ILL Narnia - no Christmas
the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is a story of four children who are transported into the land of Narnia, where they are confronted with adventures and the ultimate ruler of the world, the lion Aslan. But when they arrive it is ruled by the White Witch.
In describing the White Witch to her siblings, Lucy says: “She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”
The picture that is drawn is that it is a dead, evil and fearful time.
But then Aslan comes to Narnia, and although the children haven’t yet met him, they know that things are changing This is evident with the arrival of Father Christmas.
Father Christmas says, “I’ve come at last. She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The Witch’s magic is weakening.” Soon after the snow begins melting, flowers bloom.In Narnia, the fullness of time had come. Winter was breaking. There was hope of new life.
In the same way, Christmas signals hope for mankind.
2000 years ago the people of Israel had experienced a "prolonged winter" of sorts -- invaded and ruled by one empire after another
Rome was now ruling. They imposed their laws and chose the governors for the Jews.
To make things worse, a census was taken to tax the world . This required that each person had to go to his town of ancestral origin in order to register. They had no choice!
ALSO: No revelation from God for 400 years! -- since the writing of Malachi.
SUM: From the Jews’ and Earth’s perspective, the world and destiny was controled by someone else; nothing could be done; no end in sight.
Can you relate? Sometimes it feels like something else is controling our lives, and we are powerless to do anything about it:an employer or boss, the economy, the government, an abusive spouse or parent; a stigma or label given to us at childhood that somehow stuck and gives a negative impression on those we meet or associate with; a past mistake or trauma that keeps our present always imprisoned.; an addiction, depression
From the Earth’s perspective: House of commons is shaping our destiny; your employer or company owners; pawns of the stock market, parents, university faculty, coach, spouse, minority rights groups, majority, environment, cancer/disease, media, weather, etc.
Something else is in control; things out of our hands -- social status, lack of opportunities; consequences of parents’ decisions
Result: frustration, anxiety, despair, helpless/powerless -- "winter" but no Christmas
But Earth isn’t the only perspective! What we see and experience isn’t all that there is. There is a much bigger picture
From Heaven’s perspective: Everything happening according to Divine Plan; under God’s control. The stage is set for an event in history that would change the course of history -- every age and nation as well as every person -- forever
I. THE MESSAGE UNDERLYING CHRISTMAS: GOD FULFILLS HIS PURPOSES.
Christmas didn’t happen by chance or fluke or at the wrong time or place.
4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal.4:4-5)
That is a description of Christmas. It was something that happened at the appointed time, for an appointed purpose in an appointed way.
Q: Why was the census taken? (according to what we read in Luke 2)
Earth: Because Augustus decreed it.
Heaven: Because God decreed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and it was time for the Messiah to be born.
"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." (Micah 5:2)
Prior to this Mary was in Nazareth, 80 miles away.
Q: Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
Earth: Because Joseph was from the family line of David, and that is where that family was to register.
Heaven: Because the Messiah would be from the family of David.
"The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. (2 Sam.7:11-14)
ie. it wasn’t only that Augustus issued the decree of the census, because if Joseph would have been from a different ancestry, he would have gone to a different town.
Q: Why was Jesus laid in a manger?
Earth: Because there was no room in the inn.
Heaven: To be a sign to the shepherds.
"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12)
To summarize: there was Someone Else orchastrating the whole event; God was fulfilling His purposes
Specifically: God fulfills his purposes through:
1. History
Christmas happened at the perfect time
When Alexander the Great conquered the a vast area of the European, Asian, and African continents, a universal language was set in place.
Greek became the language of writing and commerce. By the time Jesus was born, everybody knew some Greek.
The Romans brought both peace and a safe road system.
So, by the time Jesus was born, there was an effective way to communicate to the known world (the Greek language) and an effective way for the message to be spread (Roman roads).
2. Through events
The census, taxes (got Mary to Bethlehem at the right time.)
No room in the inn (so Jesus would be laid in a manger)
3. Through people
Augustus’ decree and decision was ultimately not his idea but God’s.
All the people showing up at Bethlehem and going to the inn before Mary and Joseph.
Whoever decided or suggested that Mary use the manger as a crib.
Absolutely nothing is left to chance or fate.
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Eph.1:11)
II. THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES
1. Cause for Hope
Some say or believe: "It will never happen/never change"
However, since there is no situation where God is not at work, there is no situation that cannot change.
Life might look very much the same from day to day -- as it would have looked the day after Christmas: Palestine still under Roman rule, taxes
But Christmas meant that: "EVERYTHING is different!" cp. "Aslan on the Move" meant spring!
Applying this to YOU: Your situation may have not changed -- still unemployed, or picked on, or sick, broke, alone -- but there is hope IN the situation.
God is ALWAYS at work bringing about his purposes. NOTHING in your life or that happens to you is random or pointless. God brings about his purpose and is involved in broken relationships, unemployment, illness, unfair treatment; mundane, routine things.
2. Cause for Joy
Why? God’s purposes are good!
4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal.4:4-5)
THAT is the purpose of Christmas; for why Jesus came: To redeem, free, forgive, adopt; undo all the wrong and to give a hope and a future; to belong to God forever.
God is working out his purposes, and those purposes are GREATER than we can imagine.
For the Israelites, their prayer or wish ("Christmas list"): Overthrow of Rome, reduction of taxes, freedom of religion, freedom. Would they have ever asked: "Become one of us; take our sins and condemnation upon yourself; adopt us into your family; share your inheritance with us"?
That’s why Paul says that we need to remember that God can do far more than we can think of or imagine.
But in the Christmas event itself, some pretty bleak things HAD to happen in order for this beautiful and wonderful thing to happen.
And if God’s ULTIMATE purpose is a good one -- to make us His sons and daughters through the giving of His Son as our Savior -- then we can be assured that EVERYTHING that happens -- even the hard, painful, heartbreaking things -- flow out of the same heart and for the same purpose; for a GOOD purpose.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Rom.8:28)
In the May, 1982, issue of Guideposts magazine, Norman Vincent Peale tells of a woman who came to him for help. Her husband had been killed in a tragiccar crash, and as a result, she felt numb, hopeless, and "broken.
Peale was able to help her by telling her a true story about a distinguished British violinist named Peter Cropper. Cropper’s work was so outstanding that the Royal Academy of Music in London had honored him by lending him a priceless 258-year old Stradivarius. (It is the dream of every violinist to be able to play such an instrument!) But a terrible thing happened while Cropper was performing in Finland. He tripped and fell on top of the Stradivarius and broke it. Cropper’s pleasant dream was turned into a horrible nightmare. He was, inconsolable.
Then a London violin dealer told him of a master craftsman who could repair the Stradivarius. To make a long story short, the repairs were so perfect they could not even be seen, and the soaring notes of the instrument were more beautiful than they had ever been before - all because the broken parts were placed in the hands of a master craftsman who then applied his healing touch.
Jesus Christ is the Master Craftsman of all time. He takes the broken pieces and puts them back together again, and we are better than new!
Application:
a) Rather than living with anxiety (or bland routine), live with anticipation and expecation -- "God, what will you do today; in this situation; in that person’s life; in my life?"
-Christmas started something in motion that hasn’t stopped moving!
b) Allow for disruptions and interuptions -- see them as divine interventions or in-breakings.
Make plans, but allow for God to tinker with them, change them; submit them to his will.
c) Because God is alive and well and active in history, is in control of everything and can change anything and anyone, then Pray with confidence, hope, faith and expectation
Christmas is a Great incentive for prayer! Prayer isn’t so much about "changing" God, but partnering with him. It is also what helps us to tune in to what he is up to.
d) Surrender to God’s control = trust. Ask God to set you free from the need to be in control, and from the blindness and lack of faith in his sovereignty.
In the year 1792 a diary was found floating in the ocean. A sailor had written the following message on one page:
"If you hear that our ship has sunk, don’t cry. This ocean is but a puddle in the hand of my Savior. If you are defeated with fear, if you are cowered in some corner of life, if you are paralyzed by fear, you can be set free. All you’ve got to do is depend on God."
If Christmas is true, then God is both in control and good: you have every reason to trust.
