In other words “I, the Son of Man, came to look for people who are far away from God. They are in danger, and I have come to save them!
Sermon Text
Good morning Cityview 😊
Well, it’s almost Christmas and at Christmas we love to give and receive gifts – right?
The other day I started thinking about all the Christmas gifts I’d received over the years and one stood out without a doubt as the best and most loved.
I remember it so vividly. I was 8 years old. I remember seeing the gift under the tree, excitedly pulling the paper apart without respect of using it again. Because when I was a kid, we were supposed to unwrap gifts carefully so the paper could be used again!
You know, we were recyclers back in the day without the need to be educated in the art of recycling!
It was the best gift ever. An Annie Oakley costume. Oh, I loved Annie Oakley. I bet most of you don’t know who she is. But she was a real person, a legendary sharp shooter in the wild west. In my favourite TV show about her she fought for good and always beat the bad guys.
Let’s see a short video to explain her prowess for those of you who don’t know her.
She was pretty, she was brave, and she was always smiling. Notice, she never killed anyone, just disarmed them or shot something that would fall on them, knock them out a bit. I wanted to be just like her. And now I could.
I put on that outfit as quick as you could say Annie Oakley!
It was red with white fringes. And the hat had yellow pigtails attached to it. It was amazing. It also came with a silver cap gun. I loved the smell of the gunpowder when you shot off a cap.
We had a front verandah with wooden railing around it. I used to tie a pillow to the railing and sit on it. I’d tie a belt to the upright post to use as reigns and that was my horse.
I had so much fun being Annie Oakley for a very long time because I unwrapped the gift given me at Christmas. And you know, just remmbering it still brings me joy.
Imagine if I decided to not accept and unwrap that gift. What would I have missed out on?
[Prayer]
I reckon my parents couldn’t wait for me to unwrap my Annie Oakley outfit. They new it would bring great joy to me, and they were hovering, watching expectantly, as I discovered what they had given me that year.
I think they got as much joy from my reaction to that gift as I did. It was the best!
I think that’s how God is with us. His Holy Spirit hovering over us, encouraging us to accept and unwrap the magnificent gift that God has given us.
And when we finally do – the whole of heaven is flooded with joy! Including God himself.
His special gift to us is, of course, Jesus.
It’s not a secret! When Jesus was born God sent an Angel to announce it to some Shepherds. Luke 2:10-12 (NIV) “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Then the midnight sky burst into life with myriads of angelic beings shining like stars and their heavenly voices filling the night with praises to God, offering peace to all men.
This was no secret Santa!
God wanted the world to know that He gave His Son Jesus to anyone who would receive His gift! And He put on a glorious display to announce His birth! The angels even told the Shepherds exactly where to go to find Him and what He would look like. Wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
And to their immense credit, these shepherds believed the angels and went directly to Bethlehem to find this baby. And when they did, they bowed down and worshipped Him then couldn’t contain their excitement and went to tell others about the birth of the Saviour, Jesus, Christ the Lord. A precious gift from God.
Jesus was found by them wrapped in cloths, but Jesus was never meant to stay helpless and wrapped up. He was meant to throw off those wrappings and grow and mature and eventually present himself to the world.
What was this gift that came as a baby? Why did God send Jesus to us? Why did he come?
Mary, his mother was told by an Angel that her baby was the Son of God. And Joseph his earthly father had his own angelic messenger. In Matthew 1:21 (NIV) the angel said: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Mary had been told who the baby was, while Joseph had been told what he would do.
Can you imagine the conversations that Mary and Joseph would have had over the years as they watched their beloved son grow and mature. Knowing he was a very special man with a heavenly mission, yet not fully understanding how he would fulfill these prophecies.
But Jesus himself, grew into the knowledge of who he was and what his mission was here, and he often answered the question of why he came?
And here are some of the reasons he gave, not all, but some.
- He came to proclaim good news
In Luke 4:18-19 (NIV) Jesus proclaimed “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
That’s good news isn’t it?! - He came so believers may not remain in darkness
In John 12:46 (NIV) He tells us: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” - He came to call sinners
In Matthew 9:13 (NIV) He says “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus wasn’t afraid to associate with sinners. In fact, he went out of his way to seek them, to lead them to repentance and salvation. - He came to bear witness to the truth
John 12:46 (NIV) says “You are king then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “you say that I am king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
The devil is the father of all lies, but Jesus is the way the truth and the life! - He came to give abundant life
In John 10:10 (NIV) He declared: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus says here that the thief (or the devil) he only brings pain and destruction. He doesn’t care about you unless he can use you for his nefarious purposes.
But Jesus, loves you enough to give his life for you. He came not only to rescue you from the devil’s clutches, but to help you see all the wonderful possibilities that life can hold for you, not only in the life to come, but now.
If he didn’t come to show you, you wouldn’t know how to experience that fulfilling life. And as you choose to deepen your relationship with God, you learn more and more about his extra benefits.
Ps John Warwick referred to these a couple of weeks ago. He forgives our sins, he heals diseases, he redeems our lives from destruction, he crowns us with love and compassion, he satisfies our desires with good things, and he renews our youth like the eagles.
How could you not rejoice and be grateful and worship our loving God who enriches our lives so much.
Of course, his primary mission was to rescue us from our sin.
This is portrayed so clearly when he encountered a wealthy little man in the town of Jericho. This man, Zacchaeus was a tax collector and disliked by many because of his association with the Roman establishment and also because he probably overcharged them taxes and pocketed the extra.
He climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus as he was passing through Jericho. And to everyone’s shock, horror, Jesus stopped at the tree and called Zacchaeus by name and suggested the two share a meal together.
The townsfolk were disgusted at this idea and they grumbled loudly.
But Jesus’ reply to them was recorded in Luke 19:10 (NIV): “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” In other words “I, the Son of Man, came to look for people who are far away from God. They are in danger, and I have come to save them!
- Jesus came to serve and to give his life
Mark 10:45 (NIV) tells us: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
All throughout his ministry, Jesus demonstrated humility, obedience to his Father in heaven, love for those he encountered and a sacrificial attitude towards the needs of others over his own.
While he was on earth, here with us, he was a witness of the love the Father in heaven has for mankind.
He stopped for people, he prayed for people, he went out of his way for people, he healed people, counselled people, defended people, he even washed his disciples feet.
He loved people, he taught people, told people about His Father God, convicted them of their sin and encouraged people repent, put their faith in him and follow him because that was the way to be saved and reconciled back with God.
But that wasn’t all. Sin had to be paid for by blood sacrifice. God had decided that the blood of Jesus was the only sacrifice that qualified to atone for mankind’s sin once and for all.
And Jesus knew this. Jesus knew his destiny was to die. And not just pass away quietly, but to die a horrible, bloody, humiliating and painful death.
Yet he continued to walk towards His date with destiny with courage and determination. Even though at one point in the garden of Gesthemane he wrestled with his fate, he submitted to his father’s will.
And so, he submitted to betrayal and to torture. His skin flayed off by a roman whip, his head torn by antagonistic thorns, thrust into his scalp as a makeshift crown by his tormentors.
Nails hammered into his feet and hands to attach his beaten and bleeding body to a roman cross – stripped bare of all coverings, totally naked and utterly vulnerable, his humiliation not yet complete.
God had decreed that our perfect innocent Jesus, the Lamb of God, bare the sins of the world as he hung on that cross, awaiting the relief of death.
And so, he died. Not for his sake but for the sake of others. But before he died, he saved a thief crucified on a cross beside him. Jesus promised he would see him in paradise that same day.
And His last words, thinking of those who had betrayed him and those who had performed his execution. Father forgive them!
With everything he endured that day, he did not sin. And His death, His blood satisfied God.
Christ suffered death as a penalty for our sin, he took our place. And through that selfless action he made a way for us to be reconciled with God, by His grace, through our faith in the blood of Jesus.
On the cross, Christ fought against and was triumphant over the power of sin, of Satan and of his demonic host that held people captive. His death was the initial victory over the spiritual enemies of both God and humanity.
And that victory is yours too, if through faith, you have accepted Jesus Christ and his death for you.
But it doesn’t stop there. - Jesus came to do his Father’s will to not only keep and save, but also to resurrect believers.
In John 6:38-40 (NIV) Jesus said: For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
Jesus came to defeat death itself! So that if you are a believer and follower of Christ, death has no sting for you. Death is merely a transition into an eternity with Jesus. A better place by far.
After Jesus died his followers were allowed to take him down from the cross, but because the Sabbath would shortly begin, and no work could be done during the Sabbath, they only had time to wrap him lovingly in a linen cloth and place him in a tomb originally prepared for Joseph of Arimathea.
The tomb was hewn out of a solid rock. Jesus was placed in there, a stone was rolled across the entrance to seal it and guards placed outside.
After the Sabbath was over, Matthew 28:1 (NIV) says: ….. at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
They had brought spices and perfumes to finish preparing the body of Jesus for burial. What they encountered, shook them to the core.
That morning an earthquake violently shook the ground and an angel of the Lord appeared at the tomb, rolled away the stone (which had closed off the tomb) and sat on it.
The guards were afraid. They felt the earthquake, they saw the angel go to the tomb and roll away the sealed stone – they saw an empty tomb!
There was no other way into that tomb other than via the entrance sealed by the stone which they had guarded all night.
The angel ignored the guards but said to the women in Matthew 28:5 (NIV): ………“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen, just as he said.”
Can you imagine their excitement. As they headed back to the disciples, they were the first to encounter the risen Jesus on their way. Wow! What an honour. But when they told the disciples about this, they didn’t believe them, so Peter ran back to the tomb to see for himself. It was empty. They only thing left was the linen cloths that had wrapped the body of Jesus a couple of days before.
There were so many witnesses to the fact that the tomb had not been tampered with, that Jesus’s body could not have been moved. The guards were there all night and witnessed the earthquake, the angel, the stone rolling away and the empty tomb. He wasn’t there, he had risen.
Jesus had defeated death!! And His mission was completed.
God had raised Jesus from the dead, not just spiritually, but physically. His body was not in the tomb. The only thing that was left was the linen cloths that he had been wrapped in for burial by his friends.
Now, because of what Jesus achieved, his death on the cross overcame sin and his resurrection from the grave overcame death.
Because of that, we can have victory over sin. We can be reconciled back to God and we can have victory over death, through God’s grace and our belief in the blood of Jesus.
There’s a lot to receive from the gift of Jesus. More than I’ve spoken about. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving.
But there’s something to notice about Jesus. He was offered to us wrapped in swaddling cloths as a gift to the world.
But he couldn’t stay wrapped up. He grew and threw off those cloths. And when he accomplished his first major task – to die for our sins on the cross – his wrappings were removed. His clothes were stipped from him and he was naked before the onlookers.
And when the mighty power of the resurrection raised Jesus from the dead, his wrappings were the only thing left behind in the tomb.
I can’t help but think that this is a message from God.
God gave us the perfect gift when he gave us Jesus. But just like any gift, you have to accept it and unwrap it to find the power of the gift.
When Mum and Dad gave me my special present at Christmas, I unwrapped it, I liked what I saw and I wore it! I mean I wore it everywhere! I was Annie Oakley!
Jesus is the best gift you will ever receive. The best! Unwrap the gift and put it on. Romans 13:14 (ESV) tells: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
When we put on Christ our old ways are nailed to the cross and we wear the grace and forgiveness of Jesus as a glorious garment for all the world to see.
And as we get to know Him we become more and more like him. Let the Lord be your armour, embrace him over and over, and daily trust him in faith, thankfulness and obedience.
And remember that once you have received the gift of Jesus, all his benefits are available to you. One of which is the promise of an eternal life with God. Jesus defeated death at his resurrection and you get to share in that victory too!
Jesus is the gift of Christmas that never stops giving.
Would the ushers please distribute the emblems, we are going to take communion.
You know, when Jesus instituted the idea of communion, he said – to do it in remembrance of him.
To not forget what Jesus did, how he did it and why he did it. He deserves all the honour and the glory, and all the praise and the worship we can offer him.
And if we do that, if we remember our Saviour’s sacrifice for us and ultimate victory over death and the devil, it’s very hard to lose heart as we look forward to a present and an eternal future with Jesus, who loves us so completely.
During the last Passover meal Jesus had with his disciples he commanded them to eat bread He had broken and to drink from a cup He had poured out. He called the bread His body and the cup of wine his blood. He said the blood is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Communion is very soberingly about remembering and being grateful for the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us, his broken and beaten body and his blood which flowed so freely for the forgiveness of our sins.
But Jesus was also clear that it was also about looking forward. In Matthew 26:29 (NIV) he says: I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Jesus predicted his death, and his resurrection at this meal. He also said he’s coming back to make all things right, when he’ll reign as king forever, hallelujah!
He wants us to remember everything that happened as well as what is still to come because he is ALIVE!
Jesus, thank you for offering your body as a substitute for mine, for ours. Thank you for allowing it to be beaten and flayed, taking the punishment we deserved. Lord, we eat this bread in obedience to your command to remember your broken body. We say thank you Lord. Thank you for substituting your body for ours. Let’s eat the bread.
Jesus thank you for your precious blood that flowed so freely. Not only from that dreadful beating, that crown of thorns plunged into your head, not only from the beard they plucked from your face, but from those 6inch nails that were hammered into your hands and feet which pinned you to that Roman Tree. So much blood for the remission of so much sin. Thank you that your blood was shed that we could be forgiven.
As you take the cup this morning let us be grateful for the forgiveness of our sins through that shed blood, but let us also remember that death could not hold Jesus, that he walked out of that tomb, he is risen and now seated at the right hand of the Father, and he is coming back one day to bring justice to this world.
Let us say – until He comes.
You know if you have never accepted the gift of Jesus, that is offered so freely, I pray today will be the day you do. You’ve heard how wonderful he is today. How he gave his life for you because he loves you deeply.
You’ve heard about some of his benefits and the grace he offers, if you accept Jesus as Lord by faith.
You couldn’t make a better start to 2025 than starting it with Jesus in your heart.
So, let me encourage you, and I’m speaking to those watching on line too. Please, say yes to Jesus, welcome him into your heart, into your life, unwrap the gift and put him on. God the Father and the angels are watching from heaven.
You will bring so much joy to God and heaven if you unwrap the gift of Jesus today and make him yours. Amen