Ezekiel 18

“God is not just.” is a sentiment that has caused many to reject the Lord. Have you ever run across this? It can happen in a variety of ways. For some who grew up in the church and were part of a church for a time saw or experienced things that shouldn’t have happened; things that brought pain, and went unchecked. That’s a tragedy. They feel justified in leaving not only the church, but the faith they once thought they had.

There are others who see the way of the world around them, the great inequities of people. When George Floyd died in May of 2020 it brought attention to social injustice and how black people did not have the privilege that white people had in society. This is just the tip of things, however. It isn’t limited to black people in Western societies, it is true when you compare one country with another. It is why so many people desire to immigrate the United States. As a whole, there is more wealth and comfort in the US than in many other countries in the world. That rubs against our innate desire for justice. Shouldn’t everyone get to start with an equal footing? Shouldn’t we seek to spread the wealth equally if life is to be fair?

While we may not like it, but we recognize that this is the way it is. You can’t escape the economic conditions of your birth, or the stigmas that society pins on you because of your birth. This reality has been the justification for many to reject or turn away from God and try and find their own way in the world.

This is a bit like what was happening in Israel. Frustrated by their situation, but recognizing it is the way things are, they sought to justify their rejection of God’s calls for repentance. “Why bother?” was their attitude. This is at the heart of this proverb that was popular in their day,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’ (Ezekiel 18:2)

It was something they accepted as true and used it to make their case against God. “Your justice, God, is wrong!” God addresses this proverb in this chapter and concludes, “no, you’re confused. It is your ways that are unjust.”

the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? (Ezekiel 18:29)

What are we to do in light of this? Turn and live. That’s how the chapter ends.

Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 10-11

Matthew 2:1-11

How do you respond to the news that Jesus has come? Herod saw him as a threat and disdained him. The chief priests knew the details of prophecy that told of his coming, yet ignored him when he came. Others risked their lives to come and worship. What about you?

John 1:1-18

John 1:29-37

Some of you are here this morning with a desire to change. You feel the frustration of trying to live a better life but struggle to change. Two steps forward are often followed by two steps back. How do you break free from this cycle? That’s a good question. John has an answer for you and his name is Jesus.

Before we look at his answer let’s spend a moment reflecting upon the problem, for it isn’t a new problem. In fact, it was the principle problem that God’s people experienced through their history up until the time of Christ. Their story started with Abraham, when God chose him and his family to be His people. It was a future filled with great promise. Specifically, “Go and see a land that I will give to you and your children after you. I will make you into a great nation and through you all the people of the earth will be blessed. You will be my people and I will be your God.” Such high hopes! Abraham obeyed. Two steps forward. And yet, it wasn’t long before Abraham’s descendants reached a low point when they sold their own brother into slavery. In just a few generations they found themselves enslaved to the Egyptians for 400 plus years. Three steps back. Eventually God sent Moses to lead the people out of slavery. God entered into a covenant relationship with him. They would be his people and He would be their God. Two steps forward! But when they got to the border of the promised land, they were afraid of the people there. And so God took them back into the wilderness for 40 years. Two steps back. When that generation died off, he led them once again to the promised land and this time brought them into it. Two steps forward! But they soon forgot God as they blended into Canaanite culture, and as a result, God allowed their neighbors to overcome them. Two steps back. They repented and cried out for another deliverer. God answered and raised up a judge to lead them out of trouble. This was a repeated cycle we see in the book of judges, summed up

Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Jdg 2:18–19)

Two steps forward, two steps back.

Eventually, the people asked for a king and so God answered. They took two steps forward with King David and two steps back when the kingdom was divided two generations later. There were occassional steps forward with kings such as Jehoshophat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, but they were short lived. One step, two steps, three steps back until God had enough and drove them into exile. But in their exile God promised something new; something better. The cycle would end when the promised one came.

They assumed the cycle would end by once for all conquering their enemies around them. One day this will be true. But Jesus had another mission first. He came to solve with the root of the problem. The cause of all the enemies rising up around them was not because their enemies were too strong, but because God’s people were guilty of sin. Jesus came to deal with take away their sin. This is why he is introduced the way he is: “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This was the key to Jesus accomplishing his mission. This was the key to that cycle ending. Jesus takes away our sin.

Luke 1:46-55

Right off the bat, in the accounts of Jesus we find that Christianity stands apart from the religions of the world. Religion is the practice of living in such a way as to find your way to God. The reward is for the wise, discerning, and disciplined person who has managed to live a good enough life to win the reward of god. In ancient Egypt the dead would be weighed on the scale to see if they were worthy. In ancient Greece the dead lived on through the glory of their accomplishments. Similarly in Norse mythology, where you went after death was largely a result of how well you lived and died. In Eastern religion you move closer and closer to oneness with the universe when you live a better life. But in all of these, there is no reward for the undeserving. Things only get worse.

But Christianity stands apart. It is good news for those who are least in society. It is why we find Jesus saying such statements as,

"So the last will be first, and the first last." (Matthew 20:16)

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

Mary’s song shows us this.

Every year, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, my wife would become suddenly aware of how cluttered and dirty our house had become. On most days it was organized enough for us, or we didn’t notice the dust piles along the edges of the room or the pile of papers on the dining room table, or the dark stains on the patio. But every thanksgiving, Rhonda’s mom and dad would come and stay with us. We always had a great time together. But in those days prior to their coming, my wife became the tasmanian devil in the clean-up effort. You’ve probably had similar experiences. Rhonda’s dad kept a tight ship. He was the definition of organized and clean. Even his garage was spotless. Everything had a place. Any grass and dust that might blow in was quickly blown back out. We loved that about their home when we visited them. It was also what made us uncomfortably aware of how dirty our house was in comparison.

Now, multiply that times 10 or 100 or 1000. That is the sense for Mark’s readers as he opens his gospel. It isn’t just your organized dad that’s coming, it’s Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The holy one.

God was coming to visit in person. That’s introduced as good news and it was! Just as in the days of Moses, Israel was looking for God to come and deliver them from their oppression. But it was also terrifying news for those who are ill prepared. And in the case of Israel, the house was a mess. And so, God sends a messenger ahead of time that Israel might be ready for the visit. That was the role of John the Baptist.

To understand the significance of such an event, let’s put it in context historically. Jesus is the hinge on which history turns. The Old Testament points us forward to the coming of Jesus, and the New Testament points us backward to the impact of Jesus’ coming. Even our calendar recognizes this, regardless of whether you use BC and AD or BCE and CE. The date upon which they hinge is the birth of Jesus Christ. It should not surprise us in the sovereignty of God that this is the case.

Jesus himself highlights this in verse 15 when he says, “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand…”

The writers of the New Testament build on this,

Galatians 4:4 (ESV) 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…

Ephesians 1:7–10 (ESV) ‌7 In him we have redemption…which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time...

Just as he might be the focal point of history, he is also meant to be the focal point of his people. Your life is meant to hinge upon Jesus Christ. So, if Christmas is the celebration of his coming, how do we prepare for that? To borrow from the images of Mark’s introduction, We go into the wilderness, we get baptized, and we live by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas has become more than a day. It is a season. Why is that? Christmas has a way of pushing out the darkness and filling us with hope. 

Revelation 2:12-17