December 25th, 8.30am. It would be a clear night, a cold frost on the ground and then sunrise
! It's 1914 and it's World War I. Imagine war in the trenches.
! But it is December 25th and Christmas trees decorate the parapets and across no man's
land comes the sound of carols. You might have seen the very sanitised version on the Sins
Bizarre. But here's the diary of Captain Sir Edward Holtz. A scout named Merker went out
and met a German patrol and was given a glass of whisky and some cigars. Soon you had troops
standing around on no man's land swapping cigarettes for haircuts and taking photos. There's a
German lieutenant who wrote a diary to, I practice the translation, Kurt Zamich. He kept a diary
as well. The English brought a soccer ball from the trenches and pretty soon a lively game ensued.
The score was 3-2. Well you can guess who won. There's no record of penalties at all.
And it's a great story since my sense of use of peace on earth, goodwill to man. His diary goes on,
it says how marvellous, how wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same
way. They wrote, Christmas, the celebration of love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends
for a time. But that is it, isn't it? Is that enough? The last man alive to remember that Christmas
truce said this in 2005, we shouted Merry Christmas even though no one felt merry. The silence ended
early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace, wasn't it, in a terrible war.
And Captain Sir Edward Holtz, who was killed three months later, is 25. Mortal enemies became friends. I don't think so.
Five in every nine people died in that war that we remembered this year. Kurt Zamich, amazingly, he survived
the war. He lived on to rejoin the German army in World War II and he died in Russia in November 1945.
Even on that day, peace wasn't everywhere. The sort of nice Christmas picture that we have in the adverts.
Here's another English captain and hear what he writes. The Germans tried a truce, they came over
towards us singing, so we opened rapid fire on them, which is the only truce they deserved.
Don't you wish for peace? Don't you wish that the darkness of death and war which hangs over us all was dealt with?
100 million people died violently in the last century, to a minute. Bad news comes in, doesn't it?
On the internet, on the TV, every day. Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan. And don't you wish for just more than a moment,
a Christmas moment, for the start of a truce that might last longer than a Christmas football match?
Longer than a day where Isaiah, 700 years before Jesus was born, if you'll look at this, it describes a day like that.
Do pick it up and look at it. And Isaiah begins, really, like Christmas Day in the trenches.
We start in gloom, don't we? And there is darkness. And there is anguish.
But that is about to change, dawn is about to break. In the disgrace land of Zebulun, can you see that?
The land of Naphtali and Galilee of the nations. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, verse 2.
On them, light has dawned. And it's much more than whiskey and football matches.
This is a nationwide party. Look at verse 3.
You've enlarged the nation and increased their joy.
They rejoice before you. They're full of joy.
As people rejoice at the harvest three times, it talks about joy and rejoicing.
Joy and victory. And why are they so happy?
Well, we get the answer in verse 4. Can you see that?
And verse 5, verse 6.
They all begin in the same way.
Why are they so happy?
Well, in verse 4, it's because the yoke of burden has been broken.
You've shattered the yoke that burdens them.
And then this lovely last line, isn't it?
The rod, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
That's something to be happy about, isn't it?
When slaves are freed, when oppression is ended.
We know what it is to rejoice about that.
And so how did it happen? Look at verse 5.
Every warrior's boot used in battle,
and every garment rolled in blood will be destructed for burning,
and will be filled for the fire.
It's the end of war.
It's one enormous bonfire.
It would be quite a bonfire, wouldn't it?
If every piece of military equipment in the world
was gathered in one place and was torched.
In World War I, the British Army issued 46,973,000 pairs of boots.
Imagine them on fire.
For Isaiah, do you see, a day of peace is not enough.
He wants oppression to be snapped forever.
Isaiah wants peace forever.
He wants every soldier stood down and disbanded.
But it will need, won't it, much more than a nice feeling and a few candles
and a happy moment for this to happen.
So Isaiah, how will it happen?
Well, look at verse 6.
Here's the secret.
Here's the climax.
It's the famous words we read at the Star Wars.
It says, for us a child is born.
To us a son is given.
There's this bright daylight of dawn.
A new day of peace.
Because slavery is both broken.
Armies are disbanded.
Because, when a baby's been born.
Now some children arrive, when they're in the world,
with big expectations on their shoulders.
Poor old Prince George.
I don't know if you've seen these photos of him.
In a kind of funny tack job with socks pulled up for his knees.
This little two-year-old boy, or one-year-old boy.
They have great expectations there.
Around Brooklyn, Beckham, when he was born.
Some children, celebrity children, they're born, aren't they?
With unrealistic expectations.
Well, look at this father.
Look at verse 7.
This son, this baby that is born,
where he's going to rule the world.
A government that increases,
and a throne that increases,
and a kingdom that will be from this time forth and forevermore.
And we've been using his name all night.
Jesus, our Emmanuel, we sang.
You shall call his name Jesus.
He will be given the throne of his father David.
And of his kingdom there will be no end.
It'll go on forever.
There are Gospels.
If you ask me for one reason, we'll give you one.
We'd love you to give you one.
We'd love you to read them.
Where they are, what is a Gospel?
It is an eyewitness account.
Of the Lord Jesus, of this son.
The man who was written about by Isaiah 700 years before he was born.
With the expectation of the nations on his shoulders.
And if you read through Matthew's Gospel,
you would come to this bit of Isaiah chapter 4.
So when does dawn break?
It breaks when Jesus moves to live by the sea,
in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.
And the Gospel writers want to ask you,
is this the one?
Is this the guy?
Does he live up to his prayers?
Does he do enough to give us more than an afternoon of peace in the middle of war?
And a fuzzy feeling.
Is he different?
And to see the difference, I just want us to look at the four names that are there in verse 6.
Can you see them?
Four prophetic names.
Four names given to you 700 years before he was born.
Which tell you what kind of man Jesus and Nazareth three is.
And we're expecting a baby next month.
And we're at the stage of trying to decide on names.
We think we're at one with a girl,
but we don't know what to do with a boy.
And so we're looking at these books, isn't it?
And the dictionary of first names.
A comprehensive list in easy to use A to Z order of 5,000 names for boys and girls.
Your name can say a lot about you, whether you like it or not.
So it is vital, absolutely vital,
to choose an appropriate name for a new baby
to give him or her, you know,
the best possible start in life.
This book promises a comprehensive list of names from around the world
with their derivations and meanings to help you make the right choice.
Do you know who it's written by?
Geddes and Grosset.
And isn't it ironic that they don't put their first names on that?
And so the four inverse things, they're not in here actually.
I checked this afternoon.
Princes, but all the rest are not.
Wonderful counsellor, mighty God,
everlasting father,
prince of peace.
You never find those names on a human child.
Look at them, the first thing it says about
what the Lord Jesus will be like is
he will be the wonderful counsellor.
That means to have
the supernatural wisdom of God.
This baby is different.
Don't we need rulers like that?
Should we spend however many millions of pounds
it's going to be to build
high speed train link number
15 or whatever it will be?
Don't we need wisdom
for our country to know
how to get the economy going?
Or Barack Obama and David Cameron
when they meet to decide
how should they respond to the Middle East?
How should they respond to what is going on in Iraq?
Do you know what they should do?
Do you?
Are you wise enough to rule?
Is anybody?
Well we've read from Luke's Gospel tonight
and if you were to read on in Luke
or in Matthew's Gospel
you would see Jesus
amazed with his wisdom.
He starts doing it at 12.
They are amazed at his answers
and how wise he is.
People throw hostile questions at him
and he can turn them back at them.
As he faces sensitive personal questions
or as he gives a way to live
that millions still live by today
2,000 years later.
He is the wonderful counsellor.
But he's also mighty God.
You see the only way to end war forever
is to face the armies of the world
the way a teacher
or the way a parent
faces a fighting child.
Do you know how you do that?
You see them sometimes.
Do you?
You simply put
your hand on their forehead
and you hold them
like that.
They're that small aren't they?
They might
fly their arms around
or try and kick
but if you put your hand on their head
you stop them.
Don't we need rulers like that?
Can anybody guarantee
security?
Can they?
Can anybody secure a border
or a single life
or read on in Matthew
and you find this Jesus of Nazareth
he tells the tall stone
to be still
as easily as I turn off the tap.
He raises the dead
with a word
in public view
all the power
of mighty God.
The ministry of Jesus
is like a three year window.
It's like a three year window
into the future.
The world that Isaiah
longs for
and I guess the world
that you long for as well.
Jesus and his life
works as a kind of
three year
try before you buy
for
human rights.
Read the eyewitness accounts
of the Lord Jesus.
Hear his disciples.
Let them persuade you
that this is the one.
We run a course here
called Christianity Explores
and if you want to do that
in the company of others
asking the same kind of questions
it's a great thing to do.
Speak to me
or the person who brought you
or the person who invited you
and we'd love you to do it.
We'll be running one
in the new year.
That is a great way.
Read the evidence
and see Jesus
live up to his press.
He is different.
He's the everlasting father.
The everlasting father.
See only God lasts forever.
It's a puzzle isn't it?
It must have puzzled Isaiah.
How could a newborn baby
do you get that?
Be an everlasting father.
Because in Jesus
God
became a human being.
The everlasting
became flesh.
with all the strength
of God
but all the care
of a father.
And don't we need that
as well?
Someone to care
for the hungry.
Someone to protect
the weak.
Again
read on
in those gospels
you see Jesus
cure every sickness.
You see Jesus
restore families
and minds
and seek out
the sinner
and rescue them.
And he is
the prince of peace.
And here the gospels
give us two great pictures.
They give us a future
Jesus
who will bring peace
by destroying
every army
and every enemy.
The Jesus of Isaiah 9
who will return
as God
and King
and Mighty God.
But before Jesus
returns
as Mighty God
to wipe out
every single enemy
we get a Jesus
don't we?
That lives out
perfect peace.
who says
turn the other cheek
who they come
to arrest him
and he will not
allow a fight.
He accepts
a beating.
He keeps silent
at his trial
and he walks
willingly to his death.
And that is where
we see that there are
no pat answers
to the problems
of this world
and your problems.
Jesus
the promised
son of God
is crucified.
world peace
is not as simple
as changing
prime minister
or changing
government.
And Jesus'
life
and his teaching
are not enough
alone.
More is needed.
Jesus'
life
is a window
on the world
that will come
when Jesus
comes back
one day.
It's a window
of peace
but necessarily
it is a short
one because
Jesus must
die.
Jesus must
die.
This baby
must die.
This son
must die.
You see
because the war
between human
and human
is not really
the big deal.
not for Isaiah
and not for
Jesus.
We fight
each other
actually
only because
we're really
fighting God.
And that is
the real
deep darkness.
We all
sit in our
trenches
giving God
the rapid fire.
And the
darkness of
death
is this
just response
to what
Jesus must
deal with.
It's easy
to see tonight
if you are
in the
trench
firing
at God
by checking
your attitude
to Jesus.
You see
Christmas is
not really
the story
of a nice
little baby.
It's the
story of
your recently
arrived
new boss.
It's the
government
on his
shoulders.
The king
forever.
You should
think about
Jesus the
way that
those of you
who were in
work.
A new
boss arrives
in the
office.
He's a
new boss.
Maybe
you're
pleased to
have him.
Maybe
you're
scared of
what he
might do.
Maybe
you just
plain don't
like him.
But he's
in charge
now.
And like
it or not
he calls
the shots.
But most
of us
react to
King Jesus
the way
that the
Welsh rugby
team would
react if I
was announced
as the
new head
coach.
Can you
just imagine
it?
There's a
press conference
and then I
roll up to
the training
ground.
Can you
imagine
Jamie
Roberts or
Alan Wynne
Jones,
this 6 foot
6 giant,
looking down
at me,
this kind
of 12 stone
weakling who's
very out of
shape.
You can
imagine the
team kind
of falling
apart.
They would
do it
differently,
wouldn't
they?
Depending on
what they're
like.
Some of
them,
some of
the players,
they would
ignore me
completely.
They would
say,
what do
you know?
And they'd
be right to
say it.
Some would
probably try
and do their
own training.
Some of
them would
be more
direct,
possibly
even more
physical,
and they
would try
and get
rid of
me as
fast as
they can.
And so
tonight,
can you look
at Jesus
in the eye
and tell
him that
you live
with him
as king?
Maybe,
probably
tonight,
you politely
ignore him.
Or you
urgently maybe
want Jesus
out of your
life, but
either way,
we don't
submit to
him as
God and
king.
And if
he returns
to destroy
his enemies
tonight,
and bring
peace,
human beings
like us
would actually
be his
enemies.
So if
Jesus wants
to end
all war,
he has to
bring peace
between man
and God
first,
which means
he has to
die.
You see,
there are
no easy
answers.
Death stands
over us,
doesn't it?
And Jesus
swallows it
up on our
behalf.
Which means
tonight,
Jesus can
speak like
those singing
and voices
over the
trenches.
Marvelously
wonderful,
yet how
strange to
bring mortal
enemies
together as
friends.
And he
will bring
peace between
human beings
one day.
He will wipe
out all his
enemies one
day.
But the
amazing thing
is this,
he offers
you today
in West
England
tonight,
between you
and God
that peace.
And it is
much better
than voices
calling over
the trenches.
Christmas is
saying to you
that God
has crossed
the lines
and God
has become
a human
being.
He set
out unarmed
to be
killed.
It's better
than whiskey.
It's better
than cigarettes.
It's better
than a game
of football.
And that
is the
difference.
He died
so that
God could
end the
war with
us.
And it
could end
today for
you.
Jesus
began his
preaching in
Galilee
as the
dawn of
that light.
And he
said this,
he said
repent
for the
kingdom of
heaven is
at hand.
And Christmas
is a call
to take up
his offer.
To stop
fighting God.
to repent,
to turn
from that
way of
life and
to join
the kingdom
of the
king,
the king
of peace.
And anyone
who will
crawl out
of their
trench and
ask for
peace,
hold their
hands up
and say
I'm sorry.
you can be
sure of
the answer.
The prince
of peace,
the king
of all,
will happily
accept you
in his
kingdom.
No matter
what you've
done,
no matter
how much
darkness
you're in
that you
walk in,
there is
Christian
forgiveness.
He
swallows
death for
you and
asks for
peace and
nothing
stands
between
you and
God.
Call
Jesus
your
king.
Repent
and change
him and
want to
join his
kingdom and
thank him
for his
death which
made peace
between God
and us.
And so
following him
will mean
recognising
him as
king.
And we
repent of
living our
own way
and we
say I
want to
join your
kingdom and
I thank
you for
your
death.
I thank
you for
forgiveness.
Jesus
made peace
between me
and God
and to
do that
is more
amazing than
two sides
kicking a
football
around in
the middle
of a
war.
To do
that is
to move
from
darkness
to light.
To join
the increasing
celebration of
verse 3.
To be
part of
why his
kingdom has
been increasing
for 2,000
years.
Increasing
one by one
as people
put their
trust in
him.
It is a
great hope
that we
look forward
to the
return of
King
Jesus
when he
will
stop
all
wars.
And you
and I
can be
his people
free and
at peace.
And that
can begin
tonight.
Let's pray.