The
Day the Earth Stood Still: Carol Service 14th December 2008
Once upon a time, a supernatural being, who so loved the world, took on our DNA and became one of us. He walked among us, taught us, cared for us, walked on water, brought one of us back from the dead, and ascended into the heavens. You know the story well. And his name was Klaatu. Klaatu? Well, yes. He is the central figure in the box office hit this Christmas in the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. Its a remake of the 1951 classic, which was one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Klaatu is an alien who has come to earth in an attempt to save the planet—ostensibly from itself (on the brink of war in the 1951 original, and rolling toward environmental catastrophe in 2008). A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu played by (Keanu Reeves) comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage they have inflicted on their own planet.
Klaatu
himself already has a negative opinion of humans, and in the end the aliens
decide to intervene pre-emptively—without any warning—and wipe out human civilization
so that all the other species on our planet can survive. If you have seen
the film or just the trailers, then you know that swarms of microscopic beings—insects,
robots, or both—are sent forth to bring about the apocalypse, shredding everything
from giant sports stadiums to moving vehicles. One of the fascinating things
about the original film is that Klaatu was such an obvious Christ-figure—he
went by the name Carpenter when he mingled among regular people, he died and
came back to life, and he professed a belief in the "Almighty Spirit."
In
the remake, the religious parallels are more subdued: Klaatu raises someone
else from the dead, after killing him, but never dies himself; he never
goes by the name Carpenter; and he talks of how "the universe" transforms
people when they die. In the original film, Klaatu represented a certain ideal,
a vision of what we humans could become, and our survival depended on becoming
more like him. In the remake, on the other hand, our survival depends on bringing
the alien down to our level and making him more like us. That may or may not
have theological significance, but it does say something about how our culture
has changed over the last five decades. Kenneth Chan writes, “The verdict?
The human race is destructive. The sentence? The human race will be terminated.
“If the earth dies, humans die. If humans die, the earth lives,” Klaatu says
in one scene. Although some will see a green agenda in the remake, the message
goes deeper than that. It’s not just about our destructiveness toward the
Earth, but toward one another. Is the human race without hope? This is what
Klaatu believes after receiving his colleagues’ report. I won’t spoil it
by giving more of the plot away
The
movie does help us understand why a Holy God could and one day will cleanse
this world of evil Klaatu is not a type of Jesus Christ. He is fallible and
fallen. But he is representative of those who believe it is their destiny
to use violence to bring about God’s judgement. Can you think of anyone who
believes they have a divine mandate to purify this world of evil and destroy
all infidels? The man President George Bush refers to as “the evil one”. The
one the newspapers call the "CEO of Terror Incorporated." The mastermind
behind the worst terrorist attacks in recent history - monstrous crimes of
premeditated mass murder – Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam in 1998, New York and
Washington in 2001, Madrid 2004, London 2005, Algiers 2007, probably Mumbai
2008.
If
Bin Laden represents the most wanted man in the world what would Jesus say
to him tonight? If we could listen in on a one to one between Jesus and Osama
bin Laden this Christmas, what Jesus would say? I suggest Jesus might say
three words.
1. Turn
I think the first thing Jesus
would probably say comes as no surprise to any of us: Jesus might say, "Do
not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow."
(Galatians 6:7) I don't think there's any question in anybody's mind what
Osama bin Laden deserves. He deserves to be sentenced for his unspeakable
crimes in a hellish eternity, devoid of any hope, forever. And unless something
happens between now and the end of his life, that's exactly where he's headed.
As the recent US Marine bumper sticker put it,
"Its God's responsibility to forgive bin Laden. Its our responsibility
to arrange the meeting." There's no question what Osama bin Laden
deserves. While his death would make many people happy, would it make God
happy? If Bin Laden represents all that is most wicked what would please God
the most? Well we don’t have to speculate.
The Bible tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
In Ezekiel 18 God says, “Do I take any pleasure in the
death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways
and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23), and in case there is any doubt
God repeats himself a few chapters later, “As
surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD,
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from
their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11).
The Apostle Peter says the same thing. God does not want "anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). So the
first thing Jesus says to Osama bin Laden as he says to us is “Turn!
Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11). First word? Turn. Second word?
2. Trust
There's a second thing Jesus might say to Osama bin Laden to help him
understand that God has done something for him that he cannot do himself.
I can imagine Jesus visiting him in his bunker, or wherever he might be hiding
tonight, and saying to him, "Trust in God, trust also in me” (John
14:1), I am your only hope.” If Bin Laden is the most wanted man in
the world, Jesus is the most needed. Many in our own society view Jesus as
the baby in the Nativity play or a great moral teacher, or a social reformer,
but they place their trust in something higher, in science or technology or
the economy or the military. But none of these will deliver us from evil.
And so Jesus says to us,
"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you
do not believe that I am the one I claim to be , you will indeed
die in your sins.” (John 8:24). Make no mistake, God must and will punish sin to maintain
his integrity as a just and holy God. And we can all understand that, because
we are all made in the image of God. We know instinctively that somebody has
to pay. When a child is abused we insist the guilty must pay.
When someone is injured by a drunk driver we insist the guilty must pay. But
the dilemma for God is that the penalty for sin is death, all sin, whether
hidden or revealed, venial or mortal, white or black, is sin and sin deserves
judgement. Because sin separates us from a Holy God eternally. That is why
Jesus came at Christmas. Out of love, He came to take away our sin. Yours,
mine, and Osama bin Laden's too. That's why at the birth of Jesus the angels
proclaimed Him the Saviour of the world. So what might Jesus say? First:
“Turn!
Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11). Second: Trust "Trust in God,
trust also in me” (John 14:1), “I am your only hope." Third
word?
3. Tag along
There's one final thing I think Jesus might say to Osama bin Laden
tonight. I think Jesus would look him in the eye and say, "Paradise
is on a different path to the one you're pursuing." Jesus disciples
were also confused about the path to paradise. Jesus told them, "I
am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." (John 14:6)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).God has a purpose for our
life – top know him and glorify him for ever. What was Jesus most frequent
command? “Follow me” occurs 20 times in the gospels. (Matthew 4:19; 8:22;
9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; Mark 1:17; 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 9:23; 9:59;
14:27; 18:22; John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 21:19; 21:22)Follow me and I will give
you a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession
to live out and a power to live on. God says to each one of us three words,
Turn, Trust and Tag along. Become part of the solution to the world’s woes
instead of part of the problem. The thought that Osama bin Laden could be
forgiven for his sins, after all he's done, and become like Jesus, may be
hard to swallow. But he will not be the first. The question is will he ever
hear the real meaning of Christmas? Will someone get to share it with him?
The message of Christmas does not minimize the seriousness of his destructive
life – it merely emphasizes the magnitude of God's grace. That's why we celebrate
Christmas. Because its good news of great joy for all people. Jesus, the most
needed person in the world who came for the most wanted – all of them. Though
God has every right to destroy this world and everyone in it, he sent Jesus
to rescue as many as possible. The angels traversed the universe to herald
him. The Magi travelled hundreds of miles in search of him. The shepherds
said, "Lets go and see" (Luke 2:15). They wanted to see Jesus, to
meet their Saviour. They were all earnest in their search. Hebrews 11:6 says,
"God... rewards those who earnestly seek him." I kind of
like the King James translation,
"He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Diligently
– that’s a great word. This Christmas be diligent in your search and experience
God’s reward – sins forgiven for the past, eternal life in the future, and
a purpose to live for in the present. God rewards those who seek him. Not
those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds, still less those
who believe it is their destiny to cleanse this world of evil by violence.
The three words Jesus might say to Osama Bin Laden tonight are the three words
he says to you and me – Turn, Trust, Tag along. The Day on which Jesus Christ
was born was not the day the earth stood still. But one day it will. One day
the earth will stand still and every eye will see him. Jesus will return to
judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). The question is, are we ready?
We date our birth by his birth. Humanly speaking we determine our destiny
by recognising his.
Don’t settle for a passing knowledge of Jesus this Christmas. His reward –
breathtakingly beyond our imagining - goes to those who settle for nothing
less than knowing Jesus himself.Turn to him, trust in him and tag along with
him this Christmas and for evermore.
Adapted with thanks from a sermon by Gene Appel, pastor of Central
Christian Church, Las Vegas, Nevada, together with material drawn from Max
Lucado's One Incredible Moment. Quotes taken from http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/daytheearthstoodstill.html