Christmas Special: The life of the One who would change the world. Part 2

Grace Bible Church
The Tree of Life
A Weekly Review
Week ending 010211
Christmas Special: The life of the One who would change the world. Part 2.

In a recent survey conducted by the ASCAPSI - American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Survey Industry, people were asked; What were the 5 top words that got their attention as a title for a book, song, movie, an article or a thesis? They discovered the following five words drew the attention of their audience, but for the sake of objectivity I will give you the five words but not necessarily the order:

They were the following:
1. Love
2. Murder
3. Sex
4. Marriage
5. Mystery

2CO 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

Who in EPH 2:4, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Because of His love in 1JO 4:9, He sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Therefore, in 2CO 9:15, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

So we looked into one of the most neglected mysteries of the year 2011 as it relates to the one who changed the world. The first question that needs to be answered is why do we call the first day of the year January1st, and why do we call this New Year, 2011? Time is mysterious and complicated enough as far as we are concerned but, added to that is the question where did we get our calendar from? Where did the months, the years, and the centuries, which make up our calendar and all have their origin from a very Catholic and Christian point of view, actually come from? By Catholic I do not mean the Catholic Church but Catholic in the sense of the universal Christian church.

So why do we call this New Year, 2011? It is clear that the world and human history stretch back much farther than that 2,010 years. But the answer to that question is that we are announcing this year to be the year 2011 Anno Domini, usually abbreviated A.D. meaning “the year of the Lord.” What this clearly means is that it has been 2,011 years since the birth of Jesus Christ. His love for us and His passion to fulfill the Fathers will, resulted in His death and resurrection which ushered in a new era for the world.

As far as we know, the AD system was developed by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus in Rome in 525, as an outcome of his work on calculating the date of Easter. It was especially at the time of Charlemagne (8th Century) that the AD dating system became widespread in Western Europe. However, the calculations as to the exact year of Christ’s birth were not perfect. Today, by surveying history and the data of Scripture it now seems rather more certain that: The Lord Jesus Christ was born closer to what we call today 6 B.C. - Nevertheless the current dating system remains a reference to Jesus Christ. Even the most secular of people calculate their place in time by Jesus Christ. Every letter that is dated, every check that is written, every appointment that is made is swept up into the life of the one who changed the world. Someone once said that Jesus is Lord of History since history is His-story. The most neglected mystery of all time, known by only a few, although revealed to all.

HEB 4:12, The word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Think about the mystery of the year 2011 pertaining to the life of the one who changed the world. Believe or not, our calendar actually began in eternity past where we read in REV 13:8, the One who would change the world is called the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

ACT 2:23, He was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, and nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men who put Him to death.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. (ACT 4:27-28)

Consider that the life of the one who changed the world was born in a little‑known village called Bethlehem as a child of a peasant woman, MIC 5:2, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, {Too} little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Five hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, the prophet Micah had prophesied the place of His birth. Only a few people realized the Messiah would be born in a place called Bethlehem.

MAT 7:14, “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”

Though the city of Bethlehem was a very small city, the Lord had chosen it to be the place of birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Messiah. The priests and scribes who studied the Scriptures should have known what the Scriptures said about the birth of the Messiah. But as in many cases, those in positions of authority lack the intestinal fortitude it takes to stand up for the truth and go against the herd.

These are the ones who usually want the crown but not the cross. Or perhaps they did know but they are just like the ones inJOH 12:42-43, Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

Are you like that? Or like those in MAT 23:5-6, they are those who do all their deeds to be noticed by men; They love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the churches,

When the priests and scribes failed to believe and apply that Bethlehem was the place of birth of the Messiah, they also failed to know that the city of David was Bethlehem. Their cowardice prevented them from standing up for truth. God chooses the little things of the world to conceal in glory its greatest things. As Gideon said in JDG 6:15, Gideon said to the Lord, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”But in JDG 6:16, The Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

Do you recall what Philip said to Nathanel: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (JOH 1:45-46)

Come and see the life of the One who changed the world! We are also taught that the life of the one who would changed the world worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty - LUK 3:23, And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, This was the age required by the Law, to which the priests must arrive before they could be installed in their office.

NUM 4:3, from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.

At this time we are then told that the life of the one who changed the world then became a traveling preacher, MAR 1:35-39.

MAR 1:35-39, And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. And Simon and his companions hunted for Him; and they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” And He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.” And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Think of this amazing, but almost never considered, fact that the life of the one who changed the world was one who never wrote a book. We can thank God or Himself that He didn’t. Because if He did we would be fighting about which book He wrote and who had the original. However, there is a book that was written about Him and the first Christmas that says in HEB 10:7, “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O God.’”

The life of the one who changed the world would be the one who never held an office; JOH 18:36, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

He never did one thing that usually accompanies greatness with the exception of performing miracles whenever He wanted or desired to. In fact, He would even tell individuals later on not to talk about His miracles. In MAT 8:4, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

He had no credentials but Himself; JOH 14:11, “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves.”

While still a young man, the life of the one who changed the world would have public opinion turn against Him.

And coming to His home town He {began} teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where {did} this man {get} this wisdom, and {these} miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then {did} this man {get} all these things?” And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his {own} household.” (MAT 13:54-57)

The life of the one who changed the world would be marked by His friends running away from Him in time of trouble; MAR 14:27.

MAR 14:27, And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’

One close to Him would also deny Him, as well as all of His disciples; MAT 26:33-35.

But Peter answered and said to Him, “{Even} though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this {very} night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too. (MAT 26:33-34)

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a certain servant‑girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied {it} before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another {servant‑girl} saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied {it} with an oath, “I do not know the man.” And a little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are {one} of them; for the way you talk gives you away.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a cock crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (MAT 26:69-75)

The life of the one who changed the world went through the mockery of a trial, MAT 20:18-19.\

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify {Him,} and on the third day He will be raised up.” (MAT 20:18-19)

The life of the one who changed the world ended up nailed to a cross between two thieves; MAT 27:38, At that time two robbers *were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left.

His executioners gambled for His only piece of property - His coat; MAR 15:24, And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them, {to decide} what each should take.

The life of the one who changed the world would have His body laid in a borrowed grave; JOH 19:41, Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is still the centerpiece of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, All the navies that ever sailed, All the parliaments that ever sat, And all the kings that ever reigned put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that?

That one who changed the world around 2011 years ago. That One Solitary Life.
He was born in an obscure village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until he was about thirty.
He then became an traveling preacher.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn’t go to college.
He had no credentials but Himself.
After preaching three years, the public turned against Him.

His friends ran away.
He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth.
He was laid in a borrowed grave.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race.

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned.
HAVE NOT AFFECTED THE LIFE OF MAN ON THE EARTH AS MUCH AS THAT ONE SOLITARY LIFE.”