Sermon- The Second Christmas Miracle Dec, 23, 2007 – China

Holes in the Dark

At Christmas we celebrate a miracle. That miracle is that Christ came to make a way for our sins to be forgiven. But there is a second miracle in what God did through Jesus that I want to talk about today and I am going to use this piece of paper to illustrate the point. If I hold this paper up to the camera you can see that it does not let light through. Everything goes black. Our world is a black place and so this paper represents the darkness in our world. Now listen to this scripture:

 

John 12:46

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

 

The coming of Jesus makes openings in our darkness so we can see God's light. There are many points in history that reveal the supernatural light of Jesus and they began even before His birth in Bethlehem. Let's begin with the first mention of the Savior in the Bible.

 

Gen 3:15

And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.

 

This is the first prophecy of Jesus because God said it would be an offspring of Adam and Eve who would eventually crush the head of Satan. Of course it was Jesus who did that when He rose from the dead as the first to overcome the death Satan tries to impose on us. I am going to make a hole in our paper to represent this first prophecy. This marks the obvious supernatural opening of light into our dark world when Christ was prophesied.

There are many prophecies about the Messiah from well before His birth. Each of them opens another beam of light from God's realm. We do not have time to go into many of them but another example is found in Isaiah written 800 years before Christ:

Isa 42:1-7

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.

 

5 This is what God the Lord says — he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

 

This is another clear prophecy about Jesus that came true so I will make another hole to represent this opening in our darkness.

Now let's jump forward to the time just before the birth of Jesus. As you know several angels came to announce the miraculous birth. First Gabriel appeared to Zachariah while he was in the temple and told him his son John the Baptist would prepare the way for the Savior. Here is a hole to represent that supernatural event.

Next Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a virgin birth. Another hole in our darkness. Then Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to name the baby Jesus who would grow up to save the world from sin. Another hole of supernatural light.

Next we have the shepherds who saw the angels. Let us read that:

 

Luke 2:8-20

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."

 

There are many divine miracles in the life of Jesus that bring light into our darkness but let's look at only two more.

Matt 17:1-5

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

 

4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

 

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

 

Obviously a lot of light was beamed into our world that day. Finally let's go to:

1 Cor 15:3-8

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

 

This is the biggest hole of all in our darkness; Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to more than 500 people. It was an obvious beam of God's supernatural light into our natural world. (Make a big hole.)

The Other Miracle

I believe God still breaks into our darkness with supernatural moments through the gifts of the Spirit and other clear miracles (more holes) however what I want to talk about is all the dark places between the prophesies, glowing angels, and supernatural breakthroughs. This is where we find the second Christmas miracle.

Other than the miracles we mentioned, God went out of His way to make sure the Messiah came in the most common and difficult manner. In fact as we look at the facts surrounding the birth of Christ it becomes obvious God is sending a message to us through the way Jesus came.

Jesus was born into a politically dangerous time. The Romans ruled, Herod was a madman, the Jews were hated, Bethlehem was a forgotten village used by herdsmen, Joseph was poor, Mary was a teenager, they were in the middle of a trip away from home, the people did not care if she delivered her baby surrounded by animal dung in a barn, it was Fall so the weather was cold, and the only ones to know of this grand event were the outcast shepherds who were not allowed in the main temple. If all this commonness does not get our attention there is one more clue God left for us.

From a Corrupt Line

This clue is found in the genealogical record listed in Matthew. Let's turn there. We don't have time to read all this but I want you to see something strange about this genealogy. Most Jewish genealogies record only the male linage. This genealogy uses all males accept for in three verses: 3, 5, and 6. In those verses it gives the mothers also. What is special about those three mothers? Let's look at each of them:

MT 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:

 

MT 1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

 

MT 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, (Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law and posed as a prostitute. Judah slept with her and so Perez was a child born of incest. Gen 38)

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

 

MT 1:4 Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

 

MT 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, (The same Rahab that was the harlot that saved the Hebrew spies in Jericho.)

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

 

MT 1:6 and Jesse the father of King David.

 

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, (Solomon's mother was Bathsheba whom David committed adultery with and had her husband murdered.)

 

MT 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

 

MT 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

 

MT 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

 

MT 1:10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

 

MT 1:11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

 

MT 1:12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

 

MT 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

 

MT 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Eliud,

 

MT 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

 

MT 1:16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

 

This passage highlights three instances of embarrassing circumstances: Incest, harlotry, and adultery with murder. Most would hide such a family heritage. They might list all the other mothers and hide these three but God lists only these so we will understand His message that His own Son was born of a corrupt linage.

The dark space between the miracles surrounding Christ's birth is very dark. It is filled with dangerous circumstances, smelly barns, forgotten people, and a corrupt family line. What is God saying in all this?

What is God's Message?

He is demonstrating in a way we cannot miss that the miracle baby Jesus, the Savior of the world is for everybody. No matter how small we are, how bad our circumstances are, or how corrupt we or our family has been—Jesus came for us. Listen to how the Bible puts it:

JAS 2:5 …Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

 

1 Cor 1:[27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are…

 

2 Cor 9:9

"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever."

 

The Gift For Everybody

Friends it is my privilege to proclaim two Christmas miracles to celebrate today. First, Jesus has come to be one of us then to die for our sins then be resurrected. The second miracle is that gift is for everybody. Nobody is excluded based on how small they are or what they have done in the past. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was a terrible sinner who was crucified for his sins against society and all he said was he believed in Jesus and wanted Jesus to remember him when He got to heaven. And Jesus said to him:

 

Luke 23:43

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

 

Salvation is for everybody who asks for it.

The Gift for Every Part of Life

This second Christmas miracle teaches us something else. It teaches us that just as God was in control of all the dark parts of Christ's life, He is also in control of every part of our life. God is not only the God of supernatural miracles, He is also God of the dark areas of life. He is sovereign over our debts, our broken relationships, our illness, our suffering, and all our confusion. As we move close to Him He joins us in our darkness and brings light to every area of our life. (Hold paper close to light to show how the light shines through the paper where there are no holes.)

There is no part of your life that God does not want to bring His light, truth, and beauty to. This is indeed a remarkable Christmas miracle. We have so much to celebrate this Christmas because of what the Lord has done.

Prayer

Heart Nest

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. Isa 26:20

 

I watched a bright yellow Weaver bird gather strands from a palm and construct his nest. While common in Africa, the Weaver is something of a marvel. A missionary boy in Nigeria brought me a nest to examine and I was amazed to find a repeating pattern in the bird's knitting. The nest was a hollow globe with a small entry at the bottom that kept out rain and predators. In Southern Africa I watched a Weaver add a hanging tunnel to the side opening of his nest. The only way in was to wiggle through the 30 cm long tube. A hundred of these nests dangled like Christmas tree balls keeping the eggs snug from the storms and mayhem of the outside world.

 

God tells His people to hide in their rooms from His wrath against the world. This is not an injunction to recluse away from the lost; it is warning to keep our hearts protected for our True Love. The activities of this life threaten to consume me—both its lures and its pain. Sexy ads, trendy cars, exotic vacations, agonizing diseases, bizarre changes, innovative technology, bloody massacres, radical music, births and death: so much to grapple with and integrate. Jesus says, "Let Me be your nest, your place of safety away from the noise of the world around you. Withdraw your heart into intimate friendship with Me while I deal with everything on the outside."

 

I am invited into a quiet yet passionate interior life with Jesus. My faith must weave a strong sanctuary against anything this life can dish out good or bad. Each new event is occasion to curl up next to Jesus and rest in His strength and peace; to grow in the fullness of my love. So much of what is said or goes on around me is never meant to come into the nest. I must trust Jesus to whisper those few things I need in order to serve Him. All the rest is marked to be destroyed by the wrath of God, so leave it outside.

 

Prayer: Jesus, hide my heart away from the temptations and pain of the world.

Choice of Perspective

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Rom 8:19

 

18 years ago Dani was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Her bravery in the face of growing disability has inspired many of us to greater faith in how God can strengthen the inner person. Last week she underwent another MRI and the doctor called to discuss the results. There was now no sign of the disease as recorded on previous tests. The copy of the report mailed to us confirmed what the doctor said. We were torn between celebration and confusion over the continuing symptoms. About three days later a second report arrived. It turned out the first result applied only to the scan of her neck and the second applied to the brain where the disease showed itself plainly. There is a lesson in this experience.

 

It is foolish to let our joy yoyo with physical circumstances. I tend to fixate on the current events in my life and miss the much larger picture. God is forever trying to enlarge my perspective to not be so shallow, frail, and stuck on the temporal. "You are consumed by the struggle," He challenges, "and forget the struggle is only the springboard to eternal glory."

 

An accusation many of us have hurled at Heaven is, 'How can a God of love allow suffering?' The plain answer is He agrees with us and has stepped in with a plan to end death, illness, evil, injustice, disunity, heartache, Multiple Sclerosis, and every other tragedy mankind brought on himself. The question is not where is God when there is suffering but where is man when there is a remedy? Am I so busy with my self important finger pointing that I will be left out of the solution? Our Heavenly Father has never been able to stomach the corruption of His creation. However in His perspective enduring a crushed body for a few years is more than worth the eternal joy, celebration, and praise that will be ours if we bear up with His strength. There is a stadium-wide bowl filled to the brim with golden reward. Sure there is a gnat flailing in our treasure but already the Mighty Hand is moving to remove it. Shall I choose to obsess with my tiny present sufferings to the exclusion of the overflowing bowl? I think not.

 

Prayer: Holy Father, let me see life with Your eyes.