Everybody has their reason for the season. Sally did. You know Sally—Charlie’s Brown sister, Sally.
She found her reason for the Christmas season in cold hard cash, then, no doubt money cards, now. Other people find expressions of their Christmas reason depicted in Hallmark cards worthy of Norman Rockwell paintings or memorable carols: “Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh; chestnuts roasting on an open fire; of Dancer and Prancer, Comet, and Vixen; and Happy Holiday.” Everything is rosy and cozy. Even well-meaning Christians get caught up in Hallmark catchy phrases: Jesus is the reason for the season.
Truth be told, everything is not all “Hallmark” and rosy during Christmas. People are out of work. Family members are sick. Funerals hearses are dashing through churches with coffins, open and closed. Loved ones are grieving. Believers are in doubt. Someone, somewhere, is in a crisis season beyond the yuletide season. Happy is circumstantial. It depends on what’s happening around you. Joy, on the on the other hand, is another thing. It depends on who is with you despite whatever crisis is happening to you.
Crisis is not seasonal. We need a reason for joy in all seasons, less we give up hope. Who will be the reason for joy in all seasons, especially in times of crisis of faith? Christians need more than Hallmark cards with a catchy phrase. Thank God, we have a Big Brother—Christ who is not seasonal—to show us the reason for joy for all seasons. We have the light of an Advent King who has promised us a joy that will overshadow our crisis season. That’s why we lit the Candle of Joy on this third Sunday of Advent. Jesus is the reason to rejoice no matter our circumstances.
We see that reason in the light of today’s Advent Scripture—Matthew 11:2-11as seen in the life of John the Baptist—the forerunner of Christ. He is described as one of the greatest prophets who ever lived, but he had his crisis of faith. It caused him to ask in his season of doubt, “Is Jesus the Christ one or should we look for another?”
We will see in John's question, two things you need to know in your season of doubt. First, you need to know the full witness of Christ—who He is and what He has done—so you will have joy in your crisis season. Second, you need to know you are a greater witness of Christ than John because you have seen the season of God’s greatest act of love—the resurrection of Christ.
There is nothing wrong with a Hallmark Christmas of: Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh; chestnuts roasting on an open fire; of Dancer and Prancer and Comet, and Vixen; a cozy Babe in a manger.” You can even send out cards that say: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But if you insist on making Jesus seasonal, then also be a witness that Jesus is the reason for joy for all seasons.
First, know the full witness of who Christ is and what He has done so you will have joy in your crisis season. John the Baptist was in his crisis season. He was in prison. King Herod’s daughter wanted his head. John the Baptist had doubts Jesus was the Christ. We see the doubt in Matthew 11:2-6:
11:2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples.11:3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"11:4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.11:6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." Matt. 11:2-6
Jesus answered John’s question by calling him to know the full witness of miracles others have seen Him do and the preaching he has done.
The blind receive sight.
The lame walk.
Leprosy is cured.
The deaf hear.
The dead are raised.
The good news is preached to the poor.
John would have recognized the full witness of what was heard and seen of Christ. This accounting was what the Prophet Isaiah had prophesized 700 years before of the coming of Messiah.
61 The spirit of the sovereign LORD is upon me,
because the LORD has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor,
to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives,
and the freeing of prisoners…, Isa. 61:1
In Christ’s accounting of his miracles and preaching, He was telling John and you and I that “you don’t have to look for another.” Messiah has come. But you still must continue to have faith until He fulfills Scripture completely with His second coming as King.
Until then, Church, don’t let Satan steal your joy in whatever season of crisis you are in. As verse 6 suggest, don’t lose your blessings. Keep your faith. Fifty-five percent of Americas suffer from seasonal joy theft. And this stress can happen anytime of the year. But it need not be if you know the full witness of reason for joy in crisis seasons—Christ:
If you are in a season of blindness and can't see your way out of the darkness of your present situation as a church, know this: "…I am the light of the world.", says Christ. (Jn 9:5)
If you are crippled by your past, know this: “ you can walk in the newness of life (Ro.6:4)
If you feel unforgiven, unclean like a leper, know this: “If you confess your sins, God is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you. (1Jn1:9)
Things may not be all “Hallmark” this Christmas season. But know the full witness of who Christ is and what he has done. Don’t be overcome with doubt. You don’t have to look for another for the joy that comes with the hope of second coming of Christ in view. There is nothing wrong with a Hallmark Christmas of Dancer and Prancer and Comet, and Vixen.” You can even send out cards that say: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But if you insist on making Jesus seasonal, then also be a witness that Jesus is the reason for joy for all seasons. What more could you be looking for?
Second, know you are a greater of witness Christ than John because you have seen the season of God’s greatest act of love and the reason for your joy—the resurrection. Jesus witnessed to John of your greatness as a witness. Here is what Jesus said of you in Matthew 11: 6-11:
7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! 9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’11 “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.
Jesus wanted the world to know that John the Baptist—his cousin who baptized Him in the Jordan River—was a great prophet:
· John was not a weak prophet tossed about like some cane in the wind. (6)
· John was not some soft believer, motivated by comfort. (7)
· John was not ordinary, but great. He was commissioned to be a forerunner to prepare the way for Christ with a message of repentance. (10)
But Jesus also wanted you to know that as great a witness as John was, you are greater. How? John never had the opportunity to witness the season of God’s greatest act of love—the Christ’s resurrection.
By faith, you have. You and I have a greater opportunity to proclaim the 2nd coming of Christ because we have an empty grave to proclaim victory over the crisis of death.
Where, O death, is your sting?"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor. 15:56-58
Church, you may be in a crisis season right now. But you also have victory of Christ and the joy of the opportunity of being a messenger—like John—of the Kingdom's great season of the Great Commission of Matthew 29:19 to “Go ye therefore and make disciples…: You are greater than John because you get to tell the world of the joy of knowing that nothing—no season of crisis—shall separate us from the love of God—not even death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...38 that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ro. 8:35-39
Church, as small as you are, you’re greater than John because your witness to the world is greater that…
…No season of hate shall separate us from the love of God because…“love conquers all.”
…No season of sickness shall separate us from the love of God because…“with his stripes we are healed.”
…No season of injustice shall separate us from the love of God because… “justice shall roll down like a mighty stream.”
We can sing “Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King.” And we can also witness that He is coming again to receive His Kingdom. That is the reason for joy for all season.
CONCLUSION:
Believers are not immune to doubt. We all have our crisis of faith. But we also have the full witness of who Christ is and what He has done, so you can have joy in your crisis season. Through His miracles and preaching and what others have prophesied of him, you don’t have to look for another. Satan cannot steal that joy. Second, we have what Jesus has said of us. We are greater than John the Baptist because we have seen by faith, the season of victory over death—the resurrection. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, not even death, no matter the season. What joy! So, what are you waiting for. Get to witnessing unspeakable joy.
Everybody has their own meaning what Christmas means to them. To Sally Brown, Charlie’s little sister, it means gifts or tens and twenties, or cash cards. For others, Hallmark cards and carols capture the reason for the season: Dancer and Prancer, Comet and Vixen, dashing through the snow in an open sleigh with baby Jesus in tow. And there is nothing wrong with that if Christmas is your only view.
But we have a Big brother to show us the view of Advent—His second coming. “Jesus is the reason for the season” makes him seasonal, but he is much more than that.”But if you insist on making Jesus seasonal, then also be a witness that...
Jesus is the reason for joy for all seasons.
Komentar