An On-Time Gift
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
On the Eve of one Christmas, Santa Claus found an all-american family and inserted an upright piano, a Craftsman 900-Piece Mechanic's Tool Set, a Ford F-350, and a few knick-knacks like an iPhone 10 in a Chicago boy’s stocking. When he saw that it was not yet half filled, he withdrew to the roof, plumped down on the snow, and wept bitterly. So goes the epitaph of Christmas gift-receiving.
Much can and has been said concerning the wrong views of Christmas. In fact, a psychologist demonstrated the depth of the wrong view
The publication “War Cry” documented this:
Not long ago a professor of psychology in one of our great universities gave a word-suggestion test to his class of forty students. He instructed them to write the word "Christmas," and all the class did so. "Now," said the professor, "write after the word `Christmas' the first thought that flashes through your mind regarding that day." When the papers were turned in, such answers were given as "tree," "holly," "mistletoe," "presents," "turkey," "holiday," "carols," and "Santa Claus," but not one had written, "the birthday of Jesus."
This professor confirmed the impact and influence of atheism in our culture. It seems all too easy for us to get caught up in the idea of a whimsical Christmas full of wonder and romance that crowds out Jesus, perhaps that is baby Jesus couldn’t find room in any of our inns if he were to come today.
Transition:
So Today … we’ll have Christmas with the Galatian Church
The Galatians also needed a reminder about the significance and true meaning of Christmas.
Now the word Christmas is not in the bible anywhere, and in fact, Constantine was the one who first celebrated Christmas on December 25 almost three hundred years later, but The Galatians were turning from the Gospel of the grace of God to the bondage of the law loosing sight of the significance of Jesus’ coming.
Scripture Reading:
1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
This is not the typical passage that you might expect for Christmas; however, this is indeed a very appropriate passage of scripture! Here, we have a beautiful picture of what Christmas is really all about.
Transition:
In these verses we see some very important things about Jesus Christ and his first coming to earth. So we’ll look at just a couple things this morning. First, everyone was enslaved under the “spiritual powers of this world,” but … (in verse 4) but That little conjunction offers hope to humanity. God’s intervention into human history changed the world forever. First, we see:
I. YHWH is always on Time
I. YHWH is always on Time
We don’t know when or how God might carry out promises, but rest assured, He’s never early or late.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
1. “when the fullness of time had come” what does this exactly mean? When the right time came, God sent his Son to earth. But Why did Jesus come when he did? Why not now—in our lifetime?
Have you ever wondered how your life might be different if Jesus was walking around today preaching and teaching in the U.P.?
Four hundred years of prophetic silence and suddenly a flurry of prophetic action many centuries before you and me. Why? Wouldn’t the world be much different, much better if He came today?
The “why” may be unanswerable for right now, except that YHWH knew it was the right time. Several factors present in the Roman Empire certainly aided the quick spread of the message of the Gospel:
The Greek civilization provided a language that had spread across much of the known world as the main language for all people.
The Romans had brought peace throughout their empire and built a system of roads that made land travel quicker and safer than ever before.
The Jews were expectant, eagerly awaiting their Messiah. Messianic fervor was at its height—mothers even named their baby boys Jesus in that day hoping that is was going to be their boy who would be the Messiah.
So it was Into this world came Jesus. Just as a Roman father would set the date for his son to reach maturity and attain freedom from his guardians [[Gal. 4:2]]
but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
So too, The Father had set the date when He would send His Son to free people from sin, from the law, to become his children (Gal. 4:5).
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Guided by a sovereign God, historical events worked in harmony to prepare for the pre-decided moment of Jesus’ arrival on earth (see also Psalm 102:13; Mark 1:15; and Ephesians 1:10)
So, if this was indeed the right time for Jesus today, why do we find ourselves in the messes that we do, the struggles that we endure today? Well, one answer to this is our limited perspective.
How impatient we become when things don’t work out as we had planned—especially during the holidays! How about when our prayers are not answered or not like we wanted-- when the difficulties of daily life persist on and on with no foreseeable end. Our prayer list here at Grace, and even in our bulletins grows and rarely shortens—there is never a shortage of what to pray for! Now I am glad for the opportunity to pray for my church family, but if things went my way, every prayer on our list would be answered immediately with a resounding “YES!” and peace, healing, comfort, and relief would come that very instant.
But we find in scripture that YHWH is always on time!
Consider for a brief moment some Old Testament examples:
a. The O.T. Joseph sold into slavery (Gen 37) and imprisoned. He becomes effectually the prime minister of Egypt (Gen 41). None of his transitions in his life were made known to him before they happened. Yet he had the perspective and the trust the whole time that YHWH was in control.
b. Moses preserved in near exile in the desert for 40 years (Exodus 3), then becomes the deliverer (Exodus 13) of God’s chosen people
c. And, of course, the timing of the Red Sea miracle: The sea opened just in time and not a moment too soon— it wasn’t at the time that these Hebrew peoples wanted—they would have wanted the sea to part miles before they ran up to the river banks.
And so, we know YHWH was right on time with the birth of Christ
a. How long it must have seemed—to the long dead prophets, to the Israelites who were now know as Jews since so many had died and it seemed that only the tribe of Judah was the remnant!
b. The promise in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3 15) (the protoevangelium) , the prophecies through the Major and Minor Prophets, the wait until angels started to talk.
c. Then: angelic activity - the Angel to Zechariah about John the Baptist, the Angel Gabriel to Mary, the angel to the shepherds, and the multitude of angelic hosts praising YHWH over this baby
d. And the situation: The taxing decree, the over-crowded inn, the birth, the shepherds, the wise men —all placed perfectly for this time.
And so, we know YHWH will be right on time with the Second Coming of Christ
a. The current scene and temptations to date setting
b. Some doubt, but God will be on time
And so, we know YHWH is always on time in His working in our lives
a. You are not here by accident, the timing of today and the events happening now were just as God plans and allows
b. Your difficulties are opportunities to trust and to believe and to persevere
Transition:
So YHWH is on time… on time for meeting people where they are at:
II. YHWH meets People where they are
II. YHWH meets People where they are
A wonderful thing about our God—the Christian God, is that we don’t access a totally transcendent God by a series of rituals or payments from holy sites or from some sacrificial pilgrimage. Rather, our God accesses us by bowing down from His throne and stooping down to us in our territory, our turf.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
1. “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law …”
Jesus was born of a woman—he was God yet also clearly a human
2. That’s where we all had our beginning
Born so helpless under the care of a sinful woman—sorry to burst your bubble, but mama ain’t perfect!
“Born under the law”
Jesus was a human and subject to the law; thus he was voluntarily subject to the structured universe that he, himself had created and that had been marred and tainted by human sin. More significantly, Jesus lived as a Jew, subject to God’s revealed law from the Levitical priesthood. In keeping with this, Jesus was both circumcised and presented at the Temple. Yet while no other human being has been able to perfectly fulfill God’s law, Jesus kept it completely (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 4:15).
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Thus, Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice because, although fully human, he never sinned.
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.
His death bought freedom for us who were enslaved to sin, offering us hope that we too could live apart from sin!
b. How strange that the Father should choose this entrance for His Son into the world. If The Father loves His Son so much, why the undignified entrance?
3. How great the degree of His humility
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
You know what this means?!? Good News!!! God will meet you where you are today, no matter the meeting place! You don’t have to wait until you’re dignity has reached a certain level, you don’t have to put on your “Sunday best” before coming to the Christ! And neither shall we expect that of any person coming to Christ for the first time. Yes, it is possible for a coke user to find Christ goading his heart in the throws of a crack house. It is utterly fascinating how many people find Christ at the lowest part of their lives.
Jesus laid in a dingy manger fit for animals. This was a low point in Jesus’ life to be in a manger, but one of the highest points for humanity.
Transition:
So YHWH is on time… on time for meeting people where they are at… because our gift is the gift of changing into Christlikeness:
III. YHWH wants to change People!
III. YHWH wants to change People!
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
“Redeem” is used in 3:13 to speak of God’s buying back either: (1) all humanity from the slavery of sin; or (2) the Jews from the Mosaic Law and the Gentiles from the world, through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This again shows mankind’s helplessness and God’s gracious provision. Eph. 2:4–6 confirms this:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Back to our passage:
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
“we might receive the adoption of sons”
In the Greek, the word Adoption has an etymology (or root) meaning “son placed/son planned/son purposed” and even “son-decreed.” This was and still is a legal term. because it is a legal terms this means that God righteously declares us his children. How?
Adoption, in this case, is made possible by redemption through the payment of the cross. So now you might be thinking, “wait… what does a true Christmas story has to do with the cross?”
Because God’s actual Son was born to die for us, in order that we might be counted as His sons and daughters. Jesus came to us so that we could come to him. And when we do come to Him, we are a new creature. This is so that YHWH can develop you into what you ought to be.
So What?
So What?
In order to realize the true meaning of Christmas, you must look beyond the crib to the cross, from the Babe in a feeding trough to the Man on a tree, from the occupied manager to the empty tomb, and even to the occupied throne. Thus Christmas becomes more than a day on a calendar. Christmas envisions eternal paradise—even eternal life for you.Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice because, although fully human, he never sinned. His death bought freedom for us who were enslaved to sin, offering us redemption and adoption into God’s family. So how will you respond to His coming?
Conclusion:
A. Jesus was born to change your life
B. You may not be what you want to be right now, but know that you can be what you ought to be only through his Power
C. Make this your Moment of Decision: the most Important in your Life—know personally the reason for this season.