From the Cradle to the Cross in Five Days
First B Jackson
2018-12-23

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

----
Amen. Amen and thank you. Thank you all for doing that. The children's choir leading us today. We've got a few announcements on here.

They are. This thing will work. Monday nights at first b. Happens every Monday night. We do meal music and a message.

You know that. We are actually off though for Christmas Eve, but we're still having a big service here in the building. We're doing it twice. 04:30 in the afternoon and six in the evening. We're doing 04:30 and six twice.

They're the same. It'll be the same band, augmented band, and a few guests, celebrity guests that are coming in. We'll have that at 04:30 and then again at six tomorrow night Christmas Eve, but we'll be off. Monday nights are off. Awana is off for Christmas, but we'll all be together in this one place.

We have some overflow room available. But if you wanna be here and you wanna sit down while you're here, you probably wanna get here early for either one of the service, 04:30 or six. 04:30 typically is the more full. If you can decide it, you might want to come to the six. A lot of you have plenty of things to do after.

So 04:30 and six tomorrow evening. We've got obviously 09:00 this morning and 11:00 were led by the children's choir here. We do not have any services on Christmas day. So on Christmas day, no services, but that's the, that's the plan right there. We have a congregational meeting that's coming up on January 13 between services.

So, around ten fifteenish, we'll have a congregational meeting. If you're a member, come on in and we'll vote and you know, consider the budget and all that sort of stuff. Fun, fun, fun. Congregational meeting, Sunday, January 13 at 10:15. There is a trip that First B is planning to go to Israel.

It is right now during spring break. So, March 23 through April 3 is when we are planning to go. Deposits were due today, but if you will get them in, please, please get them in the next couple of days. I know it's Christmas, but if you can get them in, we're trying to make this trip happen. We need 20, and we have 16.

So if if you are, in any way favorably disposed towards going on this trip and we just don't know about it yet, would you let us know please? Because we really are trying to make it happen. Israel 2019, I know that's Petra which is in Jordan, but Israel 2019 is something that we are doing. We had a little meeting between services to kinda gather, but please let us know if you'd like to go. It is gonna be a great time together with your church family.

That's what we're trying to do. Also, men's winter retreat. The men's winter retreat. Is there somebody else here to make this announcement in this service? Alright.

So, I'm going to do it. Men's winter retreat happens each year up at the Old Faithful Christian Ranch in Island Park, Idaho. It's about a three, almost three mile trip from the parking area where we park the cars and trucks and trailers and all that stuff, and then usually snowmobile back. If you don't have a snowmobile, there is a cat track available, two of them actually, at Old Faithful Christian Ranch, and they come out and pick us up and take us back in there. It's a men's winter retreat, formerly called the men's snowmobile retreat, but there's a whole lot more that goes on up there.

There are people who take the cross country skis. There's one guy who takes a snowboard and hitches a ride to the top of some of the hills and then snowboards down. We've got lots of different folks doing different things. Some of them just sit in the lodge and drink hot chocolate and eat and the food is good and the time there is good. Old Faithful Christian Ranch, it's a $100 for men and it is for kids up to 12.

It is $50. And so we're it's a men's retreat typically, but we have included the boys in that for sure. And so if you want to bring your kids, you're welcome to do that. Men's Winter Retreat, January twenty fifth, twenty sixth, and twenty seventh, Allen Park, Idaho. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it's a good time.

And I'm gonna invite forward those who are reading the fourth Sunday of Advent reading, which Bob looks like Wales. Bob and Judy.

And Nicodemus said to Jesus, how can a man be born when he is old? Today, we light the fourth candle of our advent wreath, the candle of love, an expression of the perfect love of the triune God. In context, this refers to the to God the father, who is the author of the plan of God and the giver of his son who is the executor of that plan. This morning, we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, the union of undiminished deity and perfect humanity in one body forever. In a few moments, Judy will read two verses of the answer to the question above.

Verses known to many of us since we were children. Whether a child or an adult, we gravitate to God's love and to the notion that Jesus Christ bore the divine penalty of our disobedience and unrighteousness. But the remainder of these verses teach us the more somber notions of divine judgment and condemnation. Thus, contrasting God's perfect love toward the world of all mankind with his perfect justice towards all mankind. The divine solution stated here in verse 16 is presented at the individual level, whosoever believes.

This means any person can choose to believe and the object of belief is Jesus Christ who paid the righteous price at Calvary for the believer's unrighteousness. A believer has no personal merit for his or her belief. Since all of the honor and glory passes to the son. Only then is God God's perfect justice satisfied. Our condemnation is removed and we are sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit here on earth and born again with a new eternal life seated with Jesus Christ in heaven.

John three sixteen and seventeen says, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Thank

you very much, Bob Young. Would y'all stand up and greet one another? Find somebody you haven't seen yet. Say howdy and we'll the kids will bring you back together with a song. Good job.

Woah. Nice. Hey, everybody. Y'all can have a seat while the children continue here. Good job, kids.

Thank you, children. I really appreciate that. Thank you for leading off there. I'm going invite the front line team to come forward. Move this thing around.

And in the first service, I forgot to do the offering actually. For a minute, I never heard of that. It's a Christmas miracle. Pastor forgot to do the offering. But I I'm going to say a prayer here if you would.

Would you pray with me? God, I thank you for these these voices. I think of the Psalm that oh, let everything that has breath praise the Lord and these children, lord, my goodness, singing out and praising you. It's a blessing and so God, I pray that there would be others who would come to know you by their witness that there would be others that come to know you and praise you and glorify you lord because of our walk and our witness and in obedience lord. We want to advance your gospel, to do your kingdom's work here in this community lord as has been happening all of the generosity that we have seen and seen extended from your people to those lord that we don't know whether they know you or not but they are in temporal need.

I thank you lord that you've been reaching them with gracious provision and I pray that we continue to do that but also spread the evangel, the good news that Christ the chosen one has paid the price. In Jesus name, lord, I pray that we would be advancing that good gospel of love and forgiveness to the very ends of the earth. Would you use what is placed in these plates to do your will on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, amen. Thank you, Judy, and and the kids too.

I love that. Good good good start to the morning. I've got on the agenda today. Select passages from the book of Luke. If you've been kinda keeping up and you've been coming in, usually what we do is go through scripture in order but we've had the past three Sundays, we have done selected passages from Isaiah, the book of Isaiah, pointing out the suffering servant passages.

42, Isaiah 42, Isaiah 49, fifty, and fifty three last week and then we're going to do a few passages from the gospel of Luke but before we do that, y'all didn't get a chance to sing this morning. Would you stand up? We haven't done this as a as a normal liturgy and tradition in this church for a while but it's a common liturgical practice and I want to give you a chance to stretch before we get into this message, okay? So, would you, the words are on the screen. Would you recite with me the Lord's prayer?

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Y'all can have a seat.

So, the selected passages from the gospel of Luke, if I were to ask y'all, what are we going to go over today since it's the December 23 and I said it was selected passages from the gospel of Luke, you know it's going to be Luke two because that talks about the manger scene in the cradle but what we're going to do in this sermon in the next thirty minutes or so, from the cradle to the cross in five days, five particular days. From the cradle to cross in five days. So, day one, here we go. Listen fast. The cradle.

I'm going to just try to read it instead of preaching through every single word. I'm going try to read it because narrative goes, try to bring out the points kind of in between each day and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field and keeping watch over their flock by night and low, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord, the glory, glory is fame. It's church word but fame and the glory of the Lord shown round about them and they were sore afraid and the angel said unto them, fear not. Angels must be scary sights. They always start off with fear not.

For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. It shall be. Now, this was one small little backwater town outside of Jerusalem. You know, it was good news for those guys that heard the message that night but it shall be to all people. This is already forecasting to the ends of the earth kind of gospel mission.

Fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day. Now, I'm using the King James version of the Bible right here. So, this day means today, alright? For unto you is born today in the city of David, a savior which is Christ the Lord and this shall be a sign unto you that you shall find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger and suddenly, there was with that angel a multitude of the heavenly host so other angels praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, may more fame be to God in the highest.

He deserves it. Glory is God is is the manifestation of the goodness of God. It is what we think when we glorify God. We make him even more famous. We'll never match his actual goodness but glory to God in the highest.

The angels are singing continually and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. So, the message is a message of love and forgiveness and peace because we are we all start out at enmity with God. By nature and by choice. But the message that the angels had for those shepherds in that field on that night, in time, in space is today is born. A savior who is Christ the Lord.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. So, he is extending unmerited favor, peace, and goodwill towards people and it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherd said to one another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and let let's see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord hath made known to us. So, they heard a message from God and they responded to the message and they came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Just now, that's exactly what he said, right?

That's what the message said. This will be a sign to you. You'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and that's what they found when they did what the angel said to do and when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and she pondered them in her heart.

Now, Luke, we're going to hit five different passages from the book of Luke today. Luke says in the very beginning of his gospel that he wanted to set out an orderly account of the life of Jesus and so, he sets out this life of Jesus, an orderly account and he interviewed people, Mary, pondered these things in her heart, treasured them, and kept them in her heart and transmitted her message to Luke who put it down on paper. She was there. She ought to know, right? The shepherds were there and talked with them too.

Can you imagine how confirming that would be for Mary having had her own vision and seeing these guys just show up out of the blue. Say, we're here to worship your baby. Mary kept all these things. She pondered them in her heart and the shepherds returned doing what? Glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.

What an amazing thing that is. Just as it was told to them. So, day one, what happened? Well, a savior is born. A savior is born which is Christ the Lord.

Today, in the city of David, that's day one. So, day two, Listen fast. Here we go. Day two. Luke four.

So, we were in Luke two just a second ago. We're in Luke four now. And Jesus returned in the power of the spirit in the Galilee. Now, where's he returning from? You know, Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for forty days.

He fasted and he was tempted and then when he returned, he returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee. Galilee of the Gentiles, not Judea. He didn't come right back into Jerusalem. He came into Galilee which is an outline place, 83 miles or so north of Jerusalem. If you're going on the Israel study tour, hey, little plug.

You'll get to see that, right? Jesus returning the power of the spirit into Galilee and there went out a fame of him throughout all the region round about. So, he was starting to get famous after he comes back in and begins his ministry. He begins it up in Galilee, Capernaum's in Galilee. There went out of fame of him throughout all the region round about and he taught in their synagogues being glorified by all, made more famous.

Every time that he speaks and people hear him, the word goes out and he's gaining fame. Now, as Bob pointed out in the first sermon this morning, we had this this perfect union of God and man right here and when he was around, people noticed and they were amazed and then the kind and gracious words spoken of him was because he deserved it. He taught in their synagogue being glorified of all and he came to Nazareth. Now, where he had been brought up. He's born in Bethlehem but he was brought up in Nazareth.

He's a builder there with his dad, right? Thirty years, we've skipped forward from Luke two to Luke four. As it is as was his custom, he went into the synagogue, Jewish assembly there. On the Sabbath day and he stood up for to read and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Now, we've been going over Isaiah for the past three weeks.

42, 49, fifty, fifty three. We've seen kind of the ark of Jesus's life forecast by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before he was born. It talked about the spirit of the Lord being upon him. It talked about his ministry towards captives. It talked about how he would come into conflict and how he would eventually go through the passion.

We've seen that for the past three weeks. We've been looking at it and they brought to him what? In his hometown. They brought him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. By the way, this is Isaiah 61.

This is the last of the servant passages although it doesn't say the word servant, almost everyone includes it. 42 says, my chosen one, my servant. 49 says, my servant. 50, my servant. 53, my suffering servant, and then 61 closes that out and this is what he got up and he said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me.

It says that in 42. It says it again in 49. It says it again in 61. Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he, the Lord, hath anointed me and it's Jesus that's saying it. Capital M there means Jesus.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. The good news to the poor. He had sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to preach deliverance to the captives, the recovery of sight to those who are blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Amen. That's Isaiah sixty one one and two A.

It's not two B, it's two A. It just gets that far and then he stopped and when he stopped, he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and he sat down. So, in modern parlance, for those of you who speak through text messages all the time, this is what Jesus did. Okay. He dropped the mic.

He got to this place. He said what he had to say and boom. Just sat down. And all of the eyes on all of them were in the that were in the synagogue were fastened on him and he began to say unto them, this day or today, this is the second day. Today, is this scripture fulfilled in your ears?

You have heard scripture fulfilled because the me was him. It wasn't just reading and forecasting him. It was him and so, all bear him witness and wondered at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. They were all amazed and wondered at those gracious words proceeded out of his mouth and then they said, is not this Joseph's son? Now, that's a callback to that chapter two, right?

Mary and Joseph were there. Joseph being Jesus's earthly kind of stepfather. And all of them had seen what happened and you can imagine the thirty years of the shame that they had because they were thinking, oh, that was before they're married and all this different stuff. Isn't this Joseph's son? Joseph, the builder and his son is all of a sudden saying all these gracious words.

He's really up there. Is not this Joseph's son? So, day two, what happened? Well, Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61. That's no small thing.

He claimed to be the fulfillment of the servant passage, Isaiah 61. And there it is, sixty one one and two eight but he only read part of that prophecy and then he stopped. Now, that was a popular place and in the in the way that this goes about, they would, they were kind of in a liturgical tradition too where they would read these suggested readings each Sunday or each Saturday technically. They would read these things on the Sabbath and Jesus got up and spoke through part of it and stopped and then sat down. Boom.

And this is what he stopped at and didn't say. He didn't say, and the day of vengeance of our God. He proclaimed the acceptable year or the year of the Lord's favor. He proclaimed liberty to the captives, good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, opening up the prison to those who are bound and the year or the time of God's acceptable time. That's what he proclaimed and then before he got to the day of vengeance of our God.

Now, this was in the Roman Empire under the Pax Romana where there was a forced peace and the Israel was living up under Rome. And they had some degree of autonomy, but not a lot. And it could never get out of bounds. And they hated having oppressors over them. And so this was a popular passage because after this day of vengeance of our God is God is gonna take over.

We're going to be lifted up. National Israel will be on top and so they all were building up for this great passage that all of them knew but the nation of Israel would rise up and Rome would be put down and when he stopped shy of that and sat down, that was gracious words because he left out the vengeance part and he left out how all of the oppressors would cease. He didn't say that. He opened a new time. He he actually was the author of time and space, spoke it into existence, and though God is outside of time, Jesus came into time.

He emptied himself and came into time and suffered through the way that we do. By this time, he had stubbed his toe. He had been all over and he had walked a perfect life submitted to the spirit and had no sin debt accumulated. But he was here and when he stands up in his hometown and proclaims part of this prophecy and then sits down, what was the aftermath of that? The aftermath and then he said, you will undoubtedly quote me this proverb, physician, heal yourself.

Meaning, do miracles here in your hometown like you did in Capernaum, Galilee, right? But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. They were busy wondering, didn't this Joseph the carpenter's son? He's like an apprentice builder. Certainly, there were many needy widows in Israel.

In Elijah's time, he's calling back on the Old Testament time. Prophet Elijah. Certainly, there are many needy wizards in Israel in Elijah's time. When the heavens were closed for three and a half years and a severe famine devastated the land but you all know the story. Elijah was not sent to any of those folks.

He was sent instead to a foreigner, one that was outside of the chosen people of God, right? To a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon and many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one healed was Naaman, Assyria. He was saying, God's bigger than you think. It's not just me, my four, and no more. It's not just this little bitty national group, this little bitty self identifying group.

This, as Jesus said, or God said in 42, 49, fifty, and fifty three that he was going to be a light to the nations, a light to the Gentiles, a light to those who are outside of Israel and Jesus is pointing to that. After he's just proclaimed the gracious and open acceptable year of the Lord. He's saying, it's not just for y'all and it's not just about you. So, the aftermath is this, when they heard this in the synagogue, same people who just said they were wondering at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious, Jumping up, they mobbed him and they forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built and they intended to push him over the cliff.

That cliff, by the way, is the Nazareth Ridge. You could see it on the Israel study tour. It's a little higher than Snow King and a lot steeper, rocky, dangerous. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. So this right here is a crowd right at the edge of the Nazareth Ridge, Mount Tabor in the background right there, the plain, I think of Jezreel, and then this is a little city down below.

But Nazareth was built on this ridge, a little higher than Snow King, and they were going to throw him off the cliff because he was not agreeing with their theology about what God was going to do. That's day two and the aftermath. Day three. Day three, on one of those days, as he was teaching, this is Luke five by the way. Simple pericopy, a story about some one of those days.

One of those days as he was teaching Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. So, they were from Galilee of the Gentiles and Judea is the big kind of metropolitan Jerusalem around it, you know, and Jerusalem. These are the big Pharisees and scribes, religious folk and the power of the Lord was with Jesus, him to heal and behold, some men were bringing on a bed, a man who was paralyzed and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. Y'all know this story. This is one we learned in Sunday school when I was little.

This man has some good friends and the friends believe in Jesus. This man was dragged there. There might be some of you here today that were dragged here by a friend. But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and they let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. Imagine sitting in that room, Pharisees and scribes taking the front position, wanting to hear everything Jesus said trying to trick him or catch him in some kind of a little error and then crumbling, sealing starts and this guy is lowered down on his palate and when he saw their faith, oh my goodness, Jesus is seeing not the man's faith.

It doesn't say that right there but Jesus is seeing the faith of friends when he saw their faith, he said, to that man, man, your sins are forgiven. Your sins are forgiven you. That's the way he responded and the scribes and the Pharisees began to question and saying, who is this who speaks blasphemy? Well, they were right actually if Jesus was not God. They would have been right.

This is a third category blasphemy. It would have been an arrogation of the divine prerog prerogative. Only God can forgive sins. So, if you claim to be able to do that, then you either are God or you are a liar. The scribes and the pharisees began to question among themselves saying, who is this that speaks blasphemies?

Who can forgive sins? But God alone. And when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them and said, why do you question in your hearts? Why are you in turmoil questioning within your heart? Which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven you which is what he just said or to say rise and walk.

Which is easier? I'll ask you. Which one's easier? I mean, syllables are up there. Your sins are forgiven.

You is harder to say than rise and walk and actually, if you're in front of people, your sins are forgiven you. It's kinda easier because there's no way to tell, right? It's hard to look at a person and know whether they're carrying sins or not. So, Jesus says, which is easier to say your sins have forgiven you or to say rise and walk? Well, your sins have forgiven you.

It's an easier one to say. You would have to stand for that blasphemy charge but if you said rise and walk and the guy didn't do it, you look like a fool and everything else you said just lost its footing. But that but so that you may know that the son of man, that's Jesus's favorite name for himself and that's Daniel, the prophet's favorite name for Jesus but that you may know that the son of man has authority on Earth to forgive sins. He said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home. Now, it's out there.

And immediately, he rose up and he rose up before them and he picked up what he had been lying on. What he was lowered through the roof off. And he went home glorifying God. And amazement sees them all. All of them there were amazed by it and they what?

Glorified God because this man had been healed. They amazement seized them all and they all glorified God and they were filled with awe and they were all saying, we have seen extraordinary things here today. Third day, right there, today. God operates within the confines he created of time and space. He is cosmic and almighty but he also individually makes a difference in time and space.

So, day three, what happened? Well, a desperate man's friends found a way to get him to Jesus and they carried him and some of us have had friends that have carried us to Jesus, you know, brought us to him but Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sin and then he proved it with a compassionate miracle. That's what happened on day three. Day four. Day four, we're going to skip forward from chapter five all the way to 19, alright?

There's a lot that happens in between there but chapter 19, I added this one this day. Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. Jericho, if you're wondering, Jerusalem is on a hill that's about the height of the pass. So right at the top of the hill is up there and then Jericho would be about where we are in Jackson, almost the same distance and almost the same distance and elevation. If you go on the Israel study tour, you'll get to see that.

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town and there was a man there named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector in the region and he had become very rich. And what do you know about Zacchaeus? A wee little man was he.

Exactly. There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region. He'd become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.

So he ran ahead and he climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the road. He was anticipating Jesus. That's right. He ran ahead and he climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the road for Jesus was going to pass that way. He was anticipating Jesus arrival and when Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and he called him by name.

Amen. Jesus looked up and said, Zacchaeus, quick, come down. I must be a guest in your home today. Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house and in great excitement and joy. Praise God but the people were displeased.

It seems to be a recurring theme that people are displeased. There's peace and joy that shall be to all people. There's peace that's been goodwill towards men. Yet, people seem to be displeased and they grumble a lot. The people were displeased.

He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner. They grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half of my wealth to the poor. Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give em back four times as much. Praise God.

That sounds like someone who's been transformed, changed, notorious sinner. I I I don't question the charge. He's notorious sinner but that sounds like someone has been changed and Jesus agrees with me. He says, Jesus responded, salvation has come to this home today. Actually, if you back up, he said right here, quick, come down.

I must be a guest in your home. Today, Now, Zacchaeus was anticipating and looking for him and then, Jesus called him out and invited himself to his house. Salvation has come to this home today for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. Now, we don't know anything about Zacchaeus, about his upbringing or about his religious background. We don't know anything about him.

We know he's a tax collector and that was hated among Israel for the most part. They were really really hated especially if they were Jewish and a tax collector. Complicit with the Roman government that they saw to be an oppressive regime but Jesus responds and says, salvation has come to this home today for this man has shown himself to be a true son of of the family of God, of Abraham, one who was blessed by God. For the son of man came to seek and to save those who are lost. Salvation is what it says in the text.

Now, sometimes in church circles, we end up throwing the terms around. Is he lost or saved? We get that a lot. Is she saved? I'm not even sure she's saved.

You hear that sort of thing among churchy church people? Salvation is what it's about. We stand either in peril or we stand under the blood of Jesus mercifully forgiven and saved just like for those whoever, who whosoever shall believe. Shall not perish but be saved, right? For the son of man came to seek and to save those who are lost.

So, therefore, what happens? Zacchaeus undertook some effort to get to see Jesus. So, was making the effort. It wasn't like his friends just dragged him there. And it wasn't like he was just minding his own business like the shepherds.

He was going out of his way to get to see Jesus and Jesus recognized him and invited himself in. Ask, seek, and knock. If you're looking for Jesus, he he will be found, he says. Jesus recognized him, invite himself in, and then he saved him. So, day five, we were going across the cradle to cross in five days.

So, here we are at the cross and two others who were criminals. There's no doubt about their innocence or guilt. They were criminals. They were led away to be put to death outside the city wall with him, with Jesus. Didn't capitalize H on that one, sorry.

And when they came to the place that is called the skull, Golgotha, Calvary, the Hill Of Calvary, call it outside of the city wall of Jerusalem. There, they crucified him as Jesus and the criminals. One on his right and one on his left. Are you with me with the scene? I mean, the manger scene is the one we expect to hear about about Christmas but if this scene doesn't happen, the manger scene would have been forgotten the two thousand years of history.

And Jesus being up there with actual criminals, one on his right, one on his left, having been nailed to the cross by a Roman soldier or soldiers, maybe the same ones who had been beaten for the last day and a half. Jesus said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. That is a gracious, gracious word coming out of his mouth right there. Under the passion and on the cross, Jesus said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do and they cast lots to divide his garments. That by the way, is another answer to prophecy, fulfillment right there.

Jesus claims to be the servant of Isaiah 61 and he proclaims that message and then, we have other prophecies that are met even as he's hanging on that cross. They cast lots to divide his gar ments and Jesus said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do and they cast lots to buy those garments and the people stood by watching but the rulers scoffed at him saying, he saved others. Let him save himself. Mocking. If he is the Christ of God, the chosen one, chosen one, calls back to Isaiah 42.

He's the chosen one. I've set my spirit upon him and then, the one of 53 by his stripes, we are healed. He's wounded for our transgressions. The iniquity was of all of us was laid on him. And the soldiers also mocked him.

Coming up and offering him sour wine. They had already put a crown of thorns on his head, covered him in purple cloth, and pretended mockingly to worship him. Pilate had already written a sign and hung it on the cross above his head that said, king of the Jew. The soldiers also mocked him coming up and offering him some sour wine and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, then save yourself. There was also the subscription over him.

This is the king of the Jews. Now, the chief priest and the other religious folk of the time had said to Pilate, no, no, no, wait a second. Just say he claims to be because they put their charge above their head, right? They put their charge what they're hanging up there for. Above their head.

Imagine those other guys, malafactors, insurrectionist, thief, bad guys. Jesus said, the king of the Jews and they said, no, right? He says, he's the king of the Jews. What I've written, I've written, Pilate raised his hands. Another one of those prophecies fulfilled.

There was an inscription over him. This is the king of the Jews and so he was. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. If you're the chosen one and can do it, do it.

Now, but the other one rebuked him. Actually, if you look at Mark, it says that they both were reviling him but something about the father forgive them for they know not what they do. How to change in that man's heart. This other criminal who was guilty rebuked the other one saying, do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation and we indeed justly, we are bad guys for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong. He said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and he said to him, truly I say to you that today, today, he works in time and space, right?

When you call upon the Lord, he answers. Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with me in paradise. So, what happened on day five? Jesus promised paradise to the criminal who trusted him. Not to both of them.

It was to the one who believed. So today, today, like now, 12/23/2018. What is happening? Jesus is at work. He's still at work right here today.

He has been this week. He's at he is at work. So what is he doing? So today, here it is. I like the response of the people when they heard the mess and by the way, angel, the word angolos in Greek is messenger.

It is one who carries a message. So, whether they be angelic messengers that have six wings or two wings or whatever, Anybody carrying a message is an angalas, a messenger. I'm broadcasting a message if you hadn't heard it. I've been doing it for thirty minutes. When they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them, that was the message that the angels were carrying him.

The response, the shepherds returned doing what? Glorifying and praising God, giving God the glory, the fame that he is due, praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen just as it was told unto them and for today, the scriptures fulfilled in your ears and all bore him witness and wondered at the gracious words which were proceeding out of his mouth. Before it got in the way of their politics, before it got in the way of their national theology, they bore witness that they were gracious words. Five, with the man lowered through the ceiling. Immediately, this man rose up.

The message was, rise and walk. Your sins are forgiven you. He picked up what he had been lying on and he went home glorifying God. Amen. You get, you catching a theme here?

And amazement sees them all and they all glorified God. We've seen extraordinary things here today. Luke 19, the wee little man, the wee little man said, yes to Jesus and the son of man came to seek and save those who are lost and salvation came to that lost man that day. In his home, Jesus invited himself in. Luke 23, a simple prayer Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom, secure paradise for that guy.

So, today, I want you to consider what's happening. What is the message that you've been told? There is an acceptable time of the Lord and Jesus opened that up. He opened it wide open. He didn't get to that part about vengeance because he knew he was open in the day and the age of grace.

But what's happening right here and right now today? We're hearing a message from this children's choir. Y'all can come on back up. They're going to finish out our service but if you feel like there's something that Jesus is saying to you, that God is speaking to you through his spirit, would you let me know about or let one of your friends that you know is a believer in Jesus know about it? Because he is at work today, right here, right now.

Kids, come on back. I will.

Hi, good morning. The next song we're going to sing with the children's choir is Silent Night and we're singing three verses and on the last verse, we invite you to join us but if you would remain seated, that would be great because we have another song we're going to follow after that. Thank you.

Amen. Amen. I think we've got seen some gracious words coming out of some mouths today too. So I I really appreciate y'all doing that. Thank you for our little volunteer children's choir and if I appreciate y'all leading us in exactly the way that you did today.

We generally do participatory worship. I know y'all haven't had a chance to sing this morning but tomorrow night, 04:30 and six tomorrow evening will be two services where the band actually, it's an augmented band. We have our normal band, but we have a violinist and a couple extra players gonna be on stage tomorrow night. And it will be a fun time. 04:30 and six, we'll all get to do participatory worship together.

Would you stand with me for a benediction? And now may the Lord of peace himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance, and may the Lord be with you all. In Jesus name, I pray that God would reflect his love and his light and his, forgiveness that is available through your lives as you walk in your sphere of influence this Christmas week. In Jesus name. Amen.