The Citizen, 2015-12-24, Page 36By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship (EMC), Blyth
When a baby is born, one of the
first tasks of the parents is to try to
figure out an appropriate name for
the child. Often parents have spent
months pouring over books of names
trying to select a “short list” of ones
that would suit a girl or boy.
When Jesus was born, His name
would be especially meaningful.
Months before, an angel from God
appeared to Joseph, who was
engaged to Mary, and announced
about the surprise baby that would
be coming from supernatural
origins: “You are to give Him the
name Jesus, because He will save
His people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:21)
What’s this special name mean?
“Jesus” is similar to “Joshua”, the
great leader who came right after
Moses and fought Israel’s foes from
the Amalekites (Exodus 17:9f) on
into Palestine; Joshua didn’t leave
Israel homeless, wandering around
in the desert, but was given victory
by God to lead them into the land
God had promised to faith-filled
Abraham and his descendants.
Literally, “Jesus” in Hebrew is
“Jeshua” - ‘YHWH is salvation’,
deliverer, rescuer. There are various
human saviours you may need at
times in your life: if you’re having a
heart attack, you need a paramedic;
if your house is on fire, you need a
firefighter; if you’re being robbed,
you need the police; if you’re adrift
at sea, you need the Coast Guard; if
you’re drowning at the pool, you
need a lifeguard. These are all
“saviours” in different ways. If
you’re a sinner, you need Jesus!
The angel’s justification for the
name – “He will save His people
from their sins” – can be unpacked
into four different aspects of
salvation, all starting with the letter
“P”.
The first thing about sin is its
PENALTY. When we mess up as
children growing up, there are
consequences; loving parents
discipline their kids, there is
punishment in some form. When
we’re older, say as adults driving the
car too fast, there are fines to pay,
demerit points taken off our licence.
Jesus as Saviour does deal with the
penalty that should have been ours.
In the famous “Lord’s Prayer” He
taught His disciples, we ask,
“Forgive us our trespasses...” The
cup of communion represents His
blood shed at the cross for the
forgiveness of our sins (Matthew
26:28). Centuries earlier, Isaiah in
chapter 53(4f,8) had prophesied of
the Messiah (or, ‘Christ’): “Surely
he took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows... he was pierced
for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace
was upon him... for the transgression
of my people he was stricken.”
Jesus redeemed us by paying the
fine that we had earned by our
stubborn disobedience.
But that’s not the only way Jesus
“saves” us from sin. The chapter just
before Isaiah 53 suggests at least
three other dimensions of sin – three
additional aspects of Jesus’ rescue
besides sin’s Penalty.
There’s a new PLACE for us just
as Joshua led the people into the
Promised Land, and they were
brought back from exile in Babylon.
“Awake, awake, O Zion...put on your
garments of splendour, O Jerusalem,
the holy city...Rise up, sit enthroned,
O Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 52:1f) This is
in contrast to verse 4 where God says
His people “went down to Egypt to
live” and “Assyria...oppressed
them.”
Jesus rescues us for a better place:
heaven! He saves us from eternal
suffering in hell with its torment, the
place of God’s justified unending
wrath against those who offend an
infinite holy divine being (cf.
Revelation 14:9-11). Jesus arranges
for us a better place: the Apostle
John in Revelation 21(2f) sees “the
Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride beautifully
dressed for her husband.” He hears
“a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘Now the dwelling of God is with
men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be
their God.’” That is the eternal place
of Emmanuel, “God-with-us”.
Jesus also saves us from the
POWER of sin.
Think about it – what point would
there be in Him rescuing us from its
penalty if we just turned around and
kept on sinning? When we ask in the
PAGE 36. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015.
From the Minister’s Study
Christmas: choosing a Special Baby’s name
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
Huron Chapel
Service @ 7pm in Auburn
huronchapel.com
Christmas
EVE
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, December 27
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Thursday, December 24
Christmas Eve, Family Friendly Rudolph Experience 7:30 p.m.
and Traditional Candle Lighting Service 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, December 27
Christmas Through God’s Eyes: the Gift
Sunday, January 3
Turning Point
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m.
All Welcome
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Christmas Eve 7:00 pm: Is.9:2-7
Evangelical Missionary Church
Participation Pageant
involving the
Children
“Midian & the
Manger”
Dec.27: Jn.1:1-18
“God’s Fashion Statement:
Do You ‘Get It’?”
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Christmas Service ~ Friday, December 25 at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, December 27 ~ No evening service
New Year’s Eve Service ~ Thursday, December 31 at 7:30 p.m.
New Year’s Day Service ~ Friday, January 1, 2016.
Coffee and fellowship at 10:00 a.m.
followed by a service at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, January 3, 2016 ~ No evening service
Everyone Welcome!
Christmas Eve Service 7 pm - Holy Communion at St. John’s, Brussels
Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols 7 pm, Trinity, Blyth
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
Continued on page 39