INTRO.- A few Christmas riddles.
- What do elves learn in school? The "elphabet"!
- Why was Santa’s little helper depressed? He had low "elfesteem"!
- What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted flakes!
- What kind of candle burns longer, a red one or a green one? Neither, candles always burn shorter!
The battle has been raging this Christmas over what to call this season: Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas!
Brothers and sisters, this should not phase or affect Christians at all. We must realize that the world will always be in opposition to Christ and Christianity. The world can call it whatever they want, but we know that Christmas is Christmas and represents to us the coming of the Savior to the world. We say, “Merry Christmas” and praise God for Jesus!
ILL.- As one preacher said, “You really can’t take Christ out of Christmas. To take Christ out of Christmas is like trying to take heat out of fire, or wet out of water, or oxygen out of air, or notes out of music. You just can’t take Christ out of Christmas.”
ILL.- A young woman went into a bookstore and was looking through the Christmas cards. Suddenly, she threw a Christmas card to the floor and stomped angrily out of the store, saying, “Imagine bringing religion into Christmas!”
Two women were looking at a department store window displaying Christmas gifts and in the center was a picture of Jesus. One said to the other, “I suppose those religious fanatics are going to try to cram Christianity into Christmas and spoil our fun.”
Brother and sisters, we must go right on living the faith regardless of what others think and do or don’t do! We must be the salt of the earth and let our light shine for Jesus!
JESUS
- He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
- Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
- Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
- Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
- Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
- Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
- Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
- Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
- Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
If there ever was someone who was committed to a cause, it was Jesus. He never faltered. He never failed. He never fainted in his mission to earth.
PROP.- Let’s consider the commitment of Jesus to three groups of people.
1- His commitment to His Father
2- His commitment to the world
3- His commitment to the church
I. JESUS’ COMMITMENT TO HIS FATHER
John 8:29 “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
John 10:17-18 “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
These verses smack with commitment or perhaps blast us with the commitment of Jesus. The word obedience is clear.
ILL.- Holiday traveling can be a hassle. We cram the car trunk full of luggage and what-have-you stuff. And if you have kids, it’s even more stuff, toys, etc. And why do we do it? BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE OUR LOVED ONES!
And it’s such a long trip to Virginia to see my grandkids. Don’t know how often I’ll go see them. But I’ll buy the plane ticket, race to the airport, sit and wait, stand in line, eat an expensive snack at the airport, and be humiliated when they search me because my metal hip will make the metal detector go off. And I’ll do it all for those grandkids and their mom and dad.
Did we ever stop to think how that Jesus also had quite a trip as well? I’m talking about from heaven to earth. Between him and us there was quite a distance. But He couldn’t stand it. He just had to make the trip. He had to come and see us and do what He could for us.
It should be obvious to us that Jesus’ commitment to His father was that of obedience. He obeyed His heavenly Father. Jesus did the will of the Father.
Phil. 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”
Jesus obeyed the will of His Father. His will was that Jesus should leave heaven and come to earth and give Himself as a sacrifice for sin.
ILL.- I supposed you could ask any armed service vet and they’d tell you it wasn’t easy to leave home and serve our country. Think what they had to give up: mom and dad, the comfort of home, mom’s good cooking, TV, home pleasures, comfy bed, toys and trinkets, etc.
IT’S A BIG SACRIFICE TO LEAVE HOME AND SERVE OUR COUNTRY. But it was an even bigger sacrifice for Jesus to leave heaven for earth.
Have you ever thought about what Jesus gave up? Jesus had to leave His Father behind (although His Father was always with Him). He left the glory, comfort and joy of heaven. And that’s better than any earthly home. He gave up everything to come to earth to do the Father’s will. JESUS WAS FULLY COMMITTED TO HIS FATHER! I doubt there was any hesitation when His Father said to Him, “Son, you must leave now.” No questions. No hesitation. No halting in his voice or His step. No argument. JUST FAITHFUL, LOVING OBEDIENCE.
II. JESUS’ COMMITMENT TO THE WORLD
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.” This was His commission.
ILL.- I have a friend back in Iberia, MO, named Jackie Fancher. Jackie and I used to fish for bass together on the Lake of the Ozarks. Jackie managed the service station on the corner, just two blocks from my house. Whenever Jackie wanted a fishing partner he’d call me and simply say, “Let’s go!” I immediately recognized his voice and knew that he meant, “Let’s go fishing!” If I didn’t have anything pressing, I’d grab my rods and tackle and run down to the station.
Jackie’s parents, Jack and Lorene Fancher, were faithful members of the First Christian Church where I preached.
Jackie went through some hard times, however. One day he pulled into the church parking lot and wanted to talk. In tears, he told me that his wife was planning on leaving him. I listened and then I talked to him about giving his life to Christ. I told him that the only way he could survive life (either without her or with her) was to give his life to Christ.
I never spent so much time in my life with someone as I did Jackie. I spent countless hours at his house, answering questions and studying the Bible with him.
I even missed playing with my kids to be with Jackie in order to try to lead him to Christ and eventually, he did come to Christ.
ILL.- I remember another occasion in southern IL when I was wakened out of sleep at something like 1 or 2 in the morning by a phone call. It was a young couple, asking me to come immediately and talk to their little 3 year-old daughter who would not go to bed because she said she saw the devil in her room. And there was no way she was going back into that bedroom and go to sleep.
Her mom and dad tried everything to convince her everything would be all right, but to no avail. That’s when they called me. I immediately got dressed, went over and spent quit a bit of time talking to that child. And after talking to her and trying as best I could to explain some things (that God was her Heavenly Father and would always protect her, etc.) then she finally went back to bed.
I give you both of these examples to say that they took some time and energy out of my life. I sacrificed some of my life to help these people. But what I did was nothing. And what any of us do for others is nothing in comparison to what Jesus did for this lost world!
Jesus didn’t just sacrifice His time and energy! He gave His life’s blood! He gave His whole being for the sake of mankind! He gave up His spirit to save the world!
II Cor. 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus became sin on the cross for us and for the world! He suffered the penalty of sin for the whole world. He suffered separation from the Father and the torment of that separation for all mankind. THAT’S HOW COMMITTED JESUS WAS TO THIS WORLD!
III. JESUS’ COMMITMENT TO THE CHURCH
ILL.- When I was either 19 or 20 years old I wrecked my 1955 Chevy while going to work at Safeway at 10 p.m. I worked nights from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. I was traveling a back road to Joplin from Webb City that I was not too familiar with. I was driving about 50 mph (truthfully) when suddenly the road made a 90 degree turn to the left and it could only be made at about 15 mph. And there is a big difference in 50 mph and 15 mph!
I didn’t make that turn. I saw a telephone in front of my car and immediately lay down in the front seat. I remember being bounced all over the place.
When my car finally stopped I discovered that it had actually went between the telephone pole and guy wire, fortunately for me. But I had sped on to knock down a farmer’s wooden fence. I was not hurt other than some bruises. I went to that farmer’s house and asked to use his phone. I called dad and he was not too happy with me. Of course, he also had to come and take me to work and then pick me up the next morning. My car was totaled and I was shook up.
The very next morning after dad picked me up from work a highway patrolman knocked on our door. Dad had called the patrol about the accident. Dad and I went with him to the scene of the accident. And can you believe it? That patrolman wrote me a ticket for speeding and careless and reckless driving! I was astounded, not completely but somewhat.
Dad said, “We need to go see a lawyer.” And we did. I told the lawyer my story and hoped he could help me. That is, I hoped he could get me off without being found guilty of speeding or careless and reckless driving. THE KEY WORDS WERE: I hoped he could get me off without paying a fine, etc., etc.
Do you realize that YOU ARE GUILTY? You are guilty of worse than speeding and careless and reckless driving? You are guilty of sinning and perhaps gross in many ways. You are guilty and I am guilty. BUT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO GOT US OFF THE HOOK!
I John 2:1 “1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
I Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
Jesus is fully committed to us even though we are not fully committed to Him. He not only has become a sacrifice for our sins but also stands in heaven as our mediator or as our lawyer, pleading our case before the Father whenever we fail or sin. We are covered, anyway you look at it! It’s called grace. The graciousness of Christ. That’s how committed He is to us!
CONCLUSION---------------------------------
In Christ We Have
A love that can never be fathomed
A life that can never die
A righteousness that can never be tarnished
A peace that can never be understood
A rest that can never be disturbed
A joy that can never be diminished
A hope that can never be disappointed
A glory that can never be clouded
A light that can never be darkened
A purity that can never be defiled
A beauty that can never be marred
A wisdom that can never be baffled
Resources that can never be exhausted.
Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for Christmas!
