For God So Loved

Sermon Summary:

As we approach Christmas, we’re called to reflect on its deeper meaning beyond the festivities. The prophet Isaiah’s powerful ‘Servant Song’ in Isaiah 52-53 reveals the ‘why’ of Christmas – God’s immense love for us. This prophecy, written centuries before Christ, paints a vivid picture of the suffering servant – Jesus – who would bear our sins. It’s a stark reminder that Christmas isn’t just about the joy of Christ’s birth, but also about the sacrifice He would make. The humble beginnings, rejection, and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus are all foretold, showing God’s intricate plan for our redemption. As we celebrate, let’s remember that Christmas is about God’s love in action, a love so profound that He gave His Son for us. This challenges us to live out this sacrificial love in our own lives, serving others as Christ served us.

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Sermon Points:

A Glimpse Ahead . . . Flourishing Together!

Today we turn our attention to the “Why?” of Christmas!

For God so loved . . . that He gave His one and only Son . . .!

BEHOLD!

ABC’s of Christmas!

ABC’s of Easter!

The Suffering Servant is . . . The Messiah, Jesus Christ, Savior, and Lord!

Our Savior’s sacrifice makes it possible for us to be found, forgiven, set free, and live forever!

As followers of the Suffering Servant, we are called to a lifetime of service in His Name.

Key Takeaways:

• Christmas is fundamentally about God’s love for humanity
• Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant points to Jesus Christ
• Jesus himself interpreted Isaiah 53 as referring to His own mission
• The suffering of Christ was necessary for our salvation and healing
• Christians are called to follow Christ’s example of humility and service
• The exaltation of Christ followed His humiliation, demonstrating God’s power

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Scripture References:

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (The Fourth Servant Song)
• Luke 22:36-37 (Jesus referencing Isaiah 53)
• 1 Peter 2:22-25 (Peter’s interpretation of Isaiah 53)
• Philippians 2:5-11 (Paul’s reflection on Christ’s humility and exaltation)

Stories:

• The pastor’s granddaughter Adler participating in a Christmas pageant, asking why they performed for just two people
  The pastor’s reflection on the “ABC’s of Christmas,” using the alphabet to remember different aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry
  Reference to a New York Times article questioning why many Christians appear cruel, contrasting with Christ’s example of love and service

Transcript

Well, we’ve had a wonderful time of worship together already. You know, I would say to Craig and Brian and Mark, I don’t know when Dr. and Ms. Bishop joined our church. I’m not sure when that was. 1958. Thank you, Craig. I know they were here when I got here. And they reared these three boys in our church. And Mary Helen and Dana and Robin, we love y’all as well. And just all your families, the Bishop families. And Craig, when I went to see you that day and I see you, we weren’t sure that you’d be standing here one day. And now here you are. And aren’t we grateful to God for his work in your life and all the prayers that were offered up on your behalf. then these kids have grown up, haven’t they? And it’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it, to be a part of a multi-generation. And just to see how God blesses and uses our people literally all over the world. And so we’re proud of all of y’all. And I’m grateful for one of our youngest bishops. I told him, light the candle, not the wreath. And he did a really good job. And so we’re grateful for that. So I know we’re in the Advent season. Let me just offer you just a quick glimpse ahead into the future. Flourishing together is going to be our theme, actually, for the next three years. And we are going to study what it means to be rooted in Christ as we flourish together, transformed on the Jesus way as we flourish together and impacting our world for Christ as we flourish together. We’re going to launch it all in January. January 24th, 25th, and 26th. I want you to mark your calendars if you haven’t done that already. We’re going to host a church-wide retreat right here on our campus. We’ll start on that Friday night. And we want everyone to be here. And we’re going to learn more about human flourishing. But it’s the Advent season. And y’all know with Advent, there comes all kinds of fun festivities. Our Child Development Center, we’ve had one granddaughter graduate from there. Another granddaughter is there in our CDC. And they had a really sweet, cute play this year for Christmas. And I was going to be in Washington, D.C., so I wasn’t able to attend that. So I got to go to the dress rehearsal on the Friday before I flew out to D.C. And our little granddaughter, Adler, was a shepherd. Can I just show y’all? Adler, the shepherd. There she is. And she was awesome, obviously. And so I was there filming, videoing, since I knew I would miss it, in the fellowship hall. Kenny came in, who works on our staff. We were having trouble getting the lights set up. And so it was just Kenny and I standing there in the fellowship hall and all the kids doing their performance. And when they finished, Adler asked Thais, who was the director, she said, We did all of this for just two people?

Why? And so, well, what a profound question for a little four-year-old. Why all the trouble for this? Well, why are there Christmas pageants, I wonder? Why are there Christmas plays? In fact, why is there even Christmas at all? Here’s what I want us to do. I want us to turn our attention today to the why of Christmas. We spend a lot of time talking about the what. The how and the when and the where. The Greco-Roman Jewish milieu of the first century world. The power of the Holy Spirit. The miracle of the incarnation. The incredible experiences that took place there in Israel in the first century. Nazareth and Jerusalem and Bethlehem. But why? Why is there a Christmas? Well, if you think about it, Adler and her little friends, they rehearsed. They worked. They learned. They learned where to go and where to stand. And think about all the Christmas pageants that have taken place all over the world. Where people have been rehearsing and preparing and all the music they’ve gotten ready for. And, well, here’s what I would tell you. If you think that is something, all of that together is nothing compared to what God has done to prepare this world for Christmas. Because God was at work through the centuries to get us ready for Christmas. So, what is the why? Of Christmas? Why is there a Christmas? Well, I think it’s simple. For God so loved that He gave His one and only Son. That’s what Christmas is about. It is about the love of God. The Bishop family just lit the candle of love. And we heard this text read that God so loved that He gave. In other words, God’s love is powerful. It’s personal. It’s tangible. Have you ever asked anybody, so what did you give? What did you give up for Christmas?

We don’t usually ask that, do we? We usually say, what did you give up for Lent? What did you give up for Christmas? Ask God, my son. That would be His answer. And He serves as an example for us. Love in action. So, with all of that said, let’s look at the fourth servant song in the book of Isaiah. So, if you have your copy of the Old Testament, we’re going to begin in Isaiah 52. For God so loved. And we have been looking at this. Powerful prophecy. This prophet Isaiah during the Advent season. We’ve been studying the prophets in Bible study. Many of you have used the curriculum we prepared for you. And I want to say a word of thanks to Ryan Chandler. Ryan is our young adult minister. And he wrote all of that curriculum for you all. And it’s really, really good and deep and rich. And I’m grateful for that. And in the big room, we’ve been studying Isaiah. So, let’s look at one other prophecy from Isaiah that has to do with the Christmas story. And so, we have to go back 2,000 years to Jesus. And then back 700 more years to the time of Isaiah. There’s this prophet in Judah. So, look with me at Isaiah 52 verse 13. And it begins like this. Behold, in the NIV says, See, my servant will act wisely. He’ll be raised up. He’ll be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many. There were many who were appalled in him. His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being. And his form marred beyond human likeness. So, he will sprinkle many nations. And kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see. And what they’ve not heard, they will understand. Who’s believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot. Like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty. To attract us to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering. Familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces. He was despised. And we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain. And bore our suffering. Yet we considered him punished by God. Stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment. That brought us peace was on him. And by his wounds we’re healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned our own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted. Yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before its shearers is silent. So he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living. For the land of the living. For the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked. And with the rich in his death. Though he had done no violence. Nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him. And cause him to suffer. And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin. He will see his offspring and prolong his days. The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered he will see the light of life. And be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many. And he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great. And he will divide the spoils with the strong. Because he poured out his life unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many. And made intercession for the transgressors. What a powerful poetic expression of the why of Christmas. It turns out at the heart of Christmas is love. And it reveals God’s desire to rescue his people. To redeem his world. To restore his creation. And it turns out y’all. That came with quite a cost. And also he did it to show us how to live. So I want us to turn our attention to this conversation this morning. The why of Christmas. And let me start with the word behold. If you still have your Bible open. And I want to keep it open. Because we’re going to look at Isaiah 52. And 3 in just a second. Verse 13 of Isaiah 52. The NIV says see. In Hebrew it’s the word hene. Which simply means hey.

Pay attention. It’s a literary hand clap. That’s what it is. Behold. Watch this. And so he’s about to tell us something incredibly important. And that’s what that word means. So hey y’all. Let’s think about Christmas. Okay. Now I don’t know how y’all’s mind works. I barely know. My mind works. Okay. But there’s just certain things that I do that have just become a part of my life. For example when Jesus said at the end of the Bible in Revelation 22. I’m the Alpha and the Omega. That is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the last letter of the Greek alphabet. So in other words I’m the A to Z. Well that’s had such an influence on me for so many years y’all. I find myself sometimes when I’m praying and thanking God for my blessings. I’ll just go through the alphabet. And I’ll think of something that starts with every letter. Sometimes I pray for people. And the Lord will just bring people to my mind that maybe I hadn’t thought of as I pray through it alphabetically. And as I was reflecting on Christmas. Would y’all let me just do that with y’all real quickly. Can I just share with you what I was thinking about this week. The ABC’s of Christmas. Let me just tell you how my mind works. And you can humor me. So Christmas. Here’s how it all unfolded with our ABC’s. There’s anticipation of the Messiah. There’s the announcement of his birth. To Mary and to Joseph. There’s the arrival of the Messiah. There are the angels who play a strategic role. There’s the adoration of the shepherds and the kings. Are y’all with me? Those all start with A. Just in case you’re not paying attention. B. There’s Bethlehem. Bethlehem is the fulfillment of prophecy. There is the blessing in the temple. When they take Jesus and Simeon and Anna. Bless them. There’s the, as the story unfolds. There’s the baptism of Jesus. Where the ministry of Jesus commences. There are the Beatitudes. When Jesus shows us and teaches us how to live. Jesus will make his way to Bethany many times. It’s the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. C. Christmas. I love Christmas. I love everything that it means. But as the story unfolds. Jesus makes his way across that part of the world. He goes to Cana. And he turns the water into wine. Then he calls all of his disciples. Then he calms a storm. He commands a centurion. He commands his followers to love God and to love their neighbors. Are y’all still with me? We could do this for a while. So we won’t go all the way through the alphabet. Okay? But the thing is. As I just began thinking about Christmas. My mind started thinking about it. Just try to how to express it. And I started going through the ABC’s. I used the whole alphabet. There’s the miraculous transformation of the world. Because of the miracle of Christmas. However, this week I was studying Isaiah 53. And so Isaiah 53 points to another part of the story. Of Jesus. Not just Christmas. But it led me to think about the ABC’s of Easter. Because that’s where this poem directs us. Isaiah points towards something beyond Christmas. Easter. Well the story of Easter. You move from adoration into abandonment. And then the agony of his suffering. You move from the beauty of his earthly ministry to the betrayal. Of his followers. One in particular. The beatings. That Jesus would endure. You move from the commendations from Jesus. The commands of Jesus. You move to the condemnation at the hands of the Roman Procurator. That ultimately will lead to a cross where Jesus will die in our place. So in other words. Christmas is only part of the story. And so I felt obligated. To just at least point us to this passage. Because if you’re going to study the prophecies of Isaiah. It’s incomplete to only study the prophecies regarding the incarnation. We also at least have to recognize that Isaiah has prophecy about the passion of Jesus. So let’s talk about this suffering servant this morning. The suffering servant has caused Old Testament scholars. Jewish scholars. Rabbis. Teachers of the law. So much consternation for centuries. Continues to do that to this day. Who is this suffering servant? In Isaiah 52 and 53. There are four servant songs in the book of Isaiah. This is the last one. And we’ve already read one of those. We’ve read Scripture about all of them actually in our times of worship. Well who is the suffering servant? Well I would contend it’s the Messiah. None other than Jesus Christ. Our Savior and our Lord. As I said. Theologians have grappled with it. In fact when this book first begins to be studied. The rabbis struggled with it. The teachers of the law. What do you say about this? Who is this? Some said well this must just be Israel. It’s just about all of us. But the problem with that is the grammar of the text. Makes it really difficult to apply it to the people. Because the people are the ones who are transgressing. In fact that’s what the text says. And it points to this servant. In the singular. And refers to the people in the plural. And so here’s what happens. If you’ll just fast forward from the time of Isaiah. Make your way through the exile which he prophesied. Israel is delivered from Babylon. They come home. And for 400 years they grapple. With what they would have considered the silence of the Lord. There was no prophetic pronouncement. No prophet was given to them. And they waited. And they began to anticipate the Messiah. And they began to describe the Messiah. And try to understand who the Messiah was. And then Jesus comes. Now Jesus was the ultimate theologian. Wouldn’t we all agree? So we will follow the theological interpretation of Jesus. I think you’re on good grounds if you do that. So what does Jesus have to say about these kinds of prophecies? Well let me just read this to you. In the Gospel of Luke. You see this particular passage. Isaiah 53. It is going to be referred to seven times in the New Testament. One of those times in particular is from Jesus. Jesus says in Luke 22. He is talking to Simon Peter. He challenges Simon Peter and tells him. You’re going to deny me three times that you know me. And then he says to them in verse 36 of Luke 22. He says if you have a purse now take it. And a bag. If you don’t have a sword. Say your cloak and buy one. It is written. He was numbered with the transgressors. And then Jesus. That’s Isaiah 53. I tell you this. That this must be fulfilled in me. Yes what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. And so Jesus gives us a clue at the end of his life. And he points his followers back to Isaiah 53. And basically says that is about me. That enigmatic passage about this suffering servant. Is going to find its fulfillment in me. So Jesus is the one who pointed them to that. Now he was talking to Simon Peter. Peter years later is going to reflect on that. And Peter is going to write his own letters. That will find their way into the New Testament. And you know what Peter says about that? In first Peter chapter 2. He thinks back on all of this. And he says if you are going to suffer. Bear up under the pain of unjust suffering. He says. Then he says about Jesus. He committed no sin. No deceit was found in his mouth. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross. So we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray. First Peter 2. Peter goes back and follows the example of Jesus. And interprets Isaiah 53. To be referring to none other than Jesus himself. And so it seems to me. Jesus points us to that. His disciples conclude that. And then the Apostle Paul will make reference to it in the book of Romans as well. And so who is this suffering servant? Jesus. Now what does that mean? Well here’s what I would tell you. And let’s look at it real quickly. It answers the why of Christmas. Because our Savior’s sacrifice makes it possible for us to be found. For us to be forgiven. To be set free. To live forever. That’s what God has done for us. So look back with me. If you still have your Bible open. Look back with me. Chapter 53. Look at verse 1. This message Isaiah says is going to be hard to believe. Well that’s true. People in Jesus’ day had a hard time believing it. Who could believe this? Look at verse 2. He was so humble in his beginnings. He didn’t show up as some majestic royal figure. Remember? Here’s what the text says. He was like a root out of the ground. Just humble beginnings. Earthly. That’s the incarnation. Isaiah has already said. He’s going to be called Wonderful Counselor. The Prince of Peace. He’s going to. Of his government. And the increase of it. There will be no end. Well we love that part of Christmas. But we also read this part. There’s no beauty. There’s no majesty. He’s humble. Notice verse 3. He’s going to be rejected by humanity. This text says. Look at verse 4. He’s going to bear our suffering. Notice what the text says about him. He’s going to be stricken. He’s going to be afflicted. Verse 5. He’s going to be pierced for our transgressions. Our punishment is going to be placed upon him. It says. Look at verse 6. The Lord lays on him the iniquity of all of us. Look at verse 8. Then all of a sudden God starts to speak in verse 8. By oppression he was taken away for the transgressions of my people. That’s the Lord speaking. He was punished it says. And then in verse 11 it says. He has suffered. He will bear the iniquities of the people. And then verse 12. He bore the sin of many. So who is this servant? Well this is a servant who’s offering up his life as a sacrifice for the sins of others. And this text is applied directly to Jesus in the New Testament. And notice what it says about us. Look at verse 6. We all like sheep have gone astray. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I don’t have to prove to y’all that everybody’s a sinner. Do I? Y’all know it right? First of all you know you are. The person next to you is. The person in front of you is. The person behind you is. As a matter of fact everybody you know is. And that’s the world we live in. We live in a world that’s awash in sin. I don’t have to prove that to y’all. All you got to do is watch it. The brokenness and the depth of human behavior. We are all sinners. And notice what the Lord’s done for us. Verse 7. Like a sheep our lamb led to slaughter. He’s the lamb of God. Verse 12. He poured out his life. Verse 9. Grave with the wicked. Verse 12. Numbered among the transgressors. Jesus will die on a cross between two thieves. However. I want you to look back at chapter 52 verse 13. He will ultimately be lifted up and highly exalted. Now how does that all work? How can you have all this humility and suffering. And bearing the iniquities. And dying and giving up your life. And yet somehow be highly exalted. Well that’s just how God can do things. God takes this story. And he transforms it into the greatest story ever. As a matter of fact chapter 53 verse 5 says. Because of what he’s done for us by his wounds we all are healed. And so the deepest healing you need is available to you because of the suffering servant. So what’s the why of Christmas? Well the why of Christmas is because God loved you so much. That he sent his son. And allowed his son. To die in our place. So that our sins could be forgiven. So that we might find our way back to the Father. Where we belong. That’s really what this is all about. And not only that y’all. As followers of the suffering servant. We’re called to a lifetime of service in his name. You see the world gets so confused by us. This morning I was reading in the New York Times. David French who’s an opinion writer in the New York Times. His article this morning is. Why are so many Christians so cruel?

Headline in the New York Times this morning. Why are so many Christians so cruel? And when you read his insights. It’s almost as if there are so many Christians. Who can’t remember the why of Christmas. Jesus is our example. Is he not? In his death he humbled himself. Jesus didn’t conquer Rome. Could he have conquered Rome? Couldn’t he? Of course. He didn’t conquer Rome. He chose to do something more profound. He conquered sin. He conquered death. For you and me. Beautiful thing is y’all. When you think about the ABC’s of Christmas. It didn’t end with the cross. We praise his name. The story ended very differently didn’t it? It ends with an empty tomb. And an ascended and glorified Christ. Let me read to you how Paul. Reflected upon it after many many years. As a theologian. Paul said this. In your relationship with one another. Have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Who being in very nature God. Did not consider equality with God. Something to be used to his own advantage. Rather he made himself nothing. By taking the very nature of a servant. Being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. Even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place. And gave him the name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus. Every knee should bow. In heaven and on earth. And under the earth. And every tongue acknowledge. That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. You see here’s what I would contend y’all. My world knows the what. They know the story of Christmas. But I’m not convinced that they know the why. You and I. We’ve been saved by him. Let’s now serve him at his interest. And let’s show our world the why of Christmas. Let’s pray together.

Lord we want to thank you for Christmas. We want to thank you for the gift you’ve given to us. Your son. And on this Sunday in the Advent season. Amidst all the celebration. And the joy. And the beauty. The festivities. We don’t want to get lost in the fact. For it to get lost in the fact. That there’s a deep why underneath all of this. And it’s connected to your love for us. And your love tangibly demonstrated through your son. And so today we thank you for Jesus.