Sermon notes from Sunday 3 December 2017
Matthew 1 verses 18 - 25
3 llittle things I want to leave with you today, 3 things that will encourage and enrich our faith, bring us back to the basics as children of God. We forget so readily and easily that Jesus Christ made his entrance into this world to repair the damage done from the Garden of Eden. If you have asked Christ to be your Saviour, asked him to take your sins away they are dealt with so that one day you may stand before him no longer condemned but forgiven. He came into a family. In the days of creation on the sixth day he did something very special. He crowned all of creation with the creation of man and woman. Genesis 1 verse 31 "and God saw everything he had made and behold it was very good." Before that everything was only "good". Somehow when man was placed into creation it was very good. That was in God`s heart and mind after he received instructions from God. He told them to be fruitful and multiply the earth. He crowned his creation with marriage. Today we see an onslaught to break that union down. The devil is so busy in breaking down that family union that God created and made. God had no problem when it comes to gender. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins." There are 3 things we need to get our head around as we come to the Christmas season. The Lord coming into the world through that family in Bethlehem.
The lowliness of his coming. The Lord came into this world for one purpose and one purpose only - that he might reconcile you to God. There was a broken relationship. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God sin entered into the world "so through Adam sin entered into the world." What makes me a sinner? It is not the first alcoholic drink or the first drug taken or the first swear words I spoke - it is the moment I was conceived in the womb. We came forth and practiced sin. God loved you so much that he sent his son Jesus into the world to die on the cross. That is the only way your sin could be reconciled, that you could be redeemed - by Jesus, God`s own son dying on the rugged cross for you. He did not come to a wealthy family, not applauded by kings and princes of this world. He came into this world, into a lowly birth place. What it cost God today. We should fall at his feet and worship him as the wise men did. As Herod gathered the wise men on that particular day he called the scribes and counsellors to where he was. He told them "these men are from the east and have followed a star right to where we are now." Speaking here of a new born king who has come into the world. Herod was one of the wickedess king ever lived. He didn`t think anything of killing anyone even his own family to keep his throne. He called in his wise scholars. They went back to the book of Micah where it was written "But now Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth have been of old for everlasting." (Micah 5 verse 2) The Lord was not coming to a palace but rather to a little town. Paul thought on these things when he wrote in to the Corinthians "for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that, though he wast rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8 verse 9) With all of his riches and splendour and glory in heaven he left it behind to come into this world for you and I. As Mary and Joseph approached Bethlehem every place was taken up. There was no room for them. Mary had to bring forth her firstborn in a stable and laid him in a manger. His mother and father could find no room. They were shown to a little place at the back of the hotel, a place where animals were kept. There she went in and brought forth her firstborn son, the Lord for you and I. He was born in a manger. When the first sense of pride comes into my heart, I want to look back and see where the Lord came into this world. When I think of how great I am I look back into the manger and see him being born there. She could not adorn him in royal robes just swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. The lowliness. He came to Mary and Joseph a young couple planning their lives before them. They had nothing by way of this world`s wealth. We read of when Mary went to the temple to present the Lord after her purification of days. In the book of Leviticus she would have been instructed to go to the temple and bring a lamb, a pigeon or a turtle dove. We read what Mary brought - Luke 2 verse 24. A pair of turtle doves or 2 young pigeons. Why did she do that? To show us again the poverty of the home. When Jesus was brought into the temple, they couldn`t even bring a proper sacrifice. God did not designate a place or private school to be educated in. It was to one of the poorest famililes that he entered this world. Is it any wonder we read in the scriptures "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."(John 3 verse 16) Instead of my death he sent his son to suffer death for me. The lowliness he was shown.
The lovingness he was shown. Mary and Joseph had the responsibility of rearing this child. They had something in abundance though - love. God did something very special for Mary and Joseph. He gave his son. Do we really grasp that? That which was born to Mary and Joseph was nothing but God in the flesh. That same transaction has happened in your life. That he feels he can travail in your life. Do we get that today - not that the Lord came but he loved me before I turned my attention to him. He put his attentions on me before I gave him a second thought. He died on the cross. When he was there I was on his mind. Can you imagine Mary as she enters into the cattle shed. She didn`t stamp her feet and question why she was there - she went into that place. Imagine the smell as she went in. The animals shared the space. She brings forth her firstborn son. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary to take that little one into her bosom and caress him for the first time. She was caressing God in the flesh with adoring love. Do we love him? Is he more precious to us than all this world`s gold? Do we love him with all our hearts today? The preciousness of the gift of God he has given to you and I. T he preciousness of the death of Christ. That we would never be lost. He left the splendours of heaven, conceived of the Holy Ghost. The first hands to touch him where those of a loving mother. Gently she would stroke his cheek like any other mother would do. If we could only get to that preciousness again, to share that love again. What about the last hands that touched him. The soldiers reached forth and pulled the very hairs off his face, slapped his face, took that crown of thorns and forced it onto his brow. They roughly cast him out into the streets to carry his own cross. Remember Joseph of Arimathea a secret disciple of Jesus. He begged to take Jesus` body down. He went up to the cross and brought Jesus` body down. He handled it so lovingly, carefully wrapped that body in fine linen cloths and carried it to his own tomb. He placed it on that cold slab. The lovingness that was shown but what about the lovingness in this couple as Jesus grew up with them. Imagine the news as it came to Mary. Joseph was confused about all of this. This was fulfilled to the prophecy of Isaiah 750 years before. Imagine the love in Joseph`s heart at that time. Would Joseph have said "Mary do you know what has happened here? Mary do you know you were written about 750 years ago? I am the father with the responsibility." Our hearts could be filled with pride but not for Joseph and Mary. They reared this child in humility and love. There was no time for pride. For us today, everything has been done for us out of great love and mercy for we deserve nothing.
The loneliness of his work and walk. His first appearing was to rejection. They had no time for him. Have we time for him today? Think of the many times of loneliness throughout his life and yes even at the end too. In the garden, in Pilate`s hall, when Peter walked afar off, on the cross when he cried "my God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?" Think of the triumphant call on the third day as he was received by his father back into heaven once more. When we think of the love that dwindles at time in our hearts we cannot even begin to think of the loneliness he feels towards us. What a challenge to us today.
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