December 5: Son of God
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
Take a moment to consider this verse. Read it back again slowly. This is a deeply beautiful verse drenched with the themes of Christmas. Look at what it points us towards: (1) the coming of the Son of God, (2) that he came to give us understanding and that (3) we might know him who is true. But John doesn’t stop there, because he goes on to say that we Christians are (4) in him who is true! And this Jesus is both the (5) true God and (6) eternal life.
But what does it mean exactly that Jesus is the Son of God? We will say just two things here. Firstly: Jesus is God. The title here points to his divinity. He is no high-ranking angel or a powerful created being. He is truly man and truly God. The second thing this title points us to is his special relationship to God the Father. He is the unique one, and different to the Father. Herein lies the mystery of the Trinity: that Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father, and yet the Father and the Son are not two Gods, but of one divine essence. Yes, you might need to take a Panadol and have a lie down as you ponder that statement.
And the Son of God came. John 1:12 says “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. Here the mystery of the Trinity gets deeper. He is adopting other sons and daughters to be part of his family. And his adoption is open to all who receive Christ; to all who believe in his name he gives the right to become his family. What a treasure we have! May we say with Saint Aloysius Gonzaga that “it is better to be a child of God than king of the whole world.” Have you received the Son of God and become a son or daughter of God yourself? You can!
Praise Him!
December 4: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
Imagine with me a moment you were an avid hiker. You love the outdoors, its beauty and the uncontrollable power it represents. You love being out in nature and being reminded of your smallness in the face of something bigger than yourself. Now suppose you were on an epic trail, traversing a wild path up onto a rocky mountain outcrop. There is only one path up from the valley below, and as you climb it you notice a sudden and intense change in the air. The atmospheric pressure starts to shift dramatically and the temperature suddenly plummets leaving you exposed to the weather to come: a blizzard. There is only one path to take to return to safety, the one you came by to the sheltered valley below.
In this story, there really is only one way to safety. Every other path would lead to death. There really is only one true way, since all other trails lead to objectively certain doom. There really is only one way to life. Jesus himself makes this same kind of outrageously exclusive claim in today’s verse: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This is Jesus at his most frustratingly clear and unambiguous. He leaves us with no wriggle room here!
How will you respond to his claim today? For this is why he came, that he might make a way for us to come to the Father. You cannot face the blizzard of life or death without the shelter of the rock of Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). But in him we have peace, security and access to God, for he is the way, the truth and the life. Take a moment to pray to Him now, and acknowledge his saving grace!
December 3: The Son of Man
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
We now turn to the title that Jesus used for himself more than any other: The Son of Man. It’s used a staggering 80 times in the four gospels. As Jesus’ favourite name for himself, we had better pay special attention to why this is the case, especially given the profound nature of all his other titles. We now turn to the title that Jesus used for himself more than any other: The Son of Man.
What exactly is Jesus trying to communicate in taking on this designation? To answer that question, we will need to understand its origins because it is saying much more than that he is simply a human man, although to be sure, that is its first and primary meaning. The term comes from Daniel 7:13-14 (why not check out our sermon on this passage from last year’s series Daniel series?):
and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
From this shadowy figure, of which we know little from Daniel, comes the main avenue Jesus emphasises his altogether otherness. Take a look at what is said about this figure. It speaks of his never-ending kingdom and rule, and that he will receive glory from God himself. Jesus is saying to us: “I am no ordinary man”. To see Jesus as a wise human teacher is to miss how it is that Jesus saw himself. In Luke 19:10 Jesus gives us something of his mission statement, that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
This pre-existent king is no ordinary king. What other king leaves his throne to come and rescue sinners? What kind of supreme ruler enters into the fray to seek and save the lost? Not only is he going to receive an eternal dominion that will never pass away, but this king is on a mission. And his mission is to seek us out, seek you out. But Jesus is telling us something else here: you need seeking and saving because you’re lost without him.
Christmas is the celebration of this pursuit. The cross was no accident. It is the clearest picture of God’s burning love you. Our king is different. He is on a mission. And nothing is going to stand in his way.
December 2: The Light of the World
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The world is a dark place. Its brokenness is all around us. At times that darkness can be an overwhelming force in our lives as we face illness, bereavement or the persistent rejection of God by our loved ones. God’s response to the suffering of the world is not a stoic “get over it” or an insincere “that must be really hard”. God’s response is to shine his light into that darkness with the force of a billion suns.
Jesus is, he claims, the Light of the World. His descent into the darkness has changed everything the same way turning on a lamp in a pitch-black room changes everything. God has come! How could things possibly ever be the same as before? When a light is turned on, two things happen. Firstly, the darkness flees. John 1:5 tells us that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. Jesus birth has put into motion an unstoppable energy that the forces of hell cannot stand against and a light that the darkness cannot overcome. God is redeeming all things to himself.
Secondly, the people who follow the light of the world, live in the unceasing glow of his light: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The days of fumbling in the darkness are over for the child of God. Questions like: “why is life so hard” and “what is my purpose” suddenly find clarity by his rays. The one who has come into the darkness has faced it and conquered it on your behalf. His light will never go out.
The world is in darkness and is in desperate need to know the good news of the light. This Christmas season, don’t forget the true need of those around you, and the good gift of God’s light which shines in Christ. As a spirit filled Christian, you are united to that light, and get the privilege of shining it to the world. Let that little light shine.
December 1: Immanuel
““…She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’””
The very first title of Jesus we will consider together is the altogether stunning and immeasurably precious – Immanuel. The name Immanuel goes straight to the heart of what it is we are celebrating together at Christmas time: “God with Us”. Not God above us or God in our general vicinity, but God with us.
Immanuel brings to the fore everything wonderful about the incarnation of Christ. God will not settle (and indeed, has not settled!) for a far off and distant relationship with you – his very special and beloved creation. In the heart of God is the desire to dwell with us. Dwell with you.
One thing that is striking is that this name is first given through prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, some seven hundred years before that fateful night in the manger. Who reading Isaiah before that night could possibly have imagined that this name truly meant all it did? Who could have imagined the creator descending in flesh? Who could have imagined the birth of the God-Man Jesus Christ? Who could have imagined the King of Kings experiencing the gritty reality of hunger, rejection, betrayal, and even death? The truth of Immanuel is far greater than all our wildest dreams and expectations. No one could even have dared to hope for such a glorious reality.
And right now, because God so saw fit to enter into human history, we, John 1:12 tells us, have the right to become children of God through faith. This Advent season, lift up your eyes and behold your God. He came for you. And He came because He wants to be with you, and you with Him. Don’t forget it. Jesus truly is Immanuel: God with us.
Introduction to Advent 2018
“Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him!”
Preparing Your Heart
Why Advent?
As God’s people, we are a people who have placed our trust in the sure promises of God. His promises of redemption which echo throughout the Old Testament’s pages have caused His people to wait expectantly for His intervention into history, climaxing in the coming of the Son of God in a stable in Bethlehem.
“The joy that Jesus came to bring is from outside this world. It is the very joy that Jesus himself has in God the Father — which he has had from all eternity and will have forever.”
The word “Advent” means “coming”. The Advent season therefore is the re-enactment of the hopeful waiting of God’s people for the coming Saviour – the man Jesus Christ. Advent season is then the celebration of the ransomed of all that God has done in Christ.
Behold your God
Advent is about adoring our saviour who has come to rescue and ransom us. Our God has come down, he has dwelt among us (John 1:14), and we would be missing the greatest source of joy and thanksgiving to neglect this reality.
Because of this, we would like to invite you this Advent seasons to join us at Enoggera Baptist Church to reflect on all Christ is to us, and to reflect on how “all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). We pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to his glory and enflame your heart with love for him this Advent season.
Take a moment now to pray for your own heart. Pray that this December you would have your heart fixed on the One who gave it all to rescue you from the clutches of sin and death, and who is at work within you by his Holy Spirit. Pray also for our unbelieving community and that they would have their hearts stirred up to the things of God this Christmas season.
How To Use
Personal Devotional
Over the first 25 days of December, there will be a short devotional each day focusing on one of the Bible’s names or titles of Jesus. Set aside some time each day, whether morning or night, and find a quiet space to prayerfully read and reflect on each of the ways that Jesus coming has turned the world upside down and changed your destiny. If you have a journal or notepad, jot down your prayers and meditations to share with your small group, friends or family.
Family Devotional
Christmas season is special family time, but for Christians, there is a danger that the true treasure of the season is missed for the lesser treasures that come with holidays. We would encourage you to use these daily Advent devotions each night over dinner or before bed, to help keep your family’s eyes fixed on Christ. His coming truly is the basis of all other blessings of God.