He Came to Get Messy
Notes
Transcript
As we gather on the Eve of Christmas I want you to imagine with me for a moment if you can…
A season or period in time where things are MESSY:
People around you have their own opinions and even expectations ranging all over the spectrum
Civil unrest is rampant
There are no wars occuring YET… peace is noticeably absent
POLITICS… are becoming suffocating and corrupt
Leaders are pretending & saying what will please the majority
There is a fear of the authorities in place, & those who enforce it
A time where the economic state of things is concerning at best, the poor become poorer and the rich get richer
Knowledge is advancing, philosophy is seeing new peaks, yet throughout the world fear, oppression, hopelessness, and darkness cloud things
Religion is everywhere, YET… people are lost
The world is longing and looking for a hero, a warrior maybe, a Savior no doubt… someone strong, powerful, maybe a king… and into this mess steps God in the flesh!
We will read and look at John 1:1-17 one last time as we celebrate God coming in the flesh…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
The Babe Jesus Christ has taken an active role pursuing a relationship with you and I from the very beginning...
In the beginning God created, and what He made was very good!
There was a perfect relationship, fellowship, union
Man messed that up, we messed up the relationship God desired to have
God sent His messengers… we didn't listen
God gave us His expectation in the law… we failed to obey
As we have reflected on the passage in John we have each time looked at the “WHEN” “WHO” and the “WHY”
When
When
In Romans 5:6-8 we see He came at the “RIGHT TIME” and He came to die for you and me…
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We have recieved “Grace upon Grace”
GRACE: God’s Riches at Christ Expense
What He stepped into we did not deserve… while we were still sinners!
Even our good deeds are filthy rags to Him in light of His Glory!
Who
Who
NOT what was expected… a BABY!
In Philippians 2:5-8 we see it stated beautifully…
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We have an example in Christ, we
We have One who understands
We have a God, who relates with our frailness as humans...
And you cannot get more frail and weak, and helpless than a newborn babe
To begin to grasp this begs the question “WHY???”
Why
Why
To Clean Up Our Mess!!!
He walked with sinners…
Showed He cared and would listen
He would dine with the outcast, forgotten, and lowly
To show that all were welcome to partake of the Bread of Life
He reached out to and touched the sick, diseased, and unclean
To show His desire to embrace all mankind in His loving arms
He cried with those in sorrow
To demonstrate His ability to heal, and comfort the hurting
He would know hunger, pain, loss
He who knew no sin… would take our sin upon Himself
The filth, the evil, the lust, greed, and debauchery of mankind
The blood running down His back, the nails piercing His hands and feet
The cross was messy… and He came to it for you and me.
AND… He came to a stable… the King of Kings, Creator, God in Flesh
Filth of a barn… innkeeper did not prepare it for the Lord that night
The stench would have been present
The hay may have been clean, but the manger would probably have the drool, snot, and mud from the animals eating from it.
The world did not know Him, His people would reject Him, YET He still came knowing this… to extend Grace upon Grace to all who believe
The truth of all this… the same mess Jesus came into over 2000 years ago, is the same mess we still see in the world today. Our need for Him is just as much as it was then. The world is still longing and looking… and who they are looking for can only be found in Jesus Christ.
LIGHT CANDLE
He planned to come into a dark messy world to bring light and life to all who would believe. As we remember that silent night He came, with His redeeming grace, let’s worship Him… Lord at His birth!