1st Advent Sunday: Hope

What is Christmas? It’s all about giving and giving things to others, and oh yeah, something about Jesus, and oh yes, be nice to others, etc. Let’s take a short quiz to see what you think about Christmas. True or False

December 25 is the actual day Jesus was born.

Since the days of the Apostles, Christians have always celebrated Christmas.

Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) is a complete myth.

Attending church on special holidays such as Christmas and Easter helps make us right with God.

Christmas is entirely a pagan holiday that Christians should avoid altogether.

The last question gives us the challenge to consider what we can or should do in regard to this holiday. Can we redeem this holiday season from its misconceptions? Should we even try? I suggest that we look at redeeming it by emphasizing Biblical truth, namely, the doctrine of Incarnation. Today we begin a series of messages looking at the Incarnation.

What is a Doctrine? OT - what is received - the teaching of the Torah - Law of God. NT Includes the act and content of Biblical truths.

The Incarnation is Necessary

Incarnation: The act of grace whereby Jesus came to earth and took on a human nature into union with his diving nature becoming “God incarnate” for the purpose of our salvation.

Although the Bible uses the term “flesh” at times to describe the sinful human nature that we all humans have, it is never used in that way to describe Jesus when he took on flesh. When Christ is spoken of as having flesh, it is in the context of Him having a human body without a sinful nature. Romans 5:12,17,19, reveal a pattern of the sin nature being passed through the father (man). The Virgin Birth circumvented the transmission of a sin nature resulting in the Eternal God taking on human flesh and remaining sinless.

Scripture is very clear that Jesus had a human nature (flesh - as a human body and not as the sinful nature described by NT authors). The early Christians distinguished themselves from heresy by this doctrine. To deny that Jesus had a human nature is a rejection of God’s Spirit in favor of the Spirit of the antichrist (being against Jesus Christ embodied in a person who leads others in rejecting Jesus).

1 John 4:2–3 ESV

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

When we speak of the incarnation, we must also speak of its purpose, the atonement.

Atonement: The act of grace whereby Jesus suffered and died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.

Both of these terms are important elements of our Christian doctrine. We must have both to have a gospel. It was necessary that sin be dealt with through “the flesh” so God accomplished this through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:21–22 ESV

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Our Advent Celebration focuses on recognizing the grace of God in the incarnation through recognizing four concepts: Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love, which point to what Christ gives to all who trust in Him. We light four candles for each concept and light the fifth candle on Christmas Eve as we celebrate Christ who is the Light of the World.

Christ’s Glory before the Incarnation

The doctrine of the incarnation is based upon the preexistence of Jesus. Jesus was not created. He is the Creator. John 1:3. He is God. He does things shared only with God and receives worship only as God should.

John 1:3 ESV

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Jesus was of the same substance of God and shared the same glory, therefore, He is God.

Philippians 2:6 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

From these verses, one can see how another doctrine, the Trinity (One God revealed in three persons. 1 “What” and 3 “Whos”) is based upon the Incarnation. Although these doctrines defy our scientific and logic, they do so appropriately because they describe the One True God who can not be confined or fully comprehended within our means or ability. So we stand back in amazement of God’s greatness with awe and humility. We worship him and conclude that our God is great.

Hope from the Incarnation

Luke 2:22–38 ESV

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke's gospel gives us much detail about the birth story. He was born and spent the first night was in a barn-like structure with a feeding trough for a bed. He was born to parents of lower socioeconomic status that could only give the poorest offering for Mary’s purification offering. Forty days after giving birth, a woman had to present herself at the Temple with items for a burnt offering and a sin offering. Mary brought two pigeons because it was all they could do, for it was the least expensive option that was allowed. Jesus Christ, God-Incarnate, was brought to the Temple as an infant for presentation, an act of obedience that acknowledge God as the owner and giver of life. What may have seemed like an ordinary day at the Temple proved to be something unique for God had two people prepared to meet Him, Simeon and Anna, who testified of the child.

The Incarnation Leads to Salvation

Simeon praised God that he saw God’s Salvation before dying just as God promised. He saw the Lord’s Christ, Anointed One, who would bring salvation. What salvation should they expect? Christ did not come to fix the immediate geopolitical, economic, or social situation. Rather, He would go to the root problem of humanity, the sinful heart. Sin is a short word that describes a big problem.

Sin is any deviation from a divinely revealed will. It is the source of evil, corruption, and death, and is what humanity and all of creation must be saved from, according to the Scriptures.

Sigrist, David J. “Sin.” Ed. Douglas Mangum et al. Lexham Theological Wordbook 2014 : n. pag. Print. Lexham Bible Reference Series.

The Incarnation is for All People

Simeon’s song includes an important clarification about Jesus. He correctly understood that God’s salvation was to impact both Jews and Gentiles. It was for all people. Jesus may have come first as a covenant promise for Israel, but He also came for the world He created. The whole world lived under the stain of sin. The covenant people of Israel were just as guilty of sin as the gentile. Paul made this same statement in his letter to the Roman church.

Romans 3:9–11 ESV

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

The incarnation is the solution for our sins against God and each other. As we look at our country today, we realize that we have the Divided States of America. News Media helps promote lies, and it is difficult to make any sense out of how ugly things have become in the past years. People are angry and respond purely on emotions. Who is to blame? We could fill in the blanks with the ones we most disagree with, but we had better not forget our sinfulness before God. Listen to the following quote of a wise man in his old age.

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Too Close to Call

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things—that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

These words were spoken by John Newton. He was once involved in the slave trade in the 1700s, but after experiencing God’s grace and salvation, he became a minister within the Church of England and an abolitionist. God saved a sinner who understood that the Savior restored the sinner to God and the sinner to other people.

Our country has experienced various incidents that have shown that human-to-human relationships need the Savior to change the hearts. The early church had to deal with this early on. How do Jews and Gentiles get along and fulfill loving God and loving neighbor? They did so by recognizing their sinfulness and relying upon the grace of the Savior to love those different from themselves. But as we look at church history, Christians have deviated from the divine will of God. Our world needs to see from the Christian Church how the Savior is for all people. We must take a close look at how we reflect our divided world rather than reflecting the community of Christ. We must be mindful that we have churches that are united together according to GRACE rather than RACE.

The Incarnation Demands a Response

Alongside Simeon’s promise of hope stands the reality that the Incarnation would cause tension, a “rise and fall,” and a “sign that is opposed.” People will have to make up their minds about it. Some will accept, and others will reject. The Incarnation fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Cornerstone. Some will choose to build their life on it, while others will reject it, and it becomes a stumbling stone and rock of offense. For those who accept it, they will find God’s hope, but they may also find that they too are rejected for entrusting themselves to the Savior. But we need not despair, our Savior suffered but He was also glorified. God too will sustain us even in our suffering for Him.

This week, as you begin to hear all the holiday music, decorations, sales, and the like, remind yourself that you have every reason to celebrate the Incarnation. Find a good Christmas song his that mentions the Incarnation and reflect upon God’s salvation for you and give thanks. Let’s redeem this time by thinking about this truth.

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