“WHAT DO YOU SEE?� COOL 2414.doc
Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:1-20 December 25, 2014
Around the world tonight, Christmas is being celebrated in millions of homes. One of the ironies is that the majority of people who celebrate Christmas have never really heard the full story. Many have heard the basic story-line; and some are even able to name the characters in the story. They will remember Mary & Joseph; or the angel visiting Mary and Joseph; they may possibly know about the shepherds and the wise men coming from the east. Some of them may remember that all this took place during the time of Caesar Augustus, and Herod the Great, and a few might even remember that Quirinius was the Governor of Syria. They might also remember that Mary and Joseph had to go down to the town of Bethlehem, because the government was conducting a census. But they may not know why at this particular moment in history a census is scheduled. However, according to a Biblical Scholar, Caesar Augustus was concerned about a decline in the birthrate. So he did two things: first, he cracked down on abortions and second he gave tax incentives to those having large families. Periodically he took a census of his empire to see if his policies were working. It was during this particular census that Mary and Joseph were forced to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Why is this important? Simply, because in order to be understood the Christmas story needs to be told with reference to concrete facts. Caesar, Herod, Mary, Joseph, the Inn Keeper, and the shepherds are all real people and
1
the events surrounding these ‘real’ people took place at a particular time in history. For some people the Christmas story is like a fable, a fairy tale or a myth and some will look at it this way when the true story is romanticized out of its objective history. Although some may want to the Christmas narrative does not begin with ‘Once upon a time…” No, Christmas takes place in real time with real people. According to the Historian Luke the Christmas story starts this way: “In the time of Herod the King of Judea, there was a priest name Zechariah…” According to Luke that is where you start reading the Christmas narrative. If you really want to read the Christmas story correctly in narrative form you have to read the historian, Luke Chapter 1, followed by the tax collector, Matthew Chapter 1; followed by Luke Chapter 2 and then Matthew Chapter 2.
Mark’s Gospel doesn’t tell us anything about the
beginning of Jesus’ life and it is really John, the beloved Apostle, who tells the story in the most appropriate manner the Christmas story, can ever be told. John Chapter 1, verses 1-18 are normally identified as the prologue or the foreword or the preamble to John’s Gospel and it goes like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Or as it says in the King Version of the Bible, “the darkness comprehended it not.” There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 2
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” Now, when you listen to that reading I would say that you truly have heard the unbelievable Christmas story. Unbelievable, not in the sense of “it being impossible,” but in the sense that it is utterly fantastic; totally aweinspiring and unreservedly beyond our comprehension. When I read the narratives, I wonder if the angels who announced the Good News really understood what they were announcing.
Did the
shepherds realize just how appropriate it was for them to fall down and worship? Did Mary, who held Jesus in her arms, understand what had actually taken place through her womb? I’m not sure she did, because Luke tells us in verse 19 what we heard tonight that Mary: “Treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Did she get it? If she did, how did she handle it? Because this is what happened – The One who made the world had just entered the world, as a person. The One who created the world had become a human being. As John tells us so clearly, 3
God became a man.
Now, this is a story that people don’t talk about
around the Christmas tree or their dinner table. But that news should be the headlines of every newspaper tonight; “GOD BECAME MAN.” You see, every person on this planet has the right to hear this news at least once in their lifetime. Although I don’t know how to twitter or tweet, I think everyone who does know should tweet and twitter the entire world to announce that the LIVING GOD HAS BECOME ONE OF US! I think you use one hundred and forty-four characters to send a tweet but for this message you only need twenty five characters. When I think of the Bible, I can imagine when I read Genesis that there is a God who made the world. I can’t prove it, but I believe He exists. I can believe in the Book of Exodus that God can part the Red Sea and rescue His people from 400 years of bondage. I can’t prove it, but I can imagine those things happening, but it literally blows my mind to think of what God did on Christmas Eve. When Caesar Augustus was the Emperor of Rome and Quirinius was Governor of Syria, and Herod the Great controlled Jerusalem the living God entered this world, as a baby: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Lk. 2:10-12) I’m sorry, but I can’t help but say it again: “Unbelievable.” Do you understand now why I feel most people have not really heard the Christmas story? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made...The Word became flesh and made his 4
dwelling among us.”
Eugene Peterson, in his translation of the
Scriptures, interprets John’s words this way: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood.” As this is the latest you’ll ever be in Church in the calendar year it is too late to start explaining about why John chose to use “WORD” to introduce Jesus. He could have very easily said: “In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was God. The Son was with God in the beginning. All things were made by the Son and the Son became flesh, and dwelt among us.” Or, he could have said: “In the beginning was the Lord; and the Lord was with God; and the Lord was God.
All things were made by the Lord and the Lord
became flesh, and dwelt among us.” John tells us the story the way he does because he wants us to understand that Mary’s child, the man from Galilee who walks with; eats with; plays with real flesh and blood people, is none other than the Maker of the Universe. The man who sits around dinner tables and laughs so loud that the religious establishment calls Him a drunkard...The Man who weeps uncontrollably, at His friend’s grave, is none other than the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. When Caesar Augustus thought he ruled the world, the One who set galaxies in place lay silently in a manger, in a stinky dirty barn. When Quirinius was Governor of Syria, the One who made the stars, trusted Himself into the care of an impoverished couple. When Herod the Great was strutting about and telling others about how important he was: “the Word who became flesh” needed a mother to feed Him, and change His diapers.
The Christian Church uses the word “Incarnation” to
describe what God did. Incarnation means “enfleshment.” Christmas is all
5
about the enfleshment of our God, and this will be the sign: “You will find a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” What do you see when you look at that baby? What you see will tell me about your beliefs. Since I can’t ask each of you I will tell you what I see.
I see, in Jesus, the fulfillment of all the promises of God, from
Genesis to Revelation. I see, in Jesus, the Son of Abraham, the One in whom all nations on earth will be blessed. I see, in Jesus, the son of David - The One who reigns over and establishes a Kingdom that will never end. I see, in Jesus, the suffering servant of Isaiah 52 & 53; the One who suffers on our behalf. I see in Jesus the One who takes the punishment that we deserve. I see, in Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I see in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. I see, in Jesus, the face of the invisible God. I see, in Jesus, all that we were meant to be...And what we, by His Grace one day shall be. I see, in Jesus, God reconciling the world to God. I see, in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who will one day turn our swords into plowshares. I see, in Jesus, the one who is the Bread of Life, who can satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst. I see, in Jesus, the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. I see, in Jesus, the One who breaks the stronghold of the evil one, through weakness and the foolishness of the Cross. I see, in Jesus, my Lord and my God. I see, in Jesus, what the Reformer Martin Luther saw, and he said: “I know of no God but this One in the manger.” I see, in Jesus, the hope of the world. I see, in Jesus, the Day Spring on high. I see, in Jesus, the future He has laid out for all of us. I see, in Jesus, the One who is coming again.
I see, in Jesus, the
fundamental reason why day by day I go on living. And I see, in Jesus, the fundamental reason why I’m not afraid to die. What do you see? 6
Let’s bow our head in prayer
Be near me Lord Jesus I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever And love me I pray. Bless all the dear children In Thy tender care And fit us for heaven To live with Thee there. Amen. REFERENCES New International Version of the Holy Scriptures 1984 and 2011 The most Wonderful Time of all Years – Darrell W. Johnson
7