Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
December 24, 2000 a.m.
Advent - Celebrating His Coming
Reading - Isaiah 9.6-7; John 1.1-4, 14; John 3.16-18
Advent is a word we don’t use much in our vocabulary any more. Advent is a Latin word meaning: To Come... To Arrive. It is used to speak of Jesus’ coming. His coming into our world is what the Bible is about. The Old Testament speaks to us of His coming... Expectation of the coming of Messiah ran high in Israel.
The Gospel narratives of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are about His Coming... His arrival on this planet... Incarnation... His birth... His life... His death... Burial... Resurrection and Ascension.
The rest of the New Testament tells us how to live until Jesus comes again at the end of history ... Not as a baby in a manger... But as King of Kings... Lord of Lords.
There is another meaning to Advent... It is about the birth of Jesus in our hearts. Advent is about us accepting His coming on a personal basis... As our Lord... As our King... Our Savior... Our Redeemer... And friend. Should we celebrate His coming? Should we celebrate His life? Should we celebrate His death, burial and resurrection? Should we celebrate with anticipation His promised second coming? The answer is YES!!... YES!!... Certainly!!!
But listen to me: It is useless... It’s a farce, and a fantasy for us to celebrate His coming unless He has come into our hearts. It is hypocrisy at its highest level to celebrate Christmas without Jesus in our hearts daily.
My God and I go in the field together,
We walk and talk as good friends should and do;
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter,
My God and I walk thru the meadow’s hue.
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,
But God and I will go unendingly.
Our Sunday series has been how we can have a Walking... Talking... Handholding relationship with God. This morning, we will close our series by noting the purpose of His coming and our response to His coming.
We begin by talking about His first advent... His incarnation.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Do we hear what John is saying? He says:
Christ was preexistent... He was there when time began.
Jesus was with God and was God.
He was the agent of creation... He was the Creator
He is the source of life... He came to show us how to live.
Well why???... Why would He bother with us?... Why Would God Come to Earth?... What was the purpose of His first coming?
1. Jesus came to declare His love for us.
Listen to these two verses from John and Romans... God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life... You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly... But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
O yes, we know we are sinners when:
We have been unkind to others... We have hurt people by what we’ve done and said.
We have stretched the truth and have lied.
We’ve all done things that we knew were wrong.
We’ve had times when we knew God wanted us to do something and we delayed until it was too late.
We’ve hated, when we were supposed to love.
We’ve all panicked when we should have trusted God.
We’ve rationalized our sin sand have sought to replace God's standards with our preferences.
Consequently we feel God could not possibly really love us. But Jesus came to tell us in person that God does love us... This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. God didn't declare His love because we were deserving.... He did it because He was loving.
2. Jesus came to be our counselor
Go with me now to Isaiah... To see what this prophet says about the purpose of His coming. Listen as I read from Isaiah 9.6 & 7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
I believe we can see the purpose of His coming from the names Isaiah the prophet gives Him. Isaiah says... Jesus came to be our Counselor. What do counselors do?... They show us how to live.
Jesus came to show us how to live. Jesus understood and still understands our human nature and our predicament better than anyone... He understands our heart, and He knows how to answer and meet our needs. He gives us insight into eternal issues. This is why a study of the Word of God is so important. Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave them without help... Without a counselor, comforter, without one to run along beside them... So he promised the Holy Spirit. Peter tells us the Holy Spirit is the one who guided the writing of Scripture... Holy men of old were Guided... Prompted... Carried along... Moved by the Holy Spirit.
Paul contends that... What they were moved to write is... God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The reason is clear... Because Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. He came to give us instructions on how to live.
3. Jesus came to make God our Helper
Jesus came as our Mighty God... Our omnipotent helper. The Bible does not teach us that Jesus would be LIKE God... Or just be THOUGHT OF as God... It clearly says that:
He IS the omnipotent God... He has supernatural power.
He is Sovereign... He is in control of all things.
John says... In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Paul affirms these thoughts in Colossians 1.16 & 17: For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
If Jesus is God, then... There is no reason for anxiousness and anxiety.
On the Sea of Galilee He calmed the storm... He had power over nature.
In Gardara he cast out a legion of evil spirits... Jesus has power over sin and Satan.
He healed the woman who suffered 12 years with an issue of blood... He has power over disease.
He raised Jairus' daughter & Lazarus... Jesus has power over death and dying.
With Jesus in our LIFEBOAT, there is no storm that we cannot weather. Not only did Jesus come to show us how to live. He came empowering us to live life above the common. Life above the ordinary. Church: No wonder we are told by the Hebrews’ writer to boldly approach the throne of God to find grace and mercy to help in our time of need. Jesus is our help!!... Praise God for this truth.
4. Jesus came to make God our Everlasting Father
Isaiah says that Jesus came to be the Everlasting Father. The Jews of old seldom saw God as their Father. When they did, it was in vague symbolism. But Jesus came making possible a Father and Son relationship between us and God. You talk about a walking, talking, handholding relationship... What could be better than having the creator, sustainer, provider of the universe as our Father? Church: Not in symbolism... But in reality. He is our Father twice... Once in creation and once in salvation through His Son.
Listen to these Scriptures which affirm our SONSHIP... Through Jesus’ coming:
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John tells us in 1.12 that Jesus gave all who believe on Him the power... The authority... The right to become what???... SONS OF GOD!!
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Paul tells us in Romans eight that an intimate ABBA FATHER relationship with God is ours if we will become Spirit-led folk.
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We are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.
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Galatians 4.4 & 5 states that, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons.
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1 John 3.1 says…How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Praise God for Jesus’ coming... RIGHT?
5. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace
Isaiah ends his list by saying that Jesus came as the prince of peace. I believe that Jesus came to bring peace in three areas:
A. Peace with others...
The world that Jesus came to was deeply divided. There was no peace because there was no fellowship. There was no fellowship because there was no brotherhood. Jesus came reconciling us man to man. How can this be done?... How can life-long enemies be reconciled?... How can wars be stopped? If we and our enemies are both children of God, then we are brothers.
Jesus came breaking down that wall between Jew & Gentile... Male & female... Slave & free Listen to Paul in Galatians 3.28... There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one... WHERE?... In Christ Jesus.
B. Jesus also came to bring peace within our own self.
What individual can be at peace when he feels his own guilt? But with forgiveness comes freedom... With Jesus comes a second chance... A fresh start... A new beginning. Aren’t we glad!!!
C. Then... Thirdly... Jesus came to bring peace between man and God.
Jesus came to redeem us. He came to pay the price of our atonement. He came to reconcile us with God. He came to forgive the sins that separate us from our God.
In Him we have redemption through His blood... Even the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His grace... And when the Son, when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed.
Jesus stepped into our world of sin and chaos to provide wonderful counsel. He also came to energize us to live for Him, because He is the mighty God. Because He is our everlasting Father, He can forgive sin, defeat Satan, liberate us from the power of evil, redeem us, answer our prayers, restore our broken souls, and reign over our rebuilt life.
In light of these facts... Should we celebrate His first coming... Indeed we should!!!
Now... Let’s notice the purpose the of the second coming.
Advent not only speaks of His first coming... It also speaks to us of His second. The early church anticipated... Wanted... Wished... And prayed for Jesus’ return. First Corinthians 16.22 tells us that the word on their lips was Marana tha... Lord Come Quickly... Come O Lord. The word in the Greek is Parousia... It speaks to us of a For Sure... Guaranteed... You can count on this event.
What is the purpose of this second coming?
1. First... His second Advent will bring a resurrection.
The promise from Paul is that the dead will be raised imperishable... Immortal. He promises that the dead in Christ will be raised first. He promises that we who are alive will be changed in a flash... In the twinkle of an eye. He says... Just as death came into our world through Adam... resurrection is made possible by Jesus at His second coming. This is not all there is to life and living... We will be raised to live for ever.
2. Number two... His second coming will bring us into the Joys of Heaven.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am... Old thing will pass away... Behold all things have become new... There will be a new heaven and a new earth.
This new heaven is described as an economy where there will be no more sickness... No more pain... No more sorrow... No more death... No more parting. Heaven is a place where there is eternal Joy... Peace... and Happiness. All of this is ours ... At his second Advent... Are we ready?
Question... In light of His coming means to us... Should we celebrate?... Of course!! Right now let’s stop this part of our worship and celebrate his coming. Celebrate His death, burial & resurrection that makes our salvation possible. Let’s, as did the early church, celebrate with anticipation His second coming.
Listen to Paul as he tells us how... For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Let’s celebrate together around the Lord’s Table.
[SERVE COMMUNION]
Strange... Isn’t it!! That men today still honor His birth... But reject His WAY.
Born in a stall... Borrowed His grave...
His parents were poor peasants. His life He gave.
No book He wrote... No army commanded...
No senate addressed... No throne demanded.
Strange... Isn’t it... That men today still honor His birth... But reject His WAY.
Stranger still... How men can ignore
The fact that our sins this humble One bore;
Sinless and perfect... The son of God
Leaving His glory to tread on this sod.
Humble and lowly the facts of His birth;
Nailed to the sky... He expired on earth
Raising in glory and power and might
Promising hope... Redemption... And light.
Strange... Isn’t it... That men today still honor His birth... But reject His way?
In light of Jesus’ coming and what it means to us, what should be our response?
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I think our first response is to come to Jesus. Peter tells us there is no other name under all of heaven whereby we can be saved. You can become a child of God this morning by faith, repentance, and New Testament baptism.
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Secondly... We, as children of God, must stop living as we want and start living as He wants.
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Thirdly... We must stop focusing so much on the things of this world and focus on His world.
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Number four... We must start loving others more dearly.
The challenge of our lesson this morning is this... Come enjoy… a Walking... Talking... Hand-holding relationship with God... Not just in this Holiday Season... But every day for the rest of our lives. Whatever you need to do to respond to this series of lessons, do so now as we stand and sing. Will you come!! 
