MC Sermon Notes
December 10, 2023

Joy to the World Finals - HD Title Slide.jpg

Because He Came We Have a Message

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion. —Isaac Watts

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! —Psalm 98:4

Joy to the World references not the incarnation - His first coming - it’s actually about His second coming! Three reasons we know this:
1. The song speaks of the whole earth receiving her King.
2. The song speaks of sin and sorrow being no more.
3. The song speaks of nations having a hand in revealing His ultimate glory as He rules the world with truth and grace.

After all, there is no second coming without a first coming. This song is all about what Christ came to do in the first place. Christmas is not only a time to look back at the grace accomplished in the past. Christmas is also a time to look forward to the grace that was accomplished for the future. When we sing these words, we are proclaiming the ultimate joy to be revealed. —Alyssa Poblete

Joy to the World! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing. —Isaac Watts

You and I live in the season of

- between Christ’s and His .

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. —2 Corinthians 5:17-21

BECAUSE HE CAME WE HAVE A MESSAGE OF NEW BEGINNINGS

I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,
And never put on again. —Louisa Fletcher

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. —2 Corinthians 5:17

The

reality of Christ is real because the Christ is real.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. —1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Jesus really

. We know it because He was born, died, was buried, rose from the grave and was seen by hundreds of people after that.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
And was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end. —Nicene Creed

At Christmas, we focus on the incarnation and its importance. Without it, there is no Jesus to live, die and again.

BECAUSE HE CAME WE HAVE A MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. —2 Corinthians 5:18-19

First, Christ

us to God; Second, He gave us the of reconciliation.

Reconciliation has to do with reestablishment of an interrupted or broken relationship, or the exchange of hostility for a friendly relationship. —George Guthrie

We often think of reconciliation as two people settling a petty argument. We were the

of God. However, God paying the price through the person of Jesus Christ so that He and humanity would no longer be at war is vastly than that.

The cross makes peace. Atonement brings shalom by defeating the enemies of peace, overcoming the barriers both to reconciliation and to the restoration of creation. There is no shalom, however, without sacrifice. Peace is made through the blood of the cross. The atoning life, death and vindication of the faithful Son bring shalom by addressing the problem of sin, death, the devil and wrath definitively. —Graham Cole

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” —Luke 2:12-14

God did not count their

against them.

Trespasses are not simply sins one might commit in ignorance. By transgressing, we deliberately do what we know to be disobedience to God. This defiant mutiny is far more serious and created what seemed to be an unbridgeable gulf between us and God. —David Garland

BECAUSE HE CAME WE HAVE A MESSAGE OF REAL CONSEQUENCE

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. —2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Through faith, we are moved from death to life, from darkness to light, from being the very enemies of God to being His family, His children, His righteousness.

God continues to act through those who have been reconciled. They have the privilege and responsibility to share in this great divine enterprise and are to call others to be reconciled to God. —James Garland

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. —Isaiah 53:9-11

God crushed His Son for our sakes. We’ve received His gift and been reconciled to Him. We’ve been made

and charged to carry His message to all the world and to sing at the top of our lungs…

Joy to the World! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room… —Isaac Watts