Sunday Recap 11/27/16 “How does Christ Serve Us?”
Sunday, 11/27/16, Evident Grace began our Christmas series, “First Come, First Serve”. In it we want to explore how Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection lead us to a life of service. The book of Mark tells us that even Christ didn’t come to be served but to serve. As Jesus came to serve, so should we. From Luke 1, we answered this Big Picture Question:
Big Picture Question: How Did Christ Come to Serve Us?
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
In that passage, we found 3 answers to our question:
Big Picture Question: How did Christ Come to Serve Us?
- He shows us mercy.
- He brings justice to an unjust world.
- He kept God’s promises.
He shows us mercy.
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
This is Mary’s song celebrating the blessing that she has to give birth to Jesus. In it, her whole person (soul/spirt) worship God as she realizes that she doesn’t deserve such an honor. And her realization of God’s mercy doesn’t stop with her. She recognizes that God’s mercy is extending to generation to generation in light of the birth of Jesus. The coming of Christ was a merciful service to Mary and us, and that is a great motivation to worship.
He brings justice to an unjust world.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
We live in a world where the unborn die, racism is rampant, and cultures clash. It causes us all to cry, “How long? What’s our hope?” The birth of Jesus is the dawn of our hope. Jesus will cast down the proud and raise up the humble. The birth of Jesus brings justice where injustice exists. He is the just penalty for our sins, He brings down those who use their power and riches to punish the weak, and ultimately, He will bring justice to the entire world.
He kept God’s promises.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
From the Garden of Eden, through Abraham, to David, and throughout the entire Old Testament, God the Father promised a servant Savior who would pay for our sins. Mary knew that she was going to give birth to that promised Savior. God was faithful. He kept His promises. And our servant king assures us that God is trusted and merciful.
We closed our sermon with these three takeaways.
Big Picture Question: How did Christ Come to Serve Us?
Truth: We were served by Christ through His mercy, justice, and faithfulness to God’s promises.
Application: Celebrate Christmas knowing that Jesus’ service to you enables greater service to others.
Action: Serve others knowing that you are to live out the life of service Jesus gave for you.