It's About the Cross

Introduction

Opening Illustration - Some time ago I read a book called “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey. It’s not a Christian book but it has some very helpful concepts in it. The overarching idea that comes through the book is something everyone of us should consider. Covey says that we should, as we are planning our lives, “Begin with the End in Mind”.

So, if you are twenty years old, what do you want your life to be like when you 80 or older? When you are nearing the end of this earthly life. Certainly this is good advice for anyone to take.

Some may want to be fabulously wealthy at the end of their life and so they need to start taking steps today in order to achieve that goal in the future.

Some may want to have a life that counts, that makes a significant impact whether it be in the arts, sciences, Philosophy, Philanthropy, Whatever. If this is the case, steps and decisions on how you spend your time and money need to be made and followed now so you can achieve the goals you have set for yourself then!

And like I said, believers and unbelievers can benefit from this kind of thinking. For the believer our goals should be shaped, not by the worlds ideology, but instead by a Christian Worldview.

The end for the Christian in this world is the beginning in the next...

The life we have been given must be used for God’s glory! For His Will and for His purposes! However that shakes out for the individual, “our lives our not our own, we have been bought with a price.”

Why should Christians, followers of Christ think this way? Why should we live with the end in mind? Why should we walk through our days with an eternal perspective? Because that’s what Jesus did.

Jesus’ life, in a very real sense, was mapped out for him! God began Jesus’ earthly life with the end in mind. And the end was beautiful, even though it was brutal! It was disturbingly necessary for your salvation. His life began as an innocent babe in a manger and ended as an innocent man sentenced to death on a cross...

Main Idea - Jesus’ Birth is About the Cross!

I would like to draw your attention to a passage not traditionally used at Christmas time, but does have a powerful Christmas message...

In his letter of instruction to his “son in the faith”, Timothy, Paul has much to say about how Timothy should function as a Pastor/Elder and how the Church of Jesus Christ ought to function. But what is really interesting about this letter is the author of it. Specifically the author’s attitude. Paul is a driven man. Ever since his conversion, Paul has been on fire for His Lord. He preaches, teaches, disciples and starts churches. He speaks the truth to whomever will listen even if it produces great personal harm. Paul is a type A, get it done kinda guy and his motivation is love and gratitude for his Savior, Jesus Christ.

But there is a verse within this letter that is startling as well as instructive. And not only does it speak to the Apostle Paul’s attitude, it also teaches us the reason for Christ’s life.

Look at 1 Timothy one, fifteen with me this morning...

1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

Now we simply do not have the time to give all the necessary background and contextual information to help us fully understand what is going on in this letter as well as this verse. But there are some important ideas that we can address and will help us see that Jesus’ Birth is About the Cross.

First we see Paul setting himself up for what he is about to declare. He’s about to lay out a serious truth bomb!

Tip - Whenever you are reading Paul’s writings in the Scriptures and he says “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance”, you had better pay attention because what is about to be said, is exceedingly important. And this certainly is important for Timothy to hear and us to hear and accept as well.

“…Christ Jesus came into the world...”

Now, let’s stop there for a moment and think about the profound nature of these six words. “Christ Jesus”, who is this, “Christ Jesus”? Now we know that Paul is referring to Jesus, the son of Mary. And by the way, there is significance to the moniker. The name “Jesus” means “God saves” and “Christ” means anointed one or King. This anointed King of Heaven who came to save has come into the world - our world!

Just at the right time in history, God brought His plan to fruition. God the Son, who has existed in the Triune God-head for all eternity, would become a human being! He was a baby that was conceived in his mother’s womb, went through the birthing process, was born in a cave and laid in an animal’s feeding trough, wrapped in cloths!

He, God Himself could have chosen any means by which to enter this world and He chose the way that would most relate Him to us. He was born! Just like you, just like me! - He endured all the indignities that accompany this process, our God, the God of the universe subjected Himself to conception, growing in a womb and finally being birthed. This is how our God came into our world.

And, as if this were not ignoble enough, look at the next part of this amazing text. He came...

“…to save sinners...”

This, my friends, according to the Apostle Paul, is why Jesus Christ came into the world, “to save sinners”

Why is this even more ignoble than being born as a human? Because the perfect, sinless, Son of God left His pure and holy dwelling of Heaven to dwell among sinners. The Holiest of all was now living and breathing the air of His creation. A creation that was saturated in sin. Paul, in identifies Jesus as “He who knew no sin...”

And “He who knew no sin...” walked this earth with sinners. Why? To rescue us!

Point 1.

From what do we need rescue? Ladies and gentlemen, we need rescue from God!

You see, all of us here this morning are sinners and we have the wrath of God remains on us. This is what the Apostle John warns us about in his Gospel...

“...whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” ()

God must punish sinners in order to be true to His character. Our God is a just God! And justice must be served! No one gets a pass! Because “we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” () God is obligated to treat us the way we deserve, much like a judge is obligated to make a criminal pay for His crimes. And because we all have sinned, we all must pay!

So then, there is no hope for us? We are all sinners and have sinned over and over in our thought life, in our actions and even in our attitudes. God expects sinless perfection in order for us to have a relationship with Him. None of us come close to qualifying! Even the holy and righteous Apostle Paul understood this. Look at how he refers to himself at the end of our verse...

“...Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrew, He was one who kept the law of God meticulously! If you could earn your way to Heaven, Paul was the guy to do it and yet he says that apart from the finished work of Jesus, he is the “foremost” of sinners! That means if he excels in anything, it is sin! Well, if this is true of Paul, it must be even more true of us.

And so His wrath remains on us...

None of us come close to qualifying and so His wrath remains on us...

So how do we solve this problem. How do I avoid having God’s wrath remain on me in this life and more importantly in the next? How can I, we have a right relationship with the God who created us?

We must turn to the one “…who knew no sin...” What difference will that make? Check out the rest of that verse and see the hope within it!

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You see, God does not desire for you here today to spend an eternity with His wrath upon you! In fact, “He isn’t willing that any should (eternally) perish (die)...”

That is not what He wants at all! How do I know? Because God came up with an amazing solution to our predicament. He desired, before this whole mess ever began that when mankind chose to sin and rebel against Him, He would provide a way of escape through God the Son (Jesus). The way of escape was through the cross. Jesus Christ (who knew no sin) was punished, by God for our sin, so that we might go free. He, Jesus paid the penalty for your sin! He died on the cross to satisfy God’s wrath against you. He is the only person that can satisfy God’s wrath because first, Jesus is God and second Jesus is sinless. I could offer my life up for yours but I do not qualify because I have my own sin to deal with. Jesus can offer up His life because He has no sin of His own to deal with. His life for yours. That’s the deal. And “...so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God.”

If you repent and place your faith in Jesus Christ as the only possible solution for your problem with God, you go free because you are IN HIM! This is the good news! And this is why Christmas is about the cross! He came to save...

The movie Justice League debuted just before Thanksgiving 2017. The long-awaited movie, which has been envisioned for two decades, brings together DC Comics squad of superheroes. Batman and Wonder Woman know that saving the world will require a team effort so they're joined by Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, and the presence of Superman. Ben Affleck reprised his role as Batman and noted the timeliness of such a movie. The actor pensively said, "There's a lot of stuff going on in the world, from natural to man-made disasters, and it's really scary." He then said, "Part of the appeal of this genre is wish fulfillment: Wouldn't it be nice if there was somebody who can save us from all this, save us from ourselves, save us from the consequences of our actions and save us from people who are evil?" Christmas is our "wish fulfillment" in that Jesus came to "save us" from the power and penalty of sin. USA Today, 11/14/17, p.1D

Jesus was born for a reason. God became man and dwelt among us so He could offer to us rescue from the wrath of God. Why in the world would God do this for a creation that turned it back on Him over and over and over? Love! God loves His creation. God loves You!

Jesus was born for a reason. God became man and dwelt among us so He could offer to us rescue from the wrath of God. Why in the world would God do this for a creation that turned it back on Him over and over and over? Love! God loves His creation. God loves You!

John 3:16–17 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The question I have for you this morning is will you repent and place your faith in the only one who can save you?

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Point 2.

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Point 3.

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Conclusion

Application

Concluding thought

Invitation