DREAMS OF CHRISTMAS #5/5

#1 · January 2, 2008, 1:30 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 2, 2008, 1:30 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
DREAMS OF CHRISTMAS #5/5

JOSEPH DREAMS OF A RETURN TO ISRAEL

December 24, 2007

Candlelight Service

Text: Matthew 2:19-21

During the course of this Advent, I have been addressing the Dreams of Christmas. Dreams or visions and Christmas seem to go together. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," Bing Crosby and other voices sing this time of the year. Look what comes up in the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Clement Moore writes, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." There is the Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol that tells us of Ebenezer Scrooge's dreams or visions of "the Ghosts of Christmas."

The tradition of dreams and visions at Christmas is quite extensive. Christmas began with the dreams and visions given Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Magi, and others. This is what Dreams of Christmas has been all about. My perspective has come from Matthew, who did not include shepherds or an innkeeper or the manger. But he does include the dreams of Joseph and the Magi. Matthew emphasizes not the birth event, but the protection of Jesus and the fulfillment of prophecies in the course of these events. One after another, Matthew tells of the dreams of Christmas - five altogether.

First is Joseph's dream of an angel who tells him to take Mary as his wife. The child she carries is conceived by the Holy Spirit, the very Son of God who will save his people from their sins. Joseph obeys God's word spoken by the angel, and baby Jesus is born into the safety of Joseph's home and into the lineage of David.

Next is the dream of Magi or Wise Men. They follow a star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king. They visit King Herod thinking he might know where to find baby Jesus. Herod learns and tells the Wise Men they will find the new king in Bethlehem. "As soon as you find him, report to me so that I, too, may go and worship him," he tells them. That's exactly what they intend to do, but before they return to him, they dream of an angel who warns them not to go back to Herod. They go home another way. Again a Christmas dream is heeded, and Jesus' life is spared.

Matthew then testifies of Josephs second dream. "Get up," the angel tells him. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." Joseph flees with his family into Egypt. Meanwhile, babies in Bethlehem are murdered by Herod's soldiers, but baby Jesus is kept safe.

Tonight, we hear of the fourth dream. A few months have gone by since Joseph and Mary took Jesus and fled into Egypt. Now Joseph hears another angelic message in a dream. "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." It is easy to imagine that Joseph is relieved and joyful about returning to his home in Israel. But he and Mary faced another two hundred mile journey. Why all this torturous travel: Nazareth to Bethlehem, Bethlehem to Egypt, and Egypt back to Nazareth? Mary and Joseph traveled hundreds of miles; not an easy task in their day. There are many reasons for all these journeys, and all of them are important. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem meant that Jesus would be born in the birthplace of King David into the family of David. The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt was to save Jesus from a murderous king. The journey from Egypt back to Israel was to allow Jesus to grow up in Nazareth to fulfill the promise that the Christ would be a Nazarene. These are the obvious reasons.

But there is also another important reason that can be discerned from all of this travel. The infancy and life of Jesus retraces the journeys of Israel, Gods people. Centuries earlier, Israel was in danger of starvation because of the great famine. Through Gods sovereign plan, they were invited to live safely in Egypt under the protection of Joseph, who they had sold into slavery.

This safety eventually turned into slavery, though. Years of misery passed. Hearing the cries of his people, God graciously raised up Moses to lead Israel from slavery to freedom. You'd think they would be thankful, but the whole time Moses led the people they kept grumbling and sinning against God. They so provoked God that two generations would pass before he would allow Israel to enter the Promised Land. Finally, under Joshua, God kept his promise and Israel was allowed into the land given to them by God. We would think that they would have learned their lesson. But they didn't. Over time, Israel rejected the Lord again by worshiping idols and living in immorality.

For nearly a thousand years God pleaded with his people to return to him, but they refused. Kings, priests, and citizens were all unfaithful. So God let his people be captured and taken into exile. A remnant was reserved, though, so that they could come home again to rebuild their land. From them, into the house of David, a new King was born.

In order for Christ to save Israel and all of God's people, he had to take their place. He had to relive their wanderings, their sufferings, and even their temptations without giving in to sin himself. He had to succeed where the people of God had failed. Matthew indicates that this is what Jesus was doing even as an infant.

As Israel was forced to flee death in Canaan to safety in Egypt, so was Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel was forced to wander in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land, so was Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel faced starvation and lack of water, so did Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel was to serve God faithfully but did not, Jesus did, keeping all of God's laws perfectly.

You and I are not literal descendants of Israel, yet we face the kinds of dangers and temptations they faced. In Egypt, Israel forgot God and despaired. In whatever Egypt we find ourselves today, we often forget God and despair. Jesus has been to Egypt with us, but he has remembered God and trusted Him in our place.

In the wilderness, Israel doubted God's provision and yearned for what they mistakenly remembered as the comforts of Egypt. Like Israel, we sometimes wander in the wilderness and doubt God's ability to provide for us, so we try to get what we think we need in sinful ways. Jesus wandered in the wilderness, but trusted God in our place.

Israel finally made it to the Promised Land, but even in the abundance of that place, they forgot the Lord and turned to other gods. In America, a land of plenty, we have often done the same. We complain about materialistic lifestyles and the commercialization of Christmas, but we do little to change that in our own lives. Faith becomes more of a decoration than a direction. Jesus said "No" to all the devil's temptations, choosing instead to live in holiness, to serve the needy, and to give his life for sinners.

You and I and all people have forfeited any blessing from God because of sin. We stand condemned. But Jesus, who never sinned, took our place and died on Calvary's cross. There he paid for our sins and turned away God's fierce anger forever for those who confess him as Lord. And on Easter morning he rose to bring life and forgiveness to all who believe.

That's what these travels and journeys of Jesus are all about, beginning with his journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and ending with his journey from Pontius Pilate's court to Calvary's cross. Jesus took our place. Jesus is taking our place. He is the second chance for all God's people. We failed in our journey. Jesus not only succeeded in his journey, but made his journey ours as well.

There is a little sentence from Hosea quoted by Matthew in chapter 2, verse 14: "Out of Egypt I called my son." In one sense it refers to the people of Israel in Egypt, being called home to the Promised Land. Israel was figuratively God's son. But Israel and you and I haven't always behaved like God's son. So God gives Hosea a prophetic word that was yet to be fulfilled: that of the perfect and true Son of God, Jesus Christ. As a little child, he went to Egypt for us, where he was then called "out of Egypt" to go back to Israel where one day he would die on the cross, taking our place before Gods righteous judgment.

One of the mysteries of the Christian faith is how God can be born as a little baby, grow as a boy, live as a many, be killed for sins he did not commit, be victoriously resurrected, and do all of this as the fulfillment of the price of our sin. As long as I am able to study the Word of God, I will never be able to describe sufficiently how this is possible. It is a mystery. But that does not diminish its reality. In the movie "Cinderella Man," James Braddock, a washed-up boxer turned dockworker, is given an opportunity to save his family from homelessness and starvation during the Depression. His opponent in the ring is to be Max Baer, a formidable champion who has already killed two other opponents in boxing matches. Baer warns him not to take the fight, but Braddock does anyway. The survival of his family is at stake, not just his own life. As the story progresses, the audience sees that all the poor and downtrodden people of New Jersey are rooting for him. They see in James Braddock a champion who can fight for them.

The big fight takes place. Round after brutal round it goes until finally the impossible happens. James Braddock wins! People listening to the fight on their radios break forth in wild rejoicing! Who would have thought that a broken-down old fighter could beat the champion of the world? It was impossible, but he did it. Braddocks fans are shown celebrating, saying something like, "We won! We won!"

"We won?" There was only one other boxer in the ring with Baer. How could we win? We won through James Braddock, who went into the ring for them. When James Braddock won, so did his children and every fan who believed in him. Braddock's win was, in a human sense, their win.

When the helpless child Jesus endured the wilderness on that journey to Egypt, and when he endured a life of suffering that culminated with a fight to the death on the cross, he did it for you and me. His victory over sin and death and all that stands between God and us was also our victory. Unlike Braddocks victory in the ring which was limited in scope and consequence, Jesus victory is a reality for everyone who lives or who has ever lived or who will ever live. When Joseph dreamed of Christmas, they were dreams of light. When they returned to Israel, they returned light not only to their nation, but to the world. When we just believe that Jesus lived and died to pay the penalty for our sin, then we, too, can shout, "We won!" And the good news is that it's not just a Christmas dream; it is the truth for all the year for all time.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

JOSEPH DREAMS OF A RETURN TO ISRAEL

December 24, 2007

Candlelight Service

Text: Matthew 2:19-21

During the course of this Advent, I have been addressing the Dreams of Christmas. Dreams or visions and Christmas seem to go together. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," Bing Crosby and other voices sing this time of the year. Look what comes up in the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Clement Moore writes, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." There is the Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol that tells us of Ebenezer Scrooge's dreams or visions of "the Ghosts of Christmas."

The tradition of dreams and visions at Christmas is quite extensive. Christmas began with the dreams and visions given Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Magi, and others. This is what Dreams of Christmas has been all about. My perspective has come from Matthew, who did not include shepherds or an innkeeper or the manger. But he does include the dreams of Joseph and the Magi. Matthew emphasizes not the birth event, but the protection of Jesus and the fulfillment of prophecies in the course of these events. One after another, Matthew tells of the dreams of Christmas - five altogether.

First is Joseph's dream of an angel who tells him to take Mary as his wife. The child she carries is conceived by the Holy Spirit, the very Son of God who will save his people from their sins. Joseph obeys God's word spoken by the angel, and baby Jesus is born into the safety of Joseph's home and into the lineage of David.

Next is the dream of Magi or Wise Men. They follow a star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king. They visit King Herod thinking he might know where to find baby Jesus. Herod learns and tells the Wise Men they will find the new king in Bethlehem. "As soon as you find him, report to me so that I, too, may go and worship him," he tells them. That's exactly what they intend to do, but before they return to him, they dream of an angel who warns them not to go back to Herod. They go home another way. Again a Christmas dream is heeded, and Jesus' life is spared.

Matthew then testifies of Josephs second dream. "Get up," the angel tells him. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." Joseph flees with his family into Egypt. Meanwhile, babies in Bethlehem are murdered by Herod's soldiers, but baby Jesus is kept safe.

Tonight, we hear of the fourth dream. A few months have gone by since Joseph and Mary took Jesus and fled into Egypt. Now Joseph hears another angelic message in a dream. "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." It is easy to imagine that Joseph is relieved and joyful about returning to his home in Israel. But he and Mary faced another two hundred mile journey. Why all this torturous travel: Nazareth to Bethlehem, Bethlehem to Egypt, and Egypt back to Nazareth? Mary and Joseph traveled hundreds of miles; not an easy task in their day. There are many reasons for all these journeys, and all of them are important. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem meant that Jesus would be born in the birthplace of King David into the family of David. The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt was to save Jesus from a murderous king. The journey from Egypt back to Israel was to allow Jesus to grow up in Nazareth to fulfill the promise that the Christ would be a Nazarene. These are the obvious reasons.

But there is also another important reason that can be discerned from all of this travel. The infancy and life of Jesus retraces the journeys of Israel, Gods people. Centuries earlier, Israel was in danger of starvation because of the great famine. Through Gods sovereign plan, they were invited to live safely in Egypt under the protection of Joseph, who they had sold into slavery.

This safety eventually turned into slavery, though. Years of misery passed. Hearing the cries of his people, God graciously raised up Moses to lead Israel from slavery to freedom. You'd think they would be thankful, but the whole time Moses led the people they kept grumbling and sinning against God. They so provoked God that two generations would pass before he would allow Israel to enter the Promised Land. Finally, under Joshua, God kept his promise and Israel was allowed into the land given to them by God. We would think that they would have learned their lesson. But they didn't. Over time, Israel rejected the Lord again by worshiping idols and living in immorality.

For nearly a thousand years God pleaded with his people to return to him, but they refused. Kings, priests, and citizens were all unfaithful. So God let his people be captured and taken into exile. A remnant was reserved, though, so that they could come home again to rebuild their land. From them, into the house of David, a new King was born.

In order for Christ to save Israel and all of God's people, he had to take their place. He had to relive their wanderings, their sufferings, and even their temptations without giving in to sin himself. He had to succeed where the people of God had failed. Matthew indicates that this is what Jesus was doing even as an infant.

As Israel was forced to flee death in Canaan to safety in Egypt, so was Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel was forced to wander in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land, so was Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel faced starvation and lack of water, so did Jesus, yet without sin. As Israel was to serve God faithfully but did not, Jesus did, keeping all of God's laws perfectly.

You and I are not literal descendants of Israel, yet we face the kinds of dangers and temptations they faced. In Egypt, Israel forgot God and despaired. In whatever Egypt we find ourselves today, we often forget God and despair. Jesus has been to Egypt with us, but he has remembered God and trusted Him in our place.

In the wilderness, Israel doubted God's provision and yearned for what they mistakenly remembered as the comforts of Egypt. Like Israel, we sometimes wander in the wilderness and doubt God's ability to provide for us, so we try to get what we think we need in sinful ways. Jesus wandered in the wilderness, but trusted God in our place.

Israel finally made it to the Promised Land, but even in the abundance of that place, they forgot the Lord and turned to other gods. In America, a land of plenty, we have often done the same. We complain about materialistic lifestyles and the commercialization of Christmas, but we do little to change that in our own lives. Faith becomes more of a decoration than a direction. Jesus said "No" to all the devil's temptations, choosing instead to live in holiness, to serve the needy, and to give his life for sinners.

You and I and all people have forfeited any blessing from God because of sin. We stand condemned. But Jesus, who never sinned, took our place and died on Calvary's cross. There he paid for our sins and turned away God's fierce anger forever for those who confess him as Lord. And on Easter morning he rose to bring life and forgiveness to all who believe.

That's what these travels and journeys of Jesus are all about, beginning with his journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and ending with his journey from Pontius Pilate's court to Calvary's cross. Jesus took our place. Jesus is taking our place. He is the second chance for all God's people. We failed in our journey. Jesus not only succeeded in his journey, but made his journey ours as well.

There is a little sentence from Hosea quoted by Matthew in chapter 2, verse 14: "Out of Egypt I called my son." In one sense it refers to the people of Israel in Egypt, being called home to the Promised Land. Israel was figuratively God's son. But Israel and you and I haven't always behaved like God's son. So God gives Hosea a prophetic word that was yet to be fulfilled: that of the perfect and true Son of God, Jesus Christ. As a little child, he went to Egypt for us, where he was then called "out of Egypt" to go back to Israel where one day he would die on the cross, taking our place before Gods righteous judgment.

One of the mysteries of the Christian faith is how God can be born as a little baby, grow as a boy, live as a many, be killed for sins he did not commit, be victoriously resurrected, and do all of this as the fulfillment of the price of our sin. As long as I am able to study the Word of God, I will never be able to describe sufficiently how this is possible. It is a mystery. But that does not diminish its reality. In the movie "Cinderella Man," James Braddock, a washed-up boxer turned dockworker, is given an opportunity to save his family from homelessness and starvation during the Depression. His opponent in the ring is to be Max Baer, a formidable champion who has already killed two other opponents in boxing matches. Baer warns him not to take the fight, but Braddock does anyway. The survival of his family is at stake, not just his own life. As the story progresses, the audience sees that all the poor and downtrodden people of New Jersey are rooting for him. They see in James Braddock a champion who can fight for them.

The big fight takes place. Round after brutal round it goes until finally the impossible happens. James Braddock wins! People listening to the fight on their radios break forth in wild rejoicing! Who would have thought that a broken-down old fighter could beat the champion of the world? It was impossible, but he did it. Braddocks fans are shown celebrating, saying something like, "We won! We won!"

"We won?" There was only one other boxer in the ring with Baer. How could we win? We won through James Braddock, who went into the ring for them. When James Braddock won, so did his children and every fan who believed in him. Braddock's win was, in a human sense, their win.

When the helpless child Jesus endured the wilderness on that journey to Egypt, and when he endured a life of suffering that culminated with a fight to the death on the cross, he did it for you and me. His victory over sin and death and all that stands between God and us was also our victory. Unlike Braddocks victory in the ring which was limited in scope and consequence, Jesus victory is a reality for everyone who lives or who has ever lived or who will ever live. When Joseph dreamed of Christmas, they were dreams of light. When they returned to Israel, they returned light not only to their nation, but to the world. When we just believe that Jesus lived and died to pay the penalty for our sin, then we, too, can shout, "We won!" And the good news is that it's not just a Christmas dream; it is the truth for all the year for all time.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org