WAIT NO MORE

If “Silence” were able to take the witness stand today, he would testify that every chapter of human history is filled with waiting. No doubt, there’s not a single chapter that isn’t filled with poor, broken, hurting, and fearful souls of men in waiting. They wait. Some wait for marriage, some for conception, some wait for answers and some for healing, some wait for a resolution to the conflict and some for a better day, a stronger body, a painless existence, and a hope realized. They wait.

One can only imagine, for instance, the painful journey of Adam and Eve, leaving the blissful joy of the Garden and entering a now fallen and broken world that would forever be tainted by sin..their sin. Scripture records the event in simple and sober terms, “therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:23–24, ESV)

In a small portion of a single day, God formed a living, breathing, man, who bore His image, from the raw, lifeless, dust of the ground. But Adam, that man who was formed, would now spend a lifetime dealing with that same dust in an ongoing effort to sustain his life. But, he did so with promise etched upon his heart. For before he ever took those fateful steps out from the Garden, he and Eve were given a promise, an earth-shaking, and hope-producing promise. Here it is, in speaking to the Serpent, God spoke these words, words that were no doubt remembered and latched hold of by Adam and Eve, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15, ESV)

In other words, though the enemy appeared to have won, though it seems as though God’s plan and creation, all at once had been forever spoiled, the day would come when from another woman, an offspring, a child, would come, who would be a head-crusher for the enemy. In spite of the pain, the heartache, the dark road ahead, there was hope…but it would not be without waiting.

I suppose there’s no greater example of the pain and process of waiting than what we see unfold in the life of Abraham. Here was one who likely had all the material possessions he needed and who most certainly had a direction in life. But God. That’s right, Abraham’s life was interrupted by grace and his direction was completely altered by God. Scripture describes the fortunate encounter this way, “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV)

It’s striking! God says go…He doesn’t say where but He makes abundantly clear to what end. In short, God had plans for Abraham. Whatever his prior plans were, God now had plans for Abraham, plans that would result in the formation of a great Nation, and transformation, leading to a great name. Consequently, If all goes as planned, Abraham would be a conduit through which God would bless the entire world…but it would not come without waiting.

What follows, throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, is one chapter after the other of failure and rescue, brokenness and healing, sin and sacrifice…all mixed and mingled with the trickling waters of waiting. Waiting for the seed of woman to at last arrive, waiting for the enemy to be finally and fatally conquered, waiting for the promise of Abraham to be brought to fruition, waiting for the promised blessing to be showered upon all the families of the Earth. They waited.

But then, just when all hope seemed lost, when darkness seemed to be settled, when night seemed to drape the sun, and despair seemed to out-shout hope, an Angel of the Lord appeared, enshrouded with glory and on mission with a message… fear not, the waiting is over! Here’s the way Luke, the Historian describes it, ““And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8–14, ESV)

The waiting is over! The message declared by the Angels that day is a message of hope for all people, including you. Ever since the day Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden, the world had been wasting away in ever-increasing decay; perhaps you can relate. And yet, promises had been made…the promise of a child who would save the day, the promise that somehow all the families of the world would be showered with blessing, the time had come! The statement from the Angel is this, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”.

WHEN THE ANGELS BURST THROUGH THE DARK NIGHT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, THEY CAME WITH NEWS…GOOD NEWS…THE TYPE OF NEWS THAT ALTERS LIVES. SCRIPTURE SAYS IT THIS WAY, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy…

Like so many of us can relate to, the Shepherds were in a state of fear…who can blame them! They were being confronted by something altogether unfamiliar, something powerful, something greater than themselves. This is what happens when we find ourselves in the presence of God. But the Angel had a message to proclaim, good news to herald, something that could cast out the fear, doubt, and dread, and fill those who receive it with unmingled joy. Who wouldn't want a dose of that! So no matter the reason for your attendance tonight, perhaps you are here and you too need to hear and receive the message of hope given by the Angels that stary night. So here it is!

1. HE CAME FOR YOU, TOO.

I bring you good news of great joy …that will be for all the people-

That’s right, I’m speaking to you…you who are broken, and you who are guilty of doing the breaking, you who are hopeless and you who are guilty of shattering another’s hope, you who are hurting and you who have done the hurting, you who are lonely and you who have left those whom you love alone…the Good News, the Gospel, is for you. The waiting is over. You may feel as though God has forgotten you or would never turn his gaze upon you but the message of the hour is this…He sees you, he knows everything about you…but do you see Him and are you ready to give your broken and bruised life to Him.

2. HE WAS BORN TO DIE SO THAT YOU COULD DIE AND LIVE.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”.

When the Angel proclaims that “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior”, it leaves us with a very clear conclusion, somebody needs saving! According to Scripture, it’s not merely somebody but everybody. As Romans 3:23 states, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.

But here’s the good news, Jesus was born…yes, he was and we revel in that…but don’t miss it, He was born to die. It may strike some of us as odd and perhaps even tragic, but it’s anything but that! In fact, when Mary gave birth to Jesus, in that single moment, the waiting ended. No longer did the world need to wait in anguish for the seed of a woman who would defeat the enemy for good. Jesus came. No longer did the world have to wait in fear and doubt for the blessing of God to shower upon all the families of the Earth, Jesus came…and through Him, all the world was given a savior! Jesus came to save the lost and broken, he didn’t come for those who believe themselves to be healthy and whole, he came to save the lost and hopeless. He came for you. The waiting is over.

No matter where you might find yourself, no matter the degree of darkness you feel all around you, no matter the litany of failures you may have been dragging around for the past many years, no matter the harm and hurt that has consistently battered you in this life, there’s hope!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8–14, ESV)

THE WAITING IS OVER