Soon It Will Be Christmas Day – Part 1
December 9, 2001
INTRODUCTION
The popular Christmas song, “Silver Bells,” begins with the familiar words, “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.”
That picture is certainly accurate at Christmas time. The city sidewalks are busy sidewalks filled with holiday shoppers. The parking lots are full. The stores are crowded. I haven’t been out shopping yet, but I’ve heard from many who have that it’s still busy out there this year. Even as we were entering this post September 11 recession, a number of stores are recording record high sales. People, people and more people. Each one on a mission. Many in a hurry. Some bumping into one another. Few without holiday stress.
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.”
The picture is also accurate globally. Cities are growing larger.
According to research done by Johns Hopkins University,
In 1950 2/3 of the world’s population lived in rural areas. Today, nearly half of the world’s 6 billion people live in cities. By 2030 the urban population will reach 4.9 billion—60% of the world’s population. Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose population will double to nearly 4 billion by 2030—about the size of the developing world’s total population in 1990. (Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, http://www.jhuccp.org/pr/urbanpre.stm)
So the sidewalks of the world are busier than ever. People, people, people. More and more people.
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.”
I wonder though, to play off the title of a Shel Silverstein book, Where does the sidewalk end? If the sidewalks are busy, where is everyone going?
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.”
The picture is accurate metaphorically.
Some want the sidewalk to end at success
Others want to accumulate along the way
Some are out to see the sights
Others just love being in a crowd
Still others are hoping the sidewalk will get them home.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.
The entire human population on the way to their individual destinations. Busy, industrious, active, technologically savvy, overloaded with information, and still searching for significance.
The city of Jerusalem could have been said to have some busy walkways around 735 B.C. It was a thriving city – well populated – the capital of the nation of Judah – and led by a king from the family line of the great King David. This current king’s name was Ahaz.
Ahaz, however, was not a good man. The book of 2 Kings says he worshipped idols, going so far as to sacrifice his own son in the fire. If the kings from the family of David were to produce the perfect king or usher in the golden age, they had failed miserably, and Ahaz was a prime example of that failure.
Looking at the story in Isaiah 7, we find that the political situation surrounding Jerusalem was becoming volatile. The nearby countries of Syria and Israel had formed an alliance and sought to conquer Jerusalem. So God sent the prophet Isaiah to speak to Ahaz. God’s message: Don’t be afraid. You will not be defeated. And then in rather uncharacteristic fashion, God says to Ahaz through Isaiah (v. 10), “Ahaz, ask me for a sign.”
Similar to when Gideon asked God for a sign, so he could make sure he was walking in God’s will. You see, Ahaz was considering a treaty of his own with Assyria, which God did not want him to do. So the opportunity remains open for Ahaz to affirm his faith and act as a believer. Basically, God says, “Ask me for a sign so you can believe I will protect you.”
Ahaz says (v. 12), “No, I won’t put God to the test.” Pious sounding words, that really say, “No, I won’t believe God.”
I want to go about it my own way. I’ll scheme to make a back room alliance with the most vicious army of all time. I’ll strive keep up my practices as an idol worshipper. Maybe I’ll even aspire to become more powerful as a king in the process, but, no, I won’t trust God with the fate of the city of Jerusalem.
Oh, city sidewalks, busy sidewalks filled with scheming, striving and scurrying.
Big Idea: But, in the midst of the busyness of humanity and their journey to nowhere, God makes an astounding promise. In words first given through Isaiah to Ahaz, it is a promise that will free us from a life dominated by busyness, if we embrace it.
Isaiah 7:14…
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.
TRANSITION: The promise is called a sign here. Let me point out a few things about the sign. #1…
I. GOD WOULD GIVE THE SIGN
Ahaz wouldn’t ask God for a sign – he displayed unbelief.
But regardless of what Ahaz said or did, The Lord was going to give a sign – He was going to intervene in human history – and it was going to be more than anyone could have ever expected – because the significance of the sign went way beyond the situational context of Jerusalem.
The sign is all God’s doing. God broke through.
Through his actions He says, “I see the busyness of humanity. I see their strivings and their yearnings. I alone will give the sign. I will do something about this.”
Titus 1:2-3 tells us that God had a plan all along. It says we have…
…A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…
It was promised before the beginning of time. Before the stars were placed in the heavens, before the earth took form, before life existed on our planet. Long before that, God had a plan.
If God sang you a song, the words very likely might be, “You were always on my mind.” He was thinking about you before the beginning of time. And now He, himself is ready to give a sign. An actual occurrence that will prove He is acting on his age-old plan. A plan that culminated in Jesus. Matthew 9 says…
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:35-36)
He walked the busy city sidewalks filled with harassed and helpless people. The plan all along was to send a shepherd.
Following the news of ex-Beatle George Harrison’s death, "Today" show anchor Anne Curry interviewed Anthony DeCurtis, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. DeCurtis talked at length about Harrison’s search for a meaningful spiritual life. Curry said, "Apparently Harrison was the most spiritual of the group [the Beatles]; in a recent interview, he said, ’Everything else in life can wait, but the search for God cannot wait.’" (From the sermon 2AdventA, by Roger Haugen, www.sermoncentral.com)
While Christians wouldn’t subscribe to many of George Harrison’s views on God, we still have to admit that He was right about the importance of finding God.
And the good news is, He’s not difficult to find. He himself gave a sign – and then sent Jesus to fulfill it.
Jesus is sent straight from God.
He’s always had you in mind.
He took action for you.
Do you believe it?
Have you accepted it?
TRANSITION: The 2nd thing I want to point out about the sign is that…
II. THE SIGN WOULD BE FOR ALL PEOPLE
Catch that? For all people. The word “you” in Isaiah 7:14 is plural.
The sign was going to be a promise or a gift. How do you give a gift to everyone?
ILLUS – A lady had a circle of friends for whom she really wanted to buy Christmas presents. Time slipped away and it was so busy at work for her she wasn’t able to get to the store to purchase those gifts. Time was running out. So not too many days before Christmas she decided to give up on the gift idea and just buy everybody the same beautiful Christmas card. She went to the local gift store and hurriedly went through the now picked over stack of cards and found a box of fifty, just exactly what she wanted. She didn’t take time to read the message, just noticed a beautiful cover on it and there was gold around it and a floral appearance on the front of the card and she thought, “That’s perfect.” So she signed all of them, “With all my love.”
As New Year’s came and she had time to go back to two or three cards she didn’t send from that stack, she was shocked to read the message inside. It said, in a little rhyme, “This Christmas card is just to say, a little gift is on its way.” (From The Tale of the Tardy Oxcard, Charles R. Swindoll, p. 81)
She was in trouble. She now needed to get gifts for everyone on her Christmas card mailing list.
God sent a message to ALL people. You’re getting a gift. If God had wanted Isaiah to rhyme, he might have said, “This prophecy is just to say, the greatest gift is on its way!” The greatest gift ever – and given to all people.
When God goes Christmas shopping He doesn’t mess around!
It would be for all people – not just a people group.
Do you remember what the angel said to the shepherds who were watching their flocks by night? In announcing the birth of Jesus, Luke 2:10 says…
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
The prophecy through Isaiah to Ahaz had worldwide implications for all of history. People, people people on city sidewalks everywhere for all of time would be affected by this sign.
Jesus is for all people. And most importantly for you today, Jesus is a gift for you. Do you realize you were included on God’s gift list? Have you opened the present?
TRANSITION: A 3rd thing about the sign…
III. THE SIGN WOULD BE MIRACULOUS
How would you get the attention of a large crowd of people?
Some have tried…
Holding signs
Being loud
Streaking (worked in the early 70’s)
Today some use acts of terrorism to capture the attention of the world.
There is an old saying, popularized by a perfume commercial, that goes “If you want to capture someone’s attention, just whisper.”
God’s sign would be miraculous. A virgin would conceive. A young lady who had never been intimate with a man would become pregnant. A truly miraculous sign. You’d think that would capture people’s attention.
But did it? Was it a shout or a whisper?
King Ahaz ignored Isaiah. The sign didn’t get his attention. Many scholars believe that a young lady during Isaiah’s time did become pregnant and name her son Immanuel. But even more clear is that the Bible uses this young lady to serve as a type for Mary the mother of Jesus.
By the way, in some medieval works of art, Mary is typically found reading Isaiah 7:14 at the moment Gabriel arrives to announce the Messiah’s conception.
Matthew 1:22-23 shows us that this promise refers directly to Mary: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son…
Did the world sit up and take notice that the virgin was with child? Was all focus on Joseph and Mary the night Jesus was born, or was everyone going about their business, or busyness, as the case may be?
Ken Gire speculates by saying, “Where you would have expected angels, there were only flies. Where you would have expected heads of state, there were only donkeys, a few haltered cows, a nervous ball of sheep, a tethered camel and a furtive scurry of barn mice.” (from Intimate Moments With the Savior)
I don’t think it was any coincidence that the inn was full that night in Bethlehem. Why was the inn full? Because a census was being taken and everyone had to return to the home town of their family line. The city was literally full of people. City sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Sidewalks filled with the lonely, the hurting, the ones with misplaced priorities. People, people, people.
And yet God’s long awaited sign was largely overlooked by the crowds of the city. It was miraculous – A virgin conception – a virgin birth. Overlooked. Dismissed as any other conception or any other birth.
And the very point many people get hung up on with Jesus today is the virgin birth. From the get go, we approach him through faith – because the sign would be miraculous. Do you believe it?
TRANSITION: One last thing about the sign…
IV. THE SIGN WOULD BE A BABY BOY
A baby boy – named Immanuel – which means, “God with us” – not apart from us – not distant from us, but “God with us.”
While this was not Jesus’ proper name, it was a name that belonged to him as an attribute. This is who He is. From the point of this miraculous birth on, God would himself be present among His people. Jesus will have two natures: human and divine. He will experience all that we experience, and He will give all that we need: salvation.
John 1:14 says…
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
ILLUS - New York Yankees’ announcer Phil Rizzuto once suggested to manager Joe Torre that managing could be done better from high above the baseball field – from the level of the broadcasting booth.
Thoughtfully, Torre replied, “Upstairs, you can’t look in their eyes.”
In Jesus Christ, God also chose to come down on the field and look into our eyes. (David R. Martin, “Incarnation,” Leadership)
Did Ahaz understand all this? No. Was all this fulfilled during his lifetime? No. It was a prophecy, focusing on the future, given to all people so that God could be with all people for all time.
Jeremiah 31 says…
31“The day will come,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD.
33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
They will be my people – the ones in the cities – the busy ones on the sidewalks of life – I will be their God. When they come to know this baby – this God Man – Jesus Christ – Immanuel – God with us.
TRANSITION: The sign – given by God – for all people – miraculously – a baby boy - to free us from the busy sidewalk to nowhere. A baby boy – given as a gift to us.
CONCLUSION
You know what’s amazing about this?
NOTHING CHANGES LIFE LIKE A BABY!
ILLUS – Within the last few weeks I’ve been able to sit and visit and pray with the DeBoers, the Vetters, and the Hsus. Each household just recently welcomed a new baby. You know what I found? None of the guys were at work. Gerry DeBoer, Ken Vetter and Al Hsu all took significant time off from their jobs. Obviously, none of the new moms were at work either. Each of the families’ schedules had changed. What was routine was now a distant memory. Baby rooms had been prepared. Life was now unalterably different. Nothing changes life like a baby.
God has sent his son Jesus Christ to you. He’s given you a baby boy.
Is your life noticeably different because of this baby?
Has this baby affected your work, your schedule, your home, your life? Has this baby influenced your attitude, your love, your giving, your service?
According to a legend Satan and his demons were having a Christmas party. As the demonic guests were departing, one grinned and said to Satan, “Merry Christmas, your majesty.” At that Satan replied with a growl, “Yes, keep it merry. If they ever get serious about it, we’ll all be in trouble.” Well, get serious about it. It is the birth of the Baby. It is the coming of God. It is the intervention of God’s presence among men and women. (From The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles R. Swindoll, p. 82)
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks. The entire human population on the way to their individual destinations. But a sign – a promise changes everything for every traveler willing to see.
For the busy and directionless – direction
For the busy and striving – grace
For the busy and tired – rest
For the busy and battle scarred – peace
For all of us – a baby
Several years ago I was riding in a crowded New York City subway car. I had ridden the trains here in Chicago, but this was different. No one said anything to anyone else. There was an almost eerie silence. People, people and more people. Suddenly a song popped into my head. And I had to fight back the tears as the melody played out…
“Everyday they pass me by, I can see it in their eye.
Empty people filled with care, Headed who knows where?
On they go through private pain, Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries, Only Jesus hears.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize--people need the Lord”
(Lyrics to “People Need the Lord,” sung by Steve Green)
We need Him. I need Him. You need Him. We all need Him.
We need Him to enter our busy world.
We need Him to walk the crowded sidewalks with us.
We need Him to sit in times of quiet with us.
We need Him to share His wisdom with us.
We need God With us.
Not apart from us.
And his name is Immanuel – God with us.
(User note: Part 2 of this sermon series is called "In the Air There’s a Feeling of Christmas" from Isaiah 61:1-3)
