The Thrill of Hope (3)
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Series Review
Hope is thrilling if our hope is in Christ. This hope does not eliminate the problems with which we contend, but the hope is not extinguished by them either. We have suggested over the past few weeks that much of our day-to-day living is persevering. Yes, we persevere because life is difficult. We persevere because we must endure the hardships that come our way, but children of God are able to persevere because God preserves them. And as we recognize that God is at work in His people in this way, we see there is wonder in our persevering. There is a sense of hope, and excitement and anticipation in our day-to-day living. Persevering is not merely getting by and contending with the drudgery of life. Persevering is a supernatural act of God in His people so that there is always a thrill of hope in it.
And so far, we suggested that in order to see the wonder in our perseverance, we must
See the wonder that is beyond ourselves. To see God as the glorious, majestic God that He is. What is most true about life is that God is holy. He is the one true God, and while we are not holy as He is holy in-and-of-ourselves, He calls His people to be holy as He is holy. His people, as they gaze upon and are changed by the holiness of God, are able to reflect the holiness of God. There is wonder in this, and we need to be sure to dwell upon God’s holiness in order to embrace this wonder.
As unexpected as it may be to hear this suggested, there is a certain wonder even in our suffering. The very part of our lives that makes perseverance difficult contains wonder. We must however, see our suffering the right way. Yes, it is hard and painful. But God has a purpose in our suffering, and it is ultimately to show Christ more clearly to us and to those around us. The road that Jesus traveled on earth on His way back to heaven, was a road of suffering. All of Christ’s followers are traveling on a road to be with Christ in heaven now, and the road we travel is one of suffering. But not only will our suffering end, the suffering itself shows forth the glory of Christ. The children of God are jars of clay, with cracks and breaks in them, but through those cracks and breaks shines forth the glory of God. This is the wonder in our suffering.
But we are not meant to look for this wonder, see this wonder, lay hold of this wonder on our own. We are meant to walk with God in a group. We are meant to walk with God, in other words as part of a local church. Alongside brothers and sisters who are striving to follow Christ. The family of God. And when we are part of such a community, who knows the shortcomings and sin with which we all contend, we see the wonder in the family of God. We are not meant to go it alone. We are meant to walk with God in a group.
And as we conclude this Christmas series, we come full circle. Seeing the wonder that is ours who are in Christ, necessarily means we will
Seeing the Wonder of Jesus
Seeing the Wonder of Jesus
Jesus is wonderful. And there is no way for us to exhaust this subject here tonight. There is one familiar text that will help us get at this a little more clearly. We expect to hear our sermon text at least once during the Christmas season. It comes out and says very clearly that Jesus is wonderful. Many of us know it well.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
And despite what this text proclaims, many of us continue to feel bogged down with life. But again, we need a bigger vision because God is bigger than the things that bog us down. Think of what this text says about Jesus. He is:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
We will take each of these titles tonight to help us see more clearly the wonder of Jesus.
But before we consider these titles of Jesus, let’ pray.
Wonderful Counselor
Wonderful Counselor
Wonderful
wonderful = astonishing, miraculous, beyond comprehension
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Counselor
Advisor, guide
Not someone who asks you about your childhood. He knows everything there is to know about us because He created us.
No doubt the way we should go is unclear sometimes, but there is no doubt that the way Jesus call us to go is the best.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Mighty God
Mighty God
Mighty
Ability to do things by virtue of strength
And this makes sense because of the rest of this title
God
Why do people have problems with Jesus. Or, perhaps we could consider some of the challenges people have with Jesus during this time of year
Towns having problems with public displays of the Nativity scene
Posting and saying Merry Christmas
Or again, some having a problem with Jesus in general
People may be able to tolerate that Jesus was born as a baby into the world. And people may be able to accept that He lived on earth over 200 years ago. And maybe some can even accept that He did die on the cross, and perhaps some who disapprove of Jesus are willing to entertain the possibility that He was somehow miraculously raised from the dead. But what people tend to have a problem with is the fact that:
Jesus is God
Jesus came into the world as God
Lived on the earth as God
died on the cross as God
rose from the dead as God
ascended into heaven as God
is alive today, at the right hand of God the Father as God
and is ruling over all creation as God
and will return one day, to earth as God
el: several words for God, and sometimes some of these words were used to refer to rulers and authority figures as god. But this particular title is reserved for the one true God.
O Come, O Come Emanuel
Everlasting Father
Everlasting Father
Everlasting
Jesus’ care and blessing for His children will never end
Father
Why Father?
Trinity
I and the Father are one.”
The point here is that Jesus and the Father are of one essence. They are both God
The second Adam
The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Adam is the father of humankind and he sinned and passed that onto all who came from Him. He passed on his guilt.
Jesus (the 2nd Adam), passed onto all His children His righteousness. IN this way, He can be rightly thought of as our Everlasting Father.
Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace
Prince
Not a jr. king
It references the fact that Jesus is our ruler
Hebrew word = sar which means commander
And what does his rule bring about?
Peace
Shalom
Not just absence of conflict
complete well-bring, wholeness, rest, God’s blessing and favor
This word was used to greet one another and pronounced blessing to each other
How is Jesus Prince of Peace when it is not peaceful?
Already/Not Yet Quality to this verse
For the people of God, there is complete peace now, and this peace is the most important kind of peace - peace with God
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is now for the people of God
The not yet aspect of this peace is described in v. 7
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Jesus is coming back both as Judge and as Savior
Judge
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Savior
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 is the Prince of Peace. He has made it possible to have with with God now and will one day rid the world all of the problems, and we will be present with Him forever. Everlasting Peace.