Advent Week 1: “Why he came…” 1 John 3:5

INTRO> Well it is that time a year again! We enter into our time of Advent! As you have already heard, the word Advent, comes from the Latin word meaning, “coming or arrival” We celebrate and LOOK for 3 things during this season:

• • • • We look BACK to what God has done.
      • We look AROUND at what God is doing.
      • We look FORWARD to what God will do.

*ILL> On July 30th of this year, The basketball sensation Lebron James open up his “I Promise School” in akron, ohio, where James is from. Lebron grew up not knowing his father as was raised by his mother. He missed  83 days of school his fourth grade year. James went straight from high school to the NBA. James has always had a heart for his hometown and wanted to make a difference. He had done many things through his foundation but he still wants to do something big. So, he opened the “I promise school” for 240 students who are some of the lowest performing students in the district. The name is interesting, “I promise”. The kids make a promise themselves (PIC) That not why it’s called that. It’s called that because Lebron said that he made a promise that he would give back and he did. So the school is a promise made and a promise kept.

APP> That’s what Advent is. God said that he would make the difference and that we would rescue us from ourselves, all the way back in Genesis. APP> Advent is a promise made and a promise kept.

CONTEXT> As we pause and reflect on this season of Advent we will be looking at and answering the question, “Why he came…” Why did Jesus have to come? What was the purpose? This is answered in many different ways but specifically answered by the Apostle John in his letter 1 John. The Apostle makes 5 statements in this latter as to why Jesus came, these stamens will outline our Advent season together:

Jesus came to:

• • • • take away sin (1 John 3:5)
      • take out the enemy. (1 John 3:8)
      • give us life. (I John 4:9)
      • absorb the debt. (1 John 4:10)
      • save the world. (1 John 4:14)

APP> So today we look at John’s first statement,

• • “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” 1 John 3:5

APP> Man, that doesn’t sound too christmasy does it? i’ve never seen that on a card before?! But that’s what’s beautiful about Advent and about John’s statements. John is correcting our view of Christmas. This is the part that we look over isn’t it? I mean… its all around, it’s on Christmas cards, coffee mugs, even in the songs we sing:

• • “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

APP> John narrows down on this here in 1 John 3:5, he is not only answering WHY Jesus had to come, to take away sins but HOW Jesus was even able to do that.

*ILL> Think about it this way. If you are a person who is physically ill and you go to a doctor, to help take away your sickness, and you look on his wall, what do you see? You see his diplomas, in one way, you see his credentials.

APP> In this one verse, John gives us Jesus Credentials as to how he is able to take away our sins.

1. Jesus is eternal.

• • • “he appeared” the word that john uses here better translated is “manafested” and has in it’s meaning, “shined a light on” I like that.

*ILL> Parents, have you ever had to make the track through your house or your childs room when it was dark? yeah, it’s like a death trap of toys isn’t it? You can’t see what is there, so you turn on the light. Question, was the stuff there before you turned on the light? Yes.

APP> That’s what John is meaning here, Jesus didn’t start just because we saw him. He has always been there. APP> Just because I can’t see him working doesn’t mean that he is not working. APP> God is working even if I can’t see it.

*ILL> IN 325 A.D what historians call, the church fathers, in line with the succession of the Apostles that walked with Jesus, clarified this very issue for us with what is now known as the Nicene Creed. *See separate sheet of Paper.

APP> You say, “pastor why does any of this matter all this doctrine?” “Over the years I have had people say to me something like this: “I don’t know what I believe about Jesus. I don’t know if I believe in the incarnation or all these dogmas. But really, doctrine doesn’t matter. What matters is that you live a good life.” However when you say that doctrine doesn’t matter all that matters is that you live a good life, that IS a doctrine. It is called the doctrine of salvation by works rather than by grace. It assumes that you are not so bad that you need a Savior, that you are not so weak that you can’t pull yourself together and live as you should. You are actually assuming a whole set of doctrines about the nature of God, humanity and sin. And the true message of Christmas is that those are all wrong.” -Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas, pg131

APP> Christmas is a doctrine that takes us deep into our own hearts and into the heart of God.

2) Jesus is equal with God the Father.

• • • • “he appeared” now I am gathering this point still from this same word, manifested. If Jesus always existed, then Jesus is equal with God the Father.
      • “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:9
      • “the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—“ 1 John 1:2

APP> Now I need you to follow me here, No other religious person ever in history has claimed this, but Jesus. Everyone else, points to life and or points to God, Jesus claims he IS God. John says the same thing. What does this mean?

*ILL> We use to live in South County STL. In South county there was a krispy creme donut house. praise him! Krispt cream is known for their sign, “Hot Doughnuts”. When that sign is visible that means something is available.

APP> In Jesus, God became visible to show us that he is available.

3) Jesus is empty of sin.

• • • • “in him there is no sin…” it literally reads like I said. In him sin is not, he is empty of sin. Void of it.

APP> This takes us back now to the reason of the virgin birth, yes? That he is born into a broken lineage, that God is born of a women yet the seed is of the Holy Spirit. “In order that the body of Christ might be shown to be a real body he was born of a woman; but in order that his Godhead might be made clear he was born of a virgin.” – Thomas Aquinas

*ILL> Why is this important? Imagine that you are eating a very delicious and luxuries meal but you realize that you have left your wallet behind. A man sitting next to you tells your server that he will pay for it. All is well right? Well, the server reminds that man that he can’t pay for your meal because he already has an outstanding debt with the restaurant.

• • • You see that’s why Jesus HAD to be the sinless sacrifice.
    • “take away sins” that phrase literally means to bear sins or to say it another way.. .to take it on.

Big Idea> Jesus Christ came to take away our sins by taking on our sins.

APP> Just look at these credentials that John is showing us:

• • • Jesus is eternal
    • Jesus is equal with God the Father
    • Jesus is empty of sin

What does these mean for us?

• • • • If Jesus credentials are good enough to pay for salvation then they are good enough to handle your situation.
      • In and through Jesus Christ you can have access to God the Father.
      • Jesus came to show you that you can’t save yourself.