How things used to be

Intro

There are a number of events throughout human history that resulted in a shift or a change so significant that it brought about the end of one era and the beginning of a new one.

Think of the progression of building materials and weapons starting with the stone age progressing into the bronze age, and eventually giving us the iron age.

Think of more modern history like the industrial revolution and how that changed human history, or the information age that we live in today with the creation of the internet and digital technology.

All of these ages or significant periods of time started with a moment that changed everything. From the first iron to be smelted to the first email to be successfully sent, these moments had an impact that in a lot of ways changed the world forever.

This time of year we are reminded of another one of those moments that forever changed the world as we know it. It changed it so much so that we now mark time based upon it; BC and AD (Anno Domini)

Not only did it have a global impact that affected every human being to ever come after it, but unlike the other moments I described this morning, this one had a cosmic impact. One the would effect all of creation; in both the seen and unseen world.

You see, Christmas cut history into two ages: the age of promise and the age of fulfillment.

In Acts 3:24 NIV after healing a lame beggar shortly after Pentecost Peter proclaims, ‘all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days,’

Or look at what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

Prior to Christmas humans were living in anticipation of a promise yet to come true. A promise that one day everything would change. A promise that would undo the damage that sin and rebellion had done.

The Old Testament is a record of that promise and how throughout this period of waiting God would continue to put things into motion that would result in a shift from an age of promise to an age of fulfillment.

When sin entered creation in the Garden of Eden, it had far reaching implications that would extend beyond Adam and Eve.

Yes they were cursed, expelled from the garden, and because of sin would have to die. God could not allow sinful beings to live forever. But this would also be the fate of every human to come after them.

Spiritual darkness enveloped creation and the relationship between the creator and his creation was severely damaged.

No longer would humans lived in unrestricted fellowship with God, rather we would spend our days wandering about life looking for fulfillment that would never come, because the thing that was missing was out of our reach because of our sin.

But God made a promise that one day he would fix it. That one day he would make a way for the damage that sin did to be undone and to mend the relationship between God and his creation. This promise was spoken of by many prophets throughout the Old Testament.

And 2,000 years ago God made good on his word.

Christmas was and continues to be the fulfillment of that promise. The days from the first Christmas to the final fulfillment of the events in the book of Revelation is where we live.

Power in the Text

The book of Isaiah paints a prophetic picture of just how Christmas would fulfill this promise.

Isaiah 52:13-15 NIV 13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53:3-6 NIV 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:11-12 NIV 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus “made intercession” for us (53:12), meaning He stepped in between God and us and intercepted the punishment for sin that was meant for us.

Some have accused Christianity or the God we believe in as being too demanding or going as far as to describe him a spoiled child who throws a fit because people aren’t giving him what he wants and then condemning them for it.

They want to believe in a God whose love and compassion would be enough to overlook the many sins we commit instead of a God who’s holy nature demands justice and a price to be paid for the sin in our lives.

Yet these same people would be upset if we would allow thieves, violent aggressors, or even murderers to go free without paying a penalty for their crimes.

The reason for this is because we want to be the ones to determine what sin should be punishable and what sin should be overlooked. The problem with that is we are not in the position to determine that.

It would be like me making a determination of whether or not open heart surgery would be necessary for someone. Sure I may have an opinion or strong feelings one way or another but at the end of the day I am not in a the position to make that call because I am not a cardio-thoracic surgeon.

As fallen, sinful humans, we are not in the position to determine whether or not something is sinful or not. We are certainly not in the position to judge what is considered punishable and what isn’t.

That is reserved for the creator of the universe and according to his holy standard, any and all sin is evil, separates us from God, and must by paid for in blood; hence the reason for the OT sacrificial system.

This passage in Isaiah emphasizes Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God, likened to the lamb whose blood was “sprinkled” on the Old Testament altar to take away sin.

Isaiah 52:15 NIV 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Here we see that this promise was not just for Israel, but for all nations. The gentiles who were not even aware of this promise would be silenced in awe of the Gospel. That they would come to see and understand the promise and how its fulfillment would change everything.

Big Idea/Why it Matters

1 John 3:5 NIV 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

1 John 3:8 NIV 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

This passage tells us Jesus came into the world that first Christmas in order to destroy the works of the devil, that is, the one who brought sin into the world, through His sinless life by absolving the effects of sin for all who would believe in Him.

To absolve is not only to forgive, but to set free from the guilt and responsibility for their sin as if it had never been committed.

Before Christ came into the world, we were captives to sin and deserved God’s punishment. Now that Jesus has come, and paid the price for our sin, we can be free from our guilt and know God personally.

Application/Closing

Christmas comes around every year, and every year people all over the world celebrate it. Some celebrate it for all the wrong reasons, and some understand its significance.

I wonder sometimes when we think about Christmas if we think about its significance beyond the manger and the nativity scenes we see decorated in yards and in our homes.

When the kids were younger we used to read them the Jesus Storybook Bible. This Bible is written in a language that is easy for kids to understand and shows how Jesus is interwoven to the whole of God’s story, not just the New Testament.

And in the chapter where Adam and Even brought sin into creation this is what it says.

“You see, sin had come into God’s perfect world. And it would never leave. God’s children would be always running away from him and hiding in the dark. Their hearts would break now, and never work properly again...

Well, in another story, it would all be over and that would have been the end. But not this story. God loved his children too much to let the story end there. Even though he knew he would suffer, God had a plan, a magnificent dream. One day, he would get his children back. One day, he would make the world their perfect home again, and one day, he would wipe away ever tear from their eyes...

Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle agains the snake. I’ll get rid of sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!” And he would. One day, God himself would come.

That first Christmas was the day that God would come back for us.

2,000 years ago a line was drawn that would change everything to come on this side of it. That is what Christmas means and I encourage you this year to think on that, and allow that truth to inform how you celebrate.