This is a study of Jesus as the reason for the season. I focus on the positive aspect but there is a negative side as well for much of Christmas celebration has nothing to do with Jesus.

1. JESUS WAS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 2:8-14 8And there were shepherds living out in
the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at
night. 9An angel of the LORD appearedto them, and
the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they
were terrified. 10Butthe angel said to them, "Do not
be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great
joy for all the people. 11Todayin the town of Davida
Saviorhas been born to you; he is the Messiah, the
LORD. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenlya great company of the heavenlyhost
appearedwith the angel, praisingGod and saying,
14"Gloryto God in the highest heaven, and on earth
peace to those on whom his favorrests."
THE TRUE REASONS FOR THE SEASON
by Rev Charles Bronson
(Jackson, Ms)

2. Key Verse:Luke 2:8-20
Intro: Let's face it, the Christmas seasonis a time that is loved by many and
hated by just as many. Yet, regardless ofwhich side of that issue you fall on,
this much is true: the Christmas seasonis a time filled with many mixed
messages andwith paganand worldly rituals.
I mean, this is supposedto be the one time in the year when the world
remembers the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and every year we muddy the
waters of truth by allowing the Scriptural meaning of the seasonto be mingled
with other messages thathave their origin in the world. Now.
I enjoy Christmas as much as the next person, but I just want you to be aware
that there are some terrible misconceptions surrounding the true meaning of
the season. To many it is all about money, commercialismand greed. Others
see it as a time for parties, meals and get-togethers.
Many children know Christmas only as a time for Santa, Rudolph The Red-
nosedReindeer and other equally foolish fairy tales. As a result, some
children have no idea what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.
(Ill. A little boy came home from Sunday School. He was so excited about
learning about the Wise Men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. He was so
excited that he had to tell his mother. He said, "I learnedtoday in Sunday
Schoolall about the first Christmas.

3. There wasn't a Santa Claus wayback then, so these three fellows on camels
had to deliver all the toys. And Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeerwithhis nose
so bright wasn'tthere so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find
their way around.")
(Ill. Some one has comparedSanta Claus and the Lord Jesus in a piece called
"Santa Versus Jesus.")
Santa lives at the North Pole. Jesus lives everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh. Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes once a year. Jesus is an ever present help.
Santa comes down your chimney. Jesus stands at your door of your heart and
knocks.
Santa fills your stockings withgoodies. Jesussupplies all your needs.
You have to wait in line to see Santa. Jesus is as close as the mention of His
name.
Santa lets you sit in his lap. Jesus holds you in His hands.
Santa has a belly like a bowl of jelly. Jesus has a heart of love.
Santa''s little helpers makes new toys. Jesus makes new lives.
Santa puts gifts under your tree. Jesus became our gift and died on a tree.
Thank God for the Bible! In His holy, inspired, infallible Word, Godsets the
record straightwhere Christmas is concerned!He gives us, in no uncertain
terms, the true reasons for the season. Manysay, and I know what they are
saying when they do, that "Jesusis the reasonfor the season."And, He is the
main reason, but He isn't the only one! Allow me to share with you some of
the true reasons ofthe season.

4. I. V.11 CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVING
For God To Give His Son To Men -
When those shepherds heard the words of the angel, they were told that a
Savior was coming into the world. This child who was born in Bethlehemwas
no ordinary baby. This is proven by the angelic announcements prior to His
birth, Luke 1:26-33;Matt. 1:20-23.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was literally God in human flesh -
John 1:1; 14!All through His life, He proved His distinctiveness. He taught
like no other man. He performed miracles that nobody else could ever
duplicate. He healed, He preached, He loved, He reachedout. His life was one
miraculous event after another.
However, none of those things qualifies Him to be Savior. It wasn'tenough for
God to send His Son into the world, but that same Jesus had to be "given up."
When John 3:16 tells us that God "gave His only begottenSon", that is the
precise meaning.
God gave Jesus up to die on the cross for you and me so that our sin debt
might be paid and so that we might have the opportunity to be savedfrom an
eternity in Hell. Thank God for giving the greatestgift! (Ill. The cradle was
the first stop on a road that was to end at an old rugged cross.)
For Men To Give Their Souls To God -

5. (Ill. Nobody likes to receive a gift and then give nothing from themselves in
return. God gave His Son to die for sinners. If we are to give a gift to the Lord,
what would it be?)
(Ill. There were two groups in connectionwith the birth and early life of the
Lord who gave themselves to Him - The Shepherds, Luke 2:8-10 and the Wise
Men, Matt. 2:1-12)
(Ill. We all have that someone on our gift list who seems to have everything
already. They are hard people to buy for. What do you give someone who has
everything already? Think
about it, what can you and I give God? He doesn't need our money. He can get
by without our talents.
He doesn't need a fruit basket, or a new tie, or some socks orhandkerchiefs.
In fact, when you getright down to it, none of us really possessesanything
anyway. You say, "I own my house!" Just stop paying the taxes for a few
years and see who owns it! You say, "I own my cars!" Again, stop paying the
insurance and the taxes and see who controls that car.
You say, "Well, I own my money!" Just let the economycrashand then tell
me what you have left. There is only one true possessionthat we eachhave
and it is our soul. I have control over it and if I want to give something to the
Lord, then it must be my soul.
It is the only thing I have that I canhonestly give. Notice, this is the intent of
Mark 8:36-37. Now, the question arises, have you given your heart to the

6. Lord? If not, there is no better time than today to make that happen - 2 Cor.
6:2.)
I. Christmas Is A Time For Giving
II. V.10 CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GOOD TIDINGS
The angelcame with a messageof"goodtidings."
Literally, this phrase comes from the word from which we get our
"evangelize."The messageofthe angelwas a messageofsalvation. He came to
proclaim the glorious news that a Saviorhad been born in Bethlehem!
This messageis a messageofhope!
As has been mentioned in other messages, these menwere socialoutcasts.
They were consideredunclean by their religion and were typically uncouth,
dirty, and vulgar men. They were the type of men that no one wanted to be
around. They were generallyforgottenby some elements of their society.
However, they hadn't been forgotten by God!
How wonderful that these wretched, sinful men who gave their lives to raising
sheepfor the Temple services were the first to hear the goodnews that the
Lamb of God had been born into the world. It was a messageofhope! They
were forbidden from seeking Godin the Temple, but God brought salvation to
them!
The messagehasn'tchanged!

7. The Gospelis still a message ofhope. You may be one who has committed
some really terrible sins. You may feel that God wouldn't save you. You may
feel that you have no hope. You may think that you are beyond the scope of
God's saving power. Well, let me tell you this morning that the door of
salvationis standing wide and that whosoeverwill may come in and find
salvationfor their soul!
(Ill. John 6:37; Isa. 1:18-19 Notice, there are no qualifications!; Matt. 11:28)
Here's the deal, if you are lost and know you need a Savior, then know that
Jesus is who you need. And, just as the messagewas one of hope for those men
that night, it is a messageofhope for you this morning.
It is a chance to begin life again. It is an opportunity to have your sins washed
away. It is an opportunity to come to know Godand assure yourself of Heaven
when you die. Thank God, there is still hope in the Gospel!
I. Christmas Is A Time For Giving
II. Christmas Is A Time For GoodTidings
III. V.11 CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR AMAZING GRACE
In a very real sense, WE are the reasonfor the season!
Before you call me a heretic and lead me to the stake to be burned, notice,
verse 11, also Isa. 9:6.

8. These miserable shepherds did not deserve to be the first to hear of Christ's
birth, but it was God's grace that reachedout to them in their need.
(Ill. Grace is defined as "The unmerited love and favor of God toward
sinners.")
Just as it was with those shepherd's in that field, if there is salvationin your
life and mine, it is there by grace and grace alone!
There is not a single individual in this place who deserves anything from God!
In fact, if we got what we deserved, we would all be in Hell this morning,
screaming in the flames of torment, Ill. Rom. 6:23! No, I did not deserve to be
saved, but God in His great, matchless, marvelous, unspeakable grace reached
out to me in the midst of my sins and calledme to come to Him!
Concl:
My dear lostfriends, if you ever experience salvation, it will not be on the
basis of any goodwhich you might have done. It will not be on the basis of
church membership, baptism, attendance, etc. If you are ever saved, it will be
by grace and grace alone - Eph. 2:8-9.
Therefore, do not presume upon the Lord! If He is calling you to come to Him,
please do so, and do so today! There may never be another opportunity - (Pro.
27:1; Gen. 6:3.)
I. Christmas Is A Time For Giving

9. II. Christmas Is A Time For GoodTidings
III. Christmas Is A Time For Grace
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10. Sunday, December9, 2007
JESUS is the reasonfor the season!
HOPE... that no matter how much preparation we make, no matter how high
our expectations forthe "perfect" holiday can be dashed in a split second
when the family members enter into the equation, no matter how much we
spend, etc. JESUS is the reasonfor the seasonand upon Him, we can always
count!
Are you preparing for the perfect holiday? Or dreading it?
Images of laughter filling the house…aroma ofdelicious foods drifting
through the house…yes,I held unusually high expectations forholiday
gatherings. So preparations used to begin literally months in advance. Finding
the perfectstuffing…that perfect little chotzke for my mother-in-law…the
best wine…the perfect assortmentof desserts… evenredecorating a few
times! Yet, when the day would finally arrive, all the preparation in the world
can't decrease my disappointment in the event itself. Forin all the hustle and
bustle of making the perfect arrangements, I have forgottenwhat is truly
important about the gathering itself.
The relationships with people (and animals) for whom I care deeply.
We are in the thick of Advent seasonnow…onlytwo weeks until the big
day...until Christmas. And somehow, all the money and energies that we
expend on the preparations, the parties, the gifts, the meals --- well, they
distort the true importance of the season.
Remember? Our relationship with Jesus is what this is all about.

11. John the Baptistdoesn't distort the truth of his message.His description
certainly paints a colorful image!Like Elijah, John lived on the edge of the
desertand found camel's hair and a leather belt suitable attire for a prophet.
He fed on locusts and wild honey. Multitudes came out into the wilderness to
hear his words and for a baptism of repentance. He taught the fulfillment of
prophecy of Isaiah:"Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert
a highway for our God".
Yet, much like comedian StevenColbert, John is able to offend everyone. In
today's lesson, he strikes out at the Pharisees andSadducees who represent
the religious establishment. John scolds their ethnic pride and lack of good
works. He pushes all who visit to not just rest on their lineage from Abraham
but to produce goodfruit for others now. Through his rantings, John's
excitement focusedon the important event – that is, the coming of Christ.
John displayed enthusiasm simultaneously with impatience for those who just
didn't get the whole baptism thing. Like Isaiah, John had his patience tested,
yet remained faithful to the vision and hope for a future of peace.
I find it intriguing that such a rough man draws the people. John has no
agent, the people receive only a dunking in the river Jordan, there is probably
no food and yet, they travel out from Jerusalemmost likely for a half days'
journey eachway. These people admire one whose needs are minimal, who is
the masterof his own appetites, who has a deep internal freedom. John the
Baptist, with minimal clothes and minimal food, was a magnet. People trusted
him because clearlyhe could not be bought. As Churchill said of Lawrence of
Arabia, “Becausehe despisedthe world’s prizes, the world held him in awe.
He was enfranchised by his indifference to its pleasures.”
His preaching reminds us that during this seasonthere are more important
things we should be doing - besides dashing to parties and hastily wrapping
gifts. John's message"Prepare the way of the Lord" is not about getting the
best tree or hosting the party to end all parties, it's about preparing our hearts
to welcome Godthrough the birth of God's only son… by sharing in
relationship with others and by self-examinationand repentance. When we
anticipate the goodness ofGod's gift to us, then and only then can we find

12. God's peace. And it is when we have the peace ofGod inside that we are
capable to love others fully and work toward peace with all of God's creation.
We are invited to produce the fruits of God's peace in our lives and
relationships. Today, many of you either produced the fruits known as
"cookies" orpurchasedthese fruits of the bakers'labor.
[hold up cookietray]
Like our cookie walk today, we all bring our own different colors, shapes,
aromas and flavors to the gathering. Considerfor a moment how many have
labored to bring the finished product to Holy Trinity today. The spectacular
bakers among you, and also the cow and her milk, the birds who scatterthe
seeds, horses who may still pull the plow, the planter, harvester, packagerand
grocer. And, then the finished product is produced by the labor of the loving
hands and hearts here.
[Hold up cookie]
This cookie is not merely limited to the labor of humans for animals, too, have
made their contribution to these delectable creations. With the peace of God
in our hearts, sownby the Holy Spirit through the witnesses ofmany others,
what other "fruits" might we be able to produce?
The root of Jesseconnectsthe words of John the Baptist and Isaiah - indeed,
there is a captivating dynamic here. Isaiahinvites us into the presence ofthe
Messiahwho "shallnot judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears
hear: but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity
for the meek of the earth." This is the peace and hope we awaitduring this
seasonofAdvent. God's gracious love and discernment…The images of the
lion laying with the lamb in Isaiah make clearthat God's righteousness is
demonstrated in peace. This kind of peace one might find this week atthe
Thailand Zoo where a mother sow nurses tiger cubs and the mother tiger
similarly provides love and nourishment to the little piglets. True, in captivity,
these animals are being controlledby humans, but remember the words of
Isaiah….a little child shall lead them. The wolf living with the lamb, the
leopard lying down with the kid, the calfand the lion together. Isn't this the

13. world that Christ was born to save? Isn't this the way God asks us to be with
others unlike us?
Today we heard Isaiah’s words – what meaning do they hold for us? Do we
develop healthy relationships and respond fairly and compassionatelyin times
of injustice? This may seemsimple …yet this is how we canprepare our
hearts for the coming of Christ. Isaiah's commitment to the vision of peace
and justice models an attitude that we cancultivate when living and dealing
with those who have differing priorities and expectations.
Last week, JeffreyDrake from Metro Chicago Synod spoke to us about the
Central Dioceseofthe Southern Africa Synod. He said that one of the things
that most touched him personallywas Bishop Phaswana'speaceful, forgiving
attitude toward the very government who had imprisoned and tortured him.
As the Bishop explained, forgiveness is necessarywhenthe priority is to stay
alive and keepthe people alive. He had prepared his heart for the advent of
Christ and was able to forgive others even in the most inhumane
circumstances…Justas Isaiahand John were clearly focusedon the future
hope that the Messiahwould bring, Bishop Phaswana'svisionwas focusedon
the hope that Christ can offer for peace.
Today John calls us into Jesus'presence...tobe present with Christ is to be
planted and wateredso that our fruits may flourish. We come to Christ
through the waters ofbaptism...there we have been welcomedin grace and
receivedthe Holy Spirit so our lives produce "fruit worthy of repentance".
We have the spiritual confidence to empower us to work for peace in this
world…God's creation. As we have already been welcomedinto Christ's
church, so we too will one day be gatheredtogetherinto God's granary.
We are askedto prepare... to make the road straight for the promised
Messiahwho will lead us into God's promised peace. Yet John's words also
ring out as a callfor us to bearthe fruits of peace. We canonly produce such
fruit if we are planted in the soilof God's word and blessedwith the waters of
God's grace.
God of hope and peace, you have given us identity as your children to prepare
us to do your work, your mission. You have askedus to prepare ourselves…to

14. bring peace to ourselves…to those brokenrelationships…to those different
from us…to prepare missions that are intended to bring peace to the
world…to your creation.
In the name of your son, Jesus Christour Saviour and Lord,
Amen. https://lmmsermons.blogspot.com/2007/12/jesus-is-reason-for-
season.html
At Christmas, Jesus is the reasonfor the season
News, TopStories
Don’t lose messageofChrist’s birth, pastors say
By Gary Abernathy - gabernathy@civitasmedia.com
Shown is the Nativity scene placedby the Yuellig family at the Highland
County Courthouse in Hillsboro. Localpastors say it’s important to
remember the reasonfor the season.
In an age when Christmas has become overtly commercialized and much of
the focus is on material gift-giving and the tradition of Santa Claus, local
pastors sayit’s important for people to remember why Christmas exists and
the reasonfor the season.

15. “I really believe people put too much emphasis on materialistic gifts, instead
of the gift from God,” said PastorBill Bowman of New Life Church &
Ministries.
Bowmansaid he has been presenting a series ofsermons this month on the
subject of Christmas and reminding his congregationthat the seasonoffers a
chance to reachout to those who feel their lives have little value.
Bowmansaid there is a reasonthat shepherds were the first to be notified of
the birth of Jesus. “Sheepherders were consideredreligiouslyunclean,” said
Bowman. “Theywere always on the move, they were dirty, they were always
told they were not worthy. That’s who He came for.”
Bowmansaid he and other ministers often work with people who feel
hopeless. “We dealwith people who feel they have no value,” but Jesus “came
for those hurting.”
Bowmansaid people should remember that Christmas is not just the story of
a helpless child in a manger. “He grew up and died for our sins,” said
Bowman. “He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords.”
Bowmansaid he is happy to hear more people saying “Merry Christmas”
rather than “Happy Holidays.” “Our country was founded on Judeo-
Christian principles, and I think it’s actually politically incorrectnot to say
Merry Christmas,” he said.
The Rev. Tom Zile of the Hillsboro Church of the Nazarene, saidChristmas
“reminds me that God loves me and caredenough to willingly give His only
son to die on a cross” foreveryone’s sins.
In 2004, Zile’s son was killed in a car wreck.
“He was my only son,” said Zile, the father of two daughters, stressing that
knowing the pain of losing a son through an unforeseenaccidenthelps him
understand what a difficult choice it would be to willingly sacrifice a son.
EachChristmas, people should reflecton “what God willingly gave, and how
much He wants a relationship with us,” saidZile.

16. Zile said that to him, “Christianity is not a religion. It’s a relationship. God
loved us so much that He gave his son. He is the Christmas gift to all of us.”
Father Mike Paraniuk, pastorof St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro and
St. Benignus Catholic Church in Greenfield, said Christmas represents “the
spiritual joy” of Christianity.
He said he recently noticedpeople fighting over merchandise at a localstore,
and was almoststruck by a motorist racing through a parking lot. He said
gift-giving and rushing from store to store “is not the reason” for Christmas.
The priest said that mankind often feels like a “speck ofdust” in the vast
universe. “At Christmas, I always remind everyone that with the birth of
Christ, God screamed, ‘You’re not alone!I am with you. I love you. I know
you’re small, but I createdyou and I love you.’ If you believe that God is
present, He is present,” he said.
Tom Stoops, evangelistatthe MarshallChurch of Christ, said the birth of
Jesus was “notjust another birth. It was the coming of the Messiah. It was
salvation.”
Stoops saidthe emphasis on other aspects ofChristmas is not a recent
phenomenon, but has been “a long time coming.” He said he doesn’t objectto
the celebrationof Christmas with gift exchanges, family get-togethersand
other traditional trappings – “It’s a wonderful time of the year,” he said – but
it’s important to remember “the virgin-born, pre-named Son of God” who
“came to redeemthe world.”
“The birth of Christ changes our lives,” saidStoops.
Stoops noted that the Bible records that wise men sought the Christ child after
they heard of His birth.
“Wise men still seek Him,” said Stoops.
ReachGary Abernathy at 937-393-3456oron Twitter @abernathygary.

17. Jesus is the Reasonforthe Season
Postedon October13, 2017 by Lee Ann Mancini
Jesus is the Reasonforthe Season
We’re all familiar with the saying; “Jesus is the reasonfor the season.” We
usually saythis to one another at Christmas. However, Jesus is the reasonfor
every season!We should celebrate seeing Jesusin every seasonof the year. So
now that we are in the autumn season, whatlessons does Godhave to teachus
about Himself?
The seasons are like the fingerprints of God. They show us amazing truths
about His character. Whenmy children were little, we used to carve a
pumpkin and put a light in it. I would point out to my children that the
pumpkin was dark inside until we put the light in it that made it shine so
beautifully bright. They could instantly see how this was an image of what the
light of Christ does in us!
Autumn is a seasonofdeath and decay. In autumn, we watch the leaves on the
trees fall to the ground. We see the plants that were so beautiful in the spring
wither and die. Autumn reminds us of death. But it also reminds us that we
live in a continual cycle of seasons thatmove from death to new life. As we
move from autumn to winter, we look forward to the spring when the trees
and flowers bloom again. This is an image of resurrection!Jesus died for our
sins. But death could not hold Him. He rose to life again, just like the trees
and flowers do in the spring. Autumn is a greattime to remind your children
that Jesus has causeddeath to die!
Solomonwrote, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose
under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There are many seasons in the life of a
Christian. Our children need to learn that there are times they will be sad in
life and times they will be happy, but at all times, they need to love and trust
the Father.

18. When you carve your family pumpkin this fall, make sure to put a very big
candle in it, and explain to your children the significance ofMatthew 5:15,
“Neitherdo people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it
on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”
http://christianchildrensauthors.com/2017/10/13/jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-
season/
the people
who missed christmas
John 1:10-12 (NIV) 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made
through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was
his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who receivedhim, to
those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
[1]
I. Introduction:
A. Have you ever missed a greatopportunity? The story is told of a small
resortarea along the eastcoastthat was having an open town meeting
concerning some financial problems they were facing. Among the two dozen
or so people was one man no one seemedto know who was apparently visiting
the area and had just dropped in on the meeting. He started to make a
comment as various projects were consideredbut he was interrupted; so for
the restof the time, he kept still and finally left early.
Just as he went out, someone arriving late came in and said breathlessly,
“What was he doing here? Is he going to help us out?” The restof them said,
“Who are you talking about? Who was that man?” The person who had just
arrived said, “You don’t know who that was? Thatwas John D. Rockefeller.”

19. That night they missed an incredible opportunity because THEYDIDN’T
KNOW WHO HE WAS!
B. We miss some incredible opportunities because we don’t recognize them
when they’re right in front of our face. Andy Stanley made the statementin
his book “Visioneering” that“We don’t need to pray for more miracles, we
just need to be more sensitive to the opportunities that God brings our way.”
C. The story is told of a shoe salesmanwho was sent by his company to test
the African market. After being there only 2 weeks, he sent word back to
America, “Pleasebring me home, nobody wears shoes overhere.” The
company brought him home and sent another salesmanto replace him. In a
couple of weeks, the secondsalesmansentword back to America saying,
“Pleasesendme all the shoes you can because nobody here has shoes.” OUR
ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH WHETHER
WE EMBRACE OR MISS THE BLESSING.
D. Today I want to look at the people in the Bible who missed that first
Christmas and how we canbe sure not to miss it this year.
II. The Inn Keeper – His life was too crowdedfor Christ
A. Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)The Birth of Jesus2 In those days CaesarAugustus
issueda decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2
(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governorof
Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Josephalso went
up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of
David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to
registerwith Mary, who was pledgedto be married to him and was expecting
a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and
she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed
him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. [2]
B. Hotels today love to brag about being the luxury get-away-ofthe stars. In
New Orleans certain hotels boastabout the stars that have stayedthere.

20. 1. Imagine the story the inn keepercouldhave told if only he had know who it
was that came to his inn seeking refuge.
2. I cansee the sign hime would advertise with for years to come:“come stay
in the #1 hotel chosenby God himself.”
C. Why did the Inn keepermiss this incredible opportunity?
1. His inn was too full with other guests.
2. Some people today miss the true meaning of Christmas because our life is
too full of “other stuff.”
a) Shopping
b) Decorating
c) Parties
d) Cooking & baking for get-togethers
e) Wrapping and mailing packages
f) All all the other things that we think must be done for Christmas to be
successful
3. I heard about a man who was busy with his Christmas shopping. He bought
his wife a beautifyl diamond right for Christmas. A friend of his said, “I
thought she wantedone of those sporty 4-wheeldrive vehicles.” The man
replied, “She did, but where am I going to find a fake 4-wheeler?”
4. Don’t miss Christmas in the midst of all the “stuff” that crowds the season.
a) “We plan to go to church regularly when life calms down a bit for us.”
b) “Well, my kids have ballgames on Sunday afternoons.”
c) “I’ll getto church after it gets too coldto fish or golf.”
d) Many of us would getserious about our relationship with Christ if we
weren’t preoccupiedwith careers, managing families, chasing goals and
dreams, materialistic pursuits.

21. D. Like the Inn Keeper, if we are not careful, we miss the true messageof
Chrsitmas because ourlives are too crowded.
III. Townspeople ofBethlehem – too indifferent to take notice of Christ
A. John 1:10-12 (NIV)10 He was in the world, and though the world was
made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which
was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who receivedhim,
to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God— [3]
B. The people of Bethlehem, by and large, missed the greatestbirth in all
eternity because they were only concernedwith their own needs, desires, their
own busy, full, and burdened lives.
1. They were too busy to be bothered by this young couple. There were
reunion meals to prepare, tax forms to get in order, there were animals to be
fed and a night’s rest to be enjoyed.
2. Comparedwith what was going on just down the street or across town, how
important were those activities?
3. Comparedwith your salvation and eternith, how important are the things
that are keeping you from Christ?
a) Your career? I don’t see God saying, “Oh, you were the Top Salesman?
Whell, then by all means you get in!” or
b) Your house was How Many square feet? Wow!Enter into the gates of
Heaven.” I wonder how many people walkedby the woman who was carrying
the Sonof Godthat night.
C. Sometimes we are like the people back in those times—indifferent to the
most important news of all. “Yeah, Yeah, Jesus came to earth—Godin the
flesh. I’ve heard this story a hundred times.” “yeah, I know. He died on the
cross for our sins. I’m suppose to acceptHim as my Savior. Yadda, Yadda,
Yadda. There are people that will admit to these truths, but just don’t want to
bother to do anything about them.

22. 1. Paul Harvey tells the story of one man who finally understood the
significance ofthe Christmas story. This family had a Christmas Eve tradition
where the mother and the children would go to the Christmas Eve service and
the father would stay home and read the paper. When the family returned,
they would all gatherto open up their presents. The father was not an evil
man, but he just couldn’t believe in the childhood stories anymore of God
coming as a baby in a manger. As the family left for
church, he openedup the paper and beganto read by the fireplace. Suddenly,
he heard tapping on the window. It was a bird flying againstthe glass, trying
to get out of the snow into the warmth of the house. The man had compassion
on the bird and he went outside hoping to bring it in. As he approachedthe
bird, it flew againstthe window even harder—trying to get awayfrom him,
finally getting trapped in the bushes below the window. After a few minutes in
the coldand seeing the bird continue to injure himself, the man said in
frustration, “Stupid bird, can’t you understand that I’m trying to help you?”
The man pausedand thought, “If only I could become a bird, and getyou to
understand. Then you wouldn’t fly awayfrom me.” Just then the church bells
rang as they always did on the hour. But, when the man heard the bells this
time, he fell to his knees and began crying, saying, “Oh God, I didn’t
understand.”
2. You see, we must never miss the miracle of what happened that night so
long agao. Maybe never become indifferent to the wond that truly is
Christmas.
IV. King Herod – saw Jesus as a threat
A. Matthew 2:3 (NIV) 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and
all Jerusalemwith him. [4]
B. Many at that time knew about the ancientprophecies regardin the
Messiahwho was to come and be the king of the Jews. The Messiahwould be
born in Bethlehem and be the ruler of the Jewishpeople. As we’ve studied,
there are over 300 prophecies that were exactly fulfilled by the birth, life,
death, and resurrectionof Jesus. Anyone who bothers to look at the clues

23. objectively must notice God’s clear-cutproclamationthat Jesus was His Son –
the promised Messiah.
1. Many at that time understood it to predict a Military ruler who would cmeo
and overthrow the curen government and establisha Jewishnation. Herod
was disturbed because he saw this as a challenge to his power. It is interesting
to note that Herod took the prophecy of scriptures seriously. He eeventually
ordered all the boys born in Bethlehem around that time to be executed.
2. It’s easyto make Herod a villian, but there are many Herod’s around
today. There are many people who, like Herod, understand and perhaps even
believe the teachings of Jesus. But, Instead of being eternally grateful for what
Jesus did and willingly giving their life to Him, they are resentful. They say,
a) What do you mean “No one comes to the Fatherexcept through Jesus.”
How narrowminded!
b) What do you mean I have to surrender my life to God’s will? I worked
hard to get to the point in life where I control my own destiny. I’m not going
to mindlessly follow some unseen“Savior.”
c) What do you mean I need to turn from my sin? Who determines what is
right or wrong for me? There’s nothing wrong with my current lifestyle.
Allyou narrow-minded, ultra-conservative, right-wing, self-righteous
Christians cantake a hike and leave me alone!.
C. Like Herod, who wagedwarin an attempt to rid the world of the baby
Jesus, there is a movement at work in the world today that seeks to rid the
world of Chrsitian influence. Christmas and Esaster—the holiestholidays to
Christians – have been commercializedto be only about Santa Claus and
bunny rabbits instead of about our risen Savior. Am I the only one upset that
they took Our Chrsitian hiliday, diluted it with secularthemes, and now
forbid us to publicly celebrate or make mention of its origin and true
meaning?
D. If you think I being melodramatic; A judge in New Jersyhas told Jersey
City they can’t put up a nativity scene ora Hanukkah Menorah unless they
put up enough non-religious symbols to mask the religious one. The Colorado

24. ACLU is threatening to sue a schoolif the principal refuses to censor
Christmas for its students. I could go on with more examples of how
Christmas is being “De-Christianized” by our modern societythat bows to
political correctnessabove truth.
1. Here is a politically correctChristmas card—I mean “holiday card.”
2. “Pleaseacceptwithout obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for
an environmentally conscious,sociallyresponsible, politically correct, low
stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebrationof the winter solstice
holiday, practicedwithin the most enjoyable traditions of the religious
persuasionof your choice, orsecularpractices of your choice, with respectfor
the religious/secularpersuasionsand/or traditions of others, or their choice
NOT to practice religious or seculartraditions at all. And may you enjoy a
financially successful, personallyfulfilling and medically uncomplicated
recognitionof the onsetof the generallyacceptedcalendaryear2007, but with
due respectfor the calendars ofchoice of other cultures or sects whose
contributions to societyhave helped make America great, (not to imply that
America is necessarilygreaterthan any other country or is the only America
in the westernhemisphere) and having regard to the race, creed, color, age,
physical ability, religious faith, choice of political platform or dietary
preference of the wishee. This greeting implies to promise by the wishorto
actually implement any of these wishes.
E. Thank God, it’s not quite that bad yet, but it’s only funny because it’s
partly true. Here’s just a bit more humor to help me make my point that
we’ve got to fight to preserve the real Christmas.
1. If the ACLU ran the world Christmas day, what exaclty
would well-wishers say? Since Christmas says “Christ:
and He is taboo, would we say, “MerryXmas” but wasn’t“X” religious too?
Perhaps “Merry Whymas” but “Why” makes us think, asking why we should
bother with gifts, hymns, and drink. Especiallyin winter, in the cold,
we might think of Christmas, and that just won’t go.
The ACLU version of Christmas is clear: It must
just be about the end of the year. No matter how

25. happy or sadwe may feel, we may not reachupward for
hope that is real. Forgetallthose sweetcards, take allthe
lights down. And somebodyclue in that kid—Charlie Brown.
We’ve been watching his special, the old one, you know. Where Charlie
and friends run their own Christmas show? Thatkid with the blanketreads
the story from Luke, In the ACLU Christmas, the whole thing’s a
fluke, Merry. . . Merry. . . . Well, have a nice day!
F. Now I’m not telling you to run home and take your Christmas tree down
and return your presents to Walmart. But shomhow pause to remember the
reasonfor it all. Don’t miss Christmas! Mabe your family needs to plan to
read the Christmas story together. Let me urge you to make Christ the
purpose of Christmas this year. Christ is the One for Whom Christmas is. We
should celebrate Christmas every day. Knowing Christ is like having
Christmas every day. I encourage you to ask Jesus into your heart today and
discoverreal purpose, meaning, and hope for your life. Jesus is the reasonfor
this seasonand the reasonwe have an eternal hope. Jesus is inviting you to
receive Him as your Lord and Savior. Will you honor the invitation?
https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/3961-the-people-who-missed-christmas-
sermon
STEVEN COLE
The ReasonJesus Came (Matthew 1:21)
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27. December22, 2002
Christmas Message
Two of the most important questions for eachperson to answerare, “Who is
Jesus Christ?” and “Why did He come to earth?” Martin Luther saw this
when he said,
If anyone stands firm and right on this point, that Jesus Christ is true God
and true man, who died and rose againfor us, all the other articles of the
Christian faith will fall in place for him and firmly sustainhim.
So very true is Paul’s saying that Christ is the Chief Treasure, the Basis, the
Foundation, and the Sum Totalof all things, in whom and under whom all are
gatheredtogether. In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are
hidden.
On the other hand, I have noted that all errors, heresies, idolatries, offenses,
abuses, and ungodliness in the church have originally arisen because this
article or part of the Christian faith concerning Jesus Christhas been
despisedor lost. Clearly and rightly considered, all heresies militate against
the precious article of Jesus Christ. (Source unknown.)
The Christmas story is not primarily about the birth of a baby who would
grow up to become a greatmoral teacherand example, although Jesus did
become those things. Rather, it is the profound story of the birth of the Savior.
After explaining that Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit, the angel told
Joseph, “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, forit is
He who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The Hebrew name
Jesus (= Joshua)means “Jehovahis salvation.” If you do not know Jesus as
your Savior, then you do not know Him at all, because …
Jesus Christ came to save His people from their sins.
I want to examine this verse by asking and answering four questions: Who
came? What was His purpose in coming? Whom did He purpose to save?
What did He actually do? The first question will answerfor us the question of

28. Jesus’identity. The lastthree will tell us the main reasonwhy He came to
earth.
1. Who came?
The context shows that this was no ordinary birth: Mary was with child by
the Holy Spirit, apart from normal relations with a man (1:18, 20). This is, of
course, the doctrine of the virgin birth of our Lord. Skeptics rejectit because
it is miraculous. William Barclay, for example, assures his readers (The
Gospelof Matthew, The Daily Study Bible [Westminster Press], 1:20), “Our
Church [he was from Scotland] does not compel us to acceptit [the virgin
birth] in the literal and the physical sense. This is one of those doctrines on
which the Church says that we have full liberty to come to our own
conclusion.” He later calls the virgin birth a “crude fact” and argues that the
point of the narrative is “that in the birth of Jesus the Spirit of God was
operative as never before in this world” (p. 23).
But Matthew, who was one of the twelve, had direct access bothto Jesus and
Mary. Luke, who probably interviewed Mary, states that he carefully
researchedhis gospel(Luke 1:3). Both men affirmed the miraculous virgin
birth of Jesus. To rejectthis as actualhistory is to reject the testimony of two
independent historians who lived at that time and whose writings have been
acceptedas factualhistory by thousands of scholars. The only reasonfor
rejecting such miraculous events is an arbitrary bias againstall miracles,
which is a bias againstGod Himself, who is able to interrupt the laws of His
creationaccording to His purpose. Thus it is reasonable to acceptthe virgin
birth as historically true.
Why is it important doctrinally to affirm Jesus’virgin birth? First, the virgin
birth is essentialto affirm the deity of Jesus Christ. If He was born of a
human father and mother through natural biologicalprocesses,then He is not
God in human flesh. Under those circumstances, He might be a man upon
whom God’s Spirit rested in an unusual sense, but he still would only have
been a man. His existence would have begun at conception, and thus He could
not have been the eternal God in human flesh. Yet Jesus claimedmany times

29. that He was sent into this world from heaven, assuming prior existence. He
told the Jews, “before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58).
Also, belief in the virgin birth is essentialto affirm the sinless humanity of
Jesus Christ. If He was born of natural parents, then He was born a sinner
like all human beings since the fall, and He would have needed a Saviorfor
Himself. If He had sin of His own, He could not have died as the substitute for
others. To be born as a man who fully shared our humanity, Jesus had to have
a human parent. Through the superintendence of the Holy Spirit in the virgin
birth, Jesus was born as fully human and yet sinless. The angeltold Mary that
because the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the powerof the most High
would overshadow her, “for that reasonthe holy offspring shall be called the
Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Even though Mary herselfwas not immaculately
conceived(she needed a Savior, Luke 1:47), Jesus was keptfrom her sin and
born as fully human, yet without sin.
The angel(or Matthew, 1:23) cites Isaiah7:14 as being ultimately fulfilled
when this woman, Mary, who had not had relations with a man, bore a Son by
the Holy Spirit, and this Son is none other than “God with us.” As a sinless
man, Jesus couldrepresentthe human race as sin-bearer. As God the Son, His
sacrifice was acceptable before Godthe Father.
The angeltells Josephthat he is to name this miraculous child Jesus, adding,
“for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The Greek
for Jesus is Iesous, from the Hebrew Jeshua, the contractedform of Jehoshua,
which means Yahweh is salvation. “In the shorter form Jeshua the stress is on
the verb; hence, he will certainly save” (William Hendriksen, The Gospelof
Matthew, New TestamentCommentary [Baker], p. 108). Since for the Jews a
person’s name had significance, the name Jesus points us to the very essence
of His being, namely, that He is the Savior. The title “Christ” means that
Jesus is the JewishMessiah, orAnointed One.
Charles Spurgeonpointed out (“Jesus,”Ages Software, sermon1434,p. 656)
that since the Father knows Jesus perfectly, when He directed that He be
named Jesus, He was giving Him the best, most appropriate name possible. By

30. giving Jesus that name, the Father commissionedHim to save sinners, and
this constitutes the ground of our appealto Godfor salvation.
Thus our answerto the question, “Who came?” is that Jesus Christ, born of
the virgin Mary, is none other than the eternal Godin human flesh, and that
He came to earth primarily as the Savior.
2. What was His purpose in coming?
He came “to save His people from their sins.” To understand that phrase, you
must understand the meaning of the word “save.”It is a radical word. You do
not save someone who just needs a little help. You save someone who is unable
to do anything to save himself. A personwho is lost at sea needs saving. A
person who has stopped breathing needs saving.
This means that prior to Jesus’saving them, His people were helplessly,
hopelesslylostin their sins. They were alienatedfrom God, under His
righteous judgment, and unable to free themselves from this condition. A
Savior is one who has the power to rescue people who could not rescue
themselves. Jesus has the God-given powerto save His people from their sins.
It is important to affirm this, because there are many in evangelicalcircles
who believe that Jesus’ability to save anyone is contingent on the person’s
exercising his “free will.” They say that He desperatelywants to save them. He
longs to save them. He has done everything that He can do to save them. He
would save them if He could, but He can’t save them because oftheir
unwillingness to be saved! So He sits in heaven wishing that everyone would
say yes to His salvation, but unable actually to save anyone, because it all
depends on the sinner’s “free will”! One writer actually goes so faras to say
that if God could save everyone, but chose only to save some, He is immoral
(Dave Hunt, What Love is This? [Loyal Publishing], p. 112)!
But note that our text does not say, “ForHe hopes that some will respond to
His offer and be saved.” It does not say, “He’s going to give it His best shot
and do all that He can do to save people, but it all depends on their choosing
to be saved.” Thank Godthe text says, “He will save His people from their
sins”!There isn’t any human contingencyfactor about it. “Salvationis from

31. the Lord” (Jonah 2:9; Ps. 3:8; Isa. 43:11;45:17). When Almighty God
purposes to save a people, He saves that people!
In Isaiah 14:24 the Lord declares by oath, “Surely, just as I have intended so
it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.” In the context,
the reference is to God’s breaking Assyria’s power, but if He is able to
accomplishHis plan to break the powerof a mighty empire, can He not
purpose to save and actually save His people from their sins? In Isaiah46:9-
10, God declares, “ForI am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is
no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and
I will accomplishall My goodpleasure.” In the context, God is referring to
His purpose of raising up Cyrus to accomplishGod’s purpose for Israel. But,
again, if the Almighty can raise up and take down a pagan king to accomplish
His sovereignpurpose, canHe not purpose to save His people and actually
save them from their sins?
Matthew 1:21 is a fulfillment of the promise of Psalm130:8. The psalmist is
overwhelmed by his sins. He is in the depths, about to go under, when he cries
out in desperationto God. He recognizes that if God were to mark iniquities,
no one could stand in His holy presence, but then adds, “But there is
forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (130:4). Basedonthe hope of
God’s promises, he encouragesIsraelalso to hope in the Lord, adding, “For
with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israelfrom all his iniquities” (130:7-8). Jesus is the
promised Savior, who actually did redeem God’s people from all their sins.
To suggestthat God’s sovereignpurpose to save a people for His glory is
conditioned on the feeble will of fallen man goes againstall Scripture! In
Ephesians 1, Paul sets forth the salvationthat God has freely lavished upon
us. He makes it very plain that our salvationcomes totally from God. “He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (1:4). “He predestined us
to adoption as sons through Jesus Christto Himself, according to the good
pleasure [lit.] of His will” (1:5). Whose will? His will! “He made known to us
the mystery of His will, according to His goodpleasure [lit.] which He
purposed in Him” (1:9). In Christ, “we have obtained an inheritance, having

32. been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the
counselof His will” (1:11).
I am simply saying what the Bible repeatedly affirms, that “Salvationbelongs
to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev. 7:10, English
Standard Version). When God purposes that Jesus will save His people from
their sins, there isn’t any doubt about it. He will accomplishthat purpose, to
the praise of the glory of His grace!Our response should be: “Amen! Blessing
and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and powerand might be
to our God forever and ever! Amen!” (Rev. 7:12, ESV).
Thus Jesus the Christ, who is God in human flesh, came for the purpose of
saving His people from their sins.
3. Whom did He purpose to save?
Clearly, He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21, emphasis
added). But who are His people? In the context of Matthew, some may say
that “His people” refers to the Jews, God’s chosenpeople. As Psalm 130:8
puts it, “He will redeem Israelfrom all his iniquities.” But if this means that
all Jews will be saved, then we must conclude that God has failed in His
purpose, since many Jews go to their graves rejecting Jesus as Saviorand
Messiah. Paulpoints out, “Forthey are not all Israelwho are descendedfrom
Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants”
(Rom. 9:6-7). Rather, it is “those who are of faith” who are the true children
of Abraham (Rom. 2:26-29;Gal. 3:9, 29).
Some would saythat this refers to the whole world, since Jesus is “the Savior
of the whole world” (John 4:42). While there is certainly a sense in which He
is the Saviorof the whole world (not of the Jews only; see Rev. 5:9), if His
purpose in coming was to save every person who has ever lived, then we must
conclude that He failed in His purpose. But since it is inconceivable that
Almighty God could fail in His eternal purpose, “His people” cannot refer to
every person in the world.
Some would saythat “His people” refers to all who believe in Him for eternal
life. I agree, but to say that is not to go far enough. The Bible says that

33. because ofthe fall, all men are in spiritual death and darkness, unwilling and
unable to come to Christ in faith (John 3:19-20;8:43; Rom. 3:10-18;8:7-8; 1
Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1-3). So we must ask, why do these people
believe in Jesus? Whatenabled them to believe?
Scripture is clearthat the only reasonanyone believes in Jesus as Saviorand
Lord is that God has chosenthem and drawn them to Himself (John 6:44, 65).
The Spirit of God has quickened them from spiritual death to spiritual life
(Eph. 2:4-5). He has opened their formerly blind eyes to see “the light of the
gospelof the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). Both saving faith and repentance
are gifts that God grants to His elect(Acts 5:31; 11:18;13:48; 16:14;Eph. 2:8-
9; Phil. 1:29; Heb. 12:2). They believe because Godgranted them faith.
Thus we must conclude that “His people” refers to those whom the Father has
given to the Son (John 6:37, 39;17:2, 6, 9), namely, His electwhom He
purchased for God with His blood “from every tribe and tongue and people
and nation” (Rev. 5:9). They are His people and there is not a shadow of a
doubt about it, He will save them from their sins! (Readthe verses above.)
There is one other thing to be noted about “His people”:They are sinners. As
Jesus says (Luke 19:10), “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost.” These people are lost, alienatedfrom God, because oftheir
sins. As Jesus also says (Luke 5:31-32), “It is not those who are well who need
a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to callthe righteous but
sinners to repentance.” If you do not see yourselfas a sinner in need of a
Savior, then Jesus’coming means nothing to you. If you think that you are a
basicallygoodperson and that you will getinto heaven through your own
goodness,then you are not one of Jesus’people. He came to save sinners and
sinners only.
Thus we’ve seenthat Jesus Christ, who is eternalGod, took on human flesh to
save His people from their sins. His people are those whom the Fatherhas
given to the Son. He does not hope that they will all choose Him someday, but
it’s up to them to decide!Rather, He will accomplishHis eternal purpose by
saving them. That leads to the final question:
4. What did He do?

34. The answeris, “He actually savedHis people from their sins.” In other words,
Jesus’death on the cross was substitutionary and specific. He died in the place
of those He came to save. He did not offer Himself potentially for anyone who
would later decide to believe in Him. Rather, He actually purchased His elect
people from the slave market of sin by interposing His blood (Rev. 5:9), so
that they do not have to pay for their own sins. Those whomHe purposed to
save, He saved. All whom the Fatherhas given to the Son will come to Him,
and of those, Jesus will lose none (John 6:37, 39). Jesus gives eternallife as His
gift to all whom the Father has given Him (John 17:2).
When it says that He will save them from their sins, the meaning is twofold.
First, He saves or delivers them from the penalty of their sins, which is eternal
punishment in hell. That happens instantaneouslyat the moment a sinner is
awakenedto believe in Jesus as Saviorand Lord. Second, He saves them from
the powerof sin in their daily lives. That happens gradually and progressively
as the believer learns to walk in dependence on the Holy Spirit. It will not be
perfecteduntil the moment when we see Jesus (1 John 3:2-3). If a personis
not growing in holiness and striving againstsin, he needs to question whether
he has been savedfrom his sins at all.
Conclusion
Our text is very plain: Jesus “willsave His people from their sins.” My
question to you is, “Are you one of His people?” If you ask, “How can I
know?” the answerlies in answering some other questions. Has God opened
your eyes to see that you are a sinner who deserves His judgment? If you
think that you’re a pretty goodperson in God’s sight, then you are not one of
His people (at leastit has not yet been revealed). But if you say, “Yes, I know
that I am a sinner, deserving of God’s judgment,” then the next question is,
“Have you fled for refuge from God’s judgment to the cross ofJesus Christ?”
“Are you trusting in His shed blood alone to pay the penalty for your sins?”
If you answeryes to those questions, you need to ask yourselffurther, “Is
there any evidence that Christ has savedyou from your sins?” It is possible to
say that you have believed in Christ, but to have an intellectual “faith” that
does not save. You must ask yourself, “Has Godchanged my heart?” Before

35. you used to live for yourself only, with no regard for Christ or for what He did
on the cross. Butnow, you love Jesus Christand are floodedwith gratitude
because you know that He gave Himself on the cross for you. Before you had
no hunger for holiness and were content to live in disregard of God’s
commands. Now, although you do fall into sin, you mourn over your sins
(Matt. 5:4), you confess them and seek to please Godby forsaking sin and by
obeying God (1 John 1:8-9; 2:3-6; Titus 2:14). Now your aim is to know Christ
more and more (Phil. 3:9).
If you can honestly say, “Yes, those things are true of me. God has begun a
goodwork in my heart,” then our text should bring you greatjoy and
assurance. “He who began a goodwork in you will perfect it until the day of
Christ Jesus”(Phil. 1:6). Jesus will save you from your sins!
If you answerno or you’re not sure if Christ has savedyou yet, then give no
rest to your soul until you know that your faith is in Christ alone for salvation.
Either your sins are upon you or they are upon Christ. If that burden of sin is
on you, Jesus bids you, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and
I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He promised, “The one who comes to Me I
will certainly not castout” (John 6:37). If you come to Jesus, youcan know
that you are one of His people and that He has savedyou from your sins.
DiscussionQuestions
Why is believing in the virgin birth essentialto the Christian faith? What
other essentialdoctrines fall if it falls?
Why is it essentialto affirm that salvationis totally of God and not partly
from God and partly from us? What is at stake?
Is it right to give assurance ofsalvationto a personwho claims to be a
Christian, but who is living in known sin? Why/why not?
How should we respond to the charge that the doctrine of electionis not fair?
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2002,All Rights Reserved.

36. Three
Reasons
Jesus Came
by Dean Wall
Copyright © 1992 DeanWall * All rights reserved.
DeanWall * Box 33233 * Denver, CO 80233-0233 * USA
Bible Credits

37. Dedication
Specialthanks to my dear mother, Elva Mae Wall, for so many things, one of
the leastof which was typing this manuscript.
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
CHAPTER 1
Why did Jesus come to Earth? Surely He had other things He could have
done. Some say that Jesus came to give us a goodexample, or to be a great
teacher. Others have different answers. Whatdoes the Bible say?
Jesus gave three main reasons in the Bible why He came to this planet.
JOHN 18:37-38 NKJ
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered,
"You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this
cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

38. 38 Pilate saidto Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went
out againto the Jews, andsaid to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.
Pilate askedJesus, "Whatis truth?" When my son was young he would ask
the same question. I would say, "John, tell the truth." He replied, "What is
the truth, Daddy?" It was not easyfor me to answer.
What is truth? What would you say? It is not a lie. It is when you tell things
like they are. Truth is what is true. Truth is what is right. It is not what is
wrong. It is not a lie. The Bible says Jesus is the truth. It says God's Word is
the truth.
In John 14:6 Jesus saidthat He was the truth. Jesus said, praying to the
Father in John 17:17, that God's Word is truth.
JOHN 17:17 NKJ
17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
JOHN 14:6-10 NKJ
6 Jesus saidto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father exceptthrough Me.
7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;and from
now on you know Him and have seenHim."
8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
9 Jesus saidto him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not
known Me, Philip? He who has seenMe has seenthe Father; so how can you
say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The
words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father
who dwells in Me does the works.
Jesus did not say He was the Father. He talkedof Himself and the Fatheras
different personalities. However, in verse seven, He says if you knew Him, you

39. knew His Fatheralso. He is so exactlylike the Father, to see one is like seeing
the other.
Watching Jesus in action, reveals as much to us about God the Father, as if we
were watching the FatherHimself in action. Why? Becausethey are identical.
Jesus saidHe was born that He should bear witness to the truth.
What is truth? Or more accurately, who is truth? Who is the personification
of truth? Who has never lied or deceivedanyone? God.
The world did not know -- and most people still do not know -- what God is
like.
Jesus saidthis was a reasonHe was born, so the world would know what God
is like. Jesus came to be a witness, to bear witness to the truth. Every actJesus
did allowedus to see God in actionand to get acquainted with God. He let us
know God is not mean, or some sort of weird creature, but gracious and
compassionate.
He is a God of love, a God of perfection. Think of what a perfect person would
be like -- then magnify that by infinity -- that's what God is like. God is as
perfect as you canimagine -- then multiply that by ten billion.
Jesus saidthis is why He was born, so He could bear witness to the truth.
This is the first reasonwe will look at why Jesus came to Earth, to show us
what God is really like.
ExactImage
HEBREWS 1:1-5 NKJ
1 God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets.
2 has in these last days spokento us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir
of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

40. 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, satdown at the right hand of the Majestyon high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance
obtained a more excellentname than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say:"You are My Son, today I have
begottenYou"? And again:"I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me
a Son"?
Jesus is the express image of God's person(verse 3). The exact image. Strong's
Concordance says the word translated exactimage means the exactcopy. W.
E. Vine's Greek dictionary says it is the fact of complete similarity which this
word stresses.
The fact of complete similarity.
The NIV translates this, the exactrepresentationof His being.
Would you like to know God? Would you like to know what He is like? Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, when He walkedthe earth, was an exactrepresentationof
the being of God. Exact. Notdiffering in a few minor ways, but exact. Jesus is
an exact representationof God's being.
Look at 2 Corinthians 4:4, which tells us the same thing.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 NKJ
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the
light of the gospelofthe glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
on them.
Jesus is the image, or exactrepresentation, of the Father. He is the exact
likeness ofGod the Father. Vine's Greek Dictionary says of this scripture and
word, that Jesus is essentiallyand absolutely the perfectexpressionand
representationof God the Father.
JOHN 12:49 NKJ

41. 49 "ForI have not spokenon My own authority; but the Father who sent Me
gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
JOHN 10:37 NKJ
37 "If I do not do the works ofMy Father, do not believe Me;
JOHN 10:37 NEB
37 `If I am not acting as my Father would, do not believe me.
If all Christians understood this verse, it would help them so much. It would
eliminate so much terrible teaching.
What people saymakes it clearthey do not understand this verse. If you
understand that Jesus showedus exactly what the Fatheris like -- the words
He spoke were the Father's words, the actions He did were the Father's
actions -- then you cannot declare it is not God's will to heal all. Or, say
something like God may not be interested in our finances.
Why did Jesus feedthe people when they were hungry? Why did Jesus heal
all who came to Him? One main reasonwas to let the world know what God is
like. To let us know what kind of characterand nature the Father has, and to
give a demonstration the world would never forget of the will of God.
It is not the will of God for people to suffer. It is not the will of God for people
to go without. It is the will of God for people to be forgiven of their sins, to be
in right standing with God, to have their needs met, and to be made whole.
Jesus saidthis was the purpose for which He was born, to bear witness to the
truth. Jesus came to earth to let you know that God is not looking for a chance
to get you, but He is looking for a chance to love you, and to help you.
JOHN 8:29 NKJ
29 "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Fatherhas not left Me alone, for I
always do those things that please Him."
Jesus always did the things that pleasedGod. Notonce in a while -- always.
Jesus did not do things just acceptable to the Father, but everything Jesus did

42. thrilled the Father. Eachtime He healed someone sick, the Fatherwas thrilled
about it. Jesus never had to stopand ask if it was the Father's will to heal
anyone. He did not have to ask if it was the Father's will to feedthe hungry.
In effect, Jesus was saying, "Philip, you have been with me for years. You
watchedme every day. You saw me in all types of circumstances. Did you not
realize all I did was the Father's will? Eachtime you saw Me act, you saw the
actionthe Father would have takenif He were in my place. Do you not
understand, Philip? I am the exact representative of God."
Everything Jesus said, everything He did, was not just acceptable to God, but
was the exactwords, the exactaction, the exactattitude the Fatherwould have
had in the same situation. Exactly.
If the world understood that, masses wouldturn to the Lord Jesus Christ. If
the world knew God was like Jesus Christ, and knew what Jesus was like from
reading the New Testament, people would turn to Jesus.
Jesus Does Good
ACTS 10:38 NKJ
38 "how God anointed Jesus ofNazarethwith the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing goodand healing all who were oppressedby the devil,
for Godwas with Him.
Jesus wentabout doing goodand healing ALL. Of all who came to Him, Jesus
never turned one down. He never told anyone they had to stay sick.
It says, for God was with Him. God was with Him in every word He spoke. He
was with Him in every action. God was anointing Him. It was the power of
God and the wisdom of God which causedJesus to do what He did.
Jesus wentabout doing good -- not bad things. When the Bible says good, it
means good.
Some people, when they read the Bible, think like this: that may not mean
goodlike I think about good. It may seembad to me but it might be goodto
God, because God's ways are much higher than mine.

43. That is the devil's lie to confuse you.
When the Bible says good, it means goodlike you would think about good.
The Bible was written to you, not to God. It is written in human language.
The people thought what Jesus did was good. He did not go about doing bad,
He went about helping people. He blessedthem. He set people free from their
afflictions. He raisedpeople from the dead. Jesus wentabout doing things that
thrilled people.
(Of course, the religious leaders were not thrilled with the goodJesus did,
because they were afraid of losing their position of leadership and influence
with the people.)
Greatmultitudes followedJesus. Theywent out into the wilderness, walking
for two or three days, to be where He was. Theywere so thrilled about Jesus,
that they would forget about food and water. They never thought about where
they would eat because they were so caught up with what Jesus was doing. He
could hardly getpeople to leave. They liked Him.
God anointed Jesus Who went about doing things which thrilled people --
people who were like you and me.
When the Bible says good, and the thought hits you that it may not mean
good, it's the devil's lie. The devil tells you God means it for good, but you
think it is bad. For example: to get run over by a truck, go bankrupt, and
have your family die of disease, does notseemgoodto you -- but, and here is
the devil's lie: God probably meant it for good -- so you will turn to Him, or
learn something.
That is not God's thinking, or the teaching of the Bible.
In such situations, some people have turned to God, but more have turned
awayfrom God and cursed Him. You cannot credit the evil events for people
turning to God. God was there all the time. Whenever people turn to God, He
accepts them.
God surely hates teaching that says He uses bad things to draw people to Him,
and that He teaches Christians by using evil to cause them to suffer.

44. You may objectthat some person did get savedafter experiencing such bad
things. Yes, some have been savedand will go to Heaven, and I am glad for
that. But they are so scaredof God that they probably will not be any positive
witness for God here on earth.
Wrong teaching makes you afraid of God. Then you will not love God, or
serve God out of love. Then you infect other people with the same junky
thinking.
The world will not be won to Jesus Christ as long as they have a wrong image
of what God is like.
People are not interestedin Godbecause they do not think very highly of Him.
We need to quit thinking religiously and let God bless us like He did the
people in the Old Testament. They won their battles. They were victorious.
They were successful. Theyhad rain for their crops when other people did
not. Because ofthat, people in other countries wanted to serve their God.
It is supposed to be like that with you, also. God is supposedto be blessing you
so much -- not hurting you so much -- that you are a light for the world. You
should stick out like a light bulb.
Jesus came to Earth saying He was the light of the world. "I will light up the
world. I will let people see whatGod is really like. I representthe one true
God. God is like me. Everything I do thrills the Father. He is pleasedwith
every word I speak. He is pleasedevery time I lay hands on the sick, and they
recover."
The leper came to Jesus, questioning His willingness to heal him. I like what
Jesus did. He stretchedforth His hand to the leper, a man with a dreaded
disease, ofwhich people were scaredto death, and said, "I will."
Jesus settledit for time and eternity. It is God's will for people to be healed.
Is it God's will to healyou? A leper already askedJesus andHe replied that it
was His will. When Jesus saidthat, He was not speaking forHimself. He was
speaking whatthe Father commanded Him to speak. He was speaking the will
of the Father.

45. What is the will of the Father today? If it is the same FatherGod and He has
not been replacedby someone else, His will is the same for you today. And it
is!
The devil has tried to replace Godin our minds with a clone who looks like
God: someone big and powerful but who acts differently. This false godgoes
around killing babies. He goes around doing evil. He does things to make
people sad, instead of thrilled. That is not what the True God is like.
Jesus said, "I am the truth." He said He came to bear witness to the truth --
the truth of what God is like.
Top
CHAPTER 2
The secondreasonJesus came,according to what the Bible says, was to
destroy the works of the devil and by that to save, or deliver, mankind from
the devil's control.
LUKE 9:56 NKJ
56 "Forthe Son of Man did not come to destroymen's lives but to save them."
And they went to another village.
LUKE 19:10 NKJ
10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
1 TIMOTHY 1:15 NKJ
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, thatChrist Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
JOHN 3:17 NKJ
17 "ForGod did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved.
1 JOHN 3:8 NKJ

46. 8 . . . For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy
the works ofthe devil.
The Son of God was manifestedto destroythe works of the devil. Did Jesus
accomplishHis mission? If He did, then the works of the devil have been
destroyed.
It is worthwhile to look at the word: destroy. We normally think it means to
annihilate or put out of existence. As you look at other translations, you see
that here it means to reduce to a zero, or to bring to nothing, or to render
ineffective, or to make harmless.
After an enemy is defeatedin war, at the signing of a peace treaty, the general
is still there signing the treaty, but he has nothing backing him up any more.
His authority has been takenfrom him. All his weapons have been taken, but
he is still there. If you are foolish enough to loan him your gun, or return his
weapons during the treaty signing, that is your fault.
So it is with the devil.
Jesus has already forcedthe devil to bow his knee. Jesus defeatedhim,
disarmed him, and left him helpless and harmless againstyou. If you allow
that lying deceiverto fake you out and make you believe a lie opposite to the
Word of God, then he will take your weaponand destroy you with it. It will be
your fault, not God's.
God sets before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore you should
choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). That should be an easychoice.
Why do so many Christians not choose life and blessing? A main reasonis
wrong teaching;either lack of right teaching, or wrong teaching. They do not
know the Word of God and the God of the Word.
HEBREWS 2:14 NKJ
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partakenof flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise sharedin the same, that through death He might destroy him
who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

47. Again, the word destroy in this verse has the same meaning. Jesus came to
make the devil harmless and ineffective. To defeathim and reduce him to a
zero. Rotherham's translation says to paralyze him.
You are to rule overa defeated enemy, not serve under a powerful one. Most
Christians, because ofignorance, have been serving under the devil. They let
the devil push them around. They allow sickness, poverty, bankruptcy, family
problems, strife, and fear. They are suffering under the devil's attack.
You have been lifted up overyour old master satan, and you should make him
leave you alone. He will if you make him.
A Dream
In a dream I saw myself walking to a house where a huge girl was baby-sitting
a young child. This baby-sitter had a long stick, like a whip, with leather on
the end.
I had found out that the baby-sitter was going to beat the child, and I was
coming to rescue the child. I do not know how the baby-sitter ever got the job,
because she was a big bully.
There was no problem at all saving the child. I marched in and took the big
stick awayand told her to getout. It was simple.
I was small and the baby-sitter was huge. Yet, the baby-sitter put up no
resistance whenI walkedin, but readily gave me the whip. Why? I actedwith
authority.
Although the baby-sitter put up no resistance, Icould not get rid of her. I
would try to lock the door and it would not lock. She kept trying to push the
door open -- not hard or mean, but determined. I lockedone door and the
baby-sitter tried to come in another door. She kept trying to come in.
When I woke up I thought, that is the way the devil is. If you march in and
know what you are doing, you can stop the devil coldin his tracks. He will not
cause any damage. He will not stop you. But, he is still there, like a stupid
bully, always trying to push his way back into your life, to see if you will allow
it.

48. If you shut one door and another door is open, he will try to getin there. If
you will stand againsthim, you have the upper hand because he is defeated.
Even if you are a new Christian, with small faith, you still have as much
authority over the devil as the Apostle Paul had.
Jesus saidwhoeverbelieves can castout the devil in His Name (Mark 16:17).
You might be one minute old in the Lord, but you are still over satan. If you
know it and stand on it, you can stand againstthe devil's work and his
activities. Why? Because Jesus came anddefeatedthe devil. He reduced him
to a zero.
He did it through death. Jesus enteredinto death to defeatthe devil for you.
Now you canbe free!
Top
CHAPTER 3
The third reasonJesus came to earth was so you could have life.
Without Jesus, people have mere existence -- not life. People take up space like
an unplugged refrigeratorwhich takes up space but has no life in it. It will not
do what it was designedfor until it is plugged in.
JOHN 10:10 NKJ
10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have
come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Jesus is implying people did not have life. If people had life there would be no
reasonfor Him to say that He came that people might have life. People were
dead in trespassesand sins, dead spiritually, dead on the inside. Deathwas in
their spirits.
Jesus saidthat He came for people to have life.
The Wuesttranslation says I alone came in order that they might be
possessing life.

49. Mohammed, Buddha, or Confucius did not come so people might have life.
Jesus alone came that people might have life.
Jesus came into this planet with life. Jesus saidthat He had life in Himself,
just as the Fatherhad life in Himself (John 5:26).
Jesus gave up His life, as a sacrifice in our place, so all humanity could, by
God's grace, receive the gift of God.
What is the gift of God? Romans 6:23 says it is life -- eternallife -- which is
God's kind of life.
ROMANS 6:23 NKJ
23 For the wagesofsin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
1 JOHN 4:9 NKJ
9 In this the love of God was manifestedtoward us, that God has sent His only
begottenSon into the world, that we might live through Him.
The Phillips translation says, "To give us life through Him."
God did not send His Son into the world so we could have Christmas, Easter,
and church, but to give us life through Him.
The New English Bible says, "He sent His only Soninto the world to bring us
life."
We did not have life before. Jesus came to bring us what we did not have. Life
is what we needed.
Jesus redeemedus and defeatedthe devil through His death as our substitute.
The devil is master of the death realm, but he does not have any dominion
over those who are alive. When Jesus gave us the gift of God, which is Life, it
made satanunable to lord it over us any longer.
A twenty pound child can boss every corpse in the morgue around. They will
not talk back one bit. But, if all those bodies come to life it would be a
different story!

50. So it is with us. When we have been brought to life, we have the life of God in
us. We have the gift of God, eternallife, in us.
Becausewe have life, satanhas no more dominion overus. We are in a
different realm, in a different sphere of existence. The devil is not the lord of
the realm of life. The devil has no dominion over us in this new realm.
God sent His only Son into the world to bring us life.
JOHN 6:33 NKJ
33 "Forthe bread of Godis He who comes down from heavenand gives life to
the world."
Jesus speaksofHimself as the bread of God.
Wade's translation says, ". . . not only descends out of Heaven, but also
imparts life to the world."
JOHN 6:51 NKJ
51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world."
Jesus is the living bread which came down from Heaven. Heaven was where
life was, becausethat is God's realm. Life was not available on Earth, because
all men were dead in trespasses andsins (Ephesians 2:5). The light had gone
out. There was no life. There was no longerany spiritual life on earth.
One translation says, "The bread which I will give to bring the world to life is
my flesh." Jesus is the living and life imparting bread that descendedout of
Heaven. If you partake of Jesus, orreceive Jesus, youpartake of something
which gives you life.
Jesus saidthat is why He came: so people could have life.
What kind of life? Life in your spirit, life on the inside of you. Eternal life. It is
the kind of life God has, the kind of life which is in Heaven.

51. Eternal life is something which satisfies youon the inside. When you get life
on the inside, it will also affectthe outside. You will act differently.
Jesus did not say that He came so people could getalong a little better. No, He
came to raise them up to the full level of existence, outof one realm into
another. Out of the death realm and into the life realm. To give them the same
life He had in Himself and the same life the Fatherhad. To bring them into
the family of God. That is the reasonJesus came.
Two Groups Of People
1 JOHN 5:11-12 NKJ
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Sonof Goddoes not
have life.
There are two groups of people:those who have life and those who do not
have life. I am not talking about physical existence. Everyone exists
somewhere. Everyone who has ever lived on this planet is still alive
somewhere. Theyare in two categoriesalso:those who have life and those
who do not.
If you do not receive Jesus, the Son of God -- you will stay dead. If you reject
Jesus, you allow the devil to continue being your master. Then the devil will
take you to hell and torment you forever. It is your choice.
You are already in trouble, whether you know it or not. You are dead and
there is only one Source of life.
There is only one answer. There is only one bread from Heaven. Only one
person came out of Heavento bring life to the world: the Lord Jesus Christ. If
you receive Him, you receive life. If you reject Him, you remain dead
spiritually.
Summary
According to God's Word, the reasons Jesuscame to Earth were:

52. To bear witness to the truth. To show us what God is really like.
To defeat mankind's old enemy, the devil, and deliver mankind from his
control. To render him harmless againstthose who know the truth.
So man can have life. There is only one way mankind canbe brought to life --
by receiving Jesus Christ.
The Reasonforthe Season
Author: Ray C. Stedman
Readthe Scripture: Colossians 1:18-20
Colossians 1:18-20 18Andhe is the head of the body, the church; he is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he
might have the supremacy. 19ForGod was pleasedto have all his fullness
dwell in him, 20andthrough him to reconcile to himself all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed
on the cross.
Mostscholars feelthat the magnificent description of Christ found in verses
15-20 ofColossians 1 represents anearly Christian hymn which Paul is
quoting. These verses mayrepresent the very first of all Christmas carols. If
so;it is a hymn of two stanzas. The first concerns Jesus as Lord of creation,
i.e. the material universe, and all forces at work within it. The secondstanza
speaks ofJesus as Lord of the new creation, the new humanity. We have lost
the tune for this hymn, but we still have these words which focus upon our
Lord's overallsupremacy.
Here are Paul's words:

53. "He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn
from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."
(Colossians1:18)
The church, of course, is the new creation. It is healthy to remind ourselves of
that because many churches seemto forgetit. The church is something
eternally new which the world has never seenbefore. It is quite different from
any other organizationor organismamong men. It is a sad thing to observe
the loss of this conceptamong Christians. As I travel about I have noted the
way people think about their church. I am afraid that the most widespread
conceptis that the church is a religious country club, operatedfor the
enjoyment and benefit of the members; it makes its own rules and exists for
its own purposes. That is a far cry indeed from the New Testament
description of the church.
Others look upon the church as a collectionof emotionalmisfits who are
waiting for the first bus to glory. I fear some of us give them goodreasonto
think that! Then there are those, like the Colossians, who are a group of eager
beaver religious fanatics, running after every new doctrine that comes along,
especiallyif it offers a goodfeeling and has a sense ofmagic and mystery
about it. That to many is the church.
But here the apostle corrects these false ideas and declares that Jesus is the
Head of the body, which is the church. Paul relates the two togetheras a head
and trunk relate in a physical body. This is one of the most important
statements in the New Testamentaboutthe church. God has actually given us
a model to carry around with us (our own body), so that we may understand
how the church is to function. The church is a body, and we all have bodies.
The church has a Head, and we too have heads. To understand the church
and how it should function, think about your own body and how it functions.
If you stand in front of a mirror you will notice, I hope, that there are two
divisions of the body. The knob up on top, with more or less hair, we call the
head. It is the controlcenter of the body. The rest of the body, with its
appendages ofarms and legs, etc., is all part of the trunk. That is a body---and
the head runs the body! Many churches seemto forget that. Think what

54. would happen to your body if somebodyremoved your head. It doesn't appear
that any of you has had that experience since most of you seemto be well
attached. When I was a boy growing up in Montana, we did not buy chickens
at the grocerystore all nicely packagedin plastic. I had to go out and run one
down, and then remove its head. A chickenwith its head cut off acts very
strangely. It does not simply quietly perish, but jumps and runs around, out of
control for a minute or two, before it finally dies. Churches that lose their
awarenessofthe Head are like that---they too go out of control. They do not
know what to do. They run about and become involved in things they ought
not to have anything to do with. They have, for all practicalpurposes, lost
their Head.
That was the trouble at Colossae. In chaptertwo Paul says they "have lost
connectionto the head." It is essential, therefore, that a church must have its
Head in place and functioning: supplying direction, maintaining order, giving
it health, solvingits difficulties, coordinating its activities, and supplying to
every single member its own kind of life. That is what your physical head
does, and that is what Jesus, as Head of the body, desires to do. This must find
application on an individual basis. Oftentimes we fail to see that a church
consists ofindividuals. You are the church! It cannotact as a corporate body
very often---it is not expectedto. Yet, because we have false concepts ofthe
church, we often expectthe corporationto act for us. But Christ's body is not
designedthat way. Eachindividual is directly related to the Head. It is he who
should direct eachof us in our activities through the week. Thatis where the
church truly functions, not here on Sunday morning. Here is where the
church is taught by the Head, where we learn how to function. But we actually
function awayfrom here, in our homes and neighborhoods. There we must
relate directly to the Head, expecting him to open doors, provide energy,
wisdom, comfortand forgiveness. Thatis where the church touches societyon
every side.
Yet, despite the factthat we are to function as individuals, we must never
forgetthat we belong to the whole, not only this localbody but the whole body
of Christ all over the world. We are all related to one another. This marvelous
mystery of relationship constitutes one of the most exciting things in the world
today. When the church functions properly it is far and away the most

55. powerfully effective body on earth. That is what Jesus means when he said,
"You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world." As individuals
we must remember that our part is to respond to personaldirection from the
Head: to do as he says and obey his word.
Now Paul tells us, in two marvelously descriptive phrases, exactlywhy Jesus is
the Head of the body. First, he says, "he is the beginning." The beginning of
what? The beginning of the church! He is the One from whom the church gets
its life. There are several"beginnings" in Scripture. The Bible opens on that
note: "In the beginning God createdthe heavens and the earth." But that is
not the beginning referred to here. There is another"beginning"inthe gospel
of John: "In the beginning was the Word." That goes back evenbefore
creation. But that is not the "beginning" spokenof here either. The
"beginning" here is the same one which John speaks ofin his letter: "We
know him who was from the beginning." He is referring to the beginning of
the church, when the disciples saw Jesus, touchedhim and handled him. From
the risen life of Jesus flows the new life of the church. That is what Paul
teaches so clearlyin 2 Corinthians 5: "If anyone be in Christ he is a new
creation. Old things have passedaway, all things have become new." We are
part of a new humanity that God is bringing forth upon this earth, a humanity
that is "bought with a price": "You are not your own, you are bought with a
price." Remember, "He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness ofGod in him."
This should remind us of that simple, often misunderstood parable, that our
Lord told among severalothers, in Matthew 13. He says, "The kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great
value, he went awayand sold everything he had and bought it."
Unfortunately, that parable has been interpreted to mean that Jesus is the
pearl of great price, and that when we see whata valuable person he is we will
sell all we have and buy him. But that is entirely contrary to every other
teaching of Scripture. We do not buy God. We cannot purchase him or
purchase our salvationin any sense. We have nothing to offer him! We must
come, as the old hymn puts it, "Nothing in my hand I bring,/Simply to thy
cross I cling." No, it is Jesus who is the merchant looking for a fine pearl. And

56. he finds one: it is the church! For it, "he went awayand sold everything he
had and bought it."
This is most instructive if you remember how a pearl is made. A pearl, you
know, starts out as an irritatedoyster! A grain of sand gets under the oyster's
shell. To the oysterthat feels like crackers in bed do to us. It is very
uncomfortable, and the oystersets about getting rid of it. What it does is to
coverthe irritating grain of sand with a beautiful nacre that hardens into a
lustrous and gorgeouspearl. That is how the church was born. It emerges
from the wounded side of Jesus. It was the irritation that we representby our
sinful lives that put him to death, and he covers it over and heals it, making it
into a beautiful pearl of great value. That is the church. That is what Paul is
describing here: Jesus himself is the beginning of the church.
Then, secondly, Paul says, Jesus is "the firstborn from among the dead."
Many take that to mean he is the first one ever to be resurrected. Thatis
certainly true. The resurrectionof Jesus is the only resurrectionthat has ever
occurredon this earth. Lazarus, and all the others who came back from the
dead, were simply resuscitated:they came back to the same life they had left.
We may even feela bit sorry for them because they had to come back to take
it up again. But Jesus was truly resurrected. He was given a glorified life: he
came from the grave at a far higher level than he went in. He returned in a
glorified body, subject to different laws and governedby different principles.
But that is not what is meant here. That is what Paul calls "the first-fruits of
them that slept." But here "firstborn" means what it does in verse 15. We
have already seenthat it means the owner, the possessor, ofthe old creation.
Here then it means the owner, possessor, ofthe new creation. He is the One
who alone possesses the resurrectionlife that he gives to eachof us. That is
what John is saying in his first letter, in chapter5, verse 11: "This is the
testimony: God has given us eternallife [deathless life, resurrectionlife], and
this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life." He may be moral, he may be a nice person,
but he does not yet possessthe life of eternity, the resurrectionlife of Jesus,
because that life comes from Jesus alone.

57. Now it is a clearbiblical fact that Christians who have receivedChrist and
been born into the new creationhave this life. That is the reasonthey canno
longerexcuse themselves for wrong behavior by saying, "Well, after all, I'm
only human." It is true you are human yet in the body, in the flesh, and that is
why you are tempted, but because youalso have a new life it means you do not
need to yield to that temptation; there is now a new power within.
I feel constrainedto getthis across to people. When you become a Christian
you have a new source ofpower which the world knows nothing about.
Therefore, you are expectedto live at a different, higher level. And you can.
You cannot excuse yourselfby saying, "I'm only human." True, that is why
temptations come, but Godhas given us an ability to sayno to these and to say
yes to the power of Christ. We will not feel powerful---we are never expected
to---but we have the powerto sayno; that is what the new creationis all
about.
Thus, because ourLord is Masterof the old creation(the old, material
universe all around us)---and also masterof a whole new humanity that is now
coming into being, Paul goes on to say that he is both firstborn of the old and
firstborn of the new "in order that he might have the supremacy." There is
nothing left out of his control. One of the old Christmas carols captures this
beautifully,
King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords in human nature,
In the body and the blood.
He will give to all the faithful,
His own selffor heavenly food.
That is the difference that being a Christian makes:we have Christ himself
dwelling in us, and that enables us to be more than we once were. Paul now
turns from our Lord's position as Head of the body to his work as the
reconcilerof all things.

58. "ForGod was pleasedto have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."(Colossians 1:19-20a)
Notice how carefully the apostle links togetherthe reconciling work of Christ
and his deity. Jesus had to be God to do what he did! At the Chicago
Conference onBiblical Application which I mentioned last week I was thrilled
to hear Dr. Bruce Waltke make an impassionedplea that we who are working
with these greatthemes of Scripture find some way to reduce these theological
statements to contemporary terms, because, as he put it, "the world is lost
without a sense ofGod. Men and womeneverywhere desperatelyneed to
know that there is Someone in charge of life, and that there is a Source to
whom they can turn for help and for deliverance. The world needs to know
that Jesus Christ is God." He made the statementpersonal with these words,
"If Jesus is not God, then I do not have a Savior." That is surely true. If Jesus
is not God there is no bridge that canspan the chasm betweenGodand man.
This is why Christianity is often offensive to people of other faiths. They say,
"Why can't you recognize that all religions have leaders who canlead us into
truth? Why do you claim that Jesus is different and above all the others?"
That is often called "the scandalof exclusivity," the exclusive claim that only
one religious founder is both God and man. As C. S. Lewis wellstates, If you
had gone to Buddha and askedhim, "Are you the Son of Brahma?," he would
have said, "My son, you are still in the vale of illusion." If you had gone to
Socratesand asked, "Are you Zeus?" he would have laughed at you. If you
had gone to Mohammed and asked, "Are you Allah?" he would first have
rent his clothes, and then cut your head off. If you had askedConfucius, "Are
you Heaven?" I think he would have probably replied, "Remarks whichare
not in accordancewith nature are in bad taste."
There is only One who claims that he is both God and man. This explains the
name which the shepherds whisperedwhen they came into the stable after the
angels'announcement. They knelt in awe before the Babe lying there and
breathed the one word, "Immanuel" (God with us). He is the reasonfor the
season!I want to tell you it makes me angry to see the commercializationof
Christmas. All this flim-flam about trees, and presents, and Santa Claus tends