatic. But for God to come as a man was to that the eternal, immeasurable, all powerful nature of God and cram it into a small Tupper-ware dish and get the lid back on - there is no comparison. The difference between God and us is as vast a space.
When he took the step there were limits, there was pain, there was tiredness, desiese, discomfort of all human kinds.
Why take the step and accept limits and challenges?
Because God Loves his creation. God cares about his creation. God wanted to help his creation. The only way he could approach and be heard, to explain the big picture was to become like the creation. .
So, he came and:
He announced His birth to the shepherds to show that His grace, his love isn’t limited to the privileged, to the prosperous, or to the righteous.
He announced His birth to the wise men to show that His grace, his love isn’t limited to the Jews, or to those who have a spiritual heritage.
He announced His birth to Simeon and Anna to show that His grace, his love is for all who would wait on Him and desire it.
And today I announce His grace, His love to you!
So what is different than any other Sunday?
On this particular Sunday, we have all been, at least, exposed to a time of celebration. Exposure is how we catch the flu. The more personal contact with the subject the more likely we will catch what is going around.
The big picture here, is that God came to share the infectious nature of unconditional love and Grace. He came to release the Good News to be spread from person to person like the flu. However, this infection does not harm you, it gives you life, eternal Life in Heaven.
God sent his source of infection to us aa tiny baby.
Think about it….If he decided to appear as some image in the sky, or perhaps allowed his Heavenly realm to suddenly appear: What do you think the reaction would have been back then or even today?
A while back I went into Pet Land with the kids. There was a big table 6X6 with glass walls. It was filled with wood shavings and maybe 100 or more hamsters.
I stood there watching the little creatures. Some were asleep in little bowls and other hamster furniture. More slept in the corners of the table, visible through the glass but, covered by shavings. Others crawled around inspecting the area that contained them.
I reached in to pickup one of these little guys and they scattered, running in all directions. It was not too difficult to pick one up. I selected a cute subject and placed it in the palm of my hand. I had no intention of harming any of them in the slightest of ways. I was gentle and I spoke with a soothing voice.
Seconds after placing the Hamster in my hand it decided to defend itself. It bit down as hard as it could on one of my fingers.
It was not that painful, the little guy was really no threat to me. I did not retaliate in any way. I tried to calm him with loving strokes to no avail.
The little guy was unhappy that I had entered his life and was going to resist me at any cost.
I believe that it would be exactly the same if God had chosen to enter our world in some big and impressive form. The majority of mankind would not have understood the intention and perspective. Some might not even pay any attention at all and others would scatter and prepare to fight.
God understands our nature and even our perspective because he made us. He chose to make a totally radical entry into this world. He chose to send his Son as a defenseless baby.
He chose something that is no threat to anyone.
Have ya’ll ever watched the people around you when a baby is brought into the room. Let’s say at the tire place you go to. Several adults sitting around and in comes the new mom with a bright eyed child that is just taking in very thing around them. My experience is that most of the people in the room will smile at the child. Some will make a little face of give a wink.
- More people give a positive response to the sight of a baby than to some other impressive appearance of God.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
God’s perspective – is reflected by his reaching out to the world. He came to explain in word and action what the love and Grace of God are really like. Jesus came to save not condemn.
That is a hard concept of some of us to understand. He did not even come to make us follow his rules. We are given a choice. Light or darkness….. Light or darkness.
The choice to believe or to reject.
The choice of hope or luck
The choice that there is something greater or this is all there is.
All too many people in our world can not accept…. Really accept the good news.
We know what kind of people we are! We know what we really think about people and events. But, If we keep all that in the dark on the inside no one will know.
Darkness hides a lot of stuff. I noticed how true that is when I look at homes with really large Christmas displays. At night they can look so great. We see exactly what the homeowner wants us to see. But, if you go by the home in the daytime the first thought is what a mess. All that junk and wiring looks terrible in the light.
We think that we can never approach God because the Light will reveal al our secrets, the wiring an junk in our lives that we try to hide from everyone. We especially try to hide it from God, perhaps we fear his condemnation or rejection. So some people totally choose darkness over light. Others stay right on the fringe sort of twilight, just dark enough to hide a few things. Both are a rejection of the gift that God sent into this world. The Big Picture is the plan which included the gift of Light sent into a dark world.
Folks, God’s big picture includes His Plan for the salvation of the world. Our avoidance of the light, just keeps us in the dark. We are not fooling God he knows our sins, he does not need the light to see.
The presence of darkness in your life marks your choice. So that leaves fooling only people. It makes us feel ok now, but it will have eternal consequences.
The gift of the Son came because God already knew we were having problems. It came because man is so full of pride that darkness is the only easy choice.
We all live in God’s world and are under his plan weather we are willing to acknowledge it or not. God’s plan, includes giving us a way out of darkness. A way to leave behind our sin and to allow the light to change our very nature, not all at once but over time.
God’s plan is a little like an easy payment plan. Everyone that applies in accepted, your previous credit is not a problem. The biggest difference is that if you choose the best option - someone else actually will make the payment….. Some one else makes the payment.
What a deal – But there has to be a catch?????
God’s plan has one catch; it is only by believing in this gift that you get deal. Faith that Jesus is who he said he is and that he can do what he said he can do.
If you fail to believe, then you have to make your own payments including paying the interest and penalties.
It can be really hard to gain the perspective of God. Sometimes it is because we just think that we can’t be good enough. And we are exactly right, we can never bee good enough, no matter how hard we might try. So we dig in and hide out of fear or ignorance or Pride.
Mankind all too often chooses the darkness and burrows under the wood shavings, or chooses to run from the light thinking that all will be fine if we aren’t seen or can get far enough away.
The world has its grip on us in more ways than we can ever really know.
God only requires us to have one connection to him, that connection comes by Faith.
Faith in who the Son is and that he can and has done what he claimed.
Our looking at the perspectives of others this month hopefully has had at least one effect on all of us. For those that have personally known Christ for years and our faith is strong, the perspective would be to awaken the excitement of this old story. That excitement can become infectious to others.
Another potential change of perspective might be to really hear and accept the Gospel. The understanding that God came in a quiet and non threatening manner to draw us - You and me closer so that we might be saved from the darkness and Judgment and Condemnation.
Folks another year is almost over. I am not really big on New Years Resolutions, For too many of us they are broken promises to ourselves.
Here at the end of this year, I hope that you want desperately to hold the baby. That when you take him into your arms you will understand unconditional love and your choices.
I will guess that most of you have held a small baby at some time. Have you ever put your finger in the palm and had them to close their hand around your finger? That is the faith that God is asking for. If you reach for him, even with the problems in your past in your past and present, that will not stop him from meeting your reach with a loving, gentle grasp.
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Reach For the Son, accept the love God Offers for you.
All Glory be to God!
