Unto Us - A Child is Born

Special Advent sermon series at The River church: "Unto Us - Christ Has Come"

Series Text: Isaiah 9:1-7 (NKJV)

November 27: Unto Us - A Light Has Shined (Salvation to all through Jesus)

December 4: Unto Us -A Child is Born (Incarnation of Jesus)

December 11: Unto Us - A Son is Given (Crucifixion of Jesus)

December 18: Unto Us - A King is Anointed (Resurrection of Jesus)

This week's focus text: Verse 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.

Nothing generates more excitement within a family than when a child is born, right?

I remember when my daughter was born. We already had a son that was four years old, and we eagerly awaited to see whether he would have a new baby sister or brother to take home. (We're old fashioned, in that we never wanted to know the gender until they came... it spoils the surprise!)

Anyway, I frantically made my calls to everyone that, "It's a girl!". The excitement in my voice was bursting out of me... wow, I'm a daddy again! And now we've been given the perfect nuclear family... an eldest boy and baby girl... yahoo! It's a girl, it's a girl, it's a girl!!!

But you know what? It wouldn't have mattered a bit to us if our little girl turned out to be another little boy. Who cares? It's an oozy-woozie little baby in the house. The miracle of life... an increase in the family line... the excitement of watching her facial features (and determining who she looks like)... holding her tightly (yet understanding she is a fragile newborn)... changing her diapers (which God gracefully gets us used to doing before introducing the stink factor)... feeding and burping her... singing her lullabies to help her fall asleep... you know, all the stuff that comes with caring for this new person in the household! I loved every bit of it... even when the stink did come into play! You get to watch the slow, but steady process of an infant developing a personality. You watch for the first signs of a smile... then you anxiously await the day when she utters her first word... then you hold you breath the day she takes her first steps... my God, it is the most awesome thing in the world to watch a newborn become a toddler, then a preschooler, then a grade-schooler, then a middle-schooler, then... Well then she becomes a teenager and you start to feel very, very old and powerless.  :-) But she's still a joy, even when she gets emotional, or stubborn, or downright frustrating!

It's in our DNA (at least in a general sense) to extend the family line... to add to the population... you know... to procreate and add more people to this planet. In Genesis 1:28 God tells the humans, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Indeed... be fruitful and increase in number. He has given us this gift of life through our own lives... and the hope of our continued existence from generation to generation. That gift is what gives us hope... gives us purpose... gives us peace... gives us joy.

And what better manifestation of all those things than God Himself coming to our broken world to put the pieces back together? What could possibly be given to us that provides the glorious bundle of hope, and joy, and purpose, and peace than that of the Baby Jesus? Hmmm... how about the forgiveness he will bring in His 33rd year of life? How about the truth of God's Word that will shine in and around him?  How about the grace offered to guilty sinners? How about the transformation and renewal of all creation that will come through this fragile newborn from Nazareth? How about the teaching that will transform our whole understanding of what it means to be a neighbor?

What else does the Baby Jesus represent to humanity? What does he represent to you personally?

All babies signify joy and hope to a family hungry and thirst for new life, for innocence and human potential... for a new generation and and a new future. But let's face it, this baby was utterly and completely special. He is truly the Gift from God who is God who connects us to God and ensures our good standing with God. It may not be PC to say these days in good ole' America... but Jesus is what makes Christmas what it truly is. Duh, that's why it's called CHRIST-mas!

He is truly worthy of our praise and celebration. His earthly life, and death, and resurrection is what reconnects us to eternity itself... to our original glory a long time ago before we were forced to leave the Garden and aimlessly wander. Thank God He's given us the Way and the Truth and the Life. Thank God for Jesus!!!

Yes... thank you God, for the profoundly wonderful gift of a child born - unto us. May we live as if this gift meant everything to us... and may we freely share this gift with everyone we encounter.

Merry Christmas everyone!