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December 11, 2011

LOSING ONESELF IN CHRIST

You can lose yourself in a lot of things. You can lose yourself in music. You close your eyes and sway to the music, and before you know it, you are in another world. You can lose yourself in nature. There you are in the mountains just taking it all in. You can lose yourself in your work. You are so focused that you become oblivious to everyone and everything else. You can lose yourself in a lot of things

This morning, on this third Sunday in Advent we want to think about the Shepherds. What did the birth of Jesus have to do with the shepherds? Well, the shepherds were captivated with Jesus. And as we look at the shepherds we can see that those who embrace Christ are compelled to lose themselves in Christ.

 

I. WE HEAR A JOYFULL MESSAGE. Lk.2:8-14

If you go to Bethlehem today you will find a site that is called the shepherd’s field. It’s located about 2 miles from the actual town of Bethlehem. Over the years I have read a variety of perspectives on these shepherds. Some suggest that shepherds were at the bottom of the barrel of society. They were noted for being thieves and were not allowed to testify in court. Recently I read that much of that information comes from rabbinic evidence that is from the 5^th century A.D., much later than the New Testament. When we look at shepherds in the Old Testament we find that they are generally put in a positive light. However, they were at the low end of society in terms of their economic status. They were poor and humble. New Testament scholar, Ben Witherington writes, “Due to their trade, the shepherds would have been viewed as unclean peasants in various Jewish circles.” So given their social status it is a little surprising to see that the first people to hear about the birth of Christ are these shepherds.

There they were keeping watch over their flocks at night and suddenly an angel appears and the glory of God shines around them, bright as lightening. Of course they were terrified, who wouldn’t be! But then the angel began speaking, urging them to not be afraid. One would have to think that seeing an angel would have a profound impact on a person, but the message of the angel was even more profound than the angel himself. He said that he had good news that would bring great joy for all the people. Now what makes news, good news? Good news meets deep needs. Good news goes beyond our expectations. Good news adds joy to our lives.

The angel told the shepherds that in the town of David, a Savior had been born to them, who is Christ, the Lord. Certain words jump right out at us: town of David, Savior, Christ, Lord. There were those who were actually looking for a Savior who had been prophesied in the Old Testament. The angel is saying, “That savior is now here.” The word implies physical and spiritual rescue and deliverance from peril. God was sending a savior to bring salvation. This Savior is Christ. The Greek word, “christos” translates the Hebrew word, “mashach,” which means “anoint”. “Mashach” is the root from which we get the word messiah, “anointed one”. It was well known from Micah 5:2 that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, the town of David. In other words, this Messiah was of the royal line of David.

Luke does not clearly define what he means by the title, “Lord”. But in Lk.1:43 when Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s home Elizabeth says, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth spoke these words by the Holy Spirit, perhaps speaking better than she knew. But these words give us an inkling that there is a relationship between Christ and God, who is the Lord.

Now the shepherds may not have understood the depths of the message, but they heard the words, “A Savior has been born to you.” “To me? I’m just a shepherd. I’m a nobody.” The ones who discern the value of the Savior, are those who recognize their need for the savior. If there was any doubt about the significance of the birth of this baby, that doubt was quickly dispelled when a great company of angels appeared in the sky, praising God. Obviously this baby has come from God for a special purpose that involves you. And that purpose has something to do with peace.

Last Sunday, Angie and I went to the Lessons and Carols service up at Concordia College. We’ve been going there for the past five or six years. For me it is sort of like the beginning of Christmas. Rarely can I sit through it without tears coming to my eyes. The music is so powerful and reflective. It draws my heart to bring glory to God in the highest. And yet I can only imagine that the praise of these angels far outstripped the beautiful music at Concordia College.

Look, you may not recognize the significance of the birth of Christ. Perhaps the idea of a Savior being born into the world does not resonate with you. In a culture that can offer every kind of pleasure and more than enough technology to keep a person mesmerized for a lifetime, the birth of Christ may seem anticlimactic. But if you will, for just a moment, allow for the possibility of the reality of this event in space, time and history, you may just stumble upon the greatest discovery of your life. A Savior has been born to you.

 

II. WE SEE A FAITH-FILLED SEARCH. Lk.2:15-16

Now the angel did not merely give the message, he also gave a sign by which the shepherds could know if they were finding the right baby. This baby would be found lying in a feed trough. As far as I know there is no Old Testament prophecy that says the Messiah would be born and placed into a feed trough for animals. Clearly Mary and Joseph were improvising since there was no room for them in the inn. The hay was a makeshift bed for the baby. When the angel told this to the shepherds he wasn’t guessing about where the Messiah would be. He knew. This would serve as a confirmation to the shepherds that all that the angel said was true.

One does not get the sense that the shepherds spent a lot of time discussing whether or not they should go in search for the baby. Rather it seems as if they were excited to find the child. They went in faith, believing the message of the angel. It was not a leap-in-the-dark kind of faith. It was a faith that was rooted in credible information. It was faith rooted in their belief that their encounter with the angels had actually taken place.

In our age of skepticism and naturalism, such experiences are explained away. Assuming that there are no such beings as angels, the skeptic has to suggest that these stories were made up. They could not possibly be real. Their anti-supernatural presumption precludes putting any credence into the validity of such stories. These shepherds went on a faith-filled search.

Now I want to say that faith does not rule out having any doubts. Wherever faith is required, doubt is always lurking nearby. When a scientist plays on a hunch in his research, there may certainly be an element of doubt. “I’m not sure that this is going to work, but let’s give it a try. There’s reason enough to try it out.” Maybe the shepherds wondered, “Could this really be true?” Yet there was sufficient reason to search it out. “Let’s prove the reality of the message.”

Men and women, I am suggesting to you that there is sufficient reason to search out the validity and reality of the truth that Jesus is, indeed, the Savior, the anointed messiah sent by God. He is God in the flesh. The writings of the Old and New Testament are astoundingly accurate and verifiable. The person of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection has been historically validated.

If you have doubts about Christ, why not go on a search. Read about him in the Bible. Ask God to show you if Christ is real and is the Savior of the world. What have you got to lose, accept maybe your pride? But I can tell you that if you go on a search to find the Savior, Jesus Christ, you have much to gain. Christ, the Savior, has been born for you. He wants to save you from the guilt and destruction of your sins against God, yourself, and others. And he can do it because he is alive. He can do it because he took your guilt on himself and paid the penalty of your sins.

In the movie, The Santa Claus, we watch as adults who disbelieve in Santa, have their eyes opened. Now I’m no believer in Santa Claus. But as you watch these adults, you see how their childhood hopes and dreams are fulfilled. It’s a feel-good movie. But look, while there is no reason to believe in Santa, the reality is that all of us are born with hopes and dreams for our lives. Hopes for love, purpose and meaning, lie deep in our hearts. Christ is the only one who can awaken and truly fill those deep desires. A universe that is void of God and Christ can only give more emptiness to you. Maybe you have been searching for Jesus all your life, you just didn’t know it. Well, your search can end today by yielding yourself to Christ in faith

 

III. WE SEE CHRIST-FILLED HEARTS. Lk.2:17-19

It is interesting to see how a baby can transform adults who are self-aware and normally concerned about what others think of them into adults who make faces and say nonsense syllables, all in an attempt to engage the baby. They forget about themselves. It’s as if they lose themselves in the baby. Babies do that to us just by virtue of the fact that they are babies. But that’s not what we have here.

The Shepherds went searching for the baby they had been told about. They found everything to be just as the angel said. We don’t know how long they stayed at the stable, but they obviously stayed long enough to have their lives transformed by the baby. You say, “Come on! How could their lives be transformed by a baby?” Well that baby held all their hopes and dreams for life and eternity. That baby was the Savior of the world. That baby is God come to earth in the form of a man. He is like us in every way and experienced life as we know it. He was born, he lived and he died and he rose again from the dead. In Heb.1:1-3 we read, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Jesus Christ reveals God in the clearest possible way. Jesus Christ is the most powerful expression of God’s love for us. It was Christ who died and rose again so that we could receive his eternal life and live in his eternal kingdom. How much of this the shepherds understood at the time is hard to say. But they embraced Jesus by faith as their Savior. We know this because after they saw Jesus, they went out and they spread the word about the angel’s message. They went away glorifying and praising God. Weren’t they a little concerned about what others would think? Weren’t they concerned that others would think them a little strange? Weren’t they concerned that they would be drawing attention to themselves?

My sense is that these shepherds had lost themselves in the baby Jesus. It wasn’t all about them. It was all about Jesus. Had the words been written they might have sung, “How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv’n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav’n. No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in.” The dear Christ enters into the heart of the soul who receives him. Before Jesus began his public ministry, John the Baptist was already preaching. People were going out to hear him and be baptized. When Jesus began his preaching and teaching ministry, John recognized that Jesus was the Savior, the Messiah. John said about Jesus. “He must become greater; I must become less.” That’s how it is with Jesus. So compelling is the person of Jesus that it is inappropriate to have it any other way. He must become the source and center of our lives, because he is the source and giver of life. In Phil.1:21 Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. In 2Cor.5:9 Paul writes, “So we make it our goal to please him [Christ]....”

What would happen if you made it your goal to please Christ in everything? What would happen if you made it your goal for Christ to become greater in your life and for you to become less? Suppose you got up tomorrow morning and prayed, “O God, would you make Jesus become greater in my life today? Would you cause me to become less today? In Lk.9:23-24 Jesus said, “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Hey, Jesus is so compelling a Savior that it is well worth losing yourself in him.

 

I don’t know of anyone who wants to lose his life. I mean, if you lose your life, you lose everything. And yet, life is the one thing we cannot be assured of. Getting a clean bill of health from the doctor does not guarantee that we will be alive this time tomorrow. If you want that kind of guarantee, you must trade your life for the life of Christ. In other words, you must surrender your life to Christ in faith, asking him to forgive you of all your sins and to give you his eternal life. He was born, lived, died and rose again to make this very transaction a possibility for you and me. Those who embrace Christ are compelled to lose themselves in Christ. Those who embrace Christ are compelled to live for Christ. Here is true life.