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Jesus was christ the lord

The document reflects on the significance of Jesus Christ's birth, emphasizing that God often chooses the humble and faithful for His purposes. It discusses the joyous announcement made to shepherds, highlighting the birth of a savior as a message of hope and redemption for all humanity. The text further encourages a perspective of humility, purity, and reliance on divine grace rather than human means in the journey of faith.

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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 Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Changing History Read:Luke 2:1-14 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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 Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) 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 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) 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, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) 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
God” (Luke 4:34, 41). Although they were not and could not be subject to Him, they still knew the truth about who He is. When Peter experiencedthe miraculous catchof fish, he instantly recognized that Jesus is the holy Lord and that he had no basis to be in His presence. He cried out (Luke 5:8), “Go awayfrom me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” When Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins (prior to healing him to prove His authority to forgive sins), the Pharisees grumbled (Luke 5:21), “Who is this man who speaksblasphemies? Who canforgive sins, but God alone?” Who indeed? Later, when John the Baptist was in prison, he struggledwith doubts. He sent messengersto Jesus asking (Luke 7:19), “Are You the One who is coming, or do we look for someone else?”Jesussentback the reply, based on a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah35, (Luke 7:22-23), “Go and report to John what you have seenand heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospelpreached to them. Blessedis he who does not take offense at Me.” Jesus’miracles and teaching revealedHis identity. Later, when Jesus was having dinner with a Pharisee, He forgave the sins of the womanwho anointed His feet. The other guests grumbled (Luke 7:49), “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” Luke repeats the same crucial question after Jesus calmedthe storm. The disciples fearfully asked(Luke 8:25), “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Later, Herod heard about the miracles that Jesus was performing. He worried that maybe John the Baptist had risen from the dead. So Herod said (Luke 9:9), “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” He askedthe right question, but he never answeredit correctly! Later, Jesus asksthe twelve (Luke 9:18), “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” After they give some of the incorrectanswers, Jesus pointedly asks (Luke 9:20), “But who do you say that I am?” Peterresponded with his confession, “The Christof God.” Yet even then, the disciples had many erroneous notions about who Jesus was. Theydid not understand that the
Christ had to suffer before He entered into His glory (Luke 24:26). The ultimate confessioncomesfrom God the Father, who testified at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22), “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” And, againat Jesus’transfiguration, the Fathertestified (Luke 9:35), “This is My Son, My ChosenOne; listen to Him!” If we had the time, we could work our way through the entire Gospelof Luke (as well as the other Gospels)and see the words and deeds of Jesus, allof which testify to His identity. After His resurrection, Jesus explains to the disciples that all of Scripture testifies to Him (Luke 24:27, 44). But I want to focus briefly on Jesus’identity as the angelproclaimed it to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’birth (Luke 2:10-11), “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you goodnews of greatjoy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This is a unique statement, in that the word “Savior” is only used two other times in the gospels. In Luke 1:47, Mary said that she “rejoicedin God my Savior.” It occurs once in John 4:42. Other than that, “Savior” in the Gospels only occurs here at Jesus’birth. Also, the words “Christ the Lord” translate a Greek expressionfound nowhere else in the New Testament(Leon Morris, Luke [IVP/Eerdmans], p. 85). It is literally, “Christ Lord.” So the angel’s pronouncement should arrestour attention. 1. Jesus is fully human. Luke, who probably interviewed Mary, gives more detail to the miracle of the virgin birth than any other New Testamentauthor, explaining that the Holy Spirit performed this miracle in Mary’s body (Lk 1:34-35). In this unique way, Godtook on human flesh in the person of Jesus. Jesus wasborn in the city of David, which is Bethlehem. Luke will go on to show that Jesus grew up as a boy, gradually attaining maturity (Lk 2:40-52). Luke also traces Jesus’ physical genealogyallthe wayback to Adam, showing that Jesus was descendedfrom David (Lk 3:23-38). All of these historicaldetails mean that the Christmas story is not a legend, but rather is a true accountof the life of a realman. It is based on the eyewitness testimonyof credible people. We need to emphasize this in our day.
So many legends, suchas Santa Claus, have become intertwined with the Christmas story that people lump them all togetherand forgetthat the birth of Jesus Christ as reported in the Bible is true history. Some may ask, “Who cares if it’s history or not? The story about Josephand Mary, the Christ child, the angels, the wise men, the shepherds, and the manger, is a heartwarming tale that children love to hear. It helps everyone focus on peace onearth for a few days every year. So what difference does it make whether it’s really true or not?” It makes all the difference in the world! If it’s just a heartwarming legend, you canchoose to believe or disbelieve it, based on how it makes you feel. It’s a completely subjective decision, binding on no one. But if the story actually happened as Luke reports, then the birth of Jesus confronts every personwith objective facts that cannot be shrugged off as personalopinion. The factthat these events happened means that Godexists and that He truly broke into human history in the birth of Jesus in fulfillment of many prophecies. The factthat God sent Jesus as a Saviorimplies that people without the Savior are alienatedfrom Godand desperatelyneed to be reconciledto Him through the forgiveness oftheir sins. These facts mean that you don’t just believe in Jesus becauseit makes you feel warm and happy inside, or because He helps you face life’s problems or because you like the Christian traditions. It means that you believe the Christian message because itis true. Even if it brings you persecutionand death, you cling to it because it is authentic history. Jesus came to earth as a man to bear our sins. 2. Jesus is the Savior. The angeltells the shepherds that this goodnews of greatjoy for all people is that a Saviorhas been born. The name “Jesus,” revealedto Josephby the angel(Matt. 1:21), means, “Yahweh saves.”Jesusdid not come as a nice man offering a new philosophy about life. He did not come as a great moral teacher, offering some helpful insights on how to live a happy life. He came as the Savior!
A number of years ago, a toddler fell down a narrow well. Her mother went looking for her as soonas she realized she was missing and was horrified to hear her daughter’s voice coming from this deep, dark shaft. Fire fighters and other rescuers soonswarmedon the scene. News media arrived and for hours the attention of the nation was riveted on the desperate attempt to rescue that little girl before it was too late. That little girl didn’t need anyone to give her some ideas on how to live a happy life. She was doomed if someone didn’t save her from death. The most important news that that desperate mother could hear in that situation was, “The rescuers have savedyour daughter!” When someone is lost and within hours of death unless they are saved, the only news that matters is that a saviorhas come who can rescue that doomed person. The goodnews that a Saviorhas been born who is Christ the Lord is the best news in the world, because it deals with the most important issue of all, namely, where you will spend eternity. If you die and do not have Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will spend eternity under the judgment of a holy God (John 3:36). But in His mercy, God sent Jesus to save us from our sins! 3. Jesus is the Christ. “Messiah” is the Hebrew and “Christ” is the Greek word for “Anointed One.” It refers to Jesus as the Anointed King and Priest, who brings God’s salvation to His people. In the Old Testament, the only two office bearers to be anointed were the King and the High Priest. Jesus brought both of these offices togetherin one person. The title, Christ, especiallyfocusesonthe fact that Jesus is the One who fulfilled all the Old Testamentprophecies about the promised Savior. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His sinless life, sacrificialdeath, and bodily resurrection. He is coming a secondtime, not to offer salvation, but to judge the world and reign in righteousness. Since Jesus is God's Anointed One, we dare not ignore or reject Him! Thus Jesus is fully human. He is the Savior. He is the Christ. 4. Jesus is the Lord.
The title means that Jesus is God. What a mystery, yet true: The man Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is God in human flesh! A mere man could not have died for the sins of the human race. If He had been an angelor some super-human being, He could not have borne human sins. But as the sinless God-man, He alone could bear our sins. The Jehovah’s Witnessesand the Mormons saythat Jesus is the Savior, but they deny that He is God. But we must interpret Lord in light of its use in the Old Testamentand in light of its context in Luke. In the Old Testament, the Lord clearly is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!It is used over 6,000 times in the Septuagintto translate “Yahweh” (Darrell Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 [Baker], p. 218). It refers to Jesus’sovereigntyand deity. Luke uses the same word in Lk 1:43, where Elizabeth refers to Mary, who is carrying Jesus, as “the mother of my Lord.” She also adds that Mary was blessedbecause she believedthe word spokento her by the Lord (Lk 1:45). In the next verse (Lk 1:46), Mary breaks into praise, exclaiming, “My soul exalts the Lord....” When Elizabeth gives birth to John, everyone heard that the Lord had displayed His greatmercy towardher (Lk 1:58). As the child grew, Luke states that the hand of the Lord was with him (Lk 1:66). When Zacharias broke into praise, he blessedthe Lord God of Israel(Lk 1:68). In Lk 2:9, Luke says that the angelof the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. He uses it in Lk 2:23 to refer to “the law of the Lord” and “holy to the Lord.” If Lord means something different in verse 11 than it does in these many other references in chapters 1 & 2, surely Luke would have clarified it. The angel means that Jesus, born to the virgin Mary, is none other than God in human flesh. The Savior had to be man to bear the sins of humans; but He also had to be God so that His sacrifice had merit before God’s holy throne. Only Jesus is that unique Savior. So the correctanswerto the crucial question that you must answeris, “Jesus is fully human, He is the Savior, He is the Christ, and He is the Lord God.” But, you can answerthat question correctlyand yet go to hell. As we’ve seen,
the devil and his demons know the correctanswerto that question, but they are not saved. 5. You must respond to Jesus as your Savior and Lord with personalfaith and submission. The angelannounces that this goodnews of the Savior’s birth is for all the people (Lk 2:10). But then he gets personal(Lk 2:11), “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” You must respond personallyby trusting Jesus as the only one who cansave you from God’s judgment and by submitting to Him as your Lord. Use these shepherds as an example of how you should respond. They didn’t say, “Wow, that was really some experience, seeing all those angels,” andsit there the restof the night with their sheep. They didn’t sit around discussing theologyafter the angelspoke to them. They didn’t say, “Thanks for the news, but we’ve always believed this,” and stay where they were at. No, they responded to the news by believing what God had revealedto them through the angel. Their faith was demonstratedby their going straight to Bethlehem to see it for themselves and then to return glorifying and praising God (Luke 2:15, 20). And what did they see? “Maryand Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Luke 2:16). No halo. No angels hovering there. Jesus didn’t look like a Savior. No palace. The place lookedand smelledlike a barn, because that’s what it was. They could have scoffedand stumbled over it, as many do. What about you? Will you scoffor stumble over the simple but profound messagethat the baby Jesus, bornin Bethlehem, whose birth was announced by the angels to these simple shepherds, is Christ the Lord, a Saviorborn for you? Jesus didn’t leave heaven and come to this earth and go through the suffering of the cross just to give you a boostor a few tips on how to have a happy life. He knew that you desperatelyneed a Savior. He alone can save you from the penalty of God’s wrath because of your sins. But, how will you respond to this goodnews? Conclusion
So the crucial question that you must answerand respond to correctlyis, “Who is Jesus Christ?” One day, everyone will get it right. The apostle Paul says (Phil. 2:10-11)that “at the name of Jesus everyknee will bow, of those who are in heavenand on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess thatJesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” But some will bow on that greatday in terror as they hear the Lord say (Matt. 25:41), “Departfrom Me, accursedones, into the eternalfire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Theyrespondedtoo late to the question we all must answer, “Who is Jesus Christ?” But you can respond correctlyright now! You can welcome Jesus Christas your Savior from God’s judgment. You can bow before Him now as your Lord. Then on that day you will hear Him say (Matt. 25:34), “Come, you who are blessedof My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Application Questions 1. What would you say to the person who said, “If Jesus works for you, that’s great, but that’s not my thing”? 2. Why is it crucial to affirm the full humanity and full deity of Jesus Christ? Can a person be savedwho denies Jesus’deity? 3. How does answering the question about Jesus’identity affecthow we think and live? 4. Is it necessaryto feel lostin order to get saved? How can we share the gospelwith those who don’t fee STEVEN COLE Luke 2:8-11 The BestNews In The World
Steven Cole A wife said to her husband, “Shallwe watchthe six o’clock news and get indigestion or wait for the eleven o’clock andhave insomnia?” One wag put it, “The evening news is where they begin with ‘Goodevening’--and then tell you why it isn’t.” We live in a world filled with tragedy. If there’s anything this hurting world desperatelyneeds, it is goodnews. Not only the world in general, but individuals need goodnews because their lives are strewnwith suffering and sorrow. The Christmas story as told by Luke offers not only goodnews, but the bestnews in the world: The angeltold the shepherds, “I bring you good news of a greatjoy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The best news in the world is that Christ the Lord has come as the Saviorfor all. Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s nice, but to be quite honest, it doesn’t relate to the problems I’m facing. It may give people a brief feeling of hope and peace everyChristmas, but then we have to get back to reality. To be honest, this story doesn’t touch the pain I feel or the tragedy I struggle with on a daily basis.” But if you’re thinking that, you don’t understand the significance ofthis news as it relates to you personally. The news that “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” is absolutelythe best news there is or ever could be. 1. This is the best news because it centers on the most unique Personin history. “There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v. 11). I’ll focus in a moment on the fact that He is the Savior. For now, considerthat ... A. Jesus is the Christ.
The word is Greek for “anointed one” (the Hebrew is “Messiah”).It means that Jesus is the one sent and anointed by God the Father for His mission of salvation. He was anointed as a prophet to preach the gospel, as priest to offer Himself as the sacrifice forour sins, and as king to reign. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His sinless life, sacrificialdeathand resurrection. B. Jesus is the Lord. The same word is used in verses 9, 22, and 23 to refer to JehovahGod. What a mystery, yet true: The Savior born in Bethlehem is God in human flesh. If He had been only a man, He could not have died for the sins of the human race. If He had been an angel, He could not have borne human sins. But He was Christ the Lord, God! God alone is greatenough to deal with our sins. C. Jesus is a man. He was born in Bethlehem. He didn’t descendfrom the sky, fully grown. He was conceivedmiraculously by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb and went through the stagesofdevelopment just like any other human baby. What a wonder! As a man, the representative Man, He could bear the sins of the human race. As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ is unique in all the world. He alone qualifies to be the Savior of the world. If you doubt the uniqueness of Jesus, I invite you to read the Gospelaccounts with an open heart, and you will be convinced that He can be nothing other than fully God and fully man united in one person. That makes the news He brings about salvationthe bestnews in the world, “goodnews ofa greatjoy.” 2. This is the best news because ofthe type of news it is. A. It is the best news because it is the most important news in the world. Jesus did not come as a nice man offering a new philosophy about life. He did not come as a greatmoral teacher, giving some interesting tips and helpful insights on how to live a happy life. He came as the Savior! The only people who need a Saviorare those in great peril. Even though you may not be aware
of it, without Jesus as your Savior, you are lost, under God’s judgment! If you die without Him as your Savior, you are eternally lost! A number of years ago, a toddler fell down a narrow well. Her mother went looking for her as soonas she realized she was missing and was horrified to hear her daughter’s voice coming from this deep, dark shaft. Fire fighters and other rescuers soonswarmedon the sight. News media arrived and for hours the attention of the nation was riveted on that field where desperate attempts were being made to rescue that little girl before it was too late. That little girl didn’t need anyone to give her some ideas on how to live a happy life. She was doomed if someone didn’t save her from certain death. The most important news that desperate mother could hear in that situation was, “The rescuers have reachedyour daughter and she has been saved!” You could have walkedup to that mother as she anxiously awaitedthe outcome and told her, “I just heard on the evening news that it’s going to be sunny and warmer tomorrow.” Big deal! That’s nice news, but it’s not important when your child is lost down a deep well. You could have reported to her, “Theyjust said on the news that the economy is on an upswing.” Wonderful, but trivial comparedto the only news that mattered to that mother. When someone is lost and within hours of death unless they are saved, the only news that matters is that a savior has come who can rescue that doomed person. That’s why the goodnews that a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord is the best news in the world, because it deals with the most important issue of all, namely, where a person will spend eternity. Eachperson in this world is lost without the Savior. It is only a matter of time until they die without Christ and enter eternity under the judgment of a holy God. But in His mercy, God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. That is the most important news in the world! B. It is the bestnews because it is true news.
Goodnews is only goodif it is true. If I told you, “You’ve just inherited a million dollars,” you would only regard it as good news if it was true. If I was just making it up, it isn’t a cause for greatjoy. The news that Jesus Christis born as a Savioris nothing more than a sick joke if it is not true news. If it’s just a nice legendthat warms our hearts every Christmas, forget it! If it’s not absolutely true, then it only offers false hope for eternity, when really there is none. But if it’s true that Jesus Christcan save us from our sins so that we do not come under the judgment of a holy God, then we must believe and acton it. The Christmas story is not a fairy tale. It happened in history: “Todayin the city of David there has been born ...” (Lk 2:11). It happened on a particular day in history in a geographic locationthat was prophesiedcenturies before. The shepherds went and saw a live human baby. We’re not talking make- believe; we’re talking true history. Luke begins his gospelby telling us that he investigatedeverything carefully from the beginning (Lk 1:3). Mostscholars think that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was Luke’s direct source for the information in the birth narrative (Lk 2:19). To doubt the veracity of these events as recordedis to pit your word againstthat of a woman of integrity who was personallycloserto these events than anyone else. The historicalaccuracyof these events is further confirmed by the witness of the shepherds. There was no reasonfor them to fabricate a story about seeing the angels. Masshallucinations of this sortare highly unlikely. In verse 20 we’re told that the things the shepherds heard and saw were “just as had been told them.” The things they heard and saw--a common couple and their baby in a stable-- were not the sort of things one would fabricate. If you were going to make up a story about the birth of the Savior, surely it would have sounded more like a fairy tale in a palace, with royal attendants and a baby that had a specialglow around him. Instead we read of a common couple and a baby lying in a feeding trough.
Yes, there were miracles--the virgin conceptionof Jesus in Mary’s womb; the angels appearing to the shepherds. But these events are presented matter-of- factly, not embellished in a way that sounds make-believe. Unless you rule out miracles because you assume they can’t happen, there is no reasonto doubt these reliable eyewitness accounts. The truth of the narrative is further confirmed by the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Luke states that Jesus was born in the city of David. Micah5:2 had prophesied 700 years before that Bethlehem would be the place of Messiah’s birth. In Luke 1, Zacharias’prophecy shows how the birth of John the Baptistfulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and would be followedby the coming of Messiah. In Luke 2:29-32, Simeonrecognizes that this child fulfills the Old Testamenthope for Messiah. In Luke 3, Jesus’lineage is traced back through David, thus fulfilling God’s promise to David 1,000 years before. We live in a culture that has largelyabandoned the notion of absolute truth. Truth, for most Americans (and for many who claim to be evangelical Christians), is whateverworks for the individual. If Zen Buddhism works for someone, then it is true for him; if Christianity works for another, then it is true, too, even though the two systems are mutually contradictory. The notion of objective truth has been replacedwith subjective experience. But if Jesus was born in history to the virgin Mary, if He is the fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years before His birth, and if the events surrounding His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascensionare verified by hundreds of reliable eyewitnesses, thenyou can’t shrug it off as a nice story that is true for some but not true for others. Believing in Jesus as your Savior is not just one option among many. It’s not something you can believe if it helps you to feel goodinside, but if it doesn’t work, you can discard. If Jesus is who the prophets predicted, who the angels proclaimed, who He Himself claimed to be and verified by His miracles, then your eternaldestiny depends on your response to Him. C. It is the best news because it is timely news.
News isn’t really exciting news if it’s old or if it relates to something in the far- distant future. If you tell me that PresidentKennedy was shot, it doesn’t greatly affectme, because that’s old news. If you tell me that I will inherit a million dollars when I turn 70, that’s great, but it’s so far off that it doesn’t help me much right now. The best news is news that relates to me right now. Notice the words in the story that give a sense ofurgency to this message to the shepherds:“today” (Lk 2:11); “Let us go straight to Bethlehem” (Lk 2:15); “they came in haste” (v. 16). The goodnews about Jesus the Savioris timely, urgent news because it comes to people who, like these shepherds, sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Lk 1:79). Last Sunday, Don Massey didn’t know that it would be his last time in church. He went home, beganto shovelsnow, had a heart attack, and died at age 34. If he had died outside of Christ, he would have been lost. Scripture implores us, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). You may not have tomorrow. It’s not something to put off for another day. It also promises, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). As many Scriptures show, Godsaves you the instant you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You need not cleanup your life first. You don’t have to attend classes to learn more. No matter how greata mess you’ve made of your life, if you will turn to Christ as your Savior now, He will save you now. If you’re putting off trusting in Christ as your Savior, you don’t understand your true condition before God. To put it bluntly, if you’re outside of Christ, you’re terminal! Like the little girl trapped in the well, it’s just a matter of time until you die. Can you imagine her telling her rescuers, afterall the effort they went through to reachher, “I think I’ll stay down here a while longer, thanks”? If you know you’re doomed, you’re greatly relieved when a rescuer arrives, and you grab the life line they throw to you. Some people once told Jesus aboutsome Galileans who had been ruthlessly murdered by Pilate. Jesus must have startled them when he responded, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” ThenHe relateda situation where some people were killed when a towerfell on them, and repeated His warning, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3-4). He
meant that we all are like the little girl trapped in that well. We soonwill die, and unless we repent before then, we come under God’s judgment and will perish. It is to doomed people that this urgent goodnews comes, “Today... there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” Thus the news about Jesus is the best news in the world because it centers on the most unique Personin history, Jesus the Savior, who is Christ the Lord; and, because of the type of news it is: important, true, and timely news. Finally, 3. This is the best news because it comes to all people. The angelannounces it as “goodnews of a greatjoy which shall be for all the people” (v. 10). No doubt these Jewishshepherds understood that to mean the Jewishpeople. But there is also no doubt that Luke, a Gentile, would have his readers know that “all the people” means that there is no one to whom this goodnews does not apply. It is a fact of history that the goodnews of Jesus applies to all and transforms all who will believe. Savage tribesmenhave been convertedinto peacefulmissionaries through believing the goodnews about Christ. Civilized, educatedsavagesas wellhave been transformed through believing this simple goodnews. Shepherds were a despisedgroup in Israel. They were not consideredfit to be witnesses in court. Their work rendered them ceremonially unclean. The fact that God chose to reveal the Savior first to these shepherds shows that God often choosesthe foolishthings of the world to shame the wise. He often picks common, working people--shepherds and fishermen--in whom to display His grace. The fact that these shepherds were sitting in darkness is symbolic of the whole human race, lostin the darkness ofsin (Lk 1:79). It reminds us that the good news about Christ is only for sinners. As He told the self-righteous Pharisees, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). The sudden bright light of God’s glory terrified the shepherds, as is always the case whensinners encounter the holy light of God’s presence. But the angelquickly relieved their fears and told them this incredibly goodnews. As John Newtonput it in his classic hymn, “Amazing Grace,”|
‘Twas grace thattaught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed! But the best part of this goodnews is not that it is for all people in general, but that it is for you personally: “there has been born for you a Savior” (v. 11). That means that this goodnews requires a personal response. Eachperson must respond as these shepherds did. They didn’t say, “Wow, that was really some experience, seeing allthose angels,” and sit there the rest of the night with their sheep. They didn’t sit around discussing theologyafterthe angel spoke to them. They didn’t say, “Thanks for the news, but we’ve always believed this” and stay where they were at. No, they responded to the news by believing what God had revealedto them through the angel. Their faith was demonstratedby their going straight to Bethlehem to see it for themselves and then to return glorifying and praising God (Lk 2:15, 20). And what did they see? “Maryand Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Lk 2:16). No halo. No angels hovering there. Jesus didn’t look like a Savior. The place smelled like a barn, because that’s what it was. Very common, very simple. They could have scoffedand stumbled over it, as many do. What about you? Will you scoffor stumble over the simple but profound messagethat the baby Jesus, bornin Bethlehem, whose birth was announced by the angels to these simple shepherds, is Christ the Lord, a Saviorborn for you? That is absolutely the best news in the world, no matter what your situation in life. Jesus didn’t leave heaven and come to this earth and go through the suffering of the cross just to give you a boost or a few tips on how to have a happy life. He knew that you desperatelyneed a Savior. He alone can save you from the penalty of God’s wrath because ofyour sins. Conclusion A sergeantwas explaining to a group of soldiers about to make their first parachute jump what to do if their main chute did not open: “Snapback
immediately into a tight body position. Then pull the rip cord of your reserve chute, and it will open, bringing you safelyto the ground.” A private nervously raised his hand. “What’s your question, soldier?” the sergeantcalledout. “Sergeant, if my main parachute doesn’topen, how long do I have to pull my reserve?” The sergeantlookeddirectly into the young private’s eyes and replied earnestly, “The rest of your life, soldier. The rest of your life.” (Reader’s Digest, [2/82].) How long do you have to respond to the goodnews that Christ the Lord has come as your Savior? The rest of your life! And since you’re already on your way down, but you don’t know how long before you hit the ground, I’d advise you not to delay! DiscussionQuestions 1. Some say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just so you believe.” Why is the contentof faith crucial? 2. How can we know that there is such a thing as absolute truth? How canwe know what that truth is? 3. Is it necessaryto feel lostin order to get saved? How can we share the gospelwith people who don’t know they’re lost? GreatTexts of the Bible GoodTidings of Great Joy And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of greatjoy which shall be to all the people:for there is born to you
this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.—Luke 2:10- 11. 1. To the evangelist and to Christian faith the coming of Jesus into the world is the greatevent in its history. We divide time into the Christian era and the era before Christ. Yet we cannot be sure of the very year when Christ was born, any more than of the very year when He died; and though St. Luke was anxious to date the birth precisely, as we see from Luke 2:1-2, there are unsolved difficulties connectedwith the census which we have simply to acknowledge.Thatthe Day-spring from on high visited the world to give light to them that sit in darkness is undoubted, though we may not be able to tell the hour of its rising. The narrative of St. Luke is the most wonderful and beautiful in Holy Scripture, and has always touchedthe hearts of men. Not that Christmas, as we call it, was from the beginning the great festivalof believers. On the contrary, the great festivalof the early Church was Easter, the day of the resurrection. It was not till the thirteenth century that the infant Christ and the mangercame to have the place they now hold in the thoughts and affections of Christians, and this was greatlydue to the influence of Francis of Assisi, who visited Bethlehem and wept with holy joy over the lowly birth of the Saviour. He diffused his own devotion when he returned to Italy, and greatartists found in the stable and the manger, the ox and the ass (borrowed from Isaiah 1:3), the mother and the Child, the shepherds and the angels, the highest inspirations of their genius. 2. It is long since the shepherds near Bethlehem beheld in the cleareasternsky the glory of the Lord, and heard the voice of the heavenly messenger proclaiming, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Centuries have rolled by, but the lustre of that
night has not passedaway. The tones of that messagehave been caught and repeatedby an increasing number of God-sentmessengers. Theyswellin volume and majestyand power until now from all parts of the world the grand chorus resounds, filling the air with its messageofjoy and hope and faith and love, “Joyto the world, the Lord has come!” I The Circumstances 1. The Shepherds There were many greatmen and many wealthy men in Palestine. There were scholars ofthe most profound and various learning. There were lean ascetics who had left the joys of home, and gone awayto pray and fastin deserts. But it was not to any of these that the angels came, and it was not in their ears that the music sounded; the greatestnews that the world everheard was given to a group of humble shepherds. Few sounds from the mighty world ever disturbed them. They were not vexed by any ambition to be famous. They passedtheir days amid the silence of nature; and to the Jew nature was the veil of God. They were men of a devout and reverent spirit, touched with a sense ofthe mystery of things, as shepherds are so often to this day. Is it not to such simple and reverent spirits that God still reveals Himself in amplest measure? How fitting it was, too, that shepherds should be chosen, when we remember how the Twenty-third Psalmbegins, and when we reflectthat the Babe born in Bethlehem was to be the GoodShepherd giving His life for the sheep.
The Lord manifested to the sage,the sovereign, is now manifest to the shepherd. This last was peculiarly significant of the genius of Christianity. The people need Christ. They have their share of sin, suffering, sorrow. They deeply need the grace, consolations,and strengthening of the Gospel. The people are capable of Christ. Without the intellectual distinction of the Magi, or the socialeminence of Herod, they have the essentialgreatnessofsoul which renders them capable of Christ and of His greatest gifts. The people rejoice in Christ. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” Fromthat day to this a new glory has shone on all common scenes,a new joy has filled the common heart that has been openedto the Prince of Peace,the Saviour of the World.1 [Note:W. L. Watkinson, The Gates of Dawn, 357.] 2. The Place It is generally supposedthat these anonymous shepherds were residents of Bethlehem; and tradition has fixed the exactspot where they were favoured with this Advent Apocalypse—abouta thousand paces from the modern village. It is a historic fact that there was a towernear that site, called Eder, or “the Towerof the Flock,” aroundwhich were pastured the flocks destinedfor the Temple sacrifice;but the topography of Luke 2:8 is purposely vague. The expression, “in that same country,” would describe any circle within the radius of a few miles from Bethlehemas its centre, and the very vagueness of the expressionseems to push back the scene ofthe Advent music to a farther distance than a thousand paces. And this view is confirmed by the language of the shepherds themselves, who, when the vision has faded, say one to another, “Let us now go evenunto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass”; for they scarcelywould have needed, or used, the adverbial “even” were they keeping their flocks so close up to the walls of the city. We may therefore infer, with some amount of probability, that, whether the shepherds were residents of Bethlehem or not, when they kept watchover their flocks, it was not on the traditional site, but farther awayover the hills.
It is difficult, and very often impossible, for us to fix the precise locality of these sacredscenes, these bright points of intersection, where Heaven’s glories flash out againstthe dull carbon-points of earth; and the voices of tradition are at best but doubtful guesses.It would almostseemas if GodHimself had wiped out these memories, hiding them away, as He hid the sepulchre of Moses,lestthe world should pay them too greata homage, and lest we might think that one place lay nearer to Heaven than another, when all places are equally distant, or rather equally near. It is enoughto know that somewhere on these lonely hills came the vision of the angels, perhaps on the very spot where David was minding his sheepwhen Heaven summoned him to a higher task, passing him up among the kings.1 [Note:Henry Burton.] 3. The Time The time is significant. Night is the parent of holy thought,—the nurse of devout aspiration. Its darkness is often the chosentime for heavenly illumination. When earth is dark, heaven glows. The world was shrouded in night when Christ came, and into the thickestof its “gross darkness” His light burst. Yet the unobtrusiveness of His appearance, and the blending of secrecy with the manifestationof His power, are well typified by that glory which shone in the night, and was seenonly by two or three poor men. The Highest came to His own in quietness, and almost stole into the world, and the whole life was of a piece with the birth and its announcement. There was the “hiding of His power.” Christmas hath a darkness Brighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a dullness Warmer than the heat of June, Christmas hath a beauty Lovelier than the world can show: For Christmas bringeth Jesus, Brought for us so low. Earth, strike up your music, Birds that sing and bells that ring; Heaven hath answering music For all Angels soonto sing: Earth, put on your whitest
Bridal robe of spotless snow: For Christmas bringeth Jesus, Brought for us so low.2 [Note:Christina G. Rossetti, Verses, 54.] 4. How simply the appearance ofthe single angeland the glory of the Lord is told! The evangelistthinks it the most natural thing in the world that heaven should send out its inhabitant on such an errand, and that the symbol of the Divine presence shouldfill the night with sudden splendour, which paled the bright Syrian stars. So it was, if that birth were what he tells us it was—the coming into human life of the manifest Deity. If we think of what he is telling, his quiet tone is profoundly impressive. The Incarnation is the greatcentral miracle, the objectof devout wonder to “principalities … in heavenly places.” And not only do angels come to herald and to adore, but “the glory of the Lord,” that visible brightness which was the tokenof God’s presence between the cherubim and had been hid in the secretof the sanctuary while it shone, but which had for centuries been absentfrom the Temple, now blazes with undestructive light on the open hillside, and encircles them and the friendly angelby their side. What did that mean but that the birth of Jesus was the highest revelationof God, henceforth not to be shut within the sanctuary, but to be the companion of common lives, and to make all sacredby its presence? The glory of God shines where Christ is, and where it shines is the temple. And now the day draws nigh when Christ was born; The day that showedhow like to God Himself
Man had been made, since God could be revealed By one that was a man with men, and still Was one with God the Father; that men might By drawing nigh to Him draw nigh to God, Who had come near to them in tenderness.1 [Note:G. MacDonald, “Within and Without” (PoeticalWorks, i. 52).] II The Preface to the Message 1. Reassurance “Be not afraid.” This was the first bidding sent from heavento men when Jesus Christ was born. It was no new message ofreassurance;againand again in a like need a like encouragementhad been vouchsafed:to Abraham, to Isaac, to Gideon, to Daniel, to Zacharias, the same tranquillizing, helpful words had come from the consideratenessand gentleness thatare on high. But to the shepherds of Bethlehemthey came with a new power and significance. For now they had their final warrant upon earth; those attributes of God, those truths of the Divine Nature upon which the bidding rested, had their perfect expressionnow in a plain factof human history. The birth of Jesus
Christ was the answer, the solventfor such fears as rushed upon the shepherds when “the angelof the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.” They feared, as the mystery and stillness of the night were broken by that strange invasion, what might follow it. “And the angelsaid unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you goodtidings of greatjoy.” Within that glory was the love of God; and all that it might disclose must come from Him who so loved the world that He had sentHis Son to be born, to suffer, and to die for men. There must, indeed, be awe in coming near to God, in realizing how near He comes to us: but it is like the awe with which even earthly goodness, greatness, wisdomat their highest touch us; it is not like our terror of that which is arbitrary and unaccountable. God dwells in depths of burning light, such as the eyes of sinful men can never bear: but the light itself, with all it holds, streams forth from love, and is instinct, informed, aglow with love. These words which the angelspoke were but anticipations of the words with which Jesus Himself has made us familiar. They were His favourite words. He might have borrowed them from the angel, or more likely given them to the angelin advance. We hear from His own lips continually—“Fearnot.” He meets us at every turn of life with that cheeryinvocation. He passedthrough His ministry day by day repeating it. It was the watchwordof His journey and warfare. The disciples heard it every time they were troubled, castdown, and afraid. When they fell at His feet trembling, He lifted them up with the words “Fearnot!” When their ship was sinking in the storm, they heard the cry “Fearnot!” When they shivered at the thought of all the foes and dangers which awaitedthem, there came reassurance withthe voice, “Fearnot, little flock.” When He was leaving them, one of His last words was:“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Christ has been speaking that word ever since. He came to speak it. He came to deliver man from those fears. He smiles upon our fears to-day. He almost laughs them awayin the sunshine of His powerand confidence. The
Incarnation is God’s answerto human gloom, despondency, and pessimism. What are you afraid of? it says. Am I not with you always to the end? And all poweris given unto Me in heavenand on earth. You are afraid of your sins? Fearnot! I am able to save to the uttermost. You are afraid of the world, the flesh, and the devil? Fearnot! I have overcome the world, and castout the prince of the world. You are afraid of your own weakness?Fearnot! All things are possible to him that believeth. You are afraid of life’s changes and uncertainties? Fearnot! The Father hath given all things into My hands. You are afraid of death and bereavement? Fearnot! I have conqueredand abolisheddeath. You are afraid of all the ominous signs of the times, the perils of religion and the shakings of the Church? Fearnot! I am the first, the last, the Almighty, and the rock againstwhich the gates ofhell shall not prevail.1 [Note:J. G. Greenhough, Christian Festivals and Anniversaries, 207.] Thought could not go on much longer with its over-emphasis of the Atonement and its under-emphasis of the Incarnation without losing its relation to human society. The Atonement, as something done for and upon man, leaving him not an actorbut a receiver, threw him out of gearwith the modern idea of personality. This idea was rather to be found in the Incarnation, the inmost meaning of which is Divine Fatherhoodand obedient Sonship. It means Christ, not dying for man to fill out some demand of government, but living in man in order to develop his Divineness, or, as Bushnell phrased it, that he might become “Christed.” It was getting to be seenthat whateverChristianity is to do for man must be done through the Incarnation; that is, through the oneness ofGod and humanity, the perfect realization of which is to be found in the Christ.2 [Note:T. T. Munger, Horace Bushnell, 399.] 2. Universal joy
The angel’s messagematches withthe Jewishminds he addresses. The great joy he proclaims is to be, not for all people, but for all the people—thatis, Israel; the Saviour who has been born in David’s city is the Messianic King for whom Israelwas waiting. This was not all the truth, but it was as much as the shepherds could take in. The Jews said, There is a Gospel—to the Jews. And when the Gospelwentout beyond the Jews the Roman Catholic Church said, There is a Gospel—to the baptized. And they collectedthem togetherby the thousand in India, and sprinkled water on them, so as to give them a chance to be saved. Calvin, who has been condemned for his doctrine of election, by it broadened out the Church idea of salvation. When men said, Only Jews canbe saved, when men said, Only the baptized can be saved, Calvin said, Anyone can be saved. It is for those who have been baptized, and for those who have not been baptized; it is for those who are Jews, and for those who are Gentiles;it is for those who are old enough to acceptthe Gospel, and it is for the little children not old enough to acceptthe Gospel. Godcan save anyone He will. That is the doctrine of election. And now we are growing to a broader view than this. It is not for the Jew only, but for the Gentile; not for the baptized only, but also for the unbaptized; not for the electonly, but for the non-elect, if there could be any non-elect;not only for those who have heard it, but for those who have not heard it. This is the message ofglad tidings and joy which shall be for all people. It is salvation for “all people.”1 [Note:L. Abbott, in Christian Age, xli. (1892)84.] How could I tell my joy to my brother if it were not a universal joy? I cantell my grief to the glad, but not my gladness to the grieving. I dare not spread my banquet at the open window, where the hungry are passing by. Therefore, oh! my Father, I rejoice that Thou hast sent into my heart a ray of glory which is not alone for me. I rejoice that Thou hast given me a treasure which I need not hide from my brother. I rejoice that the light which sparkles in my pool is not from the candle, but from the moon. The candle is for me, but the moon is
for all. Put out my candle, oh! my Father. Extinguish the joy that is proud of being unshared. Lower the lamp which shines only on my own mirror. Let down the lights that make a wall betweenmyself and the weary. And over the darkness let there rise the star—Bethlehem’s star, humanity’s star, the star that shines for one because it shines for all.2 [Note:G. Matheson, Searchings in the Silence, 52.] III The Message 1. “There is born … a Saviour.” A Saviour! What a thrill of joy must have shot through the hearts of these astonishedmen as they listened to the word of wondrous import. A Saviour! Then indeed man is to be saved!Through the long, dark, weary ages man had been groaning in miserable captivity to the tyrant powers of sin, and nothing was more evident than this, that he had lost all power of saving himself. Now, at last, another is going to undertake his helpless cause. He who of old heard the cry of the Israelites in Egypt under the taskmaster’s whip, and saw the anguish of their heart while they toiled under the cruel bondage of Pharaoh—He who sentthem a saviourin the person of Moses,and who subsequently again and again delivered them from their enemies by raising up a Saviour for them, He had at length undertaken the cause ofruined humanity, and was about to deliver a sin-bound world. A Saviour, and the champion of our race, was actually born and in their midst, ready soonto enter on His mysterious conflict, and to work out a complete deliverance, a full salvation. This was indeed gladtidings of greatjoy. This was the dawning of a new epoch. The Day-spring from on high was surely visiting a darkened, sin-shadowedworld.
The birth of any man child is an interesting event—anotheradded to the many million lives, to the multitude which none can number, who are to stand before the judgment-seat of God; another life from the birth-source, which shall flow on through the channel of mortal life, the gulf of death, and the underground channelof the grave, to the boundless oceanofeternity:—for, once born, one must hold on to think, and live, and feel for ever. Such is the birth of every one who has his time to be born behind him, and his time to die before him still. But how intensely interesting the birth of that child whose name is called “Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,”but for whose birth we all must have died eternally, and but for whose birth, it would have been better none of us had been born.1 [Note: Life of RobertsonofIrvine (by A. Guthrie), 256.] Christ goes outinto the world. He heals the sick, He feeds the hungry, He comforts the afflicted. But in all the healing and helping this one message He repeats, in different forms, over and overagain: “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” They let down a paralytic through the roofof a house before Him, and this is His message:“Thy sins be forgiven thee.” A woman kneels before Him and washes His feet with her tears and wipes them with the hairs of her head, and this is His message:“Go in peace, and sin no more.” They nail Him to the cross, and His prayer breathes the same message:“Father, forgive them.” There hangs by the side of Him a brigand who has gone through sins of murder and robbery. He looks upon him with compassion, andsays:“This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” He is indeed the Lamb of God who takes awaythe sin of the world. This is more than healing the sick, more than feeding the hungry, more than clothing the naked, more than educating the ignorant; this is taking off the greatburden under which humanity has been crushed.1 [Note:Lyman Abbott.] 2. “There is born … Christ.” He was born the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel. To Israel He came fulfilling all the ancient covenant promises, and bringing with Him the “tendermercies of our God.” He is that Seedof the
woman announced and promised to Adam and Eve in the garden, whose mission it was to bruise the serpent’s head. He was and is that Seedof Abraham “in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed”, ofwhom Balaam prophesied and said, “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Starout of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.” He was and is the One whose day Abraham saw afaroff and was glad. He was and is that Wonderful Counsellorof whom Isaiah prophesied, the root out of a dry ground, whose “visage wasso marred more than any man”; who was wounded for our transgressionsand bruised for our iniquities, on whom the Lord causedall our iniquities to meet; the “prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren” whom Moses foresawandwhom he bade all Israel hear; the Stem of Jesse;the Branch of Zechariah; the Messengerofthe Covenantand the Sun of Righteousness, arising with healing in His wings, whom Malachiforetold as being nigh. He is the sum and substance of all the ceremonialsacrificesand feasts ofthe Jews;in a word, He is that One of whom Moses in the Law and all the prophets did speak and all the Psalmists sang. He might have come in regalpomp, With pealing of Archangel trump— An angelblast as loud and dread As that which shall awake the dead … He came not thus; no earthquake shock
Shiver’d the everlasting rock; No trumpet blast nor thunder peal Made earth through all her regions reel; And but for the mysterious voicing Of that unearthly choir rejoicing; And but for that strange herald gem, The star which burned o’er Bethlehem, The shepherds, on His natal morn, Had known not that the God was born. There were no terrors, for the song Of peace rose from the seraph throng; On wings of love He came—to save,
To pluck pale terror from the grave, And on the blood-stain’d Calvary He won for man the victory.1 [Note: N. T. Carrington.] 3. “There is born … the Lord.” (1) In the Child born at Bethlehem we find God.—How steadilydo the angel’s words climb upwards, as it were, from the cradle to the throne. He begins with the lowly birth, and then rises, step by step, eachword opening a wider and more wonderful prospect, to “that climax beyond which there is nothing—that this infant is “the Lord.” The full joy and tremendous wonder of the first word are not felt till we read the last. The birth is the birth of “the Lord.” We cannotgive any but the highest meaning to that sacredname, which could have but one meaning to a Jew. It was much that there was born a Saviour—much that there was born a Messiah. Menneed a deliverer, and the proclamationhere is best kept in its widestmeaning—as of one who sets free from all ills outward and inward, and brings all outward and inward good. The Saviourof men must be a man, and therefore it is goodnews that He is born. It was much that Messiahshould be born. The fulfilment of the wistful hopes of many generations, the accomplishmentof prophecy, the Divine communication of the Spirit which fitted kings and priests of old for their work, the successionto David’s throne, were all declaredin that one announcement that the Christ was born in David’s city. But that lastword, “the Lord,” crowns the wonder and the blessing, while it lays the only possible foundation for the other two names.
If, on the one hand, man’s Saviour must be man, on the other, He must be more than man; and nothing short of a Divine man can healthe wounds of mankind, or open a fountain of blessing sufficient for their needs. Unless God become man, there canbe no Saviour; nor can there be any Christ. For no mere humanity canbear the full gift of the Divine Spirit, which is Messiah’s anointing for His office, nor discharge that office in all its depth and breadth. Many in this day try to repeatthe angel’s message, andleave out the last word, and then they wonder that it stirs little gladness and works no salvation. Let us be sure that, unless the birth at Bethlehem was the Incarnation of Deity, it would have called forth no angelsongs, nor will it work any deliverance or bring any joy to men. A God in the sky will never satisfymen and womenupon earth. God on the mountain will never suffice man on the plain. True, it is much, very much, to know that God is in heaven, “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” above earth’s petty discords and changing views and selfish passions. But this falls short, pitiably short, of man’s demands. It is, at best, an icy creed, and not, by itself, the warm, loving creedof the Christian. For it leaves a gulf betweenGod and man, with no bridge to pass over. It is the difference betweenOlympus and Olivet. What—so the heart will ask—is the goodof a God “above the bright blue sky,” when I am down here upon earth? What intimatcy canthere be between“the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” and an earth-born being such as I am? How could the missionaries persuade men that such a God loved them, caredfor them, felt with them? How, indeed, could God Himself so persuade men, save by coming and living among them, sharing their lives, experiencing their temptations, drinking the “vinegarand gall” which they drank, suffering in the flesh as they suffered? There was no other way. Hence the Incarnation. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” It is related of a celebratedmusician that, when askedto compose a National Anthem for the people of another country, he went and lived with them,
studied them from within, shared their poverty, became one with them that he might become one of them, and was thus, and only thus, enabled to express their feelings in his music. This is what God did at the Incarnation.1 [Note: E. E. Holmes, The Days of the Week, 42.] When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the finite met the Infinite—the temporal, the Eternal. Heaven and earth coalesced, not in semblance, but in reality; not by proxy, but in the wonderful Personthat combined the highest characteristicsofboth. In Him all fulness—the fulness of the Creatorand the fulness of the creature—dweltbodily. All things were gatheredtogetherin one in Him—both those which are in the heavens and those which are in the earth—evenin Him. His Incarnation was the crowning miracle of grace, as the creationof man was the crowning miracle of nature.1 [Note:H. Macmillan, The Gardenand the City, 32.] “If Moslems,” Lull argued, “according to their law affirm that God loved man because He createdhim, endowedhim with noble faculties, and pours His benefits upon him, then the Christians according to their law affirm the same. But inasmuch as the Christians believe more than this, and affirm that God so loved man that He was willing to become man, to endure poverty, ignominy, torture, and death for his sake, whichthe Jews and Saracensdo not teach concerning Him, therefore is the religion of the Christians, which thus reveals a Love beyond all other love, superior to that of those which reveals it only in an inferior degree.” Islamis a loveless religion. Raymund Lull believed and proved that Love could conquer it. The Koran denies the Incarnation, and so remains ignorant of the true characternot only of the Godheadbut of God.2 [Note:S. M. Zwemer, Raymund Lull, 140.] We make far too little of the Incarnation; the Fathers knew much more of the incarnate God. Some of them were oftenerat Bethlehemthan at Calvary; they had too little of Calvary, but they knew Bethlehem well. They took up the
Holy Babe in their arms; they loved Immanuel, God with us. We are not too often at the cross;but we are too seldomat the cradle; and we know too little of the Word made flesh, of the Holy Child Jesus.3 [Note:“Rabbi” Duncan, in Recollections by A. MoodyStuart, 167.] (2) Though Divine yet is He human.—Behold what manner of love God hath bestowedupon us that He should espouse ournature! For God had never so united Himself with any creature before. His tender mercy had ever been over all His works;but they were still so distinct from Himself that a greatgulf was fixed betweenthe Creatorand the created, so far as existence and relationship are concerned. The Lord had made many noble intelligences, principalities, and powers of whom we know little; we do not evenknow what those four living creatures may be who are nearestthe EternalPresence;but Godhad never taken up the nature of any of them, nor allied Himself with them by any actualunion with His Person. He has, however, allied Himself with man: He has come into union with man, and therefore He loves him unutterably well and has great thoughts of goodtowards him. The fact that such intimate union of the Divine with the human is possible unveils the essentialGodlikenessofman. His nature is capable of receiving Divine indwelling. There is such affinity betweenGod and him that the fulness of the Godheadcan dwell bodily in a man. Christianity has often been accused of gloomy, depressing views of human nature; but where, in all the dreams of superficial exalters of manhood, is there anything so radiant with hope as the solid fact that the eternal Son of God has said of it, “Here will I dwell, for I have desired it”? Christianity has no temptation to varnish over the dark realities of man as he is, for it knows its powerto make him what he was meant to be. So we have to look on the child Christ as born “to give the world assurance of a man,” or, in modern phraseology, to realize the ideal of human nature. That
birth in the manger was the first appearance ofthe shootfrom the dry stump of the Davidic house, which was to flower into “a plant of renown,” and fill the world with its beauty and fragrance. One thinks of the “loveliness ofperfect deeds,” the continual submission to the loved will of the Father, the tranquillity unbroken, the uninterrupted self-suppression, the gentle immobility of resolve, the gracious words, bright with heavenly wisdom, warm with pure love, throbbing with quick pity, as one gazes onthe “young child,” and would, with the strangers from the East, bring homage and offerings thither. There is the dawn of a sun without a spot; the headwaters ofa mighty stream without stain or perturbation in all its course. The story tells us that Christ Himself was as poor and as unfamed as the shepherds—yetall Heavenwas with Him. No trumpet-flourish told His coming, no posts rode swift from town to town to announce His Kingship. Earth and its glory took no notice of One who was laid in a manger. But far above in the world beyond, where earthly glory hath no praise, and earth no power, and rank no dignity, the Child who lived to love and die for men, was celebratedamong the heavenly host. All the courts of Heaven began to praise God for the little Child for whom there was no shelteron earth but a cave in the rocks, Christianity has restoredhumanity to Man 1:1 [Note:Stopford A. Brooke, Sunshine and Shadow, 191.] “What means that star,” the Shepherds said, “Thatbrightens through the rocky glen?” And angels, answering overhead, Sang, “Peace onearth, good-willto men!”
’Tis eighteenhundred years and more Since those sweetoracles were dumb; We wait for Him, like them of yore; Alas, He seems so slow to come! But it was said, in words of gold No time or sorrow e’ershall dim, That little children might be bold In perfect trust to come to Him. All round about our feet shall shine A light like that the wise men saw, If we our loving wills incline
To that sweetLife which is the Law. So shall we learn to understand The simple faith of shepherds then, And, clasping kindly hand in hand, Sing, “Peace onearth, good-willto men!” And they who do their souls no wrong, But keepat eve the faith of morn, Shall daily hear the angel-song, “To-daythe Prince of Peace is born!”2 [Note:J. R. Lowell, A Christmas Carol.] JOHN MACARTHUR God, the Savior of Men
Sermons Luke 2:11 42-24 Jun27, 1999 Play Audio Add to Playlist A + A - Reset Luke's gospel, chapter2; we're beginning a study of Luke. I thought we would move more rapidly than we are. I...I knew Luke was a greathistorian, and that is being verified as we go, fastidious, carefulwith detail. And I knew that Luke was something of a theologianbut the more I'm studying this gospel the more I'm impressed with the depth and breadth and height and length of his theology. And when you're going through narrative passages,you canbe content with the story, but not if you understand the heart of the writer, both the heart of Luke and the heart of God the Holy Spirit who inspired it. It seems as though everything Luke says on the surface has beneathit massive amounts of supportive truth and history. And that is certainly the case in the text before us today. Let me read you Luke 2:8 to 14. "And in the same regionthere were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watchover their flock by night. And an angelof the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you goodnews of a great joy which shall be for all the people. Fortoday in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you, you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'" That's a very familiar passage ofScripture. Certainly read many, many times every Christmas season, probably the most familiar element of the Christmas
story to the world at large. But there are so many things of depth and profundity in this brief story. It talks about a Savior, the Lord. It talks about multitudes of angels. It speaks ofthe presence of God and glorifying God in the highest. All these are far-reaching subjects in the Bible. This is the kind of passagethat you could spend a lifetime in. We'll just dust it lightly, even if we spend a few weeksonit. Sevenhundred years before this baby was born a Hebrew prophet named Micahwas inspired by God to write that when the Messiahdid come 700 years later He would be born in of all places an obscure small town called Bethlehem, house of bread. That's what the prophet said and it's recordedin Micahchapter 5 and verse 2. And because that's what the inspired prophet said and that is the Word of God that is where the Messiahwas born. God's Word always comes to pass. It's always accurate. It's always true. And if the prophet said He was to be born in Bethlehem, then Bethlehem it is. And that's exactly what the story tells us. Verse 7 says, "She gave birth to her firstborn son." And verse 4 says she was in Bethlehem. But, you know, it wasn't the parents of Jesus that assuredthe fulfillment of this prophecy. Nowhere in the New Testamentrecord does it say Josephwas concernedbecausehe knew that Mary was having a child conceivedby the Holy Spirit and he knew this child was Jesus who would save His people from their sins and he knew this child was going to fulfill the promise to David and be the son of David who would reign on a kingdom...on a throne in a kingdom that would last forever and ever, but because Joseph knew all of that and understood all of the prophetic truth regarding this unique child who would be the Son of the MostHigh, as well as the Son of Mary, nothing says that because Josephknew that, Josepharrangedto be in Bethlehem for the birth. We don't know whether Josephwas aware ofMicah 5:2. We don't know all that Josephthought. Nothing in the Bible says that Mary said to Joseph, “You know, the Messiah must be born in Bethlehemso it's to Bethlehemwe need to go.” Nothing in the Scripture indicates that either Josephor Mary played any particular role in planning to be in Bethlehem for the birth. Human nature would be that Mary would want to be near her mother, near her family, in her hometown,
certainly not in a stable in the middle of a group of strangers overpopulating a small village because they were all there trying to getthrough a census registrationthat had been demanded by the Roman government. Certainly you don't want to have your baby in a half public stable in the open air and have to put him in a feed trough. Certainly you would not want to make an eighty-five to ninety mile journey sometimes walking and sometimes riding on the back of a donkey when the pain of just being nine months pregnant doing nothing would be enough. Certainly the thought of a birth without medication, a birth without comfortwould be enough to maybe weighheavy on your mind and cause you to say, “You know, the bestplace for me to be is at home.” We don't know any of those things. We don't know that Josephand Mary played any role in being in Bethlehem other than the fact that they were there. But the reasonthey were there wasn'tbecause they planned to be there. The reasonthey were there was because Godplanned to have them there. And the way God orchestratedthe plan to have them there had nothing to do with them really. It had nothing to do with anybody who even knew about the Messiah. It had nothing to do with anybody who caredabout the Messiah. It frankly had nothing to do with anybody who knew the prophet Micahor knew the Old Testament. In fact, it was all orchestratedby, of all people, CaesarAugustus, CaesarAugustus, a pagan. He arrangedit. He was the supreme ruler of the Roman Empire for forty-five years. He was a powerful, formidable man. And I took you through a whole...a whole lotof information about the man himself, and the nature of his life and his leadership. It was that man, CaesarAugustus, who nothing...knew nothing about the true and living God, knew nothing about the Old Testament, neverheard of the prophet Micah, couldn't care less about the Messiah. Itwas that man who did exactly what was necessaryto assure the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And what did he do? He required a census to be takenfor the purpose of registering everybody in the Roman Empire with a view towardtaxation. So he made a decree, according to verse 1. It was during the first tenure of a man named Quirinius having some kind of authority in the...in the area of Judea which was part of the Roman Empire as verse 2 indicates. And as a result verse 3 says everybody had to go to their ancestraltown. Now the Romans
didn't require that. As I told you before, that was likely required perhaps by Herod. This was the first census that ever had been taken by the Romans so there wasn’t some traditional wayto do this. But apparently Herod or the Jewishleaders had decided that to do it right they neededto go back to the home of their forefathers where they kept all the records of their ancestry. So let's assume that God moved the heart of CaesarAugustus exactly the right time, exactlythe right moment to get this thing in motion so that the census would be being takenpla...would be taking place at the very time of the birth of Christ. And we also know that the census was authorized in 8 B.C. As you work out the chronologyit would be about 8 B.C. when CaesarAugustus made the first census. Rememberhe had them at fourteen-year intervals and the secondone was at 6 A.D. so backing up fourteen years would be 8 B.C. We also know that Jesus was born by all historicalaccounts somewherearound 6 and 4 B.C. So the census was calledfor in 8 B.C. It wasn't complied with in Judea till between6 and 4 B.C. so there was a two- to four-year time when Judea didn't comply. We canassume that other countries who were part of the Roman Empire complied. Judea didn't comply probably because ofthe resistance of Herod. Herod was not a Jew, he was a despised Edomite, Idumaean, he was called, and he was a vassalking under Rome ruling in Judea or in Israel. So, Herod who certainly wasn'tanxious for another king to arrive, as we well know;it was Herod, you remember, who massacredallthe babies when he heard that a king had been born. So Herod wasn't trying to do anything to help the Messiahfulfill a prophecy. We can't assume that Herod even knew anything about Micah5:2. And yet Herod put up the appropriate resistance, whateverthat meant to stall off the census the necessaryyears to be sure that Jesus was born at the right place, the right time in God's plan. And I've always saidI can understand...I can't comprehend the powerof miracles, but I can understand how God can do miracles. I can understand how history goes along, a natural life goes along in the createdorder and God just invades with a miracle. I canunderstand how God just stops the natural process and does something supernatural. That's comprehensible to me. It's even simple to me. You just stop what is natural and do what is supernatural.
What I find so unfathomable in my own thinking is how God works not miraculously but providentially. And providence is a term that has to do with God not interfering with the normal processesoflife but orchestrating all of those contingencies andall of those thoughts and actions to effectexactly what He wants, when He wants, with whom He wants, where He wants. Now that is amazing. But that's what you have here. You have a decree by a Roman Caesarwho knows nothing about Messianic hope and prophecy, or the Bible, the Old Testament. You have a stalling off or a delay by a Herod who is leastof all disinterestedin doing anything that would bring about a new king, or give credence to His claim by being born in Bethlehem. Neither of them knew anything about it. And yet every single thing they do, every independent choice they made, every willful act ignorantly they made workedto the effect that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is possible, we can't say dogmatic, but it is possible that the reasonJoseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, and that would be the...my tendency to believe that because the impetus of the text is they were there because ofa census. It never says anything about they were trying to get there so they could make sure they fulfilled biblical prophecy. That's not there. It was the census that drove them which implies that they were up againsta deadline. I mean, it would have been a lot simpler if they could have waited until the child was born at some later time, then maybe gone down and done the registration. Why would they go at such a crucial time unless they were under duress and pressure to go like an April 15th kind of deadline. So whoeverwas setting dates, and whoeverwas setting deadlines, and whoeverthe Romans were who were going to be there at that time to take the registration, all of that God orchestratedto effect perfectly His will. David Gooding writes, "Ofcourse Augustus knew nothing about this effectof the census and the last thing he or his vassal, Herod, would have done would be to strengthenthe credentials of a messianic claimant to the throne of Israel. For Augustus, the taking of censuses wasone of the ways he employed to get control over the various parts of his empire. But, and here is the irony of the thing, in the process as he thought of tightening his grip on his huge empire, he so organizedthings that Jesus, Sonof Mary, Son of David, Son of God, destined to sit on the throne of Israel and the throne of the world was born in
the city of David, His royal ancestor. Fulfilling all unknowingly the prophecy of Micah, CaesarAugustus establishedthis particular detail in the claim of Jesus to be the Messiah." And Gooding goes onto say, "When John the Baptist was conceived, God turned back the processesofnature." That was a miracle because Zacharias and Elizabeth were old and barren. "Whenour Lord was conceivedin the womb of Mary there was introduced into nature something which nature had never known before and which nature by herselfcould never have produced, namely a virgin conception. Thatis miraculous. But when God's Son and destined ruler of the kings of the earth entered the world of men, there was apparently no interference with men's will or freedom of actionwhatsoever. Augustus had his own completelyadequate reasons forhis actionand he did exactly what he wanted to do.” And we could add Herod was the same way. “Yet Augustus did what had he known he would not have wished to do, he establishedthe claim of the royal Sonof David. He did in factwhat had been predetermined by the counseland foreknowledge ofGod." This was in anybody's measurementthe greatestbirth in the history of the world, and yet, so obscure. Verse 7: "She gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a feed trough because there was no room for them in the inn." So obscure, obscure townin some kind of a traveler's shelter, probably not a commercialinn, as I told you lasttime; a commercialshelter, maybe with the four sides, kind of a lean-to with a loft so that some could sleepabove and some could sleepbelow in little rooms that would have thin walls betweenthem made of wood. And in the middle, the courtyard, all the animals would stayand there would be feed troughs there. And there they were, Josephand Mary, and there she gave birth. There was not one of those lofts, one of those guest rooms for them, and so she gave birth in a half public wayprobably seeking some kind of privacy. When that little child came into the world and cried its first cry of life, nobody knew who it was. Nobodyrealized that the eternal holy CreatorGod of the universe had just entered the world in human form. That little child was born in utter anonymity in a busy, bustling, overcrowdedlittle town. Nobodyaround even knew.
Well, Josephknew, ofcourse, because he had been told to name the baby Jesus for He would save His people from their sins. And he had been told that His name would be Immanuel, God with us. So he knew this was the incarnate God who was to save His people from their sins. And Mary knew because Gabrielhad told her the details that this would be the Son of the Most High, the one who would sit on the throne of David and reign on that throne forever and ever. Nobody else knew. It would have been pretty difficult to convince anybody frankly because what you have lying in a feed trough was a little Jewishbaby. Not an uncommon situation, obviously. And there may have been other births in the same town that night. And that may be why the angels said, "Look for the one in the feed trough, that's the sign." Any baby born that time in Bethlehem would have been wrapped in cloths, they all did that. But there would be only one in a feed trough, such anonymity. Not a grand entrance for God into the world. But, the passageI just read you, our passagefortoday breaks the silence, ends the anonymity in a most remarkable way. As I read, an angelappears to make the announcement of who it is that has been born. A few hours after the birth, the monumental miracle, a few hours after the arrival of the son of Mary, Son of the Most High God, there is an announcement made. Now if you were planning the strategyfor this PR campaign, you might have made sure that the main authorities got the message, certainlyif you didn't want to tell Caesarbecauseyouwere afraid he would see this as a threat or you didn't want to tell Herod because youknew he would see it as a threat, you might want to go to the religious leaders, you might want to go the high priest, you might want to go to the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Israel. You might want to go to the chief priests or the scribes or Pharisees orSadducees or somebody. You might want to...youmight want to go to the temple, for example, and there you would surely have found Simeon and Anna and others who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem, looking for the salvation of Israel, waiting for the Messiah. Youmight have gone to some group of devout and righteous Jews who were waiting to hear this, some who might have a greatmeasure of influence. But frankly, the last people you would go
to to make any kind of announcement of significance wouldbe shepherds in an open field. And that's exactly to whom God went. The story is well known, the story of the angeland the shepherds and then the multitude of angels that follow. And that's what happened, of all people, shepherds. And I'll say more about them next time. Enough to say on the socialladder they were the bottom rung. To shepherds the angelgoes and makes the announcement about this child. Now the thesis of this whole passageis summed up in one statementin verse 11, and we'll discuss it all. But for this morning I just want to deal with one statement, verse 11. This is the thesis and then we'll build the outline around it. All the waydown to verse 20 is one paragraph. Thatwhole thing will build...will build around this thesis, here it is, verse 11, "The angelsays, 'There has been born for you a Savior.'" Wow! That's the heart of the entire thing. The whole event is summed up in that statement. There has been born for you a Savior. That's the New Testament, isn't it? That's the gospel, that's the heart of everything. That's the pinnacle of redemption. There has been born for you a Savior. That's the Christian message. That's whatwe're still telling people, isn't it? There has been born for you a Savior. And may I hasten to add that the shepherds would understand that. You say, "Well waita minute, isn't Saviora New Testamentidea? Isn't Savior a New Testamentconceptthat Jesus came to save and He's the Savior and how would those shepherds know?" Being a Savioris not a New Testamentconcept. It's an Old Testamentconcept. Shepherds would know what that meant because all who were in Israelknew God as Savior. That is a Jewishconcept. OhI know there are liberal theologians who want to put a greatgulf betweenthe New Testamentand the Old Testamentand they say that the Christ of the New Testamentis a compassionate,loving, saving personality. But the Godof the Old Testamentis an angry, vengeful, envious, vitriolic, hostile, punishing kind of deity. But that is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination.
The God of the Old Testamentwas knownto His people as a Savior. Israel knew God as a Savior. Now that was not the way it was with gods, the gods of men's making. There's only one God, the one true and living God, the eternal God, and He is by nature a Savior, He is a saving God. To use another word, a synonym, He is a Deliverer. He delivers people from threatening things. He is a rescuer, that's another synonym. And He is that by nature and that's not how it is in the science ofethnologyand the world of religion and deities. In fact, you can study religions and you're not going to find gods who are by nature saviors. You're going to find in every religious system in the world a means by which somehow man cando something to appease the god and somehow by his own efforts and his own works save himself. But you're not going to find any God who is by nature a Savior, a rescuer. For example, if you were living in Israelyou would be exposedto the god Baal. And you read the Old Testament, Baalis a very dominating deity among the Canaanites;“Baal” meaning “lord,” Baal...thatwas their lord. But the godBaal, if you read through the New...the Old Testamentyou find to be a god who is certainly not interestedin saving his people. In fact, he had a perfect opportunity to do that on Mount Carmel with Elijah. And Elijah said, "Look, we'lldecide who's God, you've got Baaland I've got Jehovahand let's decide. You build an altar, put a sacrifice there. I'll build an altar, put a sacrifice there. You pray to Baaland I'll pray to Jehovahand we'll see who sends fire down to burn up the sacrifice. Whoeversends fire down, He's God." So in a classiccharacterizationof Baal, these priests of Baalare trying to get Baalto react. Well there is no Baalso he can't do anything because he doesn't exist. And even the demon impersonators who might want to impersonate Baalare unable to effect this miracle. And so in classic fashionElijah identifies the nature of Baalby saying this to them, "Maybe he's (what?) sleeping." Now the best that could be saidabout Baal...andthat was...that was a mockerybut it really was a kind one because that's the best that can be said about any deity, he's indifferent. And then he went on to say, "Maybe he's on vacation." Now that would be the best that could be said about the deities that demons concoctorthat men invent. The best that could be said is that they are indifferent and somehow they just don't pay attention. This is
the godof the deists. You know, in our country we have deists in our background, Benjamin Franklin and others, the god who wound the world up and setit off in motion and then went away and couldn't care less. That's the god of apathy, the god of indifference. And somehow you're screaming and hollering and yelling at this godto do something to save you and deliver you and rescue you from your plight, but he really isn't that interested in it. The spectrum swings all the way overfrom indifference on the one hand, to hostility on the other hand. And you have a classic illustration of that in the land of Canaanin the god Molech. Molechwas so vicious and so hostile and so angry and had to be appeasedso that he didn't obliterate people to the degree that in order to pacify Molechyou took your newborn baby or your little child and you put your little child on the altar and incinerated and torched your baby, that to pacify this otherwise hostile deity. Somewhere on that spectrum from apathy to vicious hostility are all the gods of the world. None is a Savior. And what set Jehovahapart, the one true and living God, is that He is by nature compassionate,merciful, tender-hearted, filled with loving-kindness and seeks to save people. The Jews knew this. That was distinctive. They knew God to be wise. They knew Him to be powerful. Theyknew Him to be understanding. They knew Him to be just and all of those things. But they also knew that by nature in contradistinction to all other deities He was a Savior. I mean, they would know that if they read the book of Genesis becausein Genesis Godsaid, "In the day you eat of the fruit of the tree (you'll what?) you'll die." They ate, they lived. And what does that tell you? That's calledmercy. God didn't deliver the consequencesoftheir behavior that they deservedbecause it's His nature to be patient. It's calledin Romans 2 the patience and forbearing of God, which is meant to lead you to repentance. I mean, God by nature is that way. Now Godin Egypt says, "I'm going to send the angel of death and he's going to kill all the firstborn but I just want to let you know that if you'll hold the Passoverand take the Passoverlamb and sacrifice the lamb and eatthe lamb, take the blood and put it on the doorpostand lintel, I'll pass by and the angelof death won't touch your house if you do that." Because it's God's nature to deliver men from the consequence ofsin, that's His nature. And the Jews understoodthat.
And those shepherds out on that field at the bottom of the intellectual pole, at the bottom of the educationalladder, as it were, on the very bottom, the very lowestclass people there were, would understand that God was by nature a saving God. And they would also understand this. They would understand that there never had been a sacrifice that really did it. They of all people, because whatI'm going to point out to you in a couple of weeks is the fact that they were very likely shepherding sheep headedfor temple sacrifices. Theyof all people along with the priests who were bloodied up to their ears the whole time they were in the temple, slaughtering all the animals that had to be slaughtered, to say nothing of what happened when they slaughtereda quarter of a million of them in a few days at Passover,they were used to unending sacrifices trying to deal with sin in order to rescue the nation...Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In order to rescue individuals from the consequencesoftheir sin they brought offerings to God and they were saying, God, we're sorry for our sin, here's our sacrifice, forgive us. They knew God to be a saving God but yet that salvationhad never finally been effectedby one sacrifice. So when the announcement came there's been born today a Savior, they understood it. They didn't even ask a lot of questions, those shepherds. The Jews understoodit. In the Old Testament, Godis a Savior and over and over againHis salvationis spokenof. I'm going to resist, I'm not going to call it a temptation, I'm going to resistthe opportunity to point out innumerable Scriptures, Deuteronomy 20 verse 4, "The Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you againstyour enemies to save you,” to save you. I mean, by nature God did that. That's just in the very fabric of His eternal being. God is calledthe Godof his salvation, Psalm 25:5. "Thou art the God of my salvation." I mean, they knew Him as a Savior. In fact, David in Psalm 51 was praying to God and he lost the joy because ofhis disobedience and he says to God, "Restoreto me the joy of Thy salvation." Theyknew God as a Savior God. And the Old Testamentis just filled with indications of that. Isaiah63 is one worth mentioning. Verse 8 and 9, it says when God chose Israel, "So He became their Savior." What a greatstatement. Isaiah63:8, "So He became their Savior." What did that mean? "In all their affliction,” verse 9, “He was afflicted. In His love and His mercy He rescuedthem, He
redeemedthem, He brought them back. He lifted them. He carried them all the days of old but they rebelled and grievedHis Holy Spirit, therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy." He fought againstthem. He started out as their Saviorand they fought even that. How sad. He was their Savior. Take righteous Mary. Go back to chapter 1 verse 47. She knew that. This is a thirteen-year-old girl, a sweetand meek and righteous young girl. And she hears from Gabriel that she's going to be the mother of God, the mother of the son of the Most High and she says in verse 46, "My soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoicedin God my Savior." She knew that JehovahGod was her Savior. Take Zacharias. Zacharias, itsays in chapter 1, was a righteous priest. He was righteous, verse 6 of chapter 1, in the sight of God and walkedblamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Here was a godly priest and in his greatpraise at the birth of John, the forerunner of the Messiah, verse 69, Zacharias,realizing the Messiahis going to be born, Mary has just spent three months at that house and she's already pregnant with Messiah, he knows what's happening and he says, "Godhas raisedup a horn of salvationfor us." Here comes the Savior, the greatpowerof salvation. And down in verse 77 he tells you what kind of salvationhe's talking about. "To give to His people the knowledge ofsalvationthat comes by the forgiveness oftheir sins." He even knew that the truest salvationcame when sins were forgiven. The prophet had saidin the Old Testament, the prophet Micah, "Who is a pardoning God like You?" The Old Testamentsays God is a forgiving God who removes your sins as far as the eastis from the west, buries them in the depths of the deepestsea and remembers them no more. They knew God was a saving God. They knew God as a forgiving God. There were many of them in that nation who had experiencedpersonal, spiritual and eternal salvationfrom God. You say, "Did they get that in the Old Testament?" Yes they did. They would measure themselves againstthe law of God, find themselves disobedient, falling short, realize their plight. They couldn't keepthe law of God therefore the Bible says if you break the
law of God you're cursed. They were under a curse. The curse meant death and punishment. They would therefore feel the burden of that, they would go to God, they would say, "God, I've broken Your law, I can't keepit, I'm cursed, please be merciful, be gracious, forgive me." That's the penitence of the Old Testament. That's like the man beating his breast in Luke 18, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." When a personin the Old Testamentcame to a true assessmentof their sinfulness, a true recognitionthat they had failed to keepthe law of God and were therefore cursed and knew they couldn't gain salvation, they disdained self-righteousnessbut threw themselves on the mercy of God. God then forgave their sins. That's what Isaiahsays in chapter 54 and 55. Mary was such a person, so was Zachariah and he was recognizing the salvationof God that is personal, spiritual and eternalthat would come. You say, "Well what part did Messiahhave?" Wellthe Messiahwould come and offer the sacrifice upon which all this forgiveness had always beengiven. They were forgiven in the Old Testamentbecause Godwould take their sins and later place them on Christ, just as you're forgiven because Godtakes your sins and places them on Christ, the same. Christ bears the sins of all who believed in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testamentage. They knew God as a Savior. Mary knew that. Zacharias knew that. Look at verse 25 and meet Simeon in chapter 2. Simeonwas a righteous and devout man looking for the consolationofIsrael. Here’s anotherbeliever. Here's another true penitent. Here's somebodywho has been forgiven by God. Here's somebodyto whom God is a Savior. He realizes that. He picks up the little baby in this account, down in verse 30, "My eyes have seenThy salvation." Finally the Savior has come. He understood that there was salvationfrom God, that God was a Savior. But he also understood that there was one who had to come, there had to be a final lamb. God had to provide a final sacrifice. And when he saw that little baby he said, "This is it, this is it." Don't underestimate these people, these devout people looking, as it says, for the consolation ofIsrael in verse 25, the comfort of Israel, the salvation of Israel, if you will. Downin verse 38, "Looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." Theyknew what they were looking for. They were looking for a final sacrifice that was pictured by all the sacrifices thathad been given by the millions through the history of that system. Theyknew God to be a Savior.
Now let me take it one stepfurther. God showedHimself a Savior to Israel two ways. First, He showedthem that He was a Savior by nature, temporally, that is in time, and physically, that is in this life. You say, "Whatdo you mean by that?" I mean by that that God showedto the nation IsraelHis saving nature by saving them from Egypt, by saving them, rescuing them out of the Red Sea and drowning Pharaoh's army, by rescuing them, delivering them, as it were, out of the forty years of wilderness wandering into the Promised Land, by delivering them from a myriad of enemies that hated them and tried to obliterate them. Throughout their history God showedhow He delivered them. He delivered them from hostile nations. He delivered them from sickness. He delivered them from trouble. He delivered them from danger. He delivered them from death, over and over and, folks, it's still going on. God delivered the nation Israel from massive attempts at genocide by Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler. And here they are, Jews still there, still alive. They've been delivered through all these millennia. There they are independently functioning as a nation of their own in their own land. Testimony to the fact that even an apostate people who rejectGod, turn their back on God, rejecttheir Messiah, execute the Savior, still are being delivered by God. That's His nature. That's why Paul in Romans says, "Can'tyou see this? This deliverance, this salvationon a temporal, physical level as the patience and forbearance of God meant to lead you to personalrepentance? Can'tyou see if God is so gracious to the nation that He will also be gracious to the individual sinner?" God is a Savior by nature and He has saved that nation through the years because it's His nature to deliver temporally and physically from the immediate and just consequence ofsin, which would be instant death and hell. But His nature is not to give sinners what sinners deserve, even in this life. And that's still true. That's true outside of Israel. The world is predominantly populated by non-Christians, is that true? Massively populated by non-Christians who flourish to one degree or anotherin this life; they enjoy life. They smell the flowers. Theysee the sunrise and the sunset. They drink the coolwater. They eata goodmeal. They fall in love. They kiss a baby. They see a mountain. They enjoy the richness and the fullness of life. They breathe the air. Why? Because Godby nature delivers them from the
immediate consequence, the just and immediate consequence ofwhat they deserve. That's why 1 Timothy 4:10, Paul says, "God, the living God who is the Saviorof all men." The whole world of people today exist because Godis a saving God. He has delivered them from what they deserve, is that not true? People ask me this a lot. Why do bad things happen to goodpeople? Are you ready for this? They don't because there are no goodpeople. The question is: Why do good things happen to bad people? Now that's a book that I need to write. They happen because Godis by nature what? A Savior, He's a deliverer, He's a rescuer. Now especially, 1 Timothy 4:10 says, especiallyofthose who believe, especially of those who believe. What does that mean? Well He delivers all men from the just and immediate consequenceoftheir sin, temporally and physically, but He delivers those who believe from their sin spiritually and eternally. That's what really matters, isn't it? You can look at the Old Testamentand you'll see God delivering Israel temporally and physically and you'll see God delivering individual Jewishpeople and even Gentile believers spiritually and eternally. You look at the world today and Goddelivers sinners from the just and immediate consequence oftheir sin and you also see all over the world those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, they've been delivered from the consequence oftheir sin spiritually and eternally. God is by nature a Savior. Titus 1, Titus 2 and Titus 3 refer to God our Savior. God our Savior. God our Savior. There's no discrepancybetweenthe God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament. Godis by nature a Savior. That is why Jesus is a Savior because Jesusis God. That's a syllogismyou can work with. When we read in 2 Peter1:11, "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," we're not surprised He's our Savior because He's our Lord. If He's God the Lord, then He's a Saviorbecause Godis a Savior. It's not, as some people say, you know that God is the bad guy and Jesus is the goodguy and that, you know, Jesus gets up there and really, really pleads with God, trying to soften Him up. It's not that. As much as Jesus is a Savior, so much is God a Saviorand so much is the Holy Spirit a Savior. There's no diminishing of that saving nature in any member of the Trinity.
God shows His goodness,His kindness to all. He restrains evil in the world. He provides families. He maintains socialorderby government, provides beauty and joy, shows compassion. He calls sinners to repent. He offers the gospel, salvationin Christ is offered to all sinners. He is by nature a saving God. And, folks, I'll say it again. There isn't any other God in the spectrum of deities who is by nature a Savior. So when the angelsaid, "There has been born for you a Savior," boy, this was just loadedwith significance. The Saviorthey had all been looking for, they'd all been waiting for. And this was consistentwith God. And that's why Joseph was told, Matthew 1:21, "You shall call His name Jesus,"that means Savior, "ForHe will save His people from their sins." And that's why Luke records the words of Jesus laterin Luke 19:10 who said, "The Sonof Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Of all things, He's a Savior. He's the Savior. You see, we can’t...He can't be our King until He's our Savior, right? So He can't fulfill the Davidic Covenant, as we saw in our study at the end of one...chapter1, He can't fulfill the Davidic Covenantwith all of its kingly features;He can't be our blesserand fulfill the Abrahamic Covenantwith all its blessings until He fulfills the New Covenant and becomes our Savior. All Davidic promise, all Abrahamic promise is predicated upon Him as Savior. He can't be the blesserand He can't be the King until He's the Savior. And so the covenantthat dominates everything, the covenant that opens the door to Abrahamic promise and Davidic promise is the New Covenant in His blood because it is in His blood on the cross that He takes the wrath of God, the fury of God, pays the penalty for sin, satisfies the justice of God and therefore rescues us from sin and death and hell. And once He is our Saviorthen He opens to us all the promises that come in His kingdom and through Abrahamic blessing. Well, one little phrase in there, I'll close with this, "There has been born for you." Isn't that good? Forus? I mean, if I had been out there with those shepherds, are you kidding? You don't know much about us. And I'll tell you about them. You're going to be amazed. But they were the leastlikely of all to have receivedsuch a promise.
You know, there's another thought here. The pagan world, they also understood this idea of a Savior. They understood that. The Greek wordstr, Savior, they understood that. In fact, remember what I told you? Caesar Augustus, what was he called? The savior of the world. Thatwas the title that CaesarAugustus had. It's inscribed in some ancient monument, “savior of the world.” They also gave that title “savior” to philosophers who delivered them from ignorance, to doctors who delivered them from death, and like Caesar, to greatleaders who delivered them from their enemies. And certainly Jesus as Saviorwould speak to the Greek mind, the one who delivers us from death, the one who delivers us from ignorance, the one who delivers us from danger. That word was loadedwith significance in the Jewishworld and even in the Gentile world. And certainly CaesarAugustus wouldn't have willfully setup the credentials for the true Savior of the world to whom CaesarAugustus, by the way, is eternally bowing. This is what God does because He controls history. In the end, what does it matter if you don't take the words "for you" personally? "ThoughChrist a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in me, thy soul is still forlorn," said some poet. What does it matter? It matters not. But there was a Saviorborn for you. Father, we thank You for this greatgift. What canwe say? What canwe render to You for the gift of gifts? The Savior, the Savior, One who came to save His people from their sins. Oh we thank You, O God, for the Savior, Son of the MostHigh, sonof Mary, Sonof David, sonof Abraham, Sonof God, Son of Man, all of that, who came into the world to be our Savior, to deliver us because that's what You desired. You are God our Savior who sent Jesus Christ our Savior to deliver us from sin and death and hell. We thank You for that. You are the God who has visited, as we read earlier in the Psalm, visited His people with redemption. You have rescuedus, redeemedus, saved us, delivered us. And You have given us eternal life, the complete forgiveness of sins and we are rich beyond description and shall inherit an inheritance laid up in heaven for us incorruptible that fades not awaywhich we will enjoy forever and everin a world of peace and joy beyond comprehension. We thank You for the gift of Christ, the unspeakable gift, the gift for which there
are no words. You don't want words, really, You want our hearts. Maythere be no one here who has not given his heart to the Savior. Amen. Savior “Forunto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). - Luke 2:11 As we study the names of Jesus, we come to find that many of His titles are well knownwithin Christendom. The titles “Lord” and “Messiah” are especiallygoodexamples of names that have long been held dear by the people of God. Another example of a name that the church has emphasized when talking about Jesus is the name “Savior.” This is quite appropriate given the New Testament’s emphasis on Jesus as the Savior of His people (Matt. 1:21). Today’s verse, from the birth narrative in Luke’s Gospel, shows us that this title was used for Jesus from the moment of His birth to describe the nature of His work. Although the name “Savior” is widely used, sometimes we are unsure of what exactly the term means. Obviously it means that Jesus saves people from something. The question remains, however:“Jesus savespeople from what?” The varied usages ofthis term throughout the Bible does not make the question easyto answer. Nehemiah9:27, for example, tells us that God has sent many saviors to His people. In that context, however, the title refers more to a physical salvation, a protection from physical enemies, and not necessarilyan eternal and spiritual salvation. In an ultimate sense, Jesusdoes provide this physical salvation. He will renew all things when He finally brings in the new heavens and the new earth. We
will receive new bodies and be freed from the presence ofsin. We will be glorified. Though Jesus’work as Savioraccomplishes allthese things, the physical aspects ofsalvationwill not be completely available to us until the renewalof all things. There is one important spiritual blessing, however, that is available to us now. We have already been savedfrom the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9). Therefore, whenwe saythat Jesus is Savior, we are emphasizing that He saves us from the wrath of God. The book of Romans makes it clearthat all human beings store up for themselves wrath from God againsttheir sin. This wrath is storedup to be releasedagainstunrepentant sinners on the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5). But for those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we need not fear the wrath of God, for Jesus has savedus from that wrath (1 Thess. 1:9– 10). Coram Deo Too many people today think that God is not terribly concernedwith sin and does not really getangry with His creation. But the book of Romans makes it clearthat God’s wrath will be poured out upon unrepentant sinners. However, Jesus has borne this wrath in our place, and you are savedfrom it if you trust Him alone. Passages forFurther Study Isa. 45:22–23 Hos. 13:4 1 Tim. 1:15 1 John 4:14 https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/savior-1497/
2:10-14 A Saviour who is Christ the Lord Previous Next Luke 2:10-14 “But the angelsaid to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of greatjoy that will be for all the people. Todayin the town of David a Saviour has been born to you. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a greatcompany of the heavenly host appearedwith the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.’” The people of the westernworld are still vaguely aware ofthe events of the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, that he was born in a stable, with shepherds and wise men coming to see him. The outline of the story is kept in the public consciousnessthrough Christmas cards, carols and junior school plays, but what is absentfrom the public square is the meaning of what happened. There is no ‘exegesis’ – that is the technicalterm – no explanation, and no interpretation. What was there in the mere birth of a child in a stable with a group of shepherds coming along to see the family to suggestthat something of extraordinary magnitude had takenplace? Someone has said, “The birth of Jesus to Mary was not self-evident and self-interpreting. It was not obvious. In factit took a word from heaven, a messagewhichwas a divine revelation to understand what had happened. We have to go back to the messageofthe angelto understand the birth. Without these messengersfrom God no one would have understood what was happening, not Joseph, not Mary, not Zacharias, notElizabeth and not the shepherds. God has to speak for us to understand the incarnation.” So let us see how God’s messenger explained the goodnews that comes to those who understand Bethlehem. Why do we go to church eachSunday? To hear goodnews;to keephearing the most wonderful news that anyone could ever hear; to hear the best news that has fallen on the ears of men and women. At the heart of the Christian faith there lies not a set of principles, not a list of commandments and laws, or some kind of moral code, but at the very heart of the Christian faith is a messageofwhat God has done, a positive affirmation, a statement of some
life-transforming facts. What the angelfirst says is, “I have come to bring you some goodnews that someone has arrived in the world.” It is in the facticity of that birth of one particular baby boy that all the joy of this goodnews is concentrated. Then Gabriel’s messagedevelops so that we learn it is not Mr. Representative Personwho has been born, and not Mr. Everyman who has takenhis first breath. In other words the messageis not a humanistic story that every birth of every child is wonderful and that for an existentialmoment the shepherds graspedthat fact, and were moved by the marvel of a new born baby. No. This baby is specialin a different sense from every baby being specialto the families concerned. This is a unique child, and the words of the messengerof God which are so familiar to us are powerful because theyconcentrate on the extraordinary claim of the New Testamentas to the identity of Mary’s boy- child. So let us look at the designationof the angel concerning this newborn babe. Let us see the greattitles that the angel gives to him. 1. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE CHRIST HAS BEEN BORN. In both the Greek translationof the Old Testamentand in the Greek New Testamentitself this word ‘Christ’ renders the original word ‘anointed one.’ In Hebrew it is the ‘Messiah.’It refers to someone who is setapart and given a specific office. Jesus is the anointed Prophet sent into the world to bring God’s words to his creatures. He is the anointed King of the line of David, born in David’s town, who will crush the head of the serpent. He is the anointed Priest who will make atonement for our sin by his obedience to death, even the death of the cross. Here is the long promised Messiah. This very baby and no other baby, past, present or future, is the anointed one of God, the one the Old Testamenthas spokenof again and again, and he is here in Bethlehem, says the angel. Now one intriguing thing about this title ‘Christ’ is that the Lord himself rarely applied it to himself. Not only that, but he seldom encouragedother men to apply it to him. As you read Luke’s gospelyou will see the veil being takenfrom people’s eyes and they realize who this is who is dealing with them, but soonhe is telling them that they are to keeptheir convictions to
themselves. “See thatyou tell no one this,” he says. He even silences demons who have this conviction. There are sick people whom he has healedand he tells them not to publish abroadwhat they have experienced. He tells Jairus and his wife not to disclose whatwent on in their little girl’s room when he raisedher from the dead. “We are not allowedto tell you yet what happened,” they must say to inquirers. Yet Jesus does go outside of Israelto Samaria and is peculiarly frank with one womanin Sychar. She said to him, “‘I know that Messiah. . . is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” (Jn. 4:26). He could afford to do that in distant Samaria but not in Israel until the last week with the raising of Lazarus. What is the reasonfor this? He needed three years to instruct these twelve young men about the nature of his kingdom without being hunted and threatened with arrest. He neededthat amount of time because they themselves sharedthe Jewishconfusion concerning the whole idea of Messiahship. Theirs was an utterly calamitous attitude which assumedthat the Messiahwas a political figure who was to come and establishan economic, military and political power base in the easternMediterranean. In the public imagination their Messiahwouldteach the Romans a lessonfor dealing with God’s chosenpeople as they had. Their Messiahwouldestablish a greatJewishempire and those in the inner circle would have the chief places in his cabinet. This would be a hegemony of worldly grandeur, political might and economic riches. It would be establishedby the world’s methods – military muscle and diplomacy. Our Lord wanted to disassociatehimself absolutelyfrom that. He was not that kind of Messiah. He has no worldly Kingdom, no economic power, no weaponry, no political privileges to grant to his supporters. This Messiahhas none of that, in fact the whole conceptwas utterly abhorrent to him. He has a reserve, a reticence, and a low profile, and yet he does tell the womanat the well, “I that speak to you am the Messiah.”It was not that Jesus utterly rejectedthe Messianic idea and consideredhimself a simple teacherand healer. He acknowledgedthat he was the one and only Messiah;the angels and apostles callhim this frequently, and yet it is an interpreted Messiahship. Jesus does not allow men and womento have made up their own ideas about
what a Messiahis and to impose that on him. He gives them three features about this Christ: i] Firstly, the messianic kingdom Jesus was setting up was very different from other kingdoms that they had been familiar with. He told them that his kingdom was not of this world at all. It wasn’t political; it didn’t have borders, immigration officials and customs officers. It was entirely and utterly a spiritual kingdom. It confers upon its inhabitants spiritual privileges exclusively. It doesn’tmake them wealthy and powerful landlords. What it does is involve them in such privileges as these, a spiritual birth from above so that they are given the right to enter the kingdom; justification before God so that their sins are pardoned and they are declaredrighteous in Christ. They are adopted into the family of God as his sons and heirs. They are assuredof God’s love. They are given peace ofconscience, joyin the Holy Ghost, increase in grace, an imminent entry into Paradise whenthey die, and the hope of being raisedfrom the dead at the end of the world system. This stable-born Messiahis confronting all the expectations of his own day and he is telling them, “I cannotmeet your longings for military and political expansion. I have only spiritual privileges.” That is what the church in any age says to the world. That is what Luther saw at the time of the Reformation when he was sick atheart and disgusted at what he met in the city of Rome and the power of the Papacy, that the professing church had wanderedfar from the New Testamentand had lost the truth of Jesus the Messiah. We in the church today have no wealth, no socialprestige, no place in the sun, no music programme, no techniques which will solve all the phobias and neuroses ofmen and women while leaving their hearts unregenerate and in a state of alienation from God. We can only offer to men and womenJesus Christ the Saviour, and if they don’t want him there is no alternative agenda. We canonly offer the forgiveness ofsins, the love of God, the indwelling powerof God and the hope of everlasting life. We sayto the world, “Don’t come into the church on the basis of misunderstanding. You won’t find what you think you need here or in any gospelcongregation. We have only every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ to offer you, and that is where we draw the line.” We have no
right to turn the church into a socialclub or a singing society. We must not turn it into an organization for the preservationof a language and a culture. It must remain what the Christ made it, a spiritual kingdom where men receive glorious enduring spiritual blessings. ii] Secondly, under Jesus’Messiahshipgreatnessis going to have a special meaning. There was an occasionwhen his disciples were arguing with one another as to who would be Number One in his kingdom. The mother of the sons of Zebedee askedhim privately if they could have the top places and sit eachside of him. Maybe John had ambitions about being Prime Minster, and James that he could become the Chancellorof the Exchequer. They had their own concepts ofwhat greatness was,and Jesus has to tell them frequently that his kingdom is not like that. Under his Messiahshipthe greatestmust be the servant of all. Greatness is displayed in kneeling down and washing and drying the feet of one’s fellow men. Time and againwe have to call the Christian church back to that, because it tends too easilyto ape the world’s own socialstructures, to establishcorridors of power and prestige. It builds empires; it elevates men and erectpedestals on which it places them; it asks them to have larger than life personalities, to look like film stars, and dress in designerwearor sumptuous cloaks and put on headgearwhichis a virtual crown. It carries some around on a chair. We ask them to make pronouncements like kings, and speak infallibly like God. It encouragesthe quiver of excitement at seeing them emerge at the front of the assembled hosts. We forget that in the church there must be only the people of God; there is none who can say that it is below him to washthe feetof another. There is only the greatness thatconsecrateseverytalent, and every single aptitude and position to the well-being of the greatChristian cause. iii] Thirdly this Messiahis not going to spread his influence by the methods of the world. The Messiah’s reignis not going to grow by carnalmethods. It will not be spread by a holy war, the use of the sword, the suicide bomber and the jihad. It is not going to multiply by diplomacy and economic strength. It will not be helped by marketing, and sound bites, and entertainment. The Lord refuses to stoopto such means to bring in his Messianic kingdom. The Christ came into the world of Jewishexpectationand he dropped a bombshell. The Messiahmust suffer! He will be delivered into the hands of men and who will
be the ones killing him? The chief priest of Israelwill murder the Messiah. The elders will agree with the plot; the scribes of the Sanhedrin will be fully paid-up members of the conspiracy, bribing the false accusersand getting the death sentence passed. The very leaders of Jewry will cause the Christ to be killed. That is the only waythe Messiah’s kingdomwill be established, by way of humiliation, and by sin-bearing, and by enduring the anathema. So as we stand and hear the word of this messengerfrom heavenaddressing the shepherds and telling them that the Messiahhas been born, then let it be plain in our minds what is the underlying biblical idea of Messiahship. It is this, that here is a person who has come from God, who by his own suffering, his enduring of the anathema and death will establishhis MessianicKingdom. This is the most marvelous institution the world has everseen. The people inside it are greatbecause they are little people;they are self-effacing people; they have entered his kingdom by a work he has done in their lives so that they hang their heads and say, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” They are in the Kingdom as servants. 2. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE LORD HAS BEEN BORN. This baby is, Christ the ‘Lord,’ and in the underlying Greek text it is the word kurios, and there is something staggering aboutthe use of that word in the New Testamentbecause it looks in two directions. i] Firstly, ‘lord’ was a word used very commonly in the secularworld of the day where there were lords many in the men of influence and powerwho held sway. It was applied to Caesarpreeminently; the divine Caesarwho was lord. Caesar’spowerwas absolute;his prerogatives were unchallengeable, his rights and entitlements were beyond question. Men had to bow their knees before him; they were expected to come to him with their eyes downcast;they had to make obeisance andworship him implicitly because Caesarwas lord. Very soona day would come when that Roman power would say to those Christian believers, “Now you must confess Caesaras lord or else your lives will be forfeit.” Those Christans would have to say, “No, Caesaris not lord. Christ is Lord. Christ is Caesar’s Lord.” Christ had made him and held him in the hollow of his hand. One day that great Caesarwould stand a puny
prostate trembling human being, stripped of every vestige of his grandeur at the judgment seatof our Lord. There he would answerfor all his atrocities, and the slaughter he wrought upon the people of God. Today men have different designations and different lords. There are millions who saythat Allah is lord, and Muhammed is the servant of the lord, and if you do not bow and acknowledgethat factthen your life is forfeited, and multitudes have died because they canonly confess that Jesus Christis Lord. He is the Lord of Muhammed, and before him every knee shall bow, and we remind ourselves once againof the tremendous emphasis that the New Testamentplaces on the cosmic supremacyof Jesus Christ. There is a throne above Caesar’s throne. There is a throne above and beyond every throne. We remind ourselves that at the lastit is he who has the whole world in his hands. The one empire, the great cosmic kingdomthat shall endure for ever and ever, is his. He is the heir of Godand heir of all things. He alone is such. ii] Secondly, ‘lord’ was a word looking at the world of the Jews, and the Jews had their Lord and this word translatedin the Hebrew Old Testamentthe references to Jehovah. It is the divine name, the name that was so holy that the Jews nevereven pronounced it. There was no Lord like the Jews’Lord. They claimed, “The Lord our God is one Lord.” Caesarwasn’tthe Jews’ Lord, and in 70 years’ time they would die in their thousands and see the city destroyedand their temple flattened as a consequence oftheir repudiation of Caesar’sclaims. “Caesaris not our Lord. Godis our Lord. God alone is our Lord,” they said. However, what the Jews deniedand overlookedwas thattheir Lord had already come, because whatdo we have in the words of Gabriel sent from the presence ofGod? We have the ascriptionto Christ of the name that is above every name, the name that was exclusivelyGod’s in the whole outlook of the Jews. The messengerfrom God is telling the shepherds that the one born in a stable in Bethlehemwas none other than the God of Genesis chapterone, the God of the burning bush, the God of Mount Sinai. Christ is that Lord and he is there in a manger. Jesus is Lord. That phrase, “Jesusis Lord” is the earliest single-clause Christologicalconfessionofthe early church.
You see the marvel of this? He is Caesar’s Lord, and he is the Jews’Lord and yet he is the baby born in Bethlehem. You go and tell a Jew that the Lord is born . . . God has been born . . . and you would find utter and total repugnance and incomprehension. Yet our faith stands or falls with the truth of these words, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.” The Lord is manifestly seenand heard; Heaven’s beloved Lord is lying in a feeding trough; the Lord of men and angels is in a cave in Bethlehem. How much comprehensionand understanding could there have been, even in Mary herself? This was only the beginning of sorrows, this unlikely place for anyone to find Caesar’sLord. It is a strange place for shepherds to stumble across God, but one day you’ll find him in a strangerplace! You will find this Lord on a hill called Golgotha, neara rubbish dump, crucified betweentwo criminals. What is it we are confessing whenwe say, “Jesus is Lord”? It is the incarnation of God and the humiliation of the Lord in a life that was to end in the anomaly of impenetrable darkness at noon and the dereliction of Calvary, with men mocking and chanting at the nailed Lord hour after hour, while others gambled, and others looking at his pain unmoved. What is this baby to them? What is he to you? Who is he in yonder stall at whose feetthe shepherds fall? Who is this child in the manger and infant of Mary? Is he to me, in the depths of my soul, my Lord? Do I fall down before him and say, “My Lord and my God?” Do I mean what I sing, “Lo within a manger lies he who built the starry skies”? Do you sing it because it is rich in its meaning that the Creatorof all things took frail flesh and had nowhere to lay his head except a feedtrough? Unto you is born such a Christ whom eye has not seennor earheard nor has mind of man conceivedof. Here is Caesar’sLord and the Jews’Lord. You find Almighty God joined to a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, and if you think that that is passing strange and paradoxicalthen I tell you that one day that same person would hang on Golgotha crying in agonyand loneliness, “MyGod, my God, why hast thou forsakenme?” There is one who has been in our world who is greaterthan the world. The Creatorof the world once lay in a manger while never ceasing to be the
world’s Lord. He continued to be what he had always been but in addition to that he was now something more, a human being, an infant of days. He has become the incarnate God-man for us, and for our salvationand our deliverance. 3. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE SAVIOUR HAS BEEN BORN. What does this word ‘Saviour’ mean? It basicallymeans someone who delivers, a personwho rescues from danger and brings into a state of safety and blessing. A lifeguard is a saviour; a helicopter pilot is a saviour; a member of a mountain rescue teamis a saviour; a fireman is a saviour. Weren’t the shepherds longing for a political saviourwho would getthem out from Roman dominion? But in the Old Testamentthe word ‘Saviour’ was a divine name; to save was a divine prerogative. In Isaiah God says to the world of men, “Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else.” He is the exclusive Saviour. Jonahcried, “Salvationis of the Lord.” Mary has said in the previous chapter, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” Creationis an exclusive divine work. Providence is a divine work. Resurrectionis a divine work. Judgment is a divine work. Salvationis also an exclusive divine work. Futile is the salvationof a man. This is too divine for angels, too divine for men; Abraham, Isaac and Jacobcannotsave;Peterand the apostles cannotsave;God alone can save, and God has been pleasedto put all salvation into the hands of his Son. There is no part of his salvationin the law; there is no part of it in human merit, reasoning, imaginationor desire. There is no salvationin the bare ordinances of the church; it is not in having the Bible or merely in hearing it preached;it is not even in the Holy Spirit alone for he did not fulfil all righteousness forus and die to atone for our sins. Salvationis in Christ alone. I ask you, ‘What is he a Saviour from?’ Jesus Christis not God’s appointed deliverer from political oppression, though where he has influence he changes societyfor the better and democracycando its work more justly. He is not God’s deliverer from economic oppressionand poverty though many a man savedby Christ has been delivered from the poverty he was creating for
himself by his wasting ways. I saw the answerto my question ‘What is he a Saviour from?’ carvedon a grave in Sutherland in the north of Scotland last Saturday. The gravestone I was reading belongedto a greattheologian, John Murray, and the words below his name were, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin.” He alone saves from sin. If it is pardon for sin you need, then it is found in Christ. If it is deliverance from the vast debt of sin’s wages youneed then it is found in Christ. If it is a perfect righteousness to offer to God that you need then it is found in Christ. If it is grace to mature, and transform the whole sinful nature then it is found in Christ, God’s gift of a Saviour who declares that whosoeverbelievethin him should not perish but have everlasting life. That was the angelic message. “ASaviour has been born to you.” This meant eyes to the blind. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant ears to the deaf. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant feet to the lame. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant cleansing for the leper. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant the forgiveness ofsins and deliverance from the wrath to come and life everlasting. Sucha Saviour is born to you. When baby is born he is born to his parents. He is theirs. When he is the firstborn son of the King then he is born a prince to his people and a future King to them. “A Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” To every single one of you a Saviour has been born. Christ in the flesh – for you to receive as your prophet and priest and king. Christ dead on the cross for your pardon. Christ taking the sting from death that there might be no sting for you. Christ teaching that you might not go on through life in your ignorance. Christ rising as the first fruits of all who sleep – and he’s for you today! When the Jewishman slayersaw what he had done, accidentallykilling his companion, and when he heard the shouts of rage of his family, and the baying for his blood in revenge, then what could he do? Where could he go? There was just one place;the city of refuge. He must flee to it and be saved. Unto you is a city of refuge and it is Christ the Lord. To him you must go immediately.
When the Jewishman was bitten by a fiery serpent and the paralysis from the poison beganits deadly effects in him, the poisonous venom coursing through his veins what could he do? Who or what could save him? A voice cried out, “Look at the brazen serpent over there high on its pole.” He lookedand as he lookedand lookedhe was saved. Unto you is a brazen serpentlifted high and it is Christ the Lord. Look to him and be saved. All you sinners look to Christ, the one born to you, lived to you, died to you, rose to you, ascendedto you, interceding to you, coming again to you. The Saviour named Jesus has been born for you to receive. Alas, I have a greatproblem. What is it? What is the terrible problem I face as a Christian preacher? The problem is this, that I cannot find sinners. My commissionis like my Master’s, not to go to the righteous but to sinners, yet I cannot find sinners. I have a greatPhysicianwho can heal men’s souls but I cannot find any sick souls to bring to him. There are rarely any sinners who come to Alfred Place BaptistChurch (Independent), because I don’t come across anycrying out, “Menand brethren what must we do?” There seemto be few unconverted sinners who frequent this building. What a strange congregationthis is. It is full of respectable men and women, none of them guilty, none of them on the broad road to hell, although Jesus saidmany will find that road, none of them depraved in the whole of their natures. We cannot find a single one here. None here who has lostcommunion with God. None here under the wrath and curse of God. None here liable to the pains of the place of woe. But if I should find one person, one day, then I would say to him or her “I have a Saviour for you.” If I should find one sad individual whose life is not right with God, just one boy or girl, then I would say, “I know someone who can put you right with God.” If I should find someone who has lostthe way then I would say to him, “I know someone who can set you on the right path to heaven.” If I should find someone who is saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” I would say to him that there is mercy in my Saviour for you too. Yes Jesus loves you; the Bible tells me so. If I should find one soul, one single guilty soul who is on the way to a lost eternity, under God’s wrath and judgment and liable to perish then I would say to him, “A Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Is this to be another service in which I cannot find such a sinner? There are students
here and some saythat they are not Christians but will any say that they are sinners? There are young people here who will saythat they are not Christians; will they acknowledgethat they are sinners? There are middle agedpeople who turn up on a Sunday and they are attentive as far as things go but they stop short of confessing that they are sinners. Sometimes I feelmy whole calling is futile, and that all my labour is vain, absurd and ridiculous, because there is no place for me in a world without sinners. There is no place for a messagelike mine in a congregationwithout sinners. I often wish God would make some sinners, that he would show them what they are, that they may see their need. My own life cannot bear the scrutiny of the God who is light, whose wrath is revealedagainstall ungodliness and unrighteousness. There is not a goodword I can sayabout myself; I am so often ashamedof myself; I groanaloud so that my best friend asks if I am all right. Is there anyone here with a bruised conscience,a broken heart, some fear of God, who wants his soul restored? If there is just one such person here, then “a Saviourhas been born to for you; he is Christ the Lord.” But the sad thing is that we’re living in a town without sinners, a land without sinners, a world without sinners, because people don’t come to Christ. They know nothing of the melody of salvation. Ah, it’s a greatthing to be a sinner because a man who knows he’s a sinner and looks to the Son of God causes joy in heaven. A righteous man does nothing for heaven, but a sinner can make God glad. It’s a great pity we couldn’t all be sinners. It’s a greatshame that we couldn’t tell God that we were sinners. It is a greatloss to a life that the personconcerneddoesn’t tell Jesus he needs him to be his Saviour. All I can sayis that if somewhere in the anonymity and unknowness around us, somewhere outthere, there is just one extraordinary and unusual person who says, “Alas, I am a sinner,” then I can say to you, “a Saviour has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord.” I would saythat you are a very privileged and fortunate person if you are a sinner, because Christis a Saviour of all of such who come to him, and if that one sinner happens to be you then you cancome to him now, and take him now, and know something of the new melody of his salvationin your heart.
What may you sing? The song of all the host from heaven who joined the archangel;“Gloryto God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” Man’s chief end is to glorify God. How can you fulfil it? By first acknowledging that you are a sinner. In no way canyour life be one of glory to God without that. Peaceto you, all your life then follows. Hearthese greatwords: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained accessby faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Roms. 5:1&2). There are men and womenin this world on whom God’s favour rests. What blessednessis theirs! Heaven has begun on earth in them. Who are they, those on whom his favour rests? Those who have peace now, peace on earth, not “R.I.P,” notresting in peace after death at all but peace now? Theyare those alone who have seentheir sin and seenChrist as the Saviour and cried mightily to him to save them. Cry to Jesus Christ now that he will show you your sin and show you the Saviour, and do not stop crying until he has answeredyour prayers. 16th September 2007 GEOFFTHOMAS

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Jesus was christ the lord

  • 1.
    JESUS WAS CHRISTTHE 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.
    2. That Godgrants 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.
  • 3.
    2. The fulfillmentof 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.
  • 4.
    Biblical Illustrator For untoyou 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.
  • 5.
    III. HUMILITY. Thehuman 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
  • 6.
    the opposite towhat 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
  • 7.
    blood and painand 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
  • 8.
    impenitent. Lessons:As weare 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.
  • 9.
    (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
  • 10.
    makes use ofthe 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.
  • 11.
    At the veryutterance 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
  • 12.
    through the gratingof 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
  • 13.
    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
  • 14.
    they would havecalled 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
  • 15.
    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
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    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
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    the classics,and youneglectedthe 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,
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    degradedlives. How isall 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
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    Saviour in HolyWrit, 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
  • 20.
    the starhad showeditto 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
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    Bishop Hacker. — TheAthenians 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.
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    6. Perhaps tomake 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?
  • 23.
    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
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    thought upon allthese 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
  • 25.
    For unto youis 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
  • 26.
    lords, and Kingof 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
  • 27.
    Corinthians 4:5 (seePhp 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
  • 28.
    See on Matthew21:3. 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.
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    Lenski says "Weregardfor (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+).
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    The city ofDavid - 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!
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    Spurgeon- The anointedSaviour 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
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    emperors as “saviors,”sothe 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.
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    Isaiah62:2 Behold, theLORD 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
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    emperors were discussedandworshipedin 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
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    majority of theNT 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
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    application of theterm 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...
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    For our citizenshipis 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
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    "that if youconfess 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)
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    One Silent Night Read:Luke2:1-14 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.
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    By Cindy HessKasper (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
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    that the Childborn 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 Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Changing History Read:Luke 2:1-14 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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.
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    But events thatalter 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!
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    There’s a reasonforeveryone’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)
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    Celebrate The Baby Read:Luke2:8-14 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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
  • 45.
    A wise mantoday will bow not only at the manger but also at the cross. By Dave Branon(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) 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
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    period. Messianic expectationsin 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;
  • 47.
    to destroy theunlawful 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
  • 48.
    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 There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the 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.
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    Years ago anold 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, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) A Joyous Celebration Read:Matthew 1:18-25 Behold, I bring you goodtidings of greatjoy which will be to all people. — Luke 2:10
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    When God showsHis 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, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The Seventh Stanza
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    Read:Luke 2:8-14 Today inthe 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!
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    By Tim Gustafson| INSIGHTIt 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?”
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    At the rootof 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.
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    So the correctanswertothis 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
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    God” (Luke 4:34,41). Although they were not and could not be subject to Him, they still knew the truth about who He is. When Peter experiencedthe miraculous catchof fish, he instantly recognized that Jesus is the holy Lord and that he had no basis to be in His presence. He cried out (Luke 5:8), “Go awayfrom me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” When Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins (prior to healing him to prove His authority to forgive sins), the Pharisees grumbled (Luke 5:21), “Who is this man who speaksblasphemies? Who canforgive sins, but God alone?” Who indeed? Later, when John the Baptist was in prison, he struggledwith doubts. He sent messengersto Jesus asking (Luke 7:19), “Are You the One who is coming, or do we look for someone else?”Jesussentback the reply, based on a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah35, (Luke 7:22-23), “Go and report to John what you have seenand heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospelpreached to them. Blessedis he who does not take offense at Me.” Jesus’miracles and teaching revealedHis identity. Later, when Jesus was having dinner with a Pharisee, He forgave the sins of the womanwho anointed His feet. The other guests grumbled (Luke 7:49), “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” Luke repeats the same crucial question after Jesus calmedthe storm. The disciples fearfully asked(Luke 8:25), “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Later, Herod heard about the miracles that Jesus was performing. He worried that maybe John the Baptist had risen from the dead. So Herod said (Luke 9:9), “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” He askedthe right question, but he never answeredit correctly! Later, Jesus asksthe twelve (Luke 9:18), “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” After they give some of the incorrectanswers, Jesus pointedly asks (Luke 9:20), “But who do you say that I am?” Peterresponded with his confession, “The Christof God.” Yet even then, the disciples had many erroneous notions about who Jesus was. Theydid not understand that the
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    Christ had tosuffer before He entered into His glory (Luke 24:26). The ultimate confessioncomesfrom God the Father, who testified at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22), “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” And, againat Jesus’transfiguration, the Fathertestified (Luke 9:35), “This is My Son, My ChosenOne; listen to Him!” If we had the time, we could work our way through the entire Gospelof Luke (as well as the other Gospels)and see the words and deeds of Jesus, allof which testify to His identity. After His resurrection, Jesus explains to the disciples that all of Scripture testifies to Him (Luke 24:27, 44). But I want to focus briefly on Jesus’identity as the angelproclaimed it to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’birth (Luke 2:10-11), “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you goodnews of greatjoy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This is a unique statement, in that the word “Savior” is only used two other times in the gospels. In Luke 1:47, Mary said that she “rejoicedin God my Savior.” It occurs once in John 4:42. Other than that, “Savior” in the Gospels only occurs here at Jesus’birth. Also, the words “Christ the Lord” translate a Greek expressionfound nowhere else in the New Testament(Leon Morris, Luke [IVP/Eerdmans], p. 85). It is literally, “Christ Lord.” So the angel’s pronouncement should arrestour attention. 1. Jesus is fully human. Luke, who probably interviewed Mary, gives more detail to the miracle of the virgin birth than any other New Testamentauthor, explaining that the Holy Spirit performed this miracle in Mary’s body (Lk 1:34-35). In this unique way, Godtook on human flesh in the person of Jesus. Jesus wasborn in the city of David, which is Bethlehem. Luke will go on to show that Jesus grew up as a boy, gradually attaining maturity (Lk 2:40-52). Luke also traces Jesus’ physical genealogyallthe wayback to Adam, showing that Jesus was descendedfrom David (Lk 3:23-38). All of these historicaldetails mean that the Christmas story is not a legend, but rather is a true accountof the life of a realman. It is based on the eyewitness testimonyof credible people. We need to emphasize this in our day.
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    So many legends,suchas Santa Claus, have become intertwined with the Christmas story that people lump them all togetherand forgetthat the birth of Jesus Christ as reported in the Bible is true history. Some may ask, “Who cares if it’s history or not? The story about Josephand Mary, the Christ child, the angels, the wise men, the shepherds, and the manger, is a heartwarming tale that children love to hear. It helps everyone focus on peace onearth for a few days every year. So what difference does it make whether it’s really true or not?” It makes all the difference in the world! If it’s just a heartwarming legend, you canchoose to believe or disbelieve it, based on how it makes you feel. It’s a completely subjective decision, binding on no one. But if the story actually happened as Luke reports, then the birth of Jesus confronts every personwith objective facts that cannot be shrugged off as personalopinion. The factthat these events happened means that Godexists and that He truly broke into human history in the birth of Jesus in fulfillment of many prophecies. The factthat God sent Jesus as a Saviorimplies that people without the Savior are alienatedfrom Godand desperatelyneed to be reconciledto Him through the forgiveness oftheir sins. These facts mean that you don’t just believe in Jesus becauseit makes you feel warm and happy inside, or because He helps you face life’s problems or because you like the Christian traditions. It means that you believe the Christian message because itis true. Even if it brings you persecutionand death, you cling to it because it is authentic history. Jesus came to earth as a man to bear our sins. 2. Jesus is the Savior. The angeltells the shepherds that this goodnews of greatjoy for all people is that a Saviorhas been born. The name “Jesus,” revealedto Josephby the angel(Matt. 1:21), means, “Yahweh saves.”Jesusdid not come as a nice man offering a new philosophy about life. He did not come as a great moral teacher, offering some helpful insights on how to live a happy life. He came as the Savior!
  • 58.
    A number ofyears ago, a toddler fell down a narrow well. Her mother went looking for her as soonas she realized she was missing and was horrified to hear her daughter’s voice coming from this deep, dark shaft. Fire fighters and other rescuers soonswarmedon the scene. News media arrived and for hours the attention of the nation was riveted on the desperate attempt to rescue that little girl before it was too late. That little girl didn’t need anyone to give her some ideas on how to live a happy life. She was doomed if someone didn’t save her from death. The most important news that that desperate mother could hear in that situation was, “The rescuers have savedyour daughter!” When someone is lost and within hours of death unless they are saved, the only news that matters is that a saviorhas come who can rescue that doomed person. The goodnews that a Saviorhas been born who is Christ the Lord is the best news in the world, because it deals with the most important issue of all, namely, where you will spend eternity. If you die and do not have Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will spend eternity under the judgment of a holy God (John 3:36). But in His mercy, God sent Jesus to save us from our sins! 3. Jesus is the Christ. “Messiah” is the Hebrew and “Christ” is the Greek word for “Anointed One.” It refers to Jesus as the Anointed King and Priest, who brings God’s salvation to His people. In the Old Testament, the only two office bearers to be anointed were the King and the High Priest. Jesus brought both of these offices togetherin one person. The title, Christ, especiallyfocusesonthe fact that Jesus is the One who fulfilled all the Old Testamentprophecies about the promised Savior. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His sinless life, sacrificialdeath, and bodily resurrection. He is coming a secondtime, not to offer salvation, but to judge the world and reign in righteousness. Since Jesus is God's Anointed One, we dare not ignore or reject Him! Thus Jesus is fully human. He is the Savior. He is the Christ. 4. Jesus is the Lord.
  • 59.
    The title meansthat Jesus is God. What a mystery, yet true: The man Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is God in human flesh! A mere man could not have died for the sins of the human race. If He had been an angelor some super-human being, He could not have borne human sins. But as the sinless God-man, He alone could bear our sins. The Jehovah’s Witnessesand the Mormons saythat Jesus is the Savior, but they deny that He is God. But we must interpret Lord in light of its use in the Old Testamentand in light of its context in Luke. In the Old Testament, the Lord clearly is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!It is used over 6,000 times in the Septuagintto translate “Yahweh” (Darrell Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 [Baker], p. 218). It refers to Jesus’sovereigntyand deity. Luke uses the same word in Lk 1:43, where Elizabeth refers to Mary, who is carrying Jesus, as “the mother of my Lord.” She also adds that Mary was blessedbecause she believedthe word spokento her by the Lord (Lk 1:45). In the next verse (Lk 1:46), Mary breaks into praise, exclaiming, “My soul exalts the Lord....” When Elizabeth gives birth to John, everyone heard that the Lord had displayed His greatmercy towardher (Lk 1:58). As the child grew, Luke states that the hand of the Lord was with him (Lk 1:66). When Zacharias broke into praise, he blessedthe Lord God of Israel(Lk 1:68). In Lk 2:9, Luke says that the angelof the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. He uses it in Lk 2:23 to refer to “the law of the Lord” and “holy to the Lord.” If Lord means something different in verse 11 than it does in these many other references in chapters 1 & 2, surely Luke would have clarified it. The angel means that Jesus, born to the virgin Mary, is none other than God in human flesh. The Savior had to be man to bear the sins of humans; but He also had to be God so that His sacrifice had merit before God’s holy throne. Only Jesus is that unique Savior. So the correctanswerto the crucial question that you must answeris, “Jesus is fully human, He is the Savior, He is the Christ, and He is the Lord God.” But, you can answerthat question correctlyand yet go to hell. As we’ve seen,
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    the devil andhis demons know the correctanswerto that question, but they are not saved. 5. You must respond to Jesus as your Savior and Lord with personalfaith and submission. The angelannounces that this goodnews of the Savior’s birth is for all the people (Lk 2:10). But then he gets personal(Lk 2:11), “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” You must respond personallyby trusting Jesus as the only one who cansave you from God’s judgment and by submitting to Him as your Lord. Use these shepherds as an example of how you should respond. They didn’t say, “Wow, that was really some experience, seeing all those angels,” andsit there the restof the night with their sheep. They didn’t sit around discussing theologyafter the angelspoke to them. They didn’t say, “Thanks for the news, but we’ve always believed this,” and stay where they were at. No, they responded to the news by believing what God had revealedto them through the angel. Their faith was demonstratedby their going straight to Bethlehem to see it for themselves and then to return glorifying and praising God (Luke 2:15, 20). And what did they see? “Maryand Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Luke 2:16). No halo. No angels hovering there. Jesus didn’t look like a Savior. No palace. The place lookedand smelledlike a barn, because that’s what it was. They could have scoffedand stumbled over it, as many do. What about you? Will you scoffor stumble over the simple but profound messagethat the baby Jesus, bornin Bethlehem, whose birth was announced by the angels to these simple shepherds, is Christ the Lord, a Saviorborn for you? Jesus didn’t leave heaven and come to this earth and go through the suffering of the cross just to give you a boostor a few tips on how to have a happy life. He knew that you desperatelyneed a Savior. He alone can save you from the penalty of God’s wrath because of your sins. But, how will you respond to this goodnews? Conclusion
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    So the crucialquestion that you must answerand respond to correctlyis, “Who is Jesus Christ?” One day, everyone will get it right. The apostle Paul says (Phil. 2:10-11)that “at the name of Jesus everyknee will bow, of those who are in heavenand on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess thatJesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” But some will bow on that greatday in terror as they hear the Lord say (Matt. 25:41), “Departfrom Me, accursedones, into the eternalfire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Theyrespondedtoo late to the question we all must answer, “Who is Jesus Christ?” But you can respond correctlyright now! You can welcome Jesus Christas your Savior from God’s judgment. You can bow before Him now as your Lord. Then on that day you will hear Him say (Matt. 25:34), “Come, you who are blessedof My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Application Questions 1. What would you say to the person who said, “If Jesus works for you, that’s great, but that’s not my thing”? 2. Why is it crucial to affirm the full humanity and full deity of Jesus Christ? Can a person be savedwho denies Jesus’deity? 3. How does answering the question about Jesus’identity affecthow we think and live? 4. Is it necessaryto feel lostin order to get saved? How can we share the gospelwith those who don’t fee STEVEN COLE Luke 2:8-11 The BestNews In The World
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    Steven Cole A wifesaid to her husband, “Shallwe watchthe six o’clock news and get indigestion or wait for the eleven o’clock andhave insomnia?” One wag put it, “The evening news is where they begin with ‘Goodevening’--and then tell you why it isn’t.” We live in a world filled with tragedy. If there’s anything this hurting world desperatelyneeds, it is goodnews. Not only the world in general, but individuals need goodnews because their lives are strewnwith suffering and sorrow. The Christmas story as told by Luke offers not only goodnews, but the bestnews in the world: The angeltold the shepherds, “I bring you good news of a greatjoy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The best news in the world is that Christ the Lord has come as the Saviorfor all. Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s nice, but to be quite honest, it doesn’t relate to the problems I’m facing. It may give people a brief feeling of hope and peace everyChristmas, but then we have to get back to reality. To be honest, this story doesn’t touch the pain I feel or the tragedy I struggle with on a daily basis.” But if you’re thinking that, you don’t understand the significance ofthis news as it relates to you personally. The news that “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” is absolutelythe best news there is or ever could be. 1. This is the best news because it centers on the most unique Personin history. “There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v. 11). I’ll focus in a moment on the fact that He is the Savior. For now, considerthat ... A. Jesus is the Christ.
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    The word isGreek for “anointed one” (the Hebrew is “Messiah”).It means that Jesus is the one sent and anointed by God the Father for His mission of salvation. He was anointed as a prophet to preach the gospel, as priest to offer Himself as the sacrifice forour sins, and as king to reign. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His sinless life, sacrificialdeathand resurrection. B. Jesus is the Lord. The same word is used in verses 9, 22, and 23 to refer to JehovahGod. What a mystery, yet true: The Savior born in Bethlehem is God in human flesh. If He had been only a man, He could not have died for the sins of the human race. If He had been an angel, He could not have borne human sins. But He was Christ the Lord, God! God alone is greatenough to deal with our sins. C. Jesus is a man. He was born in Bethlehem. He didn’t descendfrom the sky, fully grown. He was conceivedmiraculously by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb and went through the stagesofdevelopment just like any other human baby. What a wonder! As a man, the representative Man, He could bear the sins of the human race. As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ is unique in all the world. He alone qualifies to be the Savior of the world. If you doubt the uniqueness of Jesus, I invite you to read the Gospelaccounts with an open heart, and you will be convinced that He can be nothing other than fully God and fully man united in one person. That makes the news He brings about salvationthe bestnews in the world, “goodnews ofa greatjoy.” 2. This is the best news because ofthe type of news it is. A. It is the best news because it is the most important news in the world. Jesus did not come as a nice man offering a new philosophy about life. He did not come as a greatmoral teacher, giving some interesting tips and helpful insights on how to live a happy life. He came as the Savior! The only people who need a Saviorare those in great peril. Even though you may not be aware
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    of it, withoutJesus as your Savior, you are lost, under God’s judgment! If you die without Him as your Savior, you are eternally lost! A number of years ago, a toddler fell down a narrow well. Her mother went looking for her as soonas she realized she was missing and was horrified to hear her daughter’s voice coming from this deep, dark shaft. Fire fighters and other rescuers soonswarmedon the sight. News media arrived and for hours the attention of the nation was riveted on that field where desperate attempts were being made to rescue that little girl before it was too late. That little girl didn’t need anyone to give her some ideas on how to live a happy life. She was doomed if someone didn’t save her from certain death. The most important news that desperate mother could hear in that situation was, “The rescuers have reachedyour daughter and she has been saved!” You could have walkedup to that mother as she anxiously awaitedthe outcome and told her, “I just heard on the evening news that it’s going to be sunny and warmer tomorrow.” Big deal! That’s nice news, but it’s not important when your child is lost down a deep well. You could have reported to her, “Theyjust said on the news that the economy is on an upswing.” Wonderful, but trivial comparedto the only news that mattered to that mother. When someone is lost and within hours of death unless they are saved, the only news that matters is that a savior has come who can rescue that doomed person. That’s why the goodnews that a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord is the best news in the world, because it deals with the most important issue of all, namely, where a person will spend eternity. Eachperson in this world is lost without the Savior. It is only a matter of time until they die without Christ and enter eternity under the judgment of a holy God. But in His mercy, God sent Jesus to save us from our sins. That is the most important news in the world! B. It is the bestnews because it is true news.
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    Goodnews is onlygoodif it is true. If I told you, “You’ve just inherited a million dollars,” you would only regard it as good news if it was true. If I was just making it up, it isn’t a cause for greatjoy. The news that Jesus Christis born as a Savioris nothing more than a sick joke if it is not true news. If it’s just a nice legendthat warms our hearts every Christmas, forget it! If it’s not absolutely true, then it only offers false hope for eternity, when really there is none. But if it’s true that Jesus Christcan save us from our sins so that we do not come under the judgment of a holy God, then we must believe and acton it. The Christmas story is not a fairy tale. It happened in history: “Todayin the city of David there has been born ...” (Lk 2:11). It happened on a particular day in history in a geographic locationthat was prophesiedcenturies before. The shepherds went and saw a live human baby. We’re not talking make- believe; we’re talking true history. Luke begins his gospelby telling us that he investigatedeverything carefully from the beginning (Lk 1:3). Mostscholars think that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was Luke’s direct source for the information in the birth narrative (Lk 2:19). To doubt the veracity of these events as recordedis to pit your word againstthat of a woman of integrity who was personallycloserto these events than anyone else. The historicalaccuracyof these events is further confirmed by the witness of the shepherds. There was no reasonfor them to fabricate a story about seeing the angels. Masshallucinations of this sortare highly unlikely. In verse 20 we’re told that the things the shepherds heard and saw were “just as had been told them.” The things they heard and saw--a common couple and their baby in a stable-- were not the sort of things one would fabricate. If you were going to make up a story about the birth of the Savior, surely it would have sounded more like a fairy tale in a palace, with royal attendants and a baby that had a specialglow around him. Instead we read of a common couple and a baby lying in a feeding trough.
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    Yes, there weremiracles--the virgin conceptionof Jesus in Mary’s womb; the angels appearing to the shepherds. But these events are presented matter-of- factly, not embellished in a way that sounds make-believe. Unless you rule out miracles because you assume they can’t happen, there is no reasonto doubt these reliable eyewitness accounts. The truth of the narrative is further confirmed by the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Luke states that Jesus was born in the city of David. Micah5:2 had prophesied 700 years before that Bethlehem would be the place of Messiah’s birth. In Luke 1, Zacharias’prophecy shows how the birth of John the Baptistfulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and would be followedby the coming of Messiah. In Luke 2:29-32, Simeonrecognizes that this child fulfills the Old Testamenthope for Messiah. In Luke 3, Jesus’lineage is traced back through David, thus fulfilling God’s promise to David 1,000 years before. We live in a culture that has largelyabandoned the notion of absolute truth. Truth, for most Americans (and for many who claim to be evangelical Christians), is whateverworks for the individual. If Zen Buddhism works for someone, then it is true for him; if Christianity works for another, then it is true, too, even though the two systems are mutually contradictory. The notion of objective truth has been replacedwith subjective experience. But if Jesus was born in history to the virgin Mary, if He is the fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years before His birth, and if the events surrounding His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascensionare verified by hundreds of reliable eyewitnesses, thenyou can’t shrug it off as a nice story that is true for some but not true for others. Believing in Jesus as your Savior is not just one option among many. It’s not something you can believe if it helps you to feel goodinside, but if it doesn’t work, you can discard. If Jesus is who the prophets predicted, who the angels proclaimed, who He Himself claimed to be and verified by His miracles, then your eternaldestiny depends on your response to Him. C. It is the best news because it is timely news.
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    News isn’t reallyexciting news if it’s old or if it relates to something in the far- distant future. If you tell me that PresidentKennedy was shot, it doesn’t greatly affectme, because that’s old news. If you tell me that I will inherit a million dollars when I turn 70, that’s great, but it’s so far off that it doesn’t help me much right now. The best news is news that relates to me right now. Notice the words in the story that give a sense ofurgency to this message to the shepherds:“today” (Lk 2:11); “Let us go straight to Bethlehem” (Lk 2:15); “they came in haste” (v. 16). The goodnews about Jesus the Savioris timely, urgent news because it comes to people who, like these shepherds, sit in darkness and the shadow of death (Lk 1:79). Last Sunday, Don Massey didn’t know that it would be his last time in church. He went home, beganto shovelsnow, had a heart attack, and died at age 34. If he had died outside of Christ, he would have been lost. Scripture implores us, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). You may not have tomorrow. It’s not something to put off for another day. It also promises, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31). As many Scriptures show, Godsaves you the instant you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. You need not cleanup your life first. You don’t have to attend classes to learn more. No matter how greata mess you’ve made of your life, if you will turn to Christ as your Savior now, He will save you now. If you’re putting off trusting in Christ as your Savior, you don’t understand your true condition before God. To put it bluntly, if you’re outside of Christ, you’re terminal! Like the little girl trapped in the well, it’s just a matter of time until you die. Can you imagine her telling her rescuers, afterall the effort they went through to reachher, “I think I’ll stay down here a while longer, thanks”? If you know you’re doomed, you’re greatly relieved when a rescuer arrives, and you grab the life line they throw to you. Some people once told Jesus aboutsome Galileans who had been ruthlessly murdered by Pilate. Jesus must have startled them when he responded, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” ThenHe relateda situation where some people were killed when a towerfell on them, and repeated His warning, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3-4). He
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    meant that weall are like the little girl trapped in that well. We soonwill die, and unless we repent before then, we come under God’s judgment and will perish. It is to doomed people that this urgent goodnews comes, “Today... there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” Thus the news about Jesus is the best news in the world because it centers on the most unique Personin history, Jesus the Savior, who is Christ the Lord; and, because of the type of news it is: important, true, and timely news. Finally, 3. This is the best news because it comes to all people. The angelannounces it as “goodnews of a greatjoy which shall be for all the people” (v. 10). No doubt these Jewishshepherds understood that to mean the Jewishpeople. But there is also no doubt that Luke, a Gentile, would have his readers know that “all the people” means that there is no one to whom this goodnews does not apply. It is a fact of history that the goodnews of Jesus applies to all and transforms all who will believe. Savage tribesmenhave been convertedinto peacefulmissionaries through believing the goodnews about Christ. Civilized, educatedsavagesas wellhave been transformed through believing this simple goodnews. Shepherds were a despisedgroup in Israel. They were not consideredfit to be witnesses in court. Their work rendered them ceremonially unclean. The fact that God chose to reveal the Savior first to these shepherds shows that God often choosesthe foolishthings of the world to shame the wise. He often picks common, working people--shepherds and fishermen--in whom to display His grace. The fact that these shepherds were sitting in darkness is symbolic of the whole human race, lostin the darkness ofsin (Lk 1:79). It reminds us that the good news about Christ is only for sinners. As He told the self-righteous Pharisees, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). The sudden bright light of God’s glory terrified the shepherds, as is always the case whensinners encounter the holy light of God’s presence. But the angelquickly relieved their fears and told them this incredibly goodnews. As John Newtonput it in his classic hymn, “Amazing Grace,”|
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    ‘Twas grace thattaughtmy heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed! But the best part of this goodnews is not that it is for all people in general, but that it is for you personally: “there has been born for you a Savior” (v. 11). That means that this goodnews requires a personal response. Eachperson must respond as these shepherds did. They didn’t say, “Wow, that was really some experience, seeing allthose angels,” and sit there the rest of the night with their sheep. They didn’t sit around discussing theologyafterthe angel spoke to them. They didn’t say, “Thanks for the news, but we’ve always believed this” and stay where they were at. No, they responded to the news by believing what God had revealedto them through the angel. Their faith was demonstratedby their going straight to Bethlehem to see it for themselves and then to return glorifying and praising God (Lk 2:15, 20). And what did they see? “Maryand Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Lk 2:16). No halo. No angels hovering there. Jesus didn’t look like a Savior. The place smelled like a barn, because that’s what it was. Very common, very simple. They could have scoffedand stumbled over it, as many do. What about you? Will you scoffor stumble over the simple but profound messagethat the baby Jesus, bornin Bethlehem, whose birth was announced by the angels to these simple shepherds, is Christ the Lord, a Saviorborn for you? That is absolutely the best news in the world, no matter what your situation in life. Jesus didn’t leave heaven and come to this earth and go through the suffering of the cross just to give you a boost or a few tips on how to have a happy life. He knew that you desperatelyneed a Savior. He alone can save you from the penalty of God’s wrath because ofyour sins. Conclusion A sergeantwas explaining to a group of soldiers about to make their first parachute jump what to do if their main chute did not open: “Snapback
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    immediately into atight body position. Then pull the rip cord of your reserve chute, and it will open, bringing you safelyto the ground.” A private nervously raised his hand. “What’s your question, soldier?” the sergeantcalledout. “Sergeant, if my main parachute doesn’topen, how long do I have to pull my reserve?” The sergeantlookeddirectly into the young private’s eyes and replied earnestly, “The rest of your life, soldier. The rest of your life.” (Reader’s Digest, [2/82].) How long do you have to respond to the goodnews that Christ the Lord has come as your Savior? The rest of your life! And since you’re already on your way down, but you don’t know how long before you hit the ground, I’d advise you not to delay! DiscussionQuestions 1. Some say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just so you believe.” Why is the contentof faith crucial? 2. How can we know that there is such a thing as absolute truth? How canwe know what that truth is? 3. Is it necessaryto feel lostin order to get saved? How can we share the gospelwith people who don’t know they’re lost? GreatTexts of the Bible GoodTidings of Great Joy And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of greatjoy which shall be to all the people:for there is born to you
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    this day inthe city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.—Luke 2:10- 11. 1. To the evangelist and to Christian faith the coming of Jesus into the world is the greatevent in its history. We divide time into the Christian era and the era before Christ. Yet we cannot be sure of the very year when Christ was born, any more than of the very year when He died; and though St. Luke was anxious to date the birth precisely, as we see from Luke 2:1-2, there are unsolved difficulties connectedwith the census which we have simply to acknowledge.Thatthe Day-spring from on high visited the world to give light to them that sit in darkness is undoubted, though we may not be able to tell the hour of its rising. The narrative of St. Luke is the most wonderful and beautiful in Holy Scripture, and has always touchedthe hearts of men. Not that Christmas, as we call it, was from the beginning the great festivalof believers. On the contrary, the great festivalof the early Church was Easter, the day of the resurrection. It was not till the thirteenth century that the infant Christ and the mangercame to have the place they now hold in the thoughts and affections of Christians, and this was greatlydue to the influence of Francis of Assisi, who visited Bethlehem and wept with holy joy over the lowly birth of the Saviour. He diffused his own devotion when he returned to Italy, and greatartists found in the stable and the manger, the ox and the ass (borrowed from Isaiah 1:3), the mother and the Child, the shepherds and the angels, the highest inspirations of their genius. 2. It is long since the shepherds near Bethlehem beheld in the cleareasternsky the glory of the Lord, and heard the voice of the heavenly messenger proclaiming, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Centuries have rolled by, but the lustre of that
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    night has notpassedaway. The tones of that messagehave been caught and repeatedby an increasing number of God-sentmessengers. Theyswellin volume and majestyand power until now from all parts of the world the grand chorus resounds, filling the air with its messageofjoy and hope and faith and love, “Joyto the world, the Lord has come!” I The Circumstances 1. The Shepherds There were many greatmen and many wealthy men in Palestine. There were scholars ofthe most profound and various learning. There were lean ascetics who had left the joys of home, and gone awayto pray and fastin deserts. But it was not to any of these that the angels came, and it was not in their ears that the music sounded; the greatestnews that the world everheard was given to a group of humble shepherds. Few sounds from the mighty world ever disturbed them. They were not vexed by any ambition to be famous. They passedtheir days amid the silence of nature; and to the Jew nature was the veil of God. They were men of a devout and reverent spirit, touched with a sense ofthe mystery of things, as shepherds are so often to this day. Is it not to such simple and reverent spirits that God still reveals Himself in amplest measure? How fitting it was, too, that shepherds should be chosen, when we remember how the Twenty-third Psalmbegins, and when we reflectthat the Babe born in Bethlehem was to be the GoodShepherd giving His life for the sheep.
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    The Lord manifestedto the sage,the sovereign, is now manifest to the shepherd. This last was peculiarly significant of the genius of Christianity. The people need Christ. They have their share of sin, suffering, sorrow. They deeply need the grace, consolations,and strengthening of the Gospel. The people are capable of Christ. Without the intellectual distinction of the Magi, or the socialeminence of Herod, they have the essentialgreatnessofsoul which renders them capable of Christ and of His greatest gifts. The people rejoice in Christ. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” Fromthat day to this a new glory has shone on all common scenes,a new joy has filled the common heart that has been openedto the Prince of Peace,the Saviour of the World.1 [Note:W. L. Watkinson, The Gates of Dawn, 357.] 2. The Place It is generally supposedthat these anonymous shepherds were residents of Bethlehem; and tradition has fixed the exactspot where they were favoured with this Advent Apocalypse—abouta thousand paces from the modern village. It is a historic fact that there was a towernear that site, called Eder, or “the Towerof the Flock,” aroundwhich were pastured the flocks destinedfor the Temple sacrifice;but the topography of Luke 2:8 is purposely vague. The expression, “in that same country,” would describe any circle within the radius of a few miles from Bethlehemas its centre, and the very vagueness of the expressionseems to push back the scene ofthe Advent music to a farther distance than a thousand paces. And this view is confirmed by the language of the shepherds themselves, who, when the vision has faded, say one to another, “Let us now go evenunto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass”; for they scarcelywould have needed, or used, the adverbial “even” were they keeping their flocks so close up to the walls of the city. We may therefore infer, with some amount of probability, that, whether the shepherds were residents of Bethlehem or not, when they kept watchover their flocks, it was not on the traditional site, but farther awayover the hills.
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    It is difficult,and very often impossible, for us to fix the precise locality of these sacredscenes, these bright points of intersection, where Heaven’s glories flash out againstthe dull carbon-points of earth; and the voices of tradition are at best but doubtful guesses.It would almostseemas if GodHimself had wiped out these memories, hiding them away, as He hid the sepulchre of Moses,lestthe world should pay them too greata homage, and lest we might think that one place lay nearer to Heaven than another, when all places are equally distant, or rather equally near. It is enoughto know that somewhere on these lonely hills came the vision of the angels, perhaps on the very spot where David was minding his sheepwhen Heaven summoned him to a higher task, passing him up among the kings.1 [Note:Henry Burton.] 3. The Time The time is significant. Night is the parent of holy thought,—the nurse of devout aspiration. Its darkness is often the chosentime for heavenly illumination. When earth is dark, heaven glows. The world was shrouded in night when Christ came, and into the thickestof its “gross darkness” His light burst. Yet the unobtrusiveness of His appearance, and the blending of secrecy with the manifestationof His power, are well typified by that glory which shone in the night, and was seenonly by two or three poor men. The Highest came to His own in quietness, and almost stole into the world, and the whole life was of a piece with the birth and its announcement. There was the “hiding of His power.” Christmas hath a darkness Brighter than the blazing noon,
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    Christmas hath adullness Warmer than the heat of June, Christmas hath a beauty Lovelier than the world can show: For Christmas bringeth Jesus, Brought for us so low. Earth, strike up your music, Birds that sing and bells that ring; Heaven hath answering music For all Angels soonto sing: Earth, put on your whitest
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    Bridal robe ofspotless snow: For Christmas bringeth Jesus, Brought for us so low.2 [Note:Christina G. Rossetti, Verses, 54.] 4. How simply the appearance ofthe single angeland the glory of the Lord is told! The evangelistthinks it the most natural thing in the world that heaven should send out its inhabitant on such an errand, and that the symbol of the Divine presence shouldfill the night with sudden splendour, which paled the bright Syrian stars. So it was, if that birth were what he tells us it was—the coming into human life of the manifest Deity. If we think of what he is telling, his quiet tone is profoundly impressive. The Incarnation is the greatcentral miracle, the objectof devout wonder to “principalities … in heavenly places.” And not only do angels come to herald and to adore, but “the glory of the Lord,” that visible brightness which was the tokenof God’s presence between the cherubim and had been hid in the secretof the sanctuary while it shone, but which had for centuries been absentfrom the Temple, now blazes with undestructive light on the open hillside, and encircles them and the friendly angelby their side. What did that mean but that the birth of Jesus was the highest revelationof God, henceforth not to be shut within the sanctuary, but to be the companion of common lives, and to make all sacredby its presence? The glory of God shines where Christ is, and where it shines is the temple. And now the day draws nigh when Christ was born; The day that showedhow like to God Himself
  • 77.
    Man had beenmade, since God could be revealed By one that was a man with men, and still Was one with God the Father; that men might By drawing nigh to Him draw nigh to God, Who had come near to them in tenderness.1 [Note:G. MacDonald, “Within and Without” (PoeticalWorks, i. 52).] II The Preface to the Message 1. Reassurance “Be not afraid.” This was the first bidding sent from heavento men when Jesus Christ was born. It was no new message ofreassurance;againand again in a like need a like encouragementhad been vouchsafed:to Abraham, to Isaac, to Gideon, to Daniel, to Zacharias, the same tranquillizing, helpful words had come from the consideratenessand gentleness thatare on high. But to the shepherds of Bethlehemthey came with a new power and significance. For now they had their final warrant upon earth; those attributes of God, those truths of the Divine Nature upon which the bidding rested, had their perfect expressionnow in a plain factof human history. The birth of Jesus
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    Christ was theanswer, the solventfor such fears as rushed upon the shepherds when “the angelof the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.” They feared, as the mystery and stillness of the night were broken by that strange invasion, what might follow it. “And the angelsaid unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you goodtidings of greatjoy.” Within that glory was the love of God; and all that it might disclose must come from Him who so loved the world that He had sentHis Son to be born, to suffer, and to die for men. There must, indeed, be awe in coming near to God, in realizing how near He comes to us: but it is like the awe with which even earthly goodness, greatness, wisdomat their highest touch us; it is not like our terror of that which is arbitrary and unaccountable. God dwells in depths of burning light, such as the eyes of sinful men can never bear: but the light itself, with all it holds, streams forth from love, and is instinct, informed, aglow with love. These words which the angelspoke were but anticipations of the words with which Jesus Himself has made us familiar. They were His favourite words. He might have borrowed them from the angel, or more likely given them to the angelin advance. We hear from His own lips continually—“Fearnot.” He meets us at every turn of life with that cheeryinvocation. He passedthrough His ministry day by day repeating it. It was the watchwordof His journey and warfare. The disciples heard it every time they were troubled, castdown, and afraid. When they fell at His feet trembling, He lifted them up with the words “Fearnot!” When their ship was sinking in the storm, they heard the cry “Fearnot!” When they shivered at the thought of all the foes and dangers which awaitedthem, there came reassurance withthe voice, “Fearnot, little flock.” When He was leaving them, one of His last words was:“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Christ has been speaking that word ever since. He came to speak it. He came to deliver man from those fears. He smiles upon our fears to-day. He almost laughs them awayin the sunshine of His powerand confidence. The
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    Incarnation is God’sanswerto human gloom, despondency, and pessimism. What are you afraid of? it says. Am I not with you always to the end? And all poweris given unto Me in heavenand on earth. You are afraid of your sins? Fearnot! I am able to save to the uttermost. You are afraid of the world, the flesh, and the devil? Fearnot! I have overcome the world, and castout the prince of the world. You are afraid of your own weakness?Fearnot! All things are possible to him that believeth. You are afraid of life’s changes and uncertainties? Fearnot! The Father hath given all things into My hands. You are afraid of death and bereavement? Fearnot! I have conqueredand abolisheddeath. You are afraid of all the ominous signs of the times, the perils of religion and the shakings of the Church? Fearnot! I am the first, the last, the Almighty, and the rock againstwhich the gates ofhell shall not prevail.1 [Note:J. G. Greenhough, Christian Festivals and Anniversaries, 207.] Thought could not go on much longer with its over-emphasis of the Atonement and its under-emphasis of the Incarnation without losing its relation to human society. The Atonement, as something done for and upon man, leaving him not an actorbut a receiver, threw him out of gearwith the modern idea of personality. This idea was rather to be found in the Incarnation, the inmost meaning of which is Divine Fatherhoodand obedient Sonship. It means Christ, not dying for man to fill out some demand of government, but living in man in order to develop his Divineness, or, as Bushnell phrased it, that he might become “Christed.” It was getting to be seenthat whateverChristianity is to do for man must be done through the Incarnation; that is, through the oneness ofGod and humanity, the perfect realization of which is to be found in the Christ.2 [Note:T. T. Munger, Horace Bushnell, 399.] 2. Universal joy
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    The angel’s messagematcheswiththe Jewishminds he addresses. The great joy he proclaims is to be, not for all people, but for all the people—thatis, Israel; the Saviour who has been born in David’s city is the Messianic King for whom Israelwas waiting. This was not all the truth, but it was as much as the shepherds could take in. The Jews said, There is a Gospel—to the Jews. And when the Gospelwentout beyond the Jews the Roman Catholic Church said, There is a Gospel—to the baptized. And they collectedthem togetherby the thousand in India, and sprinkled water on them, so as to give them a chance to be saved. Calvin, who has been condemned for his doctrine of election, by it broadened out the Church idea of salvation. When men said, Only Jews canbe saved, when men said, Only the baptized can be saved, Calvin said, Anyone can be saved. It is for those who have been baptized, and for those who have not been baptized; it is for those who are Jews, and for those who are Gentiles;it is for those who are old enough to acceptthe Gospel, and it is for the little children not old enough to acceptthe Gospel. Godcan save anyone He will. That is the doctrine of election. And now we are growing to a broader view than this. It is not for the Jew only, but for the Gentile; not for the baptized only, but also for the unbaptized; not for the electonly, but for the non-elect, if there could be any non-elect;not only for those who have heard it, but for those who have not heard it. This is the message ofglad tidings and joy which shall be for all people. It is salvation for “all people.”1 [Note:L. Abbott, in Christian Age, xli. (1892)84.] How could I tell my joy to my brother if it were not a universal joy? I cantell my grief to the glad, but not my gladness to the grieving. I dare not spread my banquet at the open window, where the hungry are passing by. Therefore, oh! my Father, I rejoice that Thou hast sent into my heart a ray of glory which is not alone for me. I rejoice that Thou hast given me a treasure which I need not hide from my brother. I rejoice that the light which sparkles in my pool is not from the candle, but from the moon. The candle is for me, but the moon is
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    for all. Putout my candle, oh! my Father. Extinguish the joy that is proud of being unshared. Lower the lamp which shines only on my own mirror. Let down the lights that make a wall betweenmyself and the weary. And over the darkness let there rise the star—Bethlehem’s star, humanity’s star, the star that shines for one because it shines for all.2 [Note:G. Matheson, Searchings in the Silence, 52.] III The Message 1. “There is born … a Saviour.” A Saviour! What a thrill of joy must have shot through the hearts of these astonishedmen as they listened to the word of wondrous import. A Saviour! Then indeed man is to be saved!Through the long, dark, weary ages man had been groaning in miserable captivity to the tyrant powers of sin, and nothing was more evident than this, that he had lost all power of saving himself. Now, at last, another is going to undertake his helpless cause. He who of old heard the cry of the Israelites in Egypt under the taskmaster’s whip, and saw the anguish of their heart while they toiled under the cruel bondage of Pharaoh—He who sentthem a saviourin the person of Moses,and who subsequently again and again delivered them from their enemies by raising up a Saviour for them, He had at length undertaken the cause ofruined humanity, and was about to deliver a sin-bound world. A Saviour, and the champion of our race, was actually born and in their midst, ready soonto enter on His mysterious conflict, and to work out a complete deliverance, a full salvation. This was indeed gladtidings of greatjoy. This was the dawning of a new epoch. The Day-spring from on high was surely visiting a darkened, sin-shadowedworld.
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    The birth ofany man child is an interesting event—anotheradded to the many million lives, to the multitude which none can number, who are to stand before the judgment-seat of God; another life from the birth-source, which shall flow on through the channel of mortal life, the gulf of death, and the underground channelof the grave, to the boundless oceanofeternity:—for, once born, one must hold on to think, and live, and feel for ever. Such is the birth of every one who has his time to be born behind him, and his time to die before him still. But how intensely interesting the birth of that child whose name is called “Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,”but for whose birth we all must have died eternally, and but for whose birth, it would have been better none of us had been born.1 [Note: Life of RobertsonofIrvine (by A. Guthrie), 256.] Christ goes outinto the world. He heals the sick, He feeds the hungry, He comforts the afflicted. But in all the healing and helping this one message He repeats, in different forms, over and overagain: “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” They let down a paralytic through the roofof a house before Him, and this is His message:“Thy sins be forgiven thee.” A woman kneels before Him and washes His feet with her tears and wipes them with the hairs of her head, and this is His message:“Go in peace, and sin no more.” They nail Him to the cross, and His prayer breathes the same message:“Father, forgive them.” There hangs by the side of Him a brigand who has gone through sins of murder and robbery. He looks upon him with compassion, andsays:“This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” He is indeed the Lamb of God who takes awaythe sin of the world. This is more than healing the sick, more than feeding the hungry, more than clothing the naked, more than educating the ignorant; this is taking off the greatburden under which humanity has been crushed.1 [Note:Lyman Abbott.] 2. “There is born … Christ.” He was born the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel. To Israel He came fulfilling all the ancient covenant promises, and bringing with Him the “tendermercies of our God.” He is that Seedof the
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    woman announced andpromised to Adam and Eve in the garden, whose mission it was to bruise the serpent’s head. He was and is that Seedof Abraham “in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed”, ofwhom Balaam prophesied and said, “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Starout of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.” He was and is the One whose day Abraham saw afaroff and was glad. He was and is that Wonderful Counsellorof whom Isaiah prophesied, the root out of a dry ground, whose “visage wasso marred more than any man”; who was wounded for our transgressionsand bruised for our iniquities, on whom the Lord causedall our iniquities to meet; the “prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren” whom Moses foresawandwhom he bade all Israel hear; the Stem of Jesse;the Branch of Zechariah; the Messengerofthe Covenantand the Sun of Righteousness, arising with healing in His wings, whom Malachiforetold as being nigh. He is the sum and substance of all the ceremonialsacrificesand feasts ofthe Jews;in a word, He is that One of whom Moses in the Law and all the prophets did speak and all the Psalmists sang. He might have come in regalpomp, With pealing of Archangel trump— An angelblast as loud and dread As that which shall awake the dead … He came not thus; no earthquake shock
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    Shiver’d the everlastingrock; No trumpet blast nor thunder peal Made earth through all her regions reel; And but for the mysterious voicing Of that unearthly choir rejoicing; And but for that strange herald gem, The star which burned o’er Bethlehem, The shepherds, on His natal morn, Had known not that the God was born. There were no terrors, for the song Of peace rose from the seraph throng; On wings of love He came—to save,
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    To pluck paleterror from the grave, And on the blood-stain’d Calvary He won for man the victory.1 [Note: N. T. Carrington.] 3. “There is born … the Lord.” (1) In the Child born at Bethlehem we find God.—How steadilydo the angel’s words climb upwards, as it were, from the cradle to the throne. He begins with the lowly birth, and then rises, step by step, eachword opening a wider and more wonderful prospect, to “that climax beyond which there is nothing—that this infant is “the Lord.” The full joy and tremendous wonder of the first word are not felt till we read the last. The birth is the birth of “the Lord.” We cannotgive any but the highest meaning to that sacredname, which could have but one meaning to a Jew. It was much that there was born a Saviour—much that there was born a Messiah. Menneed a deliverer, and the proclamationhere is best kept in its widestmeaning—as of one who sets free from all ills outward and inward, and brings all outward and inward good. The Saviourof men must be a man, and therefore it is goodnews that He is born. It was much that Messiahshould be born. The fulfilment of the wistful hopes of many generations, the accomplishmentof prophecy, the Divine communication of the Spirit which fitted kings and priests of old for their work, the successionto David’s throne, were all declaredin that one announcement that the Christ was born in David’s city. But that lastword, “the Lord,” crowns the wonder and the blessing, while it lays the only possible foundation for the other two names.
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    If, on theone hand, man’s Saviour must be man, on the other, He must be more than man; and nothing short of a Divine man can healthe wounds of mankind, or open a fountain of blessing sufficient for their needs. Unless God become man, there canbe no Saviour; nor can there be any Christ. For no mere humanity canbear the full gift of the Divine Spirit, which is Messiah’s anointing for His office, nor discharge that office in all its depth and breadth. Many in this day try to repeatthe angel’s message, andleave out the last word, and then they wonder that it stirs little gladness and works no salvation. Let us be sure that, unless the birth at Bethlehem was the Incarnation of Deity, it would have called forth no angelsongs, nor will it work any deliverance or bring any joy to men. A God in the sky will never satisfymen and womenupon earth. God on the mountain will never suffice man on the plain. True, it is much, very much, to know that God is in heaven, “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” above earth’s petty discords and changing views and selfish passions. But this falls short, pitiably short, of man’s demands. It is, at best, an icy creed, and not, by itself, the warm, loving creedof the Christian. For it leaves a gulf betweenGod and man, with no bridge to pass over. It is the difference betweenOlympus and Olivet. What—so the heart will ask—is the goodof a God “above the bright blue sky,” when I am down here upon earth? What intimatcy canthere be between“the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity” and an earth-born being such as I am? How could the missionaries persuade men that such a God loved them, caredfor them, felt with them? How, indeed, could God Himself so persuade men, save by coming and living among them, sharing their lives, experiencing their temptations, drinking the “vinegarand gall” which they drank, suffering in the flesh as they suffered? There was no other way. Hence the Incarnation. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” It is related of a celebratedmusician that, when askedto compose a National Anthem for the people of another country, he went and lived with them,
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    studied them fromwithin, shared their poverty, became one with them that he might become one of them, and was thus, and only thus, enabled to express their feelings in his music. This is what God did at the Incarnation.1 [Note: E. E. Holmes, The Days of the Week, 42.] When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the finite met the Infinite—the temporal, the Eternal. Heaven and earth coalesced, not in semblance, but in reality; not by proxy, but in the wonderful Personthat combined the highest characteristicsofboth. In Him all fulness—the fulness of the Creatorand the fulness of the creature—dweltbodily. All things were gatheredtogetherin one in Him—both those which are in the heavens and those which are in the earth—evenin Him. His Incarnation was the crowning miracle of grace, as the creationof man was the crowning miracle of nature.1 [Note:H. Macmillan, The Gardenand the City, 32.] “If Moslems,” Lull argued, “according to their law affirm that God loved man because He createdhim, endowedhim with noble faculties, and pours His benefits upon him, then the Christians according to their law affirm the same. But inasmuch as the Christians believe more than this, and affirm that God so loved man that He was willing to become man, to endure poverty, ignominy, torture, and death for his sake, whichthe Jews and Saracensdo not teach concerning Him, therefore is the religion of the Christians, which thus reveals a Love beyond all other love, superior to that of those which reveals it only in an inferior degree.” Islamis a loveless religion. Raymund Lull believed and proved that Love could conquer it. The Koran denies the Incarnation, and so remains ignorant of the true characternot only of the Godheadbut of God.2 [Note:S. M. Zwemer, Raymund Lull, 140.] We make far too little of the Incarnation; the Fathers knew much more of the incarnate God. Some of them were oftenerat Bethlehemthan at Calvary; they had too little of Calvary, but they knew Bethlehem well. They took up the
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    Holy Babe intheir arms; they loved Immanuel, God with us. We are not too often at the cross;but we are too seldomat the cradle; and we know too little of the Word made flesh, of the Holy Child Jesus.3 [Note:“Rabbi” Duncan, in Recollections by A. MoodyStuart, 167.] (2) Though Divine yet is He human.—Behold what manner of love God hath bestowedupon us that He should espouse ournature! For God had never so united Himself with any creature before. His tender mercy had ever been over all His works;but they were still so distinct from Himself that a greatgulf was fixed betweenthe Creatorand the created, so far as existence and relationship are concerned. The Lord had made many noble intelligences, principalities, and powers of whom we know little; we do not evenknow what those four living creatures may be who are nearestthe EternalPresence;but Godhad never taken up the nature of any of them, nor allied Himself with them by any actualunion with His Person. He has, however, allied Himself with man: He has come into union with man, and therefore He loves him unutterably well and has great thoughts of goodtowards him. The fact that such intimate union of the Divine with the human is possible unveils the essentialGodlikenessofman. His nature is capable of receiving Divine indwelling. There is such affinity betweenGod and him that the fulness of the Godheadcan dwell bodily in a man. Christianity has often been accused of gloomy, depressing views of human nature; but where, in all the dreams of superficial exalters of manhood, is there anything so radiant with hope as the solid fact that the eternal Son of God has said of it, “Here will I dwell, for I have desired it”? Christianity has no temptation to varnish over the dark realities of man as he is, for it knows its powerto make him what he was meant to be. So we have to look on the child Christ as born “to give the world assurance of a man,” or, in modern phraseology, to realize the ideal of human nature. That
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    birth in themanger was the first appearance ofthe shootfrom the dry stump of the Davidic house, which was to flower into “a plant of renown,” and fill the world with its beauty and fragrance. One thinks of the “loveliness ofperfect deeds,” the continual submission to the loved will of the Father, the tranquillity unbroken, the uninterrupted self-suppression, the gentle immobility of resolve, the gracious words, bright with heavenly wisdom, warm with pure love, throbbing with quick pity, as one gazes onthe “young child,” and would, with the strangers from the East, bring homage and offerings thither. There is the dawn of a sun without a spot; the headwaters ofa mighty stream without stain or perturbation in all its course. The story tells us that Christ Himself was as poor and as unfamed as the shepherds—yetall Heavenwas with Him. No trumpet-flourish told His coming, no posts rode swift from town to town to announce His Kingship. Earth and its glory took no notice of One who was laid in a manger. But far above in the world beyond, where earthly glory hath no praise, and earth no power, and rank no dignity, the Child who lived to love and die for men, was celebratedamong the heavenly host. All the courts of Heaven began to praise God for the little Child for whom there was no shelteron earth but a cave in the rocks, Christianity has restoredhumanity to Man 1:1 [Note:Stopford A. Brooke, Sunshine and Shadow, 191.] “What means that star,” the Shepherds said, “Thatbrightens through the rocky glen?” And angels, answering overhead, Sang, “Peace onearth, good-willto men!”
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    ’Tis eighteenhundred yearsand more Since those sweetoracles were dumb; We wait for Him, like them of yore; Alas, He seems so slow to come! But it was said, in words of gold No time or sorrow e’ershall dim, That little children might be bold In perfect trust to come to Him. All round about our feet shall shine A light like that the wise men saw, If we our loving wills incline
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    To that sweetLifewhich is the Law. So shall we learn to understand The simple faith of shepherds then, And, clasping kindly hand in hand, Sing, “Peace onearth, good-willto men!” And they who do their souls no wrong, But keepat eve the faith of morn, Shall daily hear the angel-song, “To-daythe Prince of Peace is born!”2 [Note:J. R. Lowell, A Christmas Carol.] JOHN MACARTHUR God, the Savior of Men
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    Sermons Luke 2:1142-24 Jun27, 1999 Play Audio Add to Playlist A + A - Reset Luke's gospel, chapter2; we're beginning a study of Luke. I thought we would move more rapidly than we are. I...I knew Luke was a greathistorian, and that is being verified as we go, fastidious, carefulwith detail. And I knew that Luke was something of a theologianbut the more I'm studying this gospel the more I'm impressed with the depth and breadth and height and length of his theology. And when you're going through narrative passages,you canbe content with the story, but not if you understand the heart of the writer, both the heart of Luke and the heart of God the Holy Spirit who inspired it. It seems as though everything Luke says on the surface has beneathit massive amounts of supportive truth and history. And that is certainly the case in the text before us today. Let me read you Luke 2:8 to 14. "And in the same regionthere were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watchover their flock by night. And an angelof the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you goodnews of a great joy which shall be for all the people. Fortoday in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you, you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'" That's a very familiar passage ofScripture. Certainly read many, many times every Christmas season, probably the most familiar element of the Christmas
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    story to theworld at large. But there are so many things of depth and profundity in this brief story. It talks about a Savior, the Lord. It talks about multitudes of angels. It speaks ofthe presence of God and glorifying God in the highest. All these are far-reaching subjects in the Bible. This is the kind of passagethat you could spend a lifetime in. We'll just dust it lightly, even if we spend a few weeksonit. Sevenhundred years before this baby was born a Hebrew prophet named Micahwas inspired by God to write that when the Messiahdid come 700 years later He would be born in of all places an obscure small town called Bethlehem, house of bread. That's what the prophet said and it's recordedin Micahchapter 5 and verse 2. And because that's what the inspired prophet said and that is the Word of God that is where the Messiahwas born. God's Word always comes to pass. It's always accurate. It's always true. And if the prophet said He was to be born in Bethlehem, then Bethlehem it is. And that's exactly what the story tells us. Verse 7 says, "She gave birth to her firstborn son." And verse 4 says she was in Bethlehem. But, you know, it wasn't the parents of Jesus that assuredthe fulfillment of this prophecy. Nowhere in the New Testamentrecord does it say Josephwas concernedbecausehe knew that Mary was having a child conceivedby the Holy Spirit and he knew this child was Jesus who would save His people from their sins and he knew this child was going to fulfill the promise to David and be the son of David who would reign on a kingdom...on a throne in a kingdom that would last forever and ever, but because Joseph knew all of that and understood all of the prophetic truth regarding this unique child who would be the Son of the MostHigh, as well as the Son of Mary, nothing says that because Josephknew that, Josepharrangedto be in Bethlehem for the birth. We don't know whether Josephwas aware ofMicah 5:2. We don't know all that Josephthought. Nothing in the Bible says that Mary said to Joseph, “You know, the Messiah must be born in Bethlehemso it's to Bethlehemwe need to go.” Nothing in the Scripture indicates that either Josephor Mary played any particular role in planning to be in Bethlehem for the birth. Human nature would be that Mary would want to be near her mother, near her family, in her hometown,
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    certainly not ina stable in the middle of a group of strangers overpopulating a small village because they were all there trying to getthrough a census registrationthat had been demanded by the Roman government. Certainly you don't want to have your baby in a half public stable in the open air and have to put him in a feed trough. Certainly you would not want to make an eighty-five to ninety mile journey sometimes walking and sometimes riding on the back of a donkey when the pain of just being nine months pregnant doing nothing would be enough. Certainly the thought of a birth without medication, a birth without comfortwould be enough to maybe weighheavy on your mind and cause you to say, “You know, the bestplace for me to be is at home.” We don't know any of those things. We don't know that Josephand Mary played any role in being in Bethlehem other than the fact that they were there. But the reasonthey were there wasn'tbecause they planned to be there. The reasonthey were there was because Godplanned to have them there. And the way God orchestratedthe plan to have them there had nothing to do with them really. It had nothing to do with anybody who even knew about the Messiah. It had nothing to do with anybody who caredabout the Messiah. It frankly had nothing to do with anybody who knew the prophet Micahor knew the Old Testament. In fact, it was all orchestratedby, of all people, CaesarAugustus, CaesarAugustus, a pagan. He arrangedit. He was the supreme ruler of the Roman Empire for forty-five years. He was a powerful, formidable man. And I took you through a whole...a whole lotof information about the man himself, and the nature of his life and his leadership. It was that man, CaesarAugustus, who nothing...knew nothing about the true and living God, knew nothing about the Old Testament, neverheard of the prophet Micah, couldn't care less about the Messiah. Itwas that man who did exactly what was necessaryto assure the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And what did he do? He required a census to be takenfor the purpose of registering everybody in the Roman Empire with a view towardtaxation. So he made a decree, according to verse 1. It was during the first tenure of a man named Quirinius having some kind of authority in the...in the area of Judea which was part of the Roman Empire as verse 2 indicates. And as a result verse 3 says everybody had to go to their ancestraltown. Now the Romans
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    didn't require that.As I told you before, that was likely required perhaps by Herod. This was the first census that ever had been taken by the Romans so there wasn’t some traditional wayto do this. But apparently Herod or the Jewishleaders had decided that to do it right they neededto go back to the home of their forefathers where they kept all the records of their ancestry. So let's assume that God moved the heart of CaesarAugustus exactly the right time, exactlythe right moment to get this thing in motion so that the census would be being takenpla...would be taking place at the very time of the birth of Christ. And we also know that the census was authorized in 8 B.C. As you work out the chronologyit would be about 8 B.C. when CaesarAugustus made the first census. Rememberhe had them at fourteen-year intervals and the secondone was at 6 A.D. so backing up fourteen years would be 8 B.C. We also know that Jesus was born by all historicalaccounts somewherearound 6 and 4 B.C. So the census was calledfor in 8 B.C. It wasn't complied with in Judea till between6 and 4 B.C. so there was a two- to four-year time when Judea didn't comply. We canassume that other countries who were part of the Roman Empire complied. Judea didn't comply probably because ofthe resistance of Herod. Herod was not a Jew, he was a despised Edomite, Idumaean, he was called, and he was a vassalking under Rome ruling in Judea or in Israel. So, Herod who certainly wasn'tanxious for another king to arrive, as we well know;it was Herod, you remember, who massacredallthe babies when he heard that a king had been born. So Herod wasn't trying to do anything to help the Messiahfulfill a prophecy. We can't assume that Herod even knew anything about Micah5:2. And yet Herod put up the appropriate resistance, whateverthat meant to stall off the census the necessaryyears to be sure that Jesus was born at the right place, the right time in God's plan. And I've always saidI can understand...I can't comprehend the powerof miracles, but I can understand how God can do miracles. I can understand how history goes along, a natural life goes along in the createdorder and God just invades with a miracle. I canunderstand how God just stops the natural process and does something supernatural. That's comprehensible to me. It's even simple to me. You just stop what is natural and do what is supernatural.
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    What I findso unfathomable in my own thinking is how God works not miraculously but providentially. And providence is a term that has to do with God not interfering with the normal processesoflife but orchestrating all of those contingencies andall of those thoughts and actions to effectexactly what He wants, when He wants, with whom He wants, where He wants. Now that is amazing. But that's what you have here. You have a decree by a Roman Caesarwho knows nothing about Messianic hope and prophecy, or the Bible, the Old Testament. You have a stalling off or a delay by a Herod who is leastof all disinterestedin doing anything that would bring about a new king, or give credence to His claim by being born in Bethlehem. Neither of them knew anything about it. And yet every single thing they do, every independent choice they made, every willful act ignorantly they made workedto the effect that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is possible, we can't say dogmatic, but it is possible that the reasonJoseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, and that would be the...my tendency to believe that because the impetus of the text is they were there because ofa census. It never says anything about they were trying to get there so they could make sure they fulfilled biblical prophecy. That's not there. It was the census that drove them which implies that they were up againsta deadline. I mean, it would have been a lot simpler if they could have waited until the child was born at some later time, then maybe gone down and done the registration. Why would they go at such a crucial time unless they were under duress and pressure to go like an April 15th kind of deadline. So whoeverwas setting dates, and whoeverwas setting deadlines, and whoeverthe Romans were who were going to be there at that time to take the registration, all of that God orchestratedto effect perfectly His will. David Gooding writes, "Ofcourse Augustus knew nothing about this effectof the census and the last thing he or his vassal, Herod, would have done would be to strengthenthe credentials of a messianic claimant to the throne of Israel. For Augustus, the taking of censuses wasone of the ways he employed to get control over the various parts of his empire. But, and here is the irony of the thing, in the process as he thought of tightening his grip on his huge empire, he so organizedthings that Jesus, Sonof Mary, Son of David, Son of God, destined to sit on the throne of Israel and the throne of the world was born in
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    the city ofDavid, His royal ancestor. Fulfilling all unknowingly the prophecy of Micah, CaesarAugustus establishedthis particular detail in the claim of Jesus to be the Messiah." And Gooding goes onto say, "When John the Baptist was conceived, God turned back the processesofnature." That was a miracle because Zacharias and Elizabeth were old and barren. "Whenour Lord was conceivedin the womb of Mary there was introduced into nature something which nature had never known before and which nature by herselfcould never have produced, namely a virgin conception. Thatis miraculous. But when God's Son and destined ruler of the kings of the earth entered the world of men, there was apparently no interference with men's will or freedom of actionwhatsoever. Augustus had his own completelyadequate reasons forhis actionand he did exactly what he wanted to do.” And we could add Herod was the same way. “Yet Augustus did what had he known he would not have wished to do, he establishedthe claim of the royal Sonof David. He did in factwhat had been predetermined by the counseland foreknowledge ofGod." This was in anybody's measurementthe greatestbirth in the history of the world, and yet, so obscure. Verse 7: "She gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a feed trough because there was no room for them in the inn." So obscure, obscure townin some kind of a traveler's shelter, probably not a commercialinn, as I told you lasttime; a commercialshelter, maybe with the four sides, kind of a lean-to with a loft so that some could sleepabove and some could sleepbelow in little rooms that would have thin walls betweenthem made of wood. And in the middle, the courtyard, all the animals would stayand there would be feed troughs there. And there they were, Josephand Mary, and there she gave birth. There was not one of those lofts, one of those guest rooms for them, and so she gave birth in a half public wayprobably seeking some kind of privacy. When that little child came into the world and cried its first cry of life, nobody knew who it was. Nobodyrealized that the eternal holy CreatorGod of the universe had just entered the world in human form. That little child was born in utter anonymity in a busy, bustling, overcrowdedlittle town. Nobodyaround even knew.
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    Well, Josephknew, ofcourse,because he had been told to name the baby Jesus for He would save His people from their sins. And he had been told that His name would be Immanuel, God with us. So he knew this was the incarnate God who was to save His people from their sins. And Mary knew because Gabrielhad told her the details that this would be the Son of the Most High, the one who would sit on the throne of David and reign on that throne forever and ever. Nobody else knew. It would have been pretty difficult to convince anybody frankly because what you have lying in a feed trough was a little Jewishbaby. Not an uncommon situation, obviously. And there may have been other births in the same town that night. And that may be why the angels said, "Look for the one in the feed trough, that's the sign." Any baby born that time in Bethlehem would have been wrapped in cloths, they all did that. But there would be only one in a feed trough, such anonymity. Not a grand entrance for God into the world. But, the passageI just read you, our passagefortoday breaks the silence, ends the anonymity in a most remarkable way. As I read, an angelappears to make the announcement of who it is that has been born. A few hours after the birth, the monumental miracle, a few hours after the arrival of the son of Mary, Son of the Most High God, there is an announcement made. Now if you were planning the strategyfor this PR campaign, you might have made sure that the main authorities got the message, certainlyif you didn't want to tell Caesarbecauseyouwere afraid he would see this as a threat or you didn't want to tell Herod because youknew he would see it as a threat, you might want to go to the religious leaders, you might want to go the high priest, you might want to go to the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Israel. You might want to go to the chief priests or the scribes or Pharisees orSadducees or somebody. You might want to...youmight want to go to the temple, for example, and there you would surely have found Simeon and Anna and others who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem, looking for the salvation of Israel, waiting for the Messiah. Youmight have gone to some group of devout and righteous Jews who were waiting to hear this, some who might have a greatmeasure of influence. But frankly, the last people you would go
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    to to makeany kind of announcement of significance wouldbe shepherds in an open field. And that's exactly to whom God went. The story is well known, the story of the angeland the shepherds and then the multitude of angels that follow. And that's what happened, of all people, shepherds. And I'll say more about them next time. Enough to say on the socialladder they were the bottom rung. To shepherds the angelgoes and makes the announcement about this child. Now the thesis of this whole passageis summed up in one statementin verse 11, and we'll discuss it all. But for this morning I just want to deal with one statement, verse 11. This is the thesis and then we'll build the outline around it. All the waydown to verse 20 is one paragraph. Thatwhole thing will build...will build around this thesis, here it is, verse 11, "The angelsays, 'There has been born for you a Savior.'" Wow! That's the heart of the entire thing. The whole event is summed up in that statement. There has been born for you a Savior. That's the New Testament, isn't it? That's the gospel, that's the heart of everything. That's the pinnacle of redemption. There has been born for you a Savior. That's the Christian message. That's whatwe're still telling people, isn't it? There has been born for you a Savior. And may I hasten to add that the shepherds would understand that. You say, "Well waita minute, isn't Saviora New Testamentidea? Isn't Savior a New Testamentconceptthat Jesus came to save and He's the Savior and how would those shepherds know?" Being a Savioris not a New Testamentconcept. It's an Old Testamentconcept. Shepherds would know what that meant because all who were in Israelknew God as Savior. That is a Jewishconcept. OhI know there are liberal theologians who want to put a greatgulf betweenthe New Testamentand the Old Testamentand they say that the Christ of the New Testamentis a compassionate,loving, saving personality. But the Godof the Old Testamentis an angry, vengeful, envious, vitriolic, hostile, punishing kind of deity. But that is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination.
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    The God ofthe Old Testamentwas knownto His people as a Savior. Israel knew God as a Savior. Now that was not the way it was with gods, the gods of men's making. There's only one God, the one true and living God, the eternal God, and He is by nature a Savior, He is a saving God. To use another word, a synonym, He is a Deliverer. He delivers people from threatening things. He is a rescuer, that's another synonym. And He is that by nature and that's not how it is in the science ofethnologyand the world of religion and deities. In fact, you can study religions and you're not going to find gods who are by nature saviors. You're going to find in every religious system in the world a means by which somehow man cando something to appease the god and somehow by his own efforts and his own works save himself. But you're not going to find any God who is by nature a Savior, a rescuer. For example, if you were living in Israelyou would be exposedto the god Baal. And you read the Old Testament, Baalis a very dominating deity among the Canaanites;“Baal” meaning “lord,” Baal...thatwas their lord. But the godBaal, if you read through the New...the Old Testamentyou find to be a god who is certainly not interestedin saving his people. In fact, he had a perfect opportunity to do that on Mount Carmel with Elijah. And Elijah said, "Look, we'lldecide who's God, you've got Baaland I've got Jehovahand let's decide. You build an altar, put a sacrifice there. I'll build an altar, put a sacrifice there. You pray to Baaland I'll pray to Jehovahand we'll see who sends fire down to burn up the sacrifice. Whoeversends fire down, He's God." So in a classiccharacterizationof Baal, these priests of Baalare trying to get Baalto react. Well there is no Baalso he can't do anything because he doesn't exist. And even the demon impersonators who might want to impersonate Baalare unable to effect this miracle. And so in classic fashionElijah identifies the nature of Baalby saying this to them, "Maybe he's (what?) sleeping." Now the best that could be saidabout Baal...andthat was...that was a mockerybut it really was a kind one because that's the best that can be said about any deity, he's indifferent. And then he went on to say, "Maybe he's on vacation." Now that would be the best that could be said about the deities that demons concoctorthat men invent. The best that could be said is that they are indifferent and somehow they just don't pay attention. This is
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    the godof thedeists. You know, in our country we have deists in our background, Benjamin Franklin and others, the god who wound the world up and setit off in motion and then went away and couldn't care less. That's the god of apathy, the god of indifference. And somehow you're screaming and hollering and yelling at this godto do something to save you and deliver you and rescue you from your plight, but he really isn't that interested in it. The spectrum swings all the way overfrom indifference on the one hand, to hostility on the other hand. And you have a classic illustration of that in the land of Canaanin the god Molech. Molechwas so vicious and so hostile and so angry and had to be appeasedso that he didn't obliterate people to the degree that in order to pacify Molechyou took your newborn baby or your little child and you put your little child on the altar and incinerated and torched your baby, that to pacify this otherwise hostile deity. Somewhere on that spectrum from apathy to vicious hostility are all the gods of the world. None is a Savior. And what set Jehovahapart, the one true and living God, is that He is by nature compassionate,merciful, tender-hearted, filled with loving-kindness and seeks to save people. The Jews knew this. That was distinctive. They knew God to be wise. They knew Him to be powerful. Theyknew Him to be understanding. They knew Him to be just and all of those things. But they also knew that by nature in contradistinction to all other deities He was a Savior. I mean, they would know that if they read the book of Genesis becausein Genesis Godsaid, "In the day you eat of the fruit of the tree (you'll what?) you'll die." They ate, they lived. And what does that tell you? That's calledmercy. God didn't deliver the consequencesoftheir behavior that they deservedbecause it's His nature to be patient. It's calledin Romans 2 the patience and forbearing of God, which is meant to lead you to repentance. I mean, God by nature is that way. Now Godin Egypt says, "I'm going to send the angel of death and he's going to kill all the firstborn but I just want to let you know that if you'll hold the Passoverand take the Passoverlamb and sacrifice the lamb and eatthe lamb, take the blood and put it on the doorpostand lintel, I'll pass by and the angelof death won't touch your house if you do that." Because it's God's nature to deliver men from the consequence ofsin, that's His nature. And the Jews understoodthat.
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    And those shepherdsout on that field at the bottom of the intellectual pole, at the bottom of the educationalladder, as it were, on the very bottom, the very lowestclass people there were, would understand that God was by nature a saving God. And they would also understand this. They would understand that there never had been a sacrifice that really did it. They of all people, because whatI'm going to point out to you in a couple of weeks is the fact that they were very likely shepherding sheep headedfor temple sacrifices. Theyof all people along with the priests who were bloodied up to their ears the whole time they were in the temple, slaughtering all the animals that had to be slaughtered, to say nothing of what happened when they slaughtereda quarter of a million of them in a few days at Passover,they were used to unending sacrifices trying to deal with sin in order to rescue the nation...Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In order to rescue individuals from the consequencesoftheir sin they brought offerings to God and they were saying, God, we're sorry for our sin, here's our sacrifice, forgive us. They knew God to be a saving God but yet that salvationhad never finally been effectedby one sacrifice. So when the announcement came there's been born today a Savior, they understood it. They didn't even ask a lot of questions, those shepherds. The Jews understoodit. In the Old Testament, Godis a Savior and over and over againHis salvationis spokenof. I'm going to resist, I'm not going to call it a temptation, I'm going to resistthe opportunity to point out innumerable Scriptures, Deuteronomy 20 verse 4, "The Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you againstyour enemies to save you,” to save you. I mean, by nature God did that. That's just in the very fabric of His eternal being. God is calledthe Godof his salvation, Psalm 25:5. "Thou art the God of my salvation." I mean, they knew Him as a Savior. In fact, David in Psalm 51 was praying to God and he lost the joy because ofhis disobedience and he says to God, "Restoreto me the joy of Thy salvation." Theyknew God as a Savior God. And the Old Testamentis just filled with indications of that. Isaiah63 is one worth mentioning. Verse 8 and 9, it says when God chose Israel, "So He became their Savior." What a greatstatement. Isaiah63:8, "So He became their Savior." What did that mean? "In all their affliction,” verse 9, “He was afflicted. In His love and His mercy He rescuedthem, He
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    redeemedthem, He broughtthem back. He lifted them. He carried them all the days of old but they rebelled and grievedHis Holy Spirit, therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy." He fought againstthem. He started out as their Saviorand they fought even that. How sad. He was their Savior. Take righteous Mary. Go back to chapter 1 verse 47. She knew that. This is a thirteen-year-old girl, a sweetand meek and righteous young girl. And she hears from Gabriel that she's going to be the mother of God, the mother of the son of the Most High and she says in verse 46, "My soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoicedin God my Savior." She knew that JehovahGod was her Savior. Take Zacharias. Zacharias, itsays in chapter 1, was a righteous priest. He was righteous, verse 6 of chapter 1, in the sight of God and walkedblamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Here was a godly priest and in his greatpraise at the birth of John, the forerunner of the Messiah, verse 69, Zacharias,realizing the Messiahis going to be born, Mary has just spent three months at that house and she's already pregnant with Messiah, he knows what's happening and he says, "Godhas raisedup a horn of salvationfor us." Here comes the Savior, the greatpowerof salvation. And down in verse 77 he tells you what kind of salvationhe's talking about. "To give to His people the knowledge ofsalvationthat comes by the forgiveness oftheir sins." He even knew that the truest salvationcame when sins were forgiven. The prophet had saidin the Old Testament, the prophet Micah, "Who is a pardoning God like You?" The Old Testamentsays God is a forgiving God who removes your sins as far as the eastis from the west, buries them in the depths of the deepestsea and remembers them no more. They knew God was a saving God. They knew God as a forgiving God. There were many of them in that nation who had experiencedpersonal, spiritual and eternal salvationfrom God. You say, "Did they get that in the Old Testament?" Yes they did. They would measure themselves againstthe law of God, find themselves disobedient, falling short, realize their plight. They couldn't keepthe law of God therefore the Bible says if you break the
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    law of Godyou're cursed. They were under a curse. The curse meant death and punishment. They would therefore feel the burden of that, they would go to God, they would say, "God, I've broken Your law, I can't keepit, I'm cursed, please be merciful, be gracious, forgive me." That's the penitence of the Old Testament. That's like the man beating his breast in Luke 18, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." When a personin the Old Testamentcame to a true assessmentof their sinfulness, a true recognitionthat they had failed to keepthe law of God and were therefore cursed and knew they couldn't gain salvation, they disdained self-righteousnessbut threw themselves on the mercy of God. God then forgave their sins. That's what Isaiahsays in chapter 54 and 55. Mary was such a person, so was Zachariah and he was recognizing the salvationof God that is personal, spiritual and eternalthat would come. You say, "Well what part did Messiahhave?" Wellthe Messiahwould come and offer the sacrifice upon which all this forgiveness had always beengiven. They were forgiven in the Old Testamentbecause Godwould take their sins and later place them on Christ, just as you're forgiven because Godtakes your sins and places them on Christ, the same. Christ bears the sins of all who believed in the Old Testament, as well as in the New Testamentage. They knew God as a Savior. Mary knew that. Zacharias knew that. Look at verse 25 and meet Simeon in chapter 2. Simeonwas a righteous and devout man looking for the consolationofIsrael. Here’s anotherbeliever. Here's another true penitent. Here's somebodywho has been forgiven by God. Here's somebodyto whom God is a Savior. He realizes that. He picks up the little baby in this account, down in verse 30, "My eyes have seenThy salvation." Finally the Savior has come. He understood that there was salvationfrom God, that God was a Savior. But he also understood that there was one who had to come, there had to be a final lamb. God had to provide a final sacrifice. And when he saw that little baby he said, "This is it, this is it." Don't underestimate these people, these devout people looking, as it says, for the consolation ofIsrael in verse 25, the comfort of Israel, the salvation of Israel, if you will. Downin verse 38, "Looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." Theyknew what they were looking for. They were looking for a final sacrifice that was pictured by all the sacrifices thathad been given by the millions through the history of that system. Theyknew God to be a Savior.
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    Now let metake it one stepfurther. God showedHimself a Savior to Israel two ways. First, He showedthem that He was a Savior by nature, temporally, that is in time, and physically, that is in this life. You say, "Whatdo you mean by that?" I mean by that that God showedto the nation IsraelHis saving nature by saving them from Egypt, by saving them, rescuing them out of the Red Sea and drowning Pharaoh's army, by rescuing them, delivering them, as it were, out of the forty years of wilderness wandering into the Promised Land, by delivering them from a myriad of enemies that hated them and tried to obliterate them. Throughout their history God showedhow He delivered them. He delivered them from hostile nations. He delivered them from sickness. He delivered them from trouble. He delivered them from danger. He delivered them from death, over and over and, folks, it's still going on. God delivered the nation Israel from massive attempts at genocide by Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler. And here they are, Jews still there, still alive. They've been delivered through all these millennia. There they are independently functioning as a nation of their own in their own land. Testimony to the fact that even an apostate people who rejectGod, turn their back on God, rejecttheir Messiah, execute the Savior, still are being delivered by God. That's His nature. That's why Paul in Romans says, "Can'tyou see this? This deliverance, this salvationon a temporal, physical level as the patience and forbearance of God meant to lead you to personalrepentance? Can'tyou see if God is so gracious to the nation that He will also be gracious to the individual sinner?" God is a Savior by nature and He has saved that nation through the years because it's His nature to deliver temporally and physically from the immediate and just consequence ofsin, which would be instant death and hell. But His nature is not to give sinners what sinners deserve, even in this life. And that's still true. That's true outside of Israel. The world is predominantly populated by non-Christians, is that true? Massively populated by non-Christians who flourish to one degree or anotherin this life; they enjoy life. They smell the flowers. Theysee the sunrise and the sunset. They drink the coolwater. They eata goodmeal. They fall in love. They kiss a baby. They see a mountain. They enjoy the richness and the fullness of life. They breathe the air. Why? Because Godby nature delivers them from the
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    immediate consequence, thejust and immediate consequence ofwhat they deserve. That's why 1 Timothy 4:10, Paul says, "God, the living God who is the Saviorof all men." The whole world of people today exist because Godis a saving God. He has delivered them from what they deserve, is that not true? People ask me this a lot. Why do bad things happen to goodpeople? Are you ready for this? They don't because there are no goodpeople. The question is: Why do good things happen to bad people? Now that's a book that I need to write. They happen because Godis by nature what? A Savior, He's a deliverer, He's a rescuer. Now especially, 1 Timothy 4:10 says, especiallyofthose who believe, especially of those who believe. What does that mean? Well He delivers all men from the just and immediate consequenceoftheir sin, temporally and physically, but He delivers those who believe from their sin spiritually and eternally. That's what really matters, isn't it? You can look at the Old Testamentand you'll see God delivering Israel temporally and physically and you'll see God delivering individual Jewishpeople and even Gentile believers spiritually and eternally. You look at the world today and Goddelivers sinners from the just and immediate consequence oftheir sin and you also see all over the world those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, they've been delivered from the consequence oftheir sin spiritually and eternally. God is by nature a Savior. Titus 1, Titus 2 and Titus 3 refer to God our Savior. God our Savior. God our Savior. There's no discrepancybetweenthe God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament. Godis by nature a Savior. That is why Jesus is a Savior because Jesusis God. That's a syllogismyou can work with. When we read in 2 Peter1:11, "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," we're not surprised He's our Savior because He's our Lord. If He's God the Lord, then He's a Saviorbecause Godis a Savior. It's not, as some people say, you know that God is the bad guy and Jesus is the goodguy and that, you know, Jesus gets up there and really, really pleads with God, trying to soften Him up. It's not that. As much as Jesus is a Savior, so much is God a Saviorand so much is the Holy Spirit a Savior. There's no diminishing of that saving nature in any member of the Trinity.
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    God shows Hisgoodness,His kindness to all. He restrains evil in the world. He provides families. He maintains socialorderby government, provides beauty and joy, shows compassion. He calls sinners to repent. He offers the gospel, salvationin Christ is offered to all sinners. He is by nature a saving God. And, folks, I'll say it again. There isn't any other God in the spectrum of deities who is by nature a Savior. So when the angelsaid, "There has been born for you a Savior," boy, this was just loadedwith significance. The Saviorthey had all been looking for, they'd all been waiting for. And this was consistentwith God. And that's why Joseph was told, Matthew 1:21, "You shall call His name Jesus,"that means Savior, "ForHe will save His people from their sins." And that's why Luke records the words of Jesus laterin Luke 19:10 who said, "The Sonof Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Of all things, He's a Savior. He's the Savior. You see, we can’t...He can't be our King until He's our Savior, right? So He can't fulfill the Davidic Covenant, as we saw in our study at the end of one...chapter1, He can't fulfill the Davidic Covenantwith all of its kingly features;He can't be our blesserand fulfill the Abrahamic Covenantwith all its blessings until He fulfills the New Covenant and becomes our Savior. All Davidic promise, all Abrahamic promise is predicated upon Him as Savior. He can't be the blesserand He can't be the King until He's the Savior. And so the covenantthat dominates everything, the covenant that opens the door to Abrahamic promise and Davidic promise is the New Covenant in His blood because it is in His blood on the cross that He takes the wrath of God, the fury of God, pays the penalty for sin, satisfies the justice of God and therefore rescues us from sin and death and hell. And once He is our Saviorthen He opens to us all the promises that come in His kingdom and through Abrahamic blessing. Well, one little phrase in there, I'll close with this, "There has been born for you." Isn't that good? Forus? I mean, if I had been out there with those shepherds, are you kidding? You don't know much about us. And I'll tell you about them. You're going to be amazed. But they were the leastlikely of all to have receivedsuch a promise.
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    You know, there'sanother thought here. The pagan world, they also understood this idea of a Savior. They understood that. The Greek wordstr, Savior, they understood that. In fact, remember what I told you? Caesar Augustus, what was he called? The savior of the world. Thatwas the title that CaesarAugustus had. It's inscribed in some ancient monument, “savior of the world.” They also gave that title “savior” to philosophers who delivered them from ignorance, to doctors who delivered them from death, and like Caesar, to greatleaders who delivered them from their enemies. And certainly Jesus as Saviorwould speak to the Greek mind, the one who delivers us from death, the one who delivers us from ignorance, the one who delivers us from danger. That word was loadedwith significance in the Jewishworld and even in the Gentile world. And certainly CaesarAugustus wouldn't have willfully setup the credentials for the true Savior of the world to whom CaesarAugustus, by the way, is eternally bowing. This is what God does because He controls history. In the end, what does it matter if you don't take the words "for you" personally? "ThoughChrist a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in me, thy soul is still forlorn," said some poet. What does it matter? It matters not. But there was a Saviorborn for you. Father, we thank You for this greatgift. What canwe say? What canwe render to You for the gift of gifts? The Savior, the Savior, One who came to save His people from their sins. Oh we thank You, O God, for the Savior, Son of the MostHigh, sonof Mary, Sonof David, sonof Abraham, Sonof God, Son of Man, all of that, who came into the world to be our Savior, to deliver us because that's what You desired. You are God our Savior who sent Jesus Christ our Savior to deliver us from sin and death and hell. We thank You for that. You are the God who has visited, as we read earlier in the Psalm, visited His people with redemption. You have rescuedus, redeemedus, saved us, delivered us. And You have given us eternal life, the complete forgiveness of sins and we are rich beyond description and shall inherit an inheritance laid up in heaven for us incorruptible that fades not awaywhich we will enjoy forever and everin a world of peace and joy beyond comprehension. We thank You for the gift of Christ, the unspeakable gift, the gift for which there
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    are no words.You don't want words, really, You want our hearts. Maythere be no one here who has not given his heart to the Savior. Amen. Savior “Forunto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). - Luke 2:11 As we study the names of Jesus, we come to find that many of His titles are well knownwithin Christendom. The titles “Lord” and “Messiah” are especiallygoodexamples of names that have long been held dear by the people of God. Another example of a name that the church has emphasized when talking about Jesus is the name “Savior.” This is quite appropriate given the New Testament’s emphasis on Jesus as the Savior of His people (Matt. 1:21). Today’s verse, from the birth narrative in Luke’s Gospel, shows us that this title was used for Jesus from the moment of His birth to describe the nature of His work. Although the name “Savior” is widely used, sometimes we are unsure of what exactly the term means. Obviously it means that Jesus saves people from something. The question remains, however:“Jesus savespeople from what?” The varied usages ofthis term throughout the Bible does not make the question easyto answer. Nehemiah9:27, for example, tells us that God has sent many saviors to His people. In that context, however, the title refers more to a physical salvation, a protection from physical enemies, and not necessarilyan eternal and spiritual salvation. In an ultimate sense, Jesusdoes provide this physical salvation. He will renew all things when He finally brings in the new heavens and the new earth. We
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    will receive newbodies and be freed from the presence ofsin. We will be glorified. Though Jesus’work as Savioraccomplishes allthese things, the physical aspects ofsalvationwill not be completely available to us until the renewalof all things. There is one important spiritual blessing, however, that is available to us now. We have already been savedfrom the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9). Therefore, whenwe saythat Jesus is Savior, we are emphasizing that He saves us from the wrath of God. The book of Romans makes it clearthat all human beings store up for themselves wrath from God againsttheir sin. This wrath is storedup to be releasedagainstunrepentant sinners on the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5). But for those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we need not fear the wrath of God, for Jesus has savedus from that wrath (1 Thess. 1:9– 10). Coram Deo Too many people today think that God is not terribly concernedwith sin and does not really getangry with His creation. But the book of Romans makes it clearthat God’s wrath will be poured out upon unrepentant sinners. However, Jesus has borne this wrath in our place, and you are savedfrom it if you trust Him alone. Passages forFurther Study Isa. 45:22–23 Hos. 13:4 1 Tim. 1:15 1 John 4:14 https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/savior-1497/
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    2:10-14 A Saviourwho is Christ the Lord Previous Next Luke 2:10-14 “But the angelsaid to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of greatjoy that will be for all the people. Todayin the town of David a Saviour has been born to you. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a greatcompany of the heavenly host appearedwith the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.’” The people of the westernworld are still vaguely aware ofthe events of the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, that he was born in a stable, with shepherds and wise men coming to see him. The outline of the story is kept in the public consciousnessthrough Christmas cards, carols and junior school plays, but what is absentfrom the public square is the meaning of what happened. There is no ‘exegesis’ – that is the technicalterm – no explanation, and no interpretation. What was there in the mere birth of a child in a stable with a group of shepherds coming along to see the family to suggestthat something of extraordinary magnitude had takenplace? Someone has said, “The birth of Jesus to Mary was not self-evident and self-interpreting. It was not obvious. In factit took a word from heaven, a messagewhichwas a divine revelation to understand what had happened. We have to go back to the messageofthe angelto understand the birth. Without these messengersfrom God no one would have understood what was happening, not Joseph, not Mary, not Zacharias, notElizabeth and not the shepherds. God has to speak for us to understand the incarnation.” So let us see how God’s messenger explained the goodnews that comes to those who understand Bethlehem. Why do we go to church eachSunday? To hear goodnews;to keephearing the most wonderful news that anyone could ever hear; to hear the best news that has fallen on the ears of men and women. At the heart of the Christian faith there lies not a set of principles, not a list of commandments and laws, or some kind of moral code, but at the very heart of the Christian faith is a messageofwhat God has done, a positive affirmation, a statement of some
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    life-transforming facts. Whatthe angelfirst says is, “I have come to bring you some goodnews that someone has arrived in the world.” It is in the facticity of that birth of one particular baby boy that all the joy of this goodnews is concentrated. Then Gabriel’s messagedevelops so that we learn it is not Mr. Representative Personwho has been born, and not Mr. Everyman who has takenhis first breath. In other words the messageis not a humanistic story that every birth of every child is wonderful and that for an existentialmoment the shepherds graspedthat fact, and were moved by the marvel of a new born baby. No. This baby is specialin a different sense from every baby being specialto the families concerned. This is a unique child, and the words of the messengerof God which are so familiar to us are powerful because theyconcentrate on the extraordinary claim of the New Testamentas to the identity of Mary’s boy- child. So let us look at the designationof the angel concerning this newborn babe. Let us see the greattitles that the angel gives to him. 1. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE CHRIST HAS BEEN BORN. In both the Greek translationof the Old Testamentand in the Greek New Testamentitself this word ‘Christ’ renders the original word ‘anointed one.’ In Hebrew it is the ‘Messiah.’It refers to someone who is setapart and given a specific office. Jesus is the anointed Prophet sent into the world to bring God’s words to his creatures. He is the anointed King of the line of David, born in David’s town, who will crush the head of the serpent. He is the anointed Priest who will make atonement for our sin by his obedience to death, even the death of the cross. Here is the long promised Messiah. This very baby and no other baby, past, present or future, is the anointed one of God, the one the Old Testamenthas spokenof again and again, and he is here in Bethlehem, says the angel. Now one intriguing thing about this title ‘Christ’ is that the Lord himself rarely applied it to himself. Not only that, but he seldom encouragedother men to apply it to him. As you read Luke’s gospelyou will see the veil being takenfrom people’s eyes and they realize who this is who is dealing with them, but soonhe is telling them that they are to keeptheir convictions to
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    themselves. “See thatyoutell no one this,” he says. He even silences demons who have this conviction. There are sick people whom he has healedand he tells them not to publish abroadwhat they have experienced. He tells Jairus and his wife not to disclose whatwent on in their little girl’s room when he raisedher from the dead. “We are not allowedto tell you yet what happened,” they must say to inquirers. Yet Jesus does go outside of Israelto Samaria and is peculiarly frank with one womanin Sychar. She said to him, “‘I know that Messiah. . . is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” (Jn. 4:26). He could afford to do that in distant Samaria but not in Israel until the last week with the raising of Lazarus. What is the reasonfor this? He needed three years to instruct these twelve young men about the nature of his kingdom without being hunted and threatened with arrest. He neededthat amount of time because they themselves sharedthe Jewishconfusion concerning the whole idea of Messiahship. Theirs was an utterly calamitous attitude which assumedthat the Messiahwas a political figure who was to come and establishan economic, military and political power base in the easternMediterranean. In the public imagination their Messiahwouldteach the Romans a lessonfor dealing with God’s chosenpeople as they had. Their Messiahwouldestablish a greatJewishempire and those in the inner circle would have the chief places in his cabinet. This would be a hegemony of worldly grandeur, political might and economic riches. It would be establishedby the world’s methods – military muscle and diplomacy. Our Lord wanted to disassociatehimself absolutelyfrom that. He was not that kind of Messiah. He has no worldly Kingdom, no economic power, no weaponry, no political privileges to grant to his supporters. This Messiahhas none of that, in fact the whole conceptwas utterly abhorrent to him. He has a reserve, a reticence, and a low profile, and yet he does tell the womanat the well, “I that speak to you am the Messiah.”It was not that Jesus utterly rejectedthe Messianic idea and consideredhimself a simple teacherand healer. He acknowledgedthat he was the one and only Messiah;the angels and apostles callhim this frequently, and yet it is an interpreted Messiahship. Jesus does not allow men and womento have made up their own ideas about
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    what a Messiahisand to impose that on him. He gives them three features about this Christ: i] Firstly, the messianic kingdom Jesus was setting up was very different from other kingdoms that they had been familiar with. He told them that his kingdom was not of this world at all. It wasn’t political; it didn’t have borders, immigration officials and customs officers. It was entirely and utterly a spiritual kingdom. It confers upon its inhabitants spiritual privileges exclusively. It doesn’tmake them wealthy and powerful landlords. What it does is involve them in such privileges as these, a spiritual birth from above so that they are given the right to enter the kingdom; justification before God so that their sins are pardoned and they are declaredrighteous in Christ. They are adopted into the family of God as his sons and heirs. They are assuredof God’s love. They are given peace ofconscience, joyin the Holy Ghost, increase in grace, an imminent entry into Paradise whenthey die, and the hope of being raisedfrom the dead at the end of the world system. This stable-born Messiahis confronting all the expectations of his own day and he is telling them, “I cannotmeet your longings for military and political expansion. I have only spiritual privileges.” That is what the church in any age says to the world. That is what Luther saw at the time of the Reformation when he was sick atheart and disgusted at what he met in the city of Rome and the power of the Papacy, that the professing church had wanderedfar from the New Testamentand had lost the truth of Jesus the Messiah. We in the church today have no wealth, no socialprestige, no place in the sun, no music programme, no techniques which will solve all the phobias and neuroses ofmen and women while leaving their hearts unregenerate and in a state of alienation from God. We can only offer to men and womenJesus Christ the Saviour, and if they don’t want him there is no alternative agenda. We canonly offer the forgiveness ofsins, the love of God, the indwelling powerof God and the hope of everlasting life. We sayto the world, “Don’t come into the church on the basis of misunderstanding. You won’t find what you think you need here or in any gospelcongregation. We have only every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ to offer you, and that is where we draw the line.” We have no
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    right to turnthe church into a socialclub or a singing society. We must not turn it into an organization for the preservationof a language and a culture. It must remain what the Christ made it, a spiritual kingdom where men receive glorious enduring spiritual blessings. ii] Secondly, under Jesus’Messiahshipgreatnessis going to have a special meaning. There was an occasionwhen his disciples were arguing with one another as to who would be Number One in his kingdom. The mother of the sons of Zebedee askedhim privately if they could have the top places and sit eachside of him. Maybe John had ambitions about being Prime Minster, and James that he could become the Chancellorof the Exchequer. They had their own concepts ofwhat greatness was,and Jesus has to tell them frequently that his kingdom is not like that. Under his Messiahshipthe greatestmust be the servant of all. Greatness is displayed in kneeling down and washing and drying the feet of one’s fellow men. Time and againwe have to call the Christian church back to that, because it tends too easilyto ape the world’s own socialstructures, to establishcorridors of power and prestige. It builds empires; it elevates men and erectpedestals on which it places them; it asks them to have larger than life personalities, to look like film stars, and dress in designerwearor sumptuous cloaks and put on headgearwhichis a virtual crown. It carries some around on a chair. We ask them to make pronouncements like kings, and speak infallibly like God. It encouragesthe quiver of excitement at seeing them emerge at the front of the assembled hosts. We forget that in the church there must be only the people of God; there is none who can say that it is below him to washthe feetof another. There is only the greatness thatconsecrateseverytalent, and every single aptitude and position to the well-being of the greatChristian cause. iii] Thirdly this Messiahis not going to spread his influence by the methods of the world. The Messiah’s reignis not going to grow by carnalmethods. It will not be spread by a holy war, the use of the sword, the suicide bomber and the jihad. It is not going to multiply by diplomacy and economic strength. It will not be helped by marketing, and sound bites, and entertainment. The Lord refuses to stoopto such means to bring in his Messianic kingdom. The Christ came into the world of Jewishexpectationand he dropped a bombshell. The Messiahmust suffer! He will be delivered into the hands of men and who will
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    be the oneskilling him? The chief priest of Israelwill murder the Messiah. The elders will agree with the plot; the scribes of the Sanhedrin will be fully paid-up members of the conspiracy, bribing the false accusersand getting the death sentence passed. The very leaders of Jewry will cause the Christ to be killed. That is the only waythe Messiah’s kingdomwill be established, by way of humiliation, and by sin-bearing, and by enduring the anathema. So as we stand and hear the word of this messengerfrom heavenaddressing the shepherds and telling them that the Messiahhas been born, then let it be plain in our minds what is the underlying biblical idea of Messiahship. It is this, that here is a person who has come from God, who by his own suffering, his enduring of the anathema and death will establishhis MessianicKingdom. This is the most marvelous institution the world has everseen. The people inside it are greatbecause they are little people;they are self-effacing people; they have entered his kingdom by a work he has done in their lives so that they hang their heads and say, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” They are in the Kingdom as servants. 2. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE LORD HAS BEEN BORN. This baby is, Christ the ‘Lord,’ and in the underlying Greek text it is the word kurios, and there is something staggering aboutthe use of that word in the New Testamentbecause it looks in two directions. i] Firstly, ‘lord’ was a word used very commonly in the secularworld of the day where there were lords many in the men of influence and powerwho held sway. It was applied to Caesarpreeminently; the divine Caesarwho was lord. Caesar’spowerwas absolute;his prerogatives were unchallengeable, his rights and entitlements were beyond question. Men had to bow their knees before him; they were expected to come to him with their eyes downcast;they had to make obeisance andworship him implicitly because Caesarwas lord. Very soona day would come when that Roman power would say to those Christian believers, “Now you must confess Caesaras lord or else your lives will be forfeit.” Those Christans would have to say, “No, Caesaris not lord. Christ is Lord. Christ is Caesar’s Lord.” Christ had made him and held him in the hollow of his hand. One day that great Caesarwould stand a puny
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    prostate trembling humanbeing, stripped of every vestige of his grandeur at the judgment seatof our Lord. There he would answerfor all his atrocities, and the slaughter he wrought upon the people of God. Today men have different designations and different lords. There are millions who saythat Allah is lord, and Muhammed is the servant of the lord, and if you do not bow and acknowledgethat factthen your life is forfeited, and multitudes have died because they canonly confess that Jesus Christis Lord. He is the Lord of Muhammed, and before him every knee shall bow, and we remind ourselves once againof the tremendous emphasis that the New Testamentplaces on the cosmic supremacyof Jesus Christ. There is a throne above Caesar’s throne. There is a throne above and beyond every throne. We remind ourselves that at the lastit is he who has the whole world in his hands. The one empire, the great cosmic kingdomthat shall endure for ever and ever, is his. He is the heir of Godand heir of all things. He alone is such. ii] Secondly, ‘lord’ was a word looking at the world of the Jews, and the Jews had their Lord and this word translatedin the Hebrew Old Testamentthe references to Jehovah. It is the divine name, the name that was so holy that the Jews nevereven pronounced it. There was no Lord like the Jews’Lord. They claimed, “The Lord our God is one Lord.” Caesarwasn’tthe Jews’ Lord, and in 70 years’ time they would die in their thousands and see the city destroyedand their temple flattened as a consequence oftheir repudiation of Caesar’sclaims. “Caesaris not our Lord. Godis our Lord. God alone is our Lord,” they said. However, what the Jews deniedand overlookedwas thattheir Lord had already come, because whatdo we have in the words of Gabriel sent from the presence ofGod? We have the ascriptionto Christ of the name that is above every name, the name that was exclusivelyGod’s in the whole outlook of the Jews. The messengerfrom God is telling the shepherds that the one born in a stable in Bethlehemwas none other than the God of Genesis chapterone, the God of the burning bush, the God of Mount Sinai. Christ is that Lord and he is there in a manger. Jesus is Lord. That phrase, “Jesusis Lord” is the earliest single-clause Christologicalconfessionofthe early church.
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    You see themarvel of this? He is Caesar’s Lord, and he is the Jews’Lord and yet he is the baby born in Bethlehem. You go and tell a Jew that the Lord is born . . . God has been born . . . and you would find utter and total repugnance and incomprehension. Yet our faith stands or falls with the truth of these words, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.” The Lord is manifestly seenand heard; Heaven’s beloved Lord is lying in a feeding trough; the Lord of men and angels is in a cave in Bethlehem. How much comprehensionand understanding could there have been, even in Mary herself? This was only the beginning of sorrows, this unlikely place for anyone to find Caesar’sLord. It is a strange place for shepherds to stumble across God, but one day you’ll find him in a strangerplace! You will find this Lord on a hill called Golgotha, neara rubbish dump, crucified betweentwo criminals. What is it we are confessing whenwe say, “Jesus is Lord”? It is the incarnation of God and the humiliation of the Lord in a life that was to end in the anomaly of impenetrable darkness at noon and the dereliction of Calvary, with men mocking and chanting at the nailed Lord hour after hour, while others gambled, and others looking at his pain unmoved. What is this baby to them? What is he to you? Who is he in yonder stall at whose feetthe shepherds fall? Who is this child in the manger and infant of Mary? Is he to me, in the depths of my soul, my Lord? Do I fall down before him and say, “My Lord and my God?” Do I mean what I sing, “Lo within a manger lies he who built the starry skies”? Do you sing it because it is rich in its meaning that the Creatorof all things took frail flesh and had nowhere to lay his head except a feedtrough? Unto you is born such a Christ whom eye has not seennor earheard nor has mind of man conceivedof. Here is Caesar’sLord and the Jews’Lord. You find Almighty God joined to a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, and if you think that that is passing strange and paradoxicalthen I tell you that one day that same person would hang on Golgotha crying in agonyand loneliness, “MyGod, my God, why hast thou forsakenme?” There is one who has been in our world who is greaterthan the world. The Creatorof the world once lay in a manger while never ceasing to be the
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    world’s Lord. Hecontinued to be what he had always been but in addition to that he was now something more, a human being, an infant of days. He has become the incarnate God-man for us, and for our salvationand our deliverance. 3. THERE IS GOOD NEWS THAT THE SAVIOUR HAS BEEN BORN. What does this word ‘Saviour’ mean? It basicallymeans someone who delivers, a personwho rescues from danger and brings into a state of safety and blessing. A lifeguard is a saviour; a helicopter pilot is a saviour; a member of a mountain rescue teamis a saviour; a fireman is a saviour. Weren’t the shepherds longing for a political saviourwho would getthem out from Roman dominion? But in the Old Testamentthe word ‘Saviour’ was a divine name; to save was a divine prerogative. In Isaiah God says to the world of men, “Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else.” He is the exclusive Saviour. Jonahcried, “Salvationis of the Lord.” Mary has said in the previous chapter, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.” Creationis an exclusive divine work. Providence is a divine work. Resurrectionis a divine work. Judgment is a divine work. Salvationis also an exclusive divine work. Futile is the salvationof a man. This is too divine for angels, too divine for men; Abraham, Isaac and Jacobcannotsave;Peterand the apostles cannotsave;God alone can save, and God has been pleasedto put all salvation into the hands of his Son. There is no part of his salvationin the law; there is no part of it in human merit, reasoning, imaginationor desire. There is no salvationin the bare ordinances of the church; it is not in having the Bible or merely in hearing it preached;it is not even in the Holy Spirit alone for he did not fulfil all righteousness forus and die to atone for our sins. Salvationis in Christ alone. I ask you, ‘What is he a Saviour from?’ Jesus Christis not God’s appointed deliverer from political oppression, though where he has influence he changes societyfor the better and democracycando its work more justly. He is not God’s deliverer from economic oppressionand poverty though many a man savedby Christ has been delivered from the poverty he was creating for
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    himself by hiswasting ways. I saw the answerto my question ‘What is he a Saviour from?’ carvedon a grave in Sutherland in the north of Scotland last Saturday. The gravestone I was reading belongedto a greattheologian, John Murray, and the words below his name were, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin.” He alone saves from sin. If it is pardon for sin you need, then it is found in Christ. If it is deliverance from the vast debt of sin’s wages youneed then it is found in Christ. If it is a perfect righteousness to offer to God that you need then it is found in Christ. If it is grace to mature, and transform the whole sinful nature then it is found in Christ, God’s gift of a Saviour who declares that whosoeverbelievethin him should not perish but have everlasting life. That was the angelic message. “ASaviour has been born to you.” This meant eyes to the blind. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant ears to the deaf. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant feet to the lame. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant cleansing for the leper. “A Saviour has been born to you.” This meant the forgiveness ofsins and deliverance from the wrath to come and life everlasting. Sucha Saviour is born to you. When baby is born he is born to his parents. He is theirs. When he is the firstborn son of the King then he is born a prince to his people and a future King to them. “A Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” To every single one of you a Saviour has been born. Christ in the flesh – for you to receive as your prophet and priest and king. Christ dead on the cross for your pardon. Christ taking the sting from death that there might be no sting for you. Christ teaching that you might not go on through life in your ignorance. Christ rising as the first fruits of all who sleep – and he’s for you today! When the Jewishman slayersaw what he had done, accidentallykilling his companion, and when he heard the shouts of rage of his family, and the baying for his blood in revenge, then what could he do? Where could he go? There was just one place;the city of refuge. He must flee to it and be saved. Unto you is a city of refuge and it is Christ the Lord. To him you must go immediately.
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    When the Jewishmanwas bitten by a fiery serpent and the paralysis from the poison beganits deadly effects in him, the poisonous venom coursing through his veins what could he do? Who or what could save him? A voice cried out, “Look at the brazen serpent over there high on its pole.” He lookedand as he lookedand lookedhe was saved. Unto you is a brazen serpentlifted high and it is Christ the Lord. Look to him and be saved. All you sinners look to Christ, the one born to you, lived to you, died to you, rose to you, ascendedto you, interceding to you, coming again to you. The Saviour named Jesus has been born for you to receive. Alas, I have a greatproblem. What is it? What is the terrible problem I face as a Christian preacher? The problem is this, that I cannot find sinners. My commissionis like my Master’s, not to go to the righteous but to sinners, yet I cannot find sinners. I have a greatPhysicianwho can heal men’s souls but I cannot find any sick souls to bring to him. There are rarely any sinners who come to Alfred Place BaptistChurch (Independent), because I don’t come across anycrying out, “Menand brethren what must we do?” There seemto be few unconverted sinners who frequent this building. What a strange congregationthis is. It is full of respectable men and women, none of them guilty, none of them on the broad road to hell, although Jesus saidmany will find that road, none of them depraved in the whole of their natures. We cannot find a single one here. None here who has lostcommunion with God. None here under the wrath and curse of God. None here liable to the pains of the place of woe. But if I should find one person, one day, then I would say to him or her “I have a Saviour for you.” If I should find one sad individual whose life is not right with God, just one boy or girl, then I would say, “I know someone who can put you right with God.” If I should find someone who has lostthe way then I would say to him, “I know someone who can set you on the right path to heaven.” If I should find someone who is saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” I would say to him that there is mercy in my Saviour for you too. Yes Jesus loves you; the Bible tells me so. If I should find one soul, one single guilty soul who is on the way to a lost eternity, under God’s wrath and judgment and liable to perish then I would say to him, “A Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Is this to be another service in which I cannot find such a sinner? There are students
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    here and somesaythat they are not Christians but will any say that they are sinners? There are young people here who will saythat they are not Christians; will they acknowledgethat they are sinners? There are middle agedpeople who turn up on a Sunday and they are attentive as far as things go but they stop short of confessing that they are sinners. Sometimes I feelmy whole calling is futile, and that all my labour is vain, absurd and ridiculous, because there is no place for me in a world without sinners. There is no place for a messagelike mine in a congregationwithout sinners. I often wish God would make some sinners, that he would show them what they are, that they may see their need. My own life cannot bear the scrutiny of the God who is light, whose wrath is revealedagainstall ungodliness and unrighteousness. There is not a goodword I can sayabout myself; I am so often ashamedof myself; I groanaloud so that my best friend asks if I am all right. Is there anyone here with a bruised conscience,a broken heart, some fear of God, who wants his soul restored? If there is just one such person here, then “a Saviourhas been born to for you; he is Christ the Lord.” But the sad thing is that we’re living in a town without sinners, a land without sinners, a world without sinners, because people don’t come to Christ. They know nothing of the melody of salvation. Ah, it’s a greatthing to be a sinner because a man who knows he’s a sinner and looks to the Son of God causes joy in heaven. A righteous man does nothing for heaven, but a sinner can make God glad. It’s a great pity we couldn’t all be sinners. It’s a greatshame that we couldn’t tell God that we were sinners. It is a greatloss to a life that the personconcerneddoesn’t tell Jesus he needs him to be his Saviour. All I can sayis that if somewhere in the anonymity and unknowness around us, somewhere outthere, there is just one extraordinary and unusual person who says, “Alas, I am a sinner,” then I can say to you, “a Saviour has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord.” I would saythat you are a very privileged and fortunate person if you are a sinner, because Christis a Saviour of all of such who come to him, and if that one sinner happens to be you then you cancome to him now, and take him now, and know something of the new melody of his salvationin your heart.
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    What may yousing? The song of all the host from heaven who joined the archangel;“Gloryto God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests’” Man’s chief end is to glorify God. How can you fulfil it? By first acknowledging that you are a sinner. In no way canyour life be one of glory to God without that. Peaceto you, all your life then follows. Hearthese greatwords: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained accessby faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Roms. 5:1&2). There are men and womenin this world on whom God’s favour rests. What blessednessis theirs! Heaven has begun on earth in them. Who are they, those on whom his favour rests? Those who have peace now, peace on earth, not “R.I.P,” notresting in peace after death at all but peace now? Theyare those alone who have seentheir sin and seenChrist as the Saviour and cried mightily to him to save them. Cry to Jesus Christ now that he will show you your sin and show you the Saviour, and do not stop crying until he has answeredyour prayers. 16th September 2007 GEOFFTHOMAS