Messiah has Come

John 4:25-26 (ESV)
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

As we once again approach the Christmas season and all that it means, I’d ask you to play along with me in a game of pretend. Before you assess, “Oh no, Pastor is losing it, this knee replacement has taxed him too much,” let me assure you, there is a method to my madness. I ask you to do this in an attempt to experience the original historical setting in which Jesus arrived in his first coming.
So would you pretend that between the writing of the Old and the New Testament (and this is true) there was 400 Years of silence concerning the coming of Messiah, the Christ, God’s anointed one. The Old Testament had spoken of, and promised through many of the major and minor prophets that Messiah was coming. They believed a leader was coming who would rescue them from their Roman oppressors and establish a new kingdom. As their king, they would rule the world with justice. However, many Jewish people overlooked prophecies that also spoke of this King as a suffering servant who would be rejected and killed. No wonder then that few recognized Jesus as Messiah. They overlooked that He was coming as a heavenly, not an earthly King. So back to our pretending….after 400 years of silence between the testaments.

Then pretend that that this was heard by you for the first time….after not hearing a word from heaven for 400 years.
Luke 2:1-20 (ESV)
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 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!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
What NEWS! Messiah had come, though not yet recognized yet. God came near; HOPE was here! This good news finally registered. We see it in the text at the beginning of this pastor’s paragraph. Would you go back and read it once again……how Jesus struck up conversation with
a Samaritan woman at the well and how that conversation concluded recognizing his coming.
There are people all around us today, some who seemingly could care less if He came, others who never realized He brought hope here and others who are still waiting. But there are many like the woman at the well who would welcome that Jesus has come and has the willingness to save people, to rescue them from their sins. That is what His name means; the angel said: “You shall name Him Jesus, for He shall save people from their sin.” And He has been doing it well ever since people have given Him a chance, because Hope spring alive when God comes on to a situation. “We praise you Lord!” Let’s be sharing the good news this Christmas season. Many are hearing the story for the first time.