Adoring Jesus

Introduction

There is something about newborn babies that seem to be so attractive to people. We love to see the newness of life, the innocence. Sometimes we like to see how the parent’s attributes and personality traits are exhibited In the child.

I think part of the reason we love Christmas is because we get to revisit this babe in a manger. His birth was filled with mystery, miracles, and scandal.

We like to romanticize the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. We glance over the lack of hospitality shown to this young family. We reflect on the uniquenesses birth in a stable for a nursery and a manger for a crib.

But if you think about it, every birth is a beginning. It’s filled with potential. We dote on babies because of who they are and we anticipate what they will become - what they will make of the life that they have been given.

One of the beautiful elements of Christmas is that we get to look back on Jesus’ birth - but also on his entire life. Tonight, we’re going to adore Jesus. We will dote on this baby in a manger.

We adore Jesus, not because He is a cute baby and not simply because His birth story is compelling - but we adore Jesus because of ...

Who He is - God incarnate

He is no ordinary child and he didn’t have an ordinary conception or birth…

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Elsewhere, Jesus is called “Emmanuel” - which means God with us.

He is unique in that his nature is both fully human and fully divine.

We adore Him because He is God Incarnate - or God with skin on.

But we also adore him because of...

What He Taught

In the ancient world and to some degree even today, when new rulers would come, they would have emissaries precede them, telling all of the benevolence and benefits of their reign - and they would also speak of threats on those who would chose not to submit to their reign.

Jesus, as an adult, was preceded by John the Baptist - who prepared the way. But Jesus and His disciples proclaimed good news:

Matthew 4:23 ESV

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

But what is the gospel, or the good news of the Kingdom. Some have referred to it as an upside-down Kingdom. It is a kingdom where...

humility is honored - Mt. 5:3 - ““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” A kingdom where...

Meekness is revered - Mt. 5:5 ““Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” A kingdom that...

begins small - but grows tremendously - Mt. 13:31-32 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”” A kingdom that…

spans geo-political boundaries - Rev. 7:9-10 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””

Not only do we adore Jesus because of who he is and what he taught, but also because of...

What He did -

There is so much that Jesus did in his life. He lived out what he taught - but he also did some amazing things. He performed many...

miracles - in fact, next month, we’re going to begin a study in the book of John. John identified 7 or so of his miracles as “signs” that reveal more about his character and life.

Not only did he perform miracles - but he...

lived a perfect life - He did not sin - even though he was tempted in every way as we are. (2 Cor. 5:21) Heb. 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

But probably his greatest act is the...

salvation that he offers from the cross - His life, death, and resurrection bring with it the offer of eternal life

John 3:16-17 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

But why? Why did Jesus have to come? Why did He have to die? What do we need salvation from?

We have a problem - of sin.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

You see, our sin bears with it a consequence - death, but God in His grace and love provided Jesus as the gift of life

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And that is a demonstration of God’s love for us:

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

And so what is left is for us to respond:

Romans 10:9-10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Because of that, we have this great assurance:

Romans 10:13 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Because of that salvation - we get to be at peace with God:

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Now that we have this peace with God, we have no need to fear anything -

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

His saving work on the cross may have only taken a matter of hours or days (grueling hours and days nonetheless) - but they have eternal consequences for you and me - eternal benefits.

But we don’t only adore Jesus because of what He did in the past. Did you know that He is still at work? We adore him because of...

What He is doing - Interceding/mediating/advocating

Romans 8:34 “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

In another passage we read..

1 John 2:1–2 (ESV)

…. if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

I hope that provides some encouragement. You have the Son of God - interceding/advocating for you. He is mediating between you and God the father. I don’t know exactly what that looks like. Wayne Watson, Christian song writer imagined it like “rose colored glasses” - God sees your life and mine through the blood of Jesus.

Every word out of place, lustful glance, angry outburst, every act of disobedience - covered by Jesus - it’s as though He’s saying - “don’t hold that against them - I covered it.”

Thankfully, we also have the Holy Spirit working in us - sanctifying us - toward the aim that our sin will be less and less of an issue.

He is working now - but we also adore him because of...

What he will do

Just before he died, Jesus told his disciples that there would be more. He said that he was returning to the father, but that he would come again...

John 14:2–3 ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Oh what a reunion that will be! But it will be so much more, because Jesus’ return is also the beginning of his earthly reign.

Rev. 20:4-6 “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Later in Revelation, it says...

Rev. 21:3-4 “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. 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.””

Jesus will come again and he will reign, but he will also judge.

Rev. 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 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.”

Let us adore Him!

Yes - the babe in the manger - but so much more.

Adore him as we...

sing

Read/study/Meditate on His word

live out His Kingdom here

Proclaim His Good News

if you’ve not yet done so, as you respond to his call for salvation.