Text: John 1:10-18

‘God’s Glory’

There was once a gentleman who would drop into a church office asking questions about God and faith. The people who worked for the congregation didn’t know whether this gentleman was honestly searching for answers to his questions, or whether he was just looking to have a religious argument with someone. Whatever his reason might have been, his questions were good and challenged the people in the office to search for a deeper understanding of God and the way he is at work in the world.

One question this gentleman asked was one that has perplexed humanity for thousands of years: if God is all-good, all-loving and all-powerful, then why are children and other innocents dying everyday all around the world from war, hunger, abuse, preventable diseases, and other evils? The thinking behind his question was that if God is actually all-good, all-loving and all-powerful, then he would somehow eradicate evil so that everyone, especially the innocent victims of human hatred and greed, could live safe, happy, lives that are free of suffering.

We can understand this gentleman’s struggle with the paradox of God’s love and power because we can see it playing out in a wide range of different circumstances, from personal struggles to global issues of justice and peace. The problem with simply getting rid of evil is that, if God were to do that, God would also need to get rid of human will which is often the cause of the evils in the world. We would end up with a God who controls people instead of a God who gifts people with freedom. People who have no will are people who are unable to love, and if God’s desire is that we live in loving relationships with him and with others, as we hear Jesus teach in passages such as Matthew 22:34-40, then taking away our will also means taking away our capacity to love. In fact, because we are all sinful in our natural condition, and the wages of that sin is death—God would have to get rid of everyone.

Rather than do that, God deals with the problem of evil in a different way. Instead of magically getting rid of suffering in the world, God shows us his glory by doing something that we don’t expect and that no-one else could do.

We would expect God to display might and power and obliterate evil. Instead, God comes hidden in the vulnerability of the manger and the cross. He empties himself of all His heavenly glory and experiences all our vulnerabilities (at his birth, in his ministry and in his suffering, torture, shame and even death).

This is God hidden from the proud and self-reliant who makes himself known through humility to those who trust in him.

That God should do the unthinkable coming to as a child in a manger, go to the Cross and die for the sin of the world is the only way we know that God does care. It’s the only way we know that he rolls his sleeves up and gets his hands dirty. That he should be become one of us and for us. This is not a ‘pie in the sky’ God of our own imagining. This is God that surpasses all human understanding.

So, God enters into the suffering of the world as an infant. In Jesus, God joins us in our suffering, meet us in our pain and confusion, and then gives us the hope of something better.

This might sound a bit too depressing or philosophical for a message during the Christmas season. We expect and look for Christmas to be light and happy most of the time. If we just want to have a good time at this time of year, then we miss the real significance and power of the Christmas story. Jesus wasn’t born in a sanitized, air-conditioned birthing suite at a hospital. He came into a broken world still tearing itself apart, a world captive to sin and blinded by it, a world paralysed by selfishness so much that some people stop at nothing to get their own way—even the murder of innocent people. Jesus came into a world such as this. He was born in a dirty, smelly, unhygienic cattle shed. The circumstances of Jesus’ birth were shameful in their culture as his mother became pregnant before she was married to her fiancé. At the time, the people among whom Jesus was born were living under the oppression of the Roman Empire which maintained control through brutal and oppressive violence. We can sanitize the Christmas story so much that we forget that God entered the world in a humble way, immersed in shame, and into the suffering of an occupied and oppressed people. The Christmas story is really a story of shame, dirt, and conflict.

We see God’s glory in the story of Jesus’ birth because when we are suffering from shame, dirt or conflict, God is with us through the birth of Jesus to give us hope and peace, love and even a deep sense of lasting joy. Jesus shows us the glory of God who isn’t removed or distant from the realities of our lives. He is right here with us, walking with us every step of the way, because he has been there before us in the person of Jesus. God doesn’t just leave us there either. In Jesus, God promises us a life that is free from shame, in which we are made clean through his forgiveness and healing, and is free from the oppression of sin, death and all the evils of this world.

When that gentleman went into the office and asked where God was when the innocents are suffering and dying, the Christians in that church could tell him that God was right there with them in the person of Jesus. This is not an empty platitude to try to win a philosophical argument, but the glory of God at work in the world. In Jesus, God shows us his power by joining with everyone who suffers, including us. God surrenders his power to meet us in the middle of the circumstances of our lives, and then gives us the hope of a better life in this world and in the next. We see the love of God in Jesus as he sacrifices everything – his heavenly glory as well as his own life on the cross – to suffer at the hands of evil in order to free us from the power of evil. We encounter the glory of God in Jesus who meets us where we are, journeys with us to carry our shame, dirt and conflict for us, who sets us free from their control, and gives us life that never ends.

Where is God when the world, or when we, are hurting? Through the birth of Jesus, God is right there with us. Amen

The Text: Galatians 4:4-7

Time is one of the world’s deepest mysteries. The ability to measure it makes our way of life possible; the ability to use it properly makes our life fulfilling or frustrating. God has given each of us the same amount of time, and holds us accountable for our use of it.

Our use of time reveals our attitude to eternity. Musicians mark time, historians record time, prisoners serve time, loafers kill time. In the Bible, time isn’t money; time is given so we can love God and our neighbour. God has His own timetable for important events. Our Creator walks with us at our pace.

A long time passed from when God promised Abraham that Jesus would be sent to our world, to the time of His birth. God educated the Jews during a period of 40 years wandering in the desert. Approximately another 1400 years of additional education and preparation passed before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

God works slowly, because God is love. Love has its own pace, and cannot be hurried. Love focuses on time as a quality, rather than on time as quantity. More important than how long we live, is how well we live. What we love to do, we find time to do. Time has been given to us to prepare for eternity. As we use it, so shall we be. Our constant danger in life lies in letting things we think are urgent, crowd out the things that are really important as far as God is concerned.

We show our love for God by the time we set aside to be in His presence. There is no greater gift we can give someone than the gift of our time. We are to ‘redeem the time’, because we ourselves are redeemed. The greatest story of all time is the story of God’s love in Christ, a love that reaches its climax at Christmas. Nothing matches this story for beauty, for love and for care. When our ancestors wandered away from God, God didn’t give up on them or stop caring about them. Humans may have failed God repeatedly, but God didn’t fail them.

Jesus came at the best time possible for the reception and rapid spread of His mission and message. All the Mediterranean Sea was united under Rome with free access over the whole area, via a superb road and communications network. There was one common language – Greek – an admirable medium for the Gospel’s transmission. People keenly felt the bankruptcy of paganism and the failure of pagan religions to offer real help and hope to ordinary folk. A network of Jewish synagogues existed throughout the Roman Empire that were attracting a growing interest by people disillusioned with the lack of high moral standards. Jewish expectations of a deliverer, of a liberator from Roman occupation and oppression, were at their highest pitch. Above all, there were the faithful folk like Simeon and Anna who were praying daily for a Saviour to appear.

After nine months of waiting by His mother Mary, the same amount of time most mothers have to wait, Jesus was born of a woman, as we all have been. Jesus’ birth marked the all-important turning-point in the story of God and human beings. His coming is the heart and centre of human history. It gives meaning to all that happened before, and to the lives of human beings ever since. Christ’s appearance on the scene of human history made the world seem young and fresh again, as He gave a new start in life to all who followed Him. By filling time with love and hope, Jesus Christ gave time new meaning and purpose. The Church Year, which is different from the secular calendar, seeks to give expression to the difference Jesus makes to our lives by each year celebrating the events from before His birth to His ascension. We march to a different drum, we live by a different timetable, from that of the world.

Christmas and Easter are important to Christians for different reasons than for those who don’t know Jesus personally. “Now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2b).” Christians don’t need to engage in nostalgia for the “good old days”, because they believe the best is yet to come. We believe with St. Paul: “For me to live is Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more.” Christ’s birth of Mary was a guarantee of His humanity, which He’s proud to share with us. The essence of Christmas is our Saviour’s complete identification with us. 

“Born under the law” means Jesus submitted to the laws of His people. From the time of His circumcision onwards, He observed the religious practices of His day. Every Sabbath He went to a synagogue, and He diligently kept the religious festivals of His nation. He especially kept the First Commandment perfectly for us, so that He could offer us His perfect obedience in the place of our disobedience. Jesus kept the law for us, to redeem us from the curse of the law.

Jesus shared with us the laws and limitations of human growth. Within these limitations, He lived a full human existence with dignity and distinction. Our Lord became what we are, in order to make us what He is. He involved Himself in life’s great celebrations, like the wedding of Cana, as well as its tragedies. As a baby, Jesus was born to a young woman whose heart agonised at the oppression of her people. As a child, our Lord walked streets occupied by foreign troops. As a teenager, He had parents who didn’t understand His life’s calling and mission. As a carpenter, He understood the difficulty of getting paid for work done, and of sharing in the financial burdens of his family. No doubt the tax-man would have come regularly, seeking exorbitant taxes for a foreign colonial power. As leader of a new community of twelve men, Jesus was pained by their slowness to understand His mission and His message. He felt the rising tide of hostility towards Himself and His work.

But no price was too high to pay to redeem us from the curse of the law. “Redemption” is a wonderful word. It means “to buy back”, “to re-possess”. It means “emancipation”. Christmas marked the beginning of buying us back from our state of alienation and estrangement from God. “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18).”  We were ransomed and redeemed so that we might be adopted into God’s family with full rights as His children. “You are not your own. For you were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19).”

Christ has claimed us as His own. We belong to Him. He challenges us to live as His people in today’s world. Our bodies, our time and our possessions aren’t our own to use as we please. We use these good gifts from God in a way that pleases our Lord. Psalm 90 prays: “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

The good news of Christmas is that you can live as if today is the first day of your life, as you prepare for that day when time will give way to eternity. Today we thank God for eternity’s great gift of time, and His gift of our Saviour to us in the fullness of time, at the right time.

Amen. 

Immanuel – At Christmas God enters creation Matt 1:23, John 1:14

  Mary Poppins  is a classic children’s movie. I’m sure you have seen, or at least heard of it. Those who have seen it might recall the scene where Bert, the chimney sweep,  draws pictures with coloured chalk on the pavement. The curious thing about this scene, is that Bert, Mary and the two children don’t just sit back and admire his work – they actually jump into the picture. They enter his creation.  They experience the world he has just drawn in all it’s glory, beauty and wonder. They engage and interact with this world in a way that you can never do so by just observing the picture on the pavement. They dance with the penguins and ride the horses from the merry-go-round as they sing – including the famous Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. There are some similarities here to Christmas.  After God created the world, he doesn’t just stand back and watch. He is continuously involved in it. He continues to care for his creation. He continues to provide for you and me. Many have shared stories of how they or their property were miraculously spared in the recent fires. On Boxing Day, our family had an incident on a river that could have ended a lot worse, but we thank God that he was there protecting us, bringing us all to safety.
Yet God doesn’t just intimately care for his creation. God is so involved, that like Bert entered the world he’d drawn, our God enters the world he has made – our world. John says,
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. … the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Christmas is about Jesus, not just admiring his creation from a distance, but becoming flesh and blood to enter our world and become one of us.
Now when God came into the world, he could have come as he was. He could have come in some spectacular way.  He could have come like a superhero with special powers. He could have come with all the glory, glitz and glamour of the greatest celebrity of all time. He could have been the richest millionaire, throwing money at everything and anything so he could fix the world and solve all it’s problems.
Now in some respects he did some of this. Somewhat like a superhero, he performed numerous miracles, but that wasn’t his main message. Like a celebrity, there were times that he had a large following, and times that he felt terribly alone. But he didn’t throw money around to fix our problems.  His greatest miracle and his main message was that Jesus died on the cross to fix our greatest problem – the problem of sin in the human heart.
Sin infects our world. It contaminates us, destroying our relationships with each other and with God. It destroys how we see ourselves. It leaves us feeling broken and hurting within.
The only cure for sin, is for someone perfect to die in our place. We need someone to come as our substitute and sacrifice themselves for us. That’s why Jesus came.  So when Jesus entered our world, he actually became one of us. Not just as a fully grown human, but as a little vulnerable baby, born to a humble couple. Jesus is God in the flesh. He looked like you and me. And this wasn’t just a disguise Jesus wore. In Jesus Christ, God actually became one of us. And that means he experienced all there was to experience about humanity. He experienced deep joy and happiness, but also trials, hardship, suffering, death and vulnerability. So vulnerable that so many times he nearly didn’t make it to the cross.
At his birth, Jesus Christ was extremely vulnerable. His mother was pregnant before she was married. So according to their laws, they could have stoned her to death before he was even born. They travelled so far that she could have miscarried along the way.
Then when Jesus was finally born to a young, inexperienced mother, with no family support, the town was so overcrowded that the only accommodation left for them was out in the garage. We often joke about someone sleeping in the dog kennel or the
3 Immanuel – At Christmas God enters creation Matt 1:23, John 1:14
chook house, but Mary, Joseph and Jesus actually did. Not only was Jesus born amongst animals, he was placed in their food bowl. These conditions certainly wouldn’t meet Australian health standards for a newborn infant.
And if this wasn’t enough, the king at the time was jealous. When he heard that a new king had been born, he wanted to get rid of the child. To make sure, King Herod ordered that all children in Bethlehem and surrounds be killed to make sure the child was dead. Talk about being vulnerable.
This is the extent God went to for you, to become one of us. He experienced the joys of life as well as the pain of suffering we experience.  His death was one of the most horrific and tortuous known in history. That’s what God was willing to go through for you and me – so that by trusting in him, you and I don’t need to experience the torture of hell. That’s how much he loves you.
And God continues to love you. Jesus is Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. Jesus is still with you and me today, walking amongst us and dwelling with us. It might seem hard to find him in this crowded, busy world, filled with many different faiths and beliefs. We often expect God to come in glory, surrounded by angels, bright lights and beautiful music. You certainly wouldn’t expect the king of the world, the God of the universe, to come to us in the dim lights of a stable and the lowly screams of a baby. You wouldn’t expect him to be crowned in thorns and be enthroned on a cross.
Yet he did all that for you and me. He did that because he loves you and wants you to know your sins are forgiven. Christmas is only important because of Easter. You can’t truly believe in the baby at Christmas without trusting in the freedom and forgiveness of the cross.  The place that God promises to be found today is not in spectacular ways, but in a humble book, in ordinary bread and wine. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God comes to us today in many ways, but the most certain way is through the bible and the sacraments. That’s why church services, devotions and a healthy prayer-life focus so heavily on the bible.
Now we all know that Christmas is a festive season. But for many, Christmas is also a stressful time. Many financial pressures with Christmas shopping, cost of travelling, and job losses. And when the day finally comes, some family gatherings aren’t so pleasant. Maybe there’s some tension, arguments or even on-going feuds. There is likely some disappointment after an exchange of presents, as well as the reminder of the loss of loved ones. And of course, this year with so many fires, there are many fearing for their lives, their homes, and their families.  When Joseph was worried about his situation, an angel came and told him it was going to be okay. Everything was in God’s hands. Continue with your plans to marry Mary.
And to the fearful shepherds, the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that for all the people. Today a Savior has been born to you”
I don’t know what you are going through, but whatever your situation, God says to you, ‘Do not be afraid, Jesus knows the stress you are going through, and he wants to take all your worries and anxious thoughts, and fill you instead with his peace and joy.’ (Philippians 4:6) Seek first his kingdom and he will provide all your needs (Matthew 6:33).  Jesus is called “Immanuel” – which means, ‘God is with us’. The loving God is with you! He always has been, and he will continue to walk with you no matter what.
On this, the last Sunday of the Christmas season, may you know true joy, love, hope and peace through Jesus Christ, and may that go with you all throughout this New Year, and on into eternity.

Darren Kukpe.

Luke2:10-20

Keeping the joy alive

What do you do when you hear news of a new baby being born? Do we simply return to what you were doing before, as if nothing happened? Or do we stop what we are doing and take a moment to appreciate this new life? Often, we become so excited that we want to spread the word and share the news with others? This is especially true if this new child is part of our family, or we know the family personally. Perhaps we may be so excited that we can’t wait to meet this new child or see photos of the new bub.

In many cases in our culture, once a healthy baby is born, the father is the first person to spread the good news. Often, he has been there with the mother at the birth of the child. Then, while the mother gets some rest, dad starts telling the world about the exciting news. He might go and tell them in person. He might go and make a phone call. These days dad might send a text message or post it on social media. He often starts with his family and friends, and they spread the news further afield to their friends. The family and close friends then often make eager plans to meet the child. Many are so eager to see the new bub face to face, that they can’t wait. They might suddenly take time off work to travel to see this new child and their family.

 It’s amazing what lengths people will go to share the good news and excitement. I remember one father relating his experience. It was about 15 years ago that his daughter was born. Mobile phones were still fairly new, and he didn’t have all the phone numbers with him. So his daughter was born, he went home to make some phone calls. The problem is, when he got home, the landline wasn’t working. By this time it was 10pm … but he couldn’t wait until morning. So he picked up his mobile phone and his contact list, ready to dial some numbers. But the phone signal in that town wasn’t very unreliable at that time. So there he was, on top of the cubby house, in the cold and dark, ringing the family with the good news.

There are some parallels here with the birth of Jesus. Once Jesus is born, his Father is so excited that he wants to tell the world. He starts by sharing the good news and excitement with the angels.  The angels then spread the news and excitement further afield. And in that field were some shepherds, sitting outside in the dark, keeping watch over their flocks. 

“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10-11, nlt)

¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:15, nlt)

The angels spread the good news and the excitement. The shepherds responded by taking time off work to go visit the infant saviour and his family.

The shepherds then shared the good news and excitement with others. 

the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished (Luke 2:17-18, nlt)

And so, the good news and excitement was spread throughout the land. It continued to be told until even we have heard of the birth of Jesus, our saviour and Lord.

But this isn’t just an ordinary baby. Christmas is only worth celebrating because of Easter. What’s special about Jesus is that he saves us! Not just from our sins. Jesus also saves us from the burden of guilt, shame and regrets.  We can leave all these at the cross. And we can walk away with peace, freedom and new life. In Jesus we can have a fresh start. We can live differently because we have new life in Jesus.

But news often only seems to be discussed when it is new. When some other big news comes along, people quickly forget the old news. We stop talking about the transformation we have discovered, like a fad that has run its course. The old news is out and we start raving about the latest piece of news.

The same can happen with the freedom and life we have in Jesus. We can forget the difference he makes. It can be taken for granted.

The challenge for us then becomes,  how do we keep the good news of Jesus – born for you and me – fresh in our hearts and minds? How do we remain excited by this news that we may have heard time and time again.

Our Gospel reading suggests two things that can keep this news fresh for us. Firstly is Mary’s response. 

¹⁹ but Mary kept [/treasured] all these things in her heart and thought about them often. (Luke 2:19, nlt)

Over time our enthusiasm and excitement can wane. As humans we can quickly forget. We need continual reminders of the blessings Jesus Christ brings us. We need to hear this good news often. That’s why the church offers services every week. That’s why there are daily devotions and bible reading plans. That’s why bible study groups often meet weekly or fortnightly. So that, like Mary, we can be reminded of the good news and ponder them in our hearts and minds. Over time we learn to treasure this, and even long for the routine to hear again of God’s love for you and me in Jesus Christ.

The second response in today’s reading is that of the shepherds, 

²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. (Luke 2:20, nlt)

The shepherds went back to their regular lives glorifying and praising God. You see we’re not meant to just praise and glorify God on Sunday mornings. We are called to praise him all week in the way we live. Many refer to church services or singing hymns as ‘worship’ or ‘praise’. While that is true, it can distract us from the fact that we are also called to praise, worship and glorify God with the rest of our life too.

The shepherds glorified and praised God for all they had seen and heard. Today we see the Christian community gathered. We see bread and wine. We receive Jesus in Holy Communion and through his word. We hear his words of love and forgiveness for you and me throughout the service. We can return to our lives glorify and praising God for all that we have seen and heard.

The birth of Jesus is Good News for you, me, and the rest of the world. Let’s treasure this good news in our hearts and minds. But let us not keep it to ourselves. Let us encourage each other and the people we see each day with reminders of this good news, so that we don’t forget how important and special this is. And let us glorify and praise God in our lives – with all that we are and all that we do and say. Amen.

Pastor Darren Kupke.