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"You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy."
-Micah 7:18b |
Sermon Archive
Who is That Baby
Prayer: Dear God, help me, help us to live these days with a conscious knowledge that that you are in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it, and want to be in control of this broken world and our broken lives. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth and in our lives, as it is in heaven.
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Download Audio (MP3)Who is That Baby in the manger? Pt. 1.
Heb 1:1-3 Pastor Tom MItchell
We live in a day when Christmas has become a controversial holiday. If you doubt that statement, just try putting up a manger scene on public property. Every year more and more people get offended by what were once considered innocent displays of Christmas. At the heart of the matter is this truth: Some people are unhappy with Christmas because they want nothing to do with Jesus.
The first Christmas was met with indifference, unbelief, and (in the case of King Herod) outright hostility. There are still those who would devalue Jesus by making him simply a good man, a teacher of morality, a religious leader, or perhaps one among many Saviors of the world. The practical effect of this devaluing of Jesus is just one many spiritual teachers.
With that in mind, I want to ask the question: Who is that baby in the manger?
I believe, that our only reliable source for answering this question is the Bible, specifically Heb 1:1-3: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Heb 1:1-3).
God has spoken through a variety of people: He spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:2ff), to Elijah in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12ff), to Isaiah in a vision in the temple (Isa 6:1ff), to Hosea in his home (1:2) & to Amos (8:1) in place of work. God spoke through a variety of ways: He spoke through visions and dreams, through angels, through symbols, natural events, a pillar of fire, smoke and many other ways.
But, v1 says: in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son”. It means God has shared His last, His final, His ultimate word to us in Jesus. In the past God spoke through the prophets, but for His last word to us God spoke through his Son. The writer now goes on to describe seven facts about the Baby in the manger. (3 this week & 4 next)
I. He is the Heir of All Things.
“…in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son, Whom he appointed heir (recipient) of all things” (Heb 1:2). God has appointed Jesus as “heir” of all things. I understand this from a personal point of view. When my grandfather died, I shared in my grandfather’s estate. I received a 20-gage shotgun because I was an “heir” to what my grandfather father possessed. The same is true for my three children Anita, Josh, and Shaeln. They are named as, “heirs”, in Dori and my will.
To say that: “God has appointed Jesus heir of all things”means thatGod is acknowledging that everything belongs to his Son. We could say that the whole universe made up of galaxies, stars, planets, our earth with its’ mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, oceans, animals, the gold, silver, diamonds, and oil all ultimately belong to him.
The title, “heir of all things” is a title of dignity and shows that Jesus has the supreme place in the entire universe.
Today it doesn’t appear that everything belongs to Jesus because Satan is trying to lay claim to this earth, it’s resources, and it’s inhabitants. But in the end Satan will be defeated and Jesus will take full ownership again. This means that when you come to the end of everything, Jesus is there. As Isaac Watts hymn says: “Jesus shall reign where ’ere the sun, doth its successive journeys run; his kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.” Jesus is the heir, the recipient, to all things.
Side note: In many families children inherit their parents’ estates; each child is an heir and the children together are co-heirs. Notice what the Bible says in Rom. 8:17a “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory…..” Here’s the good news:Since Christians are God’s children, we are His heirs and we are co-heirs with Christ, but we will not receive our inheritance until we get to heaven. Here’s the bad news about being a “co-heir with Christ”: Rom 8:17b “But if we are to share his glory (inheritance in heaven), we must also share his suffering.” To be a joint heir with Christ means we will be a fellow sufferer with Christ here on earth. (see Gal. 4:7; Rev 21:7) Who is the baby in the manger?He is heir of all things!
II. He is the Creator of the Universe.
“…in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son, ….Through whom he made the universe” (Heb 1:2). Jesus was an active participant in the creation and through Jesus, God made everything. There are really only two choices a person can make as he studies the universe. Either you believe that everything is the result of infinite time plus blind chance or you believe that the universe is the result of God’s divine design. The Father delegated to his Son the work of bringing the universe into being and nothing was made except through him.
Not only did Jesus create the universe, he also created you and me. Psalm 139:14 says that we were “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We owe our physical existence to Jesus.
As one simple example of His creation, consider the intricacies of your own blood. Your blood is made up of cells and plasma. As the blood flows through the heart, it is pumped through arteries, veins and capillaries to every part of your body. The blood delivers oxygen and nutrients and removes waste products. Adults have about 5.3 quarts of blood.
A little over half is plasma, which contains electrolytes, nutrients and vitamins, carbohydrates, cholesterol, hormones, clotting factors, and proteins, which are really antibodies that fight infection. The cellular portion contains red blood cells (carry oxygen from the lungs), white blood cells (fight infection), platelets (help clot the blood so you don’t bleed to death). Plasma (the liquid portion of the blood) is 90% water, yet the 10% of material dissolved in it is absolutely crucial for proper bodily function. These various elements are pumped by the body as directed by the brain to the places where they are needed most. Plasma also contains substances called electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium.
These vital chemicals help in such things as fluid balance, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. At the same time the plasma removes waste and sends it to the kidneys and lungs. All during this never-ending process, there is pressure from the heart that sends the blood outward and there is pressure inside the vessels produced by proteins in the blood that keep the blood level constant. When you take medication, it is the blood that rushes it along to the place where it is needed.
The blood flows into the right side of the heart and then goes to the lungs where it deposits carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen.
From there the blood goes back to the left side of the heart and then out to the various parts of the body. The average adult heart beats 72 times per minute. In the course of one day the heart beats over 100,000 times. In one year the heart beats almost 38 million times, and by the time you are 70 years old it has beat 2.5 billion times! An average heart pumps 1.3 gallons per minute.
In other words the heart pumps 1,900 gallons per day, almost 700,000 gallons per year, or 48 million gallons by the time someone is 70 years old. That’s not bad for a ten-ounce pump!
And this just scratches the surface of what the blood does and how it works. And blood is only one part of your body. How can anyone study the complexity of the human body and think that it all happened by chance? It takes more faith to believe that than to believe that your body was divinely created by God through Jesus.
Jesus is not just a baby in a manger, he is the Creator.
III. He is the Radiance of God’s Glory.
““…in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son, who is the radiance of God’s glory” (Heb 1:3).
The word for radiance was used for sunlight streaming from the sun. Jesus is the blazing radiance of the glory of God. What sunlight is to the sun, Jesus is to God. It would be easier to try to separate sunlight from the sun than to separate Jesus from God.
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Jesus is a clear picture of God. And people who know that Jesus is more than a baby in a manger, are making an incredible impact in our world today. For example, how many of you have heard of Tim Tebow? Let me tell you something about him.
America's largest church has a capacity to hold 16,000. But while Tim Tebow may not be a preacher, when he runs into the University of Florida's football Stadium - affectionately known as "The Swamp" - his congregation numbers just over 90,000. And you can bet they're hearing Tim's message.
It's not just that this University of Florida quarterback wears Bible verses etched into his “eye-black” on game days. Tim Tebow has been making headlines he one the Heisman Trophy his sophomore and his two national championships. This summer the New York Times, GQ, and Sports Illustrated, all covered the quarterback's strong Christian faith.
Last year, when the Florida Gators won the national championship, the pre-game show followed Tim into a local Florida prison where he can regularly be found sharing his testimony and preaching the story of Jesus.
And this top-notch athlete, who spends his spring breaks and summers ministering to orphans in the Philippines has actually helped change the culture of the University of Florida . According to Sports Illustrated, "Since Tebow's arrival on campus, and in large part because of him, the University has launched a series of community-service initiatives." Even coach Urban Meyer has taken his family on a "Tebow-inspired mission trip to the Dominican Republic ."
Last year at a news media event one reporter asked Tim, in front of the crowded room, "Are you a virgin?" Tim answered with an unequivocal yes and had yet another platform to explain how his faith impacts every area of his life.
That platform for sharing Jesus is exactly what Tim's parents prayed for before he was born. Tim's father, Bob, a missionary in the Philippines, had been weeping over the millions of babies aborted in America. It was then that he prayed, "God, if you give me a son and I'll raise him to be a preacher."
Soon after, Pam Tebow learned she was expecting, their faith was put to the test. After a series of grave complications, doctors encouraged them to abort the child. They refused. Born small and weak, Tim struggled from the beginning. But his dad continued to tell him, "God's got a purpose for you, and at some point, He's going to call you to preach."
Dad was right. God's message has been preached each time Tim Tebow put on his jersey and stepped on the football field. Tim's a great example of one who lived to proclaim Jesus kingdom and to let the world know that Jesus is more than just a baby in the manger.
It's not just that this University of Florida quarterback wears Bible verses etched into his “eye-black” on game days. Tim Tebow has been making headlines he one the Heisman Trophy his sophomore and his two national championships. This summer the New York Times, GQ, and Sports Illustrated, all covered the quarterback's strong Christian faith.
Last year, when the Florida Gators won the national championship, the pre-game show followed Tim into a local Florida prison where he can regularly be found sharing his testimony and preaching the story of Jesus.
And this top-notch athlete, who spends his spring breaks and summers ministering to orphans in the Philippines has actually helped change the culture of the University of Florida . According to Sports Illustrated, "Since Tebow's arrival on campus, and in large part because of him, the University has launched a series of community-service initiatives." Even coach Urban Meyer has taken his family on a "Tebow-inspired mission trip to the Dominican Republic ."
Last year at a news media event one reporter asked Tim, in front of the crowded room, "Are you a virgin?" Tim answered with an unequivocal yes and had yet another platform to explain how his faith impacts every area of his life.
That platform for sharing Jesus is exactly what Tim's parents prayed for before he was born. Tim's father, Bob, a missionary in the Philippines, had been weeping over the millions of babies aborted in America. It was then that he prayed, "God, if you give me a son and I'll raise him to be a preacher."
Soon after, Pam Tebow learned she was expecting, their faith was put to the test. After a series of grave complications, doctors encouraged them to abort the child. They refused. Born small and weak, Tim struggled from the beginning. But his dad continued to tell him, "God's got a purpose for you, and at some point, He's going to call you to preach."
Dad was right. God's message has been preached each time Tim Tebow put on his jersey and stepped on the football field. Tim's a great example of one who lived to proclaim Jesus kingdom and to let the world know that Jesus is more than just a baby in the manger.
In just a few days Christmas will be here. Before you take down the ornaments and put away the Christmas music for another year, take time to discover again & acknowledge who Jesus really is. Don’t walk away from the manger this year without coming to grips with the truth that the first Christmas was the arrival of a king, who came to set up his kingdom. Rulers from the east knew it, so they came to present gifts to him. King Herod knew it, so he tried murder him.
Jesus came to save us from our sin and to show us how to live. Do you want to know how to live? Study the teachings of Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and empower you to “seek first His kingdom”.
Prayer: Dear God, help me, help us to live these days with a conscious knowledge that that you are in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it, and want to be in control of this broken world and our broken lives. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth and in our lives, as it is in heaven.