Sermon preached by Rev. Larry C. Brincefield on 12/12/04 at Belleview Church of the Nazarene.
Title: Advent 3: Jesus, the Sin-Bearer, with us or (From the Cradle to the Cross)
Text: John 1:29
Introduction
1. One day a little boy was excited to show his father what he could do…
So, he kept saying, “Lookit...daddy, lookit me….lookit, daddy, lookit”…
But daddy had his nose in the newspaper…
So the boy got even louder…
“Lookit, daddy….lookit me….look it…lookit…lookit”…
Finally, the dad could take it no longer; put his paper down and said…
“Okay…I’m lookit-ing”
2. I think that Dad paints the picture of many people at Christmas time…
We get distracted by all the trappings of life…
And we fail to notice the beauty of the true meaning of Christmas…
We’ve got our nose in just so much other activity…
Thankfully, we’ve got someone to tell us to “look”
Read Text: John 1:29
1. Look!!
A. According to Webster’s Look has various meanings…
to make sure or take care that something is done
to ascertain by the use of one’s eyes
to exercise the power of vision upon
to search for
to expect…
to anticipate..
to direct one’s attention
to direct the eyes
to gaze in wonder or surprise 1 ( http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=look )
B. John sees Jesus approaching...
and he turns to the crowd gathered around him and says, “look”.
“turn your eyes upon Jesus”…
“direct your attention to the Person I’ve been talking about”…
“get your eyes off me…
“get your eyes off the problems that you are facing…
Get your eyes off all the busyness that you are involved in…
And, direct your eyes upon Jesus…
Gaze in wonder and surprise at the Son of God”!
C. And John’s message is certainly appropriate for us today…
We need to “look”…
Really LOOK!
We need to make sure that we focus our attention upon Jesus…
Sometimes it’s difficult to see the Babe in the Manger…
For all the sale flyers…
Shopping specials…
And wrapping paper…
Don’t get me wrong, it’s like I mentioned last week…
It’s a question of balance…
There’s nothing wrong with shopping for presents …
And enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts…
But if that is were our FOCUS is…
Then we need John’s proclamation to “LOOK”…
Because we need to make sure that we can SEE Jesus…
Sure, enjoy the times with family and friends…
Enjoy the shopping and the music and the lights…
But also make sure you enjoy some time with Jesus!
Make sure you take the time to “gaze in wonder and surprise” upon Jesus…
“and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim…
In the light of His glory and grace”2 (Helen H. Lemmel “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”)
2. Jesus is the Lamb of God
A. John says, “Look, the Lamb of God”
This Christmas, I want you to gaze upon Baby Jesus in the manger…
But I hope that you will focus your vision even more…
So that you can see beyond just the Baby in the manger…
But so that you can see the shadow of the cross…
Falling across the manger.
B. When John calls Jesus, “the Lamb of God”…
It is referring to the sacrificial lamb…
The people of Jesus’ day would be quite familiar with the idea of lambs and sacrifice…
A poem I found by Eric Curts tells it well
little baby in the hay
let me watch You sleeping away
such innocence i’ve never seen
it tears me up to think of Your destiny
little baby i can’t help but think
do You know the cup You’ll have to drink
little fingers, little hands
will be scarred for this wretched man
did You know
that You’d lay down Your life
did You know
You would be a sacrifice
did You know
that You would go
from a cradle to the cross
from a cradle to the cross
little baby open Your eyes
and see the ones for whom You’ll give Your life
peaceful face, full of love
is now pure white, but will then be stained with blood
little baby, free of blame
You will carry all of my shame
little baby wrapped in cloth
You’ll be disgraced and hung on a cross
did You know
You’d have nails through Your hands
did You know
You’d be rejected by man
did You know
You’d wear a crown of thorns
did You know
You’d be beaten and scorned
did You know
You’d pay the price
did You know
You’d save my life
did You know
that You would go
from a cradle to the cross
from a cradle to the cross
little baby, You can’t speak a word
but crying from Your eyes i see my coming Lord
little baby, somehow You know
and still You choose to die for my soul
still You choose to go
from a cradle to the cross
for me
from a cradle to the cross
for me
You went to the cross3 (Eric Curts http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~elc1nc/writing/cradle_to_the_cross.html )
C. This picture says it well ….(describe pic of Lamb/crown of thorns)
3. Jesus Bears Our Sin
A. John says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
We can’t just LOOK…
We can’t just see the Lamb of God…
But we have to come to the realization that Jesus went from the manger to the cross to bear our sins…
Jesus in our Sin-Bearer.
John recognized that…
And told the people to look…
Look at Jesus…
He’s the Lamb of God…
And He’s here to deal with the problem of sin in the world…
He is here to bear your sin…
And my sin…
B. Describe picture (manger to the cross)
That was the plan…
That’s why Jesus came…
That’s why we are celebrating Christmas…
Jesus was born…
So that He could die…
He was born under humble and humiliating circumstances…
An unwed mother…
Born in a feed trough…
And He died under humble and humiliating circumstances…
Surrounded by criminals…
Treated like a criminal…
And yet He did this for you and for me.
Conclusion
1. (Picture)
And that’s the story of Christmas…
Jesus, the Son of God…
Came to earth in the form of a Baby…
So that He could live and then die…
For you and for me…
From the cradle to the cross…
2. This Christmas, I want you to remember …
Jesus is Emmanuel…
He is the Sin-Bearer…
And He is with us.
“Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world”
(Diane come and play)
We are going to be sharing communion together this morning…
Communion with each other…
But most importantly communion with our Lord…
Christmas is the perfect time to remember why Jesus came…
And what He did for you and for me.
But before we do, I just wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to LOOK upon Jesus…
To focus your attention upon Him…
And perhaps you’ve come to the realization that …
Although Christ came to take away the sin of the world…
You still are carrying the sin in your own life…
Because you haven’t confessed your sin to Jesus…
And allowed Him to forgive your sins…
And to come into your heart…
And, just now, before we share communion together…
I wanted to give you the opportunity to do just that…
Invite Jesus into your heart.
I was inspired for this sermon by “The Herschel Hobbs Commentary” by Herschel Hobbs. Oct-Dec. 1995
