The Blessing of His Coming #2
Text: Luke 1:46-55
It is a great pleasure that again as we approach ever so closer to the year 2000 I can share
with you I pray a message of peace and comfort about our Saviour Jesus Christ!
There are a lot of people who are anticipating almost anything on the brink of the new year but I
want us to look at what it meant for the world the first time Jesus came and maybe we can get
from that, some insights into what his people should feel about his second coming.
I
would like to state that as for something drastic happening from God
on New Year's eve, I don't believe anyone can say for sure! God has
not said in His word that there is anything special about the year
2000 and it may be another 2000 or even 20000 years before Jesus comes
anyway. It may be today, it may be Dec.31 but it also may be much,
much later!
Jesus said, "of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the
angels of heaven, but my Father only."
What should we be feeling as children of God?
Well, let's look at his first coming!
Last week, we looked at some of the Old Testament views of the coming
of the Messiah and especially looked at his suffering through the pen
of Isaiah!
How did the early New Testament characters see his coming!
The early days of King Jesus' life has many supporting characters in
the case. From his parents Mary & Joseph there are the angels, the
shepherd men, wise men and then there is also Herod, a man by the name
of Simeon and a woman named Anna among others.
As we asked last week we will again today, what if Jesus had never
come?
To understand how blessed the world is today we have to try to
envision our world without Jesus Christ!
Where would you even be today if you had never met Jesus?
Where would you be if you couldn't meet him because he had never come?
What if no one had said "it is more blessed to give than to
receive"?
Or "many who are first shall be last and those that are last shall be
first."
Or what consolation could you really have if you had never heard
"blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted."?
We are going to focus mainly on three of the characters and how
they viewed his coming but I want us just to go through the blessed
story and relive in our own minds how great it truly was. I'm going
to begin by just reading a great amount of the scriptures and I think
I don't need to add any of my words to it.
We will be flipping back and forth between Matthew and Luke so bear
with me patiently but the story begins when a good man by the name of
Joseph is met by a different being.
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother
Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just
man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put
her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son
of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring
forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His
people from their sins." Matthew 1:18-21
"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a
city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favoured
one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" Do not be
afraid Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name
JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David."
Luke 1:26-32
"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this
day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men! Then the shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as
it was told them." Luke 2:10-20
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of
Herod the king, behold wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have
seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." When they
saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they
had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother,
and fell down and worshipped Him." Matt.2:1,2,10,11
Now, notice the different expressions about how they felt about
his coming. Despite all the uncertainty that Joseph might have had,
the wandering of the wise men, the timidity of Mary notice the
messages:
Do not be afraid!
Tidings of great joy.
Peace.
Good will.
They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy!
They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy!
What if Jesus had never come?
Who would take away our ultimate fears?
What joy, peace and good will could we really have?
What of exceedingly great joy?
Now, I want us to look at three responses to his coming:
- Matthew 2:16-18. Herod!
It is important to note that not all men were thrilled with the fact
that Jesus the King of the Jews had come to earth! Satan tried with
all the strength he had to make sure that the boy who would be Saviour
would never make it to the cross! For some people the coming of the
Messiah was not blessed at all! The reason of course was they refused
to understand his coming! He did not come to replace anybody, or
cast down anybody he came to save everybody! John 3:17 Because of
this many innocent people had to pay the price. This was not something
that pleased God, but it was something that He knew the dreadful sins
of man's heart would cause! One man took the most blessed event in
the history of the world and caused a great cry to be heard!
- Luke 2:25-35- Simeon the devout man!
This man is an often-overlooked individual in the story of Christ's
first coming! Yet, his story should parallel ours and give us good
reminders of how we should feel about Jesus and his final coming!
The first thing we find is Simeon was waiting for the coming of
Jesus! This wasn't an inactive waiting but he looked for it!
What did he feel about the coming of the Messiah into the world?
God, you are allowing me to depart in peace! The story of Simeon
asks us two great questions:
are we looking for Jesus?
Does it bring us peace?
He tells us something important: Jesus is the cause of many falling
and rising. Depending on how you look for him, he will be your fall
or your rise! What did you do with Jesus is the question that will be
asked on judgment day! John 6:53-66 When you sincerely look for
Jesus, finding him brings peace!
- Luke 1:51-54!
Mary recognized something about the blessing of the Messiah's coming!
Things would change! Those who never had hope, would find it.
Those who were always on the short end, would not be anymore.
Zaccheus' could stand tall!
Nicodemus' could see clearly.
Blind men would see, deaf men could hear and lepers would walk.
Outcasts could feel part of the group.
The kicked out would be welcomed in.
The powerless would have power.
The tired would have strength and the aged could feel young.
What if he had never come?
Jesus touched the eyes of a blind man and the skin of a leper!
With Jesus people are noticed, patted on the back, hugged just because
they are his!
What is amazing is Jesus offers this to everybody!
What if Jesus had never come?
Let me ask you, do you have peace with God through Jesus Christ?
Are you at peace with the knowledge that you belong to Him and He
claims you to His Father in heaven?
If not, why not put your soul at peace by allowing God to have His
will with you?
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