Preparing for Christmas part 4

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written" (John 19:19-22).

An ornament is defined as "something that lends grace or beauty." It is hard to pinpoint exactly when people started to hang them on Christmas trees, but it’s been going on for a long time. An ornament can be anything from a gingerbread cookie to some of the most colorful and intricate glass structures imaginable. The choice of material seems almost limitless, and the meaning that one attaches to an ornament usually depends on the social and religious views of the people who hang them.

If I were to visit your home and look at the ornaments on your Christmas tree, what would I see? Perhaps I would find something that celebrates a baby’s first Christmas, or one from a special vacation, or maybe even an antique handed down from a relative. The point is that you put them up because they have meaning, or they remind you of something important that you want to remember. We hang such ornaments so that everyone can see them.

Today, we remember our Savior. We remember by reflecting on a most unusual ornament—the notice of execution that was hung above Jesus’ head on the tree of Calvary. For Pontius Pilate, that sign was not intended to lend ‘grace or beauty’ to the situation; he had the notice put up to aggravate the religious leaders of the Jews. But God allowed that sign to be hung on the tree as An Ornament For Everyone To See. It has meaning; it is a thought-provoking ornament.

That notice was written in three different languages, and so far as we know, it contained the very first words written about Jesus during His 33 years on earth. Those words are recorded in all four Gospels. The words written on that notice not only spoke about Jesus on the cross, they echoed the same words spoken by wise men from the east who came looking for the Christ child. And so, whenever we place ornaments on the tree, it would be good to remember these words that ornament the tree of Calvary: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This statement is packed full of meaning. What I would like to emphasize today, however, is the thought of Jesus being our King. Since humanity fell from grace into lawlessness, God has established kings to keep evil in check and maintain a degree of order in the world. Sin, death and the devil are like a river at flood stage; good kings are like sandbags that can only do so much for so long. Nevertheless, they are evidence of God’s loving care for us in this chaotic world. They are kind of like a spare tire that we can get by on until the real thing becomes available. Like a spare tire, earthly kingdoms only last for a short while. If you’ve ever used a spare, you know that it is limited in the distance it can go and the speed it can withstand. And so it is with all earthly kingdoms; they collapse under stress or from the passage of time. None of them ever last and achieve the goal of a perfect society.

We live in the midst of these temporary kings and crumbling kingdoms. There is no political solution that will fully and permanently shield us from sin, death and the devil. We must contend with these three enemies until the very end of time. Unfortunately, while confronting the problems they cause for us, we sometimes lose sight of the cross and the sign fastened over Jesus’ head. Sometimes we forget why Jesus was born. We start to believe that everything is spinning out of control, wondering if God is far away and unconcerned with what we’re going through. Whenever we despair over the conditions of the world and start living as if God has left us to be eaten by the dogs, we show that we have forgotten why Jesus came to Bethlehem. We are tempted to think that it is up to us to solve these problems on our own. Such thoughts only lead to a pit that is deep and dark.

Some of the most thrilling moments in human history are those when a king rises from obscurity to do battle against the seemingly insurmountable forces of evil. People are elated when he wins the victory and then rules over them with love and kindness. In the Old Testament, David stands out as a powerful example of such a man. Stepping from obscurity, a young sheepherder faces a giant professional soldier, one on one. Armed only with a sling and some small stones, David kills Goliath, setting in motion a string of events that would eventually lead to the royal throne. During David’s subsequent reign, God made a significant promise: although David would eventually die and be buried with his ancestors, one of his descendants would be a king who will rule over God’s people forever.

According to His human nature, Jesus is a descendant of David. He was born in a lowly stable, King Herod tried to have Him murdered, He faced Satan in the wilderness, the religious leaders of the Jews flatly ejected Him, and people laughed at Him as He died on the cross. He grew up in Nazareth, prompting one person to ask "Can anything good come from there?" (John 1:46) When brought to him for trial, Pilate could scarcely believe that the man standing before Him was a king; but Jesus made it clear that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Indeed, as Jesus died on the cross, only a handful of followers remained at His side.

It is at the cross that we clearly see what Jesus is all about, and what the ornament above His head really means. The most amazing thing about Christ is that he comes to establish His kingdom through death. From a human perspective, this makes no sense at all. Yet the Bible says that the foolishness of God is greater than human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). Hidden in lowliness and defeat lie greatness and victory. Jesus is a king, a king who rules the hearts of those who love Him. He is the mighty King who defeated sin, death and devil, and lives to tell the tale. His throne is in heaven, and earth is His footstool. We who serve Him will live in His kingdom forever, where we will be safe and happy and content.

As long as we live in this world, we will continue to confront sin, death and Satan. There is a wonderful Calvin and Hobbes comic strip that illustrates this. Calvin has had a horrible day. His mother nags him. His teacher criticizes him. The bully at school threatens him. Bad weather prevents him from going outside to play. His father corrects him. And, at the end of it all, his mother tucks him into bed, gives him a kiss and says, "Have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow’s another big day!" The lights go off, and all Calvin can do is shake his head and sigh. Yes, in this world there will be much trouble. In that comic strip, Calvin is left alone in the dark. We, however, have a conquering hero on our side.

Sometimes it seems that evil has the upper hand, but whenever we are overwhelmed, we need to ponder these words of Paul: he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). This is the greatest comfort anyone could ask for. No matter what, we have been freed from sin, death and devil by the holy and precious blood of Christ, blood that offers us forgiveness and peace.

Things are not spinning out of control; by the power of God, everything is working towards our salvation. When we question or doubt God’s concern, we need to remember how He has rescued us by sending His one and only Son. And when we find ourselves slipping into despair over the condition of this world, we need to remember that God has not abandoned us but has given us the victory that lasts forever. All of this is a wonderful gift that we did not deserve. It has been graciously given to us by God, who chose to enter the battlefield for us, to overthrow sin, death and the devil. Knowing that we could not achieve this for ourselves, He fought and saved us to be His beloved subjects forever.

Not everyone looks forward to God’s eternal rule. Many people refuse to acknowledge that God exists; they are terrified by death because at that point all control over one’s life is gone. Satan and his minions fear God as well. Do you remember when Jesus freed a man from being possessed by a legion of demons? They begged Jesus to let them go into a herd of pigs, because they desperately wanted to avoid the punishment that awaited them in hell. Both unbelievers and devils wage war against Christ and the Church. But Psalm 2 reminds us, The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." As you can see, it’s as good as done. The raging of both unbelievers and demons is like a fly trying to move the universe. Their efforts are absolutely futile.

And so we laugh with the One who laughs. Christ is King, and everything must work for the good of His kingdom. We are His kingdom, so there is nothing for us to fear. We need to remember that when we hang our ornaments on the Christmas tree. Remember the ornament suspended above Jesus’ head on the bloodstained tree, a sign that read JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. The baby whose birth we celebrate is the King who gives us victory. No matter what happens down here, no matter how things might appear to be, we are safe in His hands for all eternity. As it is written in 2nd Timothy chapter 4, The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.