Christmas – the greatest adventure of all time…
Based on: Philippians 2:1-11
Most of us enjoy a good adventure story. Whether it’s ‘Ice Age’, ‘Madagascar’, ‘Despicable Me’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Toy Story’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ or one of many others. There’s something about leaving behind what we know and love, what is familiar to us, to venture off into the wild blue yonder to discover whatever there is to discover. Adventure means going to new places, and being in different circumstances that will need different responses. So adventure stories fill us with excitement and wonder.
When I was growing up, I enjoyed watching the Indianna Jones movies – some of the best adventure stories of all time. It was thrilling to watch Indianna Jones get himself into all kinds of trouble, then to see him get back out of trouble, always with the girl of course. These days, adventure movies aren’t enough for me, and I need to have my own adventures. Last year I went to New Zealand, and it was so exciting some of the most amazing places I’ll ever see. But adventures don’t always go to plan. This year, I went to America. I rented a motorhome, and managed to lock the keys inside. So here was I, on the night before my 40th birthday, on the other side of the planet, in the middle of an American desert, at night, climbing through the side window of a rented motorhome. As I was rolling around on the dinning table, I couldn’t help but wonder, what happened for my life to get to this point? I mean, Indianna Jones never climbed through the window of a rented motorhome. Had I known what I was in for, I might never have gone! Climbing through that window was a long way from my quiet, comfortable life I know in Australia.
We all have our adventures, whether good all bad, and it’s good to remember our adventures. At Christmas, we remember the beginning of the greatest adventure of all time. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the birth of Jesus, his life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.
What makes this adventure so great? Remember I said adventure is about leaving behind what we know, and going somewhere else. Well, Jesus left behind what he knew. Jesus left his home in heaven, to be born like one of us. We can’t get our heads around what this means! Jesus had been with his father for eternity! Yet Jesus swapped the majesty of heaven, for the filth of an animal shelter, to be born as a baby. He swapped eternal royalty for being despised on earth, and eventually crucified. Jesus went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Unlike me, Jesus knew exactly what he was in for. But he came anyway. And he came because of you.
Here’s where it becomes really radical. Jesus was completely and utterly sinless. He never did anything wrong, not against God, or anyone else. Yet Jesus swapped his sinlessness for our sinfulness. Everything we have done wrong, absolutely everything with nothing left behind. Jesus sees our sin and says, “I will have that!” Then he took our punishment for the sin we have done by dying on the cross. Instead of us being punished for our sin, Jesus was punished instead so we could be forgiven. This is massive. But it doesn’t end there. Jesus also rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. So now, Jesus says anyone who believes in him can have his sinlessness. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine, for example, giving away your nice new car, or your home? You just wouldn’t do it, would you? If you did, you’d want it to be someone who really deserved it. Well, Jesus gives away his sinlessness to people who don’t deserve it. This is why we can now have forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus left behind eternity to enter a sinful world to take our sinfulness so we can have his sinlessness. Christmas really is the start of the greatest adventure of all time.
But Christmas also the start of our adventure. What am I talking about? Remember I said adventure is about leaving behind what we know, and venturing off into different circumstances that require different responses. Well, by dying for our sins so we can be forgiven, Jesus has enabled us to leave behind the things we know. To leave behind the way we normally do things. We have left behind the world of sin, and we now stand in God’s Kingdom. So now we live with entirely new circumstances. Jesus has placed use in a right relationship with God – for eternity! We are now motivated and encouraged by Jesus, because we want to honour him. We are now comforted by Jesus when things aren’t going our way. We are part of what God is doing in the world through his Spirit. We are now the subject of Jesus’ affection and compassion. And these different circumstances require a different response. Instead of competing with one another and trying to out do each other, we’re to have the same understanding and same love. Rather than thinking that we’re better than others, we’re to have a servant’s attitude, always looking to the interests of others. Not because we should, but because this is precisely what Jesus has done for us. By doing these things we show what Jesus has done for us.
In a very real sense, we as Christians are on the greatest adventure of all time. Greater than any adventure movie. It began with Jesus leaving behind his home in heaven to be born as a baby. It continues with us as we leave behind what we want, and going after what God wants. This is the adventure that should fill us with excitement. This is the adventure that should fill us with wonder. This is the adventure of eternity.
Peace on Earth?? You gotta be kidding!
The following message was preached on 8th December 2012 at the Allambie Heights Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7
Peace on earth. It’s one of the things we celebrate at Christmas. But as we look at the world, and our relationships, and even within ourselves, we may start to wonder where is this ‘peace on earth’ we’re meant to be celebrating?
I looked at the world section in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday, and saw stories about violent clashes in Egypt, people being killed by typhoons, spies being poisoned to death. Peace on earth? Are you serious?
Then in our lives, we so quickly find ourselves arguing and bickering with the people we love! I know I’m one who’s always up for a good argument, and I sometimes wonder why some people are still talking to me.
Then if we’re not arguing and bickering with other’s we’re getting frustrated with ourselves, and our limitations with trying to get things done! We’re now into the Christmas season, and my past three weeks has been anything but peaceful. I’ve been down to Melbourne, and I’m convinced that anyone who finds that flying is peaceful can’t be normal. Last weekend I was down in the Southern Highlands, preaching. Today I’m here. Tomorrow I’m at Turramurra Anglican. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I’m trying to re-write a major paper so I can graduate college. And then there’s the local shopping centre! Peace on earth? You’ve gotta be kidding! How can we as Christians seriously talk about peace on earth?
Well, I’ll tell you how. A long time a go – a REALLY long time ago, there was a guy called Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet. Now, what prophets did was they spoke on the behalf of God. Isaiah was telling people what God was about to do. If you think things today are pretty wild, the kinds of things that Isaiah was talking about were ‘off the planet’. Because God’s own people were disobeying God, Isaiah was predicting a time when God’s people would loose their country and their city, and nothing of their city would be left. Absolutely nothing! They’d be forced to live in a foreign country where they spoke a foreign language. A time that was not peaceful in any sense.
Yet, Isaiah wasn’t all bad news. He also spoke about a time when these people, who had lived in this very dark time would also see a very bright light. A time when everyone and everything against them would be stopped. Because Isaiah also predict a time when a mighty ruler would be born – a King. A King whose kingdom would be world wide. The law of this land would be justice and peace, and will last for eternity. Forever!
Despite the turmoil that Isaiah saw coming, he could still talk about peace. Whether or not Isaiah knew it at the time, this Mighty King he was talking about was Jesus. Isaiah was talking about Jesus over 700 year before Jesus was born. Jesus would be the King of this everlasting kingdom and bring about this peace.
So how does Jesus bring about this peace? The problem God’s people had in Isaiah’s day was they had disobeyed God. And it’s the exact same problem we have today. As long as there’s sin, we can’t have peace with God. Unless someone takes our sin away. And guess what Jesus did? He took our sins away. This was the whole reason why Jesus was born. Jesus was born, he lived, he died, and he rose again so we could have peace with God. That in his very death, he took all of our sins, all that we’ve done, and ever will do, and they were destroyed, done away with, finished. Peace on earth starts when we have peace with God, by putting our faith in Jesus, trusting what he has done.
Isaiah says that people will rejoice over this, like at harvest time. Now, none of us are farmers, and we don’t know the joys of harvest time. But I take this is something to get excited about. So what do people get excited about around Christmas? They get excited about Santa, presents, decorations, shopping (unless you’re male). People get excited about food. My Bible study group had a Christmas dinner on Thursday night, and when the food came out, boy, did I get excited! That homemade dark chocolate cheesecake was something else! But here’s the question: how excited do we get about Jesus. How much do we praise Jesus, talk about Jesus, cherish the life Jesus has given us? Because as good as that cheesecake was on Thursday night, it pales into insignificance compared to the peace we have in Jesus. Jesus is worth getting excited about.
The world is messy, our relationships are messy, and our lives are messy, but when it comes to ‘peace on earth’, we are serious. We’re not kidding around. Because peace on earth starts when we have peace with God, and this is what Jesus has achieved for us now. As believers, we look forward to the time when Jesus return to establish his kingdom where we wont only have peace with God, but we’ll also have peace with everyone else. Now that is something to get excited about! Let’s spend Christmas praising Jesus and talking about him.
(c) The Student’s Desk, 2012
The Angelic Proclamation
The Student’s Desk Christmas Devotion
This will be the final devotion for 2007. Devotions will start again in Febuary 2008.
God’s blessings to you all.
Basis for Prayer:
Isaiah 9:2-7
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, what a light you have provided in Jesus. That we who struggle with the state of this world, and the state of our hearts can come to Jesus, and know that you will accept us just as we are. Lord we look forward to the day when every authority will submit to Jesus, and how exciting it is to know that this will be permanent. As we talk about the birth of Jesus this morning, help us to understand the wonder it is that you, O God, should take on flesh and be born to a woman. It is because of your gracious deeds that we can be sure of having an eternal relationship with you. As the first visitors of Jesus marveled at the sight of him, may we also marvel with them.
Reading
Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Angelic Proclamation
There have been some pretty big events in history. Events that have changed our lives for the better, or for the worse. The invention of electricity, the telephone, and developments in computers have made out lives much easier. While other events such as the September 11 attacks on America six years ago has put every one on their toes.
But I want to talk about an event that’s bigger then all these events put together. I want to talk about an event that’s about a baby born in a dirty, smelly animal shelter. Doesn’t sound like much does it? I mean, how many people do you know today who were born in a dog kennel, or a chicken coop? It’s just not the place for baby’s to be born! But this birth caught the attention of the angels in heaven. Those beings who spend there time in constant praise and adoration of God paused in wonder to see what was going on in this dirty, smelly animal shelter.
What was it about this very strange birth that caught there attention? Listen to what they say to the shepherds who were camped near by – “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11). For a long, long time, people had been waiting for the Christ – God’s Saviour. Someone who would undo the effects of sin. Someone who would take every wrong that’s ever been done, including the wrongs you and I have done, and make them right. Someone that would make us right with God and be friends with him. Well guess what? He’s just been born! This is the event that would not only change history; it would change the entire universe. It would change the way God and people would relate. Is it any wonder this birth caught the attention angels in heaven!?
I want us to also notice who the angels were speaking to. The angels spoke this message to shepherds. Now let me tell you something about shepherds in Jesus’ day. They’re not like a civilised farmer we have today. These were fairly rough and ready kind of people. They lived and worked outside most of the time. When you work with animals, and are outside the whole time, you tend to smell. Their language might’ve been a bit coarse as well. And because they were looking after sheep the whole time, they were really able to go to church. Because of these things, people tended to look down on them. They weren’t particularly welcomed in town. People only dealt with shepherds when they had to. Shepherds were people who were marginalised in society.
Yet this is to whom these angels from heaven spoke their message. Why? Why would angels speak to shepherds when no one else would? Because their message was one for the marginalised. For those people who the rest of society is uncomfortable with. And if this message is for the marginalised, this message is for everyone. This message is for us here today. As surely as the angels spoke to the shepherds 2000 years ago, they speak to us today from the pages of the Bible, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
But this message isn’t only universal, it’s personal. Let’s look at how the shepherds responded to such a message. Did they sit on their hands and say “Oh well, that’s nice to know.” No! They went and investigated! Could what they just heard be true??? They wanted to know more. When they found baby Jesus just as the angels had told them, they praised God. This was a message that affected them personally. What a joy it was to them to know it was this baby Jesus who was going to make them right before God. And just as Jesus was the shepherd’s joy, so to ought Jesus be our joy. So to ought we praise God for giving us Jesus.
There have been many events that have changed the course of history. None more so then the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has changed the way we relate to God. This is a universal message. This is a message for the marginalised. It also a personal message to each one of us. May we be ever thankful for the birth of Jesus.
© The Student’s Desk, 2007.
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