Sermon Central
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Miracle Of The Mediator Series
Contributed by Allan Quak on Dec 17, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: It can be easy to lose our Jesus given identity because of temptation, physical weakness or lack of faith. Advent is a time to remember that the child in the manger is also the one seated at the right hand of God and he is able to identify fully with us – but is without sin.
Message - Advent Miracles
The Miracle of the Mediator
Through our Advent series we have been considering the miracles which take place as a result of Jesus revealing Himself to the world in the flesh.
A word that keeps coming through out of this series is “identity”.
Who are we because of our connection to Jesus?
And this is an important question because it is very easy as Christians to lose our identity in this world.
This is Paul’s testimony on losing his identity.
Sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:11, 15, 18
“Jesus I know that you have called me to a life of following you, and that you promise to give me your spirit to help me. But I still keep struggling to be the person that you enable me to be.”
That is not just Paul’s testimony, it is a testimony we can all relate to. Isn’t it.
Temptation can cause me to lose my identity.
Here is another testimony from Paul; again it is related to his identity.
In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
“When I am going through physical ailments and pain, Jesus, I find it hard to focus on your grace. I wonder why I am suffering. I keep wanting it to end. I pray and pray and pray but my situation doesn’t change. It is distressing.”
Again this is another testimony from the life of Paul which we can relate to.
Physical weaknesses can cause me to lose my identity.
One more testimony of someone who lost their identity. This one is from Peter.
Peter’s testimony is “blub, blub, blub.”
You don’t know that testimony?
Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
“Jesus I have my eyes fixed on you and my faith is secure. But then the chaos of the world around me causes me to fear and doubt. I have taken my eyes of you and now I am sinking under the waves of life.”
That’s the testimony … which could be your testimony.
A lack of faith can cause us to lose our identity.
Temptation. Weakness. Lack of Faith.
They all can be the cause of us losing the identity that we have in Jesus.
It is here that we need a miracle … an advent miracle.
This miracle is described in Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The issue here is one of identity.
Specifically what identity do we have in this age when Jesus has already been ascended to heaven.
He seems so far … and distant … and unavailable.
But what seems to be - and what actually is - are two separate issues.
Because Jesus, the Son of God
… the one who came in the flesh born and was then placed in a manger
... revealed as Immanuel – God With Us.
… a child which would not have seemed any different to any other.
This Jesus is a great high priest.
To help us understand how the high-priesthood works.
The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law. They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die. They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.
