There is something special about being home for Christmas.
When I was ordained (over 30 years ago now) Heather and I went up to the Armidale Diocese,
Just before Christmas in 1979.
Our families in Sydney and Wollongong were devastated,
– they wanted us to come home for Christmas.
I remember, we flew home for that short Christmas period.
Every Christmas we were far away we tried to get back as soon as we could after Christmas.
Kenneth Bailey, a Middle Eastern expert who lives near Bethlehem,
wrote a book that gives us a different understanding of the story of Jesus' birth in Luke 2.
Bailey says that it was really a story of going home.
He says, "there was no place for them in the inn,"
the word for "inn" is the Greek word kataluma, which meant "guest room" rather than a public inn.
In Luke 10, in the story of the Good Samaritan,
Luke uses a different word to describe the public inn to which the Good Samaritan took the wounded traveller.
In other words, Luke knew the word for "public inn," but didn't use that word to describe the place where Jesus was born.
He used the word for "guest room" instead.
Bailey explains that,
in the typical Middle Eastern house,
the living room doubled as a guest room.
An adjacent room,
not finished as nicely as the rest of the house,
but part of the house,
served as shelter for livestock during cold nights.
The animals would be led outside during the day,
and the room would be cleaned.
When Heather and I and family were in the township of Mungindi
– up on the Queensland border,
We were so far out that in the Rectory (or the Vicarage, was what they called it)
they had a special room for the Bishop when he came,
It was rather spartanly furnished,
And to our amusement all the furniture was screwed to the floor.
We are still not sure if the Parish thought we were going to steal it,
Or the Bishop was going to take it home with him.
It wasn’t like the middle eastern room,
In as much we didn’t keep any animals in it at night
and put them out in the day.
We only kept the Bishop in it at night AND put him our in the day!
When we were visiting Kathmandu once,
Just up the street from where Matthew lived
In one of the houses,
They used to keep a huge cow in the front room,
You could see it through the window.
In his book, Bailey reminds us that Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to register for the census,
because Bethlehem was their home
––at least it was their home of origin.
They would have had family and relations living there,
and they would have been expected to stay with their relatives.
As you are!
But the census affected everyone, and others must have already occupied the guest room.
So Joseph and Mary occupied the outer room,
The room where the animals stayed at night.
This puts Jesus' birth in a new light.
Instead of being rejected by an impersonal innkeeper,
Jesus would have been born among his extended family as they gathered in Bethlehem for the census.
In other words, Jesus Himself came home at Christmas.
He was born in a real home among aunts and uncles and cousins
––and parents––who loved him.
That gives this story a whole different feel doesn't it?
We don’t know for sure that that is how it was, but it is an interesting possibility.
We have always felt sorry for Joseph and Mary
––that they were in such a lonely place when Jesus was born.
That they had been rejected.
But perhaps it wasn't lonely at all.
Perhaps they were at home.
We know that feeling very well at the moment.
Our son, Matthew home (with his new wife- Rupa) for the first time in 18 months keeps saying,
“Gee, it’s good to be home!”
Jesus knew the value of home.
He grew up in an ordinary family in an ordinary home in the little town of Nazareth. He knew how good it felt to go home
––to walk inside and close the door and shut out the dangers and anxieties of the world outside.
He knew the comfort of a father and mother and brothers and sisters who loved him. Jesus understood the meaning of the word "home".
And Jesus came to be born in a manger so that he could provide us a home.
In John 14, Jesus says:
"In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also."
Jesus was talking about our heavenly home,
he has gone there to prepare it for us.
We will be there one day,
and we can look forward to that.
But the home that he has prepared for us is more than a heavenly home.
We are part of a Christian family right here on earth.
People often speak of a "church home,"
because they find a true sense of belonging to a family.
We come to worship,
and we have our brothers and sisters in Christ by our side.
That is why it is important to come regularly,
To get known – and to know others.
That is why – on regular Sundays we have breakfast and morning tea together.
And that fellowship extends beyond St Mary’s.
When Heather and I travel, we always go to church on Sunday.
It is usually a highlight.
Nearly always, we don't know anyone,
but we feel a connected with the people,
because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We feel like we are with family.
The point is that the Christ understands the word "home"
And has created a home for us right here on earth in the church.
But for us to be a member of Christ's family,
we must create a home for him in our hearts/in our lives.
He can't help us if we keep him outside.
Andrew Silesius put it this way over three hundred years ago:
Though Christ a thousand times
In Bethlehem be born.
If he's not born in thee,
Thy soul is forlorn.
You have probably seen Holman Hunt's famous painting of Christ knocking at a door. It is based on Revelation 3:20, where Christ says:
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking;
if you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.
When the artist showed that painting to friends, one said,
"You have put no handle on the door."
The artist replied, "We must open the door––the handle is on the inside."
The same is true for us…
When it comes to Jesus, WE must open the door.
He doesn’t go anywhere that He is not wanted.
He waits to be invited in.
This Christmas could I encourage you to:
• Open your heart to Christ,
so that he may take up residence there.
• Open your heart to Christ,
so that he might find a home within your heart.
• Open your heart to Christ,
so that you might be a part of his family.
• Open your heart to Christ,
so that he might dwell in you and you in him––forever.
The amazing thing is, that if you do that,
Then it will be like “coming home”.
Over this past year there has been a growth in the “Atheist Movement”.
I suppose the movement divides itself into the hardcore atheists,
And those who are simply growing in cynicism and unbelief.
I imagine that the person on the street could find the events of Christmas “far fetched” and hard to believe,
Virgins, angels, announcing messages from God, singing from the sky, wise men, shepherds, bad kings,
Then I suppose that many events that we read in the Bible could be regarded as “far fetched” or hard to believe,
When you think about it,
The whole notion of a GOD is hard to believe,
In the Bible there are people who find the idea of “God” a challenging one.
Read through the Psalms or Job and witness the struggle of understanding GOD,
This where FAITH or TRUST comes into the equation.
I want to do two things tonight…
First, explain why Jesus came on that Christmas 2000 years ago, and
Secondly, to explain how He is going to finish up what He came to start all those years ago.
First, then, why did Jesus come as a baby 2000 years ago?
Luke 19:10 says it well – in the account of Zacchaeus,
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”.
According to this verse, Jesus purpose in coming into this world was to seek out and to save those who were lost,
LOST FROM GOD, LOST FROM ETERNITY,
Jesus describes himself as the way or the path or track to God,
The freeway to eternity
He says “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)
But how does Jesus “seek” people?
If God is completely just (which He is), completely loving (which He is), completely fair (which He is)
Then He must give everyone an opportunity to come to Him.
Not too hard to do – the Bible tells us that everyone has a knowledge of God written on their hearts.
That is why we are prompted to think about Him,
to link Him to events in our lives.
That is how he SEEKS us.
He came to SEEK AND to SAVE the LOST.
How does he save?
Not only was He born, but He lived and died,
And we are told in the Scriptures that HIS death was a sacrifice,
In the Old Testament OR with the Old Covenant forgiveness came through the sacrificing of an animal.
It was all very unusual – but it was God’s way for then.
Since then, Jesus has come, lived and died.
His dying was in place of US dying.
It was a sacrifice – it only happened once & it was for all time.
Jesus died eternally so that we could live eternally.
This is God’s way for now.
That is one of those “hard to believe”/hard to understand things,
But believe it we must/ understand it we must –
To be a part of God’s Kingdom
To be a Christian person,
We must trust that Jesus’ death – was God’s way of bring each of us back into friendship with HIM,
You see – the Bible tells us that this Jesus who came in the first place -2000 years ago,
To seek and to save the lost,
And that He Is going to come again at some stage,
In the meantime,
Everyone has an opportunity to respond to HIS first coming,
And so He is going to come and finish off what He started.
Jesus coming to earth – being born – living, dying – THAT WAS NOT THE END,
IN FACT IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING,
Jesus is coming back to do 5 things.
(1)Jesus is going to come back and make everything new.
We see that in Revelation 21:5 where Jesus says, “I am making everything new”
(2) Jesus’ coming back will bring eternal happiness
We are told in Revelation that in heaven God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
There will be no pain, suffering, divorce or death,
Or any of the other things that break our hearts.
(3) Jesus coming back will bring an end to hatred, wars and conflict.
We hear of all the terrible things that people do to each other NOW,
But it won’t be like that when Jesus comes back,
There will be an end to all conflict.
(4) Jesus is coming back to judge wickedness and reward faithfulness.
Jesus is coming back to settle all those things that made us wonder and ask “Why?”
Good and evil will receive their eternal rewards.
Let me read from Matthew 25
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory…he will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”,
The sheep hear the invitation,
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world”
To the goats, He says,
“Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”
Jesus is coming back and when he does he is going to put everything right.
(5) Jesus is coming back to put an end to death.
In the new heaven and the new earth,
There will be no death – there will be life that goes on forever.
To finish:
Jesus came to seek out (find) and save spiritually lost people,
And to prepare them for an eternal life lived with Him.
That leaves us with two questions:
Have you been found?
Are you being prepared?
Let’s pray.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
and you give them their food in due season.
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord lpreserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
“I stand at the door and knock” (Revealation 3:20)
Celebrating Advent means learning to wait. Waiting is an art which our impatient age has forgotten. We want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen. Greedy eyes are soon disappointed when what they saw as luscious fruit is sour to the taste. In disappointment and disgust they throw it away. The fruit, full of promise rots on the ground. It is rejected without thanks by disappointed hands.
The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come. They lose the moment when the answers are revealed in dazzling clarity.
Who has not felt the anxieties of waiting for the declaration of friendship or love? The greatest, the deepest, the most tender experiences in all the world demand patient waiting. This waiting is not in emotional turmoil, but gently growing, like the emergence of spring, like God's laws, like the germinating of a seed.
Not all can wait-- certainly not those who are satisfied, contented, and feel that they live in the best of all possible worlds! Those who learn to wait are uneasy about their way of life, but yet have seen a vision of greatness in the world of the future and are patiently expecting its fulfillment. The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come. For these, it is enough to wait in humble fear until the Holy One Himself comes down to us, God in the child in the manger. God comes. The Lord Jesus comes, Christmas comes. Christians rejoice.
In a few weeks we shall hear that cry of triumph. But already we can hear in the distance the sound of the angels' song praising God and promising peace on earth. But, not so quick! It is still in the distance. It calls us to learn to wait and to wait aright.
When once again Christmas comes and we hear the familiar carols and sing the Christmas hymns, something happens to us, and a special kind of warmth slowly encircles us. The hardest heart is softened. We recall our own childhood. We feel again how we then felt, especially if we were separated from a mother. A kind of homesickness comes over us for past times, distant places, and yes, a blessed longing for a world with violence or hardness of heart. But there is something more -- a longing for the safe lodging of the everlasting Father. And that leads our thoughts to the curse of homelessness, which hangs heavily over the world. In every land, the endless wandering without purpose or destination. Looking beyond our own comfort here, we see in many lands people dying of cold in wintry conditions. The plight of such people disturbs us within and amidst our enjoyment; a thousand eyes look at us and the evil haunts us. Poverty and distress throughout the world worries us, but it cannot be brushed away and there appears to be nothing we can do about it.
On this Advent, two inescapable realities weigh heavily upon our souls this day: sin and death. Who can bring help as we face these destructive realities? Who can deliver us from their dire effect? Only One! Our Lord delivers us from sin and death. Shall we not cry, as the first believers did, "Come Lord!?" This is the ancient cry, "Maranatha," and quickly come!
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave, be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death. Come with me in my death, come with me in my suffering, come with me as I struggle with evil. And make me holy and pure, despite my sin and death.
Every day, a quiet voice answers our cry, gently, persuasively, "I stand at the door and knock."
Should we tremble at these words, this voice? The Spirit that we have called for, the Spirit that saves the world, is already here, at the door, knocking, patiently waiting for us to open the door. He has been there a long time and he has not gone away. His is a very quiet voice and few hear it. The cries of the marketplace and of those who sell shoddy goods are all too loud. But the knocking goes on and, despite the noise, we hear it a last. What shall we do? Who is it? Are we afraid or impatient? Perhaps we feel a little fear, lest someone undesirable is at the door dangerous or with malignant intent. Should we open? In all this fuss, the royal visitor stands patiently, unrecognized, waiting. He knocks again, quite softly. Can you hear Him?
And each of you may ask: Do you mean his is knocking at my door? Yes. First, quiet those loud voices and listen carefully. Perhaps he knocks at the door of your heart. He wants to make your heart his own, to win your love. He would be a quiet guest within you. Jesus knocks--for you and for me. It takes only a willing ear to hear his knocking. Jesus comes, for sure, he comes again this year, and he comes to you."
(From a Sermon preached on 2nd December, 1928 by Dierich Bonhoeffer. Editor & Translator, Edwin Robertson, “Dierich Bonfoeffer’s Christmas Sermons”, Zondervan, 2005)
ADVENT 4 18th December, 2011 Luke 1:26-38
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin's name was Mary.
And (the angel) came to her and said,
'Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.'"
Aren’t they terrific words?
We hear them at this time of year, and they send shivers down my spine.
They remind us that Christmas is just around the corner.
There is something amazing about the angel Gabriel surprising Mary.
We know that this is the beginning of the marvelous narrative of Jesus’ birth.
But poor Mary wouldn’t have known what to think.
She was a young girl - not even married.
She lived in her little world––her parents' home.
She didn't stop to talk to men, and men didn't stop to talk to her.
It just wasn't done.
But the angel Gabriel came to Mary saying,
"Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you."
Did you ever wonder what this angel looked like?
His name was Gabriel––a man's name.
We usually picture angels as girls with wings, dressed in white dresses
––but Biblical angels were male
––I can’t think of an exception.
In the Bible, people sometimes mistook angels for ordinary men
––they thought that the person that they were seeing was a man rather than an angel.
Angels were messengers sent by God to deliver God's message
––but God sometimes sent them for other reasons.
God sent angels to destroy Sodom (Genesis 19:13).
God sent an angel to destroy the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:35).
It's difficult to imagine that the kinds of angels that we put on our Christmas trees could do something like that.
So when the angel Gabriel came to visit Mary, he probably looked like a man.
That would have been disturbing for a young woman like Mary.
When Gabriel came to Mary, where did he do that?
Was it on the street?
Did he intercept her as she carried water from the town well?
Or did Gabriel come to Mary at home?
That would have made Mary very uncomfortable.
The message Gabriel brought was positive.
"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
But Mary was "perplexed".
The Greek word means “disturbed” or “agitated” or “alarmed”.
This unexpected encounter with Gabriel surprised Mary
––it disturbed her
––alarmed her
––scared her.
Gabriel said:
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
For you have found favor with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
And you will name him Jesus.
He will be great,
And will be called the Son of the Most High,
And the Lord God will give to him
the throne of his ancestor David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
And of his kingdom there will be no end."
What a message!
Gabriel was telling this young woman that she would have a child
this child would grow up to change the world.
Gabriel was telling Mary that her child would be God's own Son.
Her child would be so important that history would forever be divided into "Before Jesus" and "After Jesus." (BC & AD)
Did you ever stop to wonder how Gabriel felt
as he delivered this message to Mary?
Frederick Buechner is a Christian author who imagines their encounter this way:
"(Mary) struck Gabriel as hardly old enough to have a child at all,
let alone this child.
But he(Gabriel) had been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it.
He told her what the child was to be named, who he was to be,
and something about the mystery that was to come upon her.
'You mustn't be afraid, Mary,' he said.
As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn't notice
that beneath (his) great golden wings,
he himself was trembling with fear
to think that the whole future of Creation
hung on the answer of (this) girl."
We might think, "What did Gabriel have to worry about?
God sent him to deliver this message,
so God surely knew that everything would be all right."
But people don't always answer God's call.
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to save the Ninevites,
and what did Jonah do?
He ran away.
He boarded a ship going in the opposite direction
––and when God forced the issue,
Jonah complained every inch of the way.
Could Mary have done that?
Of course she could have!
That would have mucked up our Christmas wouldn’t it?,
But Mary didn't run away.
She didn't drag her feet.
She just asked a simple, practical question.
How could she bear a baby when she had never known a man?
Gabriel assured her that God's Holy Spirit would take care of that.
Mary's child would be known as the Son of God.
Then Gabriel told Mary that her Aunt Elizabeth was also pregnant,
even though Elizabeth was an old woman
––far beyond childbearing age.
Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months,
so people were beginning to notice.
How was it that this old, woman was pregnant?
The angel Gabriel said, "Nothing will be impossible with God."
That is important for us to know….
Lets say it together
"Nothing"––––"will be impossible"––––"with God."
"Nothing will be impossible with God."
I would like us to remember those words.
The problems of our world seem so great and we seem so small.
Our problems overwhelm us,
We seem so helpless.
But keep those words in mind the next time you're in a crisis.
"Nothing will be impossible with God."
God is in the business of making silk purses out of sows' ears.
God is in the business of pulling rabbits out of hats.
God is in the business of turning Good Fridays into Easter Sundays.
God is in the business of doing the impossible––because––say it with me––
"Nothing"––––"will be impossible"––––"with God."
At this point, God was demonstrating his power in two unusual ways:
• For his FIRST act,
God caused the old woman Elizabeth to become pregnant with a baby
–– a baby who would be known as John the Baptist.
John would prepare the way for Jesus.
• And for his SECOND act,
God would cause a young virgin to become pregnant with a baby
who would grow up to be known as Jesus,
the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
An old woman! A young virgin!
Two unlikely candidates for motherhood!
But––say it with me––
"Nothing"––––will be impossible"––––"with God."
At that point, the ball was in Mary's court.
It was up to her to respond
––to say yes or no
––to accept her role in God's plan or to run for the hills.
I think that all the spiritual powers in the universe held their breath while they were waiting Mary's answer.
So much depended on this young girl-woman!
I wonder if a tear came to God's eye when he heard her answer.
Here is what she said. Listen carefully:
"Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
Let it be with me according to your word."
No if's and but's! No maybes! No bargaining! No "Check back later." No "I'll do that for you if you'll do this for me."
Mary simply said:
"Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
Let it be with me according to your word."
With those few faithful words,
Mary started things in motion that continue to this day.
We are gathered here today because of the son she bore.
We have come to worship him.
And today, having heard this story about Mary,
we also come to honor her.
Mary's life would not be a bed of roses.
Herod would try to kill her baby,
so she and Joseph would have to flee to Egypt,
they would live there until Herod died.
A few decades later, she would see her son convicted and crucified.
To say that Mary had some tough moments in her life
Is a gigantic understatement.
But all through her life
Mary was faithful,
and in her faithfulness we are blessed.
Isn't that remarkable!
Did Mary understand how far-reaching her faithfulness would reach?
Surely not!
Did Mary understand that people all over the world would bless her name?
No!
But Mary did understand that God was calling her
––and she understood that God never calls people frivolously
––so she understood that God had something important for her to do
––so she said:
"Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
Let it be with me according to your word."
We need look no further for a model for our response to God,
I am your servant…..let it be with me according to your word.
