I
feel like we need a greeting for Christmas time. You know like on Easter
morning. I always look forward to saying “He is risen,” and then hearing
the answer, “He is risen, indeed.” Maybe I should say something like,
“The Messiah is coming.” And your answer would be, “The Messiah is here.”
Let’s
take a minute and pray before we get into the message.
Lord
Jesus, You are the Messiah. Thank You for coming into the world, for
coming to save us. Oh how we need you. Please come afresh into our
lives, every day, every minute. Clean out the corrupt things in us, the
deceitfulness and just plain wickedness. Redeem us and make us new.
We thank you that you have done the work already. Speak to us
now. Fill us with the wonder of your coming. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
So,
as you can see on the PowerPoint and in your programs, today’s message is “The
Messiah Comes.” I think for the most part, we’re familiar with the word
Messiah. If I had to give you the “John Farmer” definition, I would
probably say that Messiah means Savior. The Messiah is the One we are all
looking for to come and make things right. The Messiah is the Deliverer.
Our
word Messiah is itself a carryover from the Hebrew word, mashiyach. The
root word for mashiyach is mashach which means to smear on or to anoint.
So, literally, the word Messiah has the meaning of Anointed One or Chosen
One. In the books of the Law, the word was used to describe the High
Priest. The High Priest was one chosen to intercede for the people.
Then, in the times of Saul and David, the word was applied to the King of
Israel.
In
Daniel chapter 9, the word Messiah is used to refer to the Anointed One who is
to come. In fact, the words are spoken by the angel Gabriel. The
word combination is the anointed ruler or Messiah King.
In
the book of John, we are introduced to the Greek transliteration of Messiah.
The
first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We
have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). John 1:41
And
so, the word Christ is based on the Greek word for Anointed One. When we
say Jesus Christ, you are really saying Jesus the Anointed One. If you
take the meaning of the name Jesus or Yeshua, it is God or Yawheh is
Salvation. The angel told Joseph that he should give him the name Jesus
“because he will save his people from their sins.” So when you say Jesus
Christ, what you are really saying is “The Anointed or Chosen One, God our
Savior.” Pretty cool. Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name. It is
one of His titles. It’s who He is. He is God’s chosen one, and He
is our salvation.
So
during the Christmas season, we celebrate the advent, the arrival, of the
chosen one of God, the Christ, the Messiah.
couple
of weeks ago, we were watching a messianic movie of sorts. Most of you
have probably seen it. Mary Poppins. I don’t think I’ve ever seen
it through that lens before. Usually, I’ve lost the plot by the point where
the chimney sweeps start jumping around.
ut I
imagine that you remember the story well enough. We’ve got two
cantankerous young kids who run off their nannies in a matter of weeks.
Their father decides that he will choose the next nanny and she must be a harsh
and regimented drill sergeant to whip his undisciplined son and daughter into
shape.
nstead,
he gets Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. An ideal sort of
nanny from the children’s point of view because of all the fun things they do
together. At the same time, Mary Poppins is serious on the exterior and
makes sure they keep their rooms straight and take their medicine and so on.
t the
end of it all, there is a redemption of the father from his brusque and
inflexible ways. As Mary Poppins is off and away, the dad is flying kites
with his children. Something he would never have done at the beginning of
the movie.
he
means of his salvation from harshness to love is the introduction of silliness
and laughter. Now you can ask my kids, I’m no opponent of silliness or
laughter either one. But, is a spoon full of sugar a real antidote for
sin. Sure, it’s absolutely true that a cheerful heart is good medicine,
but will love of laughter release us from real guilt and pain from real hurts.
I
know that you have heard of the tragedy at the elementary school in Newtown,
Connecticut. I had the opportunity one evening to scroll through a photo
journal of each of the children and teachers. Oh how your heart aches for
the families. The hurt is deep enough to reach some of the most hardened
hearts.
Soon
after the tragedy, I saw a quote from one of the teachers at the school.
Teacher
Laura Feinstein … hid with students under desks and shelves after hearing
gunshots. She hurried two children into her classroom in the back of the
school, locked the door and called the office. She hid with four students under
the computer desk and shelves and tried calling 911 but had no cell reception,
she then texted her husband.
“We
just kept hearing shots and shots and shots. There were a lot of them, and I
was just praying that someone would come and save us and we kept waiting and
eventually they did,” said Feinstein, a reading specialist.
“I
was just praying that someone would come and save us.”
I
read also a quote from the principal of Columbine high school about the tragedy
in Connecticut. Frank DeAngelis said this,
“You
go to a movie theater in Aurora and all of a sudden your life is taken.
You're at a shopping mall in Portland, Ore., and your life is taken. This
morning, when parents kissed their kids goodbye knowing that they are going to
be home to celebrate the holiday season coming up, you don't expect this to
happen. I think as a society, we need to come together. It has to stop …”
And
yet, it never stops. Yes, tragedy shocks us. It interrupts our
routine. But in a very real sense, death never stops. Is it somehow
okay that we die as long as we can see it coming a long way off? Is it
okay that people die as long as they’ve lived a “full life?”
God
didn’t think it was okay. He did not leave us stranded and alone amidst
the ruin and tragedy that is death. He submitted himself to suffering and
death to rescue us.
I had
a powerful demonstration of this about two years ago. It happened during
a visit to an angry customer. I was sent on short notice in response to a
serious quality problem. I was not going into a happy environment.
I expected the situation to be tense and difficult. This was the first
time I had ever met Wolfgang face to face. A colleague had met him one
time before. My colleague told me that Wolfgang had a problem with his
knee. I remembered that and I was hoping to find him in good health and
be able to ask him about his recovery.
When
I arrived at the office, Wolfgang stood to greet me. Just to be able to
stand, he had to take hold of a crutch to balance himself. In order to
walk, he usually used two crutches. He clearly was not suffering from a
knee injury. He obviously had something much more serious going on.
It turns out that he has MS. He has mobility problems with both legs, and
one ankle is so weak that he has a brace wrapped around it so that he doesn't
trip on his own feet when walking. There was almost no one in the office.
Although my arrival had caught him by surprise, Wolfgang politely offered me a
coffee and then volunteered to take me on a tour. With two crutches, he
has problems getting through the production floor, so he went with only
one. Physically, he was so weak, I could see the perspiration beading up
on his forehead as we finished a brief line tour, the walking distance less
than 100 yards.
We
circled back to the equipment where they were experiencing problems with our
parts. Then, he apologized profusely that he had to leave the workfloor
immediately. He explained that his bowel and urinary tract control was
also compromised by MS and he must be excused. You don't wander around
uninvited on a manufacturing floor. This fact Wolfgang also knew, but
between his physical weakness and urgent need to use the restroom (no doubt
brought on by his other exertions), he had no chance to properly introduce me
to the line leader. He was able to point out the correct person on the
other side of the room. I assured Wolfgang that I was able to go and
introduce myself without his help.
While
Wolfgang made a "hasty" exit, I approached this gruff looking
German. It was obvious to me that Wolfgang had a difficult life because
of his physical weaknesses, but this was the first hint of the even greater
magnitude of difficulties he must daily face. I explained to the line
leader in broken German who I was and where I came from and what I was doing
there and why I was waiting on his production floor. The man gave me no trouble,
but it was evident that he was embarrassed and even ashamed to have to be
associated with Wolfgang. He wasn't mad at me. It was more as if I
stood there as testimony of Wolfgang's weaknesses. The man didn't seem
prepared to deal with a reality that he had known for years.
After
several minutes, Wolfgang returned. We spoke about the problem and the
equipment, and then we left the production floor because Wolfgang had to go to
his regular physical therapy appointment. I was bewildered by the encounter.
I had expected to find harshness and anger. Instead, I had found
politeness and deference. Certainly, in view of Wolfgang's condition, I
would have expected him to postpone any activity until a better time.
Instead, he humbled himself deeply and personally for no other reason than to
show me a kindness which I had neither earned nor deserved. I had no
right to expect grace from Wolfgang, but it was there waiting for me in excess.
Later
that night, as I was sitting in my hotel room, I was reading in Jeremiah, and I
came upon this verse where God is speaking of the impending exile of Judah,
“Woe
to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to
myself, 'This is my sickness, and I must endure it.' My tent (tabernacle)
is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are
no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. The
shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper
and all their flock is scattered.” Jeremiah 10:19-21
Wolfgang
was a living embodiment of that phrase, “This is my sickness, and I must endure
it.” Although his body was wracked with MS, he had been determined to
conduct himself with dignity and fulfill all the obligations of his
position. He performed these difficult tasks with no trace of bitterness
or frustration. Then, I thought of the Lord. I thought of his
injury: the lashes, nail scars, and pierced side. These he carries for
all eternity. We will see his wounds. But not only that, the Father
had to forsake the Son. The inseparable Trinity was ripped asunder out of
love.
“Woe
to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to
myself, ‘This is my sickness, and I must endure it.’ ”
As I
meditated on those words that night, I wept. I
didn't get to vote on it. I didn't get to object to God's plan. God
the Father said of Himself, “I must endure it.” Every injury I have put
on Him, He has taken. He has never lashed out at me. If He had, I
would be unmade. Any discipline He has ever given me has been far gentler
than I deserve. May I learn not to add more to the pain which I have
already caused Him. May He teach me to “be Holy as He is holy.” And
what a precious promise. We can have confidence in Him and His
ways. He endures it all and will endure it all because He loves us.
The
baby who came in quietness and wonder was sent to us at a great price.
Who can compare the love and humility of our God. He bent down and made
himself low so that we can be restored, so that we can overcome death.
Let
us celebrate this Christmas the assurance of the salvation of our God.
This Christmas season, Jesus is lifted up. Globally, we celebrate His coming,
together. Isaiah wrote 700 years before the first Christmas …
And
the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see
it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 40:5
And
Paul wrote to Titus 60 years after Jesus was born …
For
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Titus
2:11
Messiah
has come. His salvation is the greatest of gifts. His birth in a
manger was a showering of love at great sacrifice. God didn’t rummage
around in the back of the junk closet to dig out and re-gift an unwanted box of
stationary. His gift to us was planned, prepared, foretold, and what we
needed most of all. He gave us His Son. He gave us salvation.
But
when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because
of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Titus 3:4-5
We
are saved from death when we accept this gift. We are saved when we
believe in Jesus, when we put our trust in Him, when we ask Him to direct and
guide our life and our actions.
Okay,
so when I think of Messiah, there is one other thing that comes to mind.
You may have heard of a musical piece called Messiah? Written by George
Frederic Handel. Handel’s Messiah. There is a really neat
performance of the Hallelujah chorus by a flash mob. Many of you have
probably seen it already. It was done in 2010 and it has like 40 million
views on YouTube.
I
love the Hallelujah chorus because it looks forward to the reign of
Jesus. He will take His rightful place and no longer be scorned or
ridiculed by anyone. We will no long have to wrestle with our sin nature,
our propensity to do evil. We will have total rest and peace in
Him. He will wipe away every tear from our eye. There will be no
more sorrow or crying. There will be no more pain.
Before
we listen to it, here are the words of the Hallelujah chorus. They come
directly from Scripture (in fact all the lyrics from the 2+ hours of Handel’s
Messiah come straight from Scripture.)
Hallelujah!
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Revelation 19:6
… the
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ:
and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15
KING
OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16
Enjoy
the surprised looks on the faces of the people who are suddenly surrounded by
raised voices proclaiming the Lord God Almighty. I like this flash mob
performance because it is not something far off that people had to get dressed
up and buy expensive tickets and go to a faraway theater to observe from a
distance. No it breaks out among them. They are surrounded by the
song.
Max
Lucado wrote it this way. “Does he stand high on a hill and bid you come
out of the valley? No. He bungees down and carries you out.
Does he build a bridge and command you to cross it? No. He [builds
the bridge and then] crosses it and shoulders you over.”
Wherever
we go and whatever we do,
let
all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus … both Lord and
Christ. Acts 2:36
Today
in the city of David a Savior has been born to you [born for you]; he is Christ
[Messiah] the Lord. Luke 2:11
Let
us rejoice in his arrival and anticipate His return. Messiah has come and
He is coming again. Let’s pray.
Lord
Jesus, thank you for coming for us. Thank you that we are not left alone
amidst the uncertainty and terrors of life and death. We need you each
and every day. Please be not only a part of our Christmas, or even a part
of our daily lives. We pray that you would be Lord of our lives and that
you would reign now and forever in us. Apart from you is nothing and
despair. We love you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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