Special / Holiday (Written)

Luke 1:35
The Son of the Highest and of a Maidservant

Read Luke 1:26-38. It’s not uncommon in today’s church for women to be upset with Paul for his directions concerning church conduct as outlined in 1 Timothy 2. In the pastoral letters of Timothy and Titus, Paul gives guidance to us concerning all manner of church conduct. Most of his words are taken at face value as things which are still relevant to the proper operation of a Bible-obedient church, even to this day.

However, in 1 Timothy 2, Paul gives directives for the church, meaning any and all churches, during this dispensation. In those directions, he puts set limits on what women can and cannot do within the church setting. They are very limiting, and they don’t square well with modern feminist sensibilities. At the end of his thoughts, he explains why –

“For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵ Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” 1 Timothy 2:13-15

What is Paul speaking of here? A woman will be saved in childbearing? Isn’t a woman saved in the same way as a man? Aren’t people saved by grace through faith? Isn’t it a gift and not of works? How can Paul say that a woman is saved by doing certain things? That seems completely contrary to what the epistles say elsewhere. Why is this being brought up during our annual Christmas sermon? And isn’t Charlie ever going to stop asking questions and get on with it?

Text Verse: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Recently, a woman was angry at me for stating in a prophecy update exactly what Paul writes about concerning a woman’s place in the church. I said his words are to be taken literally, and prescriptively, in all churches at all times. Count me one less viewer on the Superior Word YouTube channel…

She posted something angry on my Facebook page, and then she posted a comment on her own page that said something like (and I am paraphrasing here), “It is unimaginable that a woman could carry the incarnate word of God, the Savior of the world, in her womb, and yet not be allowed to serve as a deacon while administering the bread and wine at the Lord’s Table.”

Now think that one through. The highest honor of any human who ever lived was given to a woman, and yet that isn’t enough for her, or for countless other “liberated” women in the church today. Rather, for them it is better to be disobedient to the very word which God has given us, and which is the only source to tell us of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, than it is to accept the story of the Lord’s coming, and then to accept the word of that same Lord as authoritative. The breakdown in the logic is gigantic.

If she, and others like her actually studied what Paul says, they might actually drop their emotions and agree with God that His word is really the best way of all. Why do I say this? Well, we’ll look over Paul’s words before we conclude today, putting together a picture of what he is speaking of, and which is directly related to the splendid promise which was fulfilled in Gabriel’s coming to Mary with the words of what was soon to occur in her womb.

Really wonderful things are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Announcement to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

²⁶ Now in the sixth month

The timing of the birth of Christ can be determined by the timing of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. She is now in her sixth month of pregnancy, and so if one knows the time of her conception, then one can know the month of the year that this announcement to Mary is made. From there, one can then determine when Jesus was born, nine months later.

The exact dating of this will come in a sermon in just a couple weeks. When we arrive at Leviticus 23:23 in our series of the Feasts of the Lord, the timeline will be given then. Until then, be assured that Luke is carefully chronicling certain names and periods of time so that we can know, with all certainty, when Christ Jesus was born. For now let us just know that it is the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.

^{26 (con’t)} the angel Gabriel was sent by God

The name Gabriel means basically “Man of God” but it means more than simply “man.” Rather, it signifies a mighty man. Thus one might say, “Mighty Man of God.”

He is found twice in the book of Daniel, and twice in Luke – once at the announcement of of the coming birth of John the Baptist, and once here with the news to be relayed to Mary. As he is a heavenly angel who passes on messages from the throne of God to humanity, he is often associated with one who speaks with authority and eloquence, and thus we remember him today in the idiom, “He has the gift of gab.”

^{26 (con’t)} to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

The region of Galilee is mentioned six times in the Old Testament. It means “circuit” or “circle.” Most notably, it is found in the prophetic announcement of the coming Messiah in Isaiah 9:6 –

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
² The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

  ³ You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
⁴ For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
⁵ For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

⁶ For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:1-7

The time for the prophecy to be fulfilled has arrived. The words of Gabriel are to announce that which has already been revealed through Isaiah. The specific place in Galilee is in the hometown of Mary, Nazareth. This town is never mentioned in the Old Testament, but is found 12 times in the New. It’s meaning is widely debated, but it could mean “scattered” or “sewn.”

²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

People argue over whether Isaiah was prophesying of a literal virgin or not when he said “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son.” But Scripture interprets Scripture, and Matthew cites that verse and applies it to Mary in his gospel. Luke now repeats the same thought here. It is without a doubt that the Bible expects us to accept, at face value, that Mary is a virgin, and that Mary will conceive and bear a child as a virgin.

The name Joseph gives the sense of doubling or repeating. “He shall add” is an acceptable translation of his name. David means, “Beloved.” And finally, the name Mary, or Mariam, is rather hard to pin down, but it is probably based on the perfume myrrh, and means something like “Myrrhs” or “Occasions that call for Myrrh.” Looking at the uses of myrrh in the Old Testament, the prominent idea which it symbolizes is love, but more especially, love in intimate union, but not necessarily sexual in nature. What an appropriate name for the mother of the Messiah.

²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Gabriel’s announcement is one of wonder and delight. He entered into Mary’s presence and immediately sent forth a greeting which tells us of divine favor. “Rejoice” here gives the sense of a formal greeting of well wishes of peace or joy. He then says to her that she is one who has a special station by saying “highly favored.” The word is only used here and in Ephesians 1:6. It gives the sense of one who has been accepted through the bestowing of grace.

This is then seen in the next words, “the Lord is with you.” It is a standard Hebrew greeting found in Ruth 2. But coming from Gabriel, it indicates divine favor upon her as an individual. Because of this, she is “blessed,” meaning praised, among women.

²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

Here the same root word is used that was seen when Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, received his greeting from Gabriel. The only difference is that for Mary, it is an intensified form. Where Zechariah was troubled, Mary is troubled through and through. She was going back and forth in her mind between her inner thoughts and her emotions. She was unable to process both the presence of Gabriel, and the meaning of his words to her.

³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Gabriel’s words are intended to quell the surge of emotions and thoughts which took hold of her. Her terror was obvious, and so he tells her to not be afraid. Her inability to understand what “highly favored” meant is then fully explained for her to grasp what he meant – she has found favor with God.

³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,

There is no doubt about Gabriel’s message here. He is making a purposeful connection to Isaiah 7:14. Mary is a virgin, the virgin will conceive, and the virgin will bring forth a Son. Whether she had ever heard of this prophecy or not we can’t know, but she would remember the words and would know that she was the fulfillment of them at some point, be it now, or be it as time progressed and it was revealed to her.

^{31 (con’t)} and shall call His name Jesus.

The name Yeshua, or “Jesus,” is derived from Yehoshua, or Joshua, which means, “the Lord is Salvation.” The name Yeshua simply means, “Salvation.” And so something of a divine pun is being made on the name. As the Lord is Salvation, then we see that the Lord is Yeshua, or salvation.

It is to be His name, and it is to be His function. But Mary, if she has heard of the prophecy of Isaiah 9, would be then be even more confused. There, Isaiah said that His name would be Emanuel, or “God with us.” Unless she was highly astute, and processed the name as to its meaning, she would be left wondering why the name would be Yeshua and not Emanuel. And so to ensure that she at least begins to think it through, he continues without giving her a chance to interject…

³² He will be great,

The English almost sounds like the world’s greatest understatement. But Gabriel would have spoken to Mary in Aramaic, the language of the day. Despite this, the New Testament was written in Greek. The word megas, or “great,” is surely intended here in a superlative sense indicating “exceeding greatness.” “Mary, the Child born to you will be great.”

^{32 (cont’)} and will be called the Son of the Highest;

The Greek word for “Highest” here is hupsistos. It too is a superlative word. In the case of the One being referred to, it then signifies the Most High. There is nothing which can exceed the station to which His Father possesses. The title here is from the Hebrew elyon which was introduced into Scripture at the time of Abraham, where Melchizedek is called priest of El Elyon, or God Most High.

^{32 (cont’)} and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

Of the words of Isaiah, the ones most likely to have been known by Mary would be those of Isaiah 9. A coming Messiah was prophesied, and a list of names and duties were ascribed to Him. That He would sit upon the throne of David was surely known to all of the people of Israel, and Gabriel’s words now would call this prophecy to mind. This throne was to be granted to her Son, the Son of the Highest, by Yehovah Elohim, or the Lord God.

³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Though not identical to the prophecy, Gabriel’s words mirror the thought of Isaiah 9:7 which I read earlier. There will be no end to His government, and He will sit upon the throne of David forever and ever.

The house of Jacob comprises the twelve tribes of Israel. The kingship over them was granted to the throne of David, and the throne of David is now said to be granted to the Child that she would bear. And the reign of his throne over this kingdom would be without end.

But in this there now arises an obvious question for this heavenly messenger. First, Mary is betrothed to a man, but she has not yet been married to him. How could the Child she was to bear be the Son of the Most High and not the son of Joseph? And more, how could she conceive in her womb without having known a man? The betrothal to Joseph, and the obvious state of her virginity, both appeared to render the words of Gabriel impossible to reconcile.

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

It is the most obvious question of all. In the begetting of a child, it takes two to tango, and that music had not yet played in her life. The question is surely one of understanding the nature of humanity, and not one of denying the possibility of Gabriel’s words. Where Zechariah had history itself to provide an answer to his question, meaning Abraham and Sarah, among others, Mary had no such history to rely on. Not since the world was created had a woman bore a child without knowing a man. “How can this be” then is not distrust, but lack of understanding. That lack will now be corrected…

³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;

The chances of Mary not knowing the creation account of Genesis would be very, very unlikely. Almost anyone with ten brain cells today will know the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” They will know where the words came from, and they will know what they signify.

The creation account would have been commonly held knowledge by the people of the land. What Gabriel is telling Mary now would take her mind right back to those early school lessons. In Genesis 1:2, it says, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The same God who created the universe, and the same God then who formed the barren, lifeless elements into shape, would come upon her and over shadow her.

Just as God uttered the words, “Let there be light,” and there was light, so God would beget a Child in her womb, and the spark of life would ignite within her. The lifeless womb would come alive, even as the lifeless creation had brought forth life. From “Let there be light,” even to “Let there be Life,” the word of God would be accomplished. There was the creation by God, and there would be entrance into that creation by God.

^{35 (con’t)} therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Gabriel’s words have answered the “How?” which Mary asked, Now his words explain what that means. She will bear a Child, and He will be called, “the Son of God.” He will have no earthly father, and no earthly father is even necessary. And because no physical act of union will take place, there can be no sin imputed to her for violating her betrothal to Joseph.

Further, as He will be born of God, the term Holy One is given. He will be set apart unto God, and thus holy. Just as the high priest of Israel was set apart to God, and just as the people of Israel were set apart to God, there would be a special separation of this Child to God which would make Him unique above all others. It is probably here that she realized that Isaiah’s name for the Messiah, Emanuel, is actually a title. His name is Jesus, and He is “God with Us.”

Depending on her knowledge of Hebrew Scripture, she could either find herself getting lost in countless points of doctrine and how they were suddenly cleared up by the announcement which has rested upon her ears, or she could simply take the words at face value and not consider them further than what had been spoken. But what she had heard is still being pondered and studied 2000 years later, and still not all that it means has been drawn from it.

³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

Elizabeth means both “God is Seven” and “God is Oath.” The name carries both meanings. Here she is called “your relative.” In verse 1:5, she is said to be “of the daughters of Aaron,” meaning of the priestly class of Israel. Taking this in its intended sense, this means that either Mary’s father or mother was of the house of Aaron, or that the mother of Elizabeth was of the house of David.

As we are not told, we cannot speculate too far other than to say that it is possible that Christ Jesus descends from Levi through Aaron, as well as from the line of David.

What is significant about these words is that another important event has happened in the land, and it would be reason for Mary to feel that what has been told her is a part of a greater plan than just that which pertains to her alone. The Lord was working, once again, in the land of Israel, and she was to be a great and blessed part of that plan. But even more, Gabriel identifies the child to be born to Elizabeth as a son. He could not know this apart from divine revelation. Everything he says shouts out the supernatural.

³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Jesus will later say in the book of Luke, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” This is the intent of what Gabriel now says to Mary. God cannot make a square circle, or make a two a seven. He also cannot violate His own character, such as being unrighteous. But those things which are deemed impossible to man are wholly possible to God. The barren womb of Elizabeth had come to life, and the virgin womb of Mary would do so as well.

^{*(fin) 38} Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary’s answer to the news which she has received is the simplest and most basic words of acceptance that one could think of. There are no further questions, such as “When,” as if she wanted to be ready for things to happen. Nor does she ask “Why,” as if she was somehow unsuitable to the role she has been chosen for.

Unlike the parents of Samson, who was also divinely prophesied, she doesn’t ask for a cup full of details as to the many variables of what she should do during her pregnancy, or afterwards. Instead, with the purest of faith that if God has chosen her, and if He has the plan already in motion, then all she needs to do is submit herself to the will of the Lord and that will be sufficient.

And so in saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!”, she accepts everything that has been presented as possible, and everything that will occur as in accord with His sovereign will. She simply and faithfully accepts her role in redemptive history. And with that, Gabriel departs her presence.

May it be according to Your will, O God
May my life be used as You alone see fit and right
May You guide my every step as upon the path I trod
Be with me through every day, and be with me every night

I am Your servant, and Your will is what I desire
According to Your word, I gladly live my life
From this day forward, to Your will I aspire
I am in Your hands for use, and not for insolent strife

Thank You for the Christmas Gift, our Lord Jesus
Because of Him, to You my life I submit
How grateful I am for something so very marvelous!
Because of such love, to You my life I do commit

II. The Child of God, Born of a Woman

As we opened today, I mentioned Paul’s instructions to us concerning propriety within the church, especially in regards to the conduct of women. But what does this have to do with the Christmas story? Why include this in a Christmas sermon?

Well, God established a hierarchy which hasn’t changed since the creation of man. There will never be a time that woman comes before man in the sense of creation. She came from him, and he is over her. That is what God ordained. However, there is a time when woman comes before man in the reception of a special honor. Before we get there though, we have to get through the cataclysmic event which precipitated the need for this high honor. Here are Paul’s words to the women of the church –

“I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ⁹ in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, ¹⁰ but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. ¹¹ Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. ¹² And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴ And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵ Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” 1 Timothy 2:8-15

Paul sets strict boundaries on women in the church as to what is not permitted. The words are set, and they are prescriptive. Obedience to them is expected. But he then immediately explains why these things are to be by bringing in the creation account to justify his position. He says that Adam was formed first, then Eve – Creation. He then goes from the order of creation of man – first Adam and then Eve – to the fall of man. He cites the creation account saying, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” Paul’s logic is that the serpent went to the one he knew was susceptible to being deceived. If this were not so, then the Bible wouldn’t have bothered with telling us this.

What the Bible implicitly declares, and what is obvious from human nature, is the truth that women are beings which are formed differently from men, and who follow different internal guidelines in order to make decisions. And so in order to avoid the error of the fall, meaning deception, being repeated in the church, Paul gives specific directives to which there are no exceptions.

The problem with exceptions is that they eventually become the rule. This is not how affairs are to be handled, and so rules of conduct are set and fixed. The woman was deceived and fell into transgression. Lesson learned; guidelines are established based on this; doctrine set.

However, Paul then says something which seemingly makes no sense at all unless the context is maintained – “Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” First, the translation is incorrect, and so no wonder it makes no sense.

There is an article in front of “childbearing” which is left out in almost all translations. A direct translation says, “She will be saved, moreover, through the childbearing.” Paul’s context is the creation and fall of man. From there, he immediately went to the idea of salvation – “she will be saved.” The Genesis account comes alive once again at the hand of Paul – Creation/Fall/Salvation. It is all there waiting to be unpackaged.

And so what is he speaking of? Are women saved if they have children? If they don’t have children, will they go to the fiery furnace forever? Will they be “more” saved if they have lots of children? No, none of these things apply.

The second thing to notice is that the account goes from the singular to the plural. It says, “She (singular) will be saved, moreover, through the childbearing, if they (plural) abide in…” Obviously two things are on Paul’s mind, which are completely overlooked by the angry women who want to be deacons and elders in the church, despite being told it is not allowed. Paul has explained why, and now he tells them that in a way there is a great honor which they possess anyway.

Only four of the 26 versions of the Bible that I reviewed includes the definite article before “childbearing.” And two of those make it a paraphrase, although they are correct in the idea of their paraphrase nonetheless. But before we look at what Paul is referring to, let’s see how difficult this verse is when one is trying to force theology into it, instead of drawing it out. Here are the various translations that I looked at. See how they attempted to translate their way out of a theological dilemma –

Women will be saved through childbearing.
She will be saved through childbearing.
Women will be preserved through the bearing of children.
She shall be saved in childbearing.
She will be delivered through childbearing.
But she lives by her children.
She shall be saved through the childbearing. (literal)
Yet a woman will be brought safely through childbirth.

These pretty much represent all of the translations. Only one is literal, the one which includes the article before “childbearing.” A couple of them are so wrong it’s hard to imagine what they were thinking. Of the two paraphrases that get the intent of what Paul is saying, the ISV does the best job. It reads as follows –

“…even though she will be saved through the birth of the Child, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, along with good judgment.” ISV

Do you see what Paul is doing? He has already taken us back to Genesis 3. He has shown us what happened at the fall, after the creation, and he then explains how that is corrected in the same passage. In Genesis 3:15, the Lord spoke to the woman, and then while cursing the serpent, He said what is now known as the Protoevangelium, or “the first gospel.” There, a promise was made that One would come who would destroy him and his works –

And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:13-15

The Lord promises the woman will bear, and from her would issue the Messiah who would crush the head of the serpent. So who was Paul speaking of when he said, “and she shall be saved through the child-bearing,…” Who is “she?”

Well, the nearest antecedent is found in the previous verse when speaking of “the woman” who was deceived, meaning Eve. Therefore, Paul is referring to her. That is why it is in the singular. She, Eve, will be saved through the bearing of a Child. Not directly, but through her, because she stands in place of all women.

That is why Paul then switches to the plural by saying “if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self control.” It is the call of the gospel. To live in faith. And in living in faith, the woman will be saved, just as the man will be saved. And this faith is based on the grace which was given to humanity in the Christmas Child; the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so why did I include this passage from Paul’s letter to Timothy which governs church-age doctrine in a Christmas sermon? The reason is because of Mary’s simple, humble proclamation of faith, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!” Without having all the details, and with simple faith that God is God, and His will is right, she acknowledged that she was at His disposal.

In the church of 2017, we have so much more than the limited knowledge of God’s plan that Mary had. Rather, we have the entire book, complete and sealed, which tells us of what God has done in Christ Jesus. We have the Christmas Child revealed. We have the perfect Life lived. We have the perfect Sacrifice given. And we have the acceptance of each in the resurrection of Christ. But before He accomplished these things, we have recorded for us the simple faith of Mary which set the stage for all of those other things to come to pass. “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!”

This may not be the most dramatic Christmas sermon – one which gives the warm details of the birth of Christ. Such sermons will bring us to tears when we hear of heaven’s King lying in an animal’s feeding trough. They excite us with high notes of the heavenly choir singing forth the praise of God. Those are sermons which fill us with the Christmas spirit. But we must remember that there could be no Christmas Child without a heavenly Father and an earthly mother of that Child.

The Father’s involvement shows us how much we are loved by the Creator of all things. And the mother’s teaches us a lesson about what the Father is looking for in each of us. He is looking for the simple obedience of faith, and thus for faithful obedience.

We cannot separate ourselves from our actions. They define who we are. Eve, the first female, and thus she who represents all who follow after her, is saved through the birth of the Child. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was saved through the birth of the Child, and any others who will come to Him for salvation, are saved through the birth of the Child, because the Child then died to save them as well.

Why are we expected to live out the roles assigned for us as men and women of God? Because the Child of Christmas came to die for us so that we could live for Him. He is the Creator, and He is the Redeemer. His name is Salvation, and salvation is what He gives to us, if we will simply have faith? Is disobedience to His word worth appeasing the pride that rises up in our hearts? May it never be so!

Gabriel’s words to Mary said, “…blessed are you among women.” It is the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression, but another woman was called blessed among them. Where Eve was faithless, Mary was found to be faithful. Where Eve brought about the need for salvation, she was saved through the birth of the Child named… Salvation. And that birth came through one of her own gender.

Paul’s words are not restrictive on women, they are freeing. The deception of the woman led to the fall of the man. In his fall, she fell as well. But in granting the honor to Mary of bearing the Christmas Child, the disgrace of of the fall can be erased in all of us, even those who were deceived in the first place.

God’s Gift to humanity is given, the Light shining in the dark places has come forth, and the Forgiver of all transgressions has walked among us. Let us acknowledge that His way is best, that His plan is perfect, and that obedience to Him is intended for our good in all ways and at all times. He has spoken, His word is proper, and our humble act of adhering to it will bring great reward when we stand before Him and receive our judgment for the lives we have lived.

Closing Verse: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14

Next Week: Leviticus 23:9-14 Changing from earthly to incorruptible suits… (The Feasts of the Lord, Firstfruits) (38^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He was willing to put on a body of flesh and to dwell among us despite all the pains He had to endure in the process. If He did that for you, think of how much more lies ahead when we walk with Him in glory! So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon
Her who is distressed or in agony
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali

And afterward more heavily oppressed her
By the way of the sea
Beyond the Jordan it shall occur
In an area of the Gentiles around the land of Galilee

The people who walked in darkness
It is they who have seen a great Light
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death
Upon them has shined a Light so bright

You have multiplied the nation
And likewise its joy You have increased
They rejoice before You with great ovation
According to the time of harvest, a joy which will not be ceased

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil
When they receive the bounty and no longer toil

For You have the yoke of his burden broken
And the staff of his shoulder is taken away
The rod of his oppressor no longer an unfriendly token
As in the day of Midian, when he was destroyed that day

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle
And garments roooooolled in blood
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire, worthless chattel
Useless implements overtaken by time’s great flood

For unto us a Child is born
A time to rejoice and not to morn
Unto us a Son is given
The One to lead us from death to a’livin’

And the government will be upon His shoulder
Every eye will see Him, every soul will be His beholder

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom’s realm
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever, He at the helm
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

And His name will be called Wonderful
The Counselor and Mighty God is He
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pure and white as wool
Of the increase of His government and peace, no end shall we see

Do not be afraid, for behold
I bring you good tidings of great joy
Which will be to all people, forever told
The wondrous story, the birth of a Boy

For there is born to you this day
In the city of David a Savior, it is He
Who is Christ the Lord, to whom heaven’s hosts obey
The Messiah has come, and now you may go and see

And this will be the sign to you:
You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes
Lying in a manger, a glorious view
The Christmas Child whom our Heavenly Father bestows

A Child like no other has come to dwell among us
He shall lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake
And His name is called out, His name is Jesus
Come, and of the Heavenly Child partake

He is God’s gift and heaven’s treasure
He is Immanuel, God with us
And he bestows upon us grace without measure
The Christmas Child, our glorious Lord Jesus

Hallelujah and Amen…

John 19:30
It is Finished!

When we finish something, it really isn’t the end of what we hoped for. Actually it is more often than not, the beginning. When I built our dinner table almost 23 years ago, I was excited about getting it done. All of the planning, the careful work, the cutting, sanding, and varnishing… all of that would have been for naught if I finished and then set it on fire, unless a very time consuming and costly bonfire was what I was hoping for all along.

Rather, I spent all of that time making the thing so that it would be ready as a present for my wife. And then, once that was out of the way – I mean the hauling it into the house, placing it there while she was out, anticipating the look on her face, and all of the other things that go along with giving a present like that to someone – I mean once that was out of the way, then there would be another reason for having built the table. Right?

It was in hopes of using it for many years as a place where we could eat, sneak bits off the table for one of the dogs, place flowers, pay bills (hate paying bills!), watch TV, and on and on. And so, finishing the table was really only the starting of what the work was intended for.

As I said, the same is true with with most things. We finish school in order to be edumacated enough to get a job, or to get accepted into another school. And when we finish our job we retire, so that we can do the things that we couldn’t do when we worked.

Surely, each time we start a project, it is normally for the purpose of finishing it in order to do something else. I finished that table, and it has been fulfilling its purpose for many years. I hope I die or get raptured out of here before I have to move that thing. It is quite possibly the heaviest dinner table on the planet, but I built it to last, and last it has. Eventually though, it will come to its end as all things do. All things except for that which is truly eternal…

Text Verse:“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

God began a project too. All along it was intended as something that would be eternal, but in order for that to be the case, there had to be something to bring it about. He knew before He ever created, that if man was involved, death would also be involved. But death implies an end, whereas eternity means that which is endless.

If death was involved it was because there was something imperfect which brought that death about. That imperfection is known as “sin.” In order for sin to be eradicated, and for the imperfection to be removed, then there must be a process which is followed, a process which would involve another death.

The difference is that this death would have to be a perfect one, not involving sin in the One who dies. God knew this, and His word calls Jesus “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” This is the project that God started, and this is the project which He finished through the work of Jesus Christ. But the finishing of the project was only meant as a new beginning, not the end.

Like the table that has another purpose than just being made into a table, the work of Jesus Christ which ended with the words “It is finished” had an entirely different purpose behind it. It is a purpose which involves any and all who are willing to receive it by faith, and it is one which will last… yes, for all eternity. This is what we will see in today’s resurrection day sermon, and it is a truth which is found in God’s superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. It has Begun

Genesis Chapter 1 gives us a broad brushstroke of creation, explaining in one chapter the order of what occurred, and the totality of God’s creative effort. In other words, in just 31 verses, the Bible tells us that everything which we see in the universe around us came into existence by the wisdom and power of God. And yet, the focus of all of this vast, marvelous creation is centered on one particular thing – the creation of man.

How do we know this? Well, first, the Bible is written. Writing is information in a specific form and for a specific purpose. Inanimate objects don’t need or use writing, man does. Writing isn’t used by any animate objects apart from man either. The fact that the Bible exists shows us that what is presented in it is intended for man’s use. Without man, there would be no need for a description of how creation occurred, and thus no need for a Bible.

Secondly, and with that first understanding as a key to everything that will follow in all of this book we call “the Bible,” there is a specific attention given to man in the 1^st Chapter of Genesis. In the creation of the physical universe, the earth where we live is specially highlighted.

It is created, it is prepared in a particular way to receive life, the sun and the moon are singled out as being a necessary part of interaction with the earth, and then in verse 16, the rest of the entire universe is lumped into just two Hebrew words, v’eth ha’kokavim – “and the stars.”

Those two words describe everything else that exists in the physical universe, but only those stars that are visible to man are considered as important enough to even mention. We know this, because elsewhere in Scripture, constellations are mentioned by name. A constellation is only useful from one vantage point. Any other planet at any other point in the universe will see the stars differently, and those constellations will not exist as we know them. Further, by calling the sun, which is also a star, “the sun,” it means that this particular star is one prepared specifically for the earth on which we live, an earth which is specifically made for man who was to be created on it.

And so we again see the importance of man highlighted implicitly through this detail. And thirdly, as each day of creation is noted, it builds upon the previous days in order to reach a result. God carefully and methodically created with an intent and purpose, which is to provide a place where man could dwell. Everything else was created for this purpose. The room was prepared and the guests were expected.

Forth, when the sixth and final day of creation arrived, God first created the living creatures according to their kind – the cattle and the creeping things. Upon completion of that, it says, “And God saw that it was good.” Everything was ready then for the last act of His creative efforts… man. The expected guest had his house waiting for him. Everything was set and ready. Only then do we read the exceedingly special words which follow –

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28

Man bears a special garment that distinguishes him from all else in creation, He bears the image and likeness of God. It is to this image-bearer of the Creator that dominion of the earth was given.

And then there is a fifth way of knowing that man is the central purpose of God’s creation. It is because Chapters 2 and 3 of Genesis insert the many details of man’s creation and early moments which Genesis 1 left out. It is given to show specifically that the Bible is intended for man’s knowledge of who he is in relation to his Creator, and how he arrived at the place that he is now, and that the Bible is the record of these things.

After Chapter 3, the narrative continues on in this way for the next 1186 chapters, right up until the the last page, and indeed until the last word of the book of Revelation. And so, understanding this, and as our first thought today is “It has Begun,” we want to discern what, in fact, has begun.

We have the creation, we have the knowledge that it centers on what God has done in the creation of man, and from Chapter 2 of Genesis it shows that man was intended to live in a paradisaical setting where he could actually fellowship with his Creator, the Lord God. After the creation of woman who was intended to be a helper for the man, Chapter 2 ends with the words, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.”

There was an innocence about them which was, according to the word, “very good.” In this state of innocence, they were set to have a wonderful existence which would keep them ever in the presence of the Lord, and forever free from pains, trials, or sadness. But this marvelous existence would not last very long. Indeed, it would slip away from them just as the breath itself disappears as it is exhaled on a cold morning.

Without wasting any words, Chapter 3 immediately introduces the serpent, the cunning deceiver, who would bring an end to the innocence of man and the intimate fellowship that he enjoyed with the Lord. In a mere 24 verses, Chapter 3 takes the man from a state of innocence to a state of understanding. It takes him from a state of life, to a state of death. It takes him from being in a paradise of abundance, to expulsion and exile to a place of hardship and toil. And, worst of all, it takes him from intimate fellowship with the Lord, to a state of enmity with Him.

When properly considered, it is truly the most heartbreaking set of words ever penned about man, because it describes how all of the other heartbreak of man began. And there is one more thing in the record which cannot go without note. It says that man became more, not less, like God in the process. This would seem like a good thing, but for the most part it is not. Just before his expulsion from their garden of delight, we read these words –

“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’— ²³ Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.” Genesis 3:22, 23

The man became like his Creator in that he acquired the ability to know good and evil. But without the ability to properly use that knowledge, it is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. It may be good to know how to cut down a tree in order to build a house, but if we cut down too many trees, we might cause a mudslide which could come down upon the house we have built.

Each thing that we do may have unintended consequences, and so without knowing the end from the beginning, what is good in one instance may be bad in another. Until we learn from our mistakes, we often remain ignorant about what is truly good and what isn’t. Unless we have external guidance from one who has already learned, or from the One who knows all things, we are prone to err. And when we err, evil is more often than not the result.

But this is how it began. The life we live, the troubles we face, the lack of fellowship with God that we experience, all of it began because we didn’t do what He asked of us in the first place. From that point, we were set on a course that we could not fix, and which leaves us wandering aimlessly through one mistake after another. And this continues on until we lay our head down for the last time and return to the earth from which we came. Truly, it is a vain and hopeless existence when we don’t have all of the information we need to make the right choices.

There is a curse upon us, a self-inflicted pain
Our father Adam broke God’s command
It seems as if things will never be right again
And for his transgressions our life God will demand

But there at the beginning was a promise of One to come
Who would reverse the curse and right Adam’s wrong
Whatever this One offers, I sure want me some
To the truth of His message, I wish to belong

Who will it be, how will it come about?
The thing that He offers, I know I cannot do without

II. It Will be Resolved

The end of Chapter 3 of Genesis, and all of the misery of the world since then, should really make us wonder if going on is even worth the trouble. Why bother when all we will get is older, more feeble, less respect, and just aching bones and sleepless nights. This would be the case if we didn’t pay attention to the details of Chapter 3.

You see, right there in the middle of the chapter, there are a few words which, if understood, are enough to give even the most wearisome person hope. It was the serpent who got us into this mess, and if he could just be taken out of the way, things would turn out for good. And this is what was promised in verses 14 and 15 –

 So the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:14, 15

A promise was made that the cunning deceiver would be defeated, and when this was accomplished, man would have access once again to the paradise he had lost. How do we know this is a correct reading of those words? Because it is implicitly stated from this point on. In a thousand different ways, the people of faith understood this, and the Bible records that their interpretation of it is correct. Restoration would come, and it would come when the Seed of the woman arrived.

From this point on, from Chapter 4 of Genesis on, the story of this coming Redeemer takes shape. A select line of people are highlighted, and with each new page, the story continues to unfold. The select line are known as bene ha’elohim, or “sons of the God.” Those not in this line belong to ha’adam, or “the man.” The distinction between the two comes down to what their life was directed to. Were they people of faith in the promise of God, or were they men who followed in their first father’s footsteps, trusting in the deceit of the deceiver?

Eventually, it came down to a single man named Noah. The entire world had followed after the serpent, and God determined to put an end to what He saw. However, He had made a promise, and so he spared Noah and his family in order to keep the promise alive. God is ever-faithful to His word.

In the destruction of the world, Noah was kept safe and together with his family, they arrived on the shore of a new world, one ready once again to allow man to flourish and live out his days, exercising his will in hope or in futility – the choice was his.

And once again, in the mere turning of a page, there is rebellion and there is the pronouncement of a curse. It seems that man is destined to self-ruin. But in the midst of the disobedient heart, God continues to work out His plan, carefully and methodically. With the turning of one person or group, there is the calling of another.

But, it can’t be said that one is better or more deserving than the other. Eventually from Noah’s son Shem, one of his descendants named Abraham was called, but he was called from one life to another. We read in Joshua that Abraham’s family served other gods, not the true God. His calling was an act of grace.

They were called out of this state. Therefore, it was a call of grace, and it was a call of mercy. The call was not from righteousness to righteousness, but from disobedience to righteousness. God had a plan, it was set, and he was working it out according to His wisdom. Each step is carefully recorded for us to see and to understand that we had not been abandoned, but were still the central focus of His act of creation, just as it was at the beginning.

To Abraham, a promise was made, a great and marvelous promise, one that would be realized in and through his descendants, but as time drew on, it became harder and harder to see how it could come about. His wife was barren and under the normal conditions of life, it would seem that things would not turn out as they were expected to. But Abraham believed God and remained faithful despite the barren years.

Eventually, the time came when it was seemingly impossible that the first promise could come to pass, but the Lord took him outside in the night and asked him to count the stars if he could but number them. The whole host of heaven was there before his eyes, and the Lord promised him that his descendants would be such as that which he beheld. The next words say, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

In believing the unbelievable, and in trusting what seemed impossible, the Lord credited Abraham with righteousness. The Lord is pleased when His word is accepted at face value and believed as true.

Eventually, Abraham did have a son, a son of promise named Isaac. From Isaac came another son of promise, Jacob, who is Israel. And from Jacob came a collection of sons, all were granted the promise of Abraham. Collectively, they would be known by the name given to their father, Israel.

It is this unique and set-apart family who would continue the marvelous march towards the fulfillment of God’s plan. The resolution of the problem would come through them. Their history is chronicled, and each step of the way, God’s guiding hand is seen often in the foreground, and it is never lacking in the background, directing their affairs towards an ultimate goal. Certainly, they had no idea what lay ahead, but we can look back on their history and see it with such clarity that it is really astonishing to consider.

Seemingly random events come together to form the most marvelous tapestry as the years of Israel unfolded before them. Finally, when the time was right, God began to use them to display His glory in the world. The stories of their redemption from Egypt, their passing through the waters of the Red Sea, and the marvelous events which led them to the foot of Mount Sinai would be counted as mere fairy tales unless we knew that God was behind them. But He was, and the stories are recorded so that we can be assured that Israel’s history is not an aberration, but a carefully sculpted plan with a definite and marvelous purpose.

There at the foot of Sinai, the Lord gave them His law, He gave them His instructions for a place where He would dwell among them. He also gave them ordinances for how they could approach Him, and how they were to conduct their lives in His presence.

Each detail demonstrated that the problem would, in fact, be resolved. He was there among them, and they could live, and in fact they would live, if they adhered to His precepts. This was explicitly stated to them when He said these words –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

To live is to not die. The promise is clear. If a man does these things, he will live by them. The life that was lost in Adam could be obtained once again through this marvelous law which the Lord set before the people. Life, not death, was possible.

The resolution to the problem was now available. In being obedient to the Lord’s word, life – yes, certainly eternal life – could be obtained. This is what the word says, and this is in fact the word of the Lord.

A cross is there on the hill of Calvary
It is a sign of God’s love to the people of the world
On that cross Jesus died for you and for me
The greatest display of love ever, was on that day unfurled

Oh! That Christ would die for sinners like us!
How deep is the love of God for this to have come about?
Wondrous is the giving of His own Son, Jesus
So take hold of the promise, stand fast and do not doubt

Christ died and into the grave He went – had death won?
A lifeless body, seemingly the end of the story
But No! Death could not hold the sinless Son
He burst forth from the grave in radiant glory!

III. It is Finished

With the giving of the law, everything that was lost could be restored. At least that’s the way it appeared on the surface. But by digging deeper into what the law was showing us, it became evident that there was a problem. It was the same problem that has been seen since the very beginning, and that problem is sin.

The law made the promise that the one who did the things of the law could live by them, but what was evident right away, and what continued to be more evident with each passing year, was that nobody could do the things of the law. Instead of bringing life, it only brought death!

The argument goes like this: If there is no law, then there can be no violation of the law. In fact, a person wouldn’t know what something like coveting was without being told to not covet. But as soon as the law is given, sin then takes the opportunity through the commandment to produce the desire to covet.

Without a law, there is life, but when a commandment is given which is supposed to give life, it instead brings death. Sin uses the commandment to deceive, and through that comes death. This is the dilemma of the law. If a man does the things of the law, he will live by them, but in the giving of the law, sin is stirred up and he dies by that same law.

And what is more, even the very mediator of the law was exposed to this truth. He had the knowledge of good and evil, but sin used that knowledge to bring him death, not life. The record of this truth stands in the eventual death of Moses, of Aaron, and of every other person who ever lived under this law – high priest or layman alike. The law which promised life, did not deliver it. Instead, it continued to produce death.

Was there nothing that could free them from this body of death, which indeed it was, a body of death? The people of God, selected from among the nations of the world, given great and enduring promises, and among whom dwelt the Lord God, and who were sanctified by His presence, could not obtain the life they sought through the law they were given, despite that law being right there with them, and which was intended to guide them.

And if they, chosen and set apart, could not obtain life, then how could anyone else, not even of their line, hope to find it? What was the answer? What is the answer? To where do we turn in order to find life? Or, is it all futility ending in death? If so, why delay the inevitable?

But have we forgotten the promise? Have we become so consumed with our own works that we have failed to remember what the Lord said to the deceiver?

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:14, 15

The Lord promised that the serpent’s head would be crushed, but it wouldn’t be one of us who would do it. Instead, it would be the Seed of the woman. What that means was long misunderstood. Eve thought it was speaking of herself.

When she had Cain, she cried out, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”  She thought that she had a child that would handle the problem and restore her to paradise. She even claimed that the child was “from the Lord,” as if in a resounding cry of victory.

However, it wasn’t long before she realized she was wrong. With the birth of her son Abel, there was no cry of victory. When she named him, it was with a sense of despair. Life was a passing breath, and Abel reflected that futility to her.

With the continued line of people from Eve, there is often the talk of the seed which would continue on. The daughters of Lot wanted to preserve their father’s seed, intending to find life through it. David was promised that his seed, One who would come from his body, would build a house for the Lord and would establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

This theme is repeated numerous times, showing that the seed of the man was needed to bring in the eternal promise, but that promise still needed to be fulfilled in the Seed of the woman as well. It is rather confusing to consider when looking forward. However, we today are not looking forward.

We are looking back, and the picture is clear. The failures of Israel were each a lesson, and also a stepping stone, to the success of God. The law promised life to one who would do the things of the law, but the nature of man made it impossible for him to do the things of the law. And so God handled the problem for man, by becoming a Man.

In order to do this, the Holy Spirit of God, the third member of the Trinity, overshadowed a virgin woman of Israel. She, being a descendant of those to whom the promises were made, was to be the human receptacle for the incarnate Word of God.

It was He whose coming had been promised for 4000 years. The prophets spoke of Him, and the Lord testified through them in His word the things that He would accomplish, and the glory that would be revealed through Him.

As we are told by John, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In being born of a woman, but not of a man, He was truly and fully man, but also truly and fully God.

But in this state, He was born as a Man without sin. As sin is passed from father to child, and as all humans are born of both a father and a mother, all humans inherit sin. However, as He was born of a woman, but not of a man, He inherited no sin. His father being God meant that He was born in a state of sinlessness.

And yet, He was born with the knowledge of good and evil. In His sinlessness, He could handle that knowledge as no man born in sin could. But there is more. He was also born under the law of God, being a citizen of the people Israel. Therefore, with His unique ability to do the things of the law, the promise of Leviticus 18:5 could be realized in Him –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

He is a Man, is He not? Yes, He is a Son of Adam through Mary. And He has the ability to keep the statutes and judgments of the Lord, does He not? Yes, being the Lord God incarnate, He was fully capable of accomplishing this.

In doing the things of the law, life would thus be the result. This is why the gospel writers give such minute detail concerning the life of Jesus. They were chronicling the marvel of this Person who came and dwelt among them, showing us that He was qualified and capable of the task, and also showing us that He, in fact, performed what He was called to do.

Each step of the way, His obedience to the law, and to His Father, is carefully recorded. But this record isn’t for Him to revel in, it is for us to believe in. The Lord doesn’t need the word to be the Lord, or to accomplish His task. But man needs the word to understand the work of the Lord in accord with the word. And so the word is given.

In the gospels, we see the fulfillment of everything that was spoken of by the prophets, even since the very beginning. Every word they wrote was to lead us to understanding who would come and what He would do. In this, we would then know that He was the One spoken of. He said as much to the people of Israel –  

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39

And then He said something that truly revealed what He had come to do. In the very next verse, He said, “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:40). In coming to Him, they could have life. The life promised in Leviticus 18:5 was to be found… in Him!

This is what the gospel writers recorded, and this is what they testify to. The fulfillment of the Scriptures is found in Jesus. And in fulfilling them, life was to be found as well. He told the leaders of Israel this, but they couldn’t grasp it. They couldn’t believe. The very people who maintained the oracles of God, failed to accept the truth of God contained in those oracles.

However, their unbelief in no way nullified the faithfulness of God. He spoke, He accomplished, and His word stands as a testimony of what He alone has done. And so, in being born sinless into the people bound to the law, in living without sin under the law, and in His death without sin, He thus died in fulfillment of the law. The One who was promised at the very beginning, willingly came, voluntarily surrendered Himself, and allowed the beings that He created to take His life so that they could live. Tell me that isn’t incredible!

Each of the four gospels details the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Each gives details from the writer’s own perspective, and they record the scene in their own words while highlighting what they were inspired to write. The gospel of John records the crucifixion in the19^th Chapter of his book.

He focuses on several prophetic fulfillments of Scripture as do each of the other gospels, but John says something differently than all of the others. Beginning in the 28^th verse, he says this –

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:28-30

John notes that Jesus knew that all things were accomplished, using the word tetelestai. The word is the perfect tense of the word teleó, or “fulfilled.” John then says that in knowing that all was perfectly fulfilled that Jesus said, “I thirst” in order that Scripture might be teleiōthē, or fulfilled. It is the aorist tense of the word teleioó. It indicates working through the entire process in order to reach the final phase. If one thinks of pulling out a pirate’s telescope one stage at a time until it is fully stretched and at maximum capacity, this is the idea of what John was saying.

It then notes after Jesus received the sour wine that He said His final words, tetelestai, or “It is finished.” It is the same word as at the first, teleó, and it is again in the perfect tense. It is finished – completely and wholly. It is done.

What is being said, is that Jesus had come and fulfilled every single thing necessary to undo the work of the devil. He had fulfilled every requirement of the law, He had taken the full weight and measure of God’s wrath in fulfillment of violations of the law, and He had thus prevailed over the law, not merely in and of Himself, but for any and all who would accept what He had done.

The word teleó signifies a payment. This is why the word is translated as “finished.” When a debt is paid, the payment is fulfilled. The law of God demanded a payment for violations of that law. Adam broke the law, though it was but one law and in the negative – “You shall not.” Because of this, a payment was due.

The people of Israel violated God’s law, time and time again, but just one infraction of the law broke the entire law. And thus a payment for violating the law was due. In Christ’s fulfillment of the law through His death, the payment was made. But unlike the sin offerings which were prescribed under the law which could not take away sin, Christ’s payment could.

The animals which were sacrificed under the law only looked forward to a more perfect Sacrifice. They temporarily stayed the wrath of God that only Christ could perfectly and eternally take away. Jesus knew the point when His work had fulfilled the law, and so John notes that He then said, “I thirst” so that Scripture could be fulfilled.

The question is, “If all was fulfilled, then why did Jesus say, “I thirst” in order to fulfill Scripture?” The answer must be taken both literally and spiritually. Jesus literally thirsted. The 22^nd Psalm, a psalm about the cross, says “My tongue clings to my jaws.” In response to that thirst, the 69^th Psalm then says, “…for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” This literally came to pass, but Jesus’ cry was more intimate than just a physical thirst. In the 42 Psalm, we see the fulfillment of what He was referring to –

“As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1, 2

The time had come, the work was complete, and Jesus longed to return to the living God from whom He came. The debt had been paid, and the tortures of His mortal life were no longer needed. We can know that this is correct, because even after His death, His lifeless body was still used to fulfill Scripture. In the piercing of His side, and in not breaking any of His bones, etc., John says that Scripture was again fulfilled –

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. ³⁶ For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” John 19:31-37

The fulfillment of the payment is what Jesus understood was completed, and the thirsting of the Lord for His God is what He desired. When one drinks, it is to prolong life, but in Jesus’ case, it was to show that despite taking that which could prolong His life, He still voluntarily gave it up. It was not taken from Him, instead He yielded it of His own will because of His thirst for His God.

The redemption of man had come, and the payment was complete. But in understanding that, we still must have a final explanation of what this means. The law says that the man who does the things of the law shall live by them. It is a promise. But we have also seen that none can meet the demands of the law. And so what does Christ’s life and death mean to us?

It goes back to the doctrine of substitution. Christ died, as the animals at the temple died, as a Substitute. In His death, we can have our sin transferred to Him. As substitution was a part of the law, and as He fulfilled the law, then He must be an acceptable Substitute for any who desire His death in their place.

In that death, sin is atoned for. And as He died in fulfillment of the law, then to God we die with Him in the transfer of our sin. Through the law we thus die to the law, and we move from Adam to Him. As we die to the law, then the law no longer has mastery over us. And as the law is what brings death, then death itself no longer has mastery over us. The deceiver can no longer deceive. The devil is defeated, and death is swallowed up in victory!

How do we know that this is true? It is the reason we’re here today. Christ didn’t just die for our sins and stay in the grave. No! Instead, He defeated death itself because He had no sin of His own. Death is the result of sin, and life is the result of obedience to God’s law, and so death could not hold Him. And as we are in Him, being counted as justified before the law, death can no longer hold us.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is defining moment of human history. For those who receive what He has done, there is but one outcome, that we too will be resurrected unto eternal life, and we too will be restored to the paradise which was lost to man so long ago. I hope that today you will take time to read the final two chapters of the book of Revelation. For any and all who will but come, Jesus Christ has shown us in His word the glories which lie ahead for us. If you have never received Him as your Lord, asking Him to forgive you and grant you eternal life, today is the day. Don’t wait another moment, but simply call out, and He will lead you back home to where we were originally intended to be.

Closing Verse: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Next Week: Leviticus 3:1-17 Peace with God! Better than even a diamond ring… (The Peace Offering) (4^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for You. Though Paradise was lost, He offers access to it once again through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So call on Him, and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
This is the gospel which was preached to you
It is also the one you received and on which you stand
It is the gospel of salvation, providing life that’s new

And which will carry you to the promised Holy Land
What is delivered to you is what was before received
That Christ died for our sins according to God’s word
He was buried and He rose and so we have believed

And many witnesses testify to this message you have heard
Now if Christ is preached that He is risen from the dead
How can some among you say the resurrection isn’t true?
If there is no resurrection after Christ was crucified and bled

Then our faith as well as yours is certainly askew
And if so, we are found false witnesses of God
Because we have wrongly testified of this mighty deed
And our faith is futile, no heavenly street’s we’ll trod

And we are still dead in our sins, fallen Adam’s seed
Even more, those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are gone
And we are the most pitiable creatures the world could ever look upon
But indeed Christ is risen from the dead

He is the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
And as death came through one Man, Adam our federal head
So Christ will make all alive, our souls He will keep
But there is an order to the Resurrection call

Christ was first, the pattern for the rest when He comes
When He does, He will make a shout out to us all
And we will rise as if to the sound of heavenly battle drums

Then comes the time, when He delivers the kingdom to the Father
When all rule, authority, and power have come to an end
The last enemy to be destroyed is death, never more to bother
Then the Son will to the Father eternal rule extend

But you ask, what will we be like after our time of sleep
After we have been buried in corruption’s pit so deep

Our body is sown in dishonor, but it will be raised in glory
It is sown in weakness, but raised in power – the resurrection story

The first man Adam became a living being, it’s true
The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit, life to me and you

And as was the man of dust, created so long ago
So are those likened unto Him, also made of dust
And as is the Man, the Lord from heaven, you know
That we shall bear His image for eternity just as we’ve discussed

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
Nor can corruption inherit that which in incorrupt
Be we shall all be changed, and so heavenly streets we’ll trod
In the twinkling of an eye, the change will be abrupt

When the last trumpet sounds we will be taken to glory
We shall all be changed, completion of the gospel story
Where O Death, O where is your sting
When Christ our Savior, us to Himself does He bring

Where O Hades, O where is your victory
When Christ translates His children to eternal glory

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin the law
But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord
My beloved brethren be steadfast in all you’ve heard and saw
And cling confidently to God’s eternal word

Know for certain that your labor is not in vain
Be of good cheer, Christ is coming again

Hallelujah and Amen…

Matthew 1:18
She Was Found with Child Through the Holy Spirit

As we celebrate this day, just as we do each year, let us remember that it isn’t a day which is founded on myths or superstitions. It may have devolved into that for most of the world, but that was never its original intent.

It has become common for people to find fault in all the assorted things we do at Christmas. We put up pine trees, and someone finds fault in the symbolism. We hang up ornaments, and someone finds fault in our doing so. Even the word “Christmas” is there for people to find fault in.

And it is true, that we should never let these customs and traditions obscure our vision of what this day actually symbolizes, but even the fault finders are to be found at fault over that. The day has real significance, and it has the greatest of importance. And so, whether traditionalist or fault-finder, most of us have never understood the true connection to the meaning of the 25^th of December.

It is, in fact, the day that Christ was born, but not in the sense that most people understand. People in Korea would, but for most of the rest of the world, there is little comprehension of the day’s meaning.

You see, Korean people reckon the span of their lives differently than we do. When you ask how old they are, they will tell you an age that is different than what we are used to. I was born on 18 August 1964, and so I would be, as of today, 52 years, 4 months, and a couple of days old.

But a Korean would tell you they were 53 years old. The reason for this is that they reckon life from conception, not birth out of the womb. To the liberal left in the western world, that thought would be utterly scandalous. How can you justify killing someone in the womb if their life had actually already begun. The horror of the thought for them would certainly drive their bloodthirsty minds to madness!

But this is when life begins, whether the left likes that or not. The Koreans got it right. It is a moment to celebrate and to cherish. It is a time of light and happiness. It is the beginning of the time of our life. Our text verse today is Isaiah 7:14 –

Text Verse: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Seven hundred years before the coming of Christ, Isaiah said that something unimaginable would occur. A virgin would conceive and bear a Son. The two things are separate and yet complementary events. First she would conceive, and then she would have a Son. One follows logically after the other.

But in the normal course of events, the first would be impossible. A virgin simply cannot get pregnant. People argue over the Hebrew word that Isaiah used which we translate as “virgin,” claiming that it doesn’t necessarily have to mean “virgin.”

However, the context necessarily demands it, the Greek translation of the Old Testament supports that fact, and Matthew’s use of a word which can only mean “virgin” settles it. The virgin would become pregnant, and the Child would be called Immanuel – God with Us. The verse itself then tells us when life begins. It is not as the child leaves the womb, but when the womb is impregnated. The word “virgin” explains the matter.

As Isaiah wrote, he may or may not have had any idea what he was writing, but if he did, his mind surely went back to the first pages of the Bible where a promised Deliverer would come who was the Seed of the woman. When speaking of genealogies, it is always the seed of man which is referred to. But in Genesis 3, it is the Seed of the woman.

Whether Isaiah realized the importance of the words he penned or not, we can and should realize them. We who have the whole story penned out for us can see the whole picture. It is a picture clearly revealed in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Spark of Life

Much has been said of both the Deity and the Humanity of Jesus Christ – on both sides of the debate. There are those who believe that He is fully God and fully Man. There are those who believe He is God, but was never really a Man. There are those who believe He is a Man, but is not God. There are those who believe He is not God and that even His manhood is just a made up fable – in other words, He never even existed. And then there are those who just don’t care.

Within those views, there are more divisions – He was both a Man and God for a spell, but now is only God; He became God after being only a Man; and so, on and so on. And yet, if we take the Bible simply and at face value, even from the few words of the one verse which comprises the sermon’s title, we can really only come to one conclusion. Matthew 1:18 says

εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου –
heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou
“She was discovered in womb holding from Spirit Holy.”

Two things must be admitted here from a simple reading of the Bible. One is that Mary is a human and this Child is the product of her womb, and thus this Child is a human being. The second is that the Holy Spirit is not a human.

If one then accepts the obvious interpretation of Scripture which shows that the Holy Spirit is God, then the Child is the product of God. There is no human father, and it is the seed of the father that determines lineage in the Bible, thus this Child is Deity – He is the Son of God.

Of course, there are those who will do anything possible to diminish the Deity of the Holy Spirit because by doing so they can then tear apart the central message of the Bible. However, this stupidly-argued premise is for a debate which is unnecessary here. The Holy Spirit, in both testaments of the Bible, is clearly defined as God and is easily defended as such, and so we will overlook that as unnecessary here.

What we have in these few words, which are so quickly passed over by our eyes and our minds, is a description of the most incredible occurrence which has ever come to pass – in all of time. Not just in human history, but in all of time itself. The very creation of the universe pales in comparison to what is described by the words heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

When God created, He created not out of Himself – ex Deo, or “out of God.” God is Spirit and is not limited to that which is created. Rather, when He created, it was ex nihilo or “out of nothing.” The psalms say –

“For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9

There was nothing. No time, no space, no matter – only God. And by the power of the spoken word, there was then something. Time began, matter stood firm, and space filled the void – both around matter and within it. Everything that we see, even to the farthest reaches of the universe, came into existence at that one moment. It is an incredible thing to contemplate, but it was of far less moment than the enormity of what occurred in the womb of Mary.

In a flash as brief as the utterance of the word of creation itself, life – the true Life of all things – sprung into existence in her womb. And yet, it was life that always existed, even before the creation of our physical realm! What a paradox, and yet what an event of the greatest marvel of all. God had united with His creation in that blessed womb – Christ had come.

Just this past year, in April, it was published that science has discovered that at the very moment of conception, a bright flash of life marks this incredible event. There is darkness in the womb, and then there is a flash of light. For Mary, there was darkness in her womb, and then there was the Light. The Light of the world had come. God stepped into our darkness and revealed Himself!. Imagine it – try to get your mind around that.

That which brought all things into existence by a mere utterance… the light of ten trillions sons, and the light of the candle on the Christmas tree, even the light of the phosphorous creatures of the deepest oceans… and all other lights that our eyes will ever behold – even for infinite days ahead – these combined are not as bright as the Light which created them… this same Light sparked in the womb of Mary. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” The Christmas Child had come.

Who can believe such a thing! Who could have imagined it in times past, and who can grasp it now that it has happened! And yet the words testify to the event. The Light has come in a form that we can experience, feel, interact with, and rely upon. In this Light, there is no darkness, and thus there is no fear.

This marvelous event is that which occurred on that cold December day in the land of Israel. We celebrate the 25^th of December as the day of Christ’s birth, and it is. It is just not the birth out of the womb. Rather, the Bible points to this date as the birth within the womb.

And not without significance, this is the same time of year that the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukah, is celebrated. At times, the two events occur on the same day. Such is the case this year. This is probably what occurred that year as well. The Light of the world came into the world on that same Festival of Lights. This day is mentioned in the book of John, chapter 10, and the 22^nd verse, where it is known as the Feast of Dedication –

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”

It got its name from the time of the Maccabees when the temple which had been defiled was cleansed and restored to proper worship. Because of this great event, it was memorialized and held annually. A later tradition concerning a day’s worth of oil lasting eight days is merely a fable recorded in the Talmud. But Flavius Josephus tells us the reason for the annual event –

“I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival.”

The Jewish people had been given a liberty beyond their hopes, a light which shone for them that God still favored them. How much more then is the fulfillment of this marvelous picture to be found in the Light which came to provide a liberty never before dreamed of.

The true temple of God, pure and undefiled, was prepared in a human body. The defiled temple which had existed from the time of Adam was, once again, made acceptable to God and for His service. This then was to be a liberty not from human rule and oppression, but that of freedom from the spiritual forces which have waged war on humanity since its very beginning.

This Light stepped into His creation in order to restore all that had gone astray. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied over his own son concerning this Light which would accomplish these marvelous things –

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

The Light was coming and John would be there to proclaim that fact, preparing the way for Israel to meet the promised Messiah. And Zechariah’s prophecy was one which built upon the words of Isaiah, pronounced 700 years earlier –

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
² The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
³ You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
⁴ For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
⁵ For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
⁶ For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:1-7

What a marvel occurred in the dark recesses of the virgin womb! The Deliverer had come to deliver! The Light of the world had come as God’s divine Beacon to rescue man from himself. The Lord God Almighty had condescended to come and dwell among us. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” Christmas had arrived.

In darkness I groped, darkness of the deepest night
Looking for life that would last, but it could not be found
But then came the most marvelous Light
And with it came the heavenly chorus, a glorious sound

Through the tender mercy of our God
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us
There is now light on the path that we trod
The everlasting light of our Lord Jesus

Now there is a new hope for us, a hope eternal
To those who sit in darkness, and in death’s shadow
There is salvation from hell’s pit so infernal
There is from the Lamp of God, Christ’s eternal glow

II. Darkness and Light

The Christmas story fills our minds with wonderful pictures of days past. We revel in this time of year each year. We smell the scent of pine, we rejoice in food which fills our taste buds. The weather has returned to where it was, just twelve months before. These things delight our minds with memories of past days when we smell the same smells, taste the same tastes, and feel the same cool chill upon our necks.

It is a time to remember, and a time to make new memories. But it is a time that we should also reflect upon why we celebrate. In reality, and without the holiday, for many it is the bleakest time of the year. The nights are at their longest, painful cold has settled in, and the winter of our despair has come.

Many don’t survive the ordeal, and the true winter of eternity’s darkness arrives to claim their weary soul. God chose this unfavorable time of gloom to give us the greatest hope of all. What manner of love is it that would impel Him to do what He did? What is it about man that God takes notice of Him?

From our perspective… Oh boy, the answer is easy. “I am ME! This is MY life.” Just like the wolf whose leg is caught in a trap will chew that leg off in order to survive, we will do anything to survive and to keep on living. It is the eternal dream of man to just keep on living. Novels are written about it; movies are made about it. It is our desire to… just keep on living.

But if we try to look at things from God’s perspective, it all is so hard to figure. What on earth is of value in that mass of organisms which are nothing but rebellious, self-consumed, and hopelessly arrogant beings? We walk around in the darkness looking for anything to fill our brief existence with pleasure – going from darkness to darkness.

Maybe that’s it though. Maybe it’s because we are in darkness that we choose the darkness. No, wait… no that can’t be it. Adam was surrounded by light and yet he chose the darkness. Only after making the choice did he want the light once again. He did want it.

That must be it then, without knowing one from the other we can’t know which we want. That must be why God allowed it all to happen, and then to step in and give us a choice as to which we would choose. Surely that is it.

The Light of the world came to show us a contrast. We can choose the Light, or we can revel in the dark. The choice is ours. And sure enough, this is what the Light Himself said. In John 3, while talking at night with Nicodemus, Jesus said to him, and thus to us –

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:18-21

The distinction can be seen, the choice must be made, and all will pursue only one of two paths – towards the Light or remaining in darkness. This then is the reason for the Christmas story. It is the reason for the otherwise unimaginable thing which God has done. He has come to give us Light, if we will but just choose it.

We are here today to worship the King of the Universe, the manifestation of the unseen Father in human flesh, to behold the marvel of the Light which shines forth for us and which came to us in the most astonishing way of all. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

God created all things out of nothing. He created something separate from Himself and yet which is contained within His omnipresence. And then He joined together with that which He created – all for the sake of frail, fallible, rebellious beings who otherwise had no hope at all.

In that stupendously marvelous act, He has given us a choice. We can continue on in the darkness, or we can come to the Light. There is no tunnel of light for us to choose after death – I’m sorry, it doesn’t work that way. There is only continued darkness which will span eternal ages. But there is a Light which we can come to now, and in so doing we are surrounded with Light which shall never end, no nor even fade.

God did this thing for us, for you. The perfection of Jesus Christ is seen from His moment of conception, through His birth in a lowly manger, in each step He ever took, and in each word He ever spoke. The perfection of Jesus Christ is seen in His torturous death on a wooden cross, and it is seen in the resurrection which came just days later.

The Child in the womb, the Baby in the manger, the Teacher on the mountain, the lifeless Body on the cross, and the Man standing victorious over death itself all speak of a wisdom and a love which spans the eons of time and the length and breadth of the universe itself. All things make sense when we ponder what God has done, and which started in the sudden flash of Light in the womb of Mary. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

Praise God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise God for His infinite love, poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Lord. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Closing Verse: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4

Next Week: Exodus 40:1-16 Paths, and Lights, and even Lambs… (Seven I Am’s) (104^th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if the world around you seems dark, there is the Light of Christ to guide you back to your heavenly Father. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Light of the World

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
After the betrothal of His mother Mary had come around
Before they came together
She was with Child of the Holy Spirit found

Then Joseph her husband
Being a just man, righteousness he did display
And not wanting to make her a public example
Was minded to put her secretly away

But while he thought about these things
Behold, an angel of the Lord
Appeared to him in a dream, saying
This he did say, his spoken word

“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; the Divine spark of Life

And she will bring forth a Son
And you shall call His name Jesus
For He will save His people from their sins
He is God’s Christmas Child; holy and marvelous

And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, I know that you agree
You are little among the thousands of Judah, it is so
Yet out of you shall come forth even unto Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel, My word is true you know

His goings forth are from of old
From everlasting, thus you have been told

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon
Her who is distressed or in agony
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali

And afterward more heavily oppressed her
By the way of the sea
Beyond the Jordan it shall occur
In an area of the Gentiles around the land of Galilee

The people who walked in darkness
It is they who have seen a great Light
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death
Upon them has shined a light so bright

You have multiplied the nation
And likewise its joy you have increased
They rejoice before You with great ovation
According to the time of harvest, a joy which will not be ceased

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil
When they receive the bounty and no longer toil

For You have the yoke of his burden broken
And the staff of his shoulder is taken away
The rod of his oppressor no longer an unfriendly token
As in the time of Midian, when he was destroyed that day

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle
And garments roooooolled in blood
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire, worthless chattel
Useless implements overtaken by time’s great flood

Praise God O Israel, For unto us a Child is born
Praise the Lord Land of Judah, For u nto us a Son is given
And the government shall upon His shoulder be worn
And through Him shall man’s sins be forgiven

And His name will be called Wonderful
The Counselor and Mighty God is He
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pure and white as wool
Of the increase of His government and peace no end shall we see

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom’s realm
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever, He at the helm
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

The scepter shall not depart from Judah
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet
Until Shiloh comes and we shout Hallelujah
And to Him the obedience of the people shall be sweet

This helpless baby lying in a manger
Will rule the world in everlasting peace
Through Him will come security with no danger
And the rule of His glory shall never, never cease

All praise to our stupendous Lord of glory
Yes, all honor to this precious King
Praising God for the wondrous Christmas story
Let all the Lord’s redeemed shout aloud and sing

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
The Brevity of Man

I take care of a friend’s house down the road from where I live. He’s a great guy who is now 90 years old. One day I asked him “What’s your secret to living so long?” “Simple,” He said. “Keep breathing.” I guess that helps.

The fact is though that life is short. I’ve lost several friends that I grew up with. One day they were there, and the next day they were gone. One of them was a member of this church. On a Saturday, just one year ago, I got a call from her daughter Sarah. “Uncle Charlie, mom died.”

I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t process the words. My mind simply went blank. “But, I just got an email from her yesterday. How can this be true?”

As each person that knew her heard the news, they had the same sense of shock. When my mother came to church Sunday morning, she literally broke out in weeping. Her sobs crushed what was left of my already shattered heart. For each of us, our memories of Kelly flooded over us like a tidal wave.

“What was the last thing I said to her? Could I have done more with her or for her? Was I the friend I should have been?” Every one of us had such thoughts. But when the last moment is over, it is over. Life is brief and for all of us, it is a terminal disease. Each one of us will come to that same end someday. It isn’t “if,” but rather “when.”

Text Verse: Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
² He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue. Job 14:1, 2

Whether we like it or not we’re all getting older… moment by moment, day by day, the clock keeps ticking as our life ebbs away. We race towards the future, looking for what’s ahead and we’re in continuous anticipation about the next big thing. But from time to time, we stop and look back and wonder where the years have gone. Usually we do this on anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

Solomon tells us this is the entirely wrong attitude to have. If you follow his life, this is what he did, but it ended up costing him. He was the richest and wisest man ever to live and yet he misplaced his wisdom.

At the end of his life, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s a hard book to follow unless you understand his premise. He contrasts life under the sun with life under the heavens. He tells us what is and what isn’t meaningful. In the end, nothing under the sun is meaningful. Instead, it’s what is under God’s heaven that has true meaning and purpose.

This is the point of what Solomon is trying to tell us and he sums everything up in chapter 12 of Ecclesiastes. We can take it as an axiom that no person lying on his death bed has ever uttered, “I wish I had worked more hours at my job.” No, when we encounter death, we look at things in an entirely different way.

For many who are blessed with a slow death, they at least get the chance to sort out their life with God. For those who die suddenly, they don’t get that chance. They were either right with Him or they were not. For those who were not, that is the saddest end of all. If you are here today, it’s because you are still alive. Solomon tells you what you need to consider now.

He will open his discourse noting that it is the youth to whom he is speaking. As the oldest man who ever lived, Methuselah, lived to 969 years, I think everyone here qualifies as a youth, at least in regards to him. So Solomon is speaking to you. Pay attention. There are valuable lessons to be learned from this superior word, and so may God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Solomon’s Words to the Young (Verses 1-8)

The beautiful and magnificent words of Ecclesiastes 12 comprise 1482 characters in 339 words of 14 verses in the NKJV, or 754 characters in 162 words if you read the Hebrew text. Solomon was writing to the youth of his time, and the words he wrote echo down through the ages and throughout all generations. He speaks, like Isaiah who would come later also speaks; about priorities –

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹ But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30, 31

But, though Solomon’s words are beautiful, some of them are a bit cryptic, especially verses 1-6. And so let’s take a very brief look at them together and see what he was trying to tell us.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:

In these opening words of the chapter, Solomon implores his reader to not wait on a relationship with God. Youth, and its many distractions, is still the perfect time to begin – and to strive to perfect – this relationship. With the passing of youth we experience the “difficult days.” They are days of trouble and days of trial.

First, pressures of family and work come up. No sooner are we getting through this phase than we reach the age of physical and mental deterioration. Such days are no longer in the distant future. Instead, they are days which draw near. And in the coming of that time, we say “I have no pleasure in them.”

Life loses the wonder of youth, it loses the joy of things being endlessly new and exciting. Instead, all becomes routine, life gets tedious, and the days tiresome. The alarm clock rings and we rise to do our duty once again. The excitement is gone, but for brief moments which are always too short. From time to time, we might even have the passing thought which the psalmist of old asked –

“How many are the days of Your servant?” Psalm 119:84

The pleasure of youth is gone and in place of it come questions about when life itself will end. Solomon asks us to remember our Creator in our youth, before such days arrive. As I’ve already noted how youthful each of you are, then be advised that he is speaking to you. Whatever your span of life will be, it is set and there isn’t a thing you can do about it. Moses understood this and he wrote something special for you to consider. From the oldest psalm in the Bible, we read these words –

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

² While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,

Here Solomon is referring to the loss of vision – macular degeneration, cataracts, and all the other eye problems we experience in this fallen world. I personally started losing my vision some years ago. It seems that every year or so since then, the number on my reader glasses has gotten a little larger.

Eventually, if our sight gets bad enough, the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, and all of the other things we love to see – all of these will simply fade into gray or even black.

But there is another type of blindness that is even worse. It isn’t physical at all. Rather, it is spiritual. It is a blindness we are born with. Jesus spoke of it to the leaders of Israel –

And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41

We have a blindness to our own sinful state. It is so heavy over the eyes of our hearts that we simply refuse to see that it is there. Paul prayed that this blindness would be replaced with clarity of vision. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said this  –

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21

Children, we are being asked to remember our Creator now, in the days of our youth, before the blindness of eternal darkness once and forever overtakes us.

^2 (con’t) And the clouds do not return after the rain;

The Hebrew reads, “And the clouds return after the rain. The “clouds returning after the rain” is a metaphor for continued physical problems constantly returning. As soon as it rains, the clouds begin to form again. It is continuous cycle of getting better only to have the same problem come right back. In the same way, our brains fog over and our thoughts become unclear as we age. Even if we remember something, we forget it again right away.

Before this sad state comes upon us, Solomon implores us to think on the things of God; to make the best possible use of our time. The psalmist of old gives us wonderful words of how we should spend these few moments of our existence –

“When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.” Psalm 63:6

David did just this and he was able to hide God’s word in his heart when he was young. It was a good thing he did, because in his later years, this would have become impossible. He had an affliction of the body which was so debilitating that he could never have directed his thoughts to the things of God unless they were already instilled in him –

“When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.” 1 Kings 1:1

Solomon saw this in his father David and he wrote words for us to consider –

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.” Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10

³ In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,

Here Solomon calls the arms and legs “the keepers of the house.” The arms are what care for us, and the legs are what transport us. They are what keep the house of our souls fed, healthy, mobile, and able to continue functioning. But, as humans, we often tend to get the shakes in these areas with age. Body tremors, neuropathic problems, Parkinson’s, and other ravages of time and age all cause the keepers of the house to tremble.

Solomon asks us to consider our lives now, in our youth, before this happens. It is a sad thought that someone would start seeking God from His word at a time when he can’t even hold a book steady. Rather, the book of Hebrews admonishes us with these words, directed to us now while we still are able –

“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12

^3 (con’t) And the strong men bow down;

When he says that “strong men bow down” it’s obvious that as we age the ground gets closer to our faces… or is it our faces getting closer to the ground? Our backs hunch over, our knees bow, and these unnatural positions only increase our pains.

And so, I’d ask today that you consider while you have the chance, to strengthen yourself spiritually through Christ so that when your physical body wears out, you have the inner strength of His glorious Spirit to take you through these times of trouble. Two contrasting verses from the psalms will help instruct us in this matter –

“For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.” Psalm 31:10

“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.” Psalm 146:8

What a different end for those who know God and those who do not. For those in Christ, there is an eternity of strength which awaits them. For the others, there is only an eternity of pain which lies ahead after that life of pain. Remember your Creator now my children.

^3 (con’t) When the grinders cease because they are few,

Along with the other problems, Solomon goes on to tell us that our chewing will become more difficult with age due to the loss of our pearly whites! We’re fortunate today to have advanced dental capabilities, but the cost is often so high that we still let some of the missing teeth remain missing. Eventually for some, there is only the prospect of soft foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was a rare thing in ancient Israel for people to have all their teeth even at a young age. How much worse when they were older! Solomon was impressed that his bride to be had all of her teeth –

“Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.” Song of Solomon 4:2

His advice to this beautiful young bride would have been to enjoy her beauty, and to enjoy every meal, but also to pursue God while she was still young enough to possess both.

^3 (con’t) And those that look through the windows grow dim;

Again, Solomon reminds us of our coming vision problems. The eyes are called the windows to the soul. Eventually, the eyes dim and the food for our soul can no longer be consumed. His advice is that we not get to that point without first remembering our Creator; pondering Him and His goodness in our lives. Some of the greatest of the Bible suffered with vision problems.

Isaac lay in his bed for over forty years because of his blindness. Eli, the high priest of Israel and one of the very few people ever allowed to see the Most Holy objects of Israel’s tabernacle, eventually lost his vision as well. Moses was more fortunate. It says of him at his death –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

For those who are the redeemed of the Lord, who are willing to follow Him, many promises are made, including promises of sight to the blind –

“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

Remember your Creator now before the times of eternal darkness arrive and sight is no longer possible.

⁴ When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;

The doors of which Solomon speaks are our ears. When we shut the doors to the street outside, we can’t hear what is happening out there. But that is where the joy of life is! The sound of the grinding speaks of women sitting at the millstones, chatting like birds and grinding out the grain for the evening meal.

It would have been the most common and delightful sound of all. Every Israelite would cherish the memories of such times. To not hear more of them would have been worse than almost anything else.

Likewise, the music we love, the voice of our loved ones, and the sounds of life all fade with age. With our bad eyes, we can’t read the Bible, and with our bad ears, we can’t even hear an audio Bible. Solomon would ask us to consider our Creator now, before such evil days steal away our chance to know Him intimately.

For those who know their Lord, He can and will cause the deaf to hear. Mark wrote about the marvelous work of Christ there on the dusty streets of Israel –

“Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. ³³ And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶ Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷ And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:32-37

Christ does all things well because He is the God/Man. He is the One who promised restoration of all things, and through Him all things will be restored. Solomon finishes this verse with this thought –

^4 (con’t) When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.

Man tends to wake up earlier as he ages – with or without alarm clocks. The “daughters of music” are the morning birds which sing their joyous songs. But despite their marvelous sounds, there’s a big problem… We may be up early as they sing out their delightful tunes, but we can’t hear them because our hearing is shot! The daughters of music are brought low; their joyous whistling becomes nothing more than a dull sound to our deadened ears.

And there is also another type of deafness which man faces. It is the inability to hear the word of God as it speaks to his soul. The Lord told the prophet Isaiah to proclaim this to the people –

“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
¹⁰ “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

The people of Isaiah’s time are the same as people today. We refuse to listen, we refuse to heed, and we refuse to turn and be healed. The musical notes of the words of Scripture are brought low to our deadened sense. Oh God, if we would just open our hearts, you would fill our ears with sound and our eyes with light –

“So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?”  Exodus 4:11

⁵ Also they are afraid of height,

The young are afraid of nothing. Heights are a challenge to be overcome. But to the elderly, even a small step ladder could mean a broken hip. High places begin to terrify and the ground is a safe haven from the terrifying heights. But even the old who know the Lord, who cherished their Creator in the days of their youth, are able to rise to the highest of heights to grant Him His just due –

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!” Psalm 148:1

^5 (cont) And of terrors in the way;

What once was something we laughed off without a care, later becomes that which terrifies us most. When we were young, we would go to the store without a second thought, but with age comes fear – “Will someone attack me if I go out?” “Those young ruffians on the corner sure look bent on evil.” “What if the car breaks down on the highway?”

Things that never caused us a moment of concern eventually fill us with dread. Age has worn us down and we can no longer look out for ourselves as we once did. Like a lazy person, we soon find excuses to not go out at all –

“The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!’” Proverbs 22:13

But for those who fear the Lord in reverence, there is no dread of what man, demon, or devil can do –

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

^5 (cont) When the almond tree blossoms,

When it’s in full bloom, the almond tree is covered with white blossoms. Solomon uses it as a metaphor for the head of the aged. Where there was once raven black, there is now a beautiful gray. Where blond curls were, there is now shiny silver. Solomon is being poetic and striking about the head of the aged. My beard was once a nice brown color, now it has assumed another look.

In the proverbs, Solomon says that for those who took the time to know their Creator in their youth, the blossoming almond tree bears a special honor –

“The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31

And in Isaiah, the Lord promises His people that this mark of the aged is no hindrance to His power –

“Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

^5 (cont) The grasshopper is a burden,

God created the grasshopper just as he created mosquitoes. For the aged, both are troubling. In the case of the grasshopper, even though their ears have trouble hearing the sound of the birds, the grasshopper’s song at night is as clear as crystal because of its peculiar pitch, even someone practically deaf can hear it.

And it never seems to end as you lie in bed with your old bones, wishing it were morning! The grasshopper drags himself along, robbing the aged of the little sleep that they try to get. Remember your Creator now… in the time of your youth, before such terrible times come.

^5 (cont) And desire fails.

What was once delightful becomes bland. What once stirred the soul eventually becomes wearisome. Work loses its joy; the desires of life fade. The anticipation of the caress of another is replaced with the desire to just get a bit more sleep. Ouch! That’s all I can say! In this regard, Moses was a blessed exception –

“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Deuteronomy 34:7

The Hebrew of this verse tells us that Moses didn’t need Viagra. But for the majority of us, as age advances, our desires fail and the joys of youth are gone. Remember your Creator now, in the days of your youth, young man.

^5 (cont) For man goes to his eternal home,

The eternal home; the resting place for all souls. The KJV calls it the “long home.” And we will be there a long, long time. For us, there awaits a box in the ground, a fancy pine overcoat – longer than it is wide.

^5 (cont) And the mourners go about the streets.

In the time of Solomon, and even through the time of Jesus, professional mourners were employed to stand outside homes of people who died.  If you were wealthy, you’d have lots of them, but whatever… the job could only mean one thing. Death had arrived and claimed another soul. The eternally hungry pit was fed once again and the sound of a person, unique from any other in all of human history, had been forever silenced.

Solomon asks us to consider this end, for it is one we will all share in. For those who are wise, there is to be relief from this pit – if… if we will just remember our Creator before the sickle comes to reap the sheaf of our life. In Christ there is hope –

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25, 26

⁶ Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,

Once again, Solomon implores us to remember Him – the one who loves us, who created us, who came to die for us. Before we know it, something will go wrong with our jar of clay – our human shell – and it will be too late. The silver cord is the spine and its marrow. Its loosening causes a stopping of all the nervous system and brings on the approach of old age and death. Or, if it gets cut unnaturally, death can be much, much quicker. Remember Him now, before your silver cord is loosed.

^6 (con’t) Or the golden bowl is broken,

The golden bowl is our head and its contents (or the lack thereof.) If it gets broken, or the brain pops a vessel, we’re on our way to the checkout counter. Our ticket is punched. I’ve known several people who died from head injuries – some from motorcycles, one more recently from a brain hemorrhage. To think of them is to miss them.

Even with modern medicine, once the golden bowl is broken, that’s pretty much it. Solomon would have us use our head now in the pursuit of God, while it can still be used for such a magnificent pursuit. There are brains there, but is there wisdom to use them?

^6 (con’t) Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,

The pitcher is that great vein which carries blood to the right ventricle of the heart – here called the fountain. The pitcher pours, the fountain receives, life continues on with each pump of the muscle. [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []. But the pump is known to fault, the vein is known to shatter, and the fountain no longer receives the lifeblood of the man [] [] [] [] [] ………

^6 (con’t) Or the wheel broken at the well.

The wheel is that great artery which receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart – here designated as the well. Modern science has the capacity to repair these things to some extent, but eventually they will wear out, unless something else goes first, When the wheel is broken, the cowboy has had his last roundup; the surfer has tucked into his last tube, and the mason has laid his last brick. Remember the Creator now, while the work of your hands remains an active task and not a forgotten memory.

Of verse 6, I’d like to tell you a story. I used to sit on the beach with a sign that said, “Bible Questions Answered; Don’t Be Shy!” One day a doctor from Pennsylvania walked up and asked a few questions. He went to church, but he figured all religions were the same. He was up for Buddhism and other New Agey things too.

Eventually, he asked some question or another, and I took him to this verse. I showed him Solomon’s words about the heart which are written here. He turned whiter than he already was and mumbled out, “How could he know this? How could Solomon have known this 2700 years ago?” That doctor went away a changed man with a new appreciation for the word of God.

⁷ Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

These words find their origin in the very first pages of the Bible. It is an echo of what God did to Adam –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

From the dust we arose at the work of the Lord. By His breath, the dust was animated. The blood began to flow, air filled the lungs; the senses came alive. By His wisdom, it came to be. But by our folly, what was meant to last forever in pristine running condition, became a confining prison, filled with pains, sadness, and decay. The man forgot his Creator and man has suffered ever since –

“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

But through Christ, a new body is promised, one that will never wear out, never tire, never decay. God has spoken; the second shall replace the first –

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:46-49

We are given a choice. Will we stay in Adam and face eternal decay, or will we choose God’s work in Christ and receive eternal life? How will you choose? Choose wisely, my children.

^7 (con’t) And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Yes, we are eternal beings. Scripture makes it clear that our spirit will return to God. When we meet Him, it will be for eternal salvation or it will be for eternal condemnation. A price must be paid for the life we have lived. It can be paid in the cross of Christ as our perfect Substitute, or it can be paid in our imperfect selves. I pray you make the right choice. The Bible shows a different end for those who are in Christ and those who are not –

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

⁸ “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”

havel havalim amar ha’qohelet ha’kol havel – “Vapor of vapors says the Kohelet; everything is vapor.” Breath on a cold day. Abel, or Havel, was given his name from a mother who realized the difference between life under the sun and life under the heavens. She longed, desperately, to return to that life under the heavens which she had lost, but it never came about. She’s still waiting, 6000 years later.

Without a doubt, outside of Jesus Christ, it is all meaningless. All our money, all our treasures, hard work, savings, relationships, desires, aims, goals, boastings…all of it – vapor. It will pass away and disappear into the nothingness from which it came. James understood this –

“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹ For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.” James 1:9-11

II. The Conclusion of the Whole Matter (Verses 9-14)

⁹ And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.

The Lord came to Solomon in a dream at night and asked him what he desired. His answer was a wise one indeed –

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. ⁹ Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:7-9

The Lord’s response to this request came immediately, and it overflowed with abundance –

“Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, ¹² behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. ¹³ And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. ¹⁴ So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3:11-14

In the next chapter, the fulfillment of the promise is recorded –

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. ³⁰ Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹ For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ³² He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. ³³ Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. ³⁴ And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.” 1 Kings 4:29-34

Despite all that he was given though, he piddled his life away with worthless pursuit of life under the sun. In his old age, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in hopes that we would pay heed to what he had ignored. This life is vain indeed, my son. Look to the eternal; set your eyes on the Lord; and run the race with vigor – all the way to the finish line. Don’t look left; don’t look to the right. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.

Solomon’s personal life was wasted in the empty pursuit of vapor, but his words were exceedingly wise. In his case, we could rightly state the old adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.” His words were acceptable, even for inclusion in the word of God.

What is made clear here is that knowledge is important, but equally so we need to impart it to others. The knowledge of Christ is their only hope…don’t keep it to yourself. As with everything in the Bible, Solomon says these are “just the right words.”

They are upright and true –
They are the words of your Creator reaching out to you. 

As it says in Hebrews concerning all of Scripture –

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

If this is true, and it is, then the power of the word of God, if properly presented, will cut through all barriers. And the power of the gospel can restore even the greatest sinner. But Paul asks an obvious question in the book of Romans –

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14, 15

Wisdom is receiving and applying the word of God to one’s life. Exceeding wisdom is turning around and sharing it with others.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads,

Goads are prods used to move animals along. In this, Solomon is saying that the words of the wise are what prompt us toward God and an everlasting relationship with Him. And the words of the wise are thus the words of Scripture. They are what prod us towards a good and happy end. The apostle Paul found that kicking against the goads is painful indeed on the day he met the risen Christ –

“And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” Acts 26:14

Are you here today kicking against the goads. You’re only hurting yourself. Christ is calling for you to live at peace with Him, not to fight His marvelous hand until your dying breath. Let the words of Christ be that which drive you to the refuge where the Lord God dwells, and where underneath are the everlasting arms.

^{11 (con’t)} and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails,

A well-driven nail holds fast. It will remain secure in the highest of winds and against the strongest of intruders. The home is safe, the tent stands firm, and the bleachers won’t buckle when the nails are well driven. The words of scholars, wise and learned men who have penned the word of God for us, are like this. They are tested and true. This is why the psalmist could unequivocally state –

“Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 (NIV)

Later in the same psalm, he gives us another insight into the nature of the word –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

A lamp is used to direct light, but light is a constant. It never changes. It travels at 186,282 miles per second… always. The word of God is what directs the light, and the light of the word never changes. The path for our feet will never falter when we place our trust in the contents of the word. Let these well-driven nails be your place of refuge now, while the time is called Today.

^{11 (con’t)} given by one Shepherd.

Who is this one Shepherd? It is Jesus – the eternal Logos; the Word of God. He’s both the Author and the Subject of the Bible. The words He gives us are all we need to properly guide our lives and to lead us into all righteousness. In adhering to His words, we are forever filled –

“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The Shepherd that David looked on high to is the same Shepherd we eagerly anticipate –

“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11

He is our Good Shepherd; He is our Great Shepherd; and He is our Chief Shepherd. He is the guide of the flock, and His reward is with Him. His word stands firm, and His promises are true. Remember Him now, little children. Seek Him while He may be found.

¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these.

We can seek after wisdom from a thousand cultures and ten thousand wise men, but unless we pursue God as He has revealed Himself to us, the wisdom will fail and our knowledge will die with us. The words of the scholars, which have been given by the One true Shepherd have been provided as the roadmap for our lives. He created us, and therefore He alone can direct us as is fit and proper. Solomon understood this, and his words to you, my children, are as relevant today as they were when he said this. Allow the word of God to admonish you. Demonstrate true wisdom now, while there is time.

^{12 (con’t)} Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Isn’t this the truth! Imagine, Solomon wrote this almost 3000 years ago. He said even then that there is no end to the making of books at a time in history when hardly any books had been written! Just imagine how overwhelming the sight of a modern library would be for him today.

If we were to count only the books written about the Bible, we would be counting a very long time. I know several people, quite a few in fact, who have read book after book after book about the Bible, but they have spent very little time in comparison simply reading the Bible. What a waste of time.

Before I met the Lord, I read the entire collection of Edgar Allen Poe every year. Since I met Him, I have never read Poe again. And in all honesty, I’d rather go back and read Poe than most of the books that have been written about the Bible. They come and they go. They often enrich the author, but they do very little to enrich the soul. At least Poe could do that. If you want time well spent, the word is waiting. Pick the thing up and read it! If you do, you will be able to fulfill the words of the next verse…

¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Oh boy! I can’t wait to hear! Solomon, the wisest man ever to live has some advice for us… for you, my children. Now! While still in your youth. Lean in and listen folks, the word is near you.

^{13 (con’t)} Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

Truly, it is the whole duty of man – to fear God, to obey His Holy Word, to “…fix our eyes on Jesus…”  And, how do we keep his commandments? First, you have to learn them. Which ones apply still? Which ones are set aside? The commandments of God throughout the ages are many, but not all apply at all times. The ones that do now are neither burdensome, nor are they difficult.

To find this out though, you need to go to the source and read it. Immerse yourself in the Bible. It’s an amazingly deep well. So drink from it daily and then obey it in the context which applies for those who trust in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Solomon says that this is man’s all. There is no thing greater that we as human beings can do than to have a reverential fear of God and to keep the word which He has given to us. Shall we stand approved before Him on that great day? If we adhere to the precepts of the Bible, the answer is “Yes.”

* ^{14 (fin)} For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

A day of reckoning is coming. We will all face it and there is not a thing that we can do about its arrival. We can deny it, we can suppress it, we can… lie to ourselves about it, but that day will come – for each and every soul who has ever existed. On that day, the secrets of our hearts will be exposed and the hidden things will be brought to light.

The old saying, “Nothing is sure but death and taxes” understates the ability of people to finagle their way out of paying taxes. But one thing we can’t cheat is death. We’re all heading to our “long home” and we don’t know the day we will move into it.

The time is coming when we will all stand before God to give an account for ourselves. We will stand and receive judgment based on our words. As Jesus said, “…by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). The words Jesus wants to hear, and the words that justify us are laid out by Paul in Romans 10 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10

Let me explain to you how you can arrive at that point where you ae willing to utter those words…

Closing Verse: “All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
²⁵ But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24, 25

Next week: Exodus 30:1-10 The symbolism of Christ in these verses is immense (The Altar of Incense) (83rd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for you. Though life under the sun may be exceedingly sorrowful and tedious, He promises those who trust in Him a glorious future of life under the heavens. So follow Him and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Revelation 21:5
Return to Eden

For those who attend the Superior Word in person, you know that most of the artwork in the church came from the hand of my paternal grandmother, Adelaide Garrett. She was a true artist, working in oils, pottery, needlepoint, and a host of other mediums. And much of her work centered on biblical motifs.

We have quite a few of her works here, but one that I never brought in until now is that of a pottery plate depicting four people in a beautiful garden setting. There is a father, a mother, and two boys. This is not an idealized picture of her own family. She had three sons and the two boys in the picture are old enough so that the third son was also already born.

This isn’t a picture of the family of one of her own sons either as it was done in 1962 which was too early for a family setting for any of them. The back of the plate gives us an insight into what she was thinking of. It is entitled “Wayfarers.”

A wayfarer is someone on a journey. Grandma knew that man, since the fall of Adam, has been on a journey. And so it seems likely that she was thinking of the first family – Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. This seems likely when looking closely at the plate.

As I said, the family is in a garden-like setting. There is the man on the left side of the plate, meaning the right side of the family. We will call him Adam. He’s kneeling in the sand and has a butterfly on his right hand that he is curiously looking at. His left hand is on the shoulder of the younger of the two sons who is looking up at the butterfly with innocent curiosity. We’ll call this boy Abel.

The nearness of the son to dad, and the hand on his shoulder, is a sign of protection, love, and contentment. Next in the picture, to the left of the little boy is a lovely lady. We’ll call her Eve.

Her head is looking in the direction of the butterfly too, with a smile on her face. But the smile isn’t as upturned as Adam. And her eyes are wistfully looking a bit downward, as if she is lost in contemplation about something nicer than a butterfly.

He is ever the optimist seemingly taking advantage of the moment and figuring that it is what is meant to be at that time and place. She, however, seems to be remembering how much better it was at an earlier time, a time that is now seemingly gone forever. She looks lovely in the flowery lei which adorns her neck, but the look on her face steals away some of the beauty she was adorned with.

And then, finally to her left and at the furthest distance from Adam, is the oldest son. We’ll call him Cain. He is looking in the same direction as the others, to the right, but his eyes are not on the butterfly at all. Instead, they are directed down a bit from there… they are directed towards Abel.

But even more, they are looking at Abel even though they now appear closed. It seems that he looked at his younger brother, made a mental image of what he saw – standing there close to dad and with dad’s hand on his shoulder… and even seemingly guarded by mom who stands between the two boys, and his mind is contemplating what his eyes just saw.

His arms are drawn in tightly next to him, as if he’s purposely restraining them from doing what they really want to do. And, unlike his younger brother, he is partly hidden from the depiction by a wall of rocks. Maybe his mind is thinking about what he could do with one of those rocks…

Text Verse: “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5

Trouble came into the world because of one misdeed by our first father. Paradise was lost, fellowship with God was ended, and a life of toil and struggle was set before mankind. But, even in their disobedience, the Lord promised to restore that which was lost. This has been the hope of man ever since.

Everybody looks forward to something better. Nobody in their right mind gets up in the morning and says, “I hope today will be worse than yesterday.” Instead, we are always hoping for better. And no matter how good yesterday was, we want today to be even gooder than that.

But no matter how marvelous one day is over the one before, even for an infinite number of marvelous days, none will be perfect as long as we walk in this fallen world. What we need is a new world; one where all things… are new. This is the hope of man, and this is the promise of God.

This hope is found once again through another Man. What He did makes our hope possible, and in fact, it makes it sure. The proof of it is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and this is why we have come here today. We have come to celebrate our.return.to.Eden. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Vanity of Vanities

Concerning the plate and the symbolism behind it that I see, well… its all speculation. But the depiction so closely matches the account of our first family that it’s hard to not think that they are who were on the mind of Grandma Garrett as she worked the clay into a depiction for us to ponder.

Adam had brought trouble upon himself and his family and now it was his job to make the best of the situation. Eve’s state of mind concerning the place she had once been is evident in the naming of her two children. To understand the context of the names she chose, we need to look at the surrounding story.

In chapter 3, we saw that Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. They had every possible delight that they could imagine and nothing was withheld from them except the fruit of one tree; just one. But of all of the wonderful delights that they could have had, they instead had their eyes directed to the one thing that was forbidden to them.

They believed the lies of the serpent, they disobeyed their Creator, and all three of them were justly sentenced for their crime. But in the sentencing of the serpent came a promise. It was something that both Adam and Eve will later respond to in their own way. In Genesis 3:15, we find these words now known as the protoevangelium or “the first gospel” –

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15

A promise was made that One would come to destroy the serpent. What is implied is that if the serpent is destroyed, then the enmity between God and man would end. And what is explicitly stated is that it would be the Seed of the woman who would bring this about. Good news indeed!

After the sentencing of the serpent, the Lord sentenced the woman and then Adam. After the sentencing, the first thing that is recorded is this –

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 3:20

It seems odd that this would be the first thing that man would do after being sentenced for his crimes, but it shows what was preeminently on his mind. The name Eve is the Hebrew word Khavah which means “Life.” Adam was just sentenced to death, and yet he names her Life. He had paid attention to the Lord’s words.

Eve was told that her husband would rule over her. By naming the woman, he claimed dominion and authority over her, just as when he had named the animals. But in choosing the name Khavah, or “Life,” he was demonstrating faith in God’s promise to provide a Redeemer. He had died spiritually, and he was sentenced to a physical death as well, but he looked forward to life.

He knew this Redeemer would restore them to spiritual life and fellowship with God, and he knew that He would be the Seed of the woman. He just didn’t know what seed or when. His concern was that He would, in fact, come. The Lord had spoken and the man believed the word. What was dead would be made alive. Only after Adam showed faith in the promises of the Lord do we read the next words of the story –

“Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21

By an act of faith in the promises of God through the Lord, Adam was clothed, thus hiding his nakedness. It is a pattern which is seen in the faithful ever since – demonstrate faith and then receive a suitable covering. Once the man and his wife were covered, we read the final, tragic words of Genesis 3 –

“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22, 23

For them, it was the end of the garden of God. Paradise was lost and the way of access to the tree of life was guarded. All there was left was hope of regaining that access somehow, some way… some day. The Seed would make it possible. This is where their hope lay. Surely a better day lay ahead.

Until then, they could only carry the memory of the perfection they once beheld. That must have been the most painful part of the entire ordeal. No matter how good today was, and even if ten thousand times ten thousand days lay ahead, each better than the one before, it would never compare to the day… that lay behind.

This is the context of their sad state, and this is what leads us into Chapter 4 of Genesis with these even more pitiful words –

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord.’ ² Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.” Genesis 4:1, 2

At some point after being cast from the Garden of Eden, the first thing the Bible records is the birth of Cain. In victory, Eve cried out, qaniti ish eth Yehovah – “I have acquired man with the Lord.”

The word “acquired” is the Hebrew word qaniti and it’s where Qayin, or Cain, comes from. Concerning the words she chose, the significance is that she was taking credit for what she thought would be the delivery of her Deliverer.

Instead of using the word im for “with,” she used the word eth. She was actively stating that she was responsible for what had come about. If I say that I am building a house with wood, it doesn’t mean that the wood is actually doing anything. It is just being used in a passive way for the house to be built.

However, if I say that I am building a house with Jesus, then both Jesus and I are actively building the house. This is Eve’s intent in relation to the Lord. She claimed she was an active participant in what was happening as she worked to bring in the Seed who would restore her to the Garden. Although not a literal translation, the NET Bible gives us the sense of her pitiful words –

“I have created a man just as the LORD did!” (NET Bible)

The reason for how pitiful they are is because of the very next verse –

“Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.” Genesis 4:2

There is no note of victory, no hint of joy, nothing. It doesn’t even say why he is named Abel. Instead, this is all it says. Because of this, we need to know what Abel means. Abel, or hevel, means “breath.” It is passing vapor, the kind of breath that one sees on a cold morning, just for a moment… and then it is gone. It is also translated as “vanity” or “meaningless,” and thus we can more clearly understand Solomon’s words from Ecclesiastes –

havel havelim amar qohelet havel havelim ha’kol havel, or

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

Eve felt victorious at the birth of her son. She thought that she had merited Paradise once again. Through her efforts in the pain of childbirth, she thought she was ushering in her messiah. She thought she was responsible for making a man who would redeem her and set her on high.

Instead however, with the second agony of childbirth, she realized that there was just another mouth to feed, another set of sleepless nights, and the woeful prospect of even more children ahead. She was under the dominion of her husband and she was subservient to the responsibilities she had for the children she bore.

Life under the sun was not like life under heaven. Paradise was gone and apparently the Promise was misunderstood. All is vanity; all is meaningless; all is chasing after the wind. What a sad end to the story of her life. She is never mentioned by name again in the Old Testament. She is simply referred to as the wife of Adam.

And as a final tormenting disgrace for her, her first child – in fact the first person ever born – turned out to be a murderer. He killed his little brother and he was removed by the Lord to be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. He moved to the east, even further from that wondrous spot of delight, making himself and his seed enemies of God.

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” says the Preacher
What a woeful, mournful life we lead
It’s is even tedious to be a renowned teacher
But that’s no excuse students, so pay heed

Life under the heavens is grand indeed
But life under the sun is wearisome at best
Sit up straight and be sure to take heed
For at the end of the sermon, you will be given a test

Do you want to live out your life under the sun?
Chasing the wind, with never enough speed?
Or do you want to live life under the heavens, eternal fun
Sit up straight children, its time to pay heed

II. An Amazing Genealogy

From the early Genesis account, it can be deduced that the generations of Adam knew that a Redeemer would come. Hints of this pop up again and again in the record. Eventually, the story arrives at Abraham. About 2100 years after the creation, he was called out of his homeland and told to go to a place which God would show him.

Abraham faithfully did as he was asked and set off towards Canaan. After some years, and at an advancing age, he was made a promise by the Lord. In the exchange came wonderful words for the faithful of all ages to consider –

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
² But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵ Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
⁶ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

The Lord made a marvelous promise, Abraham believed Him, and we are told that He accounted it to him for righteousness. He had done nothing more than to take the Lord at His word, and he was credited with that for righteousness. Like his first father, Adam, he demonstrated faith in the word and he was covered by the Lord.

Abraham lived in faith and he passed that life of faith onto his son of promise, Isaac. From Isaac, the promise was passed on to his son, Jacob. And from Jacob, who is Israel, came twelve sons, all included in the blessing of Abraham – each son a tribe, and each tribe a part of the covenant people.

But, there were also other people of faith, and who demonstrated faith along the way. These too played an important role in what was to come. The daughters of Lot, who are so often maligned for the incestuous relations they had with their father, were looking forward to the same Redeemer that Eve had awaited.

The children they bore were to become enemies of God’s covenant people, and yet from them both (and thus from their father Lot) came sons who are in the genealogy of this Promised One. The Bible never wastes words. Each story is intended to show us something wonderful about this marvelous thing God was doing through the stream of time and human existence.

At a certain point in the life and times of the covenant people Israel, a time when they were in bondage to another nation, a child was born to a Levite. The child was named Moses and from him would come a marvelous part of the story of redemptive history.

He became Israel’s human deliverer and lawmaker. It was he who spoke with the Lord, face to face, and who received the law which would guide them for the next 1400 hundred or so years. Through him, the covenant was made with Israel which would be for many blessings and many, many curses.

Little did they know that they were being used as a picture of deeper spiritual truths for us to consider. But one thing they did know, through them would come the Promised One. The anticipation must have built each time a new prophet would come and proclaim a little bit more about Him.

Hints of His coming would be proclaimed and then be added to the corporate body of writings that they maintained. Each letter and each word would be studied and contemplated as they awaited either more words, or the promised arrival.

Backing up for a moment to a time while Jacob was still alive, it was made known to them that this Redeemer would come through his fourth son, Judah. And the record of Judah’s life gave more hints. The Deliverer would come through his own daughter-in-law that he slept with, thinking she was a prostitute.

Rather than a woman of such an ignoble profession, she was a woman of faith. She knew of the promise and she didn’t want to be denied her rights within this group of people to bear a child. In her act of faith of disguising herself as a harlot, she was granted not just one child, but two. And more, the second one, Perez, would be in the line of the coming One. Another story, another hint.

Arriving once again at the time of Moses, the story takes the people of Israel from Egypt all the way back to the borders of Canaan, the Land of Promise. There, to the east of Canaan, Moses died and was buried. After that, Joshua led them across the Jordan and to their rightful home.

From the time of the giving of the law until the time of David, history was recorded, and more hints of the Coming One were seen, but it wasn’t until the time of David that an open and explicit promise was once again made. It involved David’s house and his kingdom. Not only would the Messiah come through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, but He would come through David as well –

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16

Because we now know that He would come through David, we know that He would come through Tamar and Perez because this is the line from which David came. But how ironic it is! Not only would He descend from a woman who Judah thought was a prostitute, but He would also come from an actual prostitute.

David’s great-great grandfather married the prostitute Rahab who was a Canaanite woman and a friend of Israel. Together they had a son named Boaz. This wonderful man of valor then married a woman of Moab named Ruth, and it is Ruth who descends from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter.

What an amazing God that has aligned history to take the most unlikely of circumstances, and the most curious line of people imaginable and to insert them into the history of the Savior of the world! But there is more. David, despite having received such a great promise from the Lord, failed to honor Him as he should.

One night while his army was away in battle, he arose from his bed and walked on the roof of his house. While there, he saw a woman bathing in the cool of the evening and he let his passion get the best of him. He called for her and took her, though she was married to one of the mighty men of his army.

In due time, he had the woman’s husband killed, and he took her as his own wife. From this union, to a descendant of the cursed line of Canaan, would come Solomon, the son who would continue the line of promise made to David. And from Solomon came another son who would be king, Rehoboam.

What is notable about him is that he was born to Solomon and an Ammonitess woman. Thus she was a descendant of the people from the union between Lot and his second daughter in that cave in the wilderness. Their union resulted in a son named Ben-Ammi, who is the father of the Ammonites.

What transpired in that cave between Lot and his two daughters was intended to first give us a picture of the coming Christ and secondly, to lead us to Him. In picture, the names of the children show us the Divine/human nature of the Lord. Moab means “From father.” Ben-Ammi means “Son of my people.”

Jesus is “from Father” being Divine, and the “Son of My people” being of the human stock of Israel. In blood, He comes from all five of these people – Lot, his two daughters, and their two sons. Each step of human history, each page of the Bible, and each story on each page leads us a little closer to the marvel of God’s stepping into the stream of humanity.

Unusual seems hardly the word!
What a strange set of stories, what a sordid group of people
But it is through them that came Jesus our Lord
And it is He whom we worship under the church steeple

If God could use people such as this in this way
Then surely God can use each one of us too
Don’t fret and worry your whole life away
Instead make the best of the gifts He has given to you

For Christ has come and He has redeemed Adam’s seed
In Him the victory is won; Paradise is restored
So let us follow Him and praise Him, yes indeed!
Yes, let us glorify God, through Jesus our Lord

III. Christ Died, Christ Lives, Christ Will Come Again

From David, and down through his sons, people came and went. At times, it seemed that the promise the Lord made to David would fail. Because of constant disobedience, the Lord promised to cut off the house of David and to remove it from being His line of authority. This is seen in the woeful words of Jeremiah 22 –

As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; ²⁵ and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans. ²⁶ So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. ²⁷ But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.

²⁸ “Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol—
A vessel in which is no pleasure?
Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,
And cast into a land which they do not know?
²⁹ O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word of the Lord!
³⁰ Thus says the Lord:
‘Write this man down as childless,
A man who shall not prosper in his days;
For none of his descendants shall prosper,
Sitting on the throne of David,
And ruling anymore in Judah.’” Jeremiah 22:24-30

The Lord promised to cut off Coniah and remove him from the throne. Did the former promise to David then fail? Was there no hope for Israel? And if no hope for Israel, then the Gentiles had none too. Isaiah’s words said that the promise would not be for just Israel, but for Gentiles. With the line severed, was all hope lost?

The answer is, “No.” After the exile, a man name Zerubbabel came along. To him, through the mouth of the prophet Haggai, the promise of restoration was made –

And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, ²¹ “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:
‘I will shake heaven and earth.
²² I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
²³ ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:20-23

It is this person, Zerubbabel, or “Seed of Babylon,” that the genealogy of Christ unites in the records of Matthew and Luke. Matthew’s genealogy of Christ follows the line of Solomon; Luke’s follows the line of Nathan, another son of David. But they both unite in Zerubbabel.

The signet was restored, the line would continue, hope was stirred! However, not too long after the time of Haggai, the prophetic writings ended. The last prophet to be heard from was Malachi. He gave stern warnings to Israel, but he also gave them hope. For those who were of faith, he promised hope –

“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1

And so the people waited. As the years passed, anticipation grew. And then after 430 years, He came. The light dawned and the heavenly host praised God saying –

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

He had arrived; the time had come; the Child was born. The long awaited Seed of the woman would come to crush the head of the serpent and restore Paradise to fallen man. However, what He did and the record of His life is confusing to so many.

The things He said, the things He did, and the path He chose seemed contradictory to a great and reigning King or a mighty Savior. And so, many of His followers fell away. They couldn’t understand what He was doing. None of what He did seemed to make sense to them. The leaders hated Him, the people for the most part scorned Him, and even His family thought He was out of His mind.

And yet, the people still questioned, “Could this be the Son of David?” The promises had been made, the lines had been set, He seemed to fit the job description in so many ways, but they weren’t sure. The things He talked about seemed hopeful, but they also seemed so distant.

If this were the Redeemer, then why doesn’t He redeem? “When will we receive the promise?” Israel couldn’t understand. The problem is that they didn’t go back to the beginning. Instead of going to the heart of the problem which was identified at the beginning there in Genesis, they worked backward to a certain point and they stopped.

They held fast to the throne of David based on the promise to him. They boasted in the law because of their great lawgiver, Moses. They called themselves Jews because they knew that they predominantly descended from Judah. They clung to their identity as Israel because they were the people of God. And they gloried in their father Abraham because he was the first Hebrew.

But that is where it stopped with them. Everything beyond that was stuff for Sabbath stories and tales of old. They missed the fact that each one of those people that they boasted in was found to have boasted not in someone who came before them, but to have boasted in the Lord. They weren’t convinced of their own righteousness; they were aware of their sin. And as for David who was under the law, they missed what he said about the law that they boasted in –

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1, 2

David didn’t look to the law for righteousness; he looked to forgiveness of the law through atonement. Israel had missed the mark and they had stumbled over the stumbling stone. The problem wasn’t oppression of people who kept them from living out the law in the right manner. The problem was oppression from sin, which the law only highlighted.

And sin was the result of the work of the…. well, of the serpent. They failed to remember the lesson of Adam. They failed to heed the naming of Abel. They missed the declaration of Abraham’s righteousness which came hundreds of years before the law.

They even failed to listen to the words of Solomon – the wisest man who ever lived. It is true that Solomon began the book of Ecclesiastes with the memorable words, “Vanity of vanities.” But he also closes the book out with them as well. In the last chapter, verse 8, he repeats the sentiment –

havel havelim amar qohelet havel havelim 

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 8:12

A few verses later, he closes the book with these words –

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14

The people were admonished to stand in fear of God and keep His commandments. But the lesson of their own writings under the law that they boasted in was that none could keep His commandments. The law only highlighted their sin; it only revealed what Genesis 3 taught – the commandment brings death, not life.

Jesus, and all of His curious teachings and actions, were intended to wake them up from their slumber and to show them that they needed something more – they needed Him. He even told them this explicitly. They were looking for a promised Redeemer, and well,,,, there He stood –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40

The law was opposed to them; the law condemned them; the law couldn’t bring life. And so He came to fulfill it for them. In the next chapter, He told them exactly what they needed to do in order to please God –

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

Instead, they persecuted Him, they shunned Him, they beat Him, and they… had Him nailed to a tree. The Redeemer of the world; the One who had come through this sordid genealogy of murderers, harlots, incestuous relationships, and wayward kings… was crucified for every one of their sins.

In the wisdom of God, He set it up so that this was the inevitable end for Him, and the inevitable end of sin. From the law itself, Paul explains what Christ did for us –

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:11-14

The law said that everyone who hangs on a tree is accursed. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be freed from the law. Now, through Him, we have become the righteousness of God in Him. When Christ died, the veil was torn. On that veil was a depiction of cherubim. They were there, guarding access to the Tree of Life, behind the veil.

Now through the torn body of Christ, we have access once again to that Tree and to the Paradise that was lost so long ago. The flaming swords have ceased turning. There behind the veil, Eden’s wonderful delights await any who will come through His finished work, by a mere act of faith.

Eve, your Redeemer has come. Rest well because He has made a way back for you to your place of contentment and eternal joy.

But how can we be so sure of this? How can we know that what He did was sufficient? It is because Christ didn’t just die on a cross and get secreted away in a cave, there to decay along with our sins. No, the reason why we are here today is because we serve a risen Christ, a living Savior, and an Anchor for our weary soul.

Christ rose, proving that He had no sin of His own. Christ rose, proving that our sin died with Him. Christ rose guaranteeing our return to Eden, and to enjoy face to face fellowship with Him for all eternity. The story is complete in Christ. The hope is grounded. The day will come when those who have waited in faith will be rewarded for that faith. May that day be soon! Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Closing Verse: “He is risen!” Mark 16:6

 

Next Week: Exodus 25:23-30 Hey Mabel, wonderful things to be found in His word! (A Table in the Presence of the Lord) (69th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for You. Though Paradise was lost, He offers access to it once again through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So call on Him, and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

This is the gospel which was preached to you
It is also the one you received and on which you stand
It is the gospel of salvation, providing life that’s new
And which will carry you to the promised Holy Land

What is delivered to you is what was before received
That Christ died for our sins according to God’s word
He was buried and He rose and so we have believed
And many witnesses testify to this message you have heard

Now if Christ is preached that He is risen from the dead
How can some among you say the resurrection isn’t true?
If there is no resurrection after Christ was crucified and bled
Then our faith as well as yours is certainly askew

And if so, we are found false witnesses of God
Because we have wrongly testified of this mighty deed
And our faith is futile, no heavenly street’s we’ll trod
And we are still dead in our sins, fallen Adam’s seed

Even more, those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are gone
And we are the most pitiable creatures the world could ever look upon

But indeed Christ is risen from the dead
He is the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
And as death came through one Man, Adam our federal head
So Christ will make all alive, our souls He will keep

But there is an order to the Resurrection call
Christ was first, the pattern for the rest when He comes
When He does, He will make a shout out to us all
And we will rise as if to the sounds of heavenly battle drums

Then comes the time, when He delivers the kingdom to the Father
When all rule, authority, and power have come to an end
The last enemy to be destroyed is death, never more to bother
Then the Son will to the Father eternal rule extend

But you ask, what will we be like after our time of sleep
After we have been buried in corruption’s pit so deep

Our body is sown in dishonor, but it will be raised in glory
It is sown in weakness, but raised in power – the resurrection story

The first man Adam became a living being, it’s true
The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit, life to me and you

And as was the man of dust, created so long ago
So are those likened unto him, also made of dust
And as is the Man, the Lord from heaven, you know
That we shall bear His image for eternity just as we’ve discussed

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
Nor can corruption inherit that which in incorrupt
Be we shall all be changed, and so heavenly streets we’ll trod
In the twinkling of an eye, the change will be abrupt

When the last trumpet sounds we will be taken to glory
We shall all be changed, completion of the gospel story

Where O Death, O where is your sting
When Christ our Savior, us to Himself does He bring

Where O Hades, O where is your victory
When Christ translates His children to eternal glory

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin the law
But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord
My beloved brethren be steadfast in all you’ve heard and saw
And cling confidently to God’s eternal word

Know for certain that your labor is not in vain
Be of good cheer, Christ is coming again

Hallelujah and Amen…