Our Guide

“I am tying this red sash to my walking cane so that if we get separated all you have to do is call out my name and I will raise it above the crowd.”

Judah and James looked at each other and rolled their eyes, their big brother could be so bossy at times! They loved him dearly, but he was almost too perfect. The only time they ever saw their father and mother get mad at him is the time he wondered off and was lost for three days in Jerusalem. Here they were back in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover and he had the nerve of bossing them around as if they would get lost! Who did he think he was?

Their anger and annoyance quickly faded as they enjoyed the festive atmosphere of the Feast. There were venders everywhere offering foods they would never get to eat back home. It was at one of those booths that they became separated from the rest of the family.

Sharing an orange between them, Judah and James did not notice the rest of the family leaving. When they looked up all they could see was a wall of people! At first, their pride would not allow them to call for help, but soon they realized they could never find their family on their own. Looking at each other, they knew what they had to do. With one voice, they cried out, “Jesus!” and immediately they saw the red sash!

Throughout the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of a time when God will raise up a signal banner so that both Israel and the Gentiles would be drawn to Him. For centuries, the rabbis argued over who or what this banner was. It was not until the coming of Christ that the answer to their questions would be answered. Jesus was “the way, the truth and the light” that led people to God. In fact, there is no other way to the Father, except through Jesus. (John 14:6)

In the gospels, we read that the brothers and sisters of Jesus were slow in following His lead. Unlike Peter and Andrew, they did not immediately drop everything and follow Jesus. In fact, at one point they wanted to “take charge” of Him because they thought He was crazy!

If we are honest with ourselves, I think most of us are more like James and Judah than Peter and Andrew. The great theological error of the last two hundred years has been the tendency to emphasize Jesus’ humanity more than His divinity. The modern Jesus is a “great teacher” not the King of kings and Lord of lords. We question Jesus and His Word. Like the brothers and sisters of Jesus, we even want to “take charge” of this crazy man who is so out of step with our society. Saying things like:

“Whoever calls a person a fool is a murderer!” (Mt 5:21-22)

“Whoever looks upon a woman lustfully has committed adultery with her!” (Mt 5:27-28)

“Whoever divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality commits adultery!” (Mt 5:31-32)

And most offensive of all, “No one can come to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)

My story about James and Judah getting lost in Jerusalem is pure fiction, but what is not fiction is there came a day when they recognized their need for Jesus and cried out to Him to be their Savior and Lord. We know this to be true because James is the same James who wrote the book of James in our Bibles and Judah was also called Jude and wrote the book of Jude. I find this incredibly encouraging, because I know I have offended and hurt Jesus by my unbelief and disobedience, just as I am sure James and Jude offended and hurt their brother, yet Jesus quickly raised his banner of salvation when they called to Him and I know Jesus will do the same for you and I!

Jesus taught He is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises (Mt 5:17). Based on this, Paul taught that all the Old Testament promises “find their Yes in him.” (2 Cor 1:20) This means all the prophecies we find in Isaiah about God raising a banner to guide the peoples of the world are fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is that banner! Jesus is our guide! He is the True Mt. Zion that is raised higher than all the other mountains of this world. What does Jesus do for us if we turn to Him in faith?

First, according to the prophecy we read from Isaiah 2, He...

Jesus Guides Us to God

In our Gospel Reading from John 14 we hear Jesus say that, “he is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)

The quest for the Divine is one of the most pervasive themes of human history and culture. The bold and confident pronouncements of the 20th century that “God is dead,” proved both premature and misguided, if anything people are more “religious” than ever before. Granted, many in the West have turned to non-Christians religions, but the search for the Divine is alive and well.

The tragedy in the West is not that people have turned away from religion, but they have turned away from Christ. Jesus is the only way to find God. The notion that all religions lead to God is a lie, because Jesus is the only one who can give us peace with God.

Jesus Guides Us to Peace Between

In Isaiah 2:4 we find those famous words of “swords being beaten into plowshares.” This promise has found its way into Western literature and political speech and for good reason—we all long for “peace on earth and good-will among men.” This promise, however, is only be properly understood within the greater story line of the Bible and the Bible is clear that the root cause of war and conflict is human depravity and sin.

We are at war with each other, because we are at war with God.

Jesus, by His death, burial and resurrection has become the anointing sacrifice that brings us peace with God. Paul writes:

Romans 5:1 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Having restored our relationship with God...

Jesus Guides Us in God’s Ways

In Isaiah 2:3 we find the promise that we are led to God so that “he may teach us his ways and that we might walk in his paths.”

If the world’s problem is sin and rebellion against God and His ways, it makes sense that the only way we can make the world a better place is by learning of God’s ways and walking in them. This is way Paul urges his readers to “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.” (Eph 4:1)

As a New Year dawns, America is more divided than anytime other than the Civil War. One could say that we are in a Civil Cold War!

Swords will not be beaten into plowshares by calling our fellow citizens to rally around the banners of political parties, but only by calling them to rally around the banner of Christ!

Only be “walking in God’s ways” will there be true “hope and change” that makes “America great again”!

Therefore we need now, more than every before to hear the closing words of Isaiah...

“O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord”

Through these four weeks of Advent we have learned that Jesus became our Immanuel—God with Us—so that He might be:

Our Potter

Our Shepherd

Our Living Branch

Our Guide

Tomorrow night, on Christmas Eve, we will learn that Jesus came to be our Great Light! This is the message people so desperately need to hear. May I ask two things of you?

Invite and Bring Everyone You Can

Pray That God will Bless This Very Special Service and Open People’s Hearts and Minds

“O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

Let us pray