It's All About Jesus

CURRENT SERIES: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS

Part One: “In The Dark No Longer”

John 1:3-5

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people attempt to make the clear unclear? Take for example the following examples of new politically correct definitions: You don’t have gym socks that smell. You have ’odor retentive athletic footwear.’ You’re not shy. You’re ’conversationally selective.’ You don’t talk a lot. You’re ’abundantly verbal.’ You’re not being sent to the principal’s office. You’re ’going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building.’ It’s not called ’gossip’ anymore. It’s ’the speedy transmission of near-factual information.’ While we may appreciate the creativity of these definitions, in the course of the day to day, we appreciate clear, concise and accurate information. We are not looking to be confused or to be confusing. We want to understand. We want to be understood.

The gospel of John gives us clear information about the person of Jesus. Jesus was nothing less than God Himself. John describes Jesus’ creativity, His eternity and His Deity. To give us an even broader understanding of Jesus, he used the title ‘Word.’ It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word.” I’d like to change that to, “In the beginning was Communication.” When Jesus uses the name “Word” for Jesus, He is telling us that through Jesus, God seeks to communicate to us. He is not content to leave us ignorant. He wants us to know Him. He desires that we know what He offers. He longs for us to respond to His love. So…John writes this biography about Jesus so that we will have life. The final words that John gives toward the end of the gospel gives us the purpose for his writing: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John is telling us that God wants us to have life. He wants us to know the purpose of life. He desires that we will have the significance that we were created to have. But for this to happen, we need to understand that…Jesus is our source for life. Simply, Jesus is life! All that is good about life finds its source in Jesus. He wants us to enjoy life. For our life here on earth is not the beginning and the end of the definition of life. In the big picture of things, life goes way beyond the matters of our earthly life. We will learn more about that as we give consideration of our text this morning. So…we will find in John 1:3-5 three undertakings of Jesus that reveal to us how He is the source for our life. Through him all things were made; in him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

First Understanding That Reveals Jesus As Our Source For Life Is He Brings Life Into Being

In John 1:3 we read, “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” Jesus is the agent and sustainer of creation. Hebrews 1:1-3 in our understanding of the Godhead, it is the Father that created. But that is not the end of the description, for He did it through the Word. Note how the letter to the Hebrews 1:1-3 says: In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word in power.” The Creation was created through the Word, the Son. But that is not all, for the universe is held together by Jesus’ word. By His communicative ability, He holds together the smallest atom, as well as the greatest galaxy. Our text tells us that the Word was involved in every detail of the finished project. The world that we live in is a demonstration of knowledge, reason, and logic. It is because the Word spoke it into being.

Jesus was not left out of any aspect of the creation process. Please note this…Jesus didn’t do it for God. He did it as God. Note the testimony of Scripture in Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. “ The text tells us that nothing was outside His range of activity. He was not a passive bystander, but involved actively in every aspect of the Creation.

Grandpa and his granddaughter were sitting talking when she asked, "Did God make you, Grandpa?" "Yes, God made me," the grandfather answered. A few minutes later, the little girl asked him, "Did God make me too?" "Yes, He did," the older man answered. For a few minutes, the little girl seemed to be studying her grandpa, as well as her own reflection in the mirror, while her grandfather wondered what was running through her mind. At last she spoke up. "You know, Grandpa," she said, "God’s doing a lot better job lately." Well…The Word is the Creator of life, and no matter how you look, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You find your origin and source in the being of God. And because you are God’s creation, you have value. In the eyes of God, every human has value simply because he is the creation of the Almighty God. And the news gets even better…

As the Creator, Jesus knows just what His creation needs. The Word is not only involved in every detail about you, He knows what else needs to be done. Jesus knows what tinkering should be done in our lives to keep us in perfect running order. He knows your needs. You can depend on Him. For just as He has given you life, He will continue to sustain you.

Second Understanding That Reveals Jesus As Our Source For Life Is He Brightens The Way To Life.

Jesus is the “life-bringer.” The text in John 1:4 it says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." It is only because there is life in the Word that there is life in anything on earth at all. Life does not exist in its own right. It has a source. Jesus is the life-bringer. Life is the fullness of God’s essence. Its opposite is destruction, condemnation, and death. The person who lives a Christless life exists, but he/she does not know what life is. Jesus is the one that makes our life worth living. For in Jesus, even the earthly death is a prelude to fuller life. This is why Christians leave this world differently. They don’t leave in fear. They leave with confidence. They leave with confidence because Jesus has shown the way.

Jesus shows us the way as the “light-bearer. In the back woods of the hollows, a man’s wife went into labor in the middle of the night, and the doctor was fetched to assist in the delivery. Hours later, he arrived, but still in time! Since there was no electricity, the doctor handed the father-to-be a lantern and said, "Here, you hold this high so I can see what I am doing." Soon, a baby boy was brought into the world. "Whoa there," said the doctor. "Don’t be in a rush to put the lantern down, I think there’s yet another one to come." Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered a baby girl. "Wait now, don’t be in a great hurry to put down that lantern. It seems there’s yet another one to come." Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered another baby girl. "No, no, don’t be in a great hurry to put down that lantern. It seems there’s yet another one in there!" cried the doctor. The father scratched his head in bewilderment, looked at the lantern, looked at his wife, and asked, "Do you think it’s the light that’s attractin’ ’em?"

When our spiritual eyes are open, we become attracted to the light. We hear the message that Jesus testifies to about Himself. Jesus will later testify to that in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Have you noticed that the first command of creation is “Let there be light.” It is the nature of God to give light where there is darkness. So, Jesus as the Word gives life-giving light to a dark world. He comes seeking a world lost in darkness. He is light journeying endlessly, pursuing the dark recesses of our heart. He relentlessly seeks a place to illuminate so to bring warmth and light. Note how powerful light is…

In World War II, during the blackouts in London, on a clear night a lighted match could be seen for twenty miles from the air. The Word willingly penetrates any crevice or opening, knowing that even the smallest light will reveal an object’s true nature. For where the light goes, darkness is dispelled, revealing the true nature of life. Light strips away all disguises and concealments. It shows things in all their nakedness. It reveals true character and true values. So…Jesus shines in our heart to reveal the darkness that is in it. In John 12:46 Jesus says, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Jesus, as the Light, exposes darkness for what it is. He reveals the righteousness of God as opposed to man’s sin. The light exposes man’s sin. And the text tells us, literally, that it shines continually in the darkness. It shines on. Christ is continually bombarding every corner of our dark hearts through the work of His Holy Spirit in nature, conscience, and the Scriptures. It is a guiding light, so that our guessing and groping is ended. Our doubt and uncertainly can be completely removed. We can know the way to go because He brightens the way to life.

Third Understanding That Reveals Jesus As Our Source For Life Is He Beats Death.

In John 1:5 it says, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it.” Jesus’ presence demonstrates that the darkness doesn’t understand. The meaning of the word that is translated as “understand” has two meanings. The first is to “lay hold with the mind” which carries the meaning of to apprehend or comprehend. This is why it is translated “understand.” It also reinforces the idea that will come in verses 10 and 11 where it says, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” But it may be that John was doing a double meaning, using one word, but meaning two different things. The other meaning, and perhaps a better translation, is “overcome.”

Jesus overcomes darkness by being the light. There is tremendous resistance to the light, but darkness is unable to overpower it. The darkness is unable to extinguish it. Light puts chaos to flight. Darkness attempted to win at the garden, and it won for a time, but it was not a permanent win. God showed grace and then foretold of a way out. And while mankind waited for the solution, God honored faith. Darkness attempted to win at the cross. It thought it had nailed the Son of God and beat Him. But the Creator of life is more powerful than the Destroyer of life. Darkness suffered an utter defeat at the tomb. Darkness is unable to overcome the power of light.

Conclusion

Christmas is the season of lights. There are lights on houses and trees. They are in windows of homes and shops. Everywhere we see blinking and twinkling. Even on Christmas Eve, we will sing “Silent Night” by candlelight. When it comes to this time of the year, we can’t seem to get enough light. Just as the lights are beautiful, even more so is the Son. He is the heavenly light. He is the true light, as He is God of God and Light of Light.

Jesus is our light. This was Simeon’s testimony when he was introduced to the baby Jesus in Luke 2:30-32, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The birth that we celebrate at this time of the year is meant to give us hope. We need the light that the Word communicates and brings. For let’s face it, it is a dark world. There is darkness all around us. There are families riddled by drugs. Individuals killed by a drunk and careless drivers. There are parents going through divorce leaving kids in the middle. People are burdened with cancer, old folks living alone, others uncertain about their future, broken relationships, no money. And the list could go on and on…because darkness has caused great confusion in this world. But the darkest enemy of all has no chance when our life is in the hands of the One that is the Light. For…

Jesus comes to defeat death. Here the announcement of the angel to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (Y’shua), because he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus was coming to save His people. He was coming to save us from the result of our sins. This baby comes to overcome death because He lives to die. And as a result…

Jesus is our life. In John 3:16 it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” When John Owen, the great Puri-tan, lay on his deathbed his secretary wrote (in his name) to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living." "Stop," said Owen. "Change that and say, I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living." How well put that is, for eternal life is more than duration. It is quality of life, life as it is designed to be. We find it in Jesus. When Jesus offered us eternal life, he invites us to enter into the very life of God. Don’t miss this during this Christmas season! Jesus is our life. You will only find the true meaning of life when you find Jesus.

SERIES: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS

Part Two: “Down To Earth”

John 1:6-13

Lisa Turner’s birthday was coming up and was excited to see what special thing her husband was going to do. She secretly hoped for breakfast in bed or a bouquet of roses. When the day arrived, there was no breakfast in bed or a bouquet of roses. In fact, it seemed her husband had completely forgotten. That afternoon, her husband handed her the baby and said, “He’s got a present for you.” She cringed. She knew this meant the baby had a messy diaper. Though it irritated her that she had to change diapers on her birthday, she grabbed the baby and diaper wipes, and prepared for the worst. To her delight, she found in the perfectly clean diaper a string of pearls—a wonderful present from her laughing husband. Well, that was a wonderful surprise, even if it was a bit unorthodox. Do you like surprises? There are some surprises that are just plain fun. There are others that just leave us shaking our heads.

The crude environment of the birth of Jesus is certainly a surprise. Doesn’t it seem at least a little bit absurd that the Creator of life would be born in this coarse setting? I don’t mean to be rude by this line of questioning, but is that the way you would have planned it and done it? Would you plan the birth to take place among animals? Would you plan the birth to come to fruition in a damp, foul-smelling stable? Would you plan for the birth to be announced to some second-class citizens watching their sheep and then have them be the first visitors? I would not have planned it that way. I would not have expected that. We were not, though, left in the dark about His coming (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2).

It was communicated! Note these verses from Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

We were clued in on some very essential information. We were told that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, would come from a virgin, would be nothing less than God Himself, and would rescue His people. This baby that we celebrate at Christmas is this very same Messiah. He was named in the Hebrew, “Y’shua.” In the Greek, it came out as “Jesus.” In Luke 2:29-32 we see that Jesus was the ‘light bearer, the hope of Israel. He said: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” People were going to be able to see, for this baby was the light.

THREE RESPONSES TO JESUS COMING DOWN TO EARHT AT THE LIGHT

First Response To Jesus Coming Down To Earth As The Light Is Revelation

In Vs. 6-8 it says, “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” These first verses set in contrast two people. One was Jesus (the Light). The other was his cousin, the man we know as John the Baptist. The name of John was a Greek form of the Hebrew Jonathan. The name means “God is gracious.” John the Baptist was an envoy with a special commission. He was showing that God was gracious by communicating the truth that the long hoped for Messiah was finally present.

Years ago, a minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business."

We are to prepare others for the coming of Jesus just as John the Baptist was the fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5 where it says, “A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The Baptist had a wonderful task to prepare people for the Messiah, his cousin, Jesus. And he brought the truth down to a level that could be understood. For who Jesus was and what He was going to do was going to be quite overwhelming. So he comes as the herald, preparing the way.

In the same way, we are God’s herald. We too announce the coming of Jesus. There is light for the world that lives in darkness. And Jesus came down to earth as the light! When we are surrounded by darkness, we desire light. When there is darkness inside of us, we need light. And as heralds…We are to point others to the light. When Jesus first came, He did not look like light or a sunburst, or alien from outer space. Instead, He came looking like one of us. And so, John the Baptist pointed Him out to others. If we think about it, there have been people that pointed us to the light. They have shown us Jesus. They were John the Baptist to us. And so we need to do the same for others that are in darkness about Jesus. And… we are to testify of the worthiness of belief. When they acknowledge John, they acknowledged Jesus as Lord. John testifies to Jesus’ deity and that they could trust Him. We to are to call others to believe.

Second Response To Jesus Coming Down To Earth As Light is Rejection

It says in Vs. 9-11, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Jesus came so that everyone could understand God’s compassion for His creation. Isaiah 9:2 says, “When Jesus came, He fulfilled the prophecy…The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Jesus was the final consummation of the light that was foreshadowed in the Old Testament. He was the true light, the very light of creation itself. And He graciously offers His light to every person that is willing to receive it.

One time, when Joe Montana, the hall of fame quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was on the disabled list with a hand injury, he was having lunch with his wife and children at a hotel on Maui. “You poor thing!” the waitress gushed. “How did it happen?” “I broke it playing football,” Montana replied. “Really?” replied the waitress. “Aren’t you a little old to be playing football?” I am sure it was rather disconcerting for Joe Montana to not be recognized, especially when he was in the prime of his football career. How much more so for Jesus! For…In spite of the evidence, the opportunity to recognize Jesus was missed.

The Word, Jesus, was in the world and the world rejected Him. The world missed the great opportunity. The Word says, “He came to His own home and they did not receive Him. They should have known Him. “He came to what was His own, but His own people did not receive Him.” You see, Jesus came to the place where God had put His name, Israel. He came to the land that had been promised Abraham. He came to the temple dedicated to his own Father. He came to the chosen ones who had been instructed that the coming One would be the suffering servant. And when He came, He was not received. Which brings us to this heartbreaking truth…Though Jesus should be received by all people, most reject Him.

I find it amazing that as man has discovered the wonders of the invisible world of the atom and the molecule; and as astronomers explore the strange and tremendous galaxy in which we exist with the billions of galaxies that fill the whole of the starry heavens, men and women come to the conclusion that nothing but blind chance has put it all together. Although we are constantly exposed to the marvelous testimony of nature that behind all things is an intelligent mind, we reject the obvious. We find it easier to believe that a tornado can blow through a junkyard and come up with a B-1 bomber. Darkness is at work today that causes people to reject Jesus. But Jesus is still light and continues to see His way into hostile hearts through amazing love.

Third Response To Jesus Coming Down To Earth As The Light Is Reception

Those previous verses bring us a dark conclusion. God seems to allow everything to look like all is totally lost. The whole thing seems like a failure. And then John writes in Vs. 12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” This week, we have been treated to more politics. Everybody is talking about bipartisanship as if Democrats and Republicans will find common ground. My skepticism is founded in my understanding of human nature. There is a significant division in how each party approaches the Constitution and government in general. But it is not the most profound division that exists. The most profound division between people is between those that receive Jesus and those who do not. We must never forget this. There is an eternity of difference between those that receive the light that came down to earth and those that reject the light. You can receive the light. We have the privilege of coming into a new relationship with God. I John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

In the midst of rejection, God can produce a whole new creation. We become children of God by new birth. And it happens to us one at a time, individually and personally. We become members of the family of God when we receive and trust in the power of His name.

According to V. Dion Haynes of the Chicago Tribune in the aftermath of the tragic auto accident that killed Princess Diana in 1997, some astonishing news came forth: The chauffeur of the car had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream and was going 120 miles an hour. Clearly the wrong man was at the wheel of the Princess’s car. Jerry Hoffman a security expert said people will spend $ 150,000 and up for limos and spend no money on training the person to drive it. The driver is hired on how friendly they are. No doubt after Diana’s death many people began to pay more attention to whether their chauffeur could get them safely to their destination.

The same wisdom must be used when we choose the religious beliefs that steer our lives. The issue is not whether our beliefs makes us feel good. The only question is whether they are trustworthy. When we believe in Jesus, when we trust Him, we find Him reliable and He changes us. The privilege becomes ours to be in this new relationship. But…we do not enter into the new relationship under our own power. It is not our ancestry or that we come from a Christian family. And it is not of the will. We cannot make ourselves a Christian. Determination or willpower cannot do it. We cannot study what it is to be a Christian, act like them, join the church, sing their hymns and then be in. It has nothing to do with positive or possibility thinking. When we receive Him it is because we understand our utter hopelessness. Salvation is done by God. It is beyond any human effort or any cleverness or manipulation. It is all by God.

Conclusion

What will you do with the light that came down to the earth? Will you do something different than reject Him? For the rejection is all around us. For He is rejected in the department stores with welcomes of “Seasons Greetings” instead of “Merry Christmas.” He is rejected in restaurants with signs of “Happy Holidays” instead of Christmas. He is rejected in the secular marketing exploitation of His birthday. He is rejected with a thousand knickknacks and baubles instead of a baby in a manger. He is rejected in stripped down carols and wordless tunes. He is rejected with Christless plays. He is rejected in public speeches that please all by saying nothing. I want to encourage you to do something different this Christmas and this week before Christmas. I want to encourage you to…

Receive the Light that came down to the earth. In I John 5:12 it says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” When you receive the light, you get life. When faith meets the Word of God, the son of God is invited as Lord; a new life begins in the human spirit. And we change!

Wallace Perling was young man who had been given a big promotion in the Christmas program. This year he had a speaking part. He only had one line but he was thrilled. Wallace was given the part of the Innkeeper who would turn Mary and Joseph away. His job was to answer the knock at his door, listen to the plea of Joseph and say, “No! Begone!” Well, the time of the pageant came. Wallace had practiced hard and was ready. As the production began, Wallace listened with great intensity to the Christmas story. Finally, Mary and Joseph worked their way to his door. His heart was pounding. When Wallace opened the door, there stood Mary and Joseph. They looked so tired. Joseph told how Mary was expecting a child and they were so weary. But Wallace looked straight ahead and said, “No! Begone!”

This is where the story gets interesting. You see, Wallace didn’t shut the door. Instead he watched the couple walk dejectedly away. Finally, Wallace said, “Wait, you can have my room!” Some thought the Christmas pageant had been ruined. But others, many others, thought it had been the best Christmas Program ever. This is what it means to receive Christ. It means to invite Jesus to live in your life. It is to open the door of your heart and say, “Wait, you can have my room.”

Receive what Jesus offers you as a gift. Invite Him in. Prayer: Receive the Light…and be a herald and prepare others to hear the answer for all people and all nations has come; He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Receive the Light…don’t miss it, for millions will miss it again this year; filled with greetings of Season Greetings and Happy Holidays, they will miss the Christ of Christmas. Receive the Light…receive the privilege and joy of being a son or daughter of God; Jesus has come to show you the way out of your darkness.

SERIES: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS

Part Four: “It’s A Wonderful Life”

Ephesians 2:1-20

A Sunday school teacher once asked her class of children: “What is Christmas a time for?” Many of the kids gave the usual answers—Jesus’ birthday, a time of joy… but one child responded it was “a time for sportsmanship, because you don’t always get everything you want.” Everybody gets gifts they really don’t want during this season and several years ago “USA Today” conducted a survey among adults to find out what they do with that not-quite-right holiday gift: - 31%: Keep it - 30%: Hide it - 13%: Toss it - 12%: Give it away - 6%: Return It. Every once in a while, everyone receives gifts that they’re really not sure that they want.

In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” George Bailey had a gift that he wasn’t sure he wanted. His gift was the gift of life. And his life had seemingly fallen apart all around him. He just knew he was going to lose his business, his livelihood. He faced prison for something he hadn’t done. And as a result of all this… his family faced shame and poverty. In desperation, he pleads with his arch-enemy (Mr. Potter) for a loan on his life insurance. Potter gleefully observes “George, you’re worth more dead than alive!” And thus, George Bailey decides that his only solution is to throw himself off the bridge into the frigid waters below and at least supply his family with the money from his life insurance. But God steps in and an angel is sent to earth to stop George Bailey before he can take his life. But how do you convince a man that the gift he wants to throw away is in reality far too valuable to be destroyed?

The angel’s solution: to grant George Bailey’s wish and show him what life would’ve been like if he’d never been born. So, as George tries to get back to his home, he finds that…• the town he’d worked so hard to build up and protect had become a den of iniquity and evil • the pharmacist – who George saved from a tragic mistake – has become the town drunk • his brother Harry whom he’d saved from falling thru the ice, dies because George wasn’t there to save him and the hundreds of men died that Harry would have saved during the war, because Harry wasn’t there to save them. • and the beautiful woman he’d married and had had such wonderful children with ended up becoming a wretched, dejected and lonely spinster.

George Bailey finally understood how wonderful his life had been because he was allowed to see how much would have been lost if he had never been born. That - which he’d been tempted to throw away - he came to realize was too valuable to lose. We too have something to valuable to lose. It’s the gift of a wonderful life in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-20 Paul is writing to Christians and he shows us a couple of things.

First, He Shows Us That They Were Tempted To Throw Away Their Gift As Well

Before they’d become Christians, it tells us in Ephesians 2: & 3, “These Ephesians had been • Gentiles • Pagans • dead in their transgressions and sins, • and objects of wrath. But, all that had changed, because in Ephesians 2:4-5 it says, “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved.” But, now, False Teachers had come to town telling the Ephesians that what God had done through Jesus Christ wasn’t enough. They were teaching that it didn’t really matter that Jesus had been born. The Ephesians were being told they needed to be circumcised according to the law of Moses.

To be acceptable to God they needed something Jesus couldn’t supply. In essence these false teachers were saying it would be just as well as if Jesus had been born. Jesus hadn’t supplied anything that the Law couldn’t give. In order to counter this vicious teaching, Paul decided to remind the Ephesians what they’d been like before Jesus had come into their lives. His objective was to teach them what would have happened if Jesus had not been born.

Second, He Shows Us What It Would Have Been Like If Jesus Had Never Been Born

Paul answers that question from the very outset. He tells the Ephesians they had once been objects of wrath and dead in their sins. AND if Jesus had never been born… they’d still be objects of wrath and dead in their sins. BUT… what if they’d become Jews? What if they had become circumcised and become part of the nation of Israel? What if they went to the Temple every week and offered blood sacrifices to God for their sins? What if… by faith… they lived as best they could according to the Law of Moses? Wouldn’t they be acceptable to God then? Couldn’t they have been saved from their sins? I mean – Abraham and Isaac and Jacob…David and Solomon and Zezekiah…Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel…… All these men all had lived BEFORE Jesus was born. Weren’t they all saved? Well… no… they weren’t!’

Scripture in Romans 4:9, DOES tell us that “Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.” But curiously, it doesn’t tell us that he was saved. And there’s a good reason for that… because he wasn’t. Jesus hadn’t died for his sins yet. Hebrews 11 tells us all about the great heroes of the faith. It mentions Abraham, … and Enoch, and Noah, and Moses and David and Samuel and whole cast of others. People of faith whom God held up for us to examine and to admire and to try to model our lives after. Hebrews 11 then ends with these words in Vs.36-38, “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them….”

Wow!?! The World wasn’t worthy of these people. These were great and admirable people that we can look up to … and we wonder if we could ever be like them. But then Hebrews 11:39 tells us: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.” Whoa! They hadn’t received what was promised? What could that mean? Well, the next verse 40 tells us…“God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” You see, as much faith as Abraham, and Enoch and Noah and Moses and the others had - as admirable as their lives were for us - they didn’t get what we have now received. They hadn’t received what was promised… salvation. Why? Because Jesus hadn’t born been yet! If these Old Testament greats could have been saved without the blood of Jesus… so could we. Jesus would never have needed to have been born because we could have been justified by keeping the Law.

Third, He Shows Us It Might Be Practical For Individuals Who Aren’t Bad People

You know what I mean. There are folks who live all around us that we look at and think – they’re pretty nice people. I mean – if ANYBODY should be acceptable to God… they should be. But you’ve got to understand – the whole purpose of the Law was to drive home that even “nice” people sinned and needed a sacrifice to atone for their bad thoughts their bad words and their bad actions.

Thus, in the Old Testament, every day at the Temple you’d see people lined up with their sheep and goats and bulls – nice people and people who weren’t so nice – all offering up blood sacrifices to atone for their sins. Why would “nice people” bring their offerings to the Temple? Because they realized they might be able to fool their neighbors… but they couldn’t fool God. So, even they broughtt their sacrifices to God on a regular basis. But, like I said, trying to be justified under the Law might seem practical for individuals who weren’t bad people. But now… you get yourself a one of those “real sinners”… now, you’ve got a problem.

Carol had been a Christian in her youth, but wandered away from Jesus and became involved in a number of activities that drug her down physically and emotionally. Eventually, in her 50’s, she realized she needed Jesus and returned to Him. She lived with her mother for awhile, who was a Christian. Her mom tried to console her by telling her she needed Christ in her life again. And if she did come back to her faith that her testimony would be a powerful one. “After all,” her mom told her, “you’ve really sinned!” Kind of a foolish statement, as we all sin. But how do you deal with people who’ve “really sinned?” The Apostle Paul was a bona fide Israelite with a pure blood line. A Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Hebrew of Hebrews, according to the righteousness of the law – faultless. But then… he was responsible for the murder of Stephen, the first Christian to die for the faith. And he persecuted the church and imprisoned and tortured every Christian he could find.

As a result Paul wrote the following words to Timothy in I Timothy 1:15-16, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners— of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” Paul was the worst of all sinners? Yes. And he knew it! And being a “nice guy” wasn’t going to change that. Being a nice guy wasn’t going to bring Stephen back from the dead. Or heal the damage he’d done to scores of Christian lives. • The only thing that was going to change his life • The only power that would salvage his soul was the blood of Jesus Christ. To PAUL – it mattered that Jesus had been born.

Fourth, He Pleads With Ephesians Christians To Remember What Their Lives Were Like Before Jesus Was Born Into Their Lives

He says in Ephesians 2:11-12, “…remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Before Jesus had been born into their lives. They didn’t have a relationship with God They had no promises from God and they had no hope. But in Vs. 17 later, Paul wrote: “(Jesus) came and preached peace to you…” You see – without Jesus, there is no real peace to be had in this world. How do I know that?

Christmas time is supposed to be a season of peace and goodwill. And with Jesus it can be. But what if you have Christmas with all it’s gaiety and excitement… without Jesus?

• Did you know statistics tell us that December is the time of year when murder and robbery reach their highest peak in the US?

• Did you know that the Christmas season ranks just behind Memorial Day weekend in the number of car wrecks on the highway?

• Did you realize that the suicide rate will begin its annual climb until it peaks out at what some call the "big downer" of New Years Eve?

Why would this season be like that? Because we have been trained since our youth to believe that this special season of the year… it’s a time of family and hope and peace and contentment and security. But what happens is that (without Jesus) all some people see is tinsel and lights on a dead tree. They see gaily wrapped packages containing nothing of any consequence. If Jesus isn’t at the center of this holiday season, it’s kind of like this: Unwrap the empty Christmas Box.

Without Jesus in our lives, this season of the year is like getting a present that has nothing inside. Without Jesus, Christmas offers tinsel and decorations – promising joy that can’t be delivered. It offers gaily wrapped packages that yield empty promises and broken toys. But the beauty of God’s gift of Jesus is that even into an empty life, God can give forgiveness and hope. Without Jesus – Christmas is an empty holiday. But with Jesus – you can really have “a wonderful life.”