Christmas Day

CHRISTMAS DAY SERMON

December 25, 2015

“THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE”

A miracle took place in the midst of a great horror 101 years ago today. The event was unprecedented in the history of the world, and it is unlikely to ever happen again. But with God all things are possible.

            As men were often heard to say to their wives and sweethearts when marching off to war, “I’ll be home by Christmas,” the promise was always broken. “Home by Christmas” was the catchphrase of every war it seemed. They were never home by Christmas.

            The guns of August, 1914, crashed on for the next five months taking the lives of nearly one million men. What many thought would be “great fun” suddenly turned into a bewildering, disillusioning, killing nightmare.

            That Christmas, when the darkness of war seemed to envelop the whole world, a miracle broke into the trenches beginning at Ypres. Watch what happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

            Historians everywhere called this “the Christmas Truce.” A truce is only a temporary peace, but this moment in history demonstrates the power of Christ to unhinge what we call normal.

            In the darkness of the battlefield on December 24^th, German soldiers began singing Christmas carols. In the middle of hell on earth, embattled hearts were reminded that there is hope. Encouraged by the enemy’s festive spirit, the British began singing too. German troops put up Christmas trees with candles on them. Before they knew it, they were exchanging gifts, playing football, and wishing each other a Merry Christmas. Only Christ can do this among people who are supposed to be enemies.

            I believe this event is but a foretaste, a snapshot, a thumbnail of the peace that broke into our world when Jesus was born. It may never happen again on a battlefield but there is reason to believe that when we allow Christ to rule our hearts, peace breaks in. And when Jesus comes as King of kings, His peace will reign for all time. This is our hope.

1. Hope dawns on a dark situation

Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Or it’s advertised that way. You may not want to hear this, however: Christmas can really be a hard time for some people. Christmas can be the loneliest time of the year. Consider those who have lost loved ones and miss their presence at the holiday table. Consider the widows and widowers who must endure another “family” event without their partner. Consider those who are single and would like to have a spouse and a family. Consider those who cannot afford a “happy Christmas” and yet are bombarded by the retail industry to buy more stuff. Consider the seniors in the PCHs who wait for their families to visit and get a precious half-hour with them. When we consider Christmas from this perspective, those who enjoy a Merry Christmas really are a minority. The Christmas season can be a time of gloom.

            The prophet Isaiah painted a picture of his own time. He saw the gloom and depression that Israel faced as their enemies invaded the land and their hopes and dreams being crushed. Assyrian conquerors were being used by God to punish Israel’s unfaithfulness. They had sinned and forgotten God. Their gloom was somewhat self-inflicted.

            Some remained faithful to God, and to them Isaiah prophesied that into their darkness a light would shine. God had humbled the land of Zebulun and Naphtali – these are lands in the northern parts of Israel. But one day, in the future, God would honor those same lands, what Isaiah called the Galilee of the Gentiles. Same land, different name.

            Into the gloom a light will shine. Light is not merely a physical phenomenon. There is something about light that spiritually and emotionally lifts our spirits.

            It is probably no coincidence that Christmas follows the darkest day of the year. December 21^st has the shortest amount of daylight. For those who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), depression, moodiness, or gloom that comes from the dark winter months, the promise of increased sunlight is welcome.

            Isaiah promised that Israel would see the light. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned” (2). Hope, like a tiny point of light in the distance, was given. Darkness cannot stop the light from spreading. Those who have endured the hiding of God’s face will see this light. Those who have not cursed in the darkness but have waited with expectancy will laugh again.

            Their joy, like the light, will grow large. Joy will increase (3). They will know joy like farmers at harvest. How great the feeling of a finished season of work, the joy of accomplishment, the joy of being done.

            Isaiah further paints this joy as comparable to dividing the plunder after a battle. Warriors were allowed to go through their enemies belongings and take little treasures: a shield, a knife, a bag of coins. A better analogy for us would be the dividing of plunder on Christmas Eve or morning when the presents are handed out. This joy will be greater.

            What is Isaiah talking about in real terms?

            First, the land that God humbled, the northern lands he called Galilee of the Gentiles, would be honored to have Jesus of Nazareth grow up among them. And when He was of age, Jesus would teach in the region of Galilee and proclaim that the kingdom of God was breaking into their world.

            Second, the kingdom of God is that light. More importantly, Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). Jesus is the light. When you have light you know where you are going. You don’t trip. You see the path. You can read the signs. With light you are not lost in the dark. We need light to live. Jesus is the light.

            No wonder then that the people would increase their joy. They were living in sin and sinful circumstances. People had ignored God and stumbled into darkness. With Jesus people can see and when they see…what a joy.

2. The reason for this hope

Isaiah described this hope in the first three verses; now he explains the reason for this hope.

            What happened? Human nature is such that we fail to understand what we have until we lose it. Israel had a relationship with Yahweh but failed to grasp what it meant to honor that relationship. God had to show them the disaster of sinful living in order to drive home God’s love for them.

            With sin comes bondage. We become slaves to sin. Sometimes we become slaves to others, literally and figuratively. We fall into the trap of caring what society thinks. We care too much about what our friends want from us. Or literally, we become slaves to our jobs, our lifestyles, our pleasures or addictions.

            Isaiah proclaims that God has shattered the yoke that burdens the people and removed the bar across their shoulders. The image is release from slavery. He is proclaiming Jubilee: “He (God) has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners” (61:1b). Like prisoners of war the people are set free to return home and learn to live again.

            The war is over! When that day comes there will be an end to struggle and fighting. That’s what Isaiah means with this imagery “Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire” (5). Military hardware will be burned because there is no use for it anymore. Other weapons will be turned into farm tools, as Isaiah earlier foretold, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (2:4).

            But why? How can Isaiah promise such an ideal future? What is the reason for this peace?
            A most amazing reason is given. “For to us a child is born…” Not a full-grown adult – a child is born. Isaiah does not focus on what the child will do when he is an adult but on the mere fact of his birth. His birth will have such an impact that the world will be transformed by his first breath. This child will not bring peace; this child IS peace.

            “…and the government will be on his shoulders” (6). Previously the burden was on the shoulders of the people (4), but now they are released from their burdens when he shoulders the burden of ruling. Your burdens fall on Jesus’ shoulders; your problems are His problems. He is not a King who adds to your burdens; He is a King who lightens your burden. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”, Jesus says (Mt. 11:29-30).

            This child will be a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

            All this in a child?

            What child is this?

            This is the same child whose birthday caused 100,000 soldiers, British and German, to put down their guns and celebrate the hope of Christmas. A greater hope than what their leaders promised them in battle glory. But that was a long time ago. That was then, what about now?

            This is the same child whom the politically correct dare not speak His name, yet also dare not dismiss His holiday. And if those proponents of the Christmas season who set up their trees on November 1^st get their way, Christmas will rule the whole of the fall season. This child does that.

            And what breaks the cloud of gloom that shrouds the heart? I know that on some personally cloudy days, nothing breaks in on my cold heart like the smile of Ezekiel Toews. My heart warms to see his happy face. How much more the face of the Christ-child who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorned its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. We were His joy.

Christmas is dangerous. The birth of Jesus upsets the status quo.

            You see, when the Christmas Truce was called in 1914, generals on both sides grew alarmed. As Germans, Brits, Canucks, Belgians, and Frenchman reached across no-man’s land to share Christmas, they stopped fighting. And as they celebrated the birth of Christ together, they found out that they were brothers.

            How do you then kill a man you shared “Jesus” with? From then on, the Generals forbade their men to “cross the line” and fraternize with the enemy. If you like the enemy you are less inclined to kill him.

            Let’s call a Christmas truce today. Put aside your grievances with those who have offended you, the in-laws who annoy you, the family members who take advantage of you, and celebrate our common Savior. Let there be peace in your hearts and in your homes. Leave the burden of your hurt with Jesus who died for that hurt. Rest in His rule of the situation.

            Now as you go forward, live out that temporary truce every day, until the Lord comes and establishes a permanent peace. That peace is coming; let’s practice living that peace in our hearts and with those in the opposite trench.

                                                                        AMEN

            

Missional #9

GOD’S WORD: AN INSTRUMENT OF GOD’S MISSION

Anyone who lives in Kleefeld knows that to plant a garden there will be challenges. We live in what used to be a swamp, so there are trees and underbrush to contend with. Then there are the rocks that seem to float upwards in the soil whenever you remove the top layer of rocks. Not to mention the beloved oak trees that suck up most of the moisture: you have to fell a few of those. When you finally get around to tilling you may find a layer of gravel only inches beneath the topsoil.

            Reading and studying the Bible today resembles planting a Kleefeld garden. Our view of the Word has become overgrown with assumptions and practices that make it difficult to see the bigger picture of God’s mission. Many of us read the Bible looking for personal encouragement and inspiration for the day ahead. And that’s fine until we read the parts that don’t apply to “me” directly. Then the Bible becomes irrelevant to the individual seeking comfort. While the Bible is about “you,” it’s not all about you. We need to clear the ground if we are going to read the Bible missionally.

            David Bosch asked, “Did the NT give rise to mission or did mission give rise to the NT?” We might say it was the first, but Bosch rightly says it is the second. After the Holy Spirit filled the believers at Pentecost, the church had no NT but it moved out to do mission – from Jerusalem onwards. So where did the NT come from? In what context did it arise? It arose in the context of mission – mission to the nations. The first Christians did not automatically possess a NT, study it in their homes for personal devotion, and then discover that its main theme was the mission of God. Instead, they went out with the gospel to many places and thought out loud about that mission. One form of that thinking out loud was the NT.[i]

            But what was the root of their missional thinking? Where did it come from? The first Christians found their motivation for mission in the rediscovery of God’s mission in the OT. A small piece of that discovery is found in Deut. 31.

1. God’s Word is a Sacred Trust handed down

Moses has neared the end of his sermons for the people of Israel. He confesses that he is 120 years old and about to die. So he takes time to appoint a successor, Joshua, and to offer one last encouragement: Read the Word.

            Israel does not have an OT at this point. All the communication from God to the people came through Moses. God met with Moses in the tent of meeting and gave His instructions; Moses told the people what God said. But Moses also wrote it down. And as he wrote he was conscious of the fact that this was God’s law, not his own invention.

            What makes the Scripture sacred? The source. God. Moses warned the people “…carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book…” (28:58). This book we call Deuteronomy was part of the five-book collection titled the Books of Moses or the Pentateuch. To Israel it was the very words of God. Moses was just the scribe.

            The sacred value of this book was emphasized by where it was kept. Moses told the Levites, “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you” (31:26). In plain language, this book was placed beside the most holy place. It was not put in the ark but beside it. This underlined two things: how special the book was, and that it was to be accessible.

            What Moses passed on to Joshua and to the priests and to the elders (community leaders) was a sacred trust. This book was the key to honoring the God who delivered them from bondage, who rescued them from their enemies, who was their salvation. This book taught them how to participate in God’s mission for the world.

            The context of Moses’ last words before his death and the passing on of this sacred trust sound familiar. The Apostle Paul knew his death was imminent as well, and before he died he wanted to pass on encouragement to another leader, Timothy. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2). Paul was speaking of the gospel of the crucified Lord.

            This sacred trust in both cases was meant to be handed down to others. It was meant to be protected as sacred truth but not hoarded. We are called to make it accessible and visible. We are the recipients of this book. And unlike any generation before us, we have access to God’s Word. Do we read it? Do we study it? Do we give it a sacred space in life?

2. God’s Word provides the Foundation for Worship

Moses commanded the priests and elders to read this book every seven years. The occasion was the Feast of Tabernacles, when debts were cancelled and slaves set free. All Israel would gather at the Tabernacle before God during this feast. On that occasion the whole book of Deuteronomy would be read to all the people (10-11).

            You might be thinking “We only need to do church once every seven years.” Forget it. Or we only need to read the Bible together every seven years. NO! Then we misunderstand what’s going on.

            The public reading of the law as a nation was intended to be a renewal or reminder of what the people agreed to do for God. It was a national worship service. The book was the basis of their identity in Yahweh; it was a reminder that Yahweh was their God and the responsibilities involved in that. The Word in this sense had a central place in worship.

            That does not mean they only read it or thought about every seven years. In this same book Moses taught the people to meditate constantly, daily, persistently on these words (Read Deut. 6:6-9). So the Word had a central place in the family too. If the nation was going to be dedicated to God and His law, communities, tribes, and yes, families needed to meditate on the Word of God.

            What place does the Word, the Bible have in our church? Is reading the text for the sermon enough? Why do we not read whole chapters together? Are we hearing God speak? Do we realize that when someone reads the Scripture that we are hearing God’s own voice? Somewhere in the course of events we developed the feeling that we need to shoot through the scripture reading so we can get to the sermon.

            When Layton Friesen and I were pastoring together at Crestview, he challenged me on one occasion. He said that I read my Scripture references too fast, as if I was in a rush to get to my own words, as if God’s Word were not important. From that time on I slowed myself down and put more feeling into my Scripture reading. It was a good challenge.

            The Word of God speaks on its own when we read it. The Word is cause for worship when we realize what kind of God we serve, that He loves me (yes) and He loves you and He sends us to others to tell them He loves them too.

3. God’s Word shapes His people to be Missional

Moses believed that the words he wrote down, the very words that God gave to him, would shape the people into a community that God could use. He said, “Assemble the people – men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns – so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law” (12).

            I see four important purposes for God’s Word emerging from this verse:

a) Corporate reminders – The people gathered together to be reminded of their purpose. What are we here for? Why are we called by God’s name? For this reason they recited the covenant.

            Over the past several weeks we have studied the content of this book. We know that it contains the Ten Words (Commandments). We know that it tells the people what God wants for a community called by His name (laws). And we know that this covenant, as it was called, was never meant to be solely for God and Israel, irrespective of the rest of the world (4:6-8). Israel was chosen by God to be a light to the world. To forget this missional aim of the covenant was to forget what it was about. It is as though the postman were to imagine that all the letters in his bag were intended for him.

b) To Fear the LORD – It strikes me how inclusive this command is: men, women, children and foreigners are invited to hear the Word. This Word of God is for everyone who will stop and hear it. But its purpose is to teach the listener why and what it means to fear the LORD.

            To fear the LORD, as you know, is not to hide or run away in terror. Yes, we tremble before the living God when we realize how awesome He truly is, but we run towards Him in obedience. A healthy fear of God leads to obedience. Moses makes this clear in Deut. 10:12-13 (read). This obedience includes the Ten Words and the laws, but more importantly it includes loving God and loving your neighbor.

c) To be a model community – A model community is certainly the result of obedience. This book of Moses didn’t just happen. God didn’t redeem the people of Israel and then whip out a book saying, “Hey, I just happen to have a book that might be useful for devotional purposes.” The books of Moses arose out of the context of God redeeming a people for a missional purpose. “This,” He says, “is who you are and this is what you are called to do.”[ii] As Moses said, “These are not just idle words for you – they are your life” (32:47).

            Jesus echoed this same mission of God for His followers when He told them, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mat. 5:14). Just as Israel was fashioned to be a model community, the Church has been chosen to be the community that is the sign, instrument, and foretasted of God’s in-breaking kingdom, a kingdom that reveals the old order of things making way for the new order under the King of kings, Jesus Christ, who makes all things new. In this model we are not merely saved for heaven; we are saved to be examples of the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the lives of those who believe. We are different.

d) To join God’s mission – Israel failed to be the model community; they failed to be covenant-keepers. But upon Israel’s failure Jesus takes their calling to be the light of the world and lays it on His own shoulders. And through His teaching and the cross, He calls a community to be with Him and shows them how to truly be the light of the world. In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus deals with the sin of the world, including the sin of Israel, so that they can fulfill their calling. The new covenant people of God are “humanity renewed in Christ.” And Jesus sends them to continue His own mission begun in Deuteronomy.[iii]

            This is how Jesus saw the Scriptures. Remember the Road to Emmaus story? Jesus comes upon two sorrowful disciples walking away from Jerusalem. He begins talking with them and when they confess their unbelief of the resurrection, Jesus gives them an OT lesson. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27). You can believe that Jesus went to Deuteronomy to reveal Himself and God’s mission to these two disciples. Luke then records that Jesus surprises the Eleven with His resurrected self. He eats a piece of fish to show He is no ghost and then says, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (44b). Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.

            If we take Jesus seriously in Luke, it is not only the NT that is to be read in light of the mission of God but the OT as well. The Church is not given a new mission but the same mission that Moses preached in Deuteronomy, if we read the Bible as one whole story and not in pieces.

If the Word of God is the instrument of God’s mission, then we must begin anew to read it from the beginning. I am not saying we have read it wrong per se all these years. But then again, perhaps we have read the Bible from the wrong perspective.

            Christopher Wright illustrates the heart of the matter when we read the Bible without missional lenses. We ask, “Where does God fit into the story of my life?” But the Bible asks a different question, “Where does my life fit into the story of God’s mission?” We wonder, “Does God have a purpose tailored just for me?” when we should be asking, “What would it mean for my life to be wrapped up in the great mission of God?” Or again, we say, “How does the Bible apply to my life?” Isn’t the missional question, “How does my life apply to the Bible?” And “What kind of mission does God have for me?” should be “What kind of me does God want for His mission?” Finally, in the age of church vision statements, we ask, “What kind of mission does God have for our church?” But we ought to ask, “What kind of church does God expect for His mission?”[iv]

            Reading the Bible missionally is not something we force on the Scriptures. It has been there all along. We just might not have seen it. But if we read the Bible like Jesus did in Luke 24:25 we should begin to see what God’s purposes really were from Genesis to Revelation. We have our favorite passages that encourage us – what if we read those same texts in the light of God’s mission for the world? Would they read differently?

            Reading the Bible missionally is not simply a cool new idea to replace your tired old study habits. Rather, Jesus in Luke 24 demands that we read Deuteronomy this way. If we do, we will find that God’s Word is an instrument for God’s mission. It is a sacred trust handed down to us to know God and to shape us into a people for God.

                                                            AMEN

           

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[i] David Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1998) as quoted by Robert Lynn in his blog “In all the Scriptures: Reading the Bible Missionally.

[ii] Robert Lynn

[iii] Michael Goheen, A Dialogue with N.T. Wright – Jesus: A Public Figure Making a Public Announcement. (email me for further info)

[iv] Christopher Wright in Robert Lynn’s blog. (see above)