When I was in high school there was a Christian College group that came to our chapel assembly and did some skits. I think they were called the Ambassadors or something, I can’t remember their name exactly, but I remember one skit that impressed me. I’ve updated it a little for this illustration:
It was called the Jupiter Visitor and it went something like this: A crowd of kids are gathered and suddenly a space ship lands and an alien from Jupiter walks off the ship and looks at the group and scowls. “This is a backward place,” says the alien, “Looks like we’ve landed on the planet of an inferior species!” “I’m not sure these creatures are even able to communicate.”
One of the group steps up and says, “Oh yeah? Who are you? Where did you come from?”
Alien: “Oh, you can at least talk! Well… I’m a Jupiter visitor. Just call me J.V. for short. I’ve come from the greatest planet in the Universe and just wondered what kind of planetary neighborhood this is. I expected to see some quality stuff here, but I guess you guys haven’t made it all the way around the block yet, much less accomplished anything worthy of recognition. I guess I’ll just report back to Jupiter and tell them we can use this planet for a dumping ground. That is, unless you can show me that you are worthy of being spared.”
One of the group: “Hey, wait a minute! We’ve accomplished lots of things!” (He pulls out a cell phone). “Just look, with this little gadget I can call up people all over the world and talk with them. It’s called a cell phone.”
Alien: “Hummm. Yeah, we had those things a couple of thousand years ago too. Sorry, not worthy! Anything else?”
Another of the group: “Look at this!” (He shows his laptop computer). “This computer can do anything from games to playing movies on DVD. It’s got an 80 gigabyte hard drive and runs at 3 gigahertz.”
Alien: “Very sad indeed. Is this supposed to impress me? Sorry, WAY not worthy! Anybody else? Going once… going twice…”
From the back of the group two guys are arguing. One says, “No, don’t tell him that!” The other says, “But it’s true! It’s the best thing we’ve got!”
Alien: “Excuse me, but what’s the best thing you’ve got?”
Last one of the group: “Well, J.V. sir, the reason we are worthy has nothing to do with our accomplishments.
Alien: “That’s obvious! But go on…”
Group guy: “You may not believe this, but we had a visit from God’s only begotten Son. He actually came here and lived with us because God cared so much about us. That’s what makes us worthy.”
Alien, looking surprised: “God’s Son, come here! Are you telling the truth? Wait a minute, I can check on this… (closes eyes and hums, then opens his eyes wide with wonder). This is planet earth! This is the place! He really did come here! Wow! I guess I had it all wrong about you guys. But I have to know something. What did you do with him? How did you treat him? You must have really gone all out to get him here! What was it? You must have done something astounding for Him! What on earth did you do to him?
The whole Group hangs their heads and say together: “We crucified him.”
How do you welcome Jesus?
Luke tells us that there was no room for him in the inn. Jesus received little welcome into this world. It was months after his birth when the wise men came, but then Herod tried to kill him. A star welcomed Jesus. Angels announced his coming to some shepherds who welcomed him. An old man and woman in the temple welcomed him. But mostly, the world went on about its business as if nothing significant had happened. Now, when you think about it, that is amazing!
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in.
One of the great reasons to believe in Jesus today is that what should have remained an insignificant life lived in an insignificant place among an insignificant people has turned into the most significant person of all human history. Who would have conceived of such a thing?
When Einstein discovered the theory of relativity, his words were: This has to be true; it is too beautiful not to be! In some ways the same can be said of the story of Jesus Christ. There is something so beautiful and compelling about him and the story of his life, it is something that rings true in the inmost being and echoes in harmony with the deepest need of humanity. Yet who would have thought it?
The apostle Paul reflects on this very idea in 1 Corinthians 3: 4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
The gospel message is not something man made up, but something God did. It is made alive to us by the Holy Spirit who reveals it. Without the Holy Spirit, we would surely reject Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior, but the word comes to us in the power of God’s Spirit, and only to those who have the hearts and minds to hear it, heed it and be saved by it does it have its true effect.
While the message of Jesus Christ is based on history and rational evidence, it also transcends both. When the eternal God and the temporal flesh come together in the form of a man, what evidence can be offered that would convince the rest of us of its truth? Even the miracles did not convince Judas. And Thomas, who was there at the grave of Lazarus, refused to believe the resurrection until Jesus presented himself to Thomas and told him to stop doubting and believe.
Jesus calls us all into a valley of decision. He comes. We respond in welcome, oblivion, or rejection. Either we believe or we don’t. Either we accept who he is and the authority of heaven in him or we don’t. Either we welcome him and bow before him and worship him or we don’t. We either exalt him as Lord over our lives and live in allegiance to him or we don’t.
One danger we face today is that Jesus Christ is all too familiar to us. We who have gone to church over and over through the years and heard the message of his coming and the story of his life, teaching, death on the cross, burial and resurrection, and ascension to glory are sometimes in danger of forgetting the wonder of it all. The awe of Jesus Christ may dim to us and our eyes may look away and our hearts become callous to his calling. One of Jesus warnings to one of the hard working churches of Asia was this: “You have left your first love!” The Hebrew writer warned severely: 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense,
3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
This is the first Sunday of the new year of 2004. What lies ahead of us here at Signal Mountain? What lies ahead of you and your relationship with the Lord? God doesn’t change his love for us. He doesn’t waver in his faithfulness toward his children. We must not either!
How does a Christian continue to welcome Jesus? How do we continue to keep fresh the love we have at first and grow deeper in our love, maturity and devotion to Christ?
Hear the angels. Watch the shepherds. Listen to Anna’s response in the temple. These not only welcomed Jesus, they shared him so that others could welcome him too.
It was the final thing Jesus did before he ascended to glory. He commissioned those who had welcomed him and walked with him to now call others to do the same. If we worship the Lord and yet forget to reach out to the lost, we will lose the freshness of first love. If we have wonderful fellowship and celebrate our togetherness yet do not invite the lost to come in, we will grow stagnant and dry. If we study the scriptures and learn all about them so that we understand deep and mysterious theological dogma with hairsplitting accuracy but do not share it with those who are ignorant of God’s grace, we will grow useless. If we do great things in service to society and our community and build our reputation around all the hard work and accomplishments of ministry, but do not teach the lost about the grace of God so that they can be saved, our accomplishments will turn to dust.
To keep the first love of Christ warm and fresh within us, we must share that love in ways that make others welcome him and love him too. It is in giving the gospel of grace to others that we receive the greatest gifts of heaven.
