Our first scripture is from Isaiah 35:1-10. It describes the change that takes place when Jesus Christ blesses a place and what the place is like without God’s presence in a place.
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Who is Jesus? That was the question that John the Baptist wanted to know when he was in prison. Jesus also asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” The Bible takes a lot of time to explain, describe, and show who Jesus Christ was, is, and will be.
I think it is useful to start at the beginning with John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
There’s a lot of detail in those few words. First, it tells us that Jesus is the Word. The Word is scripture, our Bible. It also says that Jesus was with God in the beginning. Through Jesus all things were made. It says that without Jesus nothing would be made. Jesus is life. It is so simple. Jesus is life. It also says that Jesus shines in the darkness. There’s two ways to think about darkness. The first, is the darkness that covered the earth because of an absence of the sun, moon, and the stars. The other, is the spiritual darkness that exists because of an absence of the Son of God.
I’ve preached in places that were in spiritual darkness. I’ve preached that Jesus Christ is the light of this world. That his light will shine in the darkness. In fact, I preached under a big tree at night with just a kerosene lantern in a place that was totally dark both physically and spiritually. [Tell the story of preaching in Diani in 2006] Africa is the dark continent because there’s very few lights on after dark.
The light of Jesus Christ is the light of faith, hope, and love. The darkness will never understand faith, hope, love, and peace. The darkness only knows fear, evil, lies, death, and sin. It is important for us this Christmas season to understand who Jesus Christ is to us personally and as a people.
In Matthew 16:15-20 Jesus asked “But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." In Mark 8:27-29 , the disciples replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Jesus wanted his disciples to understand who he was. Peter says that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus also explains that Peter’s knowledge requires Peter to know about the Father to understand the Son. Jesus is also explaining that Jesus is the church. Jesus is the body of Christian believers. Later, Jesus also states that you need to know the Son in order to know God the Father.
Ok. So, let’s talk about what we know about Jesus so far:
- Jesus is the Son of God
- Jesus is the Word
- Jesus is the Church
- Jesus is the light of this World.
- Jesus can shine in the darkness
- Jesus is the Creator. He was with God in the beginning
- Jesus is love.
- Jesus is the Son of the Virgin Mary.
- Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi – a pastor
- Jesus was a Teacher
- Jesus was a Preacher
We also know that Jesus brought the love of God to us so that we might be able to grasp the love of God in a personal way. Romans 8:39 says “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is just another way to say that Jesus Christ Loves this world. Shouldn’t we be looking for Christ’s love at Christmas time?
The next fact is that Jesus is our salvation. We know that from Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We just need to believe and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord in our lives. We need to ask in prayer for God to reveal Jesus to us.
First Corinthians 8:6 talks about the relationship between God the father and God the Son: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” The baptism of Jesus by John Baptist also sheds some light on the Holy Trinity. In Matthew 3:16-17, it says “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
We talk about believing in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. It is hard to understand that God is the trinity and yet we worship just one God. I think of God the Father as God in Heaven who is all powerful and all knowing. I think of Jesus Christ as my best friend who can pick me up when I’m weak. I think of the Holy Spirit as God’s helper who is within me and making me a better man. God is all powerful and all knowing. God can take whatever form he needs to enable us to know Him better. God uses the trinity to show his love. In fact, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Christ Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone of our church and our lives. The cornerstone is the one stone that is essential to have a strong building. Jesus is our cornerstone. The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time talking about Jesus Christ, In Ephesians 3:4-13, Paul writes In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Ok, what is Paul talking about in Ephesians? Paul tells us that Jesus helps us to approach God with freedom and confidence. We are better able to understand God because Jesus was flesh and blood like us. Jesus lived like us. Jesus was tempted like us. Jesus was someone that we could understand because God sent Jesus to us to explain the mysteries of God.
Matthew 11: says: After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 16:21-23 says: From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Philippians 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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