There's a Serpent in Your Stocking
Our vision in of Christmas is far too small for what God has accomplished on this night so many years ago that changed the course of human history forever. This past week I was looking at some of the different news articles that come in during the Christmas season and I saw a video that perfectly captured what we're going to talk about today take a look here.
Look closely at that Christmas tree.
Turn the volume up.
Take a look at the size of the snake here in a minute as he finally pulls it out.
The title of my message this evening is there's a serpent in your stocking.
That was the snake that was wrapped up in the Christmas tree that they had brought back home and decorated and sat around for days that they discovered halfway through the Christmas season and we don't often think that snake a snake would play a prominent role in the Christmas story. But that's what Christmas is all about as we told the Christmas story to you tonight. We've started not around a Christmas tree in the home that's comfortable of a family celebrating this season around another tree that was in the garden at the very beginning of time the scriptures tell us that the serpent deceived Eve and Adam willfully rebelled against God and broke trust with him as a result of their sin, which God warns them against they plummeted the human race in the send the results of that sin has been deaf. It's Mark the human Community ever since. The Christmas story is far greater than we can possibly imagine. It's that cursed that began in the very beginning of time where God cursed that Serpent and told St. Very plainly that one day a descendant from the woman would come and though that the serpent would bruise his heel ultimately that unique descended the Messiah the Christ would crush the Serpent's head once and forever more and as we saw all throughout the history of God's Redemptive purposes with his people he was bringing about the plan the plan to redeem the Sons and Daughters of Adam from The Curse of sin and death Gordon read for us, but words of the prophet Isaiah written 700 years before Jesus Christ was born for to us a child is born To us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor Everlasting God Mighty father Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ. Was that promised son from Adam from Eve from Mary the Virgin born in Bethlehem. It would come to crush the head of the serpent who it in Shackled humankind in the Pains of sin and death. We don't often see Christmas for what it truly is all about. It's not simply about the glitter and glamour of the trinkets that we pass by from one year and move into the next. It's about the Eternal promise of God fulfilled in the person of his son. Jesus Christ John's house is so plainly in that verse, you know, so familiarly for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Little babies don't save the world. But that baby was born that night by the power of the holy spirit in a unique way an Earthly mother but not an Earthly father Heavenly one and so he was different in the sense from us doing many ways the same the scriptures tell us that he took on flesh and he was like us in every way yet without sin. He knows the challenges that we face but in one way he was different without an Earthly father. He didn't inherit the sinful ways of men the stain that came from Adams line and so he was the Spotless Lamb of God. Babies don't save the world, but that baby grew up. He was faithful to God and all his ways righteously fulfilling the law. In fact, he told his contemporaries did he did not come to abolish God's law but to fulfill it in the most intimate and intricate of detail, but not the smallest dot on an IR Crossing of Atif would pass away from God's promises until all of it had been fulfilled. And so Jesus Christ grew up from that manger crib and he made his way emission. It was focused on a cross. He lived a life. It was remarkable. The blind were given their site the lame were enabled by the power of God to walk lepers spots were removed it just the voice of his word and the sins of men were forgiven and ways that had never been seen before but the work of Jesus Christ that promised son was not accomplished simply by a faithful life and they're in the final days. Is he melt in the garden? He prayed these words father not my will be done, but your will be done and he committed himself to drink a cop that would have been hours to drink in Jesus Christ went to the cross and he drank down the color of the wrath of Gods Fury against the sins of those who would believe in him that God's judgment might not come upon them, but that. Judgment might fall upon his Instead the scriptures tell us this by Grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing so that no one could boast. It was the work of Jesus Christ. The great gift of Christmas is the promise of the father fulfilled in sending his son to crush the head of the serpent to drink the cup of God's Wrath to face our punishment on our behalf Isaiah that same Prophet who wrote of the Virgin birth of Christ and of his coming also wrote these words by his stripes. We would be healed that our infirmities would be placed upon him and that for our sin he would be crushed. And so Jesus went to the cross and died is suffering was not based upon the nails through his hand. But upon God's Wrath against our sin in our place at those who would believe in him and the gift that he brought might be redeemed not because of anything that we've done because of what that promised son did for us. The Book of Revelation ins with remarkable words it remembers the story in the garden and were told in Revelation chapter 20. These interesting observations is John witness the future He said I saw an angel coming down out of Heaven having the keys to the abyss and holding in his hand a great shame. He sees the dragon that ancient serpent who is the devil or Satan and bound him for a thousand years at same certain serpent who emerged from that tree on that day and betrayed the course of human events with his deceptive words was defeated by Christ on the cross and will be chained for all eternity when Christ returns and the vision that were given of the promise of God in the person of his son fulfilled is a vision that is far beyond the scope of our words and it tells us this Christmas is so much greater than we've ever conceived John wrote fish and the last few chapters of the scriptures a vision of what it will look like when that child born in the crib dying on the cross. Rising again on the third day returns to complete his work and what his father intended here's what John wrote. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first heaven in the first Earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying look God's dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God he will wipe away every tear from their eyes will be no more death or Mourning or crying or pain for the old Order of Things has passed away. And then Jesus Christ himself. The one seated on the throne said this behold I am making everything new. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end to the Thirsty. I will give water without cost from the spring of the Water of Life. Those who were victorious will inherit all this and I will be their God and they will be my children the Angels proclaimed the Shepherds as we heard today glory to God and peace on Earth on Those whom his favor rests. The great news is that the promise of God made long ago do our first four Bears has come to fulfillment in the person of this baby born in the crib. Died on a cross and raised on the third day returning to make all things new for the sake of those who trust in him. If you put your faith in the greatest gift that you will ever receive I'd only in the Christmas season, but anytime at all live your life every other trinket you've ever received his end up in a garbage dump somewhere or will one day but this gift will Mark your life for all eternity in ways that you cannot possibly imagine what the peace of God is for those who give him glory by believing in his son Jesus Christ and confessing him as Lord that serpent has been crushed. The Son of God has come that you might have life because he alone is the light of the world. What's closed in a word of Prayer? gracious and holy God We did you thanks for who you are and for all that you've done we stand on this eve of Christmas and all at the power of your love for us in the Redemptive work that you have brought in the person of your son Jesus Christ. I pray for those here today Lord who are believers that you would be with them as they celebrate helping the focus not simply on the presents in the wrappings of the trinkets that we receive but on this eternal promise fulfilled in the person of your son Jesus Christ, the truest gift of Christmas itself for those who are not believers who are with us today. I pray the Lord that your holy spirit will be at work in them that they might come to receive this great life changing gift and the person of your son Jesus Christ. They have powerful conversations with those who brought them if you would will it We give you thanks tonight Lord for your love for us for promises fulfilled and most of all for the person and work of your beloved Son Our Savior Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
people who walked in dark