Normally, no parent
would like for anybody to them what they have to name their child. I
keep waiting & praying for one of you to name your son Bob. After
all, it’s an easy name to remember and to spell. Even if your son
grows up to be dyslexic, he can still spell it right. Or if you have
a girl, you could name her Roberta. But have any of you done that yet?
No, instead you want to name your son Joshua, or you daughter Jocelyn.
So despite the fact that none of you would be willing to name your child
what I think he/she should be named, that wasn’t the case when
it came to Mary. Mary didn’t even have a say-so in what his name
was to be. But then again, neither did Joseph.
And that’s very odd, for it those days, it was customary for the
father to name his child. But this is also proof of Jesus’ deity.
Even though Mary was engaged to Joseph, they had remained sexually pure
during their engagement. So when the angel announced to Joseph that
Mary was carrying the Christ-child, Joseph didn’t have to worry
about coming up with a name. Jesus’ really daddy, God the Father,
spoke through his messenger what Joseph was to name his son.
What we need to keep in mind is that in the days when the Bible was
written, names were very important. The names usually contained some
element of truth about the child. For instance, when Rebekah gave birth
to twins, she named her first born son Esau because he came out looking
like he was wearing a hairy red coat. And she named her second born
son Jacob, which means heel catcher. Because when he was born, he came
out holding onto Esau’s heel.
The name of God is the most holy of all names. It was to be revered,
and never to be taken in vain. That’s because the name of God communicated
the very essence of God.
Now Jesus had to be given the most special name because he was such
a special child. You and I didn’t physically exist until the moment
of conception. But when the Holy Spirit conceived inside of Mary’s
womb, the baby Jesus, that’s not when he began to exist. The truth
of the matter is that there has never been a time when Jesus didn’t
exist.
The reality of Christmas is that when Jesus was born, all he did was
change the location of where he was living. He left Heaven to come to
earth. And he came for a special reason. The Bible says that “The
Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke
19:10)
Because of that reason, Jesus had to have a special name that reflected
the reason of his visit.
When it was time for God to create Jesus inside of Mary’s womb,
the angel Gabriel said to her, “Behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.” (Luke
1:31) And when Gabriel visited Joseph, he told him the same thing, plus
he said, “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew
1:21) The name Jesus in the Hebrew is Yashua, which means God has become
my salvation. And truly, Jesus fulfilled the meaning of his name.
That is my most favorite verse in all the Bible. For it is the one I
was reading, on the Sunday after Christmas, in 1981, when the Holy Spirit
convicted me that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. And sitting at
my dining room table, I asked Jesus to come into my life and save me
from my sins. And he did!
The only regret I have about becoming a Christian is that I waited until
I was 27 years old. I regret that I didn’t give my life to him
when I was a teenager. Thus I could have avoided the sins that Satan
still uses to tempt me.
In a prophecy that was written 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah
gives us names that will reflect who Jesus is. And the first name that
describes Jesus is Wonderful--v. 6.
Wonder would be the first sentiment which his manifestation would provoke.
The word wonderful means to be filled with wonder, amazement, surprise.
There is not a person who has ever met Jesus who wouldn’t agree
that Jesus shows us of just how wonderful God really is. Jesus was wonderful
in the circumstances of his birth and death; in his resurrection, and
in his ascension. Jesus is an amazing Savior, whose every aspect of
about his life filled people with wonder, amazement, and surprise.
After the shepherds went to see Jesus after he was born, as they returned
to their occupation, “They spread the word concerning what had
been told them about this Child, and all who heard it we amazed at the
things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:17-18) And
as Jesus grew up, he continued to amaze people, through his words and
through his deeds.
The words Jesus spoke were words that no man had ever spoke before.
He didn’t merely quote from the teachers of the day. Rather he
spoke the words his heavenly Father told him to speak. They were words
that will filled with authority. Never before had any man spoken with
such authority. And those who heard Jesus speak “Were amazed at
the gracious words which were falling from His lips.” (Luke 4:22)
The same is true concerning the miracles Jesus performed. Jesus did
things that no one had ever done before. He gave sight to a man born
blind. He touched people with leporsy and they were healed. He spoke
a word and people were healed. He brought back to life his friend Lazarus,
who had been dead for 3 days. The Bible tells us that “The blind
and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. And the
chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did.”
(Matthew 21:14-15)
The thing that made Jesus so wonderful was his nature as God-Man. He
was the heavenly child of an earthly mother, and the earthly child of
a heavenly father. That is what makes him so different from you &
me.
Jesus was not all God and no man. Neither was he all man and no God.
Nor was he half God and half man. He was all God and all man.
For example, as a man he experienced hunger. But as God, he could have
turned rocks into bread. As a man, he experienced thirst, but as God
he turned water into wine. The reason Jesus was to have the name of
wonderful, is because he was such a special person.
One of the reasons I keep serving and following the Lord is because
I have never lost my wonder of him. He surprised me by saving me. And
he surprises me everyday in the way he blesses me with so many different
things. Jesus has been so wonderful for these 23 years, how can I ever
lose my enthusiasm for loving, serving, and following him.
Not only is Jesus wonderful, but he is also our Counselor--v. 6. Most
of us need a counselor at some time in our lives. Even though we like
to project this image that we have it all together, and that we are
very self-sufficient, we all go through times when we need someone we
can talk to, someone we can unload our problems on. No matter how self-sufficient
we seem to be, we all need a close friend we can talk to about anything,
someone who can give us wise counsel about what’s going in our
lives. People who are willing to point out our blindspots, and tell
us when we are about to make a mistake.
Friends like this are valuable to our spiritual health. In fact, Solomon
tells us that “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers
make victory sure.” (Proverbs 11:14) That is why the president
gathers around him people who give him counsel. Not just yes men, but
people who will advise him on how to make wise decisions.
Since Mike Rapp is not here, I’m going to say something nice about
him. Not only is he my assistant, but he is one of my counselors. I
ask him for his opinion on things like my sermons, and on how I am doing
being your shepherd. We talk almost everyday about what’s going
on in our lives. We have developed such a close friendship that I have
no problem talking to him about anything that going on in my life, whether
it’s church related, or family related, or even about what’s
going on in my personal life.
I pray that you too will find someone like Mike. For no matter how brave
a face you put on, underneath your facade is a little boy or a little
girl who at times needs someone to talk to. Twilia Paris wrote a song
a couple of years ago that really captures the essence of this need.
She sang, “Deep inside the armor, this warrior is a child.”
When we look for someone to talk to, we first want to talk to someone
who is understanding. One of the first lessons I learned in my counseling
classes is to show understanding. If you were struggling with some sin,
you probably wouldn’t someone to say to you, after you’ve
poured your heart out to them, “You did what!” That would
probably be the last time you’d ever talk to that person about
any kind of struggles.
To me, one of the saddest ads on TV are those ads that run late at night
asking if you are lonely. If you are, they give you a 900 number, and
for just $5 a minute you can talk to someone who cares. Isn’t it
awful that somebody might be so lonely that they’d be willing to
pay $5/minute to talk to a complete stranger? Yet people will do that
just to find a person who cares, and won’t condemn.
Secondly, we want to talk to somebody who has a little more wisdom then
we do. Can you imagine coming to me for help, and instead of giving
you some godly advice, I ask you what you think you ought to do about
your problem? And then I’d send you on your way with these words
of wisdom: “I think that’s a great idea, why don’t you
do it?” Do you think you’d leave believing that I’d helped
you? Do you think you’d ever come back and ask me for any more
help?
What many of you don’t realize is that is exactly what they teach
you in counseling courses. It is what is known as non-directive counseling.
While it may be helpful at times, but the reality is we need more than
that. We need someone with wisdom to help us discover the answers to
our problems. Yet, most counseling programs teach you not to impose
you beliefs or opinions. And people will pay hundreds, even thousands
of dollars to professional counselors, or psychologists, or psychiatrists,
to be told nothing. Isn’t that ridiculous?
Not only will you go broke talking to people who have been trained to
do non-directive counseling, but when they do speak, you need to be
very careful about the advice they give you. King David tells us “Blessed
is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.” (Psalm
1:1) Let me add to that, blessed is the person who walks not in ungodly
counsel. Not only do worldly people give you all kinds of wrong advice,
but so do some Christians who try to use the wisdom of this world, instead
of the wisdom of God.
There was a couple I knew who were experiencing great marital problems.
They went to a Christian counselor, who after the first session told
them that there was no way they would ever be able to work out their
problems. And the best thing they could do was to get a divorce and
walk away from the marriage as friends. Fortunately, the man came to
me for advice. I talked with him, prayed with him, and gave him several
books on how to be a better husband. And after 2 years his wife one
day told him that she once again loved him, and she wanted the marriage
to work. And they still are married today.
Because we need to talk to someone whose not afraid to tell us the truth
about ourselves is what makes Jesus the ultimate counselor. Of all people,
Jesus understands. Jesus is the only one who knows exactly what is going
on in our lives and in our hearts. Yet he never condemns us.
When he talked to the woman at the well, he didn’t say, “You’ve
been married how many times?” Rather he told her that he knew she
had been 5 times before. He didn’t call her a filthy harlot for
living with a man. Instead he told her that he knew she was living with
a man who was not her husband.
J
esus knew what it was like to live in a world full of temptations. And
to overthrow the power Satan has through temptations, is one of the
reason Jesus came to this earth as a baby. The Bible declares that “For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
Now if God had wanted to, he could created Jesus as a full grown man.
He did that when he created Adam. Plus, if God had wanted to, he could
have sent Jesus to earth on the day he was supposed to die. Jesus could
have then gone to Pontius Pilate, and said something that would make
Pilate mad enough for him to send Jesus to the cross.
But God didn’t do that. Instead he sent Jesus to earth as a baby,
and allowed him to grow up in a world that is full of temptations, just
so he could understand what we go through. The author of Hebrews tells
us that Jesus was “Made like his brothers in every way, in order
that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service
to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid
those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:16-18) So if you are ever tempted
to think that God doesn’t understand what it’s like to live
in this sinful world, he does because he too lived in this sinful world.
If you have ever experienced those times when there is too much month
left at the end of the money, just remember that Jesus knew what it
was like to be poor. When it came time for the most important person
in all of history to be born, no one would give up their bed, or even
their spot on the floor, in the only inn in Bethlehem, for his pregnant
mother. Thus the little Lord Jesus had to be born outside in a cave,
which floors were covered with cow manure. And his first bed wasn’t
a crib, but a manger, covered with cow saliva.
This temporary bed would mark the rest of Jesus’ life. For he said
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son
of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:20) But one day
Jesus did find a place to lay his head. And it wasn’t on a soft
pillow inside a fancy palace. It was on an old rugged cross that was
covered with his blood.
For after hanging on the cross for 6 hours, Jesus said: “‘It
is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
(John 19:30) The Greek word used in John for “bowing” is the
same Greek word used in Matthew for “lay.” The only place
where the Lord Jesus felt comfortable enough to lay down his sweet head
was on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus is the greatest of all counselors because he has experienced everything
in life that we experience. And if you go to him to talk about your
problems, he will give you the most godly advice you will ever hear.
For he won’t give you the wisdom of the age, rather he will give
you the wisdom of God that is found in the Bible. The Bible says this
about the wisdom found in God’s Word, “Your statutes are my
delight; they are my counselors.” (Psalm 119:24)
So when you’re really hurting, or when you’re really perplexed
about a problem, you can go inside your prayer closet, and just pour
out your heart to Jesus. And after he listens to you, he won’t
condemn you, or yell at you. Rather, through his Spirit, he will direct
you to his Word, where you will find the help, or the comfort, or the
answers you were searching for.
While there is nothing wrong with talking to other people, I believe
like everything else, we ought to first take our burdens to the Lord.
One of the things I have learned about prayer is that prayer very seldom
ever changes the circumstances, but God always changes me so I can accept
God’s sovereignty. If ever there was a man who had to learn to
trust in God’s sovereignty, it was Jeremiah. Jeremiah, after many
trials & tribulations, declared that, “I know, O LORD, that
a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”
(Jeremiah 10:23) When we can begin to see this, then we will have no
problem going to Jesus to tell him our troubles, and seek his advice.
Let me also add, that we all need to learn how to leave our burdens
with Jesus. The Bible says you are to “Cast all your care upon
Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) The Greek word “cast”
literally means to throw upon. So pretend that your cares are attached
to a dart, and not a boomerang. You want those cares to stay with Jesus,
not keep coming back to bother you.
The last name that we are going to look at that Jesus has is Almighty
God--v. 9. The writers of the New Testament plainly proclaim that Jesus
is God. While skeptics ridicule and the cults reject this idea, but
that is exactly what the Bible teaches us about Jesus.
Jesus himself claimed to be God. Look at what he said about his deity:
“All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.”
(John 5:23) “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30) This made
his enemies so made that “The Jews took up stones again to stone
Him, because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” (John 10:31,33)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
(John 8:58) “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John
14:9) Unless you believe that Jesus was either a liar, or a lunatic,
you have to believe that he was God, and as so, he has the right to
be your Lord.
No only did Jesus claim to be God, but so did those who followed him
for over 3 years. And if Jesus had not been God, then sometime during
those 3 years Jesus would have done something to prove he was lying
about those claims. Yet here is what those who spent time with Jesus
had to say about his deity: “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1,14) “Thomas answered and said
to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28) Even Paul
believed Jesus was God: “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)
What makes these statements so powerful is that they all come from the
mouths of good Jews. And if the Jews got nothing else right, the got
right the fact that God is one. All through their lives they had been
taught that they were to only worship the one true God. And for them
to ascribe words of deity to Jesus, if Jesus wasn’t the incarnate
God, would have blasphemous, a crime worthy of death.
I don’t have any problem accepting the fact that Jesus is the incarnate
God. What I have a harder time with is why Jesus would leave his throne
of glory to become a man. Why would the second person of Trinity, who
created the millions of stars, moons, and planets, who upholds this
vast universe by the power of his word, leave heaven to become a man,
subject to human limitations and our temptations?
The answer is that the Almighty God became a human being in order that
the image of God could be restored in us. We lost the image of God when
Adam ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of life. But from the moment
we invited Jesus into our hearts, God began the process of transforming
us into the image of Jesus.
Now obviously we are never going to look like Jesus physically. But
God does want us to live lives that reflect his presence in us. And
this is possible because the moment we received Jesus, the Holy Spirit
indwelt us. And through the Spirit’s abiding presence he begins
to produce within us the fruit of the Spirit, which enables us to display
the very nature of God.
And the Spirit also wants to give us the power we need to live the victorious
Christian life. The Bible tells us that “His divine power has given
us everything we need for life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) And
as long as we continue to live in fellowship with Jesus, we will bear
the fruit of the Spirit, who will give us the power to become like Jesus
in his nature. Since Jesus gives us everything we need, do we really
need anything else?
Let me conclude with a true story about a man who had to answer that
question. In the 1940’s George Beverly Shea, was asked to audition
to be a part of the Lynn Murray singers. In those days, the Lynn Murray
singers were known nationwide. They gave him a song to take home to
practice before the audition. If he passed the audition, his salary
would have been quadrupled. Plus, he would have traveled all over the
world, giving him worldwide exposure. Truly, this was the chance of
a lifetime.
The song they wanted him to sing had a little line that said, “To
hell with burgundy.” Mr. Shea says he heard the devil saying to
him, “Now George, it’s no big thing to say hell. It’s
a word that’s in the Bible. So just go ahead and sing it, and get
the job.” But then he heard God’s voice saying, “George,
what would you preacher-daddy & your godly mother think about you
using this word? And by the way, what do you think I’d think about
you using this kind of language?”
The next day he told Mr. Murray that he was sorry but he couldn’t
sing with his group because one of his songs had a curse word in it.
Instead, George Beverly Shea ended up putting music to some words that
became a song that helped make him famous. It is called, “I’d
rather have Jesus than silver or gold.”
What an appropriate thought as we run around these last couple of weeks
trying to buy just the right presents. Wouldn’t it be easier if
we just say, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold?”
So as you go about celebrating Jesus’ birth this Christmas, let’s
don’t get so got up in the gift giving, and the parties, that we
lose the significance of his name.
Let’s never limit our view of Jesus to simply that of the sweet
babe who was born in a manger, for he was far more than that. The baby
who entered the world so innocently, 2,000 years ago, was destined for
far greater things. He was born as a baby, but he grew to be a conqueror.
For when he hung on the cross he conquered sin & death by destroying
Satan’s power over us. So let’s not merely adore the Babe
born in a manager, but let’s also worship him as the Almighty God,
who is a wonderful Savior, and a wise friend.to do so right now.
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