o'A
Different Kind of Messiah',
Luke 23:33-43
THE BIG IDEA:
66We
November 20,2016
Christ the King / Thanksgiving
Are Divine Image-Bearers!,,
*[GodJ has granted that we
would be rescuedfrom the power of our enemies so that we
could serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness in God's eyes, for as long as
we live. " Luke 1:74-75
INTRODUCTION
*f Told
You So."
God created us inlove und placed us in a world where we could flouur'ish and lhve into
our identity as divine image-bearers. God wants us to grow into thefullness of who God
be.
prophet Jeremiah tells us that God will gaiher the "reimnant af iny
flock"
"befruitful antl muhiply."
By the time of Jeremiuh, the people of Israel and Judah have seen mare than their
fair share of bad kings, who ranged from the merely lousy to the downright cliabolical,
Back in 1 Samuel 6 when the people had clamored for a king tike the nations around
them, God hsd warned them of u ling's lilcelihood of exploiting them. At the time, God
mentions that by usking for a king, they are rejecting God as their true king.
Gotl's response is NOT to say, "I toild you so,', bttt rather to sencl a different kinil of
Messiah. God chose to send Jesus who cared like u Good Shepherd,.foresve like a loving
Savior. and united like a true reconciler.
creuted us to
The
and return them to their land where they shull
I.
The Shepherd B4esdah (Jeremiah 23:1-6)
"I will place over them shepherds who care foy them. "
c Jesus is wise,
o He
o
just, and caring.
offers us safety and protection from evil and darkness.
IIe gathers us into "fold of God."
ys. 4
III.
The Savior Messiah (Luke 23:33-43)
" Father
forgive
them,
for
they don't lcnow what they're doing.
o Jesus understood the foolishness and ignorance
"
vs. 34
of humanity.
o He refused to condemn the mistakes of lost 66ghildren."
o He
offered forgiveness and righteousness.
III.
The Reconciler Messiah (Colossians 1:1 1-20)
"pesusJ reconciled all things to himself." vs. 20
"bridges" between God and humanity.
o He recognized the strength in the "bonds of love."
o JeSus mended the
o
IIe offered us a healthy, Iiving "oneness with God."
CONCLUSION
"New Beginnings"
We are at the completion of another "church
calendar." We have remembered the
stories of Gocl's divine plan for humanily and God's rescue of humanity from eternal
sepuration from Gocl. There stretches before a new "ye&r" of living into our iilentity as
" tlivin e imag e-b ear er s.
"
Tke choices me make in the days ahead will determine the fallness of our lives, the
effectiveness
ofour service, und thej|y ofour heurts.