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1:08Well, I trust there are a lot of celebrations planned for the next couple of days and beyond. Celebrating the Lord's incarnation. What a blessing, what a reason to celebrate. There isn't anything else like it. On any calendar, in any other religion, or any other thing where God becomes flesh, and there's a reason why we should celebrate His incarnation. But you know, there's this thing called the Christmas crash. Has anybody ever heard of that? It's a real thing that people say that a crash, maybe you've experienced it, and really, many of you, perhaps, or some of you maybe, within 24 hours may very well experience this Christmas crash. What is that? You see, why is this a reality? People have expectations that something magical, something wonderful, something that they want, expect, doesn't quite happen, and all of a sudden, Christmas is over, and there seems to be this letdown.

2:37Get those decorations out of here. Let's move on. I would say to you that if that is your experience this season, there's something wrong with your celebration. It's very easy. To turn Christmas into Christmas hedonism. Hedonism is that happiness comes, or happiness is really the central goal and pleasure, and then all of a sudden when the party's over, the crash comes. But there's something wrong with our celebrations. If you come as we have since Thanksgiving, really, and we have been looking at the incarnation and looking at a lot of the texts that underlie the incarnation and the profoundness of it, that if our celebration loses the fact of the incarnation and we get our minds on something else and we're celebrating something else or expecting something else, then it's no wonder we crash.

4:02But I can tell you that if you really look into these truths as we have been, then this whole time of the year should be an encouragement, an encouragement for what's coming next in the next year, an encouragement and a reminder that God is with us, that God has set us apart, that God has cleansed us of our sins. That God is returning and that God has something wonderful for us now to live eternally now as we wait. All this should be an encouragement.

4:48You know, I want to share some thoughts with you tonight. Called the, I'm entitled this message, The Fragrance of Christmas. And it's really based on John chapter 6, even some parts of John 4. But one thing that was evident, when people really came to Jesus, as you read the events as recorded in the gospel, those whom the Father drew to his son, they wanted to remain with him. It's pretty consistent. In fact, you remember in John chapter 4, the Samaritans, after that wonderful chapter about living water and Christ dispensing living water, and the woman taking it in and going and telling her friends. And they come to him, and in John 4:40, the Samaritans came to Jesus and they were asking him to stay with them. That's quite a contrast when others are wanting to push Jesus out.

5:58There are those who wanted. To stay with him. And this was true of the disciples. John 6:66, as a result of this, as a result of his teaching that the Messiah is going to have to die and go to the cross. And unless you take in the reality of the Messiah's death, and unless you take that in and internalize that your Messiah has to die for you in order for you to live, that teaching caused many of his disciples to withdraw and they weren't walking with him anymore. You see, they wanted a people. The people wanted a leader of a great movement. But when they realized what Jesus was all about and that he had come to save them from their sin, all of a sudden they said, you know, I'm not sure I really want this anymore.

6:56I need to be saved from those who sin against me, Jesus. I don't need to be saved from my sin. I need these Romans out of here. You see, the same can be true today. Some of us want Jesus to be our personal champion or maybe even a spiritual Santa Claus of some sight, some kind. But you know, Jesus can't be anything else than he is. The crowds of Jesus. Jesus' time wanted something that he could not give. He offered them something they didn't want.

7:38And so a great mass defection took place. And so then Jesus turns his attention upon the twelve. We go from the crowds to the twelve, and Jesus says, You do not want to go away, also, do you? What would they do? Would they go the route of popular culture, or would they stay with this man who made some of the most outlandish claims? Messiah, yes. I just fed you loaves and fish, fish that never swam, loaves that never went through a kneading process or baking process. I just, I am the bread that comes down from heaven, and you must take in the reality. Who I am. Are they going to stay with him?

8:29Well, their response is evident that they were truly drawn of the Father. And we need to ask ourselves: have we been drawn by the Father? As we travel through life, we will encounter many situations that are going to test our faith as a follower of Christ. There are going to be different doctrines. Some are going to be more comfortable than others. There's going to be changes in popular culture. Is popular today certainly wasn't popular yesterday. It's going to be defection. And the question comes: will you go back to what you were doing before you heard the news of Christ? And even this celebration this year is just a little microcosm of our lives.

9:22Are you going to go back to what you were doing before we were celebrating the incarnation of Christ, or is this celebration just going to go with you as part of who you are? We are real people born of the real king if you are in him. And as you've looked through John chapter 6, it's clear that those who are offended by his teaching don't stay with him. Neither do those who want to just merely reduce Jesus down to a ritual box-checking thing, they don't stay with him.

10:04But Peter's response is noble. Look at what he says in just two sentences, verses 68 and 69. He vocalizes that confession of the heart that characterizes all of those who are going to remain with Jesus. Simon Peter in verse 68 said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Life. We cannot go anywhere else. We believe you to be the Holy One of God. There is no other. You have the words of life. And what a great reply this was.

10:46One commentator says it like this: the wondrous miracles had attracted the others, but the teaching of Christ had repelled them. It was the very opposite with the apostles. It was not the supernatural works, but the divine words of our Lord Jesus which held them. You see, the words of Christ had sunk deep into Peter's soul and the disciples. Have you received his words? This is what distinguishes the true Christian from just the one who professes Christ.

11:30You see, the answer, there is no faith. Let me put it like this: the faith to go elsewhere is not present within the true disciple. Because the true disciple really does believe his words have come from above. And now those words are part of them. And those words now hold them. That's what faith that means. Look at what he says in verse 69. We have believed and come to know that you are the holy one of God. We have believed, that is, we have taken in your words. We have come to know, that is, by personal experience, by intimate acquaintance.

12:16It's not just about the facts of Jesus, but we understand the implications and we have taken in the implications of your words and what they say about you. You are the Holy One of God. You are in the closest, intimate relationship with God. And we know that. So it's a remarkable statement by a humble fisherman. Especially in light of the mass defection that was going on all around them and the decisive rejection by the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees.

12:57Well, you can see that something's very clear here. Those who remain with Jesus throughout the year have a desire for him that came from above. It wasn't an earthly desire that was born of earth. It was a desire that was born from above. Second characteristic of those who remain with Jesus is they believe his words. Well, what happened to these disciples? Well, they stayed with Christ. They witnessed the cross, the tomb, the resurrection. They heard the 40-day teaching on the kingdom of God post-resurrection. They witnessed the ascension. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And they became witnesses. And wherever they went, they took the very persona of Christ with them.

13:57The very one who promised to be with them always, even into the end of the age. And it's because they remained long with Christ that they took up the fragrance of Christ, the persona of Christ. Paul would articulate it like this, 2 Corinthians 2.14. But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one, an aroma from death to death. To the other, an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

14:54They had been so long with Christ that they took up the fragrance of Christ. And as we have been celebrating and thinking through really a whole course in systematic theology through Advent parables, I want to share another one with you tonight. If you remember, first of all, we back around Thanksgiving, we looked at the cat, the parable of the Christmas cat. He tells us the story of the miracle behind Christmas, that no matter how one can train the cat, unless the cat's nature is changed, the cat will always be a cat. Same is true with fallen humanity. Unless God changes our nature, unless we are born from above, even our religion will just be an expression of our fallenness. And so he tells us the parable of the cat teaches us that we must be born again. The flower, if you will remember, it teaches us about the glory of Christmas. How is one born again? Where does it happen? It happens when one is looking in the direction of Christ's sacrifice.

16:17His glory is so radiant that he actually communicates it. So to take in what Jesus did, something so glorious, so beautiful, that that Transforms. That's where it happens. That's where new life occurs. Then we also look at the Christmas cloak. This is the gift of Christmas. And what is that gift? Jesus' perfect righteousness. Why does a person go to hell? Because they think their own cloak is adequate. And so they're not prepared for the judgment that's coming. That horrible cold frigis, which no one can stand unless they are properly covered. Picture of God's judgment. No one can stand in the presence of a holy God unless they are clothed in perfect righteousness. It's the message of the cloak. We didn't have time to look at the parable of the Christmas cup this time, but it's based on John chapter 4. And it tells us what happens to us at the moment of salvation. And there I liken the cup to Christ and the woman drinking living water. You see, God gives us a gift of Christ.

17:42And the gift is a giver. The cup is a giver. And so the cup speaks about the blessing of Christmas. He gives and he eternally gives. And so when you think about what happens at the moment, Of salvation, just like the little candle girl, she conversion, repentance, and faith, all of that happens right at the same time when she drinks in who Christ is. But then on the spiritual side, when you start looking on the divine side, what is taking place at that very moment that she is coming to faith? What is happening? Her sins are forgiven. She is justified.

18:30And she is adopted into the family of God. All of that happens at the same time. All of those things happen in one moment. Pardon, a new heart, adoption. All this happens when one believes. That's the cup. I have another one to share to you tonight. I don't have a painting of it yet. It's called Christmas Dirt. Now, how's that for being profound? Dirt. Dirt. Well, let me read this story to you. Many people have heard the names like Christian Dior, Chanel, Este Lauder, and the many other luxury magnets that turned a love for the delicate sense of fragrance, I mean, this delicate sense of nature, into a multi-billion. Dollar industry. However, few people have heard the incredible love story that gave rise to this great perfuming industry of today. You see, it didn't start as an entrepreneurial effort to acquire wealth. It all started once upon a time as an expression of love that a great king had for his beloved queen. And he was one of the finest kings of the East. And among his many admirable qualities, such as being a good king and a wise ruler and a valiant leader, he was also a devoted husband. At a time when many kings would take for themselves multiple women into their harems, this king was different. He loved one woman, and he loved her extravagantly. He built her a lovely palace that rivaled the finest architectural masterpieces of antiquity. And because his queen loved the sights and smells of nature, the king also surrounded the palace with expansive gardens and filled them with the choicest trees, shrubs, fruit-bearing plants, and flowers from all parts of the known world. The gardens were maintained by the finest scientists, specialists, and gardeners in the land. And over time, These gardens became the most celebrated research gardens in the East, and the discoveries made in them greatly benefited the whole world. And yet, the king built the gardens, not primarily for learning, but for his queen's enjoyment. They were always kept in immaculate shape because the king's beloved spent most of her days there.

21:27And late spring was the queen's favorite time of year, for it was then that the eastern jasmine would bloom and fill the gardens with its sweet, one-of-a-kind fragrance. The queen would spend most of her days during springtime in the gardens, taking in the beautiful weather and the wonderful fragrance. And although the fragrance permeated the whole garden, she had a favorite place where the jasmine plants had been the longest and were the most matured. It was there that the fragrance was most evident, starting early in the season and lingering long after the bloom. And strangely, for whatever reason, the fragrance seemed to be present there all year long. This little garden paradise was the queen's favorite place in the whole world. And the years were good to the king and queen, and they had many of them. Together. But, as time would have it, for we all are but dust, the health of the queen began to fail. Year after year, she became more feeble and unable to stroll the gardens as in her younger days, until one day she could no longer leave her room in the palace. It was in her declining years that the great perfume industry of today was born. The king thought that since he could no longer take her to the gardens, he could bring the fragrance of the gardens to her. And so he employed his research elite to learn how to extract, harness, and dispense the fragrance of the jasmine into the queen's room. And so the research began. Year after year, new methods were developed and employed to extract the jasmine's sweet fragrance. Methods such as distillation and boiling and expression processes were developed to extract the essential oils. Blending methods were developed to properly mix the concentrated oils with the right amounts of alcohol and other oils in order to simulate a garden fragrance experience. And the effort was a great success in many respects. Many of the basic techniques are still in use today. However, the experts could never truly capture the fragrance. Of the flower, as the queen would experience on a spring day when it was in bloom. Well, the queen's final days came during Christmas time one year. And just before she died, she asked her king to provide her one last moment in her garden paradise. The king knew he could not take her out of the room. Snow had already covered the gardens and the bitter cold had set in. So he did the next best thing. He sent the servants to bring the garden to her. He sent his servants to go and bring in load after load of dirt from her garden place and bring it into her palace room. The servants did so, and when they returned, something amazing happened. As the Christmas dirt entered the room, so did the full orbed and perfectly blended fragrance of the jasmine, as one would experience it on a spring day. And yet there was no plant, there were no blooms, only dirt. It's incredible. All were amazed. The queen smiled a smile so big that 50 years of age seemed to vanish from her face. That same youthful Glow that first attracted the king to the queen's beauty was as radiant as ever. And this was one of the last moments that the king and queen shared together in this world.

25:43And it was clear to everyone that was in the room that day that the dirt did something that all the perfumers could not do. You see, the dirt had been so long in the presence of the jasmine that it perfectly absorbed its fragrance. What the perfumers could not capture, the dirt did. Well, this story has a very simple message, not a lot of layers to it. It's not about the king, it's not about the queen, it's about the dirt. This story is a story about how something ordinary becomes extraordinary.

26:28The dirt became extraordinary by being in the presence of the flower for a long, long, long time. And this is the doctrine of sanctification. Now that you have come to Christ, been born from above, now that you have been put into the family of God, as the cup teaches us, now what are you to do? You are to remain with Him, you are to stay long in Him. His presence. What are we? I'll tell you what we are. Genesis 2:7, then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And man became a living being. And then you know the story: man rebelled against God.

27:22And God said, This, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Psalm 93 says, This, you turn man back into dust and say, Return, O children of men. And he knows in Psalm 103:14, He Himself knows our frame. He is mindful that we are but dust. But even though we are dust, we can take up the very fragrance of Christ, the persona of Him. That is, what are you going to do with your days on this earth? As you dust, go from dust to dust.

28:07What are you going to do? You're called to remain with Christ. And though you are dust, yet you've been given the incredible privilege of taking up the persona and very fragrance of Christ. How does that happen? 2 Corinthians 3.18, Paul says this, but we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into that same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord. 2 Corinthians 4, 6, for God who said, light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who is shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, literally clay jars. We have these treasures, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not of us.

29:20What is sanctification? It's the continuing work of God in the life of the believer that makes us actually holy. You see, he's already justified us. He's already set us apart. We belong to him. And now he wants us to learn to look like him, to walk in his ways. And it's a progressive work to make us more and more like him. You see, it is the next thing. It's what God is wanting to do. Sanctification is God's means of taking a forgiven sinner.

30:00And then actualizing his original creative purpose. What was God's creative purpose? To make us into the image, an image-bearer of him. And so he justifies us, he cleanses us, he puts us new life in us, so that we may remain long in his presence and so that we will be conformed into his image. So there should be no Christmas scratch if these truths are really part of who you are. It should only give you encouragement to grow. What we've done this season is we've remembered our Lord's advent. We remember his teaching. We remember his humility. We remember his rejection, his sacrifice, and the promise of his coming again. As we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Unless we're here when the Lord returns, what are we going to do? Let us grow in his likeness. What are those means of sanctification? Well, spend time in his word, spend time in private prayer, spend time regularly attending the body of Christ. Use your Lord's day wisely, hearing God's word, regularly coming and taking part of the element. And the ordinances and the life of the church.

31:33All of that just boils down to one simple thought: linger long in his presence. I hope this season will be an encouragement for you to do so. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we again come before you, we just thank you for the truth of your word. We thank you for the reminder that you sent your son, he went to the cross, to sanctify a people. That that's the purpose. That the forgiveness has a direction. The new life has a direction. All of that is to be long in your presence, to take on the very persona of the Son in whom you delight. So, Heavenly Father, we desire to walk in his ways. We desire to linger long in his presence. And we ask that you would, by your spirit, cause this to happen. Thank you, Father. Thank you for those who have gathered here tonight. May you bless them over and over.

32:45In Jesus' name, amen. Silent night, glory is all his pride now, and shine holy and so tender and bright. Sweetly we grace sweet in heaven. Every sight, holy night, shall break out the sky, glory sweep from heaven above heavenly all singular Christ the Savior is for Christ the Savior is Lord. Holy Spine, holy mind, son of God's pure life, raised me from thy holy praise with grace Jesus lord at thy birth, Jesus Lord at thy birth.