I Peter 1:24, 25 * December 31, 2005 * New Year’s Eve *
In the name of Jesus, the one who makes everything new, dear friends:
What do the following people have in common: David Ho, Andy Grove and Willy Brandt? Unless you are a dedicated follower of current events, your first answer might be: They are all people I’ve never heard of.” Even if that is true, they do have something else in common. Each of these men has been named Time’s Person of the Year.
Dr. David Ho received the award in 1996 for his pioneer work in developing new treatments to combat HIV. Andrew Grove received the award in 1997 as CEO and Chairman of the Board at Intel. And Willy Brandt was named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1970 while he served as the Chancellor of West Germany.
These three men have won what many people consider to be among the most prestigious awards in the world, an award that Time Magazine presents to the man or woman who is deemed to be the world’s most influential person. It was recently announced that Bill and Melinda Gates will share this year’s award with Irish rock star and world peace advocate Bono.
Even if you didn’t know that his wife’s name was Melinda, you have probably heard of Bill Gates. But the fact that few, if any of us, recognized the names of the other winners I mentioned shows just how fleeting the praise of men can be. Next year someone else will win the award and receive all the accolades, and many of the other names on the list will continue to fade into obscurity.
The praise of men is fleeting. I mention this because we view the New Year as an opportunity for personal improvement, in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. That’s why we make New Year’s resolutions. That’s why we resolve to exercise more or eat less or be a better spouse or a better parent or a better employee.
Making resolutions isn’t a bad thing, but if we plan to move into the New Year with the proper spiritual attitude, we will need to add one more resolution to our list. This resolution is not intended to make us feel better or look better. The sole purpose of this resolution is to help us build our relationship with God. Let Jesus be your personal “Person of the Year” in 2006!
WHO IS YOUR PERSON OF THE YEAR?
What does it take to become a “person of the year?” Let’s examine the criteria. Do you want your person of the year to be a flash in the pan or someone with staying power? Do you want your person of the year to be someone you can always trust and respect and admire, someone who will never prove unworthy of the honor?
If
that is the case, then every other person in the world has already been
disqualified. Peter put it this way: “All men are like grass, and all their glory
is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the
flowers fall” (24).
As much as we admire our heroes, they eventually disappoint us. Brett Favre holds the NFL record for most consecutive games started at quarterback. He has started every game since 1992 (when I was a sophomore in college). Brett Favre is the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive MVP awards. But 2005 has not been Favre’s best year. In fact, the only statistic he leads the league in this season is interceptions.
As much as we love our families, there are times when they let us down. This goes for all of us, mothers and fathers and sons and daughters and brothers and sisters and husbands and wives. We don’t always treat each other with respect. We don’t always keep our promises. Sometimes we forget to say we love each other and sometimes we fail to show our love for each other.
And much as we rely on our bodies, they are now officially one year older. And with a new year come new problems. Joints stiffen. Muscles ache. Bones weaken. Arteries harden. And so we take new medications and undergo new medical procedures, all of which only postpones the inevitable.
Why do these things happen? Why can’t name our heroes or our family members or ourselves as the person of the year? Because of sin. Sin is the one thing we all have in common, and there is nothing we can do to change it.
This is about the time when psychics and prognosticators make their predictions for the New Year. I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t see into the future. But I would like to make a prediction. I predict that 2006 will be a banner year for the devil. I predict that this sinful world will get even more sinful. And I predict that you and I will help to make my prediction come true.
Wars will rage all over the world. Followers of Jesus will be persecuted in different parts of the world. Innocent people will be killed. Spouses will be unfaithful. We will do things we can’t undo. We will say things we can’t take back.
But
you don’t have to take my word for it. I
am simply agreeing with Paul who said: “There
is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who
seeks God. All have turned away, they
have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one”
(Romans 2:10-12). I am only drawing
the same conclusion that Paul had drawn about himself: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature”
(Romans
Sinful people don’t like to hear that they are sinful. We don’t want to admit that we are like grass. We don’t want to believe that we will eventually wither and fall. We don’t want to come to grips with the fact that the wages of our sin is death. And instead of acknowledging their own sinfulness, many have tried to quiet their consciences by convincing themselves that God doesn’t exist.
There was the author Ruth Green who said: “There was a time when religion ruled the world. It’s known as the Dark Ages.” There was the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow who said: “I don’t believe in God, because I don’t believe in Mother Goose.” And last but not least, there was Anne Nicol Gaylor, the founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, whose writings include: “Let’s Dispense with Christian Funerals” and “Jesus was a Horse Thief.”
Do you know what all of these people have in common? They’re all dead. They had to find out the hard way, but they have come to realize that crowning themselves “Person of the Year” was a terrible mistake.
I am not trying to put a damper on your party plans for this evening. I am not trying to destroy your faith in human race, but the fact of the matter is that we can’t depend on any human being, not even Bill Gates or Bono, because we are all sinful. Why should Jesus be your “Person of the Year” in 2006? Because no one else is qualified!
With
that said I don’t want to give the impression that Jesus only wins this award
by default. He deserves it. Jesus is perfectly qualified to be our
“Person of the Year.” Even though “the grass withers and the flowers fall, the
word of the Lord stands forever.”
Think about the implications of that statement, especially the last phrase. God’s Word stands forever. That means he always keeps his promises. And he will do exactly the same things in 2006 that he did for you in 2005 and every other year of your life.
Jesus will stand by your side, giving you strength and comfort when you need it the most. He will share a smile and a laugh with you when his blessings overflow in your life. He will be there when you feel alone, providing exactly what you need at exactly the right time. And most importantly, Jesus will always be your Savior, washing away your sins, pointing you to his cross, answering your prayers, giving you hope for the future.
The
perfect life, the innocent death, the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ is
our guarantee from God that no matter what the future holds we have nothing to
fear. It was this assurance that led
Paul to proclaim: “I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is
in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
Time Magazine defines their man or woman of the year as the person who has done the most to shape our world in the past year. Can you think of anyone who fits this description better than Jesus? He has shaped our relationship with God into a bond that cannot be broken. He has shaped our hearts into humble homes for him and his Word. He has shaped our years on this earth into meaningful lives of love and service.
As we reflect on the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us in the year that is past, as we follow wherever he leads us in the year to come, there can be no doubt. Jesus is our person of the year, every year. Amen.