Advent 2021: Peace

 

December 12, 2021       
Struggle for Peace
Isaiah 23; Luke 2      NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS—Peace is a sustained sense of goodwill, regardless of the struggles of life, because God’s favor rests upon us through Christ.

The doctrine of peace in the Bible can be easily misunderstood.  The kind of peace most people wish for this side of heaven is largely an illusion—an illusion easily and often shattered by the harsh realities of life.  Real peace is discovered through struggle, not apart from it.

"It's the hap, happiest season of all!" I remember many times as a youngster sitting with my family watching the Andy Williams Christmas special, hearing him sing this song. Christmas always had a magical grip on my heart a child. I was shielded from all the struggles of life—and there were many—by my parents.

Today, as an adult seasoned by a lifetime of “harsh reality,” I realize that for many people, this is not the “Hap, happiest season of all.”  In reality, regardless of the Christmas announcement by the Heavenly Host of "Peace on earth to those upon whom God's favor rests," life for many is more of a war than a time of peace.

That's exactly the meaning of Christmas: it's about the relationship between "peace" and struggle;  a relationship between our inner man and our outer circumstances.  Usually peace is determined by our circumstances, but Biblical peace is independent of our circumstances—or, more often, in spite of our circumstances.

“Biblical peace is a feeling of well-being wrenched from the death grip of difficult circumstances by the grace (favor) of God.”

The manger is the key element in any Nativity Scene—front and center. Yet, there's something taking place in the incarnation (God becoming a man), than a young virgin having her first child.

Don't get me wrong--that's as special and a universe-shaking event! But, the gift wrapped in swaddling clothes must be unwrapped over the next 33 years to reveal the real meaning of "peace on earth upon whom God's favor rests."

Please take note of the fact, we don’t know exactly when Jesus was born, but We DO KNOW the date of His death. The meaning of the incarnation is not found by looking into a manger, but looking upon a cross.
Many people do not have what is commonly and colloquially thought of as "peace” determined by “good circumstances.” Biblical peace is determined by “good favor,” that is, “God’s favor.” 

I want to remind us again that the circumstances surrounding the family of Jesus were not good.  Mary is a teenage, unmarried Jewish girl travelling on a donkey (or so our Christian tradition leads us to believe) and will deliver her baby in a cattle stall.  Joseph is a young father trying to provide for the needs of the Son of God. The world could care less Jesus was being born, as the empty Inn attests. A wicked half-Jew King will soon plot to kill Jesus.   Nothing about the circumstances of story shouts “peace” as we normally picture it.

Let’s read what the Christmas story says about peace.  Luke 2:14 ^NIV

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.”

So many Christians fall into despair because they do not understand what “real peace” is.  Real peace is a feeling of good will even during times of great struggle.  Peace simply stated, is a struggle.

This passage in Luke, demonstrates three distinct areas of our lives that require we struggle in order to obtain peace through God’s favor.

ΠMost obvious is a struggle with difficult CIRCUMSTANCES

The Bible is a “real” book.  By that I mean it presents real people in real situations—sometimes even putting people of God in a less than admirable light.  The Bible tells of Noah getting drunk, Moses getting angry, Abraham lying, David committing adultery, and Peter cussing to mention just a few examples.  The Bible is “raw, unscripted life.”

The same is true of the Nativity story.  The language is simple and raw.  Take for example, Luke 2, verse 5.  In the King James we read that Mary was, “great with child.”  Modern translations simply say, “she was pregnant.”  It is amazing to me how difficult it is to describe linguistically a woman in the state of pregnancy.  We might say a woman is “expecting,” or “carrying a child,” or “with child.”  We might use an idiomatic expression like, “In the pudding club,” or “bun in the oven,” or “in a family way.” 

The original Greek writers had a similar problem.  Several different expressions were used to describe pregnancy.  The word used here is only used one time in the entire Bible.  It literally means, “in a state of swelling.”  In other words, “she was about to burst.”  Hence, the King James captures this very well saying, “great with child.”

The point that becomes “painfully” obvious to me—and I’m sure also to Mary—is that she was at the very end of her pregnancy and her child could come at any minute.  Where do we find her?  We find her on a winding road a 80 miles from Bethlehem, their destination, on the back of a donkey.  The Bible doesn’t say, but the usual mode of travel would have been on a donkey.  Donkeys were expensive so Joseph probably walked and let his soon-to-be-wife ride.  The trip would have been a grueling five to seven days, at least.  Mary would sleep on the ground, under the stars.  How many of you women envy Mary who is “bursting with child” on a week-long hike through rough terrain?

The circumstances were not good for Mary, and they don’t get much better when they finally reach Bethlehem.  Here we have the entrance of the much maligned and annually scorned innkeeper.  Verse 7 says,

Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place. 

I’ve been the consultant on three pregnancies:  my daughter Amanda, my daughter Natalie, and my son Jonathan.  In each case Shari and I opted for “natural” childbirth.  Let me say, “I don’t see anything NATURAL about the birth of a child!”  I’ve heard talk of a “beautiful experience.”  I love my kids and they were all beautiful babies—but the experience was “horrible.”  The pain was more than I could bear, and the sights and sounds were quite frankly, frightening.

And . . . that’s in a hospital with a whole staff to help things along!  I cannot imagine being “born at home,” much less being born in a cattle stall!  The circumstances were simply NOT peaceful.  All around her was chaos yet we know Mary was at peace. Look at vs 19:

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

I could give similar examples of difficult circumstances in the life of those in the Christmas story.  Joseph—he was facing a “tax audit,” or the shepherds who were living as social outcasts in the field.  Peace is a struggle against circumstances.

 Peace is a struggle with RELATIONSHIPS

Look back again at verse 5: “He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

Joseph was a devout Christian man.  The Bible presents him as righteous and honorable.  After all, he was chosen as the stepfather of God.  That is pretty phenomenal in and of itself.  As a devout Jew he would be very careful in his selection of the one he would marry.  She would have to be a virtuous, virginal lover of God.  Joseph sought for such a woman and found Mary.  They were “pledged” in marriage to each other.  All was well until, “Mary turned up pregnant.”  There loving relationship was near being blown up.

Now, we know from Matthew’s account this meant the marriage was off.  As a pious Jew, Joseph could not even consider marrying Mary no matter how much he loved her.  So, Matthew tells us:

^1:19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

Jewish engagement, as I’ve said before, was actually considered the first step of marriage so the only way to break off an engagement was formal divorce.  Mary would be labeled and adulterer and subject to a life of scorn.

Of all the struggles one can face in life, struggling for good relationships or struggling in a bad relationship are perhaps the most stressful.  Years ago, while studying pastoral counseling the professor introduced a scale rating different stressful events.  As I recall, the death of a spouse was the highest rated stressful event with divorce following second.  Either one of these life events plus just one other stressful event would put a person in the category of serious physical and emotional risk.

The greatest relationship between two people is marriage, but we have other significant relationships as well.  We have relationships with siblings, friends, co-workers, and other various associations.  There are many pressures that come to bear on these relationships.  The closer and more significant the relationship, the more devastating the stress is that comes when these relationships are “out of whack,” to use a psychological term.  Stressful relationships can actually make us sick physically according to most psychologists.  Bad relationships can haunt us all our lives, such as a bad relationship with a parent, or both parents.

A person cannot be at war with others and at peace with oneself.  That’s so profound it surprised me when I wrote it, so I’ll say it again.  A person cannot be at war with others and be at peace with oneself.

The Holy Spirit understands the nature of man and so the Spirit directed Paul to write (Romans 12:18-19): 

¹⁸ If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.  ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. 

Relationships suffer from both external and internal pressures, just like the relationship between Joseph and Mary.  Difficult issues arise and must be faced.  Each person brings a personal perspective to the matter that may or may not be helpful.  There are external pressures that come to bear such as views of others, or even financial pressures. 

All couples have arguments and disagreements.  That’s a fact of life in any relationship.  You just have to learn to work things out in order to have peace in your life.

I remember the other day reading about a man speaking to his friend.  “The other day, my wife asked me to pass her the lipstick, but I accidentally passed her a glue stick.”  His friend asked, “Well, how did she react?”  The husband answered:  “I don’t know. She still isn’t talking to me.”

Another husband was talking with his friend and said, “Yesterday, we had a really bad argument and in the end she crawled to me on her hands and knees.  His friend replied, “Wow, that’s really impressive! What did she say?!” The husband replied, “She said, ‘Come out from under that bed, you coward!’”

One the greatest areas in which the peace of our lives is challenged is in our relationships. In order to be at peace with “others,” we have to be at peace with God and ourselves.  As I said before, “we cannot be at war with others if we are not at peace with God and ourselves.”

Joseph was able to have peace with Mary because he let God intervene. He let God speak instead of his own emotions.  Mat1:20 says:

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.

When we allow God to intervene in our relationships, even when things are bad, God can give us peace.  Peace is all about God.

We must struggle to find peace amidst difficult circumstances.  We must struggle to find peace in the shadow of difficult relationships. Most of all we must find peace through a daily

Ž Struggle against SIN

Two passages in the Nativity Story serve as the hub around which the entire story of God’s plan redemption turns.  Verse 11 tells us:

Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 

Then, look at what the Heavenly Host declares in verse 14:

 ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

The only way to have peace is to “have God’s favor” upon your life and the only way to have God’s favor upon your life is to be “saved.”  To be “saved” means to accept the sacrifice Jesus made available on the cross by dying on your behalf.  The only path to “peace with God” is to receive the “grace, or favor of God through Jesus Christ.”

You see, Christmas really isn’t about the “birth” of Jesus Christ any more than a fruit tree is all about the seed.  I know it seems that way with the manger, the star, the wise men the “cattle lowing” and such.  But, we do not even know the exact date of Jesus’ birth.  We know it was probably in the 0ctober to December range and not later than February (Bethlehem grazing pattern even today), but we don’t know exactly. 

Remember, I said earlier, we don’t know exactly when Jesus was born, but We DO know the date of His death.  The meaning of the incarnation is not found by looking into a manger, but looking upon a cross.

All persons who are born, will die, but God never intended that anyone born would ever die. Death is the result of sin coming into our world.  Because sin entered the world through man’s rebellion, and through sin death entered the world, Jesus was born for one specific purpose:  the Bible tells us that Jesus was born to die and become the Savior of the world.  The cross was his destiny. 

Jesus was NOT born a healer, because sickness is not a biggest problem, though He did heal many.  Jesus was NOT born a “teacher,” because ignorance is not our biggest problem, though His teachings are sublime and indispensable.  Jesus was NOT born a philosopher because the lack of answers to life’s deepest questions is not our biggest problem. 

Jesus WAS born to be our “Savior,” because our biggest problem is our “sin.”  We cannot be at peace in life until we are at peace with God and we cannot be at peace with God until our “sin problem” has been dealt with. Sadly, most people today think of Christmas as an isolated event on a calendar, and not a strategic part of God’s redemptive plan.  People get warm, fuzzy feelings over a cuddly baby in a manger, but they turn away or ignore a crucified Savior on the cross.

Theoretically one can have all their circumstances in order.  One can have all their relationships running smoothly and any peace they have is simply an illusion if one is not dealing daily with the problem of sin.  Sin lurks in our life like the Japanese lurking in the Pacific planning the devastating raid on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago.  In a matter of seconds the illusion of a self-made peace in life can be shattered.  One must daily struggle against the sin nature or lasting peace will not come. 

¹¹ Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord,  was born for you in the city of David.

Sin interrupts the flow of peace into one’s life like a “tripped circuit breaker” interrupts the flow of electricity into our home.  Sin short-circuits the “flow of God’s favor.”  When we accept the gift of salvation provided by Jesus, the Savior, then we “reset the breaker” on our relationship with God.  We are now connected to Him and His peace will flow in and through our lives.  A real peace.  A lasting peace. . . and, I would add, a great power also.

One of the most profound observations about the real meaning of Christmas comes from a Baptist preacher by the name of John Baggett. He said that he felt the cross was the original “Christmas TREE.”  He described how this original Christmas tree was decorated with only one light, “The Light of the World.”  Now that is profound but this is the statement that really stuck with me:  “God did not put our Christmas gift UNDER the tree, but ON the tree.”  Peace is one of the marvelous gifts Jesus hangs on the Christmas tree of life.

We put so much emphasis on the “gifts UNDER the tree.”  These gifts represent “good things in life.”  There is nothing at all wrong with giving and receiving gifts, in moderation of course.  But, there is only one gift that will give us lasting peace, and it is the gift of salvation.

As I said earlier, the common idea of peace as perfect circumstances is an illusion.  We all know that . . . but we also try to ignore it.

You CAN have peace-lasting peace, eternal peace.  You will need to surrender to God to GET it, and struggle with life to KEEP it. You can have peace though you struggle with circumstances.  You can have peace though you are struggling in relationships.  You can have peace as you struggle against your sin nature.

Peace is a struggle with circumstances, with relationships, with our very sin nature, but with God’s favor on your life, it is also a reality.

I will leave you with a beautiful passage of peace, once again from the prophet Isaiah:

^26:3 You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.

 

 

Advent 2021: Hope

 

December 5, 2021                        NOTES NOT EDITED
Reconnect with Hope
Mat.  2:1-2; Lk. 2:1-14

SIS: If you are miserable today and facing great challenges, but you listen carefully and hand your heart on three hooks in the Christmas Story, your life will most likely be just as miserable when you leave—but you can still have a deep sense of hope.

One problem with Christian theology and doctrine is that they become disconnected from reality.  The other night, I awoke at about 2:30 am.  I could not get back to sleep.  I opened up a N.T. Bible app and started reading 1Jn. 1 in the original Greek.  I thought this would require ample brain power to overcome the troubling thoughts keeping me awake.  What could be a more powerful therapy than the Bible in Greek.

The theme of 1John, chapter 1, especially verse 1, highlight the “reality” of the Christian experience.  By “reality,” I mean that which corresponds to objective representation in the real world we experience with our senses.  Let me say that again because it isn’t typical, “sermon talk.”  By “reality,” I mean that which corresponds to objective representation in the real world iaIn common language it is that which can be “scientifically proven.”

In regard to John’s description of the Christian experience he does not define it as a grand idea or lofty philosophical proposition.  He says the Christian experience is something that can be “heard” with our ears, “seen with our eyes,” and “touched” with our hands.  That’s as real as it gets by any evaluation.

Now, there are limits to strict and narrow empiricism because there is reality beyond what we can experience directly.  Mathematics is one good example.  The statement:  1 + 1 = 2 expresse a “real” truth that is universally accepted and pragmatically applied every day in a gazillion ways.  But, what is “1-ness or 2-ness?”  They are real,  but cannot be experienced directly through our senses.  Pick up any introductory book on quantum physics and you will be exposed to a myriad of mind-blowing “realities” that cannot be experienced directly through the five senses.

I said in the beginning that there is a significant problem with Christian theology in that it can become disconnected from the real world and cease to be what John the Apostle is describing as Christianity in the Real World in his first letter.  To summarize my point in a common cliché:  “Too often in Church (including preaching), the rubber doesn’t meet the road.”

For example, last week we talked about “love.”  I mentioned the lament of the rock group, Foreigner singing, “I wanna’ know what love is // I want you to show me.”  Love is real—but it cannot be accessed directly.  You can’t hear it in your ear or be poked with it in the eye.  You can’t directly hold love in your hand (though holding a little baby comes close).  If we are not careful in the Church, we will reduce love and hope to grandiose Platonic ideas, void of any real practical applications to our lives.  Last week I addressed Foreigner’s dilemma and “showed you from the Christmas Story last week what love is.”

This week is a similar dilemma as we explore the Christian experience of hope—or lack thereof.  As I did with love last week I want to ask, “What is hope?”  As I did with love last week in referring to the song lyrics from the rock group Foreigner, I want to refer to another lyric from another popular song by Joni Mitchell that says, “I said don't it always seem to go//That you don't know what you've got Till it's gone//They paved paradise//And put up a parking lot.”  I’m going to apply Joni Mitchell’s approach to parking lots to the Christian idea of hope.

Are you following me.  I’m taking quite a while to pack the car for our trip this morning so we will have everything we need for our journey to hope.

Let me break it down in a simple, succinct sentence:  If you are miserable today and facing great challenges, but you listen carefully and hand your heart on three hooks in the Christmas Story, your life will most likely be just as miserable when you leave—but you can still have a deep sense of hope.  OK.  It’s a simple sentence but maybe not so succinct.

The only way to really appreciate what the Bible teaches about hope is to know what it is like to feel you have no hope—remember Joni, “Don’t it always seem to go//That we don’t know what we’ve got til its gone?”  Just like the brilliance of a diamond is best experienced against the back drop of black velvet, so hope is best understood against the dark background of despair.  Only a person who has lost his sight can truly appreciate the gift of seeing.  Only a person who has experienced thirst to the point of near death can truly appreciate the satisfaction and goodness of a refreshing drink of water. 

OK.  The car’s packed.  Now let’s read the Christmas story and see three hooks we can hang our hearts on and experience hope no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.  LUKE 2:1-11

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 three anchors we can attach our hearts to so we don’t drift out into a sea of despair when the storms of life crash upon us: 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 Star was a real star seen with real eyes! 

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 did not originate with our generation. Every generation has faced discouraging times.  Yet, our present generation 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.  Hope had always permeated our common culture.  The words of our Pledge, One Nation Under God, was more than a slogan—it was an ANCHOR OF HOPE to which are nation was securely moored. Under the Star of God’s Providence, we were invincible and a spirit of hopefulness abounded.  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. Now, we look like a racing boat with a 400HP motor and no rudder.  We are spinning dangerously out of control with an inevitable crash waiting ahead.

The foundation for hope in America has been eroding for decades, but today almost no foundation for hope remains.  Just listen to even a little news, “fake or otherwise,” and you will hear story after story of a nation being sucked into a sinkhole of sadness and despair.  People are afraid to go out to the stores for fear of getting caught up ina “smash and grab” shopping spree by looters!  Those that do venture out to the supermarket are faced with empty shelves that are a metaphor for empty lives.  Hope is as scarce today as toilet paper during the height of the pandemic—and hope seems to die a little more with the announcement of each new Covid variant. 

In short, we as a nation have lost sight of the star of God’s

Providence in our lives which guides us to the Lord of Hope.  

Our so-called wise men or leaders 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 the power-grapping politicians. 

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. . . . .  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 have hope we need to hand our hearts on the Star of God’s Providence.

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 “songlike 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. Businesses play Christmas carols, 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.

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 today.hat Heavenly Choir sang,  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to those that the Lord favors.”

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 stable smelled of animals and damp hay. 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, “God’s very Presence inhabits a praising people.” *******

To have hope in a miserably hopeless world we have to Hang Our Hearts On a Heavenly Song.

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” which is why my Mom often referred to me as, “Jack the Bull-headed!”  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!

The only person born under a sign that had a direct affect on his life was Jesus. 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.  From before the foundation of the world, Jesus was the Lamb that would be slain for our sins.  He has always been, the Savior.  The Angel’s announcement to the Shepherds reminds us of the “Why” Jesus came to earth: 

“Today in the city of David .. .

Make no mistake about this—maybe you should consider getting it tattooed on the back of your hand, “this world is a horrible place not fit for human habitation.”  That’s why this world is going to be destroyed and a “new heaven and earth established.” (Rev. ****).  Jesus, Himself, reminded us, “In this world you WILL . . . .

There is an old story I’ve told many times in Advent sermons through the years.  It 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." 

This world is horrible and hopeless and the circumstances may never get much better, or may not get better for some time; but, you can still have hope if you Hang Your Heart on the Savior Who Hanged on the Cross.

The Christmas Story gives us three anchors to secure our ship when the stormy seas are crashing upon us:  a Star of Providence, a Song of Heaven, and a Savior on a Cross.

 

 

 

 

Advent 2021: Love

 

November 28, 2021                     NOTES NOT EDITED
Advent 2020:  Love
Luke 2:1-7, et. al.

SIS—I’ve said it every Advent for over four decades:  Christmas is essentially a love story.

If you google the word, “love,” you will get millions of hits.  “Love” is very popular because love is very powerful.   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.

Do we really know what love is?  The rock phenomenon, “Foreigner,” had a hit record in which the main chorus line says, “I Wanna Know What Love Is//I Want You to Show Me.” 

Psychologists continue to explore what love is.  One researcher described love as, “A mix of emotions, behaviors, and beliefs associated with strong feelings of affection, protectiveness, warmth, and respect for another person.” 

But, for the most part, nobody really knows what love is . . . at least not in any scientific way.  That same researcher went on to say, “Love has been a favored topic of philosophers, poets, writers, and scientists for generations, and different people and groups have often fought about its definition.”

Love is the most powerful force in all the world, but it defies any real analysis.  It is like examining the wonder of a snowflake you catch upon your palm on a winter day.  Before you have time to analyze it, it retreats into a tiny puddle in you palm. 

There have been many famous love stories throughout time. The Song of Songs detailing the love between Solomon and the Shulammite Lady; Antony and Cleopatra; Romeo and Juliet; the somewhat tenuous puppy love between Charlie Brown and Lucy; and of course, the love story we celebrate at Christmas between Joseph and Mary.  All these stories though, pale in comparison to the love story between God and man which reaches its zenith in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That’s what Christmas is all about—a love story between God and man.

Christmas is about love, especially God’s love, which is the most powerful, transforming force in the universe. 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.

In fact, God is the definition of love.  The Bible says, “God IS love!” (1Jn 4:8).  If you “wanna know what love is,” then you have to know Who God is.  That is what Christmas is all about. 

Let’s read that love story together.  LUKE 2:1-7

When we examine the “Love Story of Christmas” we see love displayed in Joseph’s love for Mary, Mary’s Love for Jesus, Our Love for Others, and most of all, God’s Love for Sinners.

1.  Joseph’s Love for Mary

Matthew 1:18 ^{(NLT) 18} This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Joseph loved Mary very much.  How do we know this?  The Bible never tells us this explicitly, but Joseph’s actions speak volumes. To be “engaged” (KJV, betrothed) meant much more in ancient Jewish life than it does in general today.  Engagement was a legally binding agreement.  Ancient engagement was covenant as binding as marriage is today.  Now, Joseph comes to “know” (or at least he thought he knew), that his virgin bride was pregnant.  Joseph and Mary had never been together intimately, so of course, Mary had committed adultery—and even more, had brought great shame upon Joseph who was a godly, righteous, devout believer in God.

Joseph had several options in face of this current discovery of Mary’s alleged unfaithfulness.  One, he could have simply forgiven her and married her anyway, raising the child as his own.  This, however, was something Joseph as a god-fairing, devout Jewish man could not do in the first century.  It would mean putting human love above his love for God.  A second option would be to drag her before a tribunal and expose her as an adulterer.  This would be a vindictive move that would ruin Mary’s life and the life of her family.  She would be an outcast. In traditional Jewish law she could also face being stoned to death.  But, Joseph loved God and he deeply loved Mary.  So Joseph decided to simply let the matter drop quietly and go his separate way. 

But . . . Joseph didn’t know what he thought he knew. What was obvious to all wasn’t really obvious at all.  Into this ugly, hurtful situation, God intervened.  Look at Matthew 1:20–22 ^(NLT)  

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet.

So many marriages are destroyed because people think they know what they really do not know.  Even if sin inflicts what appears to be a mortal wound on a marriage, love is more powerful.  When we allow God to intervene, even in our most desperate circumstances, “love always overcomes any problem.”  When it comes to problems in a marriage:  love is always the answer!

2.  Mary’s Love for Jesus

The centerpiece of any Nativity Set is Mary kneeling beside the manger where Jesus is lying.  The Christmas Story tells us:

Luke 2:6–7 (KJV 1900)  ⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

It is hard to describe a more loving or more powerful scene in all the universe than Mary kneeling beside the cradle borrowed from a cow which held her firstborn son.

Unless something is tragically, horribly, sinfully wrong, all mothers love their children.  Mothers carry their child for nine months in the womb, and then go to the very brink of death to give that child life in this world.  Mary had that natural love for her son, Jesus; but, she had something else—a deeper love; a worshipful love. 

After that first night in the stable with Jesus, and the visit of the Shepherd’s the next day, the Bible sums up Mary’s experience by saying: Luke 2:18–19 (ESV)

¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

The word translated, “treasured up” (actually in the imperfect tense meaning, it was an intense continuing action) means to think very deeply, or worshipfully, about something.  It means to be “consumed by the moment.”  Mary not only loved Jesus as her firstborn son, but loved him immensely as her Eternal Lord and Almighty God.

Three months earlier when visiting her cousin Elizabeth (some say aunt), she composed a song about the child in her womb.  It’s been titled, “The Magnificat.”  We find this song in Lk. 1:

Luke 1:46–49^{(KJV)  46} And Mary said, My soul doth magnify [L, Magnificat] the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ⁴⁸ For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name.

Mary loved Jesus as we all should love Jesus—as the Holy, Eternal, God Almighty.  Isaiah prophesied of this very day when the Holy God of Heaven would step into our world.  Here’s how Isaiah describes Jesus:

Isaiah 9:6 ^(KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Mary’s love for Jesus was not only a mother’s love for her child, but a sinner’s love for her Savior.  That brings me to the next expression of love in the Christmas Story:

3.  God’s Love for Sinners

All the people surrounding Jesus in the Christmas story, indeed all the people who had ever lived or ever will live, are sinners.  The Bible says,

Romans 3:10–12 ^{(CSB) 10} as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. ¹¹ There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. (from Psalm 14)

Romans 3:23 ^(NLT) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Joseph was a sinner.  Mary was a sinner.  The Inn-Keeper in the Christmas story was a sinner.  All have sinned.  All are sinners.  But there is a special group in the Christmas story that demonstrate the radical nature of God’s love for sinners.  This group was the “shepherds.”  The Bible says,

Luke 2:8–10^{(KJV) 8} And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

These shepherds were the first people to hear about the birth of Jesus besides Joseph and Mary.  They didn’t hear the announcement from other men, but from a “Heavenly Host” in the grandest style.  To understand how much God loves us as sinners, you have to understand how “hated and despised” shepherds were in the Jewish community specially, and society in general.  Shepherds were “outcasts.”  They were social pariahs.  Being around stinking, soiled farm animals made them “unclean” in Jewish life.  Living out in the fields in the darkness made them socially suspect in society.

So despised they were that shepherds were not even considered reliable witnesses in a court of law.

On the ladder of sinners—if there were such a ladder—shepherds were on the bottom rung.

Yet, in the gleam and glory of a heavenly light show, God offered salvation to them first.  He said, “A savior has been born to you”—to who?—to you lowly, despised, outcast shepherds.  God said, “I love the world and I came to save it—and I’m starting with you shepherds first.”

Christmas—at the very core—is about God’s Love for Sinners.

Just how much does God love us as sinners.  Listen to John describe how much God loves sinners:

John 3:16 ^{(GNB) 16} For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

When God showed His love to a world of sinners, He showed it by giving the Very Best that He Had—His Only Son.  In fact, when Jesus died for our sins, God, Himself died!  God gave us Himself when Jesus came to earth to die in our place.

It is not possible to put into word’s what it means to say, “God loves sinners.”  Words of explanation for God’s love fall flat like a souffle in an earthquake.  It is incomprehensible to the sinner’s mind that God, Himself, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, would come to earth, be born in a stable, laid in a feeding trough, live an austere life as an itinerant preacher, and then be horribly killed on a Roman cross.  Yes, Jesus did rise from the dead—but He died a horrible painful death that we sinners deserved to die—and worse!

When God embraced the stinking, socially outcast, despised and rejected shepherds, God embraced all sinners whatever their position in life.

Christmas is a love story and the centerpiece of that story is “God’s Love for Sinners.”

But, the Love Story of Christmas, would not be complete if I did not mention one very important expression of love.

4.  Our Love for Each Other

1Jn. 4:19 ^(NLT) We love each other because he loved us first.

As I’ve already mentioned, love is the most powerful force in our world.  True love is a direct extension of the very Person of God Almighty.  When we love others, we become the extension of God’s love to our world.

The greatest expression of our love for others is to show them the “True Meaning of Christmas.”  Once again, in the Christmas Story, the lowly shepherds are a great expression of how we are to love others by sharing the message of the Savior born on Christmas Day.  That’s what church is all about.  The Bibles continues the story of the announcement of the Savior to shepherds saying,

Luke 2:13–18 ^{(NLT) 13} Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” ¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.

What greater gift could any of us share with others than the gift of the message of eternal life?  Isn’t that why we are here in church today—and every Sunday.  Isn’t that really why we give our time and money, and most of all our prayers?  So, other people can hear the true meaning of Christmas and have eternal life?  Yes, that’s what it is all about.

We love other sinners because God loved us first.  We love each other because God loved us first.  Just as God extended Himself to us, we extend God’s love to others when we let God work through us.

We not only share God’s love with those outside the Family of God, but we show true love when we share God’s with one another inside the Family of God.  We love each other because we are bound together by the scarlet rope of the blood of Christ.

As I said at the beginning of this message, people want to know and experience love.  I think if people wanna’ know what love is the best place to look is in the Christmas Story.

Christmas is indeed a “Love Story” at it’s very foundation.  It is about Joseph’s Love for Mary; Mary’s Love for Jesus; God’s Love for Sinners; and Our Love for Our Neighbor—whether in the fold or wandering without.