Everyone loves the idea of hope. We can live w/o a lot of things, but one thing we can't live without is hope. We need/want to believe everything is going to be better.
On the radio I keep hearing the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The song was produced in the 80s during the severe famine in Ethiopia. Dozens of the top British and Irish musicians formed a group called Band Aid, and sold this song to raise millions to combat hunger. That effort was eclipsed months later with the release of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie's "We Are the World."
When these songs were written, I was in grade school. Everyone got on the band-wagon (pun intended). There was so much hope and confidence. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie were going to save the world! If anyone could do it, they could do it! Band Aid sold 5 million albums; "We Are the World" sold over 20 million!
A lot of good came through these albums. But this question ("Do They Know It's Christmas?") is as relevant today as it was in the 80s. The question suggests that
Christmas should have far reaching implications for every person on earth. We know Christmas has a profound impact on the United States economy. But does Christmas have profound implications for the way we actually live?
Not everyone thinks of HOPE the same way. For some, HOPE depends upon some heroic leader showing up to solve all that ills society. I think of when our President ran on the very platform of "HOPE" and "CHANGE". Most of you recall the hope and optimism surrounding Obama's election, and his triumphant proclamation, "We are the ones we've been waiting for!" People ate it up! And they'll eat it up again in 2016, 2020, 2024.
We love to project our HOPE on heroic leaders. We're convinced... "If only the right leader came along... If only right person would come and fix our broken system, our broken government, our broken business models... someone with the necessary skills and know-how..." We're forever waiting for this right person to fix things "for us."
It's sad, but people continually swing from hope to disillusionment. We've seen the pattern a million times. A heroic person comes along. They make grandiose claims, and their readily embraced and celebrated. But then the heroic leader underperforms. People realize his/her solutions are costly, that they have overpromised, and aren't as amazing as they appeared to be. The leader begins to disappoint. Then, they get cast aside ... only for a new hero to emerge. The cycle repeats over and over!
People put their HOPE in their spouses, parents, children, politicians, authorities, community leaders, coaches, artists, musicians, athletes, scientists, religious leaders, CEOs and corporations... But what human could possibly carry HOPE for all the world?
For the Christian our hope in King Jesus. In Luke 2:10-12 an Angel of the Lord tells the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
I wonder if the angels in heaven ever look down on the Church and ask, "Do They Know Its Christmas? Do they not know what it means to live in the reality of Jesus' birth? Do they not realize that their God and Savior has appeared ... that the hope of all the earth has been revealed? Do they not know all their hopes now rest in Jesus?" As the Shepherds raced to find Jesus, it was evident they understood who He was.
Or consider Simeon, in Luke 2, who was righteous and devout. He spent his life waiting/hoping for the nation of Israel to be comforted. Every day he went to the temple courts, waiting to see God's salvation, waiting for God's glory to be revealed.
When Simeon sees Jesus, he raises his arms and praises God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." He understood Jesus was the hope of Israel.
Consider the prophetess Anna, in Luke 2. Luke describes her as a widow, 84 years old, who never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying, as she looked forward to the day God might redeem Israel. The moment she lays eyes on the child Jesus, she "gave thanks to God and spoke about the child Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." She knew where her hope lay.
Even King Herod understood who Jesus was. In Matthew 2, he freaks out as the Magi (wise men) come, searching for Jesus, asking, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." He freaks out when as he learns, centuries earlier, Isaiah the prophet foretold the day Jesus would be born, "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." For Herod, Jesus was a threat to be eliminated; But for the Angels, the Shepherds, the Magi, Simeon, Anna... Jesus was a King to be worshipped and served.
They knew it was Christmas... but do we? Have WE truly understood what it means that Jesus is our God & Savior? Have WE understood what it means to relate to Jesus as the King that he always has been and will be?
There is an uncomfortable word that appears throughout the Gospels that captures the essence of what it means to relate to Jesus as God, Savior, King...
In Luke 3:3, we're told John the Baptist came "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of their sins." He was attaching the benefit of forgiveness to the acts of baptism and repentance. Essentially, he was telling people if they wanted to be forgiven they had to declare their allegiance to a new King... and that declaring such an allegiance meant they had to fundamentally repent and change their lives.
John's basic message was, "Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." But he didn't allow his message to be lost on anyone. To the crowd he said, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none. Anyone who has food should do the same." To the tax collectors he said, "Don't collect any more than you are required to." To Roman soldiers he said, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."
What's amazing is that John the Baptist had the audacity to tell king Herod to repent! To king Herod he said, "You are accountable to a King greater than yourself... greater than Caesar. You shouldn't be married to your brother's wife... you shouldn't be doing evil things." (From history we know Herod was vile pervert, a merciless terrorist)
As I mentioned earlier, everyone loves the idea of hope. We especially like the kind of hope that doesn't demand anything of us... the kind that gets served up on a silver platter... that falls from heaven, like manna. But baptism? A change in allegiance? Repentance? Change? Herod liked the hopeful parts of John the Baptist's preaching... but he he'd rather have John killed than see Jesus enthroned King.
In the Bible HOPE in inextricably wed to repentance and change. You don't have HOPE without REPENTANCE. You don't get the benefits of Jesus being God, Savior and King... of forgiveness for example... without actually relating to Jesus as your God, Savior, and King! We sing about Jesus as King... but have we learned to live in the reality?
Throughout his ministry, Jesus repeatedly invited people "Repent and believe." Repentance involves four fundamental changes...
Repentance requires a change of thinking
Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will."
Repentance marks an extraordinary paradigm shift where you go from thinking of yourself as a king to realizing that only Jesus is King! Think about it for a moment. What is the person who has no regard the needs of others telling himself? What is a greedy person, who knows how to game the system, telling himself? What is the person who abuses their authority for personal gain, telling himself? What is the person who wrecks marriages, shows a blatant disregard for sexual mores, harms children, terrorizes his own countrymen, telling himself? They're telling themselves, "I'm king. I'm a law unto myself. I'm accountable to no one and no thing."
With repentance comes a complete paradigm shift. Suddenly my mind is oriented around God's will. Not what is good in my eyes, but what is good in God's eyes? No what is pleasing to me, but what is pleasing to God? Not what can I get by with, what will others see, but what is perfect in God's eyes?
Repentance requires a change of heart
It's one thing to intellectually consider God's will, it's quite another to sincerely pray, "Not my will, but yours be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In Matthew 5:8 Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Jesus went hard after people's hearts. Think of your heart as your attitude.
• In your heart, do you want to build someone up or tear them down?
• Do you want to be reconciled, or take someone for everything their worth?
• Do you want to guard your eyes or fuel adulterous lusts? Are you trying to reconcile your marriage, love spouse, or trying to justify a divorce?
• Do you intend to be a man/woman or your word, or are you trying to lie?
• Do you really want to be a peacemaker, or do you just want to slap back?
• Are you giving to glorify God, or to get recognition? Are you praying to feel spiritual, or to actually know the heart of God?
• Are you storing up treasure on earth, or treasure in heaven? Are you mostly serving God, or serving money? Are you trusting God with your needs, or letting your life spin out of control?
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says only those who do the will of the Father enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Why do we suppose that thinking about God's will is enough? Colossians 3:1-3 says, "set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things, for you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Repentance requires a change of character
Quite simply, John the Baptist demanded his listeners, "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." Even Paul, in Acts, demanded that people demonstrate the sincerity of their repentance by producing fruit.
Repentance means closing the gap between what we think, what we most want, and what we actually do. Character means we discern God's will, desire to do God's will, and deliver on God's will whether anyone notices or not.
This idea of character is rooted in the military traditions of the ancient Roman army. Every morning, inspections of the troops were conducted. As the inspecting centurion would stand in front of each soldier, the soldier would strike the armor breastplate which covered his heart. The armor had to be strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts, lances and arrow strikes.
As the soldier struck his armor, he would shout "integrity." The inspector listened closely both for the soldiers' oath of service and for the metallic ring of well kept armor. The sounds of the shield's strength and the pledge of service let everyone know the legionnaire was ready for battle in body and spirit. His life was devoted to service to his nation and maintaining sound character in the performance of his duties (source: http://www.amc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123173398).
Jesus never said the outer didn't matter. He warned us not to neglect the inner. Repentances means loving God with all our heart, mind and body.
Repentance requires a change of confidence
We shouldn't suppose repentance is all about putting confidence in our flesh. Our confidence is not based upon our own perfection, but rather the perfection of Christ. He is the lamb without blemish or defect. It doesn't matter how good we think we are. It doesn't matter whether we are better or worse than someone else. Only one thing matters and that's whether were clothed with Christ's righteousness. We can better ourselves, but we can never wash our own sins away. Only Christ can take away our sins--and that's exactly what God offers to do through faith in Jesus.
REAL HOPE embraces JESUS as KING. REAL HOPE requires that we close the gap, that we love God with all our mind, heart, and behavior. REAL HOPE requires that we trust Jesus' righteousness be our basis for confidence before God, not our own righteousness. Repentance allows the world to really know it's Christmas time.