Stare at Jesus' Verbs

Christmass Morning

December 25, 2016

Isaiah 52:7-10

Stare at Jesus' Verbs: Born, Died, Rose, Coming Back

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Don't try and read the whole Bible. Don't make it a New Year's resolution. Don't starting reading Genesis 1 on January 1.

Instead, take a baby step. Read one of the Gospels. Gospel means good news and this is why the life story of Jesus Christ is called collectively, the Gospels. About 2/3 through the Bible you'll find them: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Read a chapter a day. Whatever day of the month it is, read that chapter number. So on January 13, read Matthew 13. When you run out of chapters, start in on Mark. Or go back and pick up the ones you missed.

When you're reading these stories of Jesus' life, you'll see Jesus walk, talk, die, and rise from the dead. Before and after His death, you'll hear Jesus condemn sinners, forgive sinners, and help desperate people.

Reading Jesus' life and death repeatedly won't get boring. But by hearing the words and deeds of Jesus, beginning with His conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth by the Virgin Mary, you will grow in your joy of your sinners forgiven by our merciful Lord. He gives you the opposite of what you deserve. Instead of death and hell, which you deserve because you are a poor miserable sinner, He gives you life and heaven because of His death and resurrection. This is good news!

The prophet Isaiah preached 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem. Sometimes Isaiah is called the fifth Gospel writer, along with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Isaiah's preaching, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was filled with good news. He foresaw the events that have led to our salvation.

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

ISAIAH 52:7 NIV 1984

Isaiah is describing Christmas—the shepherds coming down from the hills where they had been watching their flocks at night, to see the Prince of Peace for themselves. And after seeing the Christ Child, they spread good tidings to Zion, another name for God's people.

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy.

When the Lord returns to Zion,

they will see it with their own eyes.

ISAIAH 52:8

By baptizing you Jesus made you one of His people. And ever since then you have been one of His watchmen. You watch and wait for His return.

One of the most basic habits of wise night watchmen is not to be blinded by light. Watchmen who smoke on duty or face the warm fire with their back to the darkness aren't going to last long. The passing lights steal away their night vision. If Hollywood has taught us anything, it's that the guard who stays snug in his shack won't last long. So these blinded watchmen can't see what's really happening.

Christians watch wisely when we do not become blinded by the passing “lights” of this world. Many grown-ups think that children or spouses or family or community or humanity will provide true warmth for living, but they are staring at the wrong lights.

By faith we stare at Light of the World, Jesus. A most important way to stare at Jesus is to read His story again and again. And His good news will not blind us. With His words shows us the way things really are. And this makes us laugh and sing.

Burst into songs of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted His people,

He has redeemed Jerusalem.

ISAIAH 52:9

When Isaiah preached, Jerusalem wasn't destroyed physically. But spiritually the nation of Israel was already ruined. It is similar to our situation today. Our nation is still strong on the outside, but whether our best economic days are behind or ahead of us, we live in ruins. The world sees things backwards. Always. They trust what they can see. But remember they are blind. It is their imagination, like a blind man trying to imagine an elephant.

We don't imagine; we know. We fear, love, and trust in the one true God above our collective imagination. We know Jesus has redeemed Jerusalem, another name for God's people. He did with His bare hands.

The Lord will lay bare His holy arm

in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

the salvation of our God.

ISAIAH 52:10

Usually baring your arm means using your arm to kill and smash your enemy with your club, sword, or hand. But here God conquers for us not with violence, but by suffering violence. On the cross the Lord exposed His holy arm and hands and legs to all the nations. Pilgrims from every nation on earth passed Him by as He hung on the cross of Calvary. His true identity was displayed above His head in all the major languages of the time. They all saw Him die. And in His death is our victory. Jesus' death is God's way of saving us.

We were born dead in sin;

He was alive and was born without sin.

Because of our hatred of God we deserved to die;

God died so that we won't.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.