Title: Welcome the King
Contents
*** Welcome the king. / John 1:9-14
** Introductory words
John 1:9-14, “9 There was the true light, which came into the world, to give light to every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. 11 When he came to his own land, his people 12 But to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I wish you and your families the happiness of Christmas.
In a small town in Russia, there lived a good-natured shoemaker named Papapano. It was one day before Christmas. He fell asleep and Jesus appeared to him in a dream. “I want to visit my grandfather tomorrow.”
When I woke up, it was Christmas morning with the sun shining brightly on the pure white snow. Thinking about the promise that Jesus would visit, Grandpa put a coffee pot, specially used for Christmas, on the stove, cleaned the shoe room, and waited for Jesus. After a while, there was no one outside except the cleaners. He turned to the other side of the road and said, “Come in. It’s cold, but I warm up and drink coffee.” The janitor liked it so much that he threw the broom down and thawed himself and drank coffee.
Jesus is not visible until lunchtime. I looked outside and saw a woman in old ragged clothes walking by with a small child in a single blanket. Grandpa felt pity and let the woman into the store. Unintentionally, I looked at the baby's feet and found that they were frozen blue. “The baby will need shoes. Tttttttt… ” I tried on the little shoes I saw last night. Oddly enough, it was right. The baby and the woman smiled happily.
The winter days pass quickly. It was already starting to get dark. A group of beggars appeared as the soup and bread they had prepared for dinner was warming up. As always, Grandpa gave them soup and bread to eat. The beggars were happy at Christmas, and Papapano was happy.
But in the end, even when evening came, Jesus did not come. Grandpa didn't hesitate to sit in the chair. “After all, it was a dream! Have you missed the passing Jesus? ” At this time, suddenly, from somewhere, “Grandpa Papapano, have you seen me?” I heard the voice of Jesus that I had heard in my dream. I was so happy that I asked, “Where are you?” Jesus said, “I visited my grandfather's store three times today. Once as a janitor. Once as a shabby woman with a baby. One time as a beggar. The warm love you gave me. Thank you so much.” Then the voice disappeared.
It is a beautiful and warm story. While Jesus was speaking through the parable of the sheep and the goats, in Matthew 25:40, he said, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” In verse 45, “this most Whatever you did not do for one of the little ones, you did not do for me.” It fits perfectly with this story. Christmas is the day to welcome Jesus as in this story. Jesus, who came to this earth on the first Christmas, is now with all who believe in Him. However, you will not be satisfied with being accepted once. We need to introduce Jesus anew into our daily life.
But people do not accept Jesus. Jesus is the King and Lord of this world, and the people of the world do not recognize either the King or the Master. It was the same on the first Christmas day, and 2000 years later, they do not receive Jesus in the same way. This is expressed in verses 9-11 of the text. “There was the true light, the light that came into the world and gave to every man, who was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own land, and his people did not receive him.” came, but the people did not receive it. Not only that. Many people who believe in Jesus do not accept Jesus as “King” or “Master”. This is because they say they believe in Jesus, but they do not obey Jesus' words and live their own way. Those who have truly accepted Jesus are marked. what's the sign? Now let's find one.
1. Those who have accepted Jesus as their King receive the mark of children.
Those who belong to the kingdom of God are marked as children of God. That is another sign as a child. Its signs appear in life. Because the moment you receive Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. God the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, teaching and guiding us what we should do as children of God. In other words, the mark of a child is obedience to God's will. If we deviate from God's will and do something wrong, the Holy Spirit through our conscience will pound our hearts and make us feel that we shouldn't. However, if you ignore the guidance of the Holy Spirit and continue to deviate from God's will, you will be disciplined. Hebrews 12:7-8 says, “For ye endure chastening; God treats you as sons; how can there be a son whose father does not discipline him? All chastisement is received, but if you do not have it, you are an illegitimate son and not a true son.”
Another sign that appears to God's children is 'God's answer'. Because God is the Father, it means that ‘when you call on the Father, he answers you’. Jeremiah 29:12-13. “You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. If you seek me and seek me with all your heart, you will find me.” In John 14:14, he says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” These promises are scattered throughout the Bible. But James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask. We ask, but we do not receive because we ask in error to spend it on our lusts.” Have you asked God for your concerns with sincerity and earnestness? If you think, 'God will take care of it!', you are wrong.
Let's look at one more thing. Mark 9:23, “Jesus said to him, “If it is possible, what do you mean? Nothing is impossible for those who believe.” In Mark 16:17-18, “These signs will follow those who believe. In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” John 14:12 says, “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and will do more than these.” That is, He gives us the ability to do great things. It is the power that God gives you. This means that even in small things, it gives you wisdom and gives you the power to do it. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. If you do, it will be given to you.” So, ask God.
2. Did you accept Jesus as your King?
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was a great man. Many people think of Lincoln as a great believer. However, few people know that President Lincoln accepted Jesus as Lord until the last few months of his life. Lincoln says:
“I still remember my mother’s prayers. I've always followed it. As a child, I was also interested in the Bible.”
But he was not yet a Christian. Shortly before his death after the Civil War, he was asked this question. “Do you love jesus?” Lincoln is
“When I left my hometown of Springfield for the presidency, I asked people, 'Pray for me.' But I was not a Christian. But in Gettysburg, I surrendered myself to Christ. Now I can tell the truth. I do love Jesus!”
Just because our name is registered in a certain church does not mean we become children of God. Also, you do not become a child of God by keeping your good attitude or public morals well, or by treating others with respect and attending Sunday worship services. Like President Lincoln, you can become a child of God only when you accept Jesus as your King and give yourself up completely. Have you accepted Jesus as your King and Master? Have you completely surrendered yourself to that Jesus? If you have not been entrusted with it, you have not yet received the Lord. They are just pretending to believe. The imitation of faith does not reveal the powers of faith. In John 14:12 we saw earlier, Jesus said, “He who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and will do more than these.”
God came to the world created by Himself as a creature. Everything in this world belongs to the Lord. However, the people who should be welcomed are turning away. People around the world also decorate it as Christmas, give and receive gifts, and rejoice. But they don't know why. They leave Jesus, the Lord, and rejoice only among themselves. That's absurd. That is why the text says, “When he came to his own land, his people did not receive him.” But there is still a chance. If you accept Jesus as your King and the Lord who saved you, you become a child of God and a people of God.