Why Call Him the Savior? – Luke 2:8-14, 19:10

• December 29, 2022
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Luke 2:8-14, 19:10

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

“Our God and our Father, as we take these few moments to consider Your holy Word, we pray that You would help us to put aside all the thoughts of wrapping paper and food. Help us to put away the fact that it’s cold outside, and help us to find solace in the fact that we’re in Your house celebrating the birth of our Savior, Your Son, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.”

As we conclude this little Advent/Christmas sermon series I want us to consider one final question: Why call Him the Savior? Some of you already have that verse from Matthew 1:21 in your heads: “because He will save His people from their sins.” Indeed, we call Him the Savior, we call Him Jesus because that describes God’s purpose in sending Him in the first place. But that’s not the only name. That’s not the only title that He was given or that people called Him by. The incomparable Lord Jesus was called the Lamb of God, Man of Sorrows, Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Mighty God, Bright and Morning Star, Immanuel, Dayspring, Rock, Judge, Bread of Life, King of kings, Teacher, Light of the World, Servant, and the only Way to heaven.

The Bible uses more than 300 names and titles to describe Jesus, but Jesus can no more be contained in these names and titles than we can contain the ocean in a collection of beautiful bottles. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, often expressed his frustration in trying to wrap his arms around the character of Jesus. On one occasion, in a sermon titled A Greater Than Solomon he wrote:

“I know my words cannot honor Him according to His merit. I wish they could. Indeed, I grow less and less satisfied with my thoughts and language concerning Him. He is too glorious for my feeble language to describe Him. If I could speak with tongues of men and angels, I could not speak worthily of Him. If I could borrow all of the harmonies of heaven and enlist every harp and song of the glorified, were not that music sweet enough for His praises.”

How do you describe the greatness of the Lord Jesus? His personal name, the name we associate with His human personality is Jesus. Immanuel is the name of His proximity to us. But Savior! Oh, that name! That’s the name of the Lord’s earthly mission. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10-11).

Israel’s past abounded with human saviors, but Jesus took the title of Savior and gave it new and eternal meaning. The title defines both His life and His death. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Promise of the Savior

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, KJV). This promise follows up Isaiah’s Old Testament prophecy: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV). And just months before Jesus’ birth, God reiterated the same promise to Joseph: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The Purpose of the Savior

Again, Luke 2:11 says, “For there is born to you this day. . . a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” In the Gospel, Jesus speaks very frequently about the purpose of His incarnation. Time and again, He says that He has come to do His Father’s will.

For example, one day He encountered a strange little man named Zacchaeus, a man of wealth and distinction. Yet when Jesus passed through his town, this Jewish tax collector ran ahead of the crowd and climbed into a tree to get a better view. Jesus called him by name and invited him to lunch. And when the towns people heard about it, they were angry because they hated Zacchaeus’ fraudulent ways. And when they questioned Jesus about eating with such a person, His response was, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

The Savior Is Needed to Seek the Lost

A certain chorus says, “I found what I wanted when I found the Lord.” It’s a good tune, but bad theology. We weren’t seeking the Lord; He was seeking us. In Luke, we are told about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. All of them had to be sought to be found. And observe the music and majesty in Jesus’ statement in Luke 19:10 – there’s one focus: the lost; and two actions: to seek and to save. Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission. But it’s not just seeking the lost…

The Savior Is Needed to Save the Lost

There are all sorts of images that come to mind when we think about being “saved.” The one that tends to come to my mind – perhaps because I like being out on the water – is a picture of sailors clinging to the wreckage of a ship, helicopters hovering in the night sky, shining their lights on the sea in search of the living. Or maybe you think of a collapsed mine where workers are trapped far beneath the earth – oxygen running low, and men crouching in the darkness, wondering if they dare hope for salvation.

But these temporal situations are transcended by the tragedy of people who are lost in the rubble of their own sin. And often, without knowing what they’re longing for: lost people are crying out to be rescued. Until we’re willing to admit to God that we fall short of His glorious perfection, then whatever Jesus may have done for us will not make any difference. He doesn’t force Himself upon us. He paid the penalty for our sin but waits for us to accept, by faith, His gift of eternal salvation. There’s the Promise of the Savior, the Purpose of the Savior, and finally…

The Provision of the Savior

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11, KJV).

The Birth of Jesus Is a Fact of History

There was a specific moment in which the Lord God was born into humanity, when He arrived through the virgin Mary. On a certain day, in a certain place, at a certain time. The Bible is clear that Jesus’ birth was a historic event. His birth is not the beginning of a spiritual force, but the record of a Person who had an actual birthday.

The Birth of Jesus Is a Fulfillment of Prophecy

Jesus’ birth is also a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Again, the biblical text says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David” (KJV). The city of David is the city of Bethlehem – the “place of bread” or the “house of bread.” As the prophet, Micah, predicted, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). Written 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, this prophecy is nothing short of a miracle!

The Birth of Jesus Is a Foundation for Eternity

The birth of Jesus is also a foundation for eternity: “Unto you is born. . . a Savior” (KJV). God entered into humanity so that humanity would be able to enter into heavenly eternity. The birth of Jesus, while it happened at a point in time, began something that will never end.

I wonder if you’ve ever heard of the “Christmas blues.” No, it’s not a reference to a musical style. It’s an actual medical thing called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I’m not making this up. You can look it up in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) that hospitals and doctor’s offices use. There are many people that are sad this time of the year, and I’m not talking about people that are legitimately sorrowful over the loss of a loved one. I’m talking about people who otherwise would be happy and joyous. Even Christians and pastors can become SAD, what with all of the busyness of the season. We need to stop thinking about all of the meals, all of the gifts, all of the preparations, and start thinking about Christ. He’s our Prophet. He’s our Priest. He’s our King. He’s the Master, the Bridegroom, and the Good Shepherd; He’s the Holy One of God; He’s Immanuel – God with us. And His name is Jesus.

John introduced Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Magi recognized Him as the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). Thomas called Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Christmas is all about Christ. It isn’t about presents; it’s about His presence. You may not have family nearby, but your Father is close at hand.

I would like to conclude this little series, and especially this morning’s message with a song that summarizes why we call Him the Savior:

He laid aside all the heavenly glory
To be God’s word in the image of man
All to show me that grace, faith and mercy
Was the mystery and wonder of eternity’s plan

And then He carried my sin onto Calvary
And clearly having no guilt of His own
He was nailed to a cross of my making
But He used it to bridge o’er the void to God’s throne

CHORUS
No wonder they call Him Savior
No wonder they call Him Lord
Jesus, God’s choicest favor
Cost more than this world could ever afford
He ransomed His life for my pardon
Sin’s price paid in full not in part
No wonder they call Him Savior
Jesus, the Lamb of God
No wonder they call Him Savior
Jesus, the Lamb of God

I wasn’t there, when the earth was created
So, I’ve no proof that he hung every star
But I know what my life was without Him
And the joy that was mine when He rescued my heart

Why Mary? – Luke 1

• December 19, 2022
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Luke 1:26-38; 46-56

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Luke 1. A few weeks ago, we started this little sermon series called Why the Nativity? and we’re just looking at this familiar Christmas scene and asking some questions. We started by asking: Why Did Jesus Become a Man? And we just got really honest and said, “What’s the big deal? I mean, why did Jesus even have to be born at all? Why did He have to become a human?” Then, two weeks ago, we asked the question: Why Joseph? Again, trying not to make any assumptions, we just looked at the manger scene we said, “Ok, Jesus was born, but why Joseph? What was it about Joseph that caused God chose Him?” And today, we’re going to follow up with the “Why Mary?” question.

Now, there may be several of you that are listening to this and you’re very reasonable, rational, logical thinkers and you’re saying to yourself, “This is silly. God is sovereign. I can’t possibly know the mind of God. He can do what He wants to do, when He wants to do it, and however He wants to do it, and He chose Joseph and Mary for His own good will and pleasure. Let’s just accept it and move on in faith.”

If that’s you, then let me say, “Welcome to the club; that’s the way that I sometimes look at these questions?” And, in many cases, that’s not a bad approach to take. Nevertheless, God did, indeed, choose to use Mary and Joseph for His own good will and purposes, and perhaps we can learn something about ourselves and about God by looking at the people and circumstances that He used to bring about the salvation of mankind. And that’s why we’re asking the question: Why Mary?

So, let’s look at Mary through the lens of sacred Scripture and see what the Bible has to say about her, and how her example might help us to become more faithful and obedient followers of Jesus Christ. I’m going to start with Luke 1:26-38:

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

And now, a few verses down, reading from Luke 1:46-56:

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, 55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with [Elizabeth] about three months and returned to her home.

“Speak, O Lord, as we come to You to receive the food of Your Holy Word. Father, would You take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness. Today, especially, O God, cause our faith to rise and our eyes to see Your majestic love and authority. For we ask it in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Why Mary? Well, I want to offer us three possible responses found in these verses, but before I do I need to address something else and I want to be careful and, yet, clear in the way that I do it. Those of us that make up Mountain Hill Community Church come from a wide variety of church traditions and denominations (mostly Protestant), but there are a couple of folks that either grew up in Catholic homes, attending Catholic Mass, or you have friends and family members that are Catholics. And you’ve likely had conversations about Mary or – over the years – you’ve heard bits and pieces from your Catholic friends and family regarding her.

I’m in the latter category. One of my closest friends is a Catholic follower of Christ Jesus. I just want us to understand that when you ask the question Why Mary?, depending on your background and exposure to the Catholic Church, you might be expecting a certain set of answers. For example, in the Catholic Church, there are four (4) Marian dogmas – things that are binding for all Catholics to confess and believe:

1. Her motherhood of God – and by that they don’t simply mean that she was the earthly mother and bearer of Jesus (something that Protestants affirm), but that she played (and still plays) a special role in the salvation of mankind; uniting us to Jesus (that’s something that Protestants, particularly this one, take issue with).
2. Her immaculate conception – and by that they mean that she, herself, was conceived without the stain of original sin, that she, in her own birth from the very beginning was sinless. They’re quick to point out that she still required the grace of Jesus, but that it simply occurred before she was ever conceived. Again, this is something that Protestants take issue with, me included.
3. Her perpetual virginity – and by that they mean two things: one, that she was a virgin when she conceived and gave birth, (something that Protestants affirm) and two, that she remained a virgin throughout her life and that her virginity – as unique and special as it was – is actually something that sanctified her (personally, I disagree with this view, but it doesn’t rise to the same level of concern as the previous two).
4. Her assumption – and by that they are referring to the idea that upon the completion of her life she was assumed in body and soul to heaven. They’re quick to acknowledge this is not a resurrection – resurrections are a sign of divine power – but that she was elevated and assumed into heaven by the power and grace of God (again, I disagree with this, but it’s not on the same level as the first two).

Now, I recognize that I might have just offended some people, and I pray that you know me well enough to know that it’s never my stated intention to offend, but I simply want to help us understand that this question: Why Mary? will elicit differing responses based on our church background and our degree of Bible study and theology. It’s my belief that the Catholic Church has erred in its understanding, view, and veneration of Mary.

But before you either wipe your brow and take a sigh of relief that you’re not in that camp, or you decide to throw something at me in disgust, let me go on record and say that I also believe many Protestants, including myself, have also erred when it comes to Mary. As Protestants, in our historical zeal to distance ourselves from the Catholic Church over what we believe are theological errors, I believe we’ve allowed the pendulum to swing to the other extreme – namely, we’ve failed to give Mary much, if any, honor and respect. And this morning, I hope to right that wrong, even if only slightly.

Mary was a godly woman. The mere fact that God the Father chose her to be the mother of His Son, and her humble response to the angel, where she was willing to do what the Lord called her to do, should serve as an example to us all. So, Why Mary?

Mary Teaches Us the Submission of Godliness

In Luke 1:38, we read these words, “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your Word.’ And the angel departed from her.” From the very beginning of Mary’s relationship with Jesus, it was all about submission.

Think about it. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary with this news, this memo from on high that she was to be the human mother of the Messiah, she had no warning, she had no preparation, no timeline, no precedent to compare this to. The entire dialogue between Mary and the angel took place in what seems to be solitude – meaning there wasn’t anyone else present. No witnesses. No one eavesdropping. Nobody that Mary could turn to for confirmation – just her own personal encounter with the angel. Yet, what was her response? She said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your Word.” In other words, “Lord, I don’t understand this. I don’t comprehend it, but whatever You desire, I’ll do it.”

Now . . . that response doesn’t mean that Mary didn’t have questions – only that whatever those questions were, they didn’t keep her from being obedient. I imagine that even responding as courageously as she did, there were still questions – like, “Why me? Why did God choose me to be the mother of Jesus?” To be honest, the Bible doesn’t tell us why. The Bible doesn’t give us any explicit answers to the question: Why Mary? Ultimately, only God knows.

But it’s clear from studying her life, and the little information that we have, that she was no random selection. She was a woman of Scripture, a woman of faith. In her song of praise, in Luke 1:54-55 she speaks of God’s mercy upon Israel and how God spoke to Abraham and others. She was also a virgin. The Bible clearly says that Mary would be a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) in order that the glory of God might be miraculously demonstrated. She was from humble means – Nazareth. Remember Nathaniel’s comment in John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Prophecies given hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth (Isaiah 53, Zechariah 9:9) declared that the Messiah would be of little reputation. Not something that typically happens when you come from a wealthy and socially prestigious, and affluent city.

Mary was all of these things. She honored and obeyed the will of the Father, providing a home from which the Lord Jesus could emerge to launch the work that would define all of human history. Jesus toddled behind Mary in His infancy; and then, in time, she walked behind Him. In fact, she walked behind Him all the way to the cross and all the way to the tomb.

There comes a moment when God asks each of us to do something that we should obey. And we face the same dilemma that she did. Will we accept it or reject it? When God asks me to do something that may be hard or, certainly, that I don’t understand, my prayer is that I will rise up in obedience with the words of Mary, “Be it unto me according to Your Word. Lord, whatever You want, I am Your servant. I will do what You ask me to do.”

If you’ve been fighting with something God has been asking you to do. Let me ask you to go back and learn the submission of godliness from Mary, and let her words be yours, “Lord God, let it be to me according to Your Word. I will do what You tell me to do.”

Mary Teaches Us the Surprise of Godliness

The adventure of walking with Jesus is the greatest adventure you will ever know on this earth. Heaven will be better, of course, but until then, seeking to walk with the Lord and go where He wants you to go, and do what He wants you to do – to be His hands, to be His feet, to speak for Him, to be engaged in the work of His kingdom – is a wonderful experience.

To know that you are related to the King of kings and the Lord of lords… To know that the Creator of the universe has sent His Son to live in you… To know that you have a direct communication with Almighty God… To know that you can fellowship with Him and that He will direct, guide, strengthen, and be with you – that is truly a great adventure. But it’s also full of surprises.

The Bible tells us that when you walk with the Lord, He doesn’t always give you everything you want to know. It’s sort of like a “need to know” basis. And that’s the way it was with Mary; Mary’s whole relationship with Jesus Christ was a relationship of surprise. When Gabriel made his startling announcement, how did she respond? The Bible says, “When she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was” (Luke 1:29). Mary had no preparation for this assignment: God surprised her. And when the shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angel had told them about Jesus and His birth, she quietly pondered things. We read, “And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:18-19).

Have you ever had a moment when Almighty God speaks to you, or something happens that you can’t explain? It causes you to pause and ponder what God has said. Like Mary, we often find ourselves surprised in our walk with God. And like Mary, we don’t have a blueprint for our lives or for those of our children. But when we submit to the Lord by faith, we discover He’s always there for us. He hears our prayers. He meets our needs.

Mary teaches us the submission of godliness, and the surprise of godliness. Finally, Mary teaches us the suffering of godliness.

Mary Teaches Us the Suffering of Godliness

It seems contradictory, but in the midst of Christmas we need to pause from the joy and gladness and remember that Christmas is only meaningful in light of the fact that it’s the beginning and not the end. Christmas, by itself, is a beautiful story and nothing more. It’s half of the gospel.  It’s not the full gospel.  It’s like a quarter that had one side successfully struck while in the mint, but the other side malfunctioned and wasn’t struck.  You had that to a cashier and they’re likely to reject it.  Why?  Because it’s not technically a quarter (by banking and monetary standards).  Same holds true with Easter.  If we only preach and teach Calvary without proper appreciation and understanding of Bethlehem, then it’s only a partial gospel.  We need to put Christmas together with Easter; that’s when you realize that the cradle and the grave have a straight line drawn between them.

There’s no reason to celebrate the cradle of Christmas, if there isn’t a cross of Calvary. Jesus was born to die. That’s why He came in the first place. Of the seven statements that Jesus made from the cross, in His dying hour, the third was directed to Mary. Around the cross that day were the onlookers and the bystanders. The critics of our Lord were there – those who had mocked Him with their words. The chief priests, the scribes, the elders of the Jews – those who pointed their fingers at Him and shouted, “If you’re the Christ, save Yourself.” But Mary was also there. She was seeing… She was hearing… She was feeling… She was experiencing the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy, way back when Jesus was an infant and was being dedicated in the temple, “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, [Mary]” (Luke 2:35).

The late James Stalker was a minister in the United Free Church or Scotland, and he wrote a number of wonderful books on the life of Jesus. Listen to how he described this moment in Mary’s life:

“There Jesus hung before her eyes, but she was helpless. His wounds bled, but she dare not touch them. His mouth was parched, but she could not moisten it. The nails pierced her as well as Him. The thorns round His brow were a circle of flame around her heart… The Babe of Bethlehem, the Boy of Nazareth, the brawny Workman of the carpenter’s shop, the gentle Man of Galilee, the Teacher without equal, the mighty Man of merciful miracles, the humble Man of patience and grace, her own Son is now writhing before her own eyes in the throes of agony and death.”

In that moment of Mary’s greatest grief… In that moment of Mary’s darkest nightmare… Jesus turned to John and spoke into her suffering and insured that His beloved disciple would care for His mother until the very end. And the Scripture says that when they left the place of crucifixion, John took Mary to his own home.

Why Mary? In the final analysis, God planned it as such. Mary was the virgin, engaged to Joseph. There were other virgins, I’m sure. But none engaged to Joseph. Their backgrounds would place them in Bethlehem for the census and Jesus’ birth. Mary, best reveals the submission, surprise and suffering of godliness – something we all need to learn. But, as fantastic as it must have been to be chosen by God to bear the Messiah, that same Savior had to be born again in her own heart. And the Savior, whose birth we celebrate during this season, is a Savior who must be born in our hearts as well. So, the final question is: Have you invited the Savior to come into your heart?

Choir Christmas Celebration

• December 12, 2022
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Why Joseph? – Matthew 1:18-25

• December 5, 2022
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Matthew 1:18-25

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Matthew 1. We started this new Advent sermon series last week called Why the Nativity? And we’re just exploring some questions as we peer into the manger. Last week we considered why Jesus even needed to become a man at all? This week we’re asking the question: Why Joseph?

I saw an article on Wednesday in the CBS News Moneywatch website titled “High school athletes are getting major endorsement deals following state law changes.” The gist of the article was how NIL is impacting high school sports. (For those of you that aren’t familiar with NIL, it stands for naming, image and likeness.) The article highlighted one female high school basketball player that moved from KS to CA in order to position herself to take advantage of the NIL endorsements and college opportunities it presented. It also listed the three (3) highest paid high school athletes at the present time: Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James; Arch Manning, the third generation of the first family of quarterbacks; and Mikey Williams, a basketball star at San Ysidro High in San Diego.

Bronny James tops the list with a valuation of $7.5 million. He’s at Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles and recently signed a deal with Nike. Mikey Williams, committed to Memphis and has a multiyear deal with Puma. His valuation is figured to be $3.6 million. And Arch Manning, who attends Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans and has committed to Texas, is at $3.4 million.

The aspirations of many young people today would be completely alien to the men of Joseph’s day, and to Joseph himself. In fact, alien to many of you in your younger years. When Joseph was young, indeed when many of you were young, men didn’t desire prestige. (Well, maybe they did, but it wasn’t as obvious.) It seems that the desire of men from earlier generations was a good reputation. The decision to stand by Mary and stand for God was not an easy choice to make. And it’s not necessarily any easier today.

Let’s see what the Bible has to say concerning Joseph, and see if we can’t unpack the question: Why Joseph?

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.

“Speak, O Lord, we pray, to our hearts this morning. Many of us have heard these verses before. Indeed, every year, in some way and in some fashion, we hear this story told. So, help us to hear it anew. Bring to us a fresh awareness of the lessons that we, too, can learn from the life of Joseph. Help us to see You – Our Savior – and to see ourselves and our need for You, for we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Author, Howard Edington, referred to Joseph as “the forgotten man of Christmas” – the man who was chosen to be the adoptive father of our Lord. He writes, “In the Word of God, Joseph stands silent. He is spoken to, he is spoken about, but not a single syllable crosses his lips. He is viewed by many people as just a bit player, an extra, in the Christmas drama.”

But according to Matthew’s genealogy (vss. 1-17), Joseph had the pedigree of a king. He had royalty in his blood. And yet, we know very little about him. He appears on the scene for a moment and then disappears. Judging from Mary’s sacrifice of two turtle doves (in Luke 2:24), we might imagine that he was relatively poor. When Jesus was teaching in Nazareth, later in life, the people said, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). So, we know he was a carpenter, a craftsman (tekton is the Greek). He would have liked the feel of wood and stone, the satisfaction of building something sound and useful. He was also most likely a simple and practical man.

It’s important to know that in the Jewish culture, unlike our own, the groom was the primary focus of the wedding. Joseph probably looked forward to celebrating a simple life – taking Mary into his household, having children, maintaining a good name in the community, attending synagogue and just being the best husband and father, he could be. I imagine that he was fashioning a “well-constructed life.” But all of that was about to change when he discovered Mary’s baby.

Joseph’s Discovery of Mary’s Baby

We read of Joseph’s discovery in Matthew 1:18: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

They were engaged, but there hadn’t been any physical union. That’s a novel idea. It’s a rare thing these days for couples to be engaged and not be sexually active. But such was the case with Joseph and Mary, and yet here she is and she’s PREGNANT. So, how do you explain that? It’s quite likely that even Mary’s parents didn’t understand or accept her story. But according to Matthew 1:18, Joseph had listened to Beyonce – he put a ring on it. The engagement agreement had been signed; dowry gifts had been given. Friends and relatives knew that Joe and Mary were a thing. But Mary’s got a baby! His discovery was sudden. It was unexpected. And I imagine there was a little suspicion on his part. Now let’s see his dilemma.

Joseph’s Dilemma Over Mary’s Baby

Matthew 1:19 says, “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” Did you notice the maturity? What about his desire not to draw attention to the situation. Did you sense his intent to protect Mary, even when his own feelings weren’t quite sorted out? Again, so different from today’s messaging and advice. Record a video; post it to FB and Instagram, put it on Tik-Tok and Twitter. Run the other person through the mud – it’s the only right thing to do. That’s what we see happen today. But not Joseph.

Perhaps she had committed adultery. Not Mary – they’d known each other since childhood. Maybe she was raped. But surely, she’d have said something. Or could it be that, in fact, she had been chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. After all, Joseph was a Jew. He was a devout Hebrew. Surely, he pondered the fact that the Messiah was to be born of the house of David. So, what could he do?

If he didn’t divorce Mary, then it might represent a failure to uphold the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). But to divorce her publicly was unthinkable. He’s in a quandary. He’s caught between a rock and a hard spot. He didn’t think she was guilty; so, he wasn’t able to condemn her. At the same time, however, he wasn’t able to fully justify her pregnancy either. So, he decided to secretly divorce her. Not wanting to interfere with what could be God’s mysterious purposes, ole Joe would set Mary aside. We’ve seen his discovery and dilemma, now let’s see his dream.

Josephs’ Dream About Mary’s Baby

In Matthew 1:20, we read, “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” If yesterday’s news of a pregnant fiancé wasn’t hard enough, now he has a dream with an angel telling him that it’s alright, that this is God’s plan.

I like to stop and try to put myself in the shoes of biblical characters sometimes. It’s called reading the Bible existentially – trying to experience the emotion, the pathos, the earthy nature of the text. Think about it. You’re engaged to your childhood sweetheart. She’s the only girl you’ve ever had eyes for, and you really want to get to know her (if you know what I mean). But you know that’s not what God desires. He wants you to wait, and so you have. But now she’s pregnant. And as you’re trying to figure out how to handle the situation, you have a dream where an angel appears and tells you everything is gonna be just fine – it’s all part of God’s plan. Now, you tell me, what kind of sense does that make?

The Explanation
The word for “dream” means to have a vision while you’re asleep. I don’t know about you, but my dreams have a tendency of being sketchy (at best). But not so with Joseph – at least this time. When the angel called Joseph, “[the] son of David,” it was a clear indication to Joseph that God’s Word to the prophets was being fulfilled.

Why do I believe that it was clear indication to Joseph that he wasn’t just seeing or hearing something crazy in his dreams? Look at verse 16 (we didn’t read verse 16). Who was Joseph’s dad? (Jacob.) If someone appeared in your dreams and called you by name, then you’d expect them to get your father right. Right? But the angel went back in time and pulled out Joseph’s great-grandfather from 28 generations ago. It’s hard for me to remember 3 generations ago, much less 28 generations.

This was no mistake. This was clearly prophecy being fulfilled. Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ physical father, but by his marriage to Mary, he would give Jesus true legal status because “he [Joseph] was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4).

The Instruction
The Lord further instructed Joseph that the Child’s name would be Jesus, for He would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21); and as verse 25 states, Joseph “called His name Jesus.” Joseph was obedient to God. Are we? Would you have done as instructed?

The Revelation
Matthew goes on to reveal that Jesus’ virgin birth fulfilled what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, Isaiah: “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Notice the article before the word “virgin.” This wasn’t just any virgin, both Isaiah and Matthew spoke of the virgin, the virgin Mary. So, we’ve seen Joseph’s discovery of baby Jesus, his dilemma about baby Jesus, his dream concerning baby Jesus. Let’s conclude with his decision about Jesus.

Joseph’s Decision About Mary’s Baby

Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”

What happened in Joseph’s life illustrates what often happens in ours. Pastor and author, Max Lucado, in his book The Heart of Christmas describes Joseph as being “caught between what God says and what makes sense.” Have you ever been caught there, between what God says and what makes sense? Max continues, “Joseph didn’t let his confusion disrupt his obedience. He didn’t know everything. But he did what he knew.”

But the question remains: Why Joseph? The ultimate answer is because it was part of God’s plan. God made sure that everything in His plan would be carried out to the minutest detail – including using Joseph – because the purity of Jesus had to be protected. Chapter 1 of Matthew’s gospel reiterates this so clearly. In verse 18 we read, “Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” Verse 20 says, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Verse 23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child.” And, again, as verse 25 says, “[Joseph] did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.”

Why Joseph? Because he was the person engaged to Mary, and it was Mary that was to give birth to Jesus. Why Joseph? Because God needed a man who was sturdy, stable, and practical, yet sensitive to the voice of God. Why Joseph? Because He needed someone with the fortitude of a carpenter. Why Joseph? Because God needed someone who would stand by and stand with a young virgin who might have seemed an object of ridicule, yet who carried in her womb the hope of the world.

Joseph was strong, but he was also compassionate; he was able to lead the tiring expedition to Bethlehem and to the stable, to love and encourage the mother of Christ. Joseph was the teacher to give Jesus His first lessons in the law of God. And in Jerusalem, when Jesus was twelve and it became evident that His first allegiance must be to another Father, Joseph was the man to humbly and silently step back and let God step forward. Amazingly, Joseph never spoke a word in the Christmas story. But what he did, speaks volumes to us all.

One of the lessons that comes from the life of Joseph is this: “the most important thing in the whole world can happen to the least important people in the world; that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords can take up residence in the most ordinary of lives; that the greatest Somebody who ever lived can come to nobodies like Joseph [and] Mary [and] you [and] me.”

And isn’t this the very attitude that God requires from us? “Lord God, just tell me what to do, and I will do it. I will be obedient . . . anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anything. Lord God, I don’t understand it, and it doesn’t make sense, and as far as I know, it’s never happened before in the history of the world. But if You say it, I will do it.” That’s Joseph.

Let me conclude with this story. There was a young British student who was having a good time in England, studying engineering and, in his spare time, riding his motorcycle all over the English countryside. On a cold and rainy night, he crashed his motorcycle in a remote section of England and lay injured on the road for many hours. By the time he was hospitalized, pneumonia had set in, and the doctors gave him two weeks to live. During those two weeks, a letter arrived from his father who was a missionary in Angola. The letter, written many months before the accident, finally arrived by ship. The young man opened the letter and read his father’s first words. “Only one life; twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Laying there in that hospital bed, those words stabbed his heart and he gathered up his strength, pulled himself out of bed, and kneeled down to pray, “Lord, You’ve won. I now own You as King of kings and Lord of lords. And Lord, if You’ll heal my body, I will serve You anywhere, anytime, at any cost.”

The young lad recovered and went on to become a powerful pastor and evangelist. His name was Stephen Olford. If that name still doesn’t ring a bell, then it’s probably because – like Joseph – he was a quiet, yet stable, strong, compassionate man of God. A man of greater fame would come along. A man named Billy Graham, who said of Stephen Olford “he was the man who most influenced my ministry.” God brought him into a position of significant usefulness through the tragedy of an accident, but most of all through the willingness to say, “Anywhere, anytime, at any cost.”

And that’s essentially what Jesus said when asked to come to earth as our Savior: “Lord God, anywhere, anytime, at any cost.” When Joseph received the angel’s message, he walked away from what made human sense to do what God asked him to do . . . “anywhere, anytime, at any cost.” Are we willing to say, “Lord, I will serve You anywhere, anytime, at any cost”? Long ago, that was the road to Bethlehem. Today, it’s the road to victory in the life of a true believer.

It’s a happy day when we recognize that we don’t have to completely understand everything that God is doing in order to obey. God reserves the right to give us what we need to know, as we need to know it, and reveal the rest in due time. Think of what unfolded from the obedience of Joseph and Mary to God’s plan – nothing less than the salvation needed to redeem you and me from our sin. “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Why Did Jesus Become a Man? – Various Texts

• November 27, 2022
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Various Texts

Well, we’re going to start a new sermon series this morning. And normally I begin each week by saying, “Take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to….” But this week is a little different. We’re going to be considering various texts. So, if you’re in the habit of taking notes, then perhaps you could just jot down the Bible reference for the points that we’re going to be considering.

As you might imagine, knowing that Advent and Christmas were just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the Christmas story that we’re all familiar with. I’ve shared with many of you before that preaching during Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter are (for me) some of the hardest sermons because everybody knows the story. Even if you’re not a Christian. Even if you don’t ever go to church, you’re still probably someone that pastors call C.E.O.’s (Christmas, Easter and other services). There aren’t many people that don’t have a basic knowledge of the Christmas story.

So, I’ve just been pondering some questions. For example, can you imagine how Mary must have felt as she gazed at her newborn Child? Ladies, you might appreciate the weight of this scene more than the guys. But I picture Mary, in the quiet of the night after giving birth, talking to herself, “The angel said this baby would be the Son of God, and wouldn’t you know it, he was right. Now, I’m sitting here in this dingy cave of a stable and here He is.” Can you see her in your mind’s eye just staring at Jesus and thinking about all these things? After all, that’s what the Bible says she did, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Every child that’s born is a miracle from heaven, but this Child was indeed a gift. This Child had been set apart from every other baby that had ever been born in the history of the world. But why? That’s the first question in our new series that I want us to re-examine this morning. Why did Jesus become a man? And the Bible provides five answers, and the first is to satisfy Old Testament prophecy.

To Satisfy Old Testament Prophecies

In Luke 24:44, Jesus said, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” We believe in a God of truth, a God of faithfulness, a God who keeps His Word. Therefore, everything said about Jesus in the Old Testament had to be fulfilled.

It’s almost possible to write a complete Christology using only the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus? Christology is a technical term that basically means “a biography of Christ.” You almost don’t need the New Testament to understand who Jesus is/was. The Old Testament prophets spoke so frequently about a coming Messiah, that every page from Genesis to Malachi trembles with the wondrous anticipation of the anointed One.

Despite the fact that the prophetic books were written by many different writers at various times over many centuries, when taken together, there are glimmers of a Savior who would rescue His people and restore them to God. In fact, there were more than 300 specific prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures about the promised Messiah. For example, Isaiah said that this special Deliverer would be miraculously born of a virgin and that His name would be called Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” He wrote that not one year before it happened, not ten years, but hundreds of years before it took place.

The prophet Micah also offered a prediction that was both specific and startling. He said the King would be born in Bethlehem and that He would come from the distant past. When you read Micah 5:2, here’s what you learn: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

In Jeremiah’s prophecies we learn that the birthplace of this coming One would suffer a massacre of infants. Jeremiah 31:15 reads, “Thus says the Lord: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’” And Matthew 2:16-18 reveals the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy: “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.’”

It was reported that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) calculated the odds of Jesus fulfilling just eight of the prophecies and the result was 1 in 100 trillion. To put that another way; it would be like covering the state of TX with silver dollars two feet deep and burying one painted silver dollar among them and asking a blind man to find it. And that’s just the fulfillment of eight prophecies.

The same report suggested that the chances of one man fulfilling 48 prophecies is the same as 10 to the power of 157, which is more than the odds of finding one atom among all the atoms of all the known galaxies of the universe. Suffice it to say, the fact that Jesus fulfilled almost 300 prophecies is proof beyond mathematical comprehension that He is the Messiah. Certainly, for the committed skeptic there may never be proof enough, but for those who are genuinely seeking answers, the evidence is clear that Jesus is who he said he is, and he did what the records say he did.

Why did Jesus become a man? First, to satisfy Old Testament prophecy. Second, to show us the Father.

To Show Us the Father

You remember, near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He was talking to His disciples and telling them that He had to leave, and Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?’” (John 14:8-9).

Jesus was God in a body. If you want to know who God is, you need to know who Jesus is because Jesus teaches you who God is. So, when you see Jesus doing what He did in the Gospels, you’re watching God at work. If you want to know God, then get to know Jesus.

By the way, this is one of the reasons why evangelical Christians tend to use the name Jesus more frequently than God. In societal and neighborly discourse, the name/term God is almost too generic, but when you use the name Jesus you’ve just narrowed down what you mean by God. That’s why the only way you can become a Christian is to know Jesus because Jesus is the way that you know God. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Why did Jesus become a man? To show us the Father. Third, Jesus became a man to save us from our sins.

To Save Us from Our Sins

In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul wrote, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst” (NIV). Those of us that are intimately familiar with our sins, our shortcomings, our failings and temptations always want to argue with Paul. “No! I’m the worst sinner.” In either case, we had to have a God-Man to save us.

And because Jesus was God and Man, He lifted up one hand and took hold of the Father and with the other reached down and took hold of man. And at the cross, in that moment of time, He brought us together. And now with His hands reached out, He offers His salvation to all who will come to Him in faith.

If Christ had not come, the course of humanity would be one long, downward, hopeless trudge toward the eternal night of despair. But Almighty God did come. He interrupted all of that. He shut down the cycle of sin by sending Jesus to be our Savior. If you’ve never put your trust in Jesus Christ, you can’t know Him; and without knowing Him, you can’t know God. And without accepting Him, you can’t be forgiven. That’s the purpose of His coming – to forgive our sins.

Why did Jesus become a man? First, to satisfy Old Testament prophecy. Second, to show us the Father. Third, to save us from our sins. The fourth answer is to sympathize with our weaknesses.

To Sympathize With Our Weaknesses

Jesus became a man to sympathize with our weaknesses. In Hebrews 4:15-16 we read, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Do you know why you can go to Jesus with whatever is going on in your life and know that He hears you and understands you? Because He came down here to experience everything that we’ve experienced apart from sin.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon that rose to some fame in the late 50’s and 60’s. In his autobiography, Doctor Pygmalion, he tells of a man who had been injured attempting to save his parents in a terrible fire. His elderly parents died in that fire. And he was burned over a great part of his body, his face badly disfigured. He mistakenly interpreted what had happened to him as some sort of punishment from God for not having gotten his parents out safely. In his anguish, he refused to let anyone see him, not even his wife. So, she went to see Dr. Maltz for help. He said, “I can fix him.” But she knew her husband would turn down any offer of plastic surgery. When she visited him again, he asked why she had come. She said, “I want you to disfigure my face, so that I can be like him. If I can share in his pain, then maybe he will let me back in his life.”

Maltz wrote, “I had never heard anything like that in my life. I had always been paid to help people look better. She wanted me to make her look like her husband.” He wouldn’t do it. But he decided to go and tell her husband what she had said. He knocked on the man’s door and said loudly, “I am a plastic surgeon and I want you to know that I can restore your face.” There was no response. “Please come out,” he said. Again, no answer. Still speaking through the door, Dr. Maltz told the man of his wife’s proposal. “She wants me to disfigure her face to make her face like yours in the hope that you will let her back into your life. That’s how much she loves you.” There was a brief moment of silence. And then, ever so slowly, the doorknob began to turn.

The way that woman felt about her husband is the way God feels about you and me. He took on our face and our disfigurement. He became a man so that God would become touchable, approachable, and reachable. That’s why the name Emmanuel – God with us – is so significant. Whatever you’ve been through, you can be sure that God has been all the way to the end of that road. And when you pray, He will embrace you with His love and say, “I have been there and experienced that.”

Finally, Jesus became a man to secure our hope of heaven.

To Secure Our Hope of Heaven

He came down so that we could go up. Colossians 1:27 says that, “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory.” Until Christ comes to live within your heart, you’re not fit for heaven. Do you know how hard it is to say something like that in today’s world – “You’re not fit for heaven unless you know Jesus”? It’s absolutely true and biblical in every way, but it cuts against the sensitivities of our normal sidewalk conversation. To tell you friends and family members that they’re not fit for heaven unless they know Jesus… How arrogant? How elitest? How mean? And yet that’s one of the reasons that Jesus became a man.

There’s a Christmas carol that’s typically attributed to the great reformer, Martin Luther, called Away in a Manger. We’ve all sung it. We’re familiar with the tune. The last verse of that carol says:

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children, in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.

The only way you can live in heaven is with Christ in you. You come to God by coming to Jesus because Jesus is God, and He’s the One who paid the penalty for your sins. And one day, if we live until He returns, we’ll hear the trumpet, and we’ll go up to be with Him. And if we should die before He comes, our body will go in the grave, and our spirit will go to be with Him. If Almighty God has fulfilled all that He said about the first coming of Christ, then everything He says about His Second Coming will be fulfilled in the same way.

Let me conclude with this story. School was out for Christmas, and the family had chosen to spend the holiday in the country. Charlie pressed his nose against the bay window of the vacation home and marveled at the English winter they were experiencing. He was happy to trade the blackened streets of London for the cotton-white freshness of the snow-covered hills.

His mom invited him to go for a drive, and he quickly accepted. They snaked the car down a twisty road, the tires crunching the snow as they went, and the boy puffed his breath on the window. He was thrilled. (Can’t you picture it?)

The mother, however, was a bit more anxious. She could tell this was more than a normal storm. Heavy snowfall came down. Visibility lessened. And as she took a curve, the car started to slide, and it didn’t stop until it was in a ditch. She tried to drive out of the ditch, but she couldn’t do it. Little Charlie pushed, she pressed the gas, but they were just digging themselves in deeper. They were really stuck, and they needed help.

Charlie’s mom knew there was a house just a mile down the road. So, off they went, and they knocked on the door. “Of course,” the woman told them, “Of course you can come in. Please come in and warm yourselves. The phone is yours.” She offered them tea and cookies and urged them to stay until help arrived. An ordinary event? Perhaps, but don’t suggest that to the woman who opened the door. She has never forgotten that day. She retold the story a thousand times as if she’d only told it once. And who could blame her. It’s not often that royalty appears on your porch. You see, the two travelers stranded by that British roadway were no less than late Queen Elizabeth and now His Majesty, King Charles, who was only ten-year-old at the time.

I wouldn’t forget that day, would you? I’m here to tell you… Something far more wonderful than that has happened. Royalty has walked down our streets. Heaven’s Prince has knocked on our door, and God has moved into our neighborhood. He’s one of us. Almighty God is here. And He has you on His heart today. We don’t serve a God who’s far away. We serve a God who’s close at hand. He’s our Savior. That’s the message of Christmas and why Jesus became a man.

Love – 1 John 4:7-21

• November 20, 2022
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1 John 4:7-21

Well, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to 1 John 4:7. We’re concluding this little 3-part series that I’ve simply called Faith, Hope & Love, and today we’re going to consider love. Now, talking about love and preaching about love is both easy and hard at the same time. Think about it.

Love is a junk drawer we dump all sorts of ideas into, just because we don’t have anywhere else to put them. I “love” God, and I “love” fishing. See the problem? The way we talk about “love” is so broad, so generic, that I’m not sure we understand it anymore. How should we define love? To some, love is tolerance. I hear this all the time, and I’m sure you do too. The idea is that rather than judge people, we should “love” them. And what people mean is that we shouldn’t call them out on things that the Bible says are wrong. After all, as long as it’s not hurting anybody, who are we to judge? And while this sounds nice, and forward, and progressive, it just doesn’t work for me.

Then, there are those of us for whom love is nothing more than passion for something. It’s the word we call on to conjure up all our feelings of affection. We love hiking, or we love that new song by that band you’ve never heard of, or we love pizza and college football. Love becomes the ubiquitous descriptor of our affections and interests.

When we aim “love” at people, we usually mean the exact same thing. When we say we love someone, what we typically mean is that we have deep feelings of affection because they make us feel alive, adventurous, brave, happy. Love, then, is pure, unfiltered emotion. So, you see, talking about love can be difficult.

At the same time, however, preaching about love is easy. There’s a story that’s told about the apostle John – the author of the letter we’re getting ready to read. It’s just a story, a legend, if you will. There’s nothing to suggest that it’s true, although it’s possible that it could’ve happened. But the story goes that when John was old, he had to be carried to church on a stretcher, on his bed mat, that he couldn’t walk. But because he was so revered as this great apostle who knew Jesus and was one of the original 12 disciples, people would pick him up and carry him to church where he would give the same sermon: “Little children, love one another.”

Well, that’s a great message but it gets old after a while. Soon someone asked him, “John, it’s a great message but why do you always say the same thing?” John replied, “Because it’s the Lord’s command. If that be done, then it’s enough.” So, we talk about love and we preach about love simply because it’s the Lord’s command. Follow along with me as I read 1 John 4:7-21:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

“Make the book live to me, O Lord. Show me Yourself within Your Word. Show me myself and show me my Savior, and make the Book live to me. For Jesus’ sake, amen.”

One of the great theologians of the last century was a man by the name of Dr. Karl Barth. His 12-volume work on systematic theology is titled Church Dogmatics, and it consists of over 10,000 pages. Toward the end of his life, Dr. Barth made a tour of the United States, where he had the opportunity to speak at several of our nation’s top universities. During a Q&A session following one of his lectures, a student posed, what seemed an impossible question.

“Dr. Barth, you’ve written extensively on every aspect of theology and church history. I’m wondering if you could sum it all up in a short sentence or two.” The room fell silent. Dr. Barth just stood there for a moment, carefully considering how to respond. Finally, Dr. Barth replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Talking about love and preaching about love is easy and difficult all at the same time. Here’s a man that spilled ink on 10,000 pages in an attempt to expound upon the immensity and multi-faceted nature of God’s love (hard, complicated), and yet when asked to sum it up in a short sentence or two he quoted a children’s song written by Anna Bartlett Warner in 1860 (easy, simple).

This morning, I want to take just a moment and highlight where the love of God is displayed, how the love of God is defined, and what the love of God demands.

Love Displayed

First, where is the love of God displayed? Well, quite simply, according to verse 9, it’s seen in the revelation or the manifestation or the incarnation of Jesus Christ. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.” We’re approaching the season that is universally known as the season for gifts. Birthdays and anniversaries and other special occasions aside, there’s no other season in which we go to great lengths to demonstrate our love and appreciation for one another. And the preeminent gift of this season – at least according to the Bible and any church worth its salt – is the gift of the very One and Only Son of God.

I caught myself watching a couple of squirrels this week. I should’ve been working on a sermon but coming off a little vacation I found it difficult to get back in the saddle. They seemed set on entertaining me. They scampered amid the roots of the trees just outside my office window. They watch me peck at the keyboard. I watch them store their nuts and climb the trunk. But you know what? I’ve never considered becoming one of them. See, the squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Who wants to sleep next to a hairy rodent with beady eyes? (Then again, if you marry a Norris that’s what you get.)

Give up the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall, bass fishing in the spring, grilling steak in the summer and laughter around a campfire for a hole in the ground and a diet of dirty nuts? Count me out.

But count Jesus in. Think about the world He left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to Him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on heaven’s table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with claws and tiny teeth and a furry tail? It’s nothing compared to God’s becoming an embryo and entering the womb of Mary. Yet, that’s precisely how love was displayed.

“For this is how God loved the world, He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That verse, too, was written by John.

Love Defined

Next, then, how is love defined? Well, John tells us in verse 8 and then again in verse 16. He says, “God is love.” Then, as if to provide clarification and substance as to how it is that God is love, he offers the answer in verse 10. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I hope you didn’t think you’d get through a sermon without learning the background of a Greek word. In this verse we encounter a big English word: “propitiation.” The Greek word is hilasmos and it’s only used twice in the New Testament and both times are in this first epistle of John. 1 John 2:2 says, “[Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” And then we have our verse 1 John 4:10.

But what does propitiation mean? Well, a modern dictionary will say that it means “to appease” or “to placate.” I don’t like either of those words. To me, they suggest a mere soothing or softening of the wrath of an offended party. Worse still, the word “appease” implies an attempt to buy off somebody by negotiating or making concessions. There’s no negotiating with God when it comes to sin.

Jerry Bridges, noted author and pastor writes, “I believe a word that forcefully captures the essence of Jesus’ work of propitiation is the word exhausted. Jesus exhausted the wrath of God. It was not merely deflected and prevented from reaching us; it was exhausted. Jesus bore the full, unmitigated brunt of it. God’s wrath against sin was unleashed in all its fury on His beloved Son. God held nothing back.” (The Gospel for Real Life: Return to the Liberating Power of the Cross).

The gift of God that we recognize at Christmas isn’t just the incarnation, the birth of a baby in a manger, but is also the substitutionary atonement of the Lamb of God in my place, in your place, upon the cross of Calvary at Easter. It’s no wonder, then, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him across the horizon he said, “Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

My sin had to be dealt with. Your sin had to be dealt with. Indeed, the sin of all mankind had to be dealt with, and according to Isaiah 53 and in fulfillment of that prophecy, it was the will of God the Father to crush His very own Son in our place. In the words of the hymnwriter, Stuart Townend, “How deep the Father’s love for us? How vast beyond all measure? That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.”

This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. That’s love displayed. This is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. That’s love defined. And finally, in verse 11 we see the demands of just such a love.

Love Demanded

“Beloved, [since] God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” This, like so many other things that John preached and taught, is not new. In fact, if you look at 1 John 3:16 you read, “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” This is a call to become what we are. John isn’t saying that if we do this, then God will show up. Rather, John is saying that when we do this, when we love as Jesus loved, then we show ourselves to be God’s children.

I was looking for a way to conclude this sermon and, indeed, this entire 3-part series and it dawned on me to use a song. It’s a song taken directly from the pages of Scripture, and perhaps you’ll also notice the title of our series comes from this passage:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put my childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; but then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13)

“Father in Heaven! You have loved us first, help us never to forget that You are love so that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts over the seduction of the world, over the uneasiness of the soul, over the anxiety for the future, over the fright of the past, over the distress of the moment. But grant also that this conviction might discipline our soul so that our heart might remain faithful and sincere in the love which we bear to all those whom You have commanded us to love as we love ourselves. For we offer this prayer in the name of Christ Jesus, amen.”

Hope – Romans 5:1-5

• November 14, 2022
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Faith – Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:1-3, 6

• November 9, 2022
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Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:1-3, 6

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Romans 1 and Hebrews 11. One of the benefits of pastoring a non-denominational church like ours is that we’re reminded of, or rather introduced to, Christian traditions in other like-minded congregations that we (ourselves) might not have known. For example, I grew up in a Baptist congregation and the church that I was in didn’t celebrate or acknowledge – at least in any formal way – Reformation Sunday. So, just before last week’s service, Geneva Larson, who comes from a Lutheran background, was eager to remind me that it was Reformation Sunday.

If you’re wondering, Reformation Sunday is the Sunday closest to October 31, and it’s called Reformation Sunday because it’s a reminder and celebration of the reformation movement that began when an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther had no intentions of splitting the Catholic Church, rather, he just wanted to address some of the excesses and abuses that he had seen and become convinced were opposed to God’s Word. Nevertheless, what sprang from that attempt to correct the Catholic Church did, indeed, lead to the Reformation, and ultimately to the establishment of many Protestant denominations of today.

So, although it’s a week late, I thought I’d offer a nod to Reformation Sunday as we start this new 3-part series: Faith, Hope and Love, by considering faith. After all, it was Romans 1:16-17 that God used to gain Luther’s attention about how someone is “made right,” or “justified” before a holy God. And Hebrews is tied into Romans by the fact that Hebrews 10:38 quotes the same verse from Habakkuk that Romans 1 uses. Plus, the author of Hebrews gives us a working definition of faith. With that as our introduction, let’s read these two passages together.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed beginning and ending in faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

“Our God and our Father, we do pray that we might have that kind of faith. We pray that You would help us to understand what genuine faith is. Speak, then, into our lives now as we open your Word. Do for us what we cannot do for ourselves; make the Bible come alive. Show us ourselves, our need, our Savior, and bring our lives under the truth of your Word and in conformity with its application. For we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

What is faith? What does it mean to live by faith? Are you a man/woman of faith; and specifically, have you placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ? That’s what I want us to consider this morning. See, this matter of faith is not a marginal issue. It’s not something that we can place far off in a corner, something we can push away for another day. It’s a pressing matter today, and every day. Faith is the indispensable channel of salvation. Faith is the corridor down which we walk into the experience of what it means to truly be a Christian.

For example, in Ephesians 2:8–9, in those well-worn words, we read this: “For it is by grace you have been saved,” and then comes the phrase, “through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Where do the works come in? The works come in as an expression of faith, not as a replacement for it. Even faith itself is not something that we generate, but is a gift from the hand of God. So, let’s explore this for just a moment.

What Faith Is Not

In seeking to say what faith is, it’s important for us also to make clear what faith is not. In fact, the Puritans did this all the time when they preached. When they were giving a definition of something, they would always spend a long time explaining what it wasn’t, so that in finding out what it wasn’t, you would move closer to what it was. So, let me tell you what it isn’t, and perhaps we can narrow it down.

First of all, it is not simply a subjective religious feeling. It’s not a religious feeling that’s divorced from the truth that God has revealed in His Word. That may seem like a bit of a mouthful, and indeed it is, but it is very important. Faith is not simply a vague and internal feeling, “Oh yes, I’m a person of faith” – but it’s not connected to, it’s not tethered to, it’s not informed by objective truth found in the Word of God. That’s not genuine faith.

The Bible says that people who deny objective truth in favor of feelings (only) are not only deceived, but are contrary to Jesus. 1 John 2:22: “Who is the liar? It is the [person] who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a [person] is the antichrist – [they] den[y] the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” So, faith isn’t simply a feeling – regardless of how warm and fuzzy it makes us feel. There must be an objective reality that informs our faith.

Secondly, Christian faith is not the kind of positive mental attitude that seeks to make our dreams and our desires a reality. This, of course, has been popularized in the book The Power of Positive Thinking. Now, it is good to think positively. It’s nice to be around people who are positive rather than people who are negative. But positive thinking is not biblical faith. This is what Norman Vincent Peale says. He says, “Before you get out of your bed in the morning what you ought to do is say out loud in your bedroom, ‘I believe, I believe, I believe.’” Now, he doesn’t say in what or in whom; doesn’t really matter. Yes, it does! It’s crucial! You see, it is the object of faith that gives it significance; it’s not the immensity of our internal sensations or our mind’s ability to dream up stuff that gives foundation to our faith – it’s the person and work of Jesus.

So genuine biblical faith is not simply pumping ourselves up to believe that which the evidence precludes. Real faith, as Hebrews 11 makes clear, is not based on our feelings, which are unstable and fluctuate with the circumstances. Rather, genuine faith – biblical faith – is reliable because it’s based on the trustworthiness and the reliability of God. That’s the reason I included verse 6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” In other words, we start with God.

That’s where Genesis 1:1 starts, is it not? “In the beginning God…” It doesn’t start with an argument for scientific creationism. It doesn’t start with an argument concerning the existence of God. It says, “In the beginning, God.” And every individual who’s been created has been stamped with the very handiwork of God; they’ve been made in the image of God. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1, 53:1).

What Faith Is

So, back in Hebrews 11:1, the writer isn’t talking about a wistful longing for something that may or may not happen. He’s not talking about believing in the improbable. He’s talking about a belief in what God says as opposed to what man suggests. This faith creates surety of what we hope for and certainty of what we do not see.

Do you ever wonder why it is that you believe what you believe? Do you ever think about that when you get down on your knees and you pray? And there’s no one in the room. And you can’t see anyone, and you can’t hear anything. And you say, “O God, I know that you hear my prayers.” How do you and I know that? How are we so certain of that? “O God, and I know that you know my circumstances, and that you mark my steps, and that every day of my life was written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 37:23, 139:16, paraphrased). Where did that come from? “O God, I know that when I die, I’ll go to heaven, but I’ve never seen heaven. I only have those descriptions at the end of the Bible and in various other places.” Where does all this come from? It’s a result of God’s grace and mercy to us in opening our eyes to the truth of who He is, and such faith creates certainty.

Believing faith is not the fluctuating notions of some kind of subjective dimension within the spirit of a man or a woman, but it is that which is engendered in us as a result of a consideration of what is before us and saying, “I’m going to examine it and look at this. And I am concluding that it takes more faith to believe in nothing than it takes to believe in a creator God.”

But you see, in our foolishness, and in our rebellion, and in our disinterest, and in our selfishness, and in our unwillingness to allow anyone else to take charge of our lives, we do not choose to believe in such a God, because such a God will have every right to make demands upon us. Such a God will have every right to call us into conformity with His commands. And so, rather than have to face the fact that we have broken God’s commands, and that we must say we’re sorry for that, and that we must accept His forgiveness for that, we choose, instead, not to come and confess! We would rather go on our own way. And when people ask us about faith, we’ll say, “Yes, I have faith. I’m optimism about tomorrow.” But it’s not biblical faith.

If you were to continue with Hebrews 11 – the Hall of Faith (as it were) – then you’d discover that all of these people heard the Word of God, they heard the story of God, they trusted the promise of God, and then they lived in the light of the promise. They heard the story, they trusted the promise, and then they lived their lives in faith.

Here’s the story: “I’m gonna flood the world.”

“Okay.”

Here’s the promise: “As you build an ark and the people run into it, they’ll be safe.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, build the ark.”

Some of us have okayed the first two, but we’ve never built the ark. Some of us have said, “Yeah, I understand the story, and I actually heard the promise, and I think I believe it.” But we never took the final step. And that’s why, when asked the question, “Are you a man or a woman of faith?” the answer has to be, “No, I’m not. I’m sorry, I’m not.” And what I want to say to you this morning is, you don’t have to walk out this building in that same position. You can, in a decisive act, make certain that you are a man or a woman of faith.

What’s Involved in Faith?

First of all, knowledge. Faith is dependent upon what can be known about God. In John 17, Jesus, as He’s about to pray to the Father, says in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” How can we know God? Well, He’s shown Himself in creation, He’s shown Himself in the Bible, and He’s shown Himself in Jesus.

In the opening chapter of John’s gospel, we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, [but Jesus] has made Him known” (John 1:14-18).

The fact of the matter is that Jesus is the exegesis of God. That’s the word that’s actually used here. When somebody says, “Well, how can I know God? How would God make Himself known so that I could know Him?” the answer is, in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why it’s so important to consider the claims that Jesus made. Because it’s in knowing Him that we know God. And it’s this knowledge of God which gives the basis for our certainty.

When you travel as you do and some of you quite frequently, so that you know this stuff off by heart – “Good morning, Mr. Norris. Do you have a form of identification?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Have your bags been in your possession at all times?”

“Yes, they have.”

“Did anyone ask you to carry anything for them?”

“No, they flat-out did not, and if they had, I would have said no, because I don’t even want to carry my own bags,” and so on it goes.

But the issue is, did anybody unfamiliar to you get access to your stuff? Because you don’t want untrustworthy people getting ahold of things. You’re not simply gonna entrust that which is precious and important to you to just anybody. If we protect our luggage with great care, certainly we ought to give great consideration and care to our souls, right? So, you’re gonna have to use your mind as you read God’s Word to ask the question, “Is what God has made known of Himself – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – such that I may with confidence, on the knowledge that I have, move forward from here?”

And 1 John 5:9 says, “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that He has borne concerning His Son.” In other words, if we are prepared to trust relatively untrustworthy people at significant points in our lives – at the bank, on the bus, crossing a bridge, undergoing heart surgery – wouldn’t we trust God? What kind of proud arrogance is this, that I would trust my bank manager and I wouldn’t trust God who has revealed Himself in the person of His Son? That I would trust the airline pilot, but I would refuse to trust Jesus Christ?

The second thing involved in faith is assent. Not money. Not “a cent” but assent (a-s-s-e-n-t). Once we’ve recognized that certain things are true and are to be believed, then it involves our giving mental assent to them. Biblical faith is more than simply giving assent, but it is never less than giving assent.

You see, we talk about individuals who are inspirational, or who command confidence – someone who is so trustworthy that we’d be compelled to trust them even against our will. You sometimes listen to people… I watch these documentaries on World War II and listen to the stories of those in Korea or Vietnam or even Iraq and Afghanistan, and you find yourself saying “Why would you run over there like that? Why would you rush the beach, or climb out of the trench, or jump from that airplane?” And often they say, “Well, we had a captain. I’d trust him anywhere. He said, ‘We’re going,’ we’re going. Everything inside of me said, ‘I’m not going,’ but the captain, he compelled my belief. He compelled confidence in me.”

Folks, if you read the Bible and consider the claims of Jesus Christ, you’ll discover someone who compels belief. Everything inside of you is saying, “I don’t want to believe this stuff. I don’t want my life taken over. I don’t want somebody in charge of me.” But when you come and lay your life open before Christ, and when you see Him on the cross, and you understand that He bore your sin and all your rebellion and all of your emptiness and lostness and brokenness, He will compel belief in you. And knowledge will be followed by assent.

Finally, genuine faith involves trust. Faith that is “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” involves not only knowledge and not only assent, but it involves trust. Intellectual assent, alone, cannot be equated with genuine faith. James makes that clear in James 2:19, where he lets us know that the devil and the demons are not atheists; they have an orthodox view of God. There has to be the transfer from the knowledge to the assent to the trust.

We see the summons to trust Christ in all of his invitations. He says, “Come to Me all you who are heavy laden, and I’ll give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Your life is all messed up; you’re carrying around shopping bags full of disgruntlement and disenchantment and all kind of things in your life. He says, “Come to me, and I’ll take those shopping bags for you. I’ll take all that rubbish.” He says, “If you would take my yoke upon you – in other words, if you would bow down underneath My commands and you would let Me run your life – if you would take My yoke upon you and you would learn from Me all the things I’ve told you in here, then you would find rest for your souls. And you would discover that I’m lowly, and I’m gentle, I’m humble in heart, and I’ll take care of your life” (Matthew 11:29, paraphrased).

Genuine, biblical faith is knowledge in an objective reality – Jesus. It’s acceptance of that knowledge, and it’s trust on the basis of the knowledge.