Text Size: +/-

Posted on: December 15, 2018

Advent Series Week 3: Jesus the Sin-bearer is With Us

Advent Series Week 3: Jesus, the Sin-Bearer is With Us (From the Cradle to the Cross) John 1:29

Introduction
One day a little boy was excited to show his father what he could do. So, he kept saying, “Look-it daddy, look-it me, look-it, daddy, look-it…” But daddy had his nose in the newspaper. So the boy got even louder “Look-it, daddy….look-it me….look it…look-it…look-it”…
Finally, the dad could take it no longer; put his paper down and said, “Okay…I’m looking-it you”

I think that Dad paints the picture of many of us at Christmas time. We get distracted by all the trappings of life and we fail to notice the beauty of the true meaning of Christmas. We’ve got our nose in just so much other activity. 

John 1:29
The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

The word LOOK

According to Webster’s dictionary the word “Look” has various meanings…

to ascertain by the use of one’s eyes, to exercise the power of vision upon, to expect, to anticipate, to direct one’s attention, to direct the eyes

John tells his listeners to “Look” at Jesus
John sees Jesus approaching and he turns to the crowd gathered around him and says, “look”. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”, “direct your attention to the Person I’ve been talking about”, “get your eyes off the problems that you are facing. Get your eyes off all the busyness that you are involved in and, direct your eyes upon Jesus.

And John’s message is certainly appropriate for us today

We need to really LOOK! We need to make sure that we focus our attention upon Jesus. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the Babe in the Manger. For all the sale flyers and Shopping specials. Don’t get me wrong, like I mentioned last week, it’s a question of balance. There’s nothing wrong with shopping for presents. But if that is were our FOCUS is then we need John’s proclamation to “LOOK” because we need to make sure that we can SEE Jesus…

Sure, enjoy the times with family and friends. Enjoy the shopping and the music and the lights. But also make sure you enjoy some time with Jesus! 


Jesus is the Lamb of God

John says, “Look, the Lamb of God.” When John calls Jesus, “the Lamb of God”, he is referring to the sacrificial lamb. The people of Jesus’ day would be quite familiar with the idea of lambs and sacrifice.


The picture of lamb and crown of thorns says it well ….(describe pic of Lamb/crown of thorns)

Jesus Bears Our Sin

John says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. We can’t just LOOK to see the Lamb of God, but we have to come to the realization that Jesus went from the manger to the cross to bear our sins.

Jesus in our Sin-Bearer. John recognized that and told the people to look at Jesus, He’s the Lamb of God and He’s here to deal with the problem of sin in the world. He is here to bear your sin and my sin.

Look at the picture (manger to the cross).That was the plan. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why we are celebrating Christmas. Jesus was born so that He could die. He was born under humble and humiliating circumstances; born to an unwed mother,  in a feed trough. And He died under humble and humiliating circumstances; Surrounded by criminals, treated like a criminal. And yet He did this for you and for me.

Conclusion(Picture)
Christmas is a perfect time to remember why Jesus came and what He did for you and for me. But before we do, I just wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to LOOK upon Jesus and focus your attention upon Him. Perhaps you’ve come to the realization that although Christ came to take away the sin of the world you are still are carrying the sin in your own life because you haven’t confessed your sin and allowed Jesus to heal you or maybe because you haven’t yet forgiven yourself or do not think God can forgive you.

But I want to give you the opportunity to do just that this Holy Season. Just go to Confession and watch Jesus your sin-bearer wash you clean and make you whole again.

Posted on: December 9, 2018

Advent Series Week 2 - JESUS THE SUSTAINER IS WITH US

Posted on: December 1, 2018

Advent Series Week 1 - Jesus the Creator, is with Us

Advent Series Week 1: Jesus the Creator is With Us Jn.1:1-14
Introduction
I read this story many years ago of God sitting in heaven when a scientist prays to Him and says, "God, we don’t need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing in other words, we can now do what You did in the beginning."…
"Oh, is that so? Tell Me more..." God asked. “Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of You and breathe life into it, thus creating man."
"Well, that’s very interesting...show Me."
So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil into the shape of a man. “No, no, no..." interrupts God, "Get your own dirt.

That’s the difference between God and man isn’t it? People can be very creative. They can take wood, paint, pen, or brush and create some of the most beautiful masterpieces. But in the end, when get down to the basics we discover that we still have to start with God’s dirt. When God started there was nothing. The earth was formless and empty. And then from the emptiness God created everything in all creation.

Jesus the Creator, Is with us
This Advent Season I would want us to look at Christmas from a slightly different angle. Of the many of names of Jesus my favorite is Emmanuel which means “God with us”. Typically at Christmas time we think of Jesus coming to earth in the form of a little Baby and becoming God with us. But Jesus is with us not only as a little Baby at Christmas time. But Jesus is with us in many different ways and different aspects and it is these different ways that Jesus is with us that I would like to look at for these 4 Sundays of Advent.

Today, I would like us to look at Jesus…The Creator with us. Next week we will look at Jesus the Sustainer, He is with us.

John tells us that In the beginning was the Word. John takes the story of Jesus all the way back into eternity and tells us, “in the beginning was the Word”. John’s writing and referring to Jesus as “the Word” is very interesting. When we think of words perhaps we think of written words. We play word games with paper and pencil. But for people in Bible times when they thought of words they thought of the spoken word. Which brings to mind another important aspect to the Genesis story of creation. When we read the story of creation. We are quick to notice that God SPOKE the world into existence…
“God SAID let there be light…and there was light”…

Using words, God spoke the world into being. John tells us, “In the beginning, was the Word”. “And the Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God”. Jesus was there with God In the beginning.

Next, John tells us that Jesus was intimately involved in the creation of the world. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness”. Jesus was there from the beginning. He has always existed with God. He, as God, was responsible for all creation…

So, when we turn our attention to Jesus during the Christmas season, of course, we always picture Jesus as a Baby in the manger. But let us also realize that as we look at that Baby in the manger He was with God in the beginning. And He was intimately involved with creating all this beauty that we enjoy looking at.

In verse 10, John tells the sad commentary that although Jesus came into this world and walked among us the world, by and large, did not receive Him. And it saddens me every day to realize that that trend continues even today. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. But people today fail to see Him. They look at creation and see a thing of beauty. But they don’t recognize the handiwork of the One who created all the beauty. Increasingly, the world is trying to take Jesus out of the world…

John says, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him”. Do you think that man recognized Jesus Christ? No, if he did, he would have had a relationship with him. I think that would have made all the difference.

Jesus brings hope. Jesus brings peace. Jesus brings comfort. Jesus…the One Who created us is with us.

Conclusion
So how can we apply this to our lives this Christmas? 

1.    When Jesus created the first time, He took that which was formless, empty, void, and dark and brought life out of it. He created all of it including you and me. Jesus is still in the business of taking something dark, and lost and lonely and giving it new life. 
There are times when life seems to be difficult. Family problems…Health problems…Financial problems…So many problems… But Jesus is able to take that which is chaos and bring order.
Let Him be Emmanuel… 

2.    This Christmas season I hope you can look back to the manger and see Jesus as a Baby. But, I hope you are able to look even beyond the manger and see that Jesus was with us even before that. And, then bring your vision all the way down to today.
Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us today. He created us. He knows all about us. He is still creatively involved in our lives. He is still able to bring the chaos into order. He is still able to bring the darkness into light 
He is Jesus, the Creator and He is with us today.

Older Posts Newer Posts