Advent 2018: Love

December 9, 2018                     NOTES NOT EDITED

Advent 2015:  A Wonderful Love

Luke 2:1-7, et. al.

SIS—Christmas is about a “Wonderful Love” that changes everything.

If you google the word, “love,” you will get millions of hits.  “Love” is very popular because love is very powerful.  A person can get through some really tough times in life if he or she is experiencing love.  George Bailey and his new bride, Mary, didn’t have much and their first house was . . . well, not much.  The windows were broken.  The roof leaked.  And, pay attention the knob at the end of the banister—it has a part in a couple of scenes.  They didn’t have much by way of worldly goods but, they had love.  Let’s peak in and see that love.

PLAY CLIP:  Honeymoon Scene.

That’s the power of love!  Even psychologists understand the power of love.  Here’s what Psychology Today reported in an article:

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.
CLIP:  Linus reciting LUKE 2:1-7

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

1.  Makes us VALUABLE
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 love makes us valuable.  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.  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 again:

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 makes us PURPOSEFUL

⁴ And Joseph also went . . . with Mary.

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 makes us WORSHIPFUL

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.”  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.
Christmas is about a lot of things I suppose, but right up at the top of the list, Christmas is about the Wonderful Love of God.  I’m afraid that within a week, for most people, Christmas will be boxed up 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.

On Sunday, December 22^nd a few years ago, on the last day of work before Christmas break, Carnell Taylor was working on a crew repairing the Interstate 64 Bridge over the Elizabeth River in Virginia.  The road was icy, and a pickup truck slid out of control striking Taylor and knocking him into the icy river. His pelvis and several bones were broken.  Joseph Brisson was the captain of a river barge that was on the river that icy day.  Brisson saw Taylor get hit and knocked into the river and made a split second, life or death decision.  He knew Taylor would die quickly in the swift, icy waters.  Brisson dived into the water fighting the current to swim to Taylor.  He grabbed Taylor and said, “Don’t worry buddy I got you.” The current was too strong to swim to safety and eventually the cold caused Brisson to lose his grip on Taylor.  So Brisson wrapped his legs around Taylor’s waste to keep him afloat in the current until a rescue team in a small boat could reach them.  It took thirty minutes for the rescue team to reach Brisson and Taylor.  The team pulled the two into the small boat.  Taylor was hospitalized for broken bones and Brisson was treated for hypothermia.  A loving act saved a dying man.

This story illustrates the Christmas Story not just because it happened at Christmas time, but because it demonstrates the truth that we are in peril and God acted in a loving, selfless love to send us a “Soter,” or a rescuer, deliverer, Messiah.  The sacrificial, loving act of sending Jesus, His Only Son, to earth changed everything for anyone who would accept that Christmas Gift.  The Wonderful Love of God changes everything.  Let it change you!

Advent 2018: Hope

December 2, 2018                     NOTES NOT EDITED

“It’s a Wonderful Life”:  Hope

Mat.  2:1-2; Lk. 2:1-14

SIS: Jesus brings us hope–a sustained, positive outlook on life which empowers us regardless of the circumstances around us. 

<<<<play clip:  Bridge Scene>>>>

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 joy 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.  The Devil knows that without “hope” the joy of Christmas simply will die out.  So, this Christmas we need to spread the message: Christmas–It’s a Wonderful hope!  Jesus was born to bring us a “Wonderful Hope!”  A hope that comes from a star, a song, and a Savior.

Like George Bailey, we all experience devastating blows

to our dream for a “Wonderful Life.”  But, part of the message of Christmas is a message of “Wonderful Hope.”  A hope that is signed, sealed, and delivered to us by God through Jesus Christ.

Without hope life is a series of bad experiences.  Hope is as essential

to happiness as air is to life.  Without hope, all chance of experiencing the joy so contagious at Christmas time is snuffed out.

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

Let’s read that hope-filled passage together:  <<KID’S TELL CHRISTMAS STORY CLIP IN PLACE OF READING>>

Luke 2:1-14

2:1 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.  8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  14 "Glory to God in the highest,  and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

And then in Matthew we read:  Matt 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."

These two passages give us the three essential elements needed

to live a hope-filled life in a haphazard world: a star, a song, and a Savior.

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

(Often initial capital letter) Providence refers to the foreseeing care and guidance of God 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 represents for us God’s 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 21^st 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 when life ended.  Now, we have doctors debating whether or not a living, breathing, blinking, feeling woman in Florida has a right to continue living because her quality of life does not meet the acceptable standards of some in society.  And, what about marriage?  Was there ever any doubt in the minds of our grandparents that marriage was between a woman and a man?  Now, we cannot even define marriage as a nation.

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. 

What is the result of losing sight of God’s Star of Providence?

Our nation has lost it’s way certainly.  But, our churches have also lost their way.  A major denomination ordains a promiscuous practicing homosexual and we all say, “Oh well.”  Our communities have lost their ways.  Drugs and violence fill our news while despair fills our streets.  Our families have lost the star of God’s guidance.  Over half the children in our land will grow up in a home where their father is not present – many will grow up in a home where no father is present.  Yes, we have lost sight of the Star of God’s Providence and the result is sin, despair and hopelessness increasing at an epidemic rate.

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 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.  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 Twentieth 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)

“Glory to God in the highest and peace to men upon whom

God’s favor rests.”

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.

Have you ever noticed that 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. 

During World War II an air strip was built on a small tropical island in the South Pacific. The chaplain and others had tried to tell the natives about the Christian faith, but the natives responded slowly. Orders came to move on at Christmas 1943. The departing Americans gave a farewell party with make-shift gifts, and several tried to explain the origin of Christmas and the true meaning of the Christmas spirit. A few years later the same chaplain stopped at the island enroute to a Far East assignment. He was greeted with excitement and taken to see the beautiful Church which the natives had built. Over the doorway was crudely lettered, "This is our Church, built on faith and brotherly love."

The chaplain stayed for a service of worship in the church. There were no seats; the songs were all Christmas carols because those were the only ones they knew. One native explained to the chaplain, "After you left, we built the Church to worship Jesus. We worship Him with the only service we know--Christmas, the Day He was born. Every day is Christmas here. Every day the Christ child is born anew. Our gift to give is love. Our Church, we call it, the Christmas Church." How the world needs a Christmas song and a Christmas church

Of course, singing at Christmas time is as old as the Christmas

story itself.  In fact, the first Christmas carol was sung by a heavenly choir, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to those that the Lord favors.” Of course, the text does not say the angels sang, but it was a Christmas carol nonetheless.

What was the theme of this first Christmas carol? It was hope!  They sang 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.

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 be for us and with us who can stand against us. “

Oh how we need to hear the Song of Christmas that reminds us that

God presence is with us.  Where God’s favor rests,  there is hope.

3.  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,

we need a Savior to have Hope.  (Luke 2:11)

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.

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.

Did you notice on the bridge that there was an old man standing

in the shadows watching George Bailey as he contemplated plunging himself into the icy waters below?  That old man was George’s guardian angel.  His name was Clarence.  Clarence was dispatched by God to save George Bailey from despair.

Well, Jesus is our Clarence.  Jesus was dispatched by God nearly 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. 

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 bread crumbs 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 a Savior.

This morning we lit the first candle of the Advent season.  It was the candle of “hope.”  We lit the “hope” candle first because, without hope it is impossible to celebrate the love, peace, and joy of Christmas.  This morning, do not leave here subject to despair, but leave hear surrounded by hope.

One of the greatest gifts we could receive this morning is to realize

that Christmas is a “Wonderful Hope.”