A Note from Michael Gossett
A PURITAN THOUGHT FOR CHRISTMAS
Have you ever pondered on the implications of the coming of Christ? It is obvious to a degree why Jesus came to earth as stated in Luke 19:10. He said, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” This is sufficient for all reasoning in our understanding of Christ’s coming, but the writer of Hebrews takes this thought even deeper. The Lord did not only come to seek and save the lost as an uncaring herdsman who would look to find a wandering sheep, only to return it to the pasture. The Lord is our Savior but also a Shepherd who cares for us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus is able to sympathize with us. Thomas Goodwin wrote a book entitled The Heart of Christ based on Hebrews 4:15. He explains to the reader to show the depth of what it means for Jesus to be a caring Shepherd. But how are we to understand the implications of Jesus’ ability to sympathize? Even though, Christ came, He lived, He died, He rose again, and He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Through it all He remains as open and tender as He ever was. It seems the distance would not allow sympathy to exist but that is the beauty of the incarnate Christ. Christ came so that there would be an understanding of His presence with His followers. His presence has not diminished but will continue to flourish in those who trust and follow Christ. Thomas Goodwin begins his treatise with introductory remarks that says:
“I have chosen this text, as that which above any other speaks his heart most, and sets out the frame and workings of it towards sinners; and that so sensibly that it does, as it were, take our hands, and lay them upon Christ’s breast, and let us feel how his heart beats and his affections yearn toward us, even now he is in glory – the very scope of these words being manifestly to encourage believers against all that may discourage them, from the consideration of Christ’s heart toward them now in heaven.”
Christmas time gives us an incredible glimpse into the lengths that which Jesus would come to show His love for us. Even in our brokenness, our sin, our inability to achieve righteousness or even to choose that which is good, Jesus came. Goodwin wrote we no longer have to search for a sympathetic friend, but we can place our hands on the chest of Christ to feel His heart. Hebrews 4:15 assures us that He is able to sympathize. The word for “sympathize” here is a compound word formed from the prefix meaning “with” joined with the verb “to suffer.”[1]
Christ does not have a detached pity for people (you and me). Rather, He has an understanding of solidarity with our suffering, and our sinfulness (not that Christ was sinful), so that we may be saved by Him. We are able to extract similar solidarity with sinfulness and suffering from Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that says, “For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus did this according to Hebrews 4:15 “in every respect” and yet “without sin.” Jesus sympathizes with us in a way that is utterly perfect. He knows everything about you. He knows your past. He knows your future. He knows your thoughts. He knows your desires. He loves you. He sympathizes with you and for you.
Consider this…. Sometimes relationship problems come in various forms. When a relationship doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, or when you feel as if you have wasted your life, your caring Friend is there. When you did not treat someone fairly, or someone treated you poorly, or your family member betrayed you, Jesus still cares for you. If you feel you were cheated, or were falsely accused, or you were misunderstood, the Lord understands. And when all of the weight of the fallen world comes crashing upon you, you have a Friend who knows exactly what you are feeling and knows how to make sure you make it through. This Friend always knows what to say at exactly the right time and does so with a warm embrace to give you a security and a worth that no earthly treasure can do.
This is why we celebrate Christmas; this is why we worship the King who has come to seek and save the lost, We honor the King who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and suffering. He, as John Owen puts it, “co-suffers” with us. We simply say, “Praise be to the King Who sympathizes, Who seeks, Who saves, Who loves, Who suffers, Who gives, and Who came on that Christmas morning!”
Come this Sunday, the Lord’s day, to worship with us as we start our brand-new Christmas series, “God With Us.”
This Sunday at Green Acres
I am excited to worship with you! You can join us at the Tyler Campus at 9:30 or 11:00 for worship, at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00 for Connect Groups, our Flint Campus at 9:30 and 11:00 for worship and Connect Groups and our Español Campus at 9:30 for Connect Groups and 11:00 for worship in CrossWalk.
As you pray and seek the Lord about your year-end giving, consider going above and beyond in two areas:
- Our World Mission Offering! We are currently almost 40% of the way there, and we have lots of ground to cover to reach our goal of $1,000,000.
- Pray about how you can help us reach our general budget goal. We are currently around $400,000 behind budget. Will you join with us so that together we can reach our budget goal? Praise be to the Lord that our staff and committees have helped navigate our costs to keep our expenses below budget. Thank you for considering and praying how you can give! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday for worship!
THIS SUNDAY NIGHT is our third annual Christmas Tree Lighting from 5:00pm – 8:00pm! This is a free event for our whole community and church family! Will you help spread the word? You can do several things to help get the word out.
- Go to Facebook and share the links from the GABC page.
- Post on Instagram about the event.
- Make sure everyone in your Connect Group is invited.
- Make personal invitations to your friends / coworkers / neighbors.
In addition to attending this incredible event, please be in prayer for God to use this night to reach people all over the city of Tyler. We want to make every effort to make this fun for the evening, but also to make an eternal difference in the lives of people. Cannot wait to see you there!
Community Night of Worship! On December 15th, we will gather for a Christmas Night of Worship for the whole community. This incredible evening of Christmas worship will be led by our entire Worship Ministry, all campuses, and languages, along with some special guests! Join us at 7pm in the Tyler Campus Worship Center!
One of my most favorite Christmas traditions for our family is to attend the Christmas Eve service together. This Christmas Eve Service will include great worship, a sweet moment for the Kids, an opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper, as well as a candlelight component. It will be a great time for your entire family! This year our Christmas Eve services will be during our morning worship times at 9:30am and 11am at Tyler and Flint Campuses and Español Campus at 11:00am. There will be NO Connect Groups on Christmas Eve. Childcare is provided for preschool and special needs children. I hope that you are making plans to join us for this special Christmas Eve tradition!
Finally, don’t forget that Advent begins today. If you haven’t picked up your book yet, you can read the first few days online. Pick up a book on Sunday morning! Let’s set our hearts on Jesus during this Christmas season.
Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett
[1] Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, pg. 46.