2nd Sunday of Advent 2024: A Moment of Hope

 

December 8, 2024     NOTES NOT EDITED
Advent 2024: A Moment of Hope
Mat.  2:1-2; Lk. 2:1-14

 SIS: The moment we surrender to Jesus as Our Lord, we have hope–a sustained, positive outlook on life regardless of the circumstances around us. 

Not everyone is full of hope at Christmas time. Some are like the old, miserly, bitter man in the famous Dicken’s Story: A Christmas Carol. Of course, I’m referring to Ebenezer Scrooge who gives us one of the most recognizable phrases in English:  “Bah, Humbug!” That’s this old, crotchety, spiteful miser’s response to the Christmas Season.

The word “humbug” was common in Dickens day over a 170 years ago, as it is today. Some say it referred to bees and wasps and their buzzing sound and annoying behavior. It came to refer to something fraudulent, underhanded, or misleading. Scrooge felt Christmas was just a huge fraud to provide people a way to get out of working for the day, as Scrooge tells his employee, Bob Cratchet on one occasion.

Nothing will kill the Christmas spirit faster than the “scrooge of despair.” Every year at Christmas time stores put on dozens of new employees to cover the Christmas rush.  In fact, many retailers make as much as 50% of their annual total sales at Christmas time.  With the additional throng of Christmas shoppers, additional sales people are needed.  Amazingly, the Devil does the same thing.  Every Christmas season the Devil must work ten times harder to overcome the contagious spirit of HOPE that exists this time of the season.  He puts his demons on double-duty to try to quench any small glimmer of hope that he sees building in the heart of men, women or children.  His number one weapon against the joy of Christmas is despair--HOPELESSNESS.  He knows if he can get you worrying about life, you won’t have time for worshipping the Lord.

The Devil knows that without “hope,” the hope of Christmas simply dies out and shrivels up like a leave at the chill of fall.  So, this Christmas we need to spread the message: Christmas Is a Moment of Hope. Jesus was born to bring us a “Hope!”  A hope that comes from a star, a song, and a Cross.

Without hope we all become like Scrooge—desperate for meaning in life. Desperate for love. Without hope life becomes one meaningless minute followed by another . . . and another, . . . and another until life runs out of minutes and the clock of life ticks no more..  Hope is as essential to happiness as air is to life. 

In the Christmas story we find three elements that give us hope.

Let’s read that hope-filled passage together: Luke 2:1-7.

Luke 2:1–7 (NIV84) ¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to his own town to register. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Christmas Story gives us the three essential elements needed to live a hope-filled life in a haphazard world: a star, a song, and a Savior.  Let’s go first to Matthew to see the first element of hope.

1.  We have a Star – the sign of God’s Providence (Mat. 2:1-2)

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

Providence, (often initial capital letter), refers to the foreseeing care and guidance of God or  nature over the creatures of the earth. From “pro” (before) plus “video” (to see)

The “star” reminds us of the Providence of God – this gives us great hope because – like the “star” – God goes before us in life making sure and certain His plan for our lives will unfold just as He has planned they would, regardless of our circumstances.

The Bethlehem Star: what a wonderful part of the Christmas story.

Today, skeptics deny the star; scholars debate the star; but, wise men still follow the star!  The Star WAS NOT a Comet, or a Constellation, or some “natural” phenomenon. The star represents for us God’s miraculous providential guidance in our lives.  It is this sense of direction that helps dispel any sense of doom or despair in our lives.

Despair is certainly not something new.  It did not originate in

this the 21st century.  Every generation has faced discouraging times.  Yet, our present generations seems to be lacking something former generations counted on–direction.  As a nation, until our present time, there seemed to be no doubt as to “who we are and where we are going.”  We had a sense of “manifest destiny.”  There was a mindset that the course of America was set by the compass of Almighty God and He had a plan for our nation.  This sense of manifest destiny helped our forefathers throw off the yoke of British rule and forge this nation through a great civil war, two world wars, various conflicts and a great depression.  We always seemed to land on our feet as a nation regardless of how bad the situation was at hand.  We have always been a “hopeful nation” because we believed in the Providential hand of God upon our lives.  We were indeed, One Nation Under God and, as such, we were invincible.  Just like the Star of Bethlehem guided the Wise Men to Jesus, we have sensed that same guiding hand of God on our nation – until this present generation.

We seem to be a nation lacking in direction.  In generations past,

our grandparents did not debate when life began.  They knew that a pregnant woman carried a baby, not just a blob of tissue.  Today, we even kill babies “after they are born” – legally!  We used to know marriage was between a man and a woman. We used to know the difference between a boy and a girl.

We have lost our way. We have lost our hope. In short, we as a nation have lost sight of the star of God’s Providence in our lives.  Our wise men no longer look to God’s Book to find guidance as the Wise Men of Old looked to the Book to interpret the meaning of the Bethlehem Star.  We have lost sight of the Star of God’s guidance and we wander aimlessly through life confused by the speech of experts and abused by those in power. 

When Jesus was born there was a Star.  If we want to beat back

despair and find hope in our lives, we need to find the Star of God’s Guidance for our lives once again.  Without God’s direction we will fall into the pit of despair.  An anonymous writer wrote recently, “the greatest need of our time and our generation is to find a star--a singular goal, objective, or ideal--upon which we can fix our gaze and toward which together we can move. The tragedy of our time is that people are pulling in so many different directions that, rather than moving toward the Kingdom of God, we seem more likely to be headed toward anarchy.        

It will most certainly get much darker in the future.  Hopelessness will continue to grow.  People will begin to grasp even more wildly for someone or something to follow.  We need a star from on high to follow. We need a vision of a better world toward which to strive. If there is any urgent demand being thrust upon the Christian church today, it is the plaintive plea of society to the church to translate the concept of the Kingdom of God into concrete Twenty-first Century language.”

This is absolutely true.  To find hope in life we need to find

God’s Star to follow once again.

2.  We also need a Song to have hope for tomorrow. (Lk. 2:13-14)

¹³ Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth  to people He favors!

Now, it does not specifically say that the angels “sang” these words, but it was definitely a “song of praise from a heavenly choir.”  And, we have been singing Christmas carols ever sense.

Whether they sang it or said it, the key issue in having hope is “praising and pleasing God.”  The word used here is almost totally a “Judeo/Christian” word. Eudokia means receiving the “eu”—good—dokia—pleasure” of God. The KJV calls it “good will.” The NASB refers to it as ones “with whom God is pleased.” The Message Paraphrase says peace comes “to all men and women on earth who please Him.”

Have you ever noticed how much singing there is associated with

Christmas?  Singing and Christmas are almost synonymous.  Churches perform cantatas and everyone from rappers to pop stars put out a Christmas album. 

But, what is most important is not that the angels DID or DID NOT actually sing, but what the MESSAGE actually was about. It was about HOPE for those that have found God’s pleasure through salvation based upon His free gift of grace. HOPE is something we can discover and appropriate for ourselves. HOPE is a gift from God.

Singing at Christmas time is as old as the Christmas story itself.  .  The text never really says directly that the angels sang, but it does give us the MESSAGE they brought. It was a message of HOPE.

¹³ Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth  to people He favors!

The Jews at this time lived under the heavy hand of the Roman Emperor.  They could not express themselves as the People of God without fear of retaliation.  They were barely tolerated, but not much more.  The angels sang (or heralded) about the hope of a brighter future of blessing for all men upon whom the favor of God rested.  The song was a testimony of the power of the presence of God.  If God’s favor rests upon us – that is we surrender to His grace in our lives – then, regardless of the circumstances of life we can have hope.  War or peace.  Feast or famine.  Sickness or health.  Good circumstances or bad.  God’s people always have “hope.”

The circumstances were not good that first Christmas. Mary was young and unmarried.  Herod, the Jewish King, was hostile to the very idea of the birth of a King of Kings.  The night air was cold and the inn was closed to Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  It was not at all an ideal situation.  But, there is no note of despair in the song of the angels – only hope. Hope because a new day was dawning.  Hope because the Presence of God now was dwelling among men.  The Bible says that where people are singing praises, God’s presence will dwell.  We can have hope regardless of our circumstances if we know that God is with us.  He is still Emmanuel – God with us.  And, we know that if “God is for us and with us nothing can stand against us. “

Oh how we need to hear the Song of Christmas that reminds us thatGod presence is with us.  Where God’s favor rests, there is hope. We need the Star of God’s guidance to have hope.  We need the Song of  Praise reminding us God’s presence is with us if we want to have hope. But, more than a Star and more than a Song,

3.  We have a Cross  (Luke 2:11)

You won’t find many crosses hanging as ornaments on Christmas trees, or in light shows about Christmas. In fact, you won’t notice the cross in the story of Christmas . . . unless you look closely and listen carefully to the “Message of the Angel” delivered so heavenly to the lowly shepherds that first Christmas night:

Luke 2:9–11 (NIV84)  ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Unless Jesus is the Savior of your soul, you can never have the kind of hope that endures any situations and conquers any circumstance.  As beautiful as it is to have a Star to follow and a Song to sing, without a Savior we have no reason to have hope.

Unless you come to understand that JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE for the world, you will NEVER grasp the meaning, or gain the hope of Christmas. Christmas is most certainly about decorating trees, but much more importantly Christmas is about a SAVIOR WHO DIED ON A TREE—AND OLD RUGGED CROSS.

[[PERHAPS IT CAN BEST BE SAID IN A SONG: “BORN TO DIE.”]]

How important it is to see the title given to that little child born so long ago.  Who did the heavenly host say was born that day in the city of David? 

“Today, in the city of David is born to you a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord!”

Christmas is about salvation.  It is about an “eternal hope.”

Throughout my life I have been asked a strange question by strangers I’ve met.  On occasion a stranger I chance to talk with will ask me:

“What is your sign?”  By this the person means, of course, what zodiac sign was I born under.  Different months of the year have different signs.  For example, my sign is “Taurus, the bull.”  Now, many people take this “horoscope” stuff very seriously.  But, I must tell you that it makes no difference whatsoever what sign you were born under – it has not affect on your life whatsoever!

Now, this is not entirely true of Jesus.  He was born under a very special sign.  The birth sign of Jesus defined His entire earthly existence.  I’m not talking about some sign of the mythical zodiac.  I’m talking about the Sign of the Cross.  Even in the manger of Bethlehem the cross of Calvary cast a shadow over Jesus Christ.  He was born to die for the sins of the world.  He was born under the sign of the cross.  From before the foundation of the world, Jesus was the Lamb that would be slain for our sins.  He has always been, the Savior.  As Jesus stood before Pilate, soon to be condemned to die a horrible death, Pilate tried to extract a plea bargain from Jesus so that Pilate could find reason to let this innocent man go.  Jesus would not bargain.  The cross was His destiny.  Jesus replied to Pilate:

“FOR THIS CAUSE I have come into the world, that I should

bear witness to the truth” (Jn. 18:37)

And what was “the truth?”  It is the truth that we need a Savior

and God provided one for us in Jesus Christ. Friends, if you feel like you have no hope.  If you feel like our friend George Bailey that you have nothing to live for there is “hope.”  There is hope in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus was dispatched by God OVER  2000 years ago to save us from sin and despair.  Our Savior Jesus Christ is always standing near us.  He is always ready to deliver us from whatever crushing circumstance we might find ourselves.  Because Jesus is always standing at the ready to save us, we can have hope.  God didn’t give us a teacher to take away our ignorance. God did not give us a soldier to remove the oppression of our enemies. God did not send us a doctor to alleviate all our suffering. God did not send us a philosopher to fill our minds with lofty ideas.

God sent us a SAVIOR, Born to Die for Our sins. Our problem was sin and God’s solution was a Cross. [CAN SKIP THE FOLLOWING STORY FOR TIME]

There is an old story told many times that explains beautifully what the Bible means when it says, “To us a Savior was born.”  It was Christmas Eve and the man's wife and children were getting ready to go to church. He wasn't going. "I simply can't understand what Christmas is all about, this claim that God became man," he told his wife.  It had been snowing all day and it was beginning to snow harder as the man's family rode off to church without him. He drew a chair up to the fireplace and began to read his newspaper.  A few minutes later, there was a thudding sound at the kitchen window. When he went to investigate, he found a flock of birds out in the back yard. They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter, were trying to fly through the kitchen window. He was a very kind man so he tried to think of something he could do so the birds wouldn't freeze. "The barn!" he thought. That would be a nice shelter.  He put on his coat and overshoes and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn and opened the door wide and turned on the light. But the birds didn't come in. Food will bring them in he thought. So he hurried back to the house for breadcrumbs which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail to the barn.  But the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around waving his arms. They scattered in every direction except into the warm, lighted barn. "They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself, "and I can't seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me." 

Puzzled and dismayed, he pondered this thought, "If only I could be a bird myself for the moment, perhaps I could lead them to safety." If only I could be a bird myself . . .   

Just then the church bells began to ring, pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. The man stood silently for a minute, then sank to his knees in the snow.   "Now I understand," he whispered as he lifted his gaze to the sky. "Now I see why You had to become man."  

Friends, to have hope we need a Star.  We need the guidance that only God can give.  To have hope we also need a song.  This is the song that a heart sings when it is overshadowed by the presence of Almighty God breaking in upon one’s life.  We need a star to follow and song to sing, but most of all we need the CROSS.

Christmas is not about a baby in a manger, but a Savior on a Cross.

 

1st Sunday of Advent: A Moment of Love

 

December 1, 2024                     NOTES NOT EDITED
Advent 2024:  A Moment of Love
Luke 2:1-7, et. al.

 SIS—The Moment we surrender to God’s love it will change everything in our life—both now, and in eternity.

Nobody understands true love more than a couple who have been married for 50, 60, or more years. Romantic passions change over time along with our aging bodies, but the passion is always still there when two people love each other. Years I ago read a story about an older couple that brought tears to my eyes. The wife said one day, “We’ve been married for 50 years. Things have really changed.” As her husband listened intently from his chair across the room, the wife continued, “You used to snuggle up so close to me but now you sit on the other side of the room.” The husband smiled and replied, “Well, I can fix that. He wiggled out of his easy chair and made his way to the sofa where his wife was sitting. “How’s that?” he said, as he put his arm around her. The wife smiled with contentment saying, “And, do you remember how you used to nibble on my earlobe?” Suddenly with an uncharacteristic burst of energy the husband jumped up and headed out of the room. Surprised, the wife shouted, “Where are you going?” The husband shouted back . . . “to get my teeth!”

One of the challenges to keeping love passionate through the years is good communication. That gets more challenging as we start losing our hearing due to age. I remember one couple was celebrating their Golden Anniversary, or 50 years of marriage. Their children threw them a really nice party. It was time for the couple to stand and tell each other how much they were loved and appreciated. The husband stood up first. Now keep in mind the man’s wife was very, very hard of hearing. With a noticeable gleam in his eye the husband started his short speech of admiration for his wife. “My Dear Wife, after 50 years of marriage I have found you to be ALWAYS TRIED AND TRUE!” Before the man could begin another word, the wife jumped to her feet and shouted, “Well, after 50 years of marriage, I’m tired of you, too!”

Well, come this December 14^th, Lord willing, Shari and I will celebrate 45 years together. I hope she feels I’ve been “tried and true.”

Love is the most powerful force in the universe.  So powerful in fact that it can “never fail” according to the Bible (1Cor 13:8).   Even psychologists understand the power of love.  Here’s what Psychology Today reported in an article a few years ago.  Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. ….the less love you have, the more depression you are likely to experience in your life. Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved.

Love is powerful, but few people really recognize just how powerful and transforming love can be.  Even fewer people understand the “ultimate, transforming power of God’s love.”  God’s love literally changes everything.

The Christmas Story is the “Ultimate Love” story.  It far surpasses the dark love of Romeo and Juliet or the human love of Robert Redford and in “A Love Story.”  God’s love is the “ultimate transforming power” in the universe.  Let’s read of that love in the Christmas Story.

  Read Luke 2:1–7 (NIV84)

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to his own town to register. ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The most remarkable aspect of God’s transforming love is that it

1.   God’s Love Changes Our Value  

Think of the “stuff” in your life.  The stuff that you love the most has the most value.  Unfortunately, many people love the “stuff” in their lives more than they do the people in their lives.  But that’s another sermon.

God’s changes our value. Satan hates us. The world at best may ignore us, but God Loves Us. That makes all the difference. In fact, the Bible says this about how valuable we are to God:

God loved us so much that he showed it in this way:  He sent His only Son to die on the cross in our place. (John 3:16, paraphrase).

That’s a pretty special demonstration of how valuable God thinks you are.  I don’t think many people make the connection these days between Christmas and Easter, but they are two sides of the same coin of God’s love.  Since Jesus is God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Cross tells us that God, Himself, died for us to pay the penalty for our sins. This reminds me of the verse:

Greater love has no man than this,
but to lay down his life for a friend. (John 15:13)

When I think about how God’s love makes people valuable, I think of the shepherds in the hills that night.  Look at verses 8-15:

⁸ In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord  stood before  them,  and the glory of the Lord  shone around them, and they were terrified.  ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:  ¹¹ Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. ¹² This will be the sign for you:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” ¹³ Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and peace on earth  to people He favors!  ^v

We’ve heard that story so many times.  I don’t think we in this modern industrial age, separated from that Bethlehem night by over 2000 years, really appreciate just how marvelous this part of the Christmas story really is.

The contrast between what the world thought about shepherds and what God thought about them is a contrast of cosmic proportions.  Shepherds were part of the lowest rung of society in the first century.  They were held in such contempt that they were not even allowed to be a witness in a court of law.  They were considered, “shady characters with very low morals.”

Also, the Jewish community held shepherds in particular contempt because not only were they “shady citizens,” but their occupation made them ritually unclean because of their constant contact with animal waste, as well as dead and sick animals.

The shepherds were outcasts in society.  Nobody in the community valued the shepherds.  But God valued them.  God valued them so highly that they were not only “witnesses” to what happened, they were the first witnesses.  And, God not only told them what had taken place, but God treated these lowly shepherds to the most glorious choir that had ever given praise on earth.

Perhaps God valued them because He understood that shepherds would have a keen insight to what it meant for Jesus to be, “the Lamb of God sacrificed for the whole world.”

This is a truly remarkable part of the Christmas Story and proves that God’s love makes a person VALUABLE.

2.  God’s love changes our Purpose

⁴ And Joseph also went . . . with Mary. This leads me to ask one important question: “Where are you going in your life?”

ἀναβαίνω, anabainō “to rise from the depths to the heights.” It is used for climbing aboard a ship, mounting a horse or climbing a mountain (T.D.N.T.) Or, “move with a purpose” (JKC)

Every soul that enters this world is created with PURPOSE. It doesn’t matter whether you are born rich or poor, famous or obscure, or whether anybody outside of a few close friends or family ever know you existed—you have a God-given purpose for being born.

Consider Joseph and Mary.  I’m not sure you could have found a more ordinary couple in all the world.  Joseph was a hard-working carpenter and Mary was a teen-ager probably not more than 16 or 17.  They were from a very obscure village called Bethlehem.  This place is so small and obscure some scholars doubted it even existed.  But, of course it does.

I doubt when Mary was born that her parents thought:  “one day, Mary will give birth to God!”  Now, I know parents can have great hopes and aspirations for their children—and parents should have great hopes and aspirations for their children—but, “giving birth to God” probably never crossed their minds.

And, what about Joseph.  He was just a lowly, blue-collar, dirt-under-his-fingernails-craftsman.  Do you think his parents said when he was born, “One day, he’ll be the step-father of God!”  Wow!  I get chills just thinking about that.

Not only does the love of God make you “valuable,” but it makes you “purposeful.”  Everything we know about the universe demonstrates that it is “highly designed.”  Everything has a purpose, especially human beings.   Everything about Christmas demonstrates the highly purposeful, greatly detailed plan of God at work.  Joseph didn’t meet Mary by accident.  It was all part of God’s plan before the “foundations of the world were even created.”

Ephesians 2:10 spells it out clearly,   For we are His creation, created  in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time  so that we should walk in them.

Did you catch those words, “prepared ahead of time!”  I have a little sister named Becky.  She is the baby of the family and, according to my Mom, she came as quite a surprise.  Many children come as a “surprise” to the parents, but I want you to know that “nobody comes as a surprise to God.”

Every person on earth is created to fulfill a unique purpose.  Do not forget that.  God makes this clear to Joseph in a dream because Joseph was having a little trouble with Mary’s story.  Let me give you Mary’s story in a paraphrase.  One strategic moment Mary came to Joseph and said, “Joseph, I have something very important–and very strange to tell you.  Please hear me out.  Please don’t get angry.”  Everything we see of Joseph in the Word of God (which is not much) indicates that he was a very kind and gentle man. Joseph replied, “Yes, dear.  What is on your heart?  You can tell me anything.  I love you more than life itself.”  Mary continued, “I’m pregnant.  But, it’s not what you think!  I’ve not been unfaithful.  I’m still a virgin.  This is God’s child.  It’s a miracle.”

Well, for a devout young Jewish man, this was devastating news. How many men would have bought Mary’s story?  Not many I suppose.  So, God intervened to reassure Joseph that all this was according to the purpose God had for Joseph’s life.

Mat 1   ¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁹ So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.  ²⁰ But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.  ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,  ^b because He will save His people from their sins.” ²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  ²³ See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Christmas is about the transforming power of God’s love.  God’s love makes us purposeful.  God had a purpose for Joseph (and everyone else in the Christmas Story), and God has a purpose for you.

3.  God’s Love Changes Who and How We WORSHIP

Some of the most interesting characters in the Christmas Story are the Three Wise Men, or the Three Kings from the East.   Matt. 2   ¹After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,  ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Quite a bit of folklore has arisen in regard to these strange travelers.  They have even been given names.  "according to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India."   Of course, this is nothing more than folklore.  The Bible doesn’t name the Wise Men.  In fact, the Bible doesn’t even say there are three of them.

Most scholars feel that “from the East” refers to Persia, or modern Iran.  There is a very old tradition that these “Wise Men” (magi, in Persian) came from Chaldea, or modern day Iraq.  The Israelites had at one time been captives to both these countries. 

Regardless of the exact homeland for these travelling men of influence, they travelled very far.  By the time they arrive in Bethlehem, Jesus is no longer a “brephos,” or infant, but a “paidion,” or toddler.  The Holy Family is no longer in a stable but in a house.  So the journey was very long.

Whatever their origin, the reason for travelling to Bethlehem was crystal clear.  Verse 2 says the Wise men, “came to worship him who was born the King of the Jews.”

Worship is a translation of the word, προσκυνῆσαι, which means to “bow in honor or adoration; even kiss another’s feet.”  Worship is not so much something we do, but it is an attitude that we have toward God.  It is an all-consuming desire to interact with and work for Almighty God.  I define worship as the attitude, “All of me, for all of Him, All the time.”  True worship is something only a true believer can give.  It transcends “religion” and involves a deep and abiding relationship with God because of Who He is—the King of the Jews, the Christ, or the Messiah.  All these terms refer to Jesus Christ as being Almighty God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

When someone comes to recognize Who Jesus really is, that person cannot help but want to worship. A desire to interact with God and serve Him becomes the all-consuming passion of those who come to realize that Almighty God loves us.

The transforming love of God makes us Worshipful.  The power of God’s love as demonstrated in the Christmas story makes us valuable, purposeful, worshipful, and most importantly of all:

4.  God’s transforming love makes us ETERNAL

For most people, in America especially, Christmas is just a date on the calendar and an occasion for fun activities.  But, Christmas is more than lights on the tree, treats baking in the oven, or even the annual presentation of a church Christmas pageant.

Christmas is about Christ.  This may shock you but Christmas is not so much about the “birth” of Jesus as it is the “death” of Jesus.  Unless one comes to understand “why” Jesus was born, then Christmas loses the most important aspect of it’s wonderful, transforming love.

Christmas is not about a baby being born, but it’s really about you being “born-again.” Look at Luke 2:11:  Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

The angel could have identified Jesus in many ways:  Teacher, Healer, Miracle-Worker, or Prophet, among others.  But, in the inaugural message of Jesus’ birth, Jesus is identified as “Savior.”  There is no article (a, or the) in the original text, which is a means by which Greek puts an emphasis on a noun.  The most important designation for God the Son Who became a man was “Savior.”

The word, “savior,” from “soter,” refers to someone who delivers others from peril.  It was often used for medical workers in the first century, doctors if you will, because they delivered people from disease.  It was even used of philosophers who would deliver people from ignorance.  The most often employment of the word was for a military general who would deliver people from an enemy.

In the Christmas sense, it is used of Jesus who would be, as John the Baptist declared, “the Lamb of God Who would die to take away the sins of man.”

I’m sure there are a lot of things you think you need this Christmas—and you are probably correct.  But your greatest need cannot be filled with anything material, or temporal, or of this world.  Your greatest need is “Eternal.”  God’s transforming love makes you Eternal—that is gives you eternal life.  In a sense, everyone is “eternal” the moment one is born.  Everyone will continue forever.  Death is the end of the body, but not the soul.  Everybody will be going one of two places after death—an eternal heaven, or an eternal hell.

Christmas is about God’s plan to give you eternal life.  That first Christmas God gave us all the most important gift He could ever give – The Savior.  We are all condemned by our sin.  We are all in bondage to sin.  We need a Savior, a Deliverer, A Rescuer, a Messiah.  Jesus is that Savior, Deliverer, Rescuer, and Messiah.  God’s love makes us eternal.  In the theme song from the movie, “Love Story,” the lyrics ask the question:  “How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?”  The answer to this question is, “God’s love is eternal.”  God’s love is not measure by the breadth of our days but by the depth of God’s heart.  God is eternal.  Receiving His love makes us eternal.

Christmas is about a lot of things I suppose, but right up at the top of the list, Christmas a Story of Love, especially the love of God.  I’m afraid that within a week after Christmas day, many people will box up Christmas and put away for another year.  That is a great tragedy.  Christmas is not about a “day,” but about a Wonderful, Loving God Who came to earth to invite us to heaven.

Our lives are not measured in “minutes,” but by “moments”— significant events and experiences that change our lives significantly. Our lives are impacted by moments even before we were born. The moment my Dad and Mom fell in love. The moment the discovered my older brother wasn’t their favorite child (I’m the second-born favorite child). The moment I joined the Navy on a dare that eventually led me to California Baptist College where I met the love of my life, Shari. Not all defining moments are pleasant and happy. Like the moment we buried our daughter, Amanda.

Life is full of significant moments—defining moments. Our lives are not built minute by minute but moment by moment.

And . . . there is no more significant “moment” in anybody’s life than the moment we realize that God SO LOVED us that He gave His One and Only Son to die for us so that we would not perish in hell but could have eternal life.

That Moment of Love Changes Everything.

  Let it change you!

 

The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 23 (Out of Order): Leave Satan Behind

 

November 17, 2024           NOTES NOTE EDITED
The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt23:   “Leave Satan Behind”
Mark 8:31-38

SIS – Satan controls most believers more than they realize but to move ahead in faith believers must leave Satan behind.

This text contains one of the most striking and shocking statements the Lord ever made to an individual:  “Get behind me, Satan” (33).

Let’s read that passage together:  MK. 8:31-38

(NIV84) 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Peter had a problem and the problem was he let Satan control his thinking, instead of God.  He was not possessed by Satan, but his mind was definitely impressed by Satan.  We all face the same problem as Peter—Peter was just the one singled out that day.

No one can get ahead in life in any way that matters—and certainly not spiritually which matters most, unless one leaves Satan behind. The essence of Christianity is simply that:  “to get ahead, one must leave Satan behind.”

In one sense, Satan was utterly defeated at the cross.  At the moment of His death, the Lord said, “It is finished.”  In this sense:  Satan is a defeated foe—utterly defeated. 

There is another sense however, in which Satan continues to pose a problem for believers.  While Satan’s power has been crushed, his presence is still with us.  Satan is like a vicious lion that was recently purchased at a zoo. The zoo had a beautiful enclosure built. The crowd was protected by a 10 feet high fence with razor wire on the top. The lion was put in the cage. The next day to the shock and horror of the zookeeper, the lion was found outside his enclosure. The zoo increased the height of the fence to 15 feet. There’s no way the lion was getting over it. The next day, sure enough, the lion was wandering outside his enclosure. The zoo increased the height of the fence to a staggering 30 feet. One evening the lion was talking with the giraffe that lived next door. The giraffe asked, “How high do you suppose they are going to keep building that fence?” The lion grinned and said, “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe 1000 feet unless someone remembers to start locking the gate.

That’s how it is regarding a believer and the Satan. Jesus defeated Satan and put him in a cage. It’s up to us to make sure we keep the door locked.

Leaving Satan Behind means we live in such a way that Satan remains locked up by faith and has no influence or how we think and live.

Spiritual success (which is the only true measure of success) comes when believes put into practice a “strategy” for leaving Satan behind.  That strategy has three phases:

1.  First, we must recognize Our Problem (31-33)

Listen as I read one of the most shocking stories from the life of Jesus:

(NIV84)  ³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

The language is shocking. The same word Jesus uses for “rebuking Peter he used for rebuking the Devil in the Wilderness Temptation. That is a HARSH CONDEMNATION for Peter’s worldly thinking What makes this even more incredibly shocking than the Lord describing Peter as “Satan” is the fact that just moments before Peter gave the greatest expression of faith of any person up until that time. When asked Who Jesus was Peter responded quickly and boldly:

“You are Christ.” (Mk. 8:29).  Matthew adds Peter’s full description, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Mt. 16:16.

That is quite a drop in spiritual altitude in just four verses. From declaring Jesus is the Messiah to Jesus declaring Peter was Satan! That is shocking—and it should be—because every one of us are like Peter. At any moment, if we are not constantly on our spiritual guard, Satan can devour our soul and detour our faith. Peter remembered this “great fall” and later wrote in his own book,

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV84) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The greatest threat to the growth of the Kingdom of God is not the sinful state of affairs in the world—and it is a sad, sinful state indeed—but the sorry, sinful state of many sitting in church. Most Christians who regularly attend church every Sunday fail to recognize how much they serve Satan and not Jesus. Yes! That is a shocking statement, but it is true. It was true of Peter. It can be just as true of you and I.

What does it take to be a servant of Satan? Do we have to be drug-addicted or alcohol dependent? Do we have to be murderers and rapists? Politicians? Do we have to rob banks and kick puppy dogs? No, all it takes to serve Satan and not Jesus is to not think like God. Look what Jesus said:

“[Peter] you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (v.33).

Every problem, every sin committed by every person comes from the same source: “following the thinking of the world instead of the teaching of God Word.” We can fail to “think like God” by knowing what God says and ignoring it, or we can fail to “think like God” by failing to get into His Word and discover His thoughts on every matter.

Jesus was teaching about God’s plan for saving mankind. It was a plan of pain, suffering, sacrifice, and death. It was a plan that would end in the greatest event in the history of the world since the Creation—the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!

But, Peter didn’t like the way God was going to save mankind. Peter thought God needed a bit of correction. Peter thought he had a better way. And, it wasn’t just Peter, it was all the disciples—it is all of us!

The first step to leaving Satan behind in our lives is FULL, ABSOLUTE SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF GOD AS DEMONSTRATED BY JESUS AND REVEALED IN THE BIBLE.

As I’ve said before, the motto for the military is a good motto for the believer:  “ours is not to question why, our is just to do and die.”

It is obvious from the strong rebuke Peter received (which includes all of us as followers of the Lord) that something Peter and the others did not really comprehend Who Jesus was and what He came to do—at least not in the full sense as they would later after Pentecost.

Peter is often the spokesman of the group.  He after all was the only one to verbalize that “Jesus was the Messiah” as we saw in our last lesson.  The problem is:  the Jews had a misunderstanding of exactly what being the “Messiah” would entail in the First Coming.

The Jews expected the Messiah to be a military leader that would deliver them from political oppression.  At this time, Christianity was greatly suspect, even among the Jews.  Christianity was religio illicit, or, an illegal religion.  Christians were despised by pagans and religious groups, and even the common citizenry. This hatred would increase, not diminish for the Apostles.  This hostility to Jesus had periods when it subsided, but as we see in our day, that hostility has increased.

Christian living throughout the N.T. is described in “battle language.” But, it is a spiritual battle, not a physical one. For example, 1Cor. 10:3-4 says,

³ we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,  ⁴ since the weapons of our warfare  are not worldly,  but are powerful  through God for the demolition of strongholds.

In a battle, a war of any kind, there is an “enemy” against whom war is declared.  To understand who our enemy is and what our problem is, we need to first understand what it is NOT.

(1)  Our problem is not PHYSICAL, so merely changing ones circumstance will not win the battle and bring one success in life.

(2)  Our problem is not POLITICAL, so simply electing a new president or changing a few laws will not ultimately achieve success as a follower of Jesus Christ.

(3)  Our problem is not EMOTIONAL, so therapy and counseling alone will not bring lasting and meaningful success in life.

(4)  Our problem is not EDUCATIONAL, so educating the mind to accomplish great, almost supernatural, achievements will not conclude ultimately in a “successful, victorious, blessed life.”

Our problem, at the core, is simply one thing: obedience. This simply means falling in line with the thinking of God and doing what God asks us to do. We cannot “think like God” when our lives are CONSUMED BY the World, and not IMMERSED IN the Word.

Everyone of us in this room this morning has the same problem as Peter: “failing to have the Mind of God and instead being directed by the thinking of the world.”  The next phase in leaving Satan behind to follow Jesus is:

2.  IMPLEMENT a spiritual strategy for life (34)

³⁴ Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself,  take up his cross,  and follow Me. 

Notice the parallel in the language of the rebuke of Peter and this instruction to the crowd. Jesus told Peter to “put Satan behind,” and he told the crowd, “get behind, or follow me.” This parallel in language shows the absolute “incompatibility” of trying to follow Jesus and Satan at the same time. It is IMPOSSIBLE.

The disciples will not clearly understand God’s Strategy for many months.  That strategy can be summed up with simple symbol of: THE CROSS. If you are not “taking up the cross and following Jesus” you will be “tripping up constantly by following Satan.” There is no “neutral zone” in life. 

“Taking up the Cross” has three important elements:

(1)  Humility or self-denial:  we can do NOTHING to save ourselves.

We see the prideful, staunchly self-reliant attitude of man reflected in Peter’s words, especially in Matthews account of this same incident:

16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no,  Lord! This will never happen to You!” 

Literally Peter said, “Mercy to you Lord this will NOT NOT happen.” Peter’s pride was on STEROIDS! 

In proper English, a double negative is “no-no” (pun intended).  A double negative makes something a positive—a double negative negates the negativity of the statement.  In Greek, a double negative is quite proper and used often to make an emphatic point.

Peter heard what Jesus said was God’s clear will for Him as the Messiah Who had come, and Peter, in stubborn, self-reliant pride declared:  “Absolutely not, Lord.” The word translated, “took Him [that is Jesus] aside literally means, “to take possession of, or receive, or control.”  Peter assumed the role of teacher and sought to assert authority of Jesus.  To this, Jesus referred to Peter as “Satan-driven.” An important aspect of a statement of faith in God is first to understand: “we are NOT God!”  Listen to this verse:

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV84)  ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Or, listen to God’s response to Job when Job begins to question why it seems the entire foundation of his life has crumbled and Job’s righteous service to God has ended up in being swallowed by a whirlwind of trouble and misery. God’s response to Job is this:

38:4–18 (NIV84)  ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶ On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? ⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, ¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? ¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, ¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? ¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. ¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken. ¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? ¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? ¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.

Accept it, my friend: You Ain’t All That!

So many people treat God like an elderly grandfather full of nothing but joy, love, and mercy. Yahweh is Almighty God. He is also punishment, justice, and wrath. BOTTOMLINE: He’s God! We need a heavy dose of humility as we follow Him.

Humility is the key element of the cross. God is infinitely greater than the collective wisdom of a universe full of Einstein’s.

(2)  A second element of the cross SACRIFICE.  Taking up the cross will COST EVERYTHING and more likely than not bring great suffering. THE CROSS TAKES IT ALL!

Luke 14:33:  “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. In Greek, everything means EVERY THING!

(3)  A third element of the cross is STRENGTH.  The cross was not a moment of “weakness”in the life of Our Lord, but of great strength.

Mark 8:31 (NIV84)  ³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

In the N.T., the cross never stands alone without the empty tomb.  Notice Jesus’ statement in verse 31:  “and rise after three days.” The Empty Grave of Jesus is the ULTIMATE SHOW OF POWER!

How short-sighted Peter (mankind in general) was.  He heard the word, “killed,” but not the word, “rise.”  So often we exacerbate our situations because we “exaggerate” the negative.

The cross is central to the strategy of living a victorious Christian life.  It represents self-denial, sacrifice, and yet strength.  Without the cross as the central controlling element of your life, no true success in life is possible. Without the cross upon our back the burdens of life will be overwhelming and crushing.  Without the cross, one cannot “leave Satan behind.”

Take careful note of the Lord’s command.  He did not say, “believe in the cross.”  He did not say, “admire the cross.”  He did not say venerate, or worship the cross.  He said, “take up the cross.”  The word for take up literally means:  “lift up from the ground.” That refers to “effort” or “work.” That requires activity, or action.  So, let me give you four fundamental actions required to implement the strategy of the cross that must be practiced enthusiastically and consistently on a daily basis.

[DISCIPLE’S CROSS PIC]  (1) Praying; (2) Bible Study (including a daily devotion, memorizing Scripture, and hearing sermons); (3) Fellowship; (4) Evangelism. These activities must be practiced consistently on a daily basis in the attitude of (5) Worship, that is an attitude where the Indwelling Christ is controlling all.

Practicing these four fundamental activities on a daily basis is the ONLY SURE STRATEGY for leaving Satan behind and experiencing real success, or true victorious Christian living.

There is a third phase to “leaving Satan behind.”  Phase 1 is to clearly identify that your problem and enemy in life is Satan and put yourself under the blood of Jesus Christ.  The second phase is to implement the spiritual strategy for overcoming Satan’s influence in your life on a consistent, daily basis.  Phase 3 is:

3.  Anticipate the VICTORY Leaving Satan Behind (35-38; 9:1)

There are real benefits to living a victorious Christian life. Look at the first part of verse 36:

(CSB) 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?.

One of the great blessings of working for Jesus is the fringe benefits are “out of this world!”

The word benefit refers to “increase, profit, or advantage.”  Implementing the strategy of the cross--prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and evangelism—results in a great profit or advantage in this life, and more so, in eternity.

I remember reading about a rich Arabian Chief that hired a New York stockbroker. The stockbroker made the Arabian Oil Magnate multiple millions of dollars. The Arabian Shiek wanted to reward the stockbroker. The broker resisted saying, “No, Sir. I was just doing my job.” The Arabian Oil Magnate insisted. The broker relented and said, “Well, I have just taken up the sport of golf. I suppose I could use some new golf clubs. A couple weeks went by and the broker received a letter from the Arabian Oil Magnate. It said, “I just want to let you know that I bought you three new golf clubs. I hope you won’t be disappointed, however, because only two of them have swimming pools.” The benefits of a Victorious Christian Life far exceed anything we could imagine.

I often quote one of my favorite verses:  Psalm 103:1–4 (NIV84)  1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Those who “leave Satan behind” will share in the “glory of Jesus Christ” when He comes again—and He IS coming again.  Look at the benefits outlined in verses 35-38:

Verse 35 says “one will gain eternal life (save his life).”  Verse 36 says, one will “gain possessions greater than the whole world.”

Verse 37 states one will “exchange this temporary life of misery for an eternal life of glory.” Verse 38: “we look forward to the coming of Jesus in power with His holy angels!

Romans 8:17–18 (NLT) 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Notice also that our Victory when we Leave Satan Behind is GUARANTEED.  The guarantee is stated in Chapter 9, v1:

(NIV84) And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”

Jesus Said It. They Saw It. That Settles It. Our Benefits Come with an Eternal Life Guarantee!

Satan will not be a defeated foe SOMEDAY. He was defeated on RESURRECTION DAY! Mark this down. Maybe even get a tattoo:  Jesus is Alive—Satan is Defeated! That’s the theme of every Sunday worship. That’s the primary reason that the Early Church moved from Sabbath worship to Sunday worship.

Satan is defeated, destined for hell. For now, he’s locked in the cage of God’s Plan. We need to leave Satan behind and follow Jesus without reservation or without questioning His authority.

Satan controls most believers more than we realize but to move ahead in faith believers must leave Satan behind.
May we never have to hear those soul-stunning words that Jesus spoke to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!”

Leave Satan Behind. Follow Jesus.