Jesus was christ the lord

JESUS WAS CHRIST THE LORD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 2:11 11Todayin the town of Davida Saviorhas
been born to you; he is the Messiah, the LORD.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Welcome News FromHeaven
Luke 2:8-11
W. Clarkson
It is surely not without significance that this most gracious manifestationand
announcement was made to these humble Hebrew shepherds "keeping watch
over their flock by night." It suggeststwo truths which are of frequent and
perpetual illustration.
1. That God choosesforhis instruments the humble rather than the high. Our
human notions would have pointed to the most illustrious in the ]and for such
a communication as this. But Godchose the lowly shepherd, the man of no
accountin the estimate of the world. So did he actin the beginning of the
gospel(see 1 Corinthians 1:26-29). And so has he actedever since, choosing
often for the agents of his power and grace those whom man would have
passedby as unworthy of his choice.

2. That God grants his Divine favor to those who are conscientiouslyserving
him in their own proper sphere. Not to the idle dreamer, not to the man who
will do nothing because he cannot do everything of which he thinks himself
capable, but to him who does his bestin the position in which God's
providence has placedhim, will God come in gracious manifestation;and it is
he whom he will selectto render important service in his cause. Butthe main
thoughts of this passageare these -
I. WELCOME TIDINGS FROM THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. "Theywere
sore afraid." "Fearnot... I bring you goodtidings." Why have men always
been so sore afraid in the presence of the supernatural? Why have they feared
to receive communications from heaven? Something much more than a
popular belief (see Judges 13:22)is required to accountfor so universal a
sentiment. It is surely that sinful men are profoundly conscious ofill desert,
and fear that any messagethat comes from God, the Holy One, will be a
messageofcondemnation and punishment. What would be the expectation
with which a camp of rebellious subjects, who had takenup arms againsttheir
sovereign, would receive a messengerfrom the court of the king? Had that
guilty age known that God was about to announce "a new departure" in his
government of the world, what ample, what overwhelming reasonwould it
have had to apprehend a messageofDivine wrath and retribution! How
welcome, then, the words, "Fearnot... I bring you goodtidings"! Of what
depth of Divine patience, of what boundless breadths of Divine compassion, do
these simple words assure us!
II. TIDINGS OF SURPASSING VALUE. Tidings "ofgreatjoy." The birth of
the Babe in Bethlehem "that day" - what did it mean? It meant:
1. Deliverance from a deadly evil. To these shepherds, if they were patriotic
children of Abraham, the promise of a Savior would mean deliverance from
the national degradationinto which Israelhad sunk - a spiritual as well as a
political demoralization. To them, if they were earnestreligious inquirers, it
meant deliverance from the bondage and penalty of sin. This is the
significance whichthe word has to us: in that day was born into the world a
Savior, a Divine Redeemer, One who should save the souls of men from that
which is the one curse of our humanity - sin.

2. The fulfillment of a great hope. To those who then learnt that "the Christ"
was born, it meant that the long-cherishedhope of their nation was fulfilled,
and that whateverthe Messiahwas to bring about was at length to be
accomplished. A great national expectation has passed, with us, into a glorious
hope for the human race - the hope that under Christ this poor sin-stricken
world will rise from its ignorance, its superstition, its godlessness, its vice, and
its crime, and walk in newness of life, in the love and the likeness ofits
heavenly Father.
3. Restorationto our true position. That Savior is "Christ the Lord." We who
have sought to rule ourselves and to be the masters of our own lives, and who
have suffered so much in so many ways by this guilty dethronement and
usurpation, are now to find our true restand joy by submitting ourselves to
him who is "the Lord" of all hearts and lives; in his service is abiding peace
and "greatjoy."
III. TIDINGS OF GENERALAND OF PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
These gladtidings are for "all the people," and they were for those startled
and wondering shepherds. "To you is born." As we hear the angel's words, we
know that they are for all the wide world, and, whoeverwe may be, for us. -
C.

Biblical Illustrator
For unto you is born this day.
Luke 2:11
Lessons from the birthday of Christ
DeanChurch.
The birthday of Christ! — a name which connects with the familiar
associationsofhome-life the opening of the heavens to human hope, the
inconceivable grace and condescensionof Almighty God, the beginning of a
state of things on earth in which God our Makerhas united Himself for ever
with humankind.
I. REVERENCE. In thinking of Christ's birthday, we are betweentwo
dangers. It may have become a mere name and word to us, conventionally
acceptedand repeated, but conveying no really living meaning; or it may have
come with such fulness of meaning as to overwhelmand confound our
thoughts, making us ask, "How cansuch things be?" Let us remember that
"Godis Love;" and that the mystery of the incarnation is the manifestationof
that infinite Love. Let us try to take a true measure of the unspeakable
majesty and living goodness withwhich we have to deal.
II. PURITY. The Incarnation was the mind and atmosphere of heaven,
coming with all the height of their sanctities into human flesh — a spectacleto
make us stopand be thoughtful, and considerour ownexperience of life and
society. Let us pass from things which fashion and customdo not mind, but
which do lowerthe tone and health of soul and character, whichoften tempt
and corrupt it; let us turn awayour eyes from what, howevercaptivating and
charming, is dangerous to know and look at, to the little child and His mother,
and learn there the lessonofstrength, of manliness — for purity means
manliness — of abhorrence of evil.

III. HUMILITY. The human mind cannotconceive any surrender of place
and claims, any willing lowliness and self-forgetfulness, anyacceptanceofthe
profoundest abasement, comparable to that which is before us in the birth,
and the circumstances ofthe birth, of Jesus Christ. The measure of it is the
measure of the distance betweenthe Creatorand the creature, and the
creature in the most unregarded, most uncared-for condition, helpless,
unknown, of no accountfor the moment among the millions of men whom He
had made, and whose pride, and loftiness, and ambition filled His own world.
There He was for the time, the youngest, weakest, poorestofthem all; and He
came thus, to show what God thinks of human pride, ambition, loftiness. He
came thus, to show how God despises the untruth of self-esteem, the untruth
of flattery, and to teachhow little the outward shows of our present condition
answerto that which, in reality and truth, it is worth while for a living soul, an
immortal being, to be.
IV. THE LESSON OF NOT PUTTING OUR TRUST IN THE ARM OF
FLESH. Contrastthe birthday of Christ with the purpose of His coming — to
reform, conquer, and restore the world. Of all that mighty order which was to
be, of all that overwhelming task and work before Him, here were the first
steps, in the lowestpaths of human life! He it was to whom was committed this
greatwork of God. Not in the waywhich men understood or anticipated, not
by forces and measures suggestedby their experience, but in the exactway of
God's perfect holiness and righteousness.He beganand finished the work
which the Father gave Him to do. In the utter unlikelihood of His success,
there is a lessonfor us. In doing His work, and in doing our own work, we are
often sorely tempted to depart from His footsteps. In doing His work, in
maintaining His cause, in fighting for His kingdom, it has always beentoo
common for man to think, that all the same means are available which are
used in human enterprises, that successdependedon the same conditions, that
it was impossible without employing weapons which were not like His. They
have trusted to energy, strength, sagacity;they have distrusted the power of
single-heartedobedience, prayer, patience, faith, self-sacrifice, goodness;they
have thought it weak to be over-scrupulous;they have forgotten how far
beyond the reach and touch of human powerare the fortunes of the kingdom
of the MostHoly. And so in doing our own work, it is hard for us all not to do

the opposite to what our Masterdid; hard not to trust to the arm and the
ways of flesh, instead of trusting with our eyes shut the path of duty, truth,
obedience. The trader has before him the way of unflinching honesty, or the
way in which custom and opinion allow him to take advantage and make
shorter cuts to profit and increasedbusiness;which path will he take? Will he
have faith in principle, and perhaps wait, perhaps lose;or will he do as others
do, and, highly respecting principle, yet forgetit at the critical moment? The
young man entering into life wishes to geton. Will he trust to what he is, to his
determination to do right, to straightforwardness and simplicity, to God's
blessing, or what God has blessedand promised to bless, or will he push his
fortunes by readiness to appear what he is not, by selfishness, by man-
pleasing, by crookedpaths and questionable compliances? The boy has to do
his lessons andsatisfyhis teachers. Will he be content to appear no cleverer
than he is, to be conscientious,diligent, faithful, dutiful, whatever comes ofit;
or will he be tempted to save himself labour and trouble by shorter and easier
ways which many will tell him of, and gaincredit for what he has no right to?
Here, to warn us, to teach us, to comfort us, in all our varied conditions and
employments, we have the beginning of Christ's conquestof the world. The
footsteps ofHis greatprogress begin from the cradle of the nativity.
V. GLADNESS AND JOY. Sometimes we feel hardly in tune for the rejoicing
of Christmas. It contrasts sharply with the bitterness of a recent bereavement,
the sorrowfulwatchround a hopeless sick bed. Or it may be, while we are
saluting our Lord's coming with hymns and carols of childlike exultation, and
repeating the angelic welcome to the Prince of Peace, thatby a terrible irony,
the heavens around us are black with storm and danger:that greatnations
are involved in the horrible death-struggle of war; that day by day men are
perishing by every form of carnage, and suffering every form of pain; and
that by eachother's hands. We almostask, in such a case, whetherit is not
mockeryto think of gladness. Yetit is in place even then; and Christmas
claims it from us. Those greatgospelsongswhichheralded the Incarnation of
the Sonof God— the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the Song of the angels —
were themselves but the prelude to the life of the "Manof Sorrows."Theyare
followedimmediately by Rachelweeping for her children at Bethlehem, and
the flight from the sword of Herod. But yet in those dreadful days on earth, of

blood and pain and triumphant iniquity, there was peace in heaven and the
joy of the angels;for amid the cloud and storm of the conflict which men
could not see through, the angels knew who was conquering. He is conquering,
and to conquer still. All falsehood, cruelty, selfishness, oppression, and
tyranny, are to fall before Him. Amid the darkness ofour life, the hope of
man is still on Him, as fixed and sure as ever it was. He will not disappoint
man of his hope.
(DeanChurch.)
The messageofthe shepherds
W. S. Bruce, M. A.
I. How SURE IS GOD'S WORD!
II. How WONDERFULARE GOD'S WAYS!
III. How GLORIOUS IS GOD'S SALVATION!
(W. S. Bruce, M. A.)
The two advents
G. McMichael, B. A.
I. THE FIRST COMING WAS IN WEAKNESS, the glory hidden; the second
will be in power, the glory revealed.
II. THE FIRST CONING WAS INTRODUCTIVE TO AN EXPERIENCE
OF LABOUR AND SUFFERING;the secondwill be the inauguration of
coronationand triumph.
III. IN FIRST COMING CHRIST MADE SALVATION POSSIBLE;in
secondHe will prove how His work has sped.
IV. IN FIRST COMING HE INVITED MEN TO RECONCILIATION AND
PEACE;in secondHe shall descendto bless the believing, but judge the

impenitent. Lessons:As we are sure concerning the record of the first advent,
let us also be as to the prediction of the second. Have we used the first so as to
be prepared for this?
(G. McMichael, B. A.)
Unto us a child is born
Canon Vernon Hutton, M. A.
I.
1. Considerthe revelationthus delivered by the angel — "Unto you is born a
Saviour." Jesus is horn a Saviour; we do not make Him a Saviour; we have to
acceptHim as such. Neither does salvationcome from us or by us, but it is
born to us.
2. Considerthe outward sign by which the Saviour was to be known — "A
babe lying in a manger!" Children are the saviours of society:the human race
renewing itself perpetually in the freshness and innocence of childhood is
prevented from becoming utterly corrupt. This is just the lessonthe world
needed. Philosophy, art, law, force, all had tried to raise mankind out of sin,
and all had failed. In the fulness of time "unto us a Child is born," and in the
weakness ofthat Childhood, the human race is renewed, its flesh comes again
"as the flesh of a little child."
II.
1. What a messagefrom heaven to a world weary of life and sick with sin —
"Unto you is born a Saviour!"
2. What a messageto those who are trusting in the pride of intellect, or in the
pride of wealth, or in the pride of earthly position, or in the pride of character
— "This shall be the sign: a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger!" The signs which betokenthe presence of the Eternal are not always
such as commend themselves to men's reasoning, for we are living among
shadows which are not realities, although we mistake them for such.

(Canon Vernon Hutton, M. A.)
The nature of Christ's salvation
Dr. Beaumont.
He is not a temporal Saviour: He is not a Saviour from mere temporal
calamity; He is not a Saviour such as the saviours among the Jews were, who
had emancipatedthem from their civil foes;but He is a Saviour from spiritual
evils. He saves us from spiritual darkness by His Word; from the pollution
and powerof sin, by His merit and grace;from the bondage of Satan, by His
energy; from hell, by becoming a curse for us, that we may attain eternal life.
His salvationextends to the soulas well as the body; to eternity as well as to
time.
(Dr. Beaumont.)
Universality of the gospeloffer
T. Chalmers, D. D.
In the further prosecutionof this discourse, we shallfirst say a few words on
the principle of the gospelmessage — good-will: Secondly, on the objectof the
gospelmessage— men — it is a message ofgood-willto men: And, Thirdly,
on the application of the gospelmessageto the men who now hear us.
I. When we say that God is actuatedby a principle of good-willto you, it
sounds in your ears a very simple proposition. There is a barrier in these evil
hearts of unbelief, againstthe admissionof a filial confidence in God. We see
no mildness in the aspectof the Deity. Our guilty fears suggestthe
apprehension of a stern and vindictive character. It is not in the powerof
argument to do awaythis impression. We know that they will not be made to
see God, in that aspectof graciousness whichbelongs to Him, till the power of
a specialrevelationbe made to rest upon them — till God Himself, who
createdlight out of darkness, shine in their hearts. But knowing also that He

makes use of the Word as His instrument, it is our part to lay the assurances
of that Word, in all their truth and in all their tenderness, before you.
II. We now proceed, in the secondplace, to the objectof the gospelmessage —
men — a message ofgood-willto men. The announcement which was heard
from the canopyof heavenwas not good-willto certain men to the exclusionof
others. It is not an offer made to some, and kept back from the rest of the
species. Itis generallyto man. We know wellthe scruples of the disconsolate;
and with what successa perverse melancholy candevise and multiply its
arguments for despair. But we will admit of none of them. We look at our text,
and find that it recognizes no outcast. Tellus not of the malignity of your
disease — it is the disease ofa man. Tell us not of your being so grievous an
offender that you are the very chief of them. Still you are a man. The offer of
God's good-will is through Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that
believe. We want to whisper peace to your souls;but you refuse the voice of
the charmer, let him charm never so wisely. And here the question occurs to
us — how does the declarationof God's good-willin the text consistwith the
entire and everlasting destruction of so many of the species? In point of fact,
all men are not saved. We hold out a gift to two people, which one of them
may take and the other may refuse. The good-willin me which prompted the
offer was the same in reference to both. God in this sense willeth that all men
shall be saved. There is no limitation with Him; and be not you limited by
your own narrow and fearful and superstitious conceptions ofHim.
III. But this leads us, in the lastplace, to press home the lessonof the text on
you who are now sitting and listening around us. God, in the actof ushering
the gospelinto the world, declares good-willto man. He declares it therefore
to you. Now, you are liable to the same fears with these shepherds. You are
guilty; and to you belong all the weakness andall the timidity of guilt.
(T. Chalmers, D. D.)
Christ the Saviour
S. McAll.

At the very utterance of the name Saviour, every heart exults with a delight
otherwise unknown. To the generous breast, no other objectis so beautiful, no
other sound so welcome. Neverdo we shed such rapturous tears, or feel so
passionate a joy, as when we witness the heroism and the self-devotionof some
act of magnanimous deliverance. Powersoftens into loveliness, whenthus
exerted. Dangerand toil, encountered in such a cause, impart a stern, yet
irresistible attraction. It is thus we think of the patriot, bleeding for the
freedom of his country; of the philanthropist, regardless ofhis ownsecurity
amidst pestilence, and darkness, andthe ministers of death, that he may
release the wretchedcaptive, and break the yoke of the oppressor;of the
advocate, defending the house of the widow or the heritage of the orphan, and
turning into mockerythe venality of accusation, and the menaces of
vengeance;of the statesman, who stands forth single-handed, but with a
dauntless heart, to turn back the flood of tyranny or faction, when threatening
to engulf in common ruin the welfare of his people and the safetyof mankind;
and of the pilot, adventurously urging his way through the pitiless and
maddening surge, that he may snatchsome solitaryvictim from the horrors of
shipwreck, and bear him, nakedand shivering, to the shore. What, then, shall
be the glory of Him who plunged, with all the consciousness ofunsheltered
peril, into the very depths of misery, to rescue the perishing soul! Or what
shall be the measure, either of our admiration or our gratitude, when we
celebrate, beholding its last triumphs, the emancipation of a world! Advocate,
Friend, Brother, these are belovednames; and, like a grateful odour, they give
life to the drooping spirit; but if the name of Saviour be more endearing than
them all, then what is that ravishment of love with which the rescuedsinner
shall hail at length the blessedname of Jesus!
(S. McAll.)
The Saviour's love
Charles Stanford, D. D.
Like the sunshine that falls with magical flicker on pearl and ruby, lance and
armour, in the royal hall, yet overflows the shepherd's home, and quivers

through the grating of the prisoner's cell; pours glory over the mountain-
range; flames in playful splendour on the wave;floods the noblest sceneswith
day, yet makes joy for the insect; comes downto the worm, and has a loving
glance for the life that stirs in the fringes of the wayside grass;silvers the moss
of the marsh and the scum of the pool; glistens in the thistle-down; lines the
shell with crimson fire, and fills the little flower with light; travels millions
and millions of miles, past stars, pastconstellations, andall the dread
magnificence of heaven, on purpose to visit the sicklyweed, to kiss into
vividness the sleeping blooms of spring, and to touch the tiniest thing with the
gladness that makes it great:so does the Saviour's love, not deterred by our
unworthiness, not offended by our slights, come down to teachand bless the
meanestand the lowliestlife in the new creation. He restores the bruised reed;
the weakestnatures share His visits, and revive beneath His smile.
(Charles Stanford, D. D.)
The greatannouncement
Van. Doren.
I. A Saviour is BORN.
II. A SAVIOUR is born.
III. A Saviour is born unto you.
IV. THIS DAY.
(Van. Doren.)
A Saviour from spiritual ruin
Bp. LancelotAndrews.
I know not how, but when we hear of saving, or mention of a Saviour,
presently our mind is carried to the saving of our skin, of our temporal state,
of our bodily life; further saving we think not of. But there is another life not

to be forgotten, and greaterthe dangers, and the destruction there more to be
fearedthan of this here, and it would be well sometimes we were reminded of
it. Besides ourskin and flesh, a soulwe have, and it is our better part by far,
that also hath need of a Saviour; that hath her destructionout of which, that
hath her destroyerfrom which she would be saved, and those would be
thought on. Indeed, our chief thought and care would be for that; how to
escape the wrath, how to be savedfrom the destructionto come, whither our
sins will certainly carry us. Sin will destroy us all. And to speak ofa Saviour,
there is no personon earth has so much need of a Saviour as has a sinner.
Nothing so dangerous, so deadly unto us, as is the sin in our bosom; nothing
from which we have so much need to be saved, whatsoeveraccountwe make
of it. From it comes upon us all the evil of this life, and of the life to come, in
comparisonwhereofthese here are not worth speaking of. Above all, then, we
need a Saviour for our souls, and from our sins, and from the everlasting
destruction which sin will bring upon us in the other life not far from us. Then
if it be good tidings to hear of a Saviour, where it is but a matter of the loss of
earth, or of this life here; how then, when it comes to the loss of heaven, to the
danger of hell, when our soul is at stake, and the well-doing or un-doing of it
for ever? Is not such a Saviourworth hearkening after?
(Bp. Lancelot Andrews.)
Christ the Saviour of men
Bishop W. C. Magee.
What does that word Christ mean, and what does it teachus? To the Jew of
that day, and even to the Pagan, there could have been no doubt as to the
meaning of this word Christ, the Christos, the Anointed, one representing to
him some person who had been publicly set apart to some greatoffice among
men. Anointing was that actby which, especiallyamong the Jews, a man was
setapart to some Divinely appointed office among the people; the prophet
who was to speak to the people from God, the priest who was to minister to
the people in holy things for God, the king who was to rule in God's glory over
God's own people, were solemnly setapart by anointing to their office. What

they would have called anointing we now call consecration— the publicly and
divinely ordered sanctioning and setting apart of a man for an office in which
he is to minister unto men and for God. This is anointing, and more than this,
it implies that with the appointment and consecrationcame a powerand a
grace to fit a man for the office he received. When our Lord, then, is calledthe
Anointed One, the Christ, it means that He is the One of all humanity, who is
divinely consecratedand setapart to noble office and high service, and whose
whole life and being is filled with the Divine light necessaryfor doing the work
of that office — the Anointed, consecratedOne, in whom all consecrationand
Divine unction centres for the performance of all offices. And every one of
these offices, observe, was in the service of mankind. The prophetic office was
His, and He claims it as His own when He says, "The Spirit of the Lord is
upon Me, for He hath anointed Me" — what for? "to preach the gospelto the
poor." The prophet's office was an office to serve mankind as their teacher,
their guide, and their counsellor. The priestly office was His, and for what?
That He might offer Himself as a Lamb without spot or blemish to God, and,
having enteredby a new and living way with His own blood, should live for
intercessionand sacrifice, coming forth with blessings for God's people. God
made Him king over them, and gave Him heavenfor an inheritance — for
what? That He might rule them in righteousnessand peace. Prophet, Priest,
King: in eachone of these He was the servant of mankind, and so He says of
Himself, "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."
King of kings and Lord of lords He is, but Servant of servants to His brethren,
and the lordship and the kingdom that He won was won by faith and
suffering, won by faithful service, and He servedthat He might reign, and
through it all He was sustainedby the in. dwelling power of the Spirit of God,
who gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him. This is the idea of the Christ,
the consecratedOne. It means One whose whole life on earth, whose whole life
ever since He has left this earth, was devoted, is devoted, to the service of
mankind.
(Bishop W. C. Magee.)
A consecratedlife

Bishop W. C. Magee.
Not so long ago the inhabitants of the SandwichIslands were sorely smitten
and plagued by leprosy. They resolvedat last to gatherall the lepers from the
islands round about, all tainted with the slightestsymptoms of leprosy, and
banish them to one island, where they should dwell and perish slowly, while
the restof their fellow. citizens were saved from the plague — and they did so.
And this band of pilgrims, on a pilgrimage of death, were gatheredon the
shore of one of these islands, about to depart by a ship which would carry
them awayfor life, and standing on the shore was a priest, a Roman Catholic
priest, and he saw this multitude going away without a shepherd to care for
their souls, and he said, "Take me, let me go amongst them; I will dwell
amongstthese lepers, and will give them the ministrations of religion which
otherwise they would be without." He went, and for some time his courage
sustained, and his ministrations blessedthat people amongstwhom he had
casthis lot for life, for he might never leave that place;and then we hear in a
letter, written by himself calmly and cheerfully, how that the disease has at
last assailedhimself, and that his hours of labour are numbered, and before
him lies the death of slow and hideous decayto which he had doomed himself
that he might save others. In that man was the heart of the priest; in that man
was to be seena manifestation of the Spirit of Christ, the Anointed One; full
surely on that soul restedthe Divine unction that strengthens and blessesmen
for noble deeds of sacrifice;and there is not one of us who, in our boasted
Protestantism, might be disposedto look down upon "the benighted priest,"
there is not one of us who might not say, "Let my soul be with his soul in the
day when men will have to give an accountbefore the judgment seatof God."
(Bishop W. C. Magee.)
The goodnews is for eachand all
H. C. Trumbull.
It is very pleasantto heargood tidings for all the restof the world; but it is
pleasanterto know that we have a personal share in the benefits of which

those tidings tell. There may be safetyto others who are endangered, and not
to us. The lifeboat may come and go, and we be left on the wreck. Breadmay
be distributed to the hungry, and we fail of a share which shall keepas from
starving. The physician may bring health to many, and pass us by unnoticed.
All of our condemned fellows might be pardoned, and we have no release.
Unless the goodtidings are to us also, we cannot welcome them with boundless
joy, howeverglad we are that there is help for others. The writer found
himself, in the fortunes of war, a prisoner in the Libby, at Richmond. One
evening, as the prisoners lay down to sleep, the story was whispered among
them that a flag-of-truce boat had come up the river, and that some one of
their number was to be releasedthe next day. That was glad tidings for all.
But the question in every prisoner's mind was, "Am I to be released?" There
were many dreams of home that night on that prison floor. In the early
morning, after roll-call, there was breathless expectancyforthe name of the
favoured prisoner. It was the name of Chaplain Trumbull. Those gladtidings
had a meaning for him they could not have for any of his companions. To him
there came that day the message ofdeliverance from bondage, and he passed
out from the prison-house thanking God that the message wasto him. "Unto
you" is a Saviour born. Whoeveryou are, whateverare your sins there is
salvationfor you.
(H. C. Trumbull.)
Joy in the Saviour fully received
C. H. Spurgeon.
— He is the most joyful man who is the most Christly man. I wish that some
Christians were more truly Christians: they are Christians and something
else;it were much better if they were altogetherChristians. Perhaps you know
the legend, or perhaps true history of the awakening ofSt. . He dreamed that
he died, and went to the gates ofheaven, and the keeperofthe gates saidto
him, "Who are you?" And he answered, "Christianus sum," I am a Christian.
But the porter replied, "No, you are not a Christian, you are a Ciceronian, for
your thoughts and studies were most of all directed to the works of Cicero and

the classics,and you neglectedthe teaching of Jesus. We judge men here by
that which most engrossedtheir thoughts, and you are judged not to be a
Christian but a Ciceronian." WhenAugustine awoke, he put aside the classics
which he had studied, and the eloquence at which he had aimed, and he said,
"I will be a Christian and a theologian;" and from that time he devoted his
thoughts to the Word of God, and his pen and his tongue to the instruction of
others in the truth. Oh I would not have it said of any of you, "Well, he may
be somewhatChristian, but he is far more a keenmoney-getting tradesman."
I would not have it said, "Well, he may be a believer in Christ, but he is a
gooddeal more a politician." Perhaps he is a Christian, but he is most at home
when he is talking about science,farming, engineering, horses, mining,
navigation, or pleasure-taking. No, no, you will never know the fulness of the
joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit
you take the Lord your Masterto be your All in all, and make Him the
fountain of your intensest delight. "He is my Saviour, my Christ, my Lord,"
be this your loudest boast. Then will you know the joy which the angel's song
predicts for men.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
The lessonofChristmas
ArchdeaconFarrar.
In the light of the Sonof God becoming flesh, we dare not degrade or defile
ourselves. We see how base an apostasyit is to abnegate the Divine
prerogative of our being. The birth of Christ becomes to us the pledge of
immortality, the inspiration of glad, unerring, life-long duty to ourselves. And
no less does it bring home to us the new commandment of love to our
brethren. It becomes the main reasonwhy we should love one another. If men
were indeed what Satanmakes them, and makes us try to believe that they
solelyare — hopelesslydegraded, unimaginably vile; if human life be nothing
at the best but the shadow of a passing and miserable dream, I know not how
we could love one another. We could only turn with loathing from all the vice
and blight, the moral corruption, the manifold baseness ofvile, lying,

degradedlives. How is all transfigured, how is the poorestwretchearth ever
bore transfigured, when we remember that for these Christ became man, for
these He died I Shall we, ourselves so weak, so imperfect, so stained with evil,
shall we dare to despise these whom Christ so loved that for them — yea, for
those blind and impotent men, these publicans and sinners, these ragged
prodigals of humanity still voluntarily lingering among the husks and swine
— for these, even for these, He, so pure, so perfect, took our nature upon Him,
and went, step by step, down all that infinite descent? Despise them? Ah! the
revealing light of the God-man shows too much darkness in ourselves to leave
any possibility for pride. If we have learnt the lessonof Christmas, the lesson
of Bethlehem, let us live to counteractthe works of the devil; let it be the one
aim of our lives to love and not to hate; to help, not to hinder; to succourthem
that are tempted, not to add to and multiply their temptations; to make men
better, not worse;to make life a little happier, not more deeply miserable; to
speak kindly words, not words that may do hurt; to console andto encourage,
not to blister and envenom with slanderous lies; to live for others, not for
ourselves;to look eachof us not on his own things, but on the things of others;
to think noble thoughts of man as well as of God; to be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven us.
(ArchdeaconFarrar.)
A Saviour
Colemeister.
The Esquimaux have no word in their language to represent the Saviour, and
I could never find out that they had any direct notion of such a Friend. But I
said to them, "Does itnot happen sometimes when you are out fishing that a
storm arises, and some of you are lostand some saved?" Theysaid, "Oh yes,
very often." "But it also happens that you are in the water, and owe your
safetyto some brother or friend who stretches out his hand to help you."
"Very frequently." "Then what do you call that friend?" They gave me in
answera word in their language, and I immediately wrote it againstthe word

Saviour in Holy Writ, and ever afterwards it was clearand intelligible to all of
them.
(Colemeister.)
Christmas day explains two dispensations
DeanStanley.
Those who have travelled in mountainous countries know how the highest
crestof the mountain range is always knownby seeing from that point, and
that point only, the streams dividing on either side. Even so it is with the event
of this day. The whole, or nearly the whole, history of the ancient world, and
speciallyof the Israelite people, leads us up to it as certainly on the one side, as
the whole history of later times, especiallyofthe Christian world, leads us up
to it from the other side: Other events there are which explain particular
portions of history; other birthdays can be pointed out; other characters have
arisenwhich contain within themselves the seedof much that was to follow.
There is none which professes like this to command both views at once, and
thus, even if we knew no more concerning it, we should feelthat a life and
characterwhich so explains two dispensations comes to us with a double
authority. Either would be enough to constitute a claim to our reverence;both
togethermake a claim almostirresistible.
(DeanStanley.)
Christ born in the city of David
Bishop Hacker.
A poor casketto contain so greata Jewel. "ThouBethlehem," says the
Prophet Micah, "the leastamong the princes of Judah;" yet big enough to
contain the Prince of heaven and earth. Little Zoar, says Lot, and yet Zoar
was big enough to receive him and his children safe out of the fire of Sodom.
MeanBethlehem, unless the angelhad spoke it, the prophet foretold it, and

the starhad showedit to the wise men, who would not have gainsaidthat the
Saviour of all men could be laid in such a village? The Roman historian made
a marvel that so noble an emperor as Alexander Severus was, could come out
of Syria, Syrus Archisynagogus, as they calledhim in scorn. Behold that
emperor's Lord, comes not only out of Syria, but out of the homeliestcorner
in Syria, out of the despicable tributary city of David.
(Bishop Hacker.)
A Saviour
Bishop Hacker., BishopHacker., BishopHacker.
— But that the name may not be an empty sound to us as it was to them,
considerthese three things.
1. With what honour it was imposed.
2. What excellencyit includes.
3. What reverence it deserves.
(Bishop Hacker.)His words, His actions, His miracles, His prayers, His
sacraments, His sufferings, all did smell of the Saviour. Take Him from His
infancy to His death, among His disciples and among the publicans, among
the Jews, oramong the Gentiles, He was all Saviour.
(Bishop Hacker.)The sunenlightens half the world at once, yet none discern
colours by the light but they that open their eyes;and a Saviour is born unto
us all, which is Christ the Lord: but enclaspHim in thine heart as old Simeon
did in his arms, and then thou mayest sing his "Nune Dimittis," or Mary's
"Magnificat," "Myspirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour.
(Bishop Hacker.)
Christ's birth city

Bishop Hacker.
— The Athenians were proud of Pompey's love, that he would write his name
a citizen of their city. For a princely person to accepta freedom in a mean
corporationis no little kindness;how much more doth it aggravate the love of
Christ to come from heaven, and be made a citizen of this vile earth, to be
born after a more vile condition than the most abjectof the people.
(Bishop Hacker.)
The merit of Christ's birth
Bishop Hacker., BishopHacker.
For, as we say of the sin of Adam, the actpassedawayat the first, but the guilt
remains upon his posterity: so our Saviour was born upon one particular day
which is passed, but the merit and virtue of it is never passed, but abides for
ever.
(Bishop Hacker.)
1. Then with reverend lips and circumcisedears let us begin with the joyful
tidings of a Saviour.
2. Here's our participation of Him in His nature, natus, He is born, and made
like unto us.
3. It is honourable to be made like us, but it is beneficial to be made for us;
"unto you is born a Saviour."
4. Is not the use of His birth superannuated, the virtue of it long since
expired? No, 'tis fresh and new; as a man is most active when he begins first to
run — He is born this day.
5. Is He not like the king in the Gospelwho journeyed into a far country, extra
orbem solisque vias, quite out of the wayin another world? no — the
circumstance of place points His dwelling to be near — He is "born in the city
of David.

6. Perhaps to make Him man is to quite unmake Him; shall we find Him able
to subdue our enemies, and save us, since He hath takenupon Him the
condition of human fragility? Yes, the lastwords speak His excellencyand
power, for He is such a "Saviour as is Christ the Lord."
(Bishop Hacker.)
A Saviour
Bishop Hacker.
It comprehends all other names of grace and blessing;as manna is said to
have all kind of supers in it to please the taste. When you have calledHim the
glass in which we see all truth, the fountain in which we taste all sweetness, the
ark in which all precious things are laid up, the pearl which is worth all other
riches, the flowerof Jesse whichhath the savour of life unto life, the bread
that satisfiethall hunger, the medicine that healethall sickness, the light that
dispelleth all darkness;when you have run over all these, and as many more
glorious titles as you can lay on, this one word is above them, and you may
pick them all out of these syllables, "a Saviourwhich is Christ the Lord."
(Bishop Hacker.)
The nativity
E. Blencowe,M. A.
Let us considerthe messageitself, the foundation of all our spiritual joy.
I. WHAT IS HE WHO IS BORN? He is "a Saviour," a Deliverer. Good
indeed are the tidings of a saviour. Delightful to one languishing On a bed of
pain and sicknessis He that comes with powerand skill to heal and to restore.
Mostjoyful to the wretch condemned to die for his crimes, is the sound of
pardon.
II. WHAT ARE THE TITLES GIVEN TO THIS SAVIOUR?

1. He is "Christ." As His name, Jesus, signifies a saviour, so Christ signifies
the anointed. He is an anointed Saviour. Thus is He distinguished from all
other saviours. The title "Christ" also teaches us His office.
2. He is "the Lord." High and glorious name I He is Jehovah. He is "Lord" by
right of creation, in His Divine and eternal nature. He is "Lord" by right of
inheritance; man, as MediatorbetweenGod and man. He is more particularly
our "Lord" by redemption. These names, then, "Christ, the Lord," show
Him, an all-sufficient Saviour; show Him, God and man united in one Person:
as man to suffer, as God to redeem.
(E. Blencowe,M. A.)
COMMENTARIES
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
2:8-20 Angels were heralds of the new-born Saviour, but they were only sent
to some poor, humble, pious, industrious shepherds, who were in the business
of their calling, keeping watchover their flock. We are not out of the way of
Divine visits, when we are employed in an honestcalling, and abide with God
in it. Let God have the honour of this work;Glory to God in the highest.
God's good-will to men, manifestedin sending the Messiah, redounds to his
praise. Other works of God are for his glory, but the redemption of the world
is for his glory in the highest. God's goodwillin sending the Messiah, brought
peace into this lowerworld. Peace is here put for all that goodwhich flows to
us from Christ's taking our nature upon him. This is a faithful saying, attested
by an innumerable company of angels, and wellworthy of all acceptation,
That the good-willof God toward men, is glory to God in the highest, and
peace on the earth. The shepherds lost no time, but came with haste to the
place. They were satisfied, and made knownabroad concerning this child,
that he was the Saviour, even Christ the Lord. Mary carefully observed and

thought upon all these things, which were so suited to enliven her holy
affections. We should be more delivered from errors in judgment and
practice, did we more fully ponder these things in our hearts. It is still
proclaimed in our ears that to us is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord. These
should be glad tidings to all.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
The glory of the Lord - This is the same as a "great" glory - that is, a splendid
appearance or"light." The word "glory" is often the same as light, 1
Corinthians 15:41; Luke 9:31; Acts 22:11. The words "Lord" and "God" are
often used to denote "greatness"or"intensity." Thus, "trees ofGod" mean
greattrees;"hills of God," high or lofty hills, etc. So "the glory of the Lord"
here means an exceedinglygreator bright luminous appearance perhaps not
unlike what Paul saw on the way to Damascus.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
11. unto you is born—you shepherds, Israel, mankind [Bengel]. Compare Isa
9:6, "Unto us a Child is born." It is a birth—"The Word is made flesh" (Joh
1:14). When? "This day." Where? "In the city of David"—in the right line
and at the right "spot";where prophecy bade us look for Him, and faith
accordinglyexpectedHim. How dear to us should be these historic moorings
of our faith! With the loss of them, all substantial Christianity is lost. By
means of them how many have been kept from making shipwreck, and
attained to a certain external admiration of Him, ere yet they have fully
"beheld His glory."
a Saviour—not One who shall be a Saviour, but "born a Saviour."
Christ the Lord—"magnificent appellation!" [Bengel]. "This is the only place
where these words come together;and I see no way of understanding this
"Lord" but as corresponding to the Hebrew Jehovah" [Alford].
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Luke 2:11"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For unto you is born this day,.... Day is here put for a natural day, consisting
both of night and day; for it was night when Christ was born, and the angels
brought the tidings of it to the shepherds. The particular day, and it may be,
month and year, in which Christ was born, cannotbe certainly known; but
this we may be sure of, it was in the fulness of time, and at the exact, season
fixed upon betweenGod and Christ in the council and covenantof peace;and
that he was born, not unto, or for the goodof angels;for the goodangels stand
in no need of his incarnation, sufferings, and death, having never fell; and as
for the evil angels, a Saviour was never designedand provided for them; nor
did Christ take on him their nature, nor suffer in their stead:wherefore the
angeldoes not say, "unto us", but "unto you", unto you men; for he means
not merely, and only the shepherds, or the Jews only, but the Gentiles also;all
the children, all the spiritual seedof Abraham, all electmen; for their sakes,
and on their account, and for their good, he assumedhuman nature; see
Isaiah9:6.
in the city of David; that is, Bethlehem, as in Luke 2:4 where the Messiahwas
to be born, as being, according to the flesh, of the seedof David, his son and
offspring; as he is, according to his divine nature, his Lord and root. The
characters ofthis new born child follow, and which prove the tidings of his
birth to be good, and matter of joy:
a Saviour; whom God had provided and appointed from all eternity; and had
been long promised and much expected as such in time, even from the
beginning of the world; and is a greatone, being God as well as man, and so
able to work out a greatsalvationfor greatsinners, which he has done; and he
is as willing to save as he is able, and is a complete Saviour, and an only, and
an everlasting one: hence his name is called Jesus, because he saves from sin,
from Satan, from the law, from the world, from death, and hell, and wrath to
come, and from every enemy,
Which is Christ the Lord; the Messiahspokenof by the prophets; the
anointed of the Lord, with the Holy Ghost without measure, to be a prophet,
priest, and king in his church; and who is the true Jehovah, the Lord our
righteousness, the Lord of all creatures, the Lord of angels, goodand bad, the
Lord of all men, as Creator, the Prince of the kings of the earth, the Lord of

lords, and King of kings;and who is particularly the Lord of saints by his
Father's gift, his own purchase, the espousalof them to himself, and by the
powerof his grace upon them: and the birth of such a personmust needs be
joyful, and is to be accountedgoodnews, and glad tidings.
Geneva Study Bible
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Luke 2:11.—σωτήρ:a word occurring (with σωτηρία) often in Lk. and in St.
Paul, not often elsewhere in N. T.—Κύριος:also often in Lk.’s Gospel, where
the other evangelists use Jesus. The angeluses the dialect of the apostolic age.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
11. a Saviour] It is a curious fact that ‘Saviour’ and ‘Salvation,’so common in
St Luke and St Paul (in whose writings they occur forty-four times), are
comparatively rare in the rest of the New Testament. ‘Saviour’ only occurs in
John 4:42; 1 John 4:14; and six times in 2 Pet. and Jude; ‘salvation’ only in
John 4:22, and thirteen times in the rest of the N. T.
Christ the Lord] “God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified both
Lord and Christ,” Acts 2:36; Php 2:11. ‘Christ’ or ‘Anointed’ is the Greek
equivalent of Messiah. In the Gospels it is almostinvariably an appellative,
‘the Christ.’ But as time advanced it was more and more used without the
article as a proper name. Our Lord was ‘anointed’ with the Holy Spirit as
Prophet, Priestand King.
the Lord] In the lowersense the word is used as a mere title of distinction; in
the higher sense it is (as in the LXX.) the equivalent of the Hebrew
‘Jehovah’—the ineffable name. “We preach Christ Jesus the Lord,” 2

Corinthians 4:5 (see Php 2:11; Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; “No one can
say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost,” 1 Corinthians 12:3).
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 2:11. Ὑμῖν, unto you) the shepherds, unto Israel, and unto all
mankind.—Χρισὸς, Christ) Luke 2:26. All ought to have retained in their
memory so cleara communication [revelation], whilst the Lord was growing
up to maturity. The name Jesus is not added, inasmuch as it afterwards was
given Him at His circumcision, Luke 2:21 : but the force of that name is
represented[is vividly expressed]in the term, Saviour. And so also in the Old
Testamentit is often virtually expressedunder the term, Salvation.—Κύριος,
the Lord) An argument for joy. An exalted appellation. [Matthew 2:6.]—ἐν
πόλει, in the city) Construe with is born. By this word the place is pointed out,
as by the expression, this day, the time is indicated.—Δαυὶδ, David) This
periphrasis refers the shepherds to the prophecy, which was then being
fulfilled.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 11. - A Savior. Another favorite word with SS. Paul and Luke. The
terms "Savior" and "salvation" occurin their writings more than forty times.
In the other New Testamentbooks we seldomfind either of these expressions.
Vincent's Word Studies
Is born (ἐτέχθη)
It adds to the vividness of the narrative to keepto the strict rendering of the
aorist, was born.
A Saviour
See on Matthew 1:21.
Christ
See on Matthew 1:1.
Lord

See on Matthew 21:3.
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
unto (KJV): Lu 1:69 Isa 9:6 Mt 1:21 Ga 4:4,5 2Ti1:9,10 Tit 2:10-14 3:4-7 1Jn
4:14
in (KJV): Lu 2:4 Mt 1:21
which (KJV): Lu 2:26 1:43 20:41,42 Ge 3:15 49:10 Ps 2:2 Da 9:24-26 Mt 1:16
16:16 Joh 1:41,45 6:69 7:25-27,41 20:31 Ac 2:36 17:3 1Jn5:1
the Lord (KJV): Lu 1:43 20:42-44 Ac 10:36 1Co 15:47 Php 2:11 3:8 Col 2:6
Luke 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
ESV Luke 2:11 Forunto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
YLT Luke 2:11 because there was born to you to-day a Saviour -- who is
Christ the Lord -- in the city of David,
JESUS BORN:
SAVIOR (2) CHRIST (3) LORD
For (hoti) - The subordinating conjunction hoti means that, because, since.

Lenski says "We regardfor (hoti) as epexegetical, as stating, not the reason
for the greatjoy, but the contents of the angel’s announcement:“that there
was born to you,” etc. The Greek states the simple pastfact as such, “was
born”; we prefer a reference to the presenttime, “has been born” (i.e., just
recently) or even “is born”.
Jamiesonwrites "Every word here contains transporting intelligence from
heaven."
Today - The waiting is over. The Messiahhadcome. This very day God
"invaded" earth, Deity took on Humanity. The fullness of time had arrived,
Paul writing "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the Law." (Gal 4:4).
NET Note on today - The Greek word for today (semeron)occurs eleventimes
in the Gospelof Luke (Lk 2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 12:28;13:32–33;19:5, 9; 22:34, 61;
23:43)and nine times in Acts (Acts 4:9; Acts 13:33; Acts 19:40;Acts 20:26;
Acts 22:3; Acts 24:21;Acts 26:2; Acts 26:29; Acts 27:33). Its use, especiallyin
passagessuchas Luke 2:11 , 4:21, 5:26; 19:5, 9, signifies the dawning of the
era of Messianic salvationandthe fulfillment of the plan of God.
In the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord - This name "Savior" summarizes Luke's previous description "To give
to His people the knowledge ofsalvationBy the forgiveness oftheir sins." (Lk
1:77+)
Do not miss the phrase for you - You is in the plural. Yes, Jesus came to the
shepherds, to Israel, but also to redeem all humanity and for you dear
reader. This personalizes this GoodNews of a Saviorwho in the crib had open
arms just as He did on the Cross!God so loved the world that He sent His
only begottenSon to be born for you, for any and all who will call upon the
Name Jesus, Savior, Christ, Lord! (cf Acts 4:12+) Have you calledupon His
Name? (Ro 10:12,13+)Is He your Savior, your Lord? Have you by grace
placed your faith in Him, in His atoning sacrifice for you (to pay the penalty
for all your sins, past, present, future) on the Cross, so that now you are
enabled by His Spirit to walk in newness oflife, in "resurrectionlife?" (cf Ro
6:2-7+).

The city of David - Bethlehem.
Swindoll - Bethlehem was not formally called this. In fact, most people would
have consideredJerusalemthe city of David. But the shepherds would have
recognizedthe angel’s reference in connectionwith their hometown hero.
(Ibid)
Lenski feels that this name of the city "is vastly more significant to the
shepherds than “in Bethlehem” would have been, for the king’s name and his
ancient home recallall the Messianic promises made to David. While it
modifies the emphatic verb at the head of the sentence the phrase, which is
placed entirely at the end, is equally emphatic. Born is the Savior, Christ, and
Lord in David’s city."
Kostenbergerwrites that "the angelindicated the Davidic nature of this
Messiahby explicit reference to the “city of David.” According to the angel’s
gospel, this newly born Savior was the long-awaitedDavidic Messiah(ED:
"Sonof David" was a known messianic title in first century - Mt 21:9, 15,
22:42, cf demon's cry "Jesus,Sonof David" - Lk 18:38-39+)who would
rescue God’s people and rule over them." (The First Days of Jesus:The Story
of the Incarnation)
Has been born (5088)(tikto)means to bring forth, to bear, to give birth. Tikto
is frequently used by Luke - Lk. 1:31; Lk. 1:57; Lk. 2:6; Lk. 2:7; Lk. 2:11
Steven Cole - the angel said that this human baby was also “a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.” A Savior, not a Judge; one who would deliver His people,
not destroythem. For the angel to call this baby “the Lord” meant that the
baby was over the angel. “Lord” is tantamount to Jehovah God. It is the same
word used in Lk 2:9, where it says that the glory of the Lord shone around the
shepherds. The same word is used in Lk 2:23 in reference to “the Law of the
Lord,” and “holy to the Lord.” If, in Lk 2:11, the word means some-thing
different than the same word used in Lk 2:9, 23, surely Luke would have
noted this. The baby in the manger of Bethlehemis none other than the Lord
God in human flesh!

Spurgeon- The anointed Saviour has full powerto save, for He “is Christ the
Lord;” and therefore He is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto
God by Him. (Heb 7:25KJV)
SAVIOR
Jesus'very Name is in essencea synonym for Saviorbecause Jesus means "He
will save His people from their sins.” (Mt 1:21)
Mary declared"And my spirit has rejoicedin God my Savior." (Lk 1:47+)
Note that Mary refers to God as "my Savior" clearlyindicating that she
understood she was a sinner like all men and womenin Adam (Ro 5:12+)and
thus was in need of so great a salvation(Heb 2:3+) from so greata Savior!
Note too that this news brought joy to Mary's heart just as the angelhad
promised to the shepherds (Lk 2:10+)! Mary had called Godher Savior and
now the angels give God's title of Savior to this Baby (cf Lk 1:69+)
Lenski on Savior - “Savior,” like “to save” and “salvation,” refers to the
mighty actof rescue and its result, the condition of safety that follows.
“Savior” on an angel’s lips recalls all that is said in the Old Testamentabout
salvationas it is attributed to Godand thus leaves far behind the pagan use of
this title for the emperors. Even in later years “Savior” on a Christian’s lips
differed so immensely from any imperial “Savior” title that the two were
hardly evercompared in the Christian’s consciousness.(Ibid)
Paul clearly linked God and Saviorin Titus 2:13+ writing that believers are
"looking for the blessedhope and the appearing of the glory of our greatGod
and Savior, Christ Jesus."
As David Guzik says "We don’t need another advisor, a reformer, or a
committee, but a Savior."
Savior ( (4990)(soterfrom sozo = rescue from peril > from saos = safe;
delivered) refers to the agentof salvationor deliverance, the one who rescues,
delivers, saves and preserves and in the case of Jesus, specificallyrescue and
deliverance from sin's penalty, sin's power and in glory from sin's presence!
Anyone who saves ordelivers can be called a deliverer or rescuer(a soter).
The Greco-Romanworld commonly spoke aboutthe various gods and

emperors as “saviors,”so the first non-Jewishreaders of Luke would have
understood the term "Savior" mostlikely againstthat background. But keep
in mind the angelalso linked this baby as not only Savior but as Christ
(Messiah)and Lord which would clearly help distinguish Him from the pagan
gods and paganrulers. Certainly none of them were ever designatedas Christ
or Messiah!
Soterin the OT - The God was a Savior was not a new concept, but was
rooted in the Old Testament...
Deut. 32:15;Jdg. 3:9; Jdg. 3:15; Jdg. 12:3; 1 Sam. 10:19;Neh. 9:27; Est. 5:1;
Est. 8:12; Ps. 24:5; Ps. 25:5; Ps. 27:1; Ps. 27:9; Ps. 62:2; Ps. 62:6; Ps. 65:5; Ps.
79:9; Ps. 95:1; Isa. 12:2; Isa. 17:10;Isa. 45:15; Isa. 45:21; Isa. 62:11;Mic. 7:7;
Hab. 3:18
In the following OT passagessalvationis translated in the Septuagint with
soter.
Psalm27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation (Lxx =
soter= Savior); Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
Psalm62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation (Lxx = soter= Savior), My
stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalm79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation(Lxx = soter= Savior), for the
glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s
sake.
Psalm95:1 O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to
the rock of our salvation (Lxx = soter= Savior). Isaiah45:15 Truly, You are
a God Who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior (Lxx = soter)!
Isaiah45:21 “Declare andsetforth your case;Indeed, let them consult
together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared
it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous
God and a Savior(Lxx = soter);There is none exceptMe.

Isaiah62:2 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to
the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation (Lxx = soter= Savior) comes;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”
Comment - A clearMessianicprophecy, partially fulfilled at His incarnation
(cf Lk 2:11) but fully fulfilled at His coronation!
Micah7:7+ But as for me, I will watchexpectantly for the LORD; I will wait
for the God of my salvation(Lxx = soter= Savior). My God will hear me.
Habakkuk 3:18+ Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the Godof my
salvation(Lxx = soter= Savior).
Butler on Jesus as Savioror Deliverer - He will follow in the biblical tradition
of deliverers (Jdg. 3:9,15;Neh. 9:27; Isa. 19:20; cf. Acts 5:31; 13:23). A
troubled, powerless people will find a hero able to overcome the enemy. (Ibid)
The ExegeticalDictionarynotes that "In secularGreek usage the gods are
deliverers both as helpers of human beings and as protectors of collective
entities (e.g., cities);this is the case with Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon, the Dioscuri
Castorand Pollux, Heracles, Asclepius as the helper of the sick, and Serapis;
it is true also for philosophers (Dio ChrysostomOr. 32.8)and statesmen
(Thucydides v.11.1;Plutarch Cor. 11, also in inscriptions and elsewhere). In
the Hellenistic ruler cult "theos soter" (godour savior)is attestedin writings
and inscriptions as a title of the Ptolemies and Seleucids. Inscriptions in the
easternpart of the Empire called Pompey “Soterand Founder,” Caesar
“Soterof the World,” and Augustus “Soterof Humankind.” Hadrian had the
title "Soterof the Kosmos" (Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. . Exegetical
Dictionary of the New Testament. GrandRapids, Mich.: Eerdmans)
Greeks usedsoteras a title of divinities such as Asclepius, the god of healing.
Soterwas used by the mystery religions to refer to their divinities. At an early
date soterwas used as a title of honor for deserving men, e.g., Epicurus
(300BC)was called"soter"by his followers. As discussedbelow, soterwas
used as a designationof the "deified" ruler, e.g., Ptolemy I Soter (323-285BC).
Kostenbergerhas an interesting comment - The angel’s pronouncement bears
some striking similarities to the way in which Augustus and other Roman

emperors were discussedand worshipedin the imperial cult. Considerthese
statements from the 9 BC Priene Calendar Inscription:
Since Providence (ED NOTE:Providence was personifiedas a proper goddess
in her own right by Macrobius, a Neoplatonic Romanauthor, who wrote in
defense of paganismabout 400 CE.), which has ordered all things and is
deeply interestedin our life, has setin most perfectorder by giving us
Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind,
sending him as a savior[sōtēr], both for us and for our descendants, that he
might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance
(excelledeven our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not
even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since
the birthday of the godAugustus was the beginning of the goodtidings
[euangelion;gospel, goodnews]for the world that came by reasonofhim.
Providence had sentthe “god” Augustus to be the saviorof the Roman world,
and his birth was the beginning of the gospel(goodnews). Such rhetoric
pervaded the political and religious language ofthe first century. In contrast,
the angelannounced the gospelof God’s Son, Jesus, who would be the true
Savior of the world. (The First Days of Jesus:The Story of the Incarnation)
MESSIAH:
ANOINTED ONE
Robertson- The people under Rome's rule came to call the emperor “Savior”
and Christians took the word and used it of Christ.
Christ the Lord - This specific title surprisingly is only here in the NT.
And remember these were Jewishshepherds and likely, as with all Jews in
Israel, were looking for the "Messiah," to come and be their Deliverer,
especiallyfrom the Roman oppression. Thus the angelic designationof Christ
(corresponding to Messiah)would likely have been very significant to these
shepherds (see messianic expectations).
Christ (5547)(Christosfrom chrio = to rub or anoint, consecrate to an office)
means one who has been anointed, symbolizing appointment to a task. The

majority of the NT uses referto Jesus (exceptions = "false Christs" - Mt
24:24, Mk 13:22). The Messiahhad come to sit on the throne of David and
deliver Israelfrom oppression, not from the Romans but from sin and Satan.
Sadly they wanted the former and were blind to the latter! BDAG says
Christos is the "Fulfiller of Israelite expectationof a deliverer, the Anointed
One, the Messiah, the Christ."
The corresponding OT term is anointed or mashiach/masiyah(from mashach
= to smear, anoint) a masculine noun which canfunction as an adjective (as in
Lev 4:3,5, 16) and is used severaltimes to prophetically picture the Messiah,
the Christ (1 Sa 2:10, 35), such as in the Book ofDaniel
“So you are to know and discern (NOTE TWO VERBS REFERRINGTO
KNOWLEDGE - THE CLEAR IMPLICATION IS THAT THE JEWS
COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE SPECIFIC TIME
WHEN MESSIAH WAS TO COME TO ISRAEL BUT SADLY MOST DID
NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF THEIR VISITATION - Lk 19:44+)that
from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalemuntil Messiah
(mashiach/masiyah)the Prince there will be sevenweeks andsixty-two weeks
(= 483 YEARS); it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of
distress. “Thenafter the sixty-two weeks the Messiah(mashiach/masiyah)will
be cut off (CRUCIFIXION) and have nothing, and the people (ROMANS) of
the prince who is to come (ANTICHRIST) will destroythe city and the
sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be
war; desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:25-26+)
In the OT, priests, prophets and kings were anointed and all these offices were
fulfilled in "the Mashiach," the Messiah, ChristJesus (King = Rev 17:14, Rev
19:16, Lk 1:32-33, Priest= Heb 3:1, 1 Ti 2:5, Prophet = Heb 1:1-2). In factin
the Septuagintmashiach is translated in most of the 38 uses with the adjective
Christos . Our English word Messiahis a transliterationof the Hebrew
mashiach/masiyah. In the Old Testamentand Early JewishBackground
“Anointed” (mashiach/masiyah)carries severalsenses andall have to do with
installing a person in an office in a way that the person will be regardedas
accreditedby Yahweh. Even a paganking such as Cyrus was qualified as the
Lord's anointed (Isaiah45:1) to execute a divinely appointed task. The usual

application of the term anointed was to God's representatives within the
covenantpeople. Prophets such as Elisha were setapart in this way (1 Kings
19:16 where anoint in Lxx = chrio).
The New JewishEncyclopedia defines the MESSIAH as “a modified form of
the Hebrew word mashiachmeaning ‘anointed,’ applied in the Bible to a
person appointed for specialfunction, such as High Priest or King. Later the
term Messiahcame to express the belief that a Redeemer, that is a divinely
appointed individual, will in the end bring salvation to the Jewishpeople and
to the entire human race” (p.317).
The Dictionary Of JewishLore And Legendencapsulates the term MESSIAH
a bit more succinctly:“The anointed king of the House of David of Bethlehem
who will be sent by God to inaugurate the final redemption in the end of days”
(p.132).
See also the bookleton The JewishTradition of Two Messiahs
See related-
Messiah- messias
Messiah- Anointed One
The Messiah- The Anointed One - similar but more notes
LORD
It is notable that Petermade a proclamation similar to the angel when he
stoodbefore the Jewishaudience and declared
“Therefore letall the house of Israel know for certain that God has made
Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whomyou crucified.” (Acts 2:36+)
Comment - See Acts 2:37+ for the impact of Peter's proclamation of Jesus as
"Lord and Christ"!
Savior, Christ and Lord are used togetherby Paul in his letter to the
Philippians...

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerlywaitfor a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ; (Php 3:20+)
Butler - The Lord is the title Luke uses most often for Jesus. This title refers
to the holy, unspeakable personalname of God himself. This baby in the
manger was God himself (cf. Lk 1:32,35), with all power and all authority
under heaven. Bow in obedience to the baby of Bethlehem. You will easilyfind
him, the only baby wrapped up like an infant but lying in the trough where
animals eat. (Ibid)
The name Lord (kurios) has already been used by Luke 16 times in chapter 1
to refer to God or Yahweh (Lk. 1:6; Lk. 1:9; Lk. 1:11; Lk. 1:15; Lk. 1:16; Lk.
1:17; Lk. 1:25; Lk. 1:28; Lk. 1:32; Lk. 1:38; Lk. 1:45; Lk. 1:46; Lk. 1:58; Lk.
1:66; Lk. 1:68; Lk. 1:76) and here the angelgives the same title to this
newborn Babe! The implication is clear. This is not just any baby, but is God
clothed in flesh and blood, the God-Man. See Wayne Grudem's Outline of
Jesus'Humanity In the Incarnation, the infinite God both became finite man
and remained infinite God, now come as Savior, Christ, and Lord! Paul's
words are apropos...
By common confession, greatis the mystery of godliness:He who was revealed
in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seenby angels, Proclaimedamong
the nations, Believedon in the world, Takenup in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
It is notable that Mary had already heard the Baby called"Lord" while He
was still in her womb. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, exclaimed
“And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to
me?" (Lk. 1:43+)
Lord (Master, Owner)(2962)(kurios from kuros = might or power) conveys
the sense ofa supreme one, one who is sovereignand possessesabsolute
authority, absolute ownership and uncontestedpower. Kurios is used of the
one to whom a person or thing belonged, about which he has the powerof
deciding, the one who is the masteror disposerof a thing (Mk 7:28).
We do not make Jesus "Lord" of our lives! He is Lord, period! In 1 Cor12:3
the confessionenabledby the Holy Spirit is that “Jesus is Lord." Paul says

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart
that God raisedHim from the dead, you will be saved." (Ro 10:9).
Kurios is used in the Septuagintrendering of the Messianic psalm, Ps 110:1 to
translate the Hebrew '
A Psalm of David. (DAVID SPEAKING)The LORD (Yahweh) says to my
Lord ('Adonay - Lxx = kurios)(DAVID'S LORD MESSIAH): “Sit at My right
hand Until I make Your enemies a footstoolforYour feet.”
Lenski adds that "Whenthe angelsaid ’Adon (ACTUALLY KURIOS
WHICH IN OT CORRESPONDSTO 'ADONAY), the shepherds understood
just as perfectly as when he said Mashiach(ACTUALLY "CHRISTOS")."
Lord is not merely a name that composesa title, but signifies a call to actionso
that every saint should willingly, reverently bow down to Jesus Christas
Lord. If Christ is our Lord, we are to live under Him, consciously, continually
submitting our wills to him as His loyal, loving bondservants ("love slaves"),
always seeking firstHis Kingdom and His righteousness (Mt6:33-note).
According to this practicalworking "definition" beloved we all need to ask
ourselves "Is Jesus Christ my Lord?". "Do I arise eachday, acknowledges
this is the day the Lord hath made?" (Ps 118:24-note)"Do I surrender my
will to His will as I begin eachday?" (cp Ro 12:1-note, Ro 12:2-note)And by
the way, we don't "make Jesus Lord." Jesus IS Lord, regardless ofour
response to His Lordship! Beloved, don't misunderstand. None of us have
"arrived" in this area of Jesus as Lord of our lives. And it is preciselyfor that
reasonthat Peter commands us to continually "grow (presentimperative) in
the grace (unmerited favor, powerto live the supernatural, abundant life in
Christ) and knowledge (notjust intellectual but transformational) of our Lord
and SaviorJesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of
eternity. Amen." (2 Pe 3:18-note)So do not be discouraged. Don't"throw in
the towel" as they say. Keep on keeping on, pressing (continually = present
tense)"on toward the goalfor the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus." (Php3:14-note)

One Silent Night
Read:Luke 2:1-14
Behold, I bring you goodtidings of greatjoy which will be to all people. —
Luke 2:10
Simon had emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States. His wife,
Kay, and all three of their children had been born in the US. Then Jenny
married Roberto from Panama. Bill married Vania from Portugal. And Lucas
married Bora from South Korea.
On Christmas Eve, as the family gatheredfor a celebration, they began
singing “SilentNight” in their native tongues—a sweetsoundindeed for the
Lord of the earth to hear as they celebratedthe birth of His Son.
Two thousand years ago, the silence of a quiet night ended abruptly when an
angeltold the shepherds a baby had been born: “Behold, I bring you good
tidings of greatjoy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Then a multitude
of angels beganpraising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, goodwilltowardmen!” (v.14). Christ the Lord, the Savior of the
world, was born!
God’s gracious gift, His Son, which was announced on that long-ago silent
night, is still available to everyone—“everytribe and nation” (Titus 2:11-14;
Rev. 5:9-10). “ForGod so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon,
that whoeverbelieves in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”
(John 3:16).
Silent night! holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories streamfrom heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia—
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
—Mohr
Heaven’s choir came down to sing when heaven’s King came down to save.

By Cindy Hess Kasper (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
In 1971, RayTomlinson was experimenting with ways people and computers
could interact. When he senta message fromhis computer through a network
to a different unit in his office, he had sent the first e-mail. Now decades later,
more than a billion e-mails are sent every day. Many contain important news
from family and friends, but others may carry unwanted advertising or a
destructive virus. A basic rule governing e-mail use is: “Don’topen it unless
you trust the sender.” God has sentus a messagein the Personof His Son, and
we can trust the Sender. In the Old Testament, Godspoke to His people
through the prophets and many rejectedGod’s Word. But it was all leading to
this: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the
fathers by the prophets, has in these lastdays spokento us by His Son, whom
He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds”
(Heb. 1:1-2).
"Where's The Baby Jesus?"
Read:Luke 2:1-12
There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. —Luke 2:11
It seems to happen earliereachyear. Stores put up Christmas decorations.
Newspaperads announce “the perfect Christmas gift.” Toy commercials
punctuate televisionshows. Christmas music fills the air. Before you know it,
there are banquets to attend, parties you can’t miss, gifts to wrap, family
gatherings to plan, baking to be done, and a host of other activities that
manage to crowd out the real meaning of Christmas.
Delores Van Belkum told me a story about her young grandsonthat drives
home the point. His mother and father had used a simple mangerscene to tell
Justin about Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Theywantedhim to know

that the Child born in Bethlehem was someone very special. As the holiday
approached, Justin went on a shopping trip with his mother and
grandmother. One salespersonshowedhim a sparkling display of Santas, toys,
and decorations. He was fascinated. But he spoke words that far surpassedhis
years when he lookedup and said, “But where’s the baby Jesus?”
This Christmas, let’s keepforemostin our minds the reasonfor the
celebration—the birth of God’s Son. Then, as people listen to our words and
observe our activities, they won’t ask, “Where’s the baby Jesus?”
Invite Him in this Christmas,
This Savior from above;
The gift He seeksyou need not wrap—
He only wants your love.
—Berg
Beware ofkeeping Christmas but losing Christ.
By David C. Egner| (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Changing History
Read:Luke 2:1-14
Lord. —Luke 2:11
Today when we can make international cell-phone calls, send worldwide e-
mail, and download images from space onour computers, it’s difficult to
imagine the impact of one small satellite the size of a basketball. But on
October4, 1957, the SovietUnion’s launching of Sputnik I, the world’s first
artificial satellite, ushered in the modern Space Age and changedthe course of
history. Nations rushed to catchup, technologicaldevelopmentaccelerated,
and fear alternatedwith hope about the meaning of it all for humanity.

But events that alter the presentand the future sometimes occurin obscurity.
That was true of the birth of Jesus—justone baby, born to an ordinary couple
in a small town. But it changedthe course ofhistory. The words of an angel
spokento shepherds beganto spread: “There is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Nineteen
centuries later, Phillips Brooks wrote ofBethlehem, “The hopes and fears of
all the years are met in thee tonight.”
When we open our lives to Christ the Lord and acknowledgeHim as our
Savior, the course of our future history is changed for time and eternity.
These “goodtidings of greatjoy” (v.10)are for everyone, everywhere.
The turning point in history
Occurredone night in Bethlehem;
And shepherds spreadthe glorious news
The angelhad announced to them.
—Hess
The hinge of history is found on the door of a Bethlehemstable.
By David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
The Meaning of a Name
Read:Matthew 1:18-25
You are to give him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:21
According to a New York Times article, children in many African countries
are often named after a famous visitor, specialevent, or circumstance that
was meaningful to the parents. When doctors told the parents of one child
that they could not cure the infant’s illness and only God knew if he would
live, the parents named their child Godknows.Another man said he was
named Enough, because his mother had 13 children and he was the last one!

There’s a reasonfor everyone’s name, and in some casesit also conveys a
specialmeaning.
Before Jesus was born, an angelof the Lord told Joseph, “[Mary]will give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his
people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which
means “the Lord saves.”In that day and culture, many children would have
been named Jesus, but only one came into this world to die so that all who
receive Him might live eternally, forgiven and freed from the power of sin.
In Jesus we see God's loving purpose & boundless #grace.
Charles Wesleywrote these words we often sing as Christmas nears:“Come,
Thou long-expectedJesus, born to setThy people free; from our fears and
sins release us;let us find our rest in Thee.”
Jesus came to turn our darkness into light, to transform our despair into
hope, and to save us from our sins.
Heavenly Father, in Jesus we see Your loving purpose and boundless grace.
We humbly acknowledgeYour Son as the One who came to save us from our
sins.
Jesus’name and mission are the same—He came to save us.
By David C. McCasland| See Other Authors
INSIGHT Josephis a popular biblical name. The first Josephin the Bible is
Jacob’s sonwho, after being sold into slavery by his brothers, rose to great
influence in Egypt (Gen. 37–50). Two otherJosephs are mentioned in the Old
Testamentperiod: a musician (1 Chron. 25:2, 9) and one in the lineage of
Christ (see Luke 3:24, 30). In the New Testamentwe begin with the earthly
father of Jesus (Luke 2; Matt. 1). Next is Josephof Arimathea, who assistedin
Jesus’burial (Matt. 27:57). Finally, we read of JosephBarsabbas (Acts 1:23),
who was consideredto fill Judas’ vacatedapostolic office;and Josephthe
encourager, betterknown as Barnabas (Acts 4:36). (Our Daily Bread,
Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission.
All rights reserved)

Celebrate The Baby
Read:Luke 2:8-14
Lord. —Luke 2:11
Why do we celebrate Jesus’birthday so differently from other birthdays?
When it’s time to honor historicalfigures who have a day set aside for them,
we don’t think about them as babies. We don’t have pictures of cute little Abe
Lincoln in his log cabin in Kentucky. No, we remember him for his
contributions as an adult.
For Jesus, though, it is proper that today we celebrate Him as a child. Think
about it. When He was born, shepherds came to honor Him (Lk. 2:15-16).
Later, wisemenbrought Him gifts (Mt. 2:8-12). These people had no idea what
Christ would eventually accomplish. But they were right in doing what they
did, because Jesus’birth was the most remarkable event in human history.
Jesus as a baby was remarkable because He was Godin human form. He was
the Creatorof the universe visiting this planet. Nevershrink from celebrating
this baby at Christmas. Marvel at His incarnation, and stand in awe of a
wiggly baby who had createdHis worshipers. Thenstep back in wonder, for
the story gets evenbetter. This divine baby grew into a perfect man who
willingly died for your sins and mine.
Celebrate the baby, but trust the Savior. That’s how to make Christmas
complete.
How wonderful that we on Christmas morn,
Though centuries have passedsince Christ was born,
May worship still the Living Lord of men,
Our Savior, Jesus, Babe ofBethlehem.
—Hutchings

A wise man today will bow not only at the manger but also at the cross.
By Dave Branon(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
EXCURSUS ON FIRST CENTURY
MESSIANIC EXPECTATIONS
Source:Andreas Kostenbergerand StewartAlexander's - The First Days of
Jesus:The Story of the Incarnation
Was every first-century Jew sitting on the edge of his or her seat, waiting and
longing for the coming of God’s Messiah? It’s hard to determine the exact
extent of messianic expectationamong average Jewsatthis time. Certainly
many Jews were quite contentwith the status quo and had no desire to see
everything turned upside down, particularly those with some degree of
political or religious power in the Sanhedrin (the ruling Jewishcouncil), such
as members of the Sadducees (Jerusalem’s leading aristocracy). We can
reasonablyassume that, in contrastto the economic, political, and religious
elite, many ordinary people cherishedsome form of messianic expectation.
This assessmentis supported by evidence in Jewishliterature, records of
failed messianic movements, and the revolt that led to the destruction of
Jerusalemby the Romans in AD 70. Grounded in the above-mentioned Old
Testamentprophetic texts, this hope intensified over centuries of
nonfulfillment and oppressionby other nations and godless rulers.
Widespreadexpectationcenteredon a political Davidic messiahwho would
overthrow Romanrule, destroy the enemies of Israel, and establishpeace and
prosperity in an independent Jewishstate. Messianic expectationfilled the
Palestinianair throughout the first century; all that was neededwas a spark,
or, as we see with the hindsight of history, the birth of a royal child.
JEWISHMESSIANIC EXPECTATIONSPRECEDING JESUS’BIRTH -
First-century PalestinianJudaism was characterizedby intense longing for
God to deliver his people basedon Old Testamentpromises. The Gospels bear
witness to this expectation, but they are not alone. The desperate yearning of
an oppressedpeople finds expressionin many other texts from the same

period. Messianic expectations in SecondTemple Judaism were both diverse
and pervasive. We cite severalprimary sources below to serve as a resource
that gives you accessto some of the most important Jewishtexts from this
period. This small sampling of Jewishtexts attests to messianic expectations in
the literature of this period. These significanttexts bear witness to active
expectations that God would act through his agents to fulfill his promises
around the time of Jesus’s birth. The Gospelinfancy narratives echo this same
expectationand proclaim boldly that Jesus fulfilled all these hopes and
dreams. The first Christians did not invent these expectations orfoist
messianic interpretations on Old Testamenttexts;such expectations were
widespreadduring the centuries preceding Jesus’s birth and the century
following it.
Psalms of Solomon17:21–18:9
The text from the Psalms of Solomonis representative of the kind of messianic
expectationpresupposedin the Gospelnarratives and can be dated
confidently to between70 and 45 BC (it was not written by the biblical
Solomon).
See, Lord, and raise up for them their king,
the sonof David, to rule over your servantIsrael
in the time knownto you, O God.
Undergird him with the strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers,
to purge Jerusalemfrom gentiles
who trample her to destruction;
in wisdom and in righteousness to drive out
the sinners from the inheritance;
to smashthe arrogance ofsinners
like a potter’s jar;
To shatter all their substance with an iron rod;

to destroy the unlawful nations with the word of his mouth;
At his warning the nations will flee from his presence;
and he will condemn sinners by the thoughts of their hearts....
(Kostenberger's quote is much longerand is followedby other non-Biblical
records that spoke ofa messianic expectation. See book)
...This brief overview of some of the chief primary sources relatedto Jewish
messianic hopes illustrates the diverse expectations presentwithin Judaism
during the time of Jesus. Despite the diversity, severalelements unify the
texts. The most significantunifying theme was the belief that God would
indeed actthrough his Messiahto establishhis kingdom in the lastdays. The
earliestChristians declared Jesus to be this Messiahbasedupon their reading
of the Old Testamentin light of Jesus’s life, miracles, teaching, and, most
importantly, resurrection. Jewishmessianic expectationswere not finally
crushed in Palestine until the Jewishrevolt under Simon Bar Kokhba in the
years AD 132–135. Simonchose the name Bar Kokhba (“sonof a star”) to
connecthimself with the messianic prophecy in Numbers 24:17 that a star
would arise out of Jacob. Akiva ben Joseph, a famous rabbi during the time of
the BarKokhba revolt, apparently endorsedhim as the long-awaitedMessiah,
and some at the time describedSimon BarKokhba’s brief rule of two and a
half years as the era of the redemption of Israel. The massive devastationthat
followedRome’s decisive response effectivelyended Jewishmessianic
expectationand gave rise to rabbinic Judaism.
Joy for All - By David McCasland- On the final day of a Christian publishing
conference in Singapore, 280 participants from 50 countries gatheredin the
outdoor plaza of a hotel for a group photo. From the second-floorbalcony, the
photographer took many shots from different angles before finally saying,
“We’re through.” A voice from the crowdshouted with relief, “Well, joy to
the world!” Immediately, someone replied by singing, “The Lord is come.”
Others beganto join in. Soonthe entire group was singing the familiar carol

in beautiful harmony. It was a moving display of unity and joy that I will
never forget.
In Luke’s accountof the Christmas story, an angelannounced the birth of
Jesus to a group of shepherds saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good
news that will cause greatjoy for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).
The goodnews of Jesus’s birth is a source of joy for all people.
The joy was not for a few people, but for all. “ForGod so loved the world that
He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16).
As we share the life-changing messageofJesus with others, we join the
worldwide chorus in proclaiming “the glories ofHis righteousness and
wonders of His love.”
“Joyto the world, the Lord is come!”
Father, give us eyes to see people of all nations as recipients of Your grace and
joy.
The goodnews of Jesus’s birth is a source of joy for all people. (Our Daily
Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Something Happened Here
Read:Luke 2:8-20
Lord. —Luke 2:11
Christians are divided in their thinking about Christmas. Some want to give
up on it and hand it over to the department stores. Others wantto salvage it
and use it to saysomething important about the birth of Jesus to a weary
secularworld. I, for one, would like to take my place with the secondgroup.

Years ago an old pioneer journeyed westwardacross the greatplains until he
came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawkedat the
sight before him—a vast chasm 1 mile deep, 18 miles across,and stretching
out of sight. He gasped, “Something must have happened here!”
At the Christmas season, anyone who stops to look and listen must ask some
questions about what the hustle and noise is all about. A thoughtful man or
woman, seeing the lights, the decorations, the festivities, and the religious
services might also conclude, “Something must have happened here!”
Of course, something did happen. We need to tell the world about it. God has
visited our planet. His Son Jesus Christ came to revealGod and to die for our
sin (Jn. 1:1-14).
It’s the best news ever. God became one with us that we might live forever
with Him. Merry Christmas!
Beyond all else this day should be
A day of holiest memory,
When all the world should joyfully
See Christ the Lord in Christmas.
—Anon.
God came to live with us that we might live with Him.
By Haddon W. Robinson (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries,
A Joyous Celebration
Read:Matthew 1:18-25
Behold, I bring you goodtidings of greatjoy which will be to all people. —
Luke 2:10

When God shows His goodness, He loves to see us respond with joy. For
example, when God brought the Israelites back from captivity, He told them
to hold a festival to commemorate the rebuilding of the temple and the walls
of Jerusalem(Nehemiah 8). And celebrate they did!
If God wanted the Israelites to rejoice because ofHis goodness, wouldHe
condemn us for a festive spirit at Christmas? Was not the angel’s messageto
the shepherds one of “goodtidings of great joy”? (Luke 2:10).
It’s true that the Bible does not tell us to celebrate Jesus’birthday. We don’t
even know the exactdate, and much about the seasonhas a pagan
background. But that doesn’t make it wrong to celebrate if Christ is kept
uppermost in our lives. We don’t think of mistletoe, holly, and evergreens as
being pagan any more than we associate Sundayand Monday with the
worship of the sun and the moon gods after which these days are named. Just
because unbelievers abuse Christmastime doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy
the holiday.
Keep Christ central. Celebrate His birth. Sing carols. Gatherfor family fun.
Even make shopping an occasionfor remembering God’s goodness. Whenwe
love Jesus and put Him first, He blesses our festivities.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic hosts proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
—Wesley
We canenjoy Christmas because we know the joy of Christ.
By Herbert Vander Lugt | (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries,
The Seventh Stanza

Read:Luke 2:8-14
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah,
the Lord. Luke 2:11
In the summer of 1861, Henry WadsworthLongfellow’s wife, Frances, died
tragicallyin a fire. That first Christmas without her, he wrote in his diary,
“How inexpressibly sadare the holidays.” The next year was no better, as he
recorded, “ ‘A merry Christmas,’say the children, but that is no more for
me.”
In 1863, as the American Civil War was dragging on, Longfellow’s son joined
the army againsthis father’s wishes and was critically injured. On Christmas
Day that year, as church bells announced the arrival of anotherpainful
Christmas, Longfellow picked up his pen and began to write, “I Heard the
Bells on Christmas Day.”
God makes everything new.
The poem begins pleasantly, lyrically, but then takes a dark turn. The violent
imagery of the pivotal fourth verse ill suits a Christmas carol. “Accursed”
cannons “thundered,” mocking the messageofpeace. Bythe fifth and sixth
verses, Longfellow’s desolationis nearly complete. “It was as if an earthquake
rent the hearth-stones of a continent,” he wrote. The poet nearly gave up:
“And in despairI bowed my head; ‘There is no peace onearth,’ I said.”
But then, from the depths of that bleak Christmas day, Longfellow heard the
irrepressible sound of hope. And he wrote this seventh stanza.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He
sleep!The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to
men!”
The war ragedon and so did memories of his personaltragedies, but it could
not stopChristmas. The Messiahis born! He promises, “I am making
everything new!” (Rev. 21:5).
Immanuel—God with us!

By Tim Gustafson|
INSIGHT It is likely that the shepherds in Luke 2 were not just ordinary
shepherds. Because the shepherds’ fields of Bethlehem were so close to
Jerusalem, many scholars believe that these were temple shepherds who
raisedthe sheepthat would be used at the temple sacrifice. If so, this
announcement becomes ananticipation of the proclamation of John the
Baptist when he first saw Jesus:“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes awaythe
sin of the world!” (John 1:29). These sheepdestined for sacrifice wouldbe
replacedby God’s perfect Lamb—His one and only Son. (Our Daily Bread,
Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission.
All rights reserved)
STEVEN COLE
Luke 2:10-11 The QuestionYou Must Answer
Steven Cole
A four-year-old boy and his family were sitting outdoors enjoying lemonade
and cookieswhena bee started buzzing around the table. The boy was very
upset and his mother tried to calm him. “Nathan, that bee is more afraid of
you than you are of him,” she said. “Look how much biggeryou are. Besides,
if that bee stings you, his stinger will fall out and he’ll die.”
Nathan consideredthis for a moment and then asked, “Doesthe bee know
that?” (Adapted from Reader's Digest[06/93], p. 20.)
That was a goodquestion! There are important questions in life that we need
to ask and answercorrectly:“Is there a God?” “How canI know Him?” “Is
there life after death?” “Do heavenand hell exist?” “If so, where will I go
when I die?” “How canI know for certain that I’m right about the answers to
these questions?”

At the root of all these important questions is a crucialquestion that every
person must answer. In fact, every person will answerthis question, either
now or at the judgment. But if you wait to answerit until the judgment, it will
be too late! You will answerit correctlythere, but the answerwill condemn
you to an eternity in hell without God. So you need to answerit correctlynow!
The question you must answerand respond to correctlyis, “Who is Jesus
Christ?”
The correctanswerto this question will answerall of the questions I just
asked:“Is there a God?” Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. “How canI
know Him?” You canonly know God through His Son Jesus Christ. “Is there
life after death?” Jesus tells us authoritatively how to go to heavenand avoid
hell. “How canI know for certain that I’m right about the answers to these
questions?” Are the accounts about Jesus and His claims true or false? Is
there adequate evidence to believe these accounts?Especially, is there
historically valid evidence that Jesus arose bodily from the dead? The apostle
Paul did not hesitate to hang the entire Christian faith on the answerto that
one question (1 Cor. 15:14, 17).
You will have times when you struggle with doubts that stem from difficult
questions: How cana loving God permit the terrible suffering and injustice in
the world? How can God be three persons and yet one God? How cancertain
biblical accounts that seemto contradict eachother be harmonized? These
and many more questions may trip you up. But if you come back to the
correctanswerto the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” it will be the bedrock
to stand on as you work through your doubts and questions.
You will also have times when you are strongly tempted to sin. How canyou
resist? It seems like sinning will bring you happiness and pleasure. If you
forgetwho Jesus is, you will probably succumb. But if you remember who He
is, you will be able to withstand the temptation.
You will also have times when you will go through difficult trials. It will seem
as if God has forgottenyou. You won’t understand why these things are
happening. In your grief, you will be confused. But coming back to this crucial
question will give you perspective to sustainyou through your trials.

So the correctanswerto this question determines how you think and how you
live. It determines where you will spend eternity. Thus it is not surprising that
the answerto this question is the major focus of eachof the gospelnarratives.
John, for example, plainly states that he wrote his gospel(20:31), “so that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you
may have life in His name.” Arguably, the identity of Jesus is the focus of the
entire Bible. But for sake of time, I want to examine this question, “Who is
Jesus Christ?” in the context of Luke and then zero in on the words of the
angelto the shepherds.
Luke hits the matter of Jesus’identity early and then throughout the book.
Luke begins his gospelby telling his original reader, Theophilus, that he has
researchedthese matters carefully (Luke 1:1-4). He claims to write this
accountso that Theophilus will know the exacttruth. In other words, Luke is
writing an accurate historicalaccount. This is not fiction!
First, Luke gives the accountof the birth of John the Baptist, the prophesied
forerunner of the Messiah. Thenhe follows with the visit of the angelto Mary.
He revealed to Mary both the miraculous means of her conceptionand the
identity of her offspring (Luke 1:35): “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the MostHigh will overshadow you; and for that reasonthe
holy Child shall be calledthe Sonof God.”
We will come back to the angel’s announcement to the shepherds. But just
after Jesus’birth, both Simeon and Anna bore witness to the factthat this
child was the Lord’s Christ, the Savior, and the redeemer (Luke 2:26, 30, 38).
When the crowds wonderedif John the Baptist might be the Christ, he denied
it and statedthat he was not fit to untie the thong of Jesus’sandals because
Jesus was farmightier than he (Luke 3:16).
Even Satantacitly acknowledgedJesus’identity when he challengedHim
(Luke 4:3), “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Again he taunted from the pinnacle of the temple (Luke 4:9), “If You are the
Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.” He was trying to use the truth
to camouflage his temptation. At the beginning of Jesus’public ministry, the
demons also recognizedthat He is “the Holy One of God” and “the Son of

Jesus was christ the lord

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Jesus was christ the lord

Similar to Jesus was christ the lord (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus was christ the lord