Advent and the ordinances

[This year we initiated Advent with a more "interactive" message at Boothbay Baptist Church, with both a baptismal service and a communion service integrated into the message].

ADVENT AND THE ORDINANCES

The Advent Season is one of the most anticipated and appreciated periods of the Church calendar. The celebration of incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Augustine eloquently reflected on the wonder and the theology of Christmas when he wrote:

“The Word of the Father, by whom all time was created, was made flesh and was born in time for us. He, without whose divine permission no day completes its course, wished to have one day for His human birth. In the bosom of His Father He existed before all the cycles of ages; born of an earthly mother, He entered upon the course of the years on this day. The Maker of man became man that He, Ruler of the stars, might be nourished at the breast; that He, the Bread, might be hungry; that He, the Fountain, might thirst; that He, the Light, might sleep; that He, the Way, might be wearied by the journey; that He, the Truth, might be accused by false witnesses; that He, the Judge of the living and the dead, might be brought to trial by a mortal judge; that He, Justice, might be condemned by the unjust; that He, Discipline, might be scourged with whips; that He, the Foundation, might be suspended upon a cross; that Courage might be weakened; that Security might be wounded; that Life might die. To endure these and similar indignities for us, to free us, unworthy creatures, He who existed as the Son of God before all ages, without a beginning, deigned to become the Son of Man in these recent years. He did this although He who submitted to such great evils for our sake had done no evil and although we, who were the recipients of so much good at His hands, had done nothing to merit these benefits.”

Augustine, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons

Christmas is the Story of His Grace. These last couple of weeks I was privileged to hold our newborn granddaughter. Strong and big (8 lbs 12 oz at birth) as newborns go, but still totally dependent on her parents for everything. Feeding her, changing her diapers, bathing her, keeping her warm and safe. Now consider this: God became a human infant. The Eternal Son entered this sin cursed world, for us! The Word was made flesh. Alfred Edersheim said it this way:

“Think of it… on such a slender thread as the feeble throb of an infant life, the salvation of the world should hang…”

(The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). We are doing something different this Sunday in celebrating both baptism and communion on the Sunday we initiate our Advent celebration. It is different, but it is entirely appropriate. The ordinances Christ gave the church are an invitation to remember and reflect on the truth that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” Gal 4:4,5. Big idea: The purpose of the coming of Christ was to make possible the justification of sinful humans by a holy God. Baptism symbolizes our unity with Christ who died for us and rose again. The Lord’s table reminds us of His coming in the flesh and His dying for our sins.

I. The purpose of Advent was to make possible the justification of sinners by a holy God:

1 John 4:9-10 says:

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

He sent His Son, so that we might live through Him! The love of God is central to the story of the coming of Christ. He came out of love. He so loved us that He came to give himself on the cross for our sins. The NIV says, “This is how God showed his love among us, He sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him…” Giving is at the heart of Christmas, but honestly we tend to focus on giving and getting for each other. God gave a priceless gift, He gave His Son. “Sending” is much more than simply indicating His first coming, but must also include the purpose of his coming: He came “…to redeem those who were under the Law…” “Redemption” implies purchase, a price being paid. John 3:16 says He “gave His only begotten Son…” He came as the substitute and sacrifice for the sins of all who would one day by grace, turn to Him in faith. Salvation is free to us, received as a gift, but it came at a tremendous price! ***The purpose of the coming of Christ was to make possible the justification of sinful humans by a holy God. Baptism symbolizes our unity with Christ who died for us and rose again.

II. Baptism symbolizes our unity with the God who became flesh in His death and resurrection:

Paul said in Romans 6:3-5,

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection…”

Baptism as an ordinance is unique in that it happens once, at the beginning of the Christian life. It publically affirms our faith in Jesus, our identification with Him in His death and resurrection. It was the expected and normal response to believing in Jesus. The Great Commission says, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"

(Mt 28:18-20). On the day of Pentecost, “As many as believed were baptized…” That was the normal response of saving faith. Please understand that baptism is symbolic not salvific. Like the Eunuch in the desert in Acts 8:37f., we believe and are saved by the grace through faith, then confess Him and are baptized as a public affirmation that we are followers of Jesus, identified with Him in his death and resurrection (Gal 2:20). Two young men are taking that step today… ****Advent reminds us that Jesus came to die for our sins. Baptism indicates our unity with Him in His atoning death and victorious resurrection. The Lord gave a second ordinance to the church…

III. The Lord’s Supper reminds us that God became a man in order to save us from our sins (I Cor 11:23-28).

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup…”

The Bread reminds us of His body: the Word was made flesh… “…this is my body which is broken for you…” The NLT says, “…this is my body which is given for you…” The incarnation was purposeful, intentional. He came to be the substitute, the atoning sacrifice for our sins. For God the Son to stoop so low is amazing love-amazing grace! *Martin Luther said “The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.” Paul refers to this in Philippians 2 when he says:

“…who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.”

The cup reminds us of His blood, shed for sinful humans: Rom 5:8-9

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

In 8:32-33 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?”

What is God saying to me in these passages?

The purpose of the coming of Christ was to make possible the justification of sinful humans by a holy God. The ordinances He left us remind of that truth: Baptism symbolizes our unity with Christ in His death and resurrection; The Lord’s table reminds us of His coming in the flesh and His dying for our sins.

What would He have me to do in response to these texts?

We celebrate the incarnation without knowing for sure the date of the birth of Jesus. But beyond question is the fact that He came and the truth that was revealed: This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. Keep Christ at the heart of your celebration this month. Remember the step you took, by His grace, when you believed in Him. Have you publically affirmed your faith in baptism as these young men did today? As we celebrate the Lord’s Table, look back on His first coming, and choose to live in anticipation of this second coming. Amen.