Advent 2015: Christ - the great I AM

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  Luke 2:7

“I AM Who I AM.”  Exodus 3:14

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life….”  John 1:1-4

Every time a baby is born, there is a wealth of promise wrapped up in that little one.  I can remember thinking as I held each of mine, “What will you become?  What talents and gifts has God given you?  What unique interests, ideas, and idiosyncrasies will you bring into our family?  How will you change us?  How will God use you to change the world?”  Very few of us are given insight into any of these questions as we hold that new member of the human race, the one we’ve been blessed to raise.  But each of the Nativity characters we’ve looked at so far was given at least one tiny bit of insight into Who Jesus was, would be, and how He would change the world:

• the magi knew Him to be “the King of the Jews”
• the shepherds knew Him to be “Savior….Christ the Lord”
• Joseph knew Him to be “Jesus” Who would “save His people from their sins”
• Mary knew Him to be “Son of the Most High”

Each of them was given a message about Jesus, and each had to make sacrifices, stepping out in faith to more fully understand the word God had given them:

• the magi had to leave behind their own culture, their comforts, and their home to travel many miles, following the leading of a star.  While this was an amazing star, they had a choice in whether to stay where they were and study the star, or leave and follow where it lead.  Had they not left, they never would have seen the Child; never would have had the opportunity to worship Him; never would have been able to bless Mary and Joseph with their costly - and timely - gifts: many believe these helped finance the family’s hurried trip to Egypt.  The magi’s step of faith was grounded in their Hope of finding the newborn King, and provided a means of Hope for a young family sent on a long, hard journey.
• the shepherds had to leave behind their flocks (you can’t “come in a hurry” with a bunch of sheep), their fear, and their doubts to travel a short distance, following the words of an angel.  And as I heard in our sermon last Sunday, getting a word from an angel doesn’t guarantee you will automatically believe - look at Zacharias (Luke 1:11-20) and Sarah (Genesis 18:9-14).  Make no mistake - the shepherds still had a choice when the angels went away into heaven, and they chose to go to Bethlehem, believing God to be the One Who “has made known to us” the birth of the Savior.  Had they not gone, they would not have been the first witnesses, both of the Christ Child and to His parents, giving others much to wonder over, and Mary much to ponder and treasure.  The shepherds’ step of faith was grounded in their Love of God and His faithfulness, and deepened others’ Love of God as they heard of His amazing plan.
• Joseph had to leave behind his expectations, his reputation, his dreams, his desires, and his home to travel physically to Bethlehem, then Egypt, and finally back to Nazareth.  And though those were demanding, difficult trips, they wouldn’t hold a candle to the spiritual journey Joseph must have made as he considered what it meant that he’d been asked to raise the Son of God.  By choosing to take Mary as his wife, he took on the mantle of responsibility for the upbringing of the One Who would save His people from their sins - I am certain that had to be a scary prospect, particularly at the outset.  But had he not agreed to become Jesus’ foster father, he would never have experienced the wealth of lessons God had for him through the years, nor been the example he is to us today.  Joseph’s step of faith resulted in Joy unimaginable, and reminds us how our steps of faith also lead to Joy in the Lord.
• Mary had to leave behind many of the same things Joseph did, but she also had to leave behind the usual joy found at the announcement of a pregnancy, the comfort of family, and  companionship - at least for a time.  Despite Elizabeth’s elation at Mary’s news, when Mary returned home, she had to face those who were not willing to accept what she said.  I can only imagine how difficult it was for her to have to face her village, her family, and her husband with the unbelievable news that she was pregnant but had not sinned.  For a time, all she had to cling to was God and His promise spoken through the angel.  But had she not agreed to become the mother of Jesus, she would never have understood the depths of Peace that come through obedience and how that Peace can carry you through the hardest of life’s storms.  Mary’s step of faith resulted in Peace that passes all understanding, and reminds us that our unchanging God gives us that same Peace today when we choose to obey Him.

Today’s Advent candle is the Christ candle, placed directly in the center of the Advent wreath.  Its centrality is a reminder that Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace are all part of Who Christ is. His “I am” statements, spoken many years after the events of the Nativity, not only point to specific aspects of His character, but act as reminders of His relationship with the Father - and with us.  God first said, “I AM Who I AM”; Christ - wholly man and wholly God - came to elucidate that statement.  Jesus understood then, as He understands now, our ability to take in difficult lessons through metaphor, using common items to explain deep concepts.  While we have the luxury of hindsight, our Nativity characters would have been living in the moment as they made choices and took steps of faith.  Some may never even have heard any of the “I am” statements of Jesus, but I like to think that each of these individuals would have understood those statements long before He spoke them:

• to the magi, who needed the light of a star to find the Light of the world, Jesus’ statement of “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life” would have been perfectly clear.
• to the shepherds, whose entire job relied on their sheep knowing and trusting them, Jesus’ statement of “I am the good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me” would have been a no brainer.
• to Joseph, who sacrificed so much to become Jesus’ foster father, Jesus’ statement of “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” would have been no surprise.
• to Mary, whose reliance on God and His word was all she had for a time, Jesus’ statement of “I am the True Vine” would have been a known truth.

These characters understood Jesus as the Source; they understood Him as the fountain from which flows Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Light, Trust, Sacrifice, and Life.  Their lives, while filled with exemplary lessons for us, point to the only One who continues to be the Source today.  “I am” is present tense - the Truths contained in all those statements is a fresh and relevant today as it was when it was first spoken.  And unlike our Nativity characters, we can take broader, stronger steps of faith because our Source remains “I AM.”

Gracious Father, as we complete this Advent season, may we remember Christ’s centrality in all things.  May we live our day-in, day-out moments in light of the truth of His “I am” statements.  May we always remember that when we stand in darkness, You have sent the Light of Hope; when we cry helplessly in our sin and loneliness, You have sent the Voice of Love; when despair overwhelms us, You have sent the Sacrifice of Joy; and when we are filled with confusion and doubt, You have sent the Vine of Peace.  May our steps of faith be stronger, broader, and firmer this year because of You.

With a heart full of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace, because of the great I AM,

Sherri