Word of Salvation – Vol. 30 No. 45 – Dec 1985
The Saviour Has Come!
Sermon by Rev. J. F. H. Vanderbom on Hebrews 10:7
(Suitable for Christmas)
Readings: Isaiah 35; Luke 22: 1-20.
Songs: 337; BoW. Ps.72; 345; BoW. Hymn 205; 341; BoW.Hymn 201.
THEREFORE, WHEN CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD, HE SAID: ‘HERE I AM – IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE SCROLL – I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’ Hebrews 10:5a,7.
Congregation, Brothers and Sisters, girls and boys!
There is a story about Martin Luther, when he was baby-sitting one Christmas. Doctor Martin Luther, the reformer of the Church, was a true family man, and a good singer and musician as well. While rocking the cradle of his little son, Luther started singing. He spontaneously created the lovely carol we sang a few minutes ago (P.H.345): ‘Vom Himmel hoch da komm Ich her’, ‘From heaven above to earth I come.’
You may have noticed that Luther made a ladder of notes. In the last line we hear descending notes of 8 steps, like a ladder from heaven to earth! While Luther rocked his baby his heart must have been filled to overflowing at the wonder of God’s love which was so clearly demonstrated in the coming of His Son Jesus Christ!
We could say that Luther’s song speaks of the Saviour’s coming in a vertical way! Luther expresses the truth we see clearly in this morning’s text from Hebrews 10: ‘Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do Your will, O God!’
On this Christmas morning it is good to keep Luther’s ladder in mind: we wish to listen to the message of Jesus’ descent.
We must also remember, of course, that the Saviour came in a horizontal way too. The first chapters of Luke tell us a horizontal story. In the verses of Luke 2 that were read, we don’t read anything about an everlasting Son who decides to enter this world. Luke 2 is a very human record. It doesn’t say that Jesus came out of the sky. No, it tells how His mother brought Him into the world after a weary 9-month pregnancy. On top of that, His mother had to carry Him all the long way to Bethlehem. Whether there was a donkey or not, she must have felt very tired. Then, ‘while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.’
The whole story is human and horizontal. The baby had been with her, and he had been prepared for birth in the normal human way. As the psalmist (139) puts it: he was ‘knit together in the mother’s womb’.
This is the familiar Christmas story which we love to hear repeated, year after year. Its human aspects make the story wonderful and attractive. We read how His mother, poor and tired though she was, took the time to wrap Him warmly because even in their pitiful circumstances she wanted to give Him the best care. We know that in God’s Word there is no room for doubting that Jesus became truly one of us, like us in all things human! He came to live at our lowest and poorest level!
However, we cannot afford to lose sight of the vertical dimensions of Christmas. We must know that in this Child God’s age-old promises were fulfilled. Here was the One of Whom the angel Gabriel came to declare that He would be called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32), conceived by the Holy Spirit (1:35).
Thirty years later, when Jesus had grown up, John the Baptizer would prophesy about Him. John had also arrived along the horizontal line. In human age, he was only 6 months older than Jesus. Yet he declared: ‘here is the One who came after me yet He ranks before me, because He existed before I was born.’ (John 1).
Still later, Jesus himself would say: ‘Before Abraham was, I AM! (John 8:58). At the close of His life on earth, Jesus would say to the Father: ‘Father, glorify Me with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.’ (John 17).
With our children we sing: ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head…!’ Don’t forget that in this baby we have God-with-us! When He began to speak it was words from God. More than this: He is the Word of God, made human (John 1); He is the reflection of God’s glory (Hebrews 1), the living image of His Father’s being. All things have been made by Him. He holds up the whole world by His powerful word (Colossians 1).
Does this dazzle you? Do you realize that our whole world, the suns and stars of this universe, the people, great and small, only exists because of Jesus? ‘I believe in God, the Father, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things, visible and invisible, AND IN JESUS…!’ His will is behind it all. If the manger had never been, nor that Man on the cross, then we and our world wouldn’t be here either! In that Baby, in His human body was the Godhead, the Word. He Who was the reflection of His Father’s glory came to live with us. When people saw Him, they could hardly believe it…!
Wrapped in nappies and blankets we find Christ, the Reconciler of all things. Imagine if it was not true. That would mean that there would be no church and no gospel. No message of hope, no future for the nations of the world, no happiness and light, only utter and endless darkness.
The dimensions of the Christmas story are enormous, and almost unbelievable.
The prophet rightly asked: ‘Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ (Isaiah 53).
You may wonder about how much or how little people understand the meaning of what we celebrate at Christmas.
Jesus came to His own people but they did not recognize Him. Neither did they want him (John 1:10). Are we and our people very different? Would we recognize Him if He came unexpectedly? Would He recognize us, if He saw us walking in the shopping mall? Would He notice our hearts hungering for Him, and that we love Him?
Would He feel pleased and honoured by our carol singing in Church? Οr would He repeat what He said as a boy of twelve, when everyone was feasting in Jerusalem? We know that boys and girls of that age ask strange questions! Jesus asked His own parents: ‘Didn’t you know that I must be in My Father’s business?’
You see, we often tend to remain on a horizontal level at Christmas. Thus it may be helpful, to be reminded of the words of the writer to the Hebrews this morning. He speaks clearly of vertical dimensions:
‘LOOK, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD! and: YOUR LAW IS IN MY HEART.
We can only skim the surface of this very deep saying today. It is clear that the writer wants to remind us of Jesus’ background, of His pre-existence. We must understand that when Jesus began to live on earth, there was already a whole life behind Him. He also knew that there was a programme and purpose with a destination for Him.
This is mysterious. God tells us that the unveiling of the mystery began to take place on Christmas day: ‘Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: God appeared in human flesh!’ (1Timothy 3:16).
TWO THINGS BECOME OBVIOUS IN OUR TEXT.
Firstly: for Jesus His birth meant: to come! ‘Lo, I have come to do Your will, O God!’ None of us can say this! We are all products of our parents, circumstances, environment. We were brought in!
Jesus was not brought into the world as we are. No, He came, He came down! Paul says (Philippians 2): ‘He who was in the form of God (living in a glorious palace) did not cling to what He possessed. He became a man, a servant, an obedient sufferer, ready and willing to die.’ And: ‘You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor’ (2Corinthians 8:9). He came!
Secondly: He came to do God’s will. We must not forget that a strong will was always and fully behind Jesus’ coming.
Today we may meet people, (often young people) whose will is ‘NOT in it’. Some may tell you quite bluntly that they don’t care about what they do, because ‘we didn’t ask to be born.
We may appreciate the tragedy of many who have suffered hurt, even while they were young, and who know that they were not welcome, even when they were born! Behind many of them was the agony of a young pregnant woman who cried: ‘What must I do with a child? I have no room for him…!
We should never forget that Jesus was born in dark circumstances too. He was not welcome. There was no room for Him. Mary must have cried: ‘Oh, how shall I receive Thee..?’
However, He did not come to ask for sympathy. He did not want to be pitied. When Mary had given birth, bringing NEW LIFE (!) into this world, something extraordinary took place! The child was hers, she laid Him down. However, it was not she with her will, it was God, whose will stood behind this birth! Remember Luther’s carol. ‘From heaven above to earth I come’. ‘Now I have come to do your will, O God!’
It was not Mary who adopted a lost child but Jesus who adopted our human body. With that body He has adopted the human task and guilt and suffering,
What motivated Him? Why did He leave His throne and kingly crown? Our text gives the answer: ‘I have come to do your will, O God!’ The letter to the Hebrews quotes the Old Testament Psalm 40, where it continues: ‘Your law is within my heart.’
In this second part of our text we touch on an old question, which has often been raised by the men of the Church: How could God sacrifice His Son? Why did He give up His Dearest One?
The only answer we can give is in terms of what the Bible tells us of the Will of God. In the days of paradise, when Adam and Eve turned their backs on God and ate of the forbidden fruit, breaking the Covenant, and cutting through God’s will for their lives, God spoke of ENMITY! A bitter fight was to be fought. It was God’s will that one day man should make up for what he had destroyed, with all its bitter consequences.
In the night of Christmas, God’s will was fulfilled. Hebrews 10 explains: ‘Since it was impossible that blood of bulls and goats should take away sin, Christ came into the world; He said: ‘Here am I. I have come to do Your will.”
John the Baptizer, son of an old priest, pointed his finger at Jesus: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, taking upon Himself the sins of the world!’ (John 1:29).
This makes the event of the birth in Bethlehem a terrifying story, brothers and sisters!
Will you remember this today?
Remember, we do not celebrate the birth of a helpless baby…! In the manger we greet the cross-bearer, Him who would be called: Man of sorrows, the Lamb of God, who came to be sacrificed.
There are many Christmas celebrations in our country. Isn’t this terrifying? People hardly know what they are celebrating.
This Child who was born has come to take your place, to suffer in your place, because you and I were unwilling! Terrifying! You and I were meant to say: …’Look, God, here I am, I was born to do your will…! Here I am, yours most faithfully! Your law is burning my heart!
But JESUS took my place of suffering! It is terrifying!
But there is also great joy. At last, God’s will was done! Jesus was the first man who truly understood and knew the joy of obeying God’s law. He was the first One. He was the Only One.
It is for this reason that we may rejoice! ‘O, Come, Let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!’
We see the Child grow up. We hear Him speak to His parents and His friends who always misunderstood Him, and thought He was strange…! ‘How long shall I bear with you, and be with you?’ He asked. ‘My meat, my delight is to do my Father’s will’, (John 4). To the crowds He said: ‘I have not come to please myself. I always please my Father’ (John 5).
Congregation, Jesus came to do His Father’s will faithfully and sincerely. It was His delight to do His Father’s will, and to take your place. Christmas was only the beginning. He came to go to the altar for the atonement of all our sins! This is my joy on Christmas day!
Let us close with this thought:
For us, in Australasia, Christmas is at the beginning of our holidays. This morning we may wish one another a happy holiday break. And why not? As long as we don’t forget that LIFE is more than a picnic or a tour!
Life is the way to God’s altar! He tells us to live for God! This has become possible again through Jesus!
Jesus has done it! God so loved the world that He gave Him, His Son, for us all. He sent Him on the way to the altar. There, He made that sacrifice that concluded every other sacrifice of blood, and opened the gate for many more sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving!
So let Jesus’ joy become your joy, the joy of your new, accepted, dedicated life! My Christmas celebration will be a meditation of the wonders of His love and an increasing desire to show how much I love Him!
This is Christmas, this is true Christianity: a daily look at Him, believe in Him and give my heart to Him in adoration and with a new obedience! Amen
PRAYER.
We praise You, Lord Jesus! Today we thank You for Your great love! You were willing to become our Brother, so to save us from eternal loneliness and let us become children of God, Your Father!
You were willing to be born in a poor stable, so that we could become citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.
You have become weak, and have taken all our weaknesses upon Yourself.
You have been lonely and forgotten; You have been tempted in all things, like we are, yet without sinning!
For this reason we praise You and celebrate with all Your people.
We also pray that You, in Whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed, will always be very near to us.
Work in us true faith, so that we may feed on the unspeakable riches of Your promises, and join in with the heavenly choir of angels, singing:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.
Amen.