CHRISTMAS SUNDAY
WHY DID JESUS COME?
DR. JIM DIXON
DECEMBER 20, 1992
MATTHEW 1:18-25, LUKE 1:26-38
On November 9, 1978, Colonel E. Gordon Cooper, American astronaut, wrote a letter to the United Nations wherein he asked the UN to establish an international task force for the examination of UFOs. In that letter, Gordon Cooper stated his belief that we live on a visited planet. In that letter, he stated that he had personally seen UFOs while traveling in space. He said he knew many other astronauts who had witnessed similar phenomenon while traveling in space. He said all of them had been told to remain silent. He thought it best, he said, to bring this to the attention of the United Nations that they might establish an international task force to examine UFO evidence, and if possible, to seek interface with extraterrestrial beings.
Now, I think most people in this country and around the world…they don’t exactly know what to make of UFOs. Certainly some people believe that UFO sightings are hallucinatory. Some people believe that UFO sightings are simply visual distortions of natural phenomenon. Some people believe that UFOs are alien spacecraft reflecting the superior technology of alien worlds. Some Christians believe that UFOs are actually demonic manifestations, since the Bible speaks of Satan as the prince of the powers of the air and the Bible speaks of the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies.
Now personally I don’t have a clue what UFOs are and I’m not looking for clues. I mean, I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about this. But I do believe, I really believe, we live on a visited planet because the Bible says as much. The Bible tells us that this planet, this world, has been visited by angels, both holy and fallen, and of greater importance, of supreme importance, the Bible tells us that this world was visited by a person the Bible calls the Son of God.
It was almost 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to our world in the flesh and that visit is what Christmas celebrates. And yet, incredibly, there are millions of people the world over who celebrate Christmas and do not really understand why Jesus Christ came into the world. This morning, on this Christmas Sunday, I would like us, from a biblical prospective, to examine the three primary reasons that Jesus Christ came to our world.
First of all, Jesus Christ came into our world that He might save us from sin. He came to save us from sin. The angel said to Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” The angels announced to the shepherds, “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall come to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior.” The Apostle Paul said, “We hold this to be true, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” You see, He came to save us from sin.
Now, there is an archeological team that is digging in Israel today, desperately searching for what they call the ashes of the red heifer. Now this might seem strange to most of you. I mean, why would a group of men and women desperately search for the remains of a dead cow? But it all goes back to the Old Testament, to the book of Numbers, to the 19th chapter where the Bible tells us that the priests of Israel would, from time to time, take a red heifer that was unblemished, that had never been yoked, and they would offer that red heifer in sacrifice, burning it outside the camp. And they would take the ashes and they would place those ashes in a special place so the people of Israel could come and would take some of the ashes and mix them with water and place it on their head for the forgiveness of sins.
Now, the people on this archeological team believe that there is evidence that some of the ashes of the red heifer actually are preserved in a special container and placed in a cave in the region of Qumran or perhaps south in the Negev or even further south in the Sinai. They believe that if they can find the ashes of the red heifer, that contemporary Israel will actually reinstitute the sacrificial system.
Now, I think to most gentiles—and certainly most of you are gentiles—the Jewish sacrificial system seems kind of strange. Even the day of atonement when the high priest went into the holy of holies and sprinkled the blood of animals on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant, seeking to atone for the sin of the people, seems a little strange to us. When he vested, when he imputed the sin of the people upon the scapegoat and sent the goat into the wilderness, symbolically removing the sin of the people from them, that, perhaps, seems a little unusual to us. When we think of the sacrificial systems and the altars of Israel, and the animals slain, it all seems kind of crazy to us. I think many gentiles think that the Jews were inordinately preoccupied with sin and with the forgiveness of sin, but you must understand that in the sight of God one of the most precious things about Israel and the people of Israel was their awareness of sin and their awareness of their desperate need to find forgiveness of sin. When God was grieved with Israel, it was in those times that they forgot their sin and their need for forgiveness of sin. I think the great indictment, that which we brought against this nation and this culture, is we’ve lost our awareness of sin and the gravity of sin, and we no longer desperately seek forgiveness from sin.
The Bible says, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. There’s none righteousness, no, not one.” The Bible says, “All of our righteousness, in the sight of a holy God, is like filthy rags.” The Bible says, “If anyone says he has no sin, he has deceived himself and the truth is not in him.”
Now, a few years ago I saw a movie called The Naked Gun. It was, of course, a comedy and I’m sure many of you saw it. It starred Leslie Nielsen. The movie was kind of goofy in places though I must confess that it had a number of scenes and bits that worked on me and sometimes it really made me laugh. That movie catapulted Leslie Nielsen to comedic fame in Hollywood. It’s hard for many people today to imagine that Leslie Nielsen ever played straight roles in movies. It’s hard for many people to believe that Leslie Nielsen ever played serious roles in movies but, you see, he did in times past.
In 1956, Leslie Nielsen starred in a movie called The Forbidden Planet, which has become a science fiction classic. In that movie, Leslie Nielsen played the part of a captain of a United Planet Star Cruiser and—believe it or not this is actually going somewhere—he played the captain of a United Planet Star Cruiser which was many light years from earth and had come to a planet called Altair IV and they were there to examine the status of a space colony that had been placed there years prior. To their dismay, to their alarm, they discovered that the men and women in that space colony, on Altair IV, had been obliterated. They had been annihilated. Their lives were snuffed out by a hideous monster of shifting molecular structure, an invisible monster of incomprehensible power. But strangely, two members of that space colony had survived: a father and his daughter, played by Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis. The father was a brilliant scientist, but why had he survived? Why had his daughter survived?
Well, by the movie’s conclusion, we discover that they had survived because the father actually was the monster. He had used the advance technology of an ancient extinct civilization called the Krell that once lived on that planet and he had used that advance technology to augment the powers of his intellectual faculties. He had used that technology to augment greatly the powers of his mind and he had released, the movie said, monsters from the id. The evil that was deep inside of him had been given power to actually take molecular structure outside of himself and perpetrate evil on the planet.
Now, that movie was loosely based on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with a little bit of Freudian psychology thrown in. In a very real sense, that movie was very biblical. It was biblical because the Bible says there is evil deep within every human being. There is evil deep within you and deep within me.
Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, called it “the shadow,” the shadow that attends every human being. The Bible calls it sin. The Bible calls it the sin nature. God didn’t put it there. God didn’t put it there, but in our rebellion against God, we have put it there. We all have a sin nature now deep within us. There is evil lurking deep within each and every one of us waiting to be expressed. The nations of the world—they realize that and they have established laws and they enforce those laws trying to constrict, trying to suppress the evil that is within men and women. The nations and governments of the world have established prisons to place those people who cannot control the evil that is deep within them. The religions of the world try to suppress this sin that is deep within men and women. They promise punishment when we do not control that sin. The religions of the world promise reward to those who learn to do good things, eternal rewards, from the bliss consciousness of the Hindu nirvana to the extravagances of the Muhammedan heaven. It’s all promised to those who somehow can control the evil deep within them. But the Bible says it doesn’t work. The Bible says it just doesn’t work. You can’t really control and suppress that evil that is within you. You can’t get rid of the guilt. It’s there, at least subconsciously it’s there.
In any event, you can’t earn your way into heaven. You’ve got to deal with sin. You’ve got to find forgiveness. Men and women the world over go through psychotherapy and counseling, trying to remove the guilt, but, you see, psychotherapists do not have the power to remove true guilt because they don’t have the power to forgive. I think some people even participate in volunteer activities for charitable organizations, motivated by this desire to somehow appease or placate the guilt that is there.
But, see, God wants us to understand you’ve got to deal with the sin. You’ve got to find forgiveness and that’s why Jesus Christ came into the world. He came into the world to save sinners. He came into the world to provide forgiveness and He was born to die. He came into the world knowing that He would die, that He might offer substitutionary atonement and He might pay the penalty for your sins and mine, that He might take the sin of the world upon Himself. He alone could do that—that He might now offer atonement and forgiveness to all who believe in His name.
“I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior. You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Christ came into the world to save sinners. If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is the expiation for our sins, and not for our sin only but for the sin of the whole world. This is the first reason that He came into the world, that He might provide forgiveness of sin for all who believe in His name.
The second reason that Christ came into the world was that we might know God. Jesus Christ came into the world that you might actually know God. Now the ancient Jews, the Hebrews, they had many names for God. Sometimes they called God “El Gabor” which means “God the Mighty, God the Almighty.” Sometimes they called God “El Shaddai” which oftentimes is translated “God the Almighty” but, by way of derivation, its literal meaning is “God of the Mountains.” Sometimes they called God “El Elyong,” which means “God the Exalted” and “El Ohlong,” “God the Everlasting.” They had personal names for God, more relational names for God as well. They called God “Jehovah Jireh,” “Yahwey Jirah,” the “Lord who Provides.” They called Him “Jehovah Rophi,” the “Lord who Heals;” “Jehovah Rohi,” the “Lord our Shepherd;” “Jehovah Tsidkenu,” the “Lord our Righteousness;” “Jehovah M’Kaddesh”, the “Lord who Sanctifies;” “Jehovah Nissi,” the “Lord our Banner,” the “Lord our Victory;” “Jehovah Shalom,” the “Lord our Peace;” “Jehovah Shammah,” the “Lord who is there,” the “Lord who is present.”
They had many names for God, but, you see, they didn’t really know God, not intimately. God wasn’t exalted and God was, in some sense, distant. Even when He was, in some sense, present, He was in the holy of holies—behind the veil, behind the curtain where they could never go. They felt, in some sense, separated from God. They didn’t really know God and Jesus Christ came into the world that we might really know God.
The Bible says He has “rent the veil asunder.” He has shattered the veil. He has split it. We now have, in some sense, access to the very holy of holies that we might know God. When you look at Jesus Christ, He rarely referred to God by the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic names and titles. Jesus simply called God “Father.” He could call God “Father” by virtue of the special relationship that was His because, from everlasting to everlasting, He is the Son of God and He shared fellowship and glory with His Father before the worlds were ever made.
He came that we might know what the Father is like. The Bible says in John 1, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father. No one has ever seen the Father. The only Son who is in the bosom of the Father—He has made Him known. He has come that we might know the Father.” The disciples said to Jesus Christ ,”Show us the Father. Show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” And Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long and you do not know Me? How can you say ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not know that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. I and the Father are one.”
Jesus Christ can make that statement because, you see, He is deity. As Son of God, He is God. The Bible says “In many and various ways, God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, He has spoken through His Son, through whom also He created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature.” The Bible says “Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” That child born in Bethlehem is Emmanuel. He is God with us. He shows us the Father but, you see, He doesn’t simply wants us to know what the Father is like. He wants you to actually know the Father. This is the incredible and beautiful truth of Christmas. You can know God.
Now, Jesus Christ referred to God the Father as “Abba,” from the Aramaic word Ab which means “father.” But the word “Abba” is more intimate, more personal, and it, more properly, would be translated “Daddy.” Here’s the amazing truth. The Bible tells us that when we believe in Jesus Christ—and for this purpose Christ came into the world—and you would embrace Him as your Savior and your Lord, you enter His family and His Father becomes your Father. This is the incredible promise of the word of God. If you would receive Jesus Christ and believe in Him and commit your life to Him, you’ll be born anew the Bible says, “born of the Spirit,” and you’ll actually enter the family of God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will become your Father. The Bible says you can begin to call God “Abba”, “Daddy”. You can begin to really know God through Jesus Christ. This is the gift of Christmas and you miss it if you don’t give your heart and life to Jesus Christ.
There’s a third reason Christ came into the world, and with this we conclude. He came into the world to establish the kingdom of God. He came into the world that we might find forgiveness of sin, that we might enter the family of God and know God, and He came into the world to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
About a month and a half ago, I told you that Barb and I, in kind of a concession to our son, acquired a dog at the Dumb Friends League. He’s a golden shepherd. I’ve got to say, though I’m hesitant to say it, that it’s a very nice dog. In fact, you know, it really might be the nicest dog in the world. It’s an amazing dog. This dog only has one problem, and the problem is that it is living in my house. That’s the only problem.
Now about a week ago, Barbara placed her favorite earrings on the coffee table. Now, she acquired these earrings in Asia. They are pearls set in gold—not as valuable as you might think but very valuable to Barb because they were her favorites. We didn’t see it happen, but the dog just devoured them. I mean, I can kind of imagine how the dog did this because we sort of know the dog. I’m sure the dog kind of sniffed the earrings first, probably smelled nothing, and realized that deeper investigation was required.
You’ve got to understand, our dog has an indiscriminate chewing instinct. He then, I’m sure, began to just chew the earrings. He actually chews metal. He just shattered the pearls in all directions and ground the gold. Barb was really upset. I mean, there was a period of time when Barb was really upset and you can understand that. But I’ve got to say she really wasn’t upset for very long because, you know, through the years, we’ve begun to understand the relative value of things. I mean we’ve received many things. We’ve lost many things. Life is like that. As you go through life, hopefully you understand what’s really valuable in life. Barb and I have come to realize that the most valuable thing in our life is the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
You see, our Lord Jesus Christ said, “The kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. And in his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought the field.” You see, the kingdom of heaven is worth everything you’ve got. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a pearl of great price. It’s more valuable, more precious than anything.” That’s why Jesus Christ said, “Seek first the kingdom of God.”
For this He came into the world, that His kingdom might, in some sense, be established on earth. And He is King. The angel said to Mary, “He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give to Him the throne of His Father, David, and He shall rule over the house of Jacob forever and ever. And of His kingdom, there shall be no end.” The Bible says in Isaiah 9, “Unto us, a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. The government shall be upon His shoulders. His name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” “Prince of Peace,” and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”
He is King—that child born in Bethlehem. Not just a king. The Bible says He is the king. He is “King of Kings.” He is “Lord of Lords” and one day every knee will bow in heaven and on earth. He will rule the heavens above and the earth beneath. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He came to establish His kingdom and sometimes when the Bible speaks of the kingdom of heaven, it speaks of that kingdom in the sense of realm. It speaks of it spatially. It speaks of it physically. It speaks of it geographically, territorially. In this sense, our planet, this world, is not part of the kingdom of God. It is not part of that realm. God created this world, but the Bible says right now it’s part of Satan’s realm, part of his territory. The Bible says Satan is the ruler of this world. The Bible says that one day Jesus Christ will come back and He will reclaim it. He will reclaim it and this world will become part of the kingdom of God in the sense of realm.
But, you see, sometimes when the Bible speaks of the kingdom of God, it speaks of the kingdom of God in the sense of reign, not in a static sense but in an active, dynamic sense. The kingdom of God exists wherever God reigns. The kingdom of Christ exists wherever He’s on the throne. Whenever one person places Jesus Christ on the throne of his or her life, there is the kingdom of God in the sense of reign. In that sense, the kingdom of God invaded this world when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. As He grew up, He went forth and He began to preach and He said, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was inviting men and women to embrace His reign, that they would put Him on the throne of their life and they might enter His eternal kingdom.
I’ve got to say if you accept Jesus Christ as King and you’re willing to let Him sit on the throne of your life, the blessings are incomprehensible. His kingdom provides an everlasting future, an everlasting purpose, an everlasting family. It provides everlasting life. His kingdom promises a resurrection body that is glorious, indestructible, and not subject to decay. There’s nothing like the kingdom of heaven.
There are also responsibilities. If you embrace this kingdom and if you take Him as King, there are responsibilities. If you accept the gift that Christ came to bring, there are responsibilities. You are making a commitment to serve King and kingdom, that you would go into this world and you would invite others to embrace His reign until His realm comes—that you, as a member of His royal family, would go forth as His ambassador and seek to be salt and light in the world, on the earth.
You know, the Bible tells us that the wisemen brought three gifts to the Christ child. In a sense, those three gifts represent the three teachings we’ve given this morning. Those three gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh. Myrrh was a gift that was given in burial. It was used to anoint the dead. It was also used in penance and in repentance. You see, even in the moment of Christ’s birth, as that gift was given, it was acknowledged that He was born to die and that He would one day climb a hill and die on a cross, that He might save the world from its sin.
The gift of frankincense was a gift that was given to deity. Frankincense was burned in the temples in the worship of God. We understand that child born in Bethlehem is God and only through Him can we know God. Only through Him can we know the Father.
The gift of gold was the gift given to kings, the royal gift. We know and we understand Jesus Christ is King of Kings and He invites all who believe in His name to enter His royal kingdom.
Don’t miss the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t miss what Christmas is truly all about. As we close this service this morning, on this Christmas Sunday, Christ invites you to receive Him as your Savior from sin, that you might be washed whiter than snow. He invites you to enter His royal family, that His Father might truly become your Father. He invites you to enter His kingdom, to receive the blessings of that kingdom and the responsibilities as you place Him on the throne. Let’s close with a word of prayer.