Life Ministries

 “Some People Don’t Have A Clue”
Luke 1:5-25

    While Jesus lived among mankind for 33 short years, his agenda was far different than that of the world around him. You could say that he “Just didn’t fit in”. His neighbors didn’t think he was anything special, and in fact they even voiced their doubts: For instance, in John 6:42 they doubted his lineage saying “Why, he’s merely the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know”… And, in John 7:27 they had doubts about his birthplace, saying; “Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?…But, we know where he is from, and when the Christ comes no one will know where he is from”… In John 1:46 they questioned his hometown saying; “Nazareth! Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” These were the words of Nathaniel before he met Jesus…Nathaniel was the chairman of the “Just say no to Nazareth” committee! He in fact, reflected the local prejudice of the people. It seems as though Bethlehem was too small to qualify as the Messiah’s birthplace, and Nazareth was just too low class to be his home town… And, again in John 7:15 they even questioned and doubted his education saying; “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”… He’s not paper trained!  How do you regard a Messiah wannabe who doesn’t come from the right politically correct social standing; and does not have a Harvard education?

    It is obvious that when Jesus entered the public arena as the “long-awaited Messiah”, he didn’t command the respect of his peers…nor did he seek it. Leighton Ford wrote; “Jesus was born in a borrowed manger; preached from a borrowed boat; entered Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey; ate the Last Supper in a borrowed upper room; and was buried in a borrowed tomb”… He undoubtedly could identify with the lyrics “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin through…My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” He was on a mission. It was a mission to please God…not to impress people. Finally, according to John - “He came unto his own, and his own received him not”.
    In view of all the things Jesus was not, and did not do, why then did His life stop and re-start history’s calendar? Out of 10 billion people who have walked this earth, why did the life of Jesus stand out? There is only one answer to that question, it’s found in verses 31-35 of our scripture for today…Jesus was the Son of God; The Christ; the Messiah; the promise of God fulfilled!
    The life of Jesus is the central focus of the Bible - it is the scarlet thread that is inter-woven throughout a great tapestry. Aside from the divinity of Jesus, how does one explain the Bible? How could 40 some different writers; living 1600 years apart; most of whom never knew each other; speaking different languages; living in different countries; cultures; and careers; write a 66 book comprehensive work about a middle-eastern Rabbi, that would have the kind of impact on the world of every generation, if it were not Divinely inspired by God and therefore true!  The Christmas story isn’t just a cute child’s pageant…It is the true story of God’s Son!  And, it is a story that is timeless, changeless, and endless… And most people are clue-less!
    As the bank opened up for business one morning, a robber forced his way inside. He gave the teller a note; scooped some money into a large bag; fired a shot in the air; went out the back door; jumped the fence and sped away on a motor-scooter. The total elapsed time for all this; less than four minutes.
    The police arrive at the bank moments later, and gather eye witnesses into a room, and ask them to describe the suspect in as much detail as possible. The police sketch artist begins to sketch a composite picture of a man he has never seen…but has only heard about from the witnesses. Within an hour, the sketch is finished and copies appear on T.V. and fliers are passed out. The sketch was so accurate that some residence recognized the thief and report his whereabouts to the police, who apprehend him.
    All that was done to identify and ultimately capture a criminal. Do you know that in the Christmas story God used the same technique. The prophets; Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist; Mary and Joseph; the shepherds; the Wise men; Simeon and Anna were all witnesses. They told of what they had seen, heard, and knew to be true! But, 33 years later, people didn’t have a clue!
    “The Messiah is coming!”… “Christ is coming!” But when? Today? Tomorrow? Next year? Ten years?….Has God forgotten His promise?” Suddenly, 400 years after the prophets declaration; after 400 years of silence; a divine messenger appears. Not dressed in a U.P.S. uniform, but an Angel; a sparkling; Dazzling; super-natural Angel appears to Zechariah, an elderly priest. Six months later the same angel appears to Mary and Joseph, a couple of engaged teenagers; Then the same angel scares the snot out of the shepherds… It’s easy for us to think; “No big deal, this was common back then…after all these were Biblical times… They saw angels all the time”…Wrong!  Would it be any different today than it was then? I doubt it. 
    Let’s say Zechariah and Elizabeth were living today. Now, Zach is out working in the yard and Elizabeth is busy around the house, and all of a sudden the door flies open…Zach grabs a piece of paper and scribbles the words; “We’re going to have a baby!” Elizabeth’s reaction is to laugh out loud, and grab her belly! “I’m serious!” writes Zach… And, Elizabeth says “Why are you writing, has the cat got your tongue?” Zach writes; “An angel told me out in the garage!” Now Elizabeth’s suspicions about Zach are confirmed…He’s nuts!  “We’re on Medicare and you’re talking baby showers! We’re going to go from dentures to diapers?
    Six months later, the angel appears to Mary and tells her that she is going to be the mother of the promised Messiah. Mary then runs to meet with Elizabeth - now six months pregnant. Mary looks at Elizabeth and says “No way!”…and Elizabeth says “Yes, Way!”
    As crazy as all this sounds to us today, I don’t think it was any different 2000 years ago. Today we have hindsight. Today we have the Bible. And, every year we celebrate this wonderful ageless story of the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Don’t ever let it get old…Don’t ever allow it to become mundane and boring… It’s the greatest story ever told!  And, it’s true.
    The Bible also tells us that Jesus will come again. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, …..and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…Do you think it’s true?