Jesus Came (2 nd Sunday of Advent) Many of us are familiar with the Christmas movie: It s a Wonderful Life. During this movie, Jimmy Stewart s character-george Bailey has the chance to view life in his small town and see how things are different if he (George Bailey) had never been born. In this movie, the evil influence of Mr. Potter has gained control and many families are affected simply because George Bailey was not there to help offset the bad. One of the scenarios that points out the influence of one person is where George s brother died because George was not there to save him. This leads to a troop ship being sunk and many lives lost. This movie is one that is typically associated with the Christmas season as it is cast on Christmas Eve. We may be able to see the good influence that George Bailey had in that small town and realize, as George finally did, he had a wonderful life and the town was better because George came in the history of the town. Last week, we looked at the Advent Season through the lens of Jesus will return. I mentioned then that we can view Jesus in three verb tenses. Jesus will come (future tense), Jesus has come (past tense) and Jesus is here. Today, we will view Jesus through the lens of the past tense and consider how the world might be different if Jesus had not come along with the positive things in the world because He came. There is a poem that many may have read or heard. It is attributed to James Allen Francis. In a few words, this poem will give us the highlights of the life of Jesus. One Solitary Life 1
He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that have ever reigned, put together, have not have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life. [Attributed to James Allen Francis] As I began to prepare for this lesson, I found out that James Kennedy had written a book about the idea that Jesus was never born. In his book, Dr. Kennedy points out many areas that have been affected in history and modern civilization. He also points out those who have denigrated Jesus and Christians. The evil influences of people like Friederich Nietzsche, the nineteenth-century atheist philosopher who coined the phrase "God is dead," likened Christianity to poison that has infected the whole world. 2
Nietzsche held up as heroes a "herd of blond beasts of prey, a race of conquerors and masters." According to Nietzsche these Teutonic warriors were corrupted by Christianity. "This splendid ruling stock was corrupted, first by the Catholic laudation of feminine virtues, secondly by the Puritan and plebeian ideals of the Reformation, and thirdly by intermarriage with inferior stock." Had Jesus never come, wailed Nietzsche, we would never have had the corruption of "slave morals" into the human race. Surely, we can see that many of these ideas are the same one embraced by Adolf Hitler. Okay, that is an extreme example. In modern history, and this is certainly germane for today, many people are certain that a humanistic world is more ideal. The idea that we humans are smart, loving and caring. We can determine the best course to follow as we move forward into the future. If we delete all references to God or Jesus, if we eliminate the principles of human value and worth as defined by the creator of all, then we will sink into chaos. Life will have no value. Only the strongest and most able will enjoy any fruit of success. This bleak picture should inspire us to look to and teach the place and value of Jesus in the world. Things were pretty bleak in the history of the world as Rome began to expand its grip on the known world. The success of their conquest led to the idea that the ruler was not just approved by a god but indeed was a god. The timing was right for God to send the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ. Paul writes to the church in Galatia and tells them in the 4 th chapter of Galatians that Jesus came at the right time. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were 3
under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5 NASB) We could spend hours and hours reviewing all the good things that Jesus caused on earth. We could spend countless hours looking at the good that those who follow Jesus and have made the commitment to live like Jesus, have brought about in the world and societies today. Here is a partial list of some of the benefits that owe their existence to the Christian influence: Hospitals Universities Literacy and education for the masses Civil liberties Abolition of slavery Modern science Equal treatment of women Recognition of all people as equals Moral standards that protect all individuals Charity These are just a few. Without Jesus and the influence of His followers, we would be lacking the moral compass that has served so well in many fields of our daily lives. All of these things are important and help to make this world a better place. Yet the most important thing that we would miss if Jesus had not come to this world is salvation. 4
John opens his gospel account of Jesus with the origin of Jesus, the aura of Jesus and the mission of Jesus. Let s look in the first chapter of John and begin with the first verse. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was (lit This one was) in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (or overpower) it. (John 1:1-5 NASB) From this passage, we learn that the word was with God from the beginning. The word is personified (referred to as He ). The word was there during the creation and had an active role in the creation. The word of God is life and that life is the light of mankind. This light will and does overcome darkness. Dropping down to verse 9, we see again that Jesus was around and responsible for the creation. We also learn why Jesus came. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man (or which enlightens every person coming into the world). He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13 NASB) John tells us that when we receive Jesus, we are given the right to become children of God. 5
Later in this same gospel, Jesus talks with Nicodemus and Jesus tells him why He came into the world. Turn now to the 3 rd chapter of John as we begin reading with verse 13. No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. (or believes in Him will have eternal life) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:13-17 NASB) Why did Jesus come? What was His purpose? He came so the world might be saved through Him. Salvation is only available through Jesus. Salvation is the ultimate work of Jesus and His purpose for coming to earth. How does this allow for all of the other things that we talked about earlier? How does this bring about charity, justice, peace on earth? Paul gives us some answers in his letter to the church in Colossians. First, Paul of our spiritual death burial and resurrection into the fullness of God as revealed in Jesus. Consider Colossians 2:9-12. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete (or full), and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were 6
also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:9-12 NASB) There is a phrase that is used by some to describe how sometime churches are so eager to baptize that they often abandon the new convert. That phrase is dip and drop. Paul does not leave us with that dip and drop as he continues in the third chapter. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:1-11 NASB) Jesus came to this world so that we may receive our salvation. Then, we are to live like this list. This is the positive influence that Jesus exerts in this world. It is 7
through our lives. Jesus came to bring light into the dark world. Are we helping to maintain the flame? 8