Sermon Preached by Rev Coralie McCluskey
at All Saints Datchworth

Sunday 4 December 2005

Advent 2, 2005

 Who is Jesus and what does he mean for those who put their trust in him?

Who is Jesus and what does he mean for those who put their trust in him? asked Dr Sentamu, the new Archbishop of York at his inauguration this week.

One of the great things about Advent is that it is an opportunity to ask ourselves once again who is this Jesus -  is he just a heart warming story of a baby in a manger that pricks the conscience of some as they remember that many children today are born into poverty to parents who live under oppressive regimes; perhaps he’s a misguided prophet who went one step too far and ended up on a cross, a good beginning but a pity about the ending; for others including one of my sisters’ he’s historical fact somebody to be remembered for what he did, his love, his healing power, his compassion but surely not the Son of God born to a virgin.

Who is Jesus?  Jesus a man, with all the qualities of a leader but not just a leader, a team leader, gifted teacher, enabler, miracle worker, brother, son, rebel, man of courage and a thousand other things but are these qualities sufficient, to put your trust in him, to leave your homes and families (as the disciples did), to open yourselves to ridicule, persecution, to possible death.

Lying under the clouds and occasionally glimpsing the stars, buffeted by the wind and suffering the effect of having been moved on by officials from the one place left that afforded any shelter, I had time to ponder this on Friday night.

At about 11.45pm I seriously questioned what I was doing lying on a piece of cardboard, clothed in amongst other things a bright orange bivvy bag and surrounded by what seemed to me to be a howling mob of 524 partying people, in the grounds of St Albans Abbey.  Surely it was my social conscience, impending madness or an obscure desire to get into Seeround.  No it was because I, like many including all of you this morning (otherwise why would you be in a cold church rather than tucked up in bed or gradually unwinding with the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee), have responded to the call to follow Jesus Christ.  To trust in him, sometimes it would seem, at the expense of family and friends, but it is what I and you feel compelled to do.

But why?

Because I believe Jesus is the light in a dark world, because he is hope when we are drowning in despair – the despair that is in our own lives, that we see in the world and in the lives of some of our neighbours and friends, the despair that cannot be lifted purely by the pleasures available in our materialistic world, that are easily purchased and then more easily discarded.

Because the prophets and in today’s reading the prophet Isaiah urged the people to prepare a way for the Lord who is coming to save them, a message that John the Baptist repeats as he urged the people to prepare for the imminent coming of the Saviour,  the one who is more powerful coming after me.

Because Advent and the hymns we sing, the scripture we listen to remind us of God’s faithful love for his people and how His promise was fulfilled in Jesus.

The Israelites had lived on God’s promise: first of a land then of a Saviour.  It doesn’t mean that they didn’t sometimes forget it in the good times and doubt it in the bad times, and they certainly knew bad times, the slavery in Egypt, the years of wandering in the desert but what sustained them was the belief that God would not abandon them, or the promise he had made to them.  We too are living by God’s promise, the promise that was fulfilled in Jesus.

Who is Jesus?

In his opening address the Archbishop of York says that;   the disciples' collective memory and answer is: "This man Jesus is that self-giving love of God made visible.  He is that transforming power of God that changed us to be like Himself in love and self-service.  In him we saw the world and its needs with a new awareness, and knew that to serve others in their suffering was to serve God. He made us realise that we came from God, we belonged to God; we were made for God, who gave us a mind to know him, a heart to love him and a will to serve him.  And when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, we were on fire with the conviction that through this man Jesus we had become literally sons and daughters of God.

And what does he mean for those who put their trust in him?

To quote Dr Sentamu, through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ there came into the world a new power that transforms human character and human communities; and liberates us from anxiety, fear, meaninglessness, transience, evil, ignorance, guilt and shame.  In other words through Christ there came into the world a power, force, spirit, manifestation of God with us, call it what you will, that could truly transform the human heart for ever.  A transformation that had and still has the potential to be not a five minute wonder or a new way to fan the flickering embers of a church (the body of Christ here on earth) and a Christian fellowship (of which we are members) that seems to have lost its way and the courage to take the wonder and amazement that God in Jesus Christ, came to free us from our sins from all that is evil, all that prevents us acknowledging that Christ has authority over every aspect of our lives and our world not least the country that we live in.  God in Jesus comes to enable us with a changed heart to reach out to all people the hand of love and justice and peace, not to proselytise, but to live the gospel, to shine with the awe and wonder of the first disciples.  To be radiant in the knowledge that Christ is with us and that we live our lives in Him.

Dr Sentamu said, the call is to live and be good news to everyone.  It would be fantastic if people not only said of Jesus Christ, "What sort of man is this?" but said of us, his followers, "What sort of people are they? Their gracious actions and the language on their lips is of God's goodness and love.  Let us get to know them.  There is something extraordinarily normal and wonderful about them."