The Omega God-Man: The Fulness of Christmas!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
John, the beloved disciple, one at the end of the gospel was in the bosom, at the side of Jesus. John the one who said later in his letters - I am writing so that the one who dwelt and still dwells with us, the Eternal Life we touched and handled and still live with - that you might be living in Him and know it and grow in that new life from above. This John who God in the midst of the struggles of life in a world with the spirit of anti-christ tribulation and affliction, persecution and death and disease, and ongoing sin, where ancient serpent remember from Rev 12 pursues, this John God said I want you to come up here and take a peak into heaven and really see what’s going on . Ads he finishes the Revelation of God to the the churches, and the whole Bible of God to the whole human race, he gives one more description of the God-man we must receive - and the reality He is bringing.
Do you remember in the opening chapter of John who he presents the Christ-child as? First, must see that he is the Alpha - from before all created reality - remember one who is God, but even more WITH GOD - Trinity - and this particular mode of being - being face to face with the Father reflecting His glory - accepted delighting in - that who Jesus was before ever came to earth , and part of his reason for coming, for Christmas is turning you back to God and God to you like that. But then Second, John says you know who the Christ-child you must receive is, not just Eternal Son of God - but the Word became flesh - must realize miracle of incarnation and why? Because John 1:14
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.
Do you remember what the Son of God was becoming, what reality from the OT he was bringing to fulfillment. He dwelt among us. What is that, literally - he was becoming a very special TENT - which one the tent of meeting, the tabernacle - the place on earth -where omnipresent God comes in concentrated, manifest glory way - for us to speak and live and listen and be guided and forgiven, and transformed way Moses was. And look at the end of that verse, not just so have a nice holiday with God in the tent, but so that you might behold GLORY 0- what life is all about full of grace and truth - HESED and EMET - merciful and loyal … Embrace this Christ and he will make God’s glory and his ways know to you.
But then thirdly we saw from Revelation 12 we weren’t waiting for Christmas, already happened, not just remembering it, but participate in Christmas reality at the centre of drama of world, cosmic story. This child the Israel of God bore and brought forth is the seed who is the Satan crusher in this world, Satan couldn't get him, so now being thrown out the heavenlies were he could accuse Gods’s children, now Christ at God’s right-hand, and Satan cast down to earth - goes to make war - but God protects and provides for us in the wilderness - we are to be those in this pandemic winter of the world - with that grace and truth - hold to testimony of Jesus , blood the commandments of God!
But this Sunday , want to complete the picture of the Christ-child we receive at Christmas - Alpha , the Tabernacle of God on earth, the Dragon slayer for our wilderness battle, but finally must receive Christ as the Omega, the one who brings us to the Great End and Conclusion!
Key Truth: We must receive Christ as the one who brings our lies and this world to it’s final goal!
Key Truth: We must receive Christ as the one who brings our lies and this world to it’s final goal!
The goal: what is the goal of your life, your family, your work, your volunteering - what is the goal of our city, our nation, this world? John gives it at the grand finale of the story of stories in two pictures:
It is both the most incredible city and the most incredible garden. It’s a civilization and its a spring of the water of life, with a tree of life, with the garden of Eden. It is culture bringing the human quest to its ultimate achievement and it is grace restoring nature.The wealth of the nations, the fruits of our every quest brought into the glory of God, but finally the fruit of nature without curse , the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
Now we can see how Christ who John had come to see as the Alpha, the Beginning, the eternal word and arche- the source and the plan. The rest of the NT sees Jesus as the One ordained by the Father to be not only agent of creation, the one through whom and in whom all things and all people exist, but as the one for whom and ultimately to whom they exist. Colossians 1 we see this. Heb 1. Not only is Christ like in Rev the radiance and fullest manifestation of God. But he is the HEAD and Redeemer and Re-Organizer of all - wisdom of God - things in your life , you me, everything that exists only as redeemed and set to the purpose - do we really fit together and find the purpose - all things might be to Christ - 1 Cor 15 describing what happens when the Christ-Child who is the Resurrection and the life - when he touches us - all things - Christ will be all and in all!
But what is the master plan for a City like the New Jerusalem for the Garden that covers the whole new heavens and new earth - Like the first garden, like the earthly Jerusalem in the OT, what is the plan that now all God’s people from every nation, and what is the plan for the garden from the beginning - what did both the city and the garden exist for?
Interesting question - ask Rose Walters - what various gardens existed for through history - their plan design reflects. A garden isn’t just nature reserve, its a plan for people. Is it a park, a private retreat, a show piece of our wealth, ; our city plans reveal what we exist for - transformed by mass production, for commuter labour, for privacy, not community, - Scandinavia, even our water front, downtown - but what of Zion and of this worldwide garden?
Look it is the purpose of the Christ-child but this time writ large not small: In his first coming -portable tabernacle - came to his own -own didn’t receive - but to those who did, who like Pastor Jack described through the word - able to see recognize and offer best worship - he gave the right to become children born of GOD! He came that they might dwell with God. That’s Jesus’ job as prophet priest and king. And its his goal, but at the end , in the Return of the King - not just those who receive - Chapter 20 ends with the judgement at the great white throne, and look Rev 20:14-15
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
But the whole of Creation will then be participating in not Jesus as portable and hidden tabernacle, but listen to how God announces it, with its sudden breaking in: Rev 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
This is the telos, the end-game, the goal - we are to receive Jesus as the one who brings this already in part now, but to long for and work to give our lives the shape - in the city and the garden of things to come.
Do you get that is contained in the person of the Christ child in the manger. You remember how CS Lewis pictured it in the Last Battle. Alan goes into tiny stable for us, going to work and be tested and battle. Some else goes in: The men were discussing whether to go in and look for Rishda Tarkaan (but none of them wanted to do that) or set fire to the stable. He looked around again and could hardly believe his eyes. There was the blue sky overhead, and grassy country spreading as far as he could see in every direction, and his new friends all round him laughing. “It seems, then,” said Tirian, smiling himself, “that the stable seen from within and the stable seen from without are two different places.” “Yes,” said the Lord Digory. “Its inside is bigger than its outside.”“In our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” Christmas is about receiving this one in whom all the hopes and fears of all the years - O Little Town of Bethlehem> Have you received him. And then listen to how that Christ now exalted in heaven, spoke down to the Christian suffering and struggling - who embraced him as their portable tabernacle for now: Rev 21:7
The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Do you have any family traditions, pass down, kept going even in tie of pandemic, hope gets passed down to 3 even four generation to hundreds follow after you - none of us enough wealth to pass down like that, none of us traditions cools and meaningful enough - but Christ says, I have an inheritance, I have a tradition , away of doing things, I have a position - and you who are living now in the trials of life in the Roman Empire, in 21st century in all church history - don’t live cowardly - denying the tabernacle denying my heritage, denying my commandments and testimony - you live for the eternal kingdom - citizens beyond this life - listen: like John at end of the gospel in the bosom of the Son like on in bosom of Father, now you and I heirs of glory and grace and power and wisdom and righteousness - inheriting all this, inheriting identity as God’s first born adopted son - we are in Christ -
Who wants a piece of that here this morning - who will buy stock in this kingdom, place their life on this hope?
Well, C. Look what needs to happen - not just evil and evil doers, and death and the ancient Serpent taken out thrown into eternal lake of fire, but something needs to happen in your life and mine, in this world, in the universe. Rev 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Who here is tired of of the old order of things, the former things? After the last tear falls, after the last bullet rips through flesh and blood, after the last trafficked runaway walks the boulevard exploited to turn a trick after the last this marriage is over - Christ is going to come - and he in the power of the Holy Spirit by whom he made the sacrifice and in whose power he was raised - bearing the scars but healed - he will REVERSE IT ALL - death working backward, but all that evil all the suffering is going get undone - not one scar untouched by His healing, recreating grace. Even death will be no more. Raised up - live in that whole creation tabernacle with living in wand with us, and we fully living as his people his LAOS, His community.
And look at the results - no more what mourning , crying , no more pain - all we are tired of gone - no more sinning - all will be well
Now if you receive Christ as the one who has this plan - all worth it. it was for him - he could endure - why? for the joy set before Him - and you in suffering love, patient endurance, you standing for His truth His love his grace - endure all manner of struggle and failing and getting up again, and loving and it not being returned as love to you - endure it all for the joy set before you! Nothing in vain! 1 Cor 15
And that brings us to the conclusion of our text. Seven angels seven bowls seven last plagues - says to you and me and John for the ages, in these last days, before Christ’ glorious coming, Come I’ve got to show another picture - I’ve shown you the Omega - He is the point of this passage, but let me show His glory - and you know what he pulls out a picture of His bride for whom he does this all - and its a picture of you and you and you and you.
But you know how we get all self-conscious of our picture s posted… Rev 21:11
having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
Pure and spotless in Him, glowing radiance of the glory of God - Christ will be all and in all! The TRUE OMEGA GOD-MAN!