Baby Jesus

Baby Jesus- “Peacemaker"

Colossians 1:19-20 Emmanuel Christian Church 12.17.23

INTRODUCTION: In the last several weeks we have discovered the baby Jesus to be the Creator of all that is and the Head of the church- cleverly disguised as a helpless human infant!

This morning, we return to our text in Paul’s letter to the Colossians to discover God the Father’s purpose in giving the Greatest Christmas Gift ever given.

Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

PROPOSITION: The one word upon which this entire single sentence rests, is the word “Peace”. Everything that I have to say this morning revolves around the role Christ assumed in coming to earth- that of “Peacemaker”. While sin had driven a wedge between God and man at the Fall- creating fear, separation, and hostility; with the birth of Christ came God’s solution in healing the breach.

“God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus”

- The mistaken identity of Jesus is likely mankind’s greatest error in judgment!

- Some people even think He never existed!
- Of those who admit He is a historical figure, they often are

clueless to who He really is!
- Some would call Him simply a “Good Man”. But that

makes no sense- after all, He claimed to be God!

• -  There’s only three positions anyone could take in

  understanding a claim like that. Either Jesus was a wicked deceiver, a crazy man, OR actually who He claimed to be God in flesh!

• -  And if Jesus was who He claimed to be- then there is no way anyone could say that He was simply a “Good Man”!

APPLICATION: Coming to the right conclusion about who Jesus IS is the very first step in FAITH. So, what evidence is there to prove Jesus’ claim? Three things: He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies given hundreds of years before His birth. He Himself spoke words of prophecy that have proven to be true. He demonstrated his Divine power over death by rising from the dead by His own power- an indisputable historical fact.

- OK, Jesus IS God in the flesh. But why did God make the choice to come to earth as a human infant?

• -  Paul tells us, doing so was PLEASING to God. In other words, God WANTED TO!

• -  But, why did God want to?
  - Because God wanted to eliminate the distance and

  separation sin had created between Himself and

  mankind.
  - God’s desire from the beginning was that the humans He

  had created in His own image might have genuine free-

  will fellowship with Him.
  - Sin had destroyed that fellowship, Jesus was about to

  make it possible again!

• -  Here’s something that might make the point clear: one of the

  prophesied names given to Jesus was the name “Emmanuel” which literally means, “God with us!”

  APPLICATION: From the start, the human race has been running away from God. What a sad story! BUT, here’s the great good news of Christmas- from even BEFORE the beginning, God has been in pursuit of us! God wasn’t simply wanting to close the gap when He put on the flesh of a human infant- No! He CAME to us to solve OUR PROBLEM!

  The guilt of our sin had to be addressed! Paul tells us that Jesus was God’s plan for our problem, saying

  “...and through him to reconcile to himself all things”

- “Reconcile” We hear that word and think of things like balancing an accounting ledger, or paying off a loan, or resolving a dispute. All of these pictures point to what Jesus came to do!

- Our sin had put our account with God upside down! It caused us to owe a debt that we had no hope in repaying!

- God’s Word clearly says: “The wages of sin is DEATH...” - “Well, how much sin can a person do before they get the

paycheck of death?” Again, God’s Word is crystal clear in response to that question:

James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Galatians 3:10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not CONTINUE to do EVERYTHING written in the Book of the Law.”

APPLICATION: Sin is like a Mafia loan shark- you borrow five dollars on Monday, and by Tuesday you owe ten! So, you borrow the ten to pay off the five and by the end of the week you owe a hundred!

But God’s word tells us that Jesus came into this world to “reconcile” our account with God! There we were- hopelessly over our heads in debt to sin! And then, Jesus showed up with His checkbook! Now, if you are in need of a reason for Joy this Christmas season- let that be yours! Jesus came to earth with His checkbook in hand to pay off the debt we owed to the loan shark of sin!

1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...

- Here’s a Bible Quiz question for you: “What was the LAST word Jesus spoke on the Cross?” The last word Jesus spoke on the cross was “TELEO” meaning “Paid In Full”!

- But “reconcile” isn’t merely a financial term, it’s one used in relationships as well.

- We didn’t just owe a debt for the sin we had committed- to God we owed an apology! Jesus is the one who came to stand between us and God and make the appeal for a restored relationship!

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

1 Timothy 2:3-6 God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men

APPLICATION: Sin had separated us from God, Jesus came into the world to bring us back to our Creator! He wrote the check for our debt of sin, signing it with His own blood- and then He rose from the dead to stand between us and God as our Mediator and Advocate!

What was the result of Christ’s work on our behalf? Paul tells us...

“...peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

- So, having been reconciled to God through the work of Christ, what now is our relationship with God? It is a relationship of PEACE! But not only peace, but a relationship of PRIVILEGE! Again the Scripture is very clear on the subject! We are...

- Dearly loved children.

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

- Heirs to the kingdom.

Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

- Friends of God.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

- A royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

CONCLUSION: Christ came to reconcile us to God and bring us PEACE. That simple message is the source of the JOY we remember this third week of Advent!