Lesson two. ( Matthew 26 v 42 )

 The next lesson we learn around the birth of Christ is obedience, we see that in Mary's reply to the angel who told her she was going to have a child. She knew the consequences of having a child out of wedlock,how could she face Joseph,the shame she would have to face,it was a very legitimate question she asked the angel,Luke 1 v 34. When she was told , consider her answer,' I am the Lord's servant,'May your word to me be fulfilled'.William Hendriksen writes,' She made a complete surrender. She placed herself, body and soul, at the disposal of God who loved her and who, by means of this promised pregnancy and childbirth, was bestowing upon her an inestimable blessing.' It may  appear a dangerous thing to do, when God tells us to do something ,even considered by some as being irresponsible.I am stressing it is what God tells us to do,but if it is,then as the hymn puts it, we are to,'' trust and obey'.

                                                      As a little child relies

                                                      On a care beyond his own,

                                                      Knows he's neither strong nor wise,

                                                      Fears to stir a step alone,

                                                      As my Father, Guard and Guide.

                                                          Words John Newton.

Lesson one. ( Isaiah 1 v 18 )

 There are many valuable lessons we can learn in relation to  the people involved around the coming of Christ.Take Joseph when he discovered that Mary was going to have a baby, he assumed she had sinned. That would be very serious,at the very least she would have suffered a life time of disgrace, religious societies can be very unforgiven, very judgemental, and often treat those who have fallen into sin with severity.Joseph was not like this,although he was a godly man who would honour  the law, but he did not want Mary to suffer,there is a saying that goes, ' to err is human is, to forgive is divine.'So it would seem Joseph had a very forgiving heart,think about it if you were engaged to someone and you found out she  had been unfaithful,you would not be to pleased.The question is, how would you feel?, would you ever forgive her?, would you nurse that hurt so that it becomes a root of bitterness,that you are going to carry with you for the rest of your life ?.Our Lord taught us to forgive others, as we have been forgiven Matthew 6 v 12,I can admire Joseph,but am I willing to follow his example?.

I found the answer. ( John 14 v 6 )

 Bono the singer ,in his younger days was seeking a deeper meaning  of life,he was on a  spiritual retreat,and he heard a song,one particular line in it spoke to him.It goes,'But I still haven't found  what I'm looking for',I do not know who wrote it,but it touched Bono, could it be that's the way you feel ?,is there an answer?,I believe there is,what is it?,or should I say who is it?.I remember 57 years ago,it was a Sunday evening,nothing much to do on Sunday, I was standing  on my  own,it didn't seem that life had much to offer me.In the providence of God a Christian couple I knew,where on their way to Church,I asked them could I go with them?,they said yes.that night I found what I was looking for,Christ. As I said that was 57 years ago,I wasn't looking for Christ that evening,like Bono , but I was seeking something ,and instead I found someone ,who has made a difference in my life. Fifty seven years ago, I found there is a meaning to life,and that meaning was to be found in Him.I look back and am amazed that I know such a person, who loves me,cares for me,is with me,the old hymn says,'No one ever cared for me like Jesus',no one, and when you find Him,you know you have found what you have been looking for.

The wise men.( John 1 v 1)

 I wonder have you ever asked the question why did the wise travel over a thousand mile to see the king of the Jews?, After all the land of Israel is ,and was a small nation, it was ruled by Rome, what significance could it have for them to go on such a journey,  why go to such trouble?again the king of the Jews would be an underling controlled by Rome,so why? its a question one should ponder.What did it mean when they said we have seen His star?.what star,well somehow  God made it all significant to them .Consider what they said,'' and are come to worship him'', and when they did eventually find him they did just that,William Hendriksen ,puts it like this,'they cast themselves to the ground and worshiped him''.Then they offered him special gifts ,gold, frankincense, and myrrh. WH  again points out how these gifts were not only lavish but also definitely appropriate; gold,for he was and is a king - yes,''King of Kings and Lord of Lords''- Frankincense,for he is indeed God- the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him- and myrrh, for he is also man, destined for death, and this by his own choice'.

                                            'And He will be called  Wonderful , Counselor,

                                            Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

                                                                   Isaiah 9 v 6

A peace offering. ( Romans 5 v1 )

 There is a program on the TV called the,'World at war',it covers the second world war, you may ask ,so what!.Let me take you to mankind's beginning, to a garden called Eden,where a couple lived in perfect harmony,there name was Adam and Eve.It was a truly earthly paradise but in a moment this couple rebelled against God,they sinned ,all sin is rebellion against God ,who is holy. From that moment on mankind would be in rebellion against God,in a sense  the world was at war against a holy God. We loved darkness rather than light,here is how someone puts it,' we filled our lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We did what we felt like doing', in the words of a popular song we did it our way,a way that was at odds with God's way.And so it continues to this day,now let  me take you the little town of Bethlehem,to an event over 2000 years ago,to where a baby was born. He was a special baby in many ways,His name was Jesus,the baby Jesus had a purpose and a destiny to fulfil. To understand  what that was we need to go to a place just outside Jerusalem,and there on a cross hung the man Jesus.His death was no ordinary death,it was a peace offering , humanity could can have peace with God ,by accepting Jesus as their Saviour.`

                               'Why not surrender to God, accept his peace offering

                                              by accepting Jesus as your Saviour.

Gods solution (John 3 v16 )

 We are sinners,it is not me who says that, but God, Romans 1 v 18,declares,'The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.It is John the apostle who writes ,'whoever rejects the Son will not see life,for God's wrath remains on them',John 3 v36. Bruce Milne writes a number of things on the wrath of God,' that is a difficult notion to hold together with the love of God', but both are true.In Hebrews 10 v31 we read,'It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.'But God is love,and out of a heart of love,He has provided a way to be forgiven, and that wrath to be removed.The cross were Jesus died was His solution,in 1 Peter 2 v 24,we read,'He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree'.The tree here is symbolically speaks of the cross, CP Deuteronomy 21 v 22-23. A .M.Stibbs writes,' To bear sin,or iniquity means in the OT  to be answerable for it,and to endure its penalty'.Christ the sinless one took the punishment for our sins,so it is, when we trust Him as our Saviour we will be no longer be under God's wrath,for He bore it. I leave you with two verses of a hymn by Philip P. Bliss.

                                             Man of sorrows! what a name

                                              For the Son of God who came

                                              Ruined sinners to reclaim

                                              Hallelujah what a Saviour!

                                              Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

                                              In my place condemned He stood;

                                              Sealed my pardon with His blood;

                                               Hallelujah! what a Saviour.

Question time. ( 1 John 4 v 1 - 17 )

The old song says,' Love is a many splendored thing, the golden crown that makes a man a king', and I'm sure we all agree to that.Think how much the word of God stress'es the importance of love,it speaks much about love , and reminds us that God is love .(1 John 4 v 8/16) .John the apostle was the author of 5 books in our NT,in 1 John 1,he mentions love over 40 times,it is significant that he and his brother were named by Jesus,' Boanerges which means,'son's of thunder'. ( Mark 3 v17 ) indicating they had as William Hendriksen say's,' a fiery nature',in Luke 9 v 54,they wanted to call down fire to destroy certain Samaritans who opposed Jesus,which earned then a rebuke from Jesus.It is interesting that John became known as the beloved  disciple,what a contrast,what a change, what a transformation. God loves us when we were His enemy,he tells us that it was God who first loved us,John writes ' This is how we know what love is; Jesus laid down His life for us',( 1 John 3 v16) and one of the emphasis in his epistle is that we love and become more like Jesus, who turned a son of thunder into a beloved disciple.I leave you with a twofold question,are we ,'sons of thunder'?, or like John who became a beloved disciple?.