When I originally began preparing this message, I started to watch a Bruce Willis film on DVD at home. Before the film started, there were the usual trailers, and on this set was one for Superman Returns.
During the trailer, there is a voice over, a quote from Superman's real father - Jor-El
'They can be a great people...they wish to be. They only lack the light to show them the way. For this reason, above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you...my only son.
That caught my attention. I started thinking about how significant that was and is to our faith.
A Great People...A Capacity For Good
Our original design by God is not what we are today, Genesis tells us the story of Adam and Eve, and how they were created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26
Adam was created perfect, he could have lived forever in the garden for all eternity. Immortal. Made for relationship with God the Father. Our original design.
There were no errors, no flaws, no sin and no reason or need for anything to be settled or paid for.
Genesis 2 shows that Adam and Eve lived in paradise, Eden was it, everything they could want or need. But that's not how it was going to stay for us humans.
Genesis 3:1-3
Adam disobeyed God, as a result sin entered earth, Adam's authority as the holder of dominion over earth allowed sin to enter the world.
The original design corrupted, warped and destroyed to the point that nothing we can do, can ever bring us back to that place.
Beyond self-repair. We became evil in God's' sight.
Genesis 6:5 -
So where does this leave us?
God is perfect - He's Holy - And Holy is something we've lost grasp upon in our everyday understanding.
For Jesus, its signifies 'Seperateness' or to be set apart.
It means whole or complete.
Because of this - Anything that is not Holy/Complete/Whole/Set apart - can not survive in God's presence.
Because evil entered the world in our sins, we became cut off from God, we can't have the original relationship because a punishment is required, needed.
Proverbs 10:16 ESV Romans 6:23 ESV
Something has to die in order to pay the debt that is owed as a result of Sin.
In the Old Testament, sacrifices were used. The spilling of blood, the only way to cover the debt.
Although it would not fully satisfy the debt, it was a temporary measure.
God's people would select a new born from their flock, it had to be perfect, no blemish, no spot. no fault, marks or other wise deviations - Only a perfect lamb would fit the requirements for the sacrifice.
THEY ONLY LACK THE LIGHT TO SHOW THE WAY
The situation is the same today.- The debt still exists, and nothing we can do could or would ever satisfy the payment that is due.We are incapable of paying it ourselves.
'The heart is deceitful above all things''
We need something outside of ourselves - Something or someone to step into the gap
Thankfully, there is some good new - we do not need to fix the problem ourselves. In fact as I already said we cant. There is no way through the barrier of Sin alone.
That's where God's plan comes into play.
It began with a Baby. - A crazy plan by the worlds standards - sending a helpless child into the world of evil - evil such as the world witnessed this passed week in the Newtown CT USA.(please spare a moment in prayer for the family of that tragedy)
God could have wiped out Sin in the blink of an eye or send a legion of angels to overthrow earth from the grasp of the enemy.
However I believe that these actions would not have solved the issue.
We all desire sin - Sin although ultimately kills us, is something that we enjoy, it has an appeal, otherwise we wouldn't fall into it. So God stepping in in such a way would not solve the issue that our inherent nature leans towards sin and sinful living.
Instead we needed someone to show the way. To show us how we could live. - Show us the Light.
we need someone to stand in our place, like the sacrificial lamb,
to come perfect, blameless without spot or blemish. Someone capable to living on earth and keep God's law.
I HAVE SENT THEM TO YOU...MY ONLY SON
John 3:16 ESV
Jesus lived as one of us. God in the flesh. He faced every temptation that we could ever face, and showed us the way to live out God's law on the earth.
For His teachings and His actions the religious people of the day crucified Him. And Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for us.
Human sacrifice, paid the price, covered the debt owed by mankind - but not just any human - He was perfect, and as a result of His overcoming death on a cross, Jesus broke the curse of sin in our lives. And satisfied the Holy nature of God.
Jesus alone, rebuilt the bridge between mankind and God, allowing a way back to the father and back to the original design for our lives: - Direct Relationship with God the father.
A Saviour was required. A Saviour provided and all we need to do is to accept that gift, given freely.
The bible tells us in acts 16:31 ESV '..Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved'
John 6:40 Romans 10:9
During the film 'Superman Returns', there is a scene in which Superman is talking to Lois Lane on top of the Daily Planet building. The background is that Lois had won a Pulitzer Price for an article she wrote called ' Why the World Doesn't Need Superman'
Superman says to Lois ' You wrote that the world doesn't need a saviour, but everyday I hear them crying out for one'
Evil is in our towns, our cities, you only have to open your eyes, to read a news paper to see that the world is crying out for a Saviour.
We have found Him. Or Rather He has found us. All we needed to do was accept Him.
The bible tells us that we are to go into the world and make disciples of all nations.
You have become the light for the world to see the Saviour.
I mentioned recently about a visiting speaker who really impacted a number of us that heard His testimony. One thing that he said really hit home for me.
'Have you ever had something happen to you that you just can not go a single day without telling someone?'
Jesus is that one thing that has happened to me, and I have been too worried about telling people in the past, but I realise now that you cant hid your light under a bushel. A city on a hill can not hide, and who am I to try to HIDE HIS LIGHT.
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