INTRODUCTION
After all the turkey of thanksgiving and in the rush of getting the gifts and “bargains” of “black Friday” and planning vacations and family get togethers, we can easily lose sight of what is important and the important thing is Jesus Christ, without whom we have no hope.
THE KEY VERSE
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
THE COMING CHILD
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Who is this child? He is God with us. The virgin birth was given as a sign. The king (Ahaz) was asked by God to choose any sign he wanted but in an act of false piety, stated he would not ask nor tempt the Lord. But false modesty lead to disobedience, and God himself gave the sign. But how could God come down to man?
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)
1. Bring forth a Son...Behold the man (as portrayed in Luke).
2. Thou shalt call His name Jesus...Behold My Servant (as portrayed in Mark)
3. He shall be great...The Son of the Highest: behold your God (as portrayed in John) He shall be great - Behold the greatness of the man Christ Jesus:
1st. Because that human nature that should be born of the virgin was to be united with the Divine nature.
2dly. In consequence of this, that human nature should be called in a peculiar sense the Son of the most high God; because God would produce it in her womb without the intervention of man.
3rdly. He shall be the everlasting Head and Sovereign of his Church.
4thly. His government and kingdom shall be eternal.
Revolutions may destroy the kingdoms of the earth, but the powers and gates of hell and death shall never be able to destroy or injure the kingdom of Christ. His is the only dominion that shall never have an end.
4. He shall rein...Behold the King (Matthew). The government shall be on His shoulders.
5. Unto us a son is given. John 3:16, the Son given for the sins of the world.
But He did not just come at any time for just any reason. He came with a purpose.
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. –Helen Keller.
Jesus had a purpose statement it is found in Luke 19:10
Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
KJV
So simple, so complete, Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am chief. Yes He did other things, told parables, performed miracles but the end purpose was to draw people to the Father, so that we in centuries after can read of them and believe and be saved. And that is our purpose statement too, just read on.
Luke 19:12-14
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
KJV
Now this is different than the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. This is not about using talents for the Lord but fulfilling His mission, and we are to occupy till he comes back. In that one gets 10, another 5, another one. Here everyone gets the same. We are all on the same mission.
Occupy: NT:4231 pragmateuomai (prag-mat-yoo'-om-ahee); from NT:4229; to busy oneself with, i.e. to trade: KJV - occupy. So like the bankers trading to make money, we are to occupy by being soul winners, witnesses. Telling others about what Jesus has done for us, and in the processes leading people to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
Luke 19:15-17
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Jesus will return and he will judge us according to what we have done, and the faithful will be rewarded.
Luke 19:18-19
And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
Jesus does not condemn him for getting less, but rewards him for being faithful.
Luke 19:20-23
And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
Here is the condemnation, this sorry servant uses and excuse for being lazy and not being obedient. He should have at least put his money in the bank in a CD so he could get some interest. We need to be faithful in the work God has called us all to do.
Luke 19:24-26
And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
Just as illustrated in 1 Corinthians 3, he lost reward but not salvation (stone, silver, precious stones v. wood, hay and stubble) he still had his foundation but lost his rewards.
Luke 19:27
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
And those who will not accept the Jesus as Lord in Saviour were cast into the Lake of Fire, this is the second death.
And one other thing I want to think on, is at this time of year, Jesus gave us a gift, beyond that of salvation (which if that is the only thing we ever got, it would be more than I deserve), the gift of purpose in our lives. As Helen Keller said, we need to have fidelity to a purpose, a worthy purpose. And what could be more worthy than playing our part in saving souls from hell by being the witnesses God called each of us to be.
