Great Gift: Making the Gift a Reality

with the fall as people turned against God.

So our relationships with God, with each other, and with the world broke.

But the promise was that God would put it right again, and that's what we're looking at this morning,

how that gift becomes a reality through Jesus Christ.

So let's pray, and then we will look at God's Word.

Father, you are the giver of great gifts.

You have given us physical life, health and strength to be here today, friends and family.

And we need the gift of your Holy Spirit.

We need your power to be at work in our lives.

And so we pray that as we read your Word, stories, ideas that may be familiar,

would penetrate past our minds and our heads, deep into our hearts,

affecting us and changing us,

and causing us to see the wonder of Jesus

and the gift that he has come to bring.

So we ask for your help.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, I hope you've all been getting some cards in the post or delivered from friends.

We've been getting some cards.

And here's what one card says.

On the front there was the big words,

Peace.

And inside, Have a Happy Christmas.

Close the card.

Turn on the news.

And we have a very different picture.

The mindless murder of eight children in Australia.

A mudslide in Indonesia that's covered a whole village.

The attack on a school in Pakistan,

which left 140 dead.

And the sad news of two homeless people

being pulled out of the River Lee at the beginning of the week.

It's not very peaceful,

and it doesn't sound very happy.

Here's what another card said.

May each wish you make,

now Christmas is here,

come true to make this an especially good year.

What do you wish for?

Well, I wish for a better world.

I wish where bad things don't happen,

that it really would be peaceful and happy.

But no matter how much I wish,

I can't fix the sadness and the brokenness.

Here's what another card said.

On the inside it simply said,

Jesus,

thanks be to God for this indescribable gift.

It's telling us,

or it's pointing us,

that what we all wish for,

all that we want,

is made possible through the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was the God-man come to earth,

born to reverse this disordered world,

and redeem broken lives.

That's the message.

And we're going to see how that is true this morning.

First,

Jesus is revealed.

600 years,

quite a long time,

600 years before Jesus was born,

his birth was announced through the prophet Isaiah.

You can read it on the screen.

Therefore,

the Lord himself will give you a sign.

This was the announcement.

And here's the sign that you know he's coming.

A virgin will be with child,

and will give birth to a son,

and will call him Emmanuel.

Did it come true?

Well,

in Matthew's Gospel,

600 years later,

we read all about a young woman

by the name of Mary,

who was pregnant,

even though she was a virgin.

And this is what it says in Matthew.

All of this,

this birth,

took place to fulfil what the Lord had said

through the prophet,

the prophet Isaiah.

The virgin will be with child,

and will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Emmanuel,

which means God with us.

It's extraordinary.

It is a miracle.

This child announced,

all those hundreds of years ago,

born into this world,

God,

the man,

coming to earth.

But Isaiah just doesn't want to tell us

about the birth of Jesus.

Isaiah actually goes on to tell us

what this child will do,

or rather,

what it will be like

when this child arrives,

when he comes.

Have a look in your Bibles

at Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

The reading we just had.

Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

And to really understand chapter 9,

we have to finish off

the end of chapter 8.

So let's read the last verse

of chapter 8,

verse 22.

It's telling us something.

Then they will look towards the earth,

and see only distress,

and darkness,

and fearful gloom,

and they will be thrust

into utter darkness.

This is talking about

what life will be like

for God's people

because they had ignored God,

they had rebelled against God,

they had gone against Him,

and this was a sign

of God's judgment

because of their rebellion.

There would be distress,

there would be darkness,

and fearful gloom.

In fact, that verse

is a great summary, isn't it,

of what the world is like today.

Because of our ongoing sin,

because of our refusal

to listen to God,

because we've pushed Him out

of our lives,

we live with distress,

we live in darkness,

and people face fearful gloom.

It pictures a world of chaos

and disorder.

But God promises

to change and transform

all of that.

So let's read into

chapter 9, verse 1.

Look at the contrast.

Nevertheless,

there will be

no more gloom

for those who

were in distress.

In the past,

He humbled the land

of Zebulun

and the land of Nephtali,

that's the region

around Galilee.

But in the future,

He will honour

the Galilee of the Gentiles

by the way of the sea

along the Jordan.

So God is promising

that He's going to reverse

and redeem and change it all.

Verse 2.

The people

who are walking

in darkness

have seen

a great light

on those living

in the land

of the shadow

of death.

A light

has dawned.

Now this is not

about the invention

of the lightbulb

so that we can all

see at night.

This is a promise

of someone,

of something

much greater.

A light

will come.

A light that's going

to dispel

the darkness

from our lives

and deliver us

from distress.

And the reason

for this dramatic

change and transformation,

we'll look down

at verse 6.

For to us

a child is born.

To us

people like you

and me

a son

is given.

The promised child

is going to be

the one

who will bring

deliverance

to the darkness

and distress.

Is it true?

Well,

look at Matthew

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4.

Go to Matthew's

Gospel.

We're going to

stay in Matthew

for the duration

of our time.

Matthew chapter 4

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

and verse 12.

So the beginning

of Matthew

has announced

the birth of Jesus.

Jesus has arrived

and Matthew

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

begins into

the start

of Jesus'

ministry.

And look

what Jesus

says.

Chapter 4

verse 12.

When Jesus

heard that John

had been put

in prison,

Jesus returned

to Galilee.

Leaving Nazareth,

he went and lived

in Capernaum,

which was by the lake

in the area

of where?

Zebulun

and Naphtali.

Ring any bells?

To fulfil

what was said

through the prophet

Isaiah.

Land of Zebulun

and land of Naphtali,

the way to the sea

along the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

the people

living in darkness

have seen

a great light.

On those living

in the land

of the shadow

of death,

a light

has dawned.

are we making

the connections?

Have the lights

gone on

in our own minds?

Jesus is saying,

I am the one

that Isaiah

spoke about.

I am the one

that everybody

has been waiting

for.

It's taken

600 years,

but now I'm here.

I've arrived.

I am the light.

It's me.

I've come to dispel

the darkness

from your lives.

I am the one

who's come

to deliver you

from distress.

We might

summarise

Jesus' ministry

like this.

Number two,

Jesus has come

to reverse

our disordered

world.

Denzel Washington,

a film star

if you don't know

who he is,

stars in a film

called Déjà Vu.

The film opens

with a terrible scene.

There's been a terrorist

attack in the US.

There's chaos

and carnage

everywhere.

Hundreds of people

have been killed.

And Doug Carlin,

played by Washington,

arrives on the scene.

And with the help

of his fellow teammates,

they've been working

on a special project

and he enters

into what's called

a time window,

which basically

sends him back

in time.

The aim,

they don't know

if it's going to work,

but the aim

is to undo

what has happened.

To reverse

the terrorist attack.

Now,

what captures

the imagination

for people

watching it is,

we all want

to do that.

We all want

to be able

to go back

in time.

We would all

love to be able

to change

what's happened.

As we rehearse

the events

of our lives,

we want to go back

and undo

the past.

We want to reverse

the circumstances

of our lives

and wish

I hadn't done that

or hadn't said that

or wish things

were different

and wish that

it wasn't like this.

We want to undo

so that things

are better.

that's why

Jesus came.

He came to

undo

the effects

of sin.

He burst

into real time.

He came to

reverse the disorder

and the brokenness

of our lives.

Is it true?

Well,

let's see

how he does that.

Look at Matthew's

Gospel,

chapter 8.

We're going to look

at two chapters

here, Matthew

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 and 9,

which really

immerse us

into the ministry

and the life

of Jesus

as he began

to walk

and experience

life on this

earth.

Matthew chapter 8

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

shows us

what this

Jesus came

to do.

Three things.

We're going to read

through this real quickly,

so follow along

with me.

First,

he delivers

from distress.

Verse 1,

when Jesus

came down

the mountainside,

large crowds

followed him,

a man with

leprosy

came and

knelt before him

and said,

Lord,

if you're willing,

you can make me

clean.

Now,

the equivalent

today,

in terms of

medical

or social

effects,

might be

Ebola.

There was no

cure for

leprosy.

There was no

means of

treatment for it.

If you had it,

well,

you died.

You were

untouchable.

You were

shut out

of your

community.

You were

left alone

to die

by yourself.

Verse 3,

but Jesus

reached out

his hand

and he

touched

the man.

I am

willing,

he said,

be clean.

And immediately

he was

cured

of his

leprosy.

This man

was not

just cured

physically,

he was

now accepted

socially.

A life

changed.

Verse 5,

Jesus

entered

Capernaum.

A centurion

came to

him asking

for help.

Lord,

he said,

my servant

lies at

home paralyzed

and in

terrible

suffering.

Jesus

said to

him,

I will

go and

heal him.

Again,

here we

have an

irreversible

situation.

This man

is paralyzed.

We don't

know,

did he

have an

accident?

But he

can't

move,

he can't

do

anything,

and nobody

can save

him.

Verse 13,

then,

Jesus

said to

then

centurion,

go,

it will

be done

just as

you believed

it would,

and his

servant

was healed

at that

very

hour.

A man's

life

completely

transformed,

he can

now walk

and work.

Verse 14,

when Jesus

came into

Peter's

house,

he saw

Peter's

mother-in-law

lying in

bed with

a fever.

He

touched

her hand

and the

fever left

her,

and she

got up

and began

to wait

on him.

And when

evening

came,

many who

were demon

possessed

were brought

to him,

and he

drove out

the spirits

with a

word and

healed all

the sick.

What an

incredible

scene we

have here.

No

tablets,

no surgery,

no doctors,

everyone healed

by just a

touch or a

spoken word.

Why did

all of these

things happen?

Look at

verse 17,

this was

to fulfil

what was

spoken through

the prophet

Isaiah.

He,

Jesus,

took up

our

infirmities

and carried

our

diseases.

Jesus was

the one

Isaiah had

spoken about,

the one who

would come

to reverse

the effects

of this

sin-cursed,

broken

world.

world.

He came

to undo

it all.

Second,

he came

to dispel

the darkness.

Look at

verse 23,

Jesus got

into the

boat and

his disciples

followed him.

Without

warning,

a furious

storm came

up on the

lake so

that the

waves swept

over the

boat.

But Jesus

was sleeping.

The disciples

went and

woke him

saying,

Lord,

save us,

we're going

to drown.

Do you

remember what

we said

about the

sea the

other week

when we

were looking

in Revelation

21?

The sea

represented

the forces

of chaos

and disorder.

Back then

you didn't

have jet

skis and

power boats

to mess

about in.

People

didn't go

to sunbathe

and treat

it like a

pleasure place.

The sea

or the

lake

was dangerous.

It was a

place of

fear and

darkness.

You lost

your life

out there.

verse 26

Jesus

replied,

you of

little

faith,

why are

you so

afraid?

Then he

got up

and he

rebuked

the winds

and the

waves and

it was

completely

calm.

Jesus

has come,

you see,

to end

the fearful

gloom.

He has

come to

dispel

the chaos

of darkness.

Or verse

28,

look at this

scene here.

when he

arrived at

the other

side of

the region

of the

Garadines,

two demon

possessed

men came

coming from

the tombs

and they

met him.

They were

so violent

that no

one could

pass that

way.

They

literally

are the

living dead.

Their

home is

the local

graveyard

in the

tombs.

These are

the kind

of characters

that if you

met them

today would

be locked

away in

an isolation

cell.

Medicine

can't help

them.

Psychologists

have given

up.

They're a

lost cause.

And nobody

dared go

near them

because they

are quite

literally

demonic.

The forces

of darkness

have ruined

their lives.

Verse 29,

what do you

want with us,

son of God?

they shouted.

Have you

come here to

torture us

before the

appointed time?

You see,

they knew

that their

end would be

worse than

their present

existence.

Utter

darkness

awaited

them.

Judgment

would only

destroy

them.

But Jesus

came to

dispel the

darkness from

people's

lives.

Verse 30,

some distance

from them a

large herd of

pigs was

feeding.

The demons

begged Jesus,

if you drive

us out,

send us into

the herd of

pigs.

He said

to them,

go.

So they

came out

and they

went into

the pigs

and the

whole herd

rushed

down the

steep

bank

into

the

lake

and

died

in

the

water.

Now don't

be worried

about the

little pigs

with their

lice little

pink curly

tails.

It's not

about the

pigs.

People

are far

greater value

than animals.

Jesus has

come to

deal with

people.

He's come

to rescue

people.

He's come

to deal

with the

darkness

to set

them

free.

But he

also comes

to deal

with

death.

Look at

chapter 9

verse 18.

While he

was saying

this,

a ruler

came and

knelt

before Jesus

and said,

my daughter

has just

died.

Come,

put your

hand on

her and

she will

live.

And Jesus

got up and

went with

him and so

did his

disciples.

The greatest

tragedy that

you or I

can face

in this

world is

death.

It's what

happens to

every single

one of us

and we

cannot escape

it.

It robs

us of

our loved

ones.

It steals

away our

joy and

our happiness.

Verse 20.

Just then a

woman who

had been

subject to

bleeding for

12 years

came up

behind him

and touched

the edge

of his

cloak.

She said

to herself,

if only I

can touch

his cloak,

I will

be healed.

A terrible

condition this

woman has

and there's

only one

end to it.

It's going

to end

in death.

She knows

the seriousness

of her

situation.

Verse 22.

Jesus turned

and saw her.

Take heart,

daughter,

he said.

Your faith

has healed

you.

And the

woman was

healed from

that moment.

With amazing

power,

Jesus prevents

certain

death.

But more

than that,

he deals

with death

itself.

Verse 23.

When Jesus

entered the

ruler's house

and saw the

flute players

and the

noisy crowd,

he said,

go away,

the girl's

not dead,

but asleep.

But they

laughed at

him.

After the

crowd had

been put

outside,

he went

in and

he took

the girl

by her

hand and

she got

up.

Raised

to life.

Why does

Jesus do

all of these

things?

Well,

two big

reasons.

The first

reason he

does all

of these

amazing

things is

to reveal

who he

is.

To show

people to

the world,

to show

people like

you and

me,

that I

am,

says Jesus,

the God

man with

absolute

power and

supreme

authority.

I am

God

Emmanuel,

God with

us,

the one who

rules this

world,

the one who

controls all

of life.

I am in

charge.

And

second,

it tells

us what

he has

come to

do.

That

Jesus

entered

into the

darkness

and distress

of this

world to

reverse the

disordered

world.

He came

to undo

the effects

of the

sin and

curse.

So when

Jesus heals

sickness,

when Jesus

calmed the

storm,

when Jesus

raised the

dead,

when Jesus

interacted with

these people

and transformed

their lives,

he was giving

people and

giving us a

glimpse and

a picture of

what he is

going to bring

about finally

and fully when

he comes again.

For all who

have faith in

him,

this is the

kingdom.

I rescue

you from a

kingdom of

darkness and

bring you into

a kingdom of

light.

And when

Jesus entered

into the

world,

the process,

began,

the reversing

and the

undoing

has started.

And one

day,

it will

all be

completed

and will

be fully

realized by

all who

trust in

him when

he comes

again.

The big

question for

us is how

do we

enter into

this experience?

how can

people like

you and

me be

sure that

this gift

is for

us and

what Jesus

did then

is going

to be

ours?

Well,

third,

Jesus has

come to

redeem

our broken

lives.

You see,

Jesus lived

on this

earth for

just a few

years.

things.

And just

for a

little

while,

he began

to give

us a

glimpse and

a picture

of what

he would

do.

And what

he did,

as we

read in

chapters 8

and 9,

he has

secured

for us

for an

eternity

when he

went to

the cross.

What he

did for

those few

people then,

he has

secured

for us

for an

eternity

when he

went to

the cross.

Let's go

to Matthew

Matthew 27:45

chapter 27

verse 45.

Matthew 27

Matthew 27:45

verse 45.

And as we

read down

through a few

verses here,

I want us

to look

out for

three

extraordinary

events that

happen and

take place.

Verse 45.

From the

sixth hour,

that's

twelve

midday,

until the

ninth hour,

that's

three in

the afternoon,

darkness

came over

all the

land.

About the

ninth hour,

Jesus cried

out in a

loud voice,

Eloi,

Eloi,

lama sabachthani,

which means,

my God,

my God,

why have

you forsaken

me?

When some

of those

standing there

heard this,

they said,

he's calling

Elijah.

Immediately,

one of them

ran and

got a sponge,

he filled

it with

wine vinegar,

put it on

a stick,

and he

offered it

up to

Jesus to

drink.

The rest

said,

now leave

him alone,

let's see

if Elijah

comes to

save him.

And when

Jesus had

cried out

again in a

loud voice,

he gave up

his spirit.

at that

moment,

the curtain

of the

temple was

torn in

two from

top to

bottom,

the earth

shook,

the rocks

split,

the tombs

broke open,

and the

bodies of

many holy

people who

had died

were raised

to life.

They came

out of the

tombs,

and after

Jesus'

resurrection,

they went

into the

holy city

and appeared

to many

people.

Did you

pick up

on those

three

extraordinary

events as

Jesus died?

Something

cosmic

happened

when Jesus

died.

First,

there was

the darkness.

Look at

verse 45.

From the

sixth hour

till the

ninth hour,

darkness,

darkness

over the

whole land.

from twelve

noon to

three in

the afternoon

when the

sun is at

its highest

and at

its brightest,

it went

completely

dark.

Why?

Well,

look what

Jesus says

as he dies

at the end

of verse 46.

My God,

my God,

why have

you forsaken

me?

The darkness

of judgment

was falling

on Jesus

so that

you and

I might

experience

the light

of life.

Because

God's

response to

this

disordered

world,

his response

to our

sinful lives

is to

judge and

he is right

to do so.

We've

messed it up.

We've

broken his

good gifts

that he's

given to

us.

But in

his redeeming

love,

Jesus,

the God

man,

comes to

earth

and says

I will

take the

darkness

upon me.

I will

take the

judgment

of God

for you

and for

me.

And so

he comes

to forgive

all of

our sins

from the

past to

the present

and into

the future.

he takes

the darkness

so that

we don't

have to

face it.

Second,

there's

the curtain.

Verse 51,

at that

moment the

curtain of

the temple

was torn

in two

from top

to bottom.

Just as

the darkness

fell on

the land,

this is a

supernatural

act.

This isn't

a human

doing

something.

This is

God

intervening

into this

world.

The curtain

in the

temple

acted like

this huge

barrier

between

God

and

people.

It was

this big

statement

to say

keep out,

stay away,

no entry,

you're not

allowed in

here.

Sinful,

broken,

messed up

people

can't be

with God.

But by

the redeeming

death of

Jesus,

the way

is opened,

that curtain

ripped from

top to

bottom,

a sign

of God's

action,

tears it

apart,

and he

says,

come in,

you're

welcome,

you're

accepted,

I have

come to

bridge the

gap.

The work

of Jesus

on the

cross

bridges

brokenness

between

man and

God,

and it

spans the

chasm

between

heaven

and earth.

And then

there was

the graves

that opened.

Verse 52,

what an

extraordinary

scene.

As Jesus

died,

the moment

he died,

verse 52,

the tombs

broke open

and the

bodies of

many holy

people who

had died

were raised

to life.

What a

spectacular

sight.

Could you

imagine?

he'd be

frightened.

People

walking

out of

their

tombs.

Jesus'

own death

is there

to tell

us that

his death

is the

means to

defeat

all death.

Jesus

is showing

us what

he will

do for

us when

we die.

When I

die,

the grave

is not

the end.

It is

simply a

doorway into

his good

and perfect

and eternal

kingdom.

Just like

the little

girl that

we read

about in

Matthew 9.

It's like

we just

fall asleep

and just

wake up

as you do

in the

morning,

in the

presence of

God,

in the

kingdom of

light,

to be with

him forever

and for

forever.

You see,

the cross

is the

focus.

The cross

is the

means to

reverse

the

disorder

world

that we

live in.

It's the

means to

undo

the

brokenness

that we

see all

around us.

Jesus.

It's

begun.

It's

started when

Jesus died.

No, it's

not yet

complete.

That's why

you and I

still experience

suffering and

struggles each

and every

day.

But we

have Jesus

who entered

into our

world,

Emmanuel,

God with

us,

who doesn't

abandon us

in our

struggles,

who doesn't

leave us

in our

suffering,

but the

one who

said,

I will be

with you,

the one who

said,

I will walk

with you

through this

life,

and I

will make

sure that

you will be

with me

in my

kingdom.

He forgives

our past.

He fills

us with the

power of his

Holy Spirit,

so that we

can begin

to live

changed and

transformed

lives.

He gives

us the

sure and

certain hope

of life

with him.

Jesus has

come,

and Jesus

has come to

restore and

to redeem

and to put

things right.

And as we

look at the

cross,

that's where

it starts.

do not

take your

eyes off

Christ.

Focus

there,

and know

the life

that he has

come to

bring.

Let's pray

together.

Amen.

Lord Jesus,

we are

truly amazed

at what

you have

done

and what

you have

promised

you will

do

and what

you are

doing

in our

lives

today.

We thank

you that

you have

come to

restore

and renew,

to dispel

the darkness,

to deal

with the

distress,

to bring

forgiveness,

to bring

peace,

to bring

change and

transformation.

Lord,

we thank

you so

much for

Jesus,

and we

pray that

we will

keep our

eyes fixed

on him,

and that

where we

need your

help,

you would

enter into

our suffering

and into

our struggles.

Enable

us and

equip us.

Provide

for us,

we pray.

we ask

this in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

sing together

a great

carol,

a great

hymn.

Hark the

herald angels

sing,

glory to

the new

born

King,

peace on

earth,

and mercy

mild God

and sinners

reconciles.

Jesus has

come,

and Jesus

has come

to renew

and restore,

so let's

praise him

and give

him thanks.

Amen.

Thank you.