Heavenly Father, we have gathered this morning as your people.
And we now incline our ears and our hearts toward your word because we believe that you seek to us, you Lord.
We have this privilege of gathering in your name because of what you did on our behalf.
And sending your son, Jesus.
On Christmas Day, we live a perfect life, to die for our sins, and be raised for our justification.
And that privilege, Lord, we do not want to take the rest.
We ask God that you would strike us this morning on you with the wonder of Christmas.
The wonder of Christ, the Lord, the Son of God.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Luke chapter 2.
I will go ahead and read out loud.
Justin is supposed to read for this morning, but he's really sick.
He's got a new clay.
He's staying home.
Maybe Luke chapter 2.
In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went out from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.
Because he was of the house and lineage of David.
To be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.
Because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region, there were shepherds out there, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.
And they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you.
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary, treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus.
It's the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called fully to the Lord,
and to offer sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
And this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.
And he came in his spirit into the temple.
And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law,
he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your work.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, that you are prepared in the presence of all peoples,
of light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce to your own souls,
so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Thania of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
and then as a widow until she was 84.
She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer at night and day.
And coming up that very hour, she began to give thanks to God
and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord,
they returned into Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
And when he was 12 years old, they went up according to custom.
And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group, they went a day's journey.
But then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances.
And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answer.
And when his parents saw him, they were astonished.
And his mother said to him,
Son, why have you treated us so?
Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.
And he said to them,
Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be my father's house?
And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and submitted to them.
And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Always winter and never Christmas.
I guess my recognized line.
That's the condition in which we discover the imaginary world of Narnia in C.S. Lewis' book,
The Lion, the Witch, and the Warbrook.
And Christmas follows the winter solstice, which for us was this past Friday, December 21st,
the shortest day of the year when the sun seemed to pass by only for a few fleeting moments.
And in Narnia, it was always winter, never Christmas.
The blistering cold kept people as shuddered in,
and the frozen world seemed impervious to the faint rays of light.
And this is an apt description of the world before the coming of Christ as well,
which we celebrate on Christmas Day.
God's people were looking for relief, looking for salvation,
but their God, it seemed to them, was nowhere to be found.
And some of them were starting to look elsewhere for salvation.
Some of them had already resigned themselves to perpetual winter.
But then Christmas came, and that's what Luke 2 is all about.
It teaches us that we should believe in Christ the Lord,
who has come to redeem God's people.
And I will talk about the identity of Christ, the fourth phase.
First, Jesus as the Christ, and then Jesus as the Lord, and then the Savior,
and then finally as the Son of God.
In verses 1 to 7, we see his identity as the Christ.
Because in verses 1 to 2, it set the context for this important story.
It says in verses 1 to 2,
In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
In those days refers to the time of John the Baptist's birth,
which we just talked about in the previous chapter.
And it was during the reign of Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian,
who was the first emperor of the Roman Empire.
And he reigned from 27 B.C. to 14 A.B.
And during his reign, he issued a decree that called for the registration of all the world,
meaning the entire Roman world.
It's a generalization, but it's not really that much of an exaggeration,
since the Roman Empire at the time occupied a sprawling territory
from Western Europe to North Africa and the Middle East,
and about 70 million people, which is about a third of the world's population.
And the registration is basically a census.
The world census actually originated in ancient Rome,
and it played a crucial role in Roman governance,
because it facilitated the assessment of taxes
and the conscription of citizens for military service.
So it was the ways in which kings and emperors kind of flexed their proverbial muscles,
giving them an estimate of the extent of their financial and military power.
And due to this mandated registration, verses 3 to 5,
Tal has said all went to be registered, each to his own town,
and Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David,
to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
It seems that the Jews, according to their custom,
were required to go back to their ancestral homeland in order to register.
And so Joseph knew that he lived in the region of Galilee,
in a town of Nazareth.
He had to journey back to Judea, to the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the lineage of David.
And this, of course, is not an incidental detail.
It's important, intentional detail,
because 1 Samuel 17, 12 tells us that now David was a son of an Ephrathite,
of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons.
So, because of the divine promise in 2 Samuel 10,
that the Davidic monarchy would continue forever,
the Old Testament prophecies declared that the Messianic king that would come
would be from the line of David.
And Micah 5, chapter 5, verse 2 prophesied,
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me,
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from the old, from ancient of days.
And so, even though Jesus was conceived in Mary,
which was still a virgin,
since lineage is traced through the Father,
Jesus is born in the lineage of David,
in Bethlehem, the city of David.
And the implication, of course, is that Jesus is the Davidic king,
the Christ, which means anointed one,
the promised Messiah,
that God's people have been waiting all this time for.
By people, they have known, they have been conquered by the Assyrians,
and then by the Babylonians, the Persians, and the Greeks,
and then finally by the Romans.
And there's seemingly endless subjugation of oppression.
There always winter is about to come to an end.
And the child in Mary's womb is the king who will end that winter and bring Christmas.
And Augustus Caesar, who is only trying to flex his own royal muscles,
unwittingly becomes the pawn of God's sovereign rule
and brings about the fulfillment of this Old Testament prophecy,
that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
He calls for senses to display his power,
and God displays his own power and witness
by bringing about the Messiah through his birth in Bethlehem.
And if the coming of this long-awaited Christ is amazing,
the circumstance of his birth is even more shocking.
Look at verses 6 to 7 with me.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in swatling cloths
and laid him in a manger
because there was no place for them in the age.
When the contractions start,
you quickly have to make arrangements
for the pregnant woman to give birth
because the baby's birth is imminent.
And inns in the ancient world
usually had two sections.
They had the first section for human occupancy,
and they had a second section for animals,
to house people's animals.
Joseph and Mary needed to find lodging immediately,
but because there was no place for them in the inn,
it says, meaning the guest rooms were already occupied,
they had to settle for a stable
where the animals were usually housed.
Church tradition holds that the stable
was actually a cave,
which was not uncommon in those days.
And the church of the natively now
sits in that site in Bethlehem.
A manger is a box or trough in a stable
from which the cattle eat.
We had to get a privilege of baptizing
a few people a few weeks ago in our church,
and for our baptismal,
we used a horse trough.
I don't know if you guys knew that.
It's never been used as a horse trough.
It's only repurposed as a baptismal,
so it's clean.
But that's kind of what you're looking at.
But this manger in which Jesus is born, however,
is a trough that's in use.
It's dirty, probably smelling.
He's in a stable,
and he has a manger for his cradle.
While Caesar Augustus was busy
counting his subjects
so he could use them
for himself and his kingdom,
Jesus the Christ,
the messianic king,
came to be counted among us,
and he's laid in a manger.
And because of that,
we know he's not like the kings of this world.
He's not like the haughty kings of earth
who are aloof from the cares of common life
and refuse to associate with the lobe.
Christ the king comes to the downtrodden
and the lowly
so that he might lift them up toward God.
And because Christ the king came in a manger,
because he came in weakness,
in lowliness,
he's able to empathize with our lowliness and weakness.
Hebrews chapter 4, 15 to 16,
says this about Christ.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin.
Let us then,
with confidence,
draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy
and find grace
to help in time of the meeting.
Because Christ knows
what it is like to be lowly and weak.
Because Christ knows
what it's like to be born
into a broken and sinful world.
Because of all of that,
because Christ was laid in a manger,
he's able to sympathize with our weaknesses,
and we can be confident
that when we approach him,
we'll receive mercy and grace.
So remember that truth.
This Christmas is in the year to come.
Don't forget for a moment
that your hardships,
your weaknesses,
and your temptations,
that you have to bear them alone.
Christ knows,
Christ sees,
Christ sympathizes with your lowliness,
because he's the manger king.
And then this Jesus,
who is the Christ,
who is also the Lord,
as verse 8 to 20 tells us.
In verse 8,
the scene shifts
from the barn to the field.
It says,
And in the same region
there were shepherds
out in the field
keeping watch
over their flock by night.
And verse 9 continues,
And an angel of the Lord
appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord
shone around them,
and they were filled
with great fear.
So the fact that this happened
while the shepherds
were keeping night watch
paints kind of a wondrous scene,
because out in the field
in the middle of the night
there would not be
much light at all,
especially in those days
when there's not a lot of,
there's no artificial light.
So, but during this time,
the glory of the Lord
shone around them.
In scripture,
God's glory shines
wherever he makes
his presence felt,
whenever he reveals
his presence to people.
The glory of God
is kind of the sum
of all of the divine attributes.
His holiness,
his beauty,
his power,
it's kind of the manifestation
of Godness,
display of divinity.
And so God's presence
is powerfully being manifest
around the shepherds
in the midst
of a dark night.
And understandably,
shepherds are filled
with great fear
in the presence of God,
but the angel reassured them
in verses 10 to 14
this way,
Fear not,
for behold,
I bring you good news,
a great joy
that will be for all the people.
For unto you
is born this day
in the city of David
a Savior
who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be
a sign for you.
You will find
a baby wrapped
in swaddling cloths
and wine in a manger.
And suddenly
there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly hosts
praising God
and saying,
Glory to God in highest
and on earth peace
among those
with whom he is pleased.
Verse 1,
we noted that
in verse 1
we noted that
Jesus was born
during the reign
of Caesar Augustus.
And there's an interesting
parallel with his life
and the things
we hear about his reign.
Because during his reign,
the Greek cities in Asia
had decided to rearrange
their calendar
to begin the year
on Augustus' birthday
due to the claim
that he had been sent
as a savior
to them
to make an end
to all war.
And there are
Greek inscriptions
that archaeologists
have found
from that era
that claim
that Augustus' birth
marks the beginning
of the message
of, quote,
good news
and peace for the Lord.
In fact,
there was an altar
to Augustan peace
that stood in Rome
commemorating
the unchallenged power
and peace
of the Roman Empire.
And given this context,
the language used
in these verses
invite an intentional
comparison.
Who is the real savior?
Who is the real
bringer of good news?
Who brings peace
on earth?
Who establishes
an eternal kingdom?
By all appearances
at this time
of Jesus' birth,
it seems like
the right answer
is Caesar Augustus.
But Luke tells us
that the right answer
is actually
that baby
wrapped in swaddling
cloths
lying in a manger.
And history
has borne out
Luke's testimony.
While the Roman Empire
came to an end
in 476 AD,
the kingdom of God
continues to expand
in and through
the 2,000 year old church.
And Caesar Augustus
brought a political peace
that lasted a short while,
but Christ brings
eternal peace
with God
and through that
with our brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Caesar Augustus
saved his subjects
for a short while
from the ravages of war,
but Christ saves
his people
from sin and death
onto eternal life.
Caesar Augustus
brought good news
for some,
but Christ brings
good news
for all
who would believe.
Okay.
And what is
this good news?
Why is the coming
of Christ
good news?
This is explained
by the three terms
that the angel
uses to describe Jesus.
He says
that he is Savior,
that he is Christ,
and that he is Lord.
And I'll talk about
Jesus' identity
as a Savior
in my next point,
but for now,
Jesus,
he says,
is the Christ,
which means
anointed one,
that he's the Messiah,
and that's not surprising
because we've seen
his Davidic lineage
in the previous passage.
What's surprising,
though,
is the phrase
Christ the Lord.
Because the word
Lord is consistently
used throughout
the Gospel of Luke
to refer to God.
It's really,
it has in its background
the Old Testament
proper name of God,
which is rendered
as the Lord.
This is an audacious
identification.
In the same way
that Elizabeth
earlier in chapter 1,
verse 43,
called Jesus my Lord,
here Jesus
is being identified
with the Lord God,
the creator
of the universe.
Jesus is not only
the Christ,
the Davidic Messiah,
the king sent by God,
he's also the Lord God himself.
And what is the sign
of this good news?
It says in verse 12,
this will be a sign
for you,
you will find a baby
wrapped in sparkling cloths
and lying in a manger.
That's crazy,
right?
Think about it.
The word baby
is used to refer
to the infant Jesus
only twice in all four
of the gospel accounts.
And both of those instances
are in Luke chapter 2.
And there's something
jarring about that image
because the Lord,
the eternal,
timeless Son of God,
the Word of God,
is born on earth
as a babbling,
crying,
breastfeeding,
diaper-sowing baby.
I hope you get
how mind-blowing that is.
We see Jesus
once again
through this incarnation,
taking on human flesh,
occupying the place
of the weak
and the low.
After this
unidentified angel
makes the announcement,
he's suddenly joined
by a multitude
of the heavenly hosts
of angels,
praising God,
saying,
glory to God
in the highest
and on earth
peace among those
with whom he's pleased.
The highest
is referenced
to the highest
of heavens.
So it's the first half
of the angelicals' praise
described the effect
of Christ coming
in heaven
and the second half
described the effect
of Christ coming
on earth.
In heaven,
God receives glory
and praise
because of Christ
and on earth,
people with whom
God is pleased
receive peace.
And the people
with whom God
is pleased
is a reference
to the kind of people
that were mentioned
earlier in Mary's
song of praise
in chapter 1,
verse 50,
that God's mercy
is for those
who fear him.
God is pleased
with those
who revere
and worship God,
people who humble
themselves before God.
And these are they
who belong to him.
And with them,
God is pleased
and he keeps them peace.
Not peace
in terms of
a ceasefire,
a rest from war,
the peace with God,
which is the key concept
in Luke and Acts.
And note the contrast
between verse 10
and verse 14.
Verse 10 said
that this good news
of great joy
is brought for all
the people,
but God's peace,
it says in verse 14,
will rest only among
those with whom
he is pleased.
The good news
invites all people,
but only those
who humble themselves
and come to God
in faith
will benefit
from that peace.
And this passage
enjoins us to believe
with the examples
of the shepherds
and Mary
because we saw
that the shepherds
in verse 16,
they went with haste
in obedience
to the angels' words,
just like Mary
before them
in chapter 1
went with haste
to Elizabeth
after hearing
the angels' announcement.
And it says,
and it says in Mary
that even though
the crowds
who were there
who heard
the shepherds' views,
they wondered
at what the shepherds
told them,
verses 18 to 19.
It says,
but,
contrast,
but Mary
treasured up
all these things,
pondering them
in her heart.
There's a contrast
there between
the crowds
who wondered
and Mary
who treasured
and pondered.
The announcement
that the baby
in a manger
is a Savior
who is Christ the Lord,
it piqued
the crowd's interest.
Who wouldn't be
interested in hearing
something like that?
It tickled their ears,
but it did not
pierce their hearts.
So they moved on
with their lives.
But Mary,
on the other hand,
it says,
she did not move on.
She treasured up
all these things,
pondering them
in her heart.
Some of you
are visiting us
because this is
a Christmas service.
And some of you
are not yet a follower
of Jesus Christ.
But regardless of why
you came in here
this morning,
which is the good news
that you are hearing now,
the good news,
the same news
that the shepherds
announced,
that the angel announced
is what you're hearing
now,
the same message.
How will you respond
to this good news?
Will you be like
the people in Bethlehem
who merely wandered
and then moved on
with their lives?
Or will you be like
Mary who treasured
these things
and pondered them
in her heart?
Will you respond
with faith
and obedience?
The scene shifts
once again
in verses 21-40
this time to the temple
where we see
Jesus' identity
as the Savior.
It says in verses
21-24,
and at the end
of eight days
when he was circumcised
he was called
Jesus,
the name given
by the angel
before he was conceived
in the womb.
And when the time
came for their purification
according to the law
of Moses,
they brought him
up to Jerusalem
to present him
to the Lord
as it is written
in the law
of the Lord.
Every male
who first opens
the womb
shall be called
holy to the Lord
and to offer
a sacrifice
according to
what is sent
in the law
of the Lord.
A pair of turtle doves
or two young people.
We saw earlier
in verse 11
the angel
called Jesus
a Savior
and the name
Jesus
given here
according to
the angel's
announcement
means the Lord
saves.
And there are
two specific reasons
why Joseph and Mary
traveled to the temple
in Jerusalem
with baby Jesus
and they both
have something to do
with the Old Testament law.
The first purpose
is this,
the purification
according to
the law of Moses.
Due to the discharge
of blood
during the birth
a woman with a second birth
was required
by the Old Testament law
to go through
a ceremony
of purification
in Leviticus
chapter 12.
And according to
Leviticus chapter 12
verses 6 to 8
the purification ritual
required two sacrifices.
The sacrifices
of a male lamb
a year old
for a burnt offering
and a pigeon
or a turtle dove
for a sin offering.
But it's specified
that in the event
that the woman
and her husband
cannot afford
a male lamb
a year old
for burnt offering
they could
substitute
with the
substitute
the lamb
by using
two turtle doves
or two pigeons
instead.
And that's actually
what Joseph and Mary
do here
which shows us
that they were
not well off.
They could not afford
a male lamb
a year old
so they substitute
a pigeon
or a turtle dove.
They bring the poor
people's offering
to God
and that's the first
purpose.
That's purification.
The second purpose
was to present
Jesus to the Lord
as it is written
in the law
of the Lord
to every male
who first opens
the womb
shall be called
holy to the Lord
meaning set apart
for the Lord
and to offer
sacrifice according
to what is said
in the law
of the Lord.
So in Exodus 13
God said that
every firstborn male
in Israel
belongs to him.
Every firstborn male
animal
had to be
sacrificed
to the Lord
and every firstborn
son
had to be
redeemed
for the redemption
price of five shekels
specified in Numbers
chapter 18.
So this requirement
was in commemoration
of the Passover
when God struck down
the Egyptians
by killing all
the firstborn sons
of the Egyptians
and all their
firstborn male animals
because Pharaohs
stubbornly refused
to let God's people
Israel go
from their slavery.
And there's
this kind of
retributive justice here
because in Exodus
chapter 4.22
and elsewhere
God calls Israel
his people
my firstborn son.
And so Egypt's
firstborn sons
are struck down
for enslaving
God's firstborn son.
And that concept
of the firstborn son
is important
of course because
of the right
of inheritance
in this culture.
By virtue of being
the firstborn son
Jesus belonged to God
and since God
explicitly prohibits
child sacrifice
he makes a provision
for the redemption
of the firstborn son
instead
through the payment
of a ransom
price.
And all of these
rituals and sacrifices
serve as signs
that prefigure
the coming
of Jesus Christ
because he's
described in
Colossians chapter 1
verse 15
as the firstborn
of all creation.
That's who Jesus is.
That does not mean
that Jesus was
the first being
ever created
by God.
It's referring
to his right
of inheritance
because Jesus
is an uncreated being.
He's the second person
of the Trinity
as John chapter 1
verse 1 to 3
made clear.
But he is the
firstborn of all creation
meaning that he lays
claim on all creation
as an inheritance
because he is
the son of God.
But Jesus
and so this is
Jesus the firstborn son
and then according
to John 1 29
Jesus is also
the lamb of God
who takes away
the sin of the world.
He's the Passover lamb
sacrificed
for us.
So to a couple
that cannot afford
to sacrifice
the male lamb
for purification
and therefore
must substitute
a pigeon
or a turtle
to them
comes
the lamb
of God
who will die
as the atoning
sacrifice
the ultimate
substitute
for our
purification.
Joseph and Mary
present Jesus
at the temple
and pay
his redemption
price
and the ransom
that they pay
points to
the ultimate
ransom
that God
himself pays
with the death
of his one
and only son
Jesus Christ
to redeem
his people
from slavery
to sin and death.
That's why Jesus
describes his own
mission this way
in Mark 10 45
the son of man
came not to be
served but to serve
and to give his
life as a ransom
for many.
Because Jesus
died on the cross
for our sins
as the son of God
we can be spared
as God's people
and become adopted
children of God.
That's how Jesus
is the savior.
He saves others
by not sparing
himself.
He delivers
others by
delivering himself
over to be
crucified in the
hands of sin.
In verses 25
to 28
a man named
Simeon enters
the scene
and corroborates
this.
Verse 25
says that Simeon
was righteous
and devout
waiting for the
consolation of
Israel and the
Holy Spirit
was upon him
and God
had promised
this man
that he would
not die
until he had
seen with his
eyes the
Lord's Christ.
And this man
who had been
waiting and looking
out for the
Lord's Christ
of course
recognizes him
immediately
when baby
Jesus is brought
into the temple
to be presented
for redemption.
And he's quite
eager.
Hopefully he asks
for permission
but he takes
the baby
Jesus up in
his arms
and lifts
him up
and he
praises God
this way
in verses
29 to 32.
Lord
now you are
letting your
servant
depart
in peace
according to
your word
where my
eyes have
seen
your salvation
that you have
prepared in the
presence of
all peoples
a life for
revelation to
the Gentiles
and for glory
to your people
Israel.
Seeing the
Lord's Christ
in verse 26
parallels my
eyes have seen
your salvation
in verse 30.
The Lord's
Christ is
the salvation.
So seeing
salvation
he sees
salvation
when he sees
the Lord's
Christ.
And Jesus
because he is
the salvation
he will be
a light for
revelation
for Gentiles
and for glory
to God's
people Israel.
Christ brings
light to Gentiles
who live in
darkness
and this will
be for Israel's
glory because
Christ is the
Lord the
Savior he came
from among
them.
He was one of
them.
Sometimes people
dismiss the Old
Testament as being
narrow and
ethnocentric
but right from
the beginning
from the book
of Genesis
and onward
God says
repeatedly that
eventually
ultimately the
salvation plan
is for all
the nations.
The reason why
the Jewish nation
has such a
prominent place
in God's
redemption
history in
the Old
Testament
is because
it's from
them among
the Jewish
people that
Christ the
Lord will be
born who
brings salvation
to all
nations.
He is the
Davidic king
the Savior
of the Lord.
And having
praise God
for the
birth of
Jesus,
Simeon has
a specific
word for
Mary in
verse 34
35.
Behold,
this child is
appointed for
the fall and
rising of
many in
Israel and
for a sign
that is
opposed.
And a
sword will
pierce through
your own
soul also,
so that
thoughts from
many hearts
may be
healed.
It was
prophesied in
Isaiah 8,
14-15,
and Isaiah
28-16,
that the
Messiah would
be a rock.
He would be
a rock that
causes some
people to
stumble,
but he will
also be a
rock that
serves as a
precious
cornerstone of
a sure
foundation for
others.
For those
who reject
Christ, he
will be the
rock of
stumbling that
caused them
to fall,
but for
those who
receive him
in faith,
Christ will
be the
precious
cornerstone
that supports
them up.
Jesus'
coming is
such an
earth-shattering
event, such
a history-defying
event, that
his identity
and ministry
divide the
whole world
into two
parts.
Everybody is
defined according
to God by
how they relate
to Jesus
Christ.
And as
Jesus does
this, as he
divides the
world through
his ministry,
Simeon notes,
a sword will
pierce through
Mary's own
sword also.
The word
sword refers
to a large
and broad
double-edged
sword, which
makes this
image quite
graphic.
It's referring
to sharp
emotional
pain that
Mary will
experience as
a result of
Jesus' life
and ministry.
And of
course, that
pain comes
to a
climax in
Jesus'
crucifixion
when Mary,
according to
John 1925,
is looking at
him, watching
him in the
presence of
his son,
her son's,
crucifixion.
That's the
cost of
bearing the
son of
God, who
properly
belongs not
to her, but
to the
Lord.
And after
Simeon, a
prophetess named
Anna also
comes up, we
have a lot of
actually Annas in
our church.
And Anna is
a godly woman,
a devoted
person like
Simeon.
before the
death and
resurrection of
Christ and
the subsequent
outcome of
the Spirit,
actually only
five women
out in
Scripture,
before the
coming of
the Spirit,
are described
as true
prophetess.
Only five
in the Old
Testament and
here.
Miriam,
Deborah,
Koda,
Isaiah's
unnamed
wife, and
lastly, Anna.
So Anna is
a special
vessel of
God's
revelation.
And she
was so
devoted that
instead of
remarrying after
being widowed
after a short
few years,
she remained
the widow
until she
was 84,
worshipping with
fasting and
prayer daily in
the temple,
giving her
life exclusively
to the service
of God.
And this
godly and
reliable
prophetess of
the Lord,
after seeing
Jesus,
began to
give thanks
to God
and speak
of Him
to all
who were
waiting for
the redemption
of Jerusalem.
He's the
long-awaitest
Savior that
is to come.
And then
in the last
section,
verses 41 to
52,
we move
past Jesus'
infancy to
an account
from Jesus'
boyhood,
which teaches
that Jesus
is also the
Son of
God.
As faithful
Jews,
Jesus'
parents went
to Jerusalem
every year
at the
feast of
the Passover,
and on
one such
occasion,
when Jesus
was 12
years old,
as the
family made
a return
trip from
Jerusalem,
verses 43
to 45
follows this,
the boy
Jesus stayed
behind in
Jerusalem,
his parents
did not know
it,
but supposing
him to be
in the
group,
they went
a day's
journey,
but then
they began
to search
for him
among their
relatives and
acquaintances,
and when
they did not
find him,
they returned
to Jerusalem
searching for him.
So for these
kinds of
major trips,
it was common
for an entire
village to travel
together,
so they would
have quite the
wedding,
Joseph and Mary
would be
accompanied by
their extended
family as well
as their
neighbors from
the village
of Nazareth,
and this is
why,
even though
Jesus wasn't
with them
during the
first day's
journey,
Joseph and
Mary kind
of assumed
that he
was in
the group
somewhere,
and so
they didn't
worry too
much,
but then at
the end
of the day,
when everyone
gets together
again to settle
down for the
night,
Joseph and
Mary discover
that Jesus
is not in
the group,
so they
frantically
search for
him,
and eventually
return to
Jerusalem
in search
of him,
and they
find something
astonishing in
verse 46,
it says,
after three
days,
they find
him in
the temple,
sitting among
the teachers,
listening to
them and
asking them
questions.
It was
common for
Jewish teachers
of the law
to be surrounded
by students
who sat by
their feet
to receive
instruction,
so the
technical way
to describe
that relationship
is for them
to sit before
the teacher's
feet,
as it says
in Acts 22
3,
but that
typical scene
is kind of
mixed up here
in verse 46,
because Jesus
is not sitting
before the
teachers' feet,
he says he's
sitting among
the teachers,
listening to
them and
questioning them.
In verse 47,
it says,
and all who
heard him
were amazed
at his
understanding
and his
answers.
The word
understanding
here refers
to penetrated
insight.
Jesus is
a full
conversational
partner
with these
teachers of
the law,
and in fact,
he dazzles
them with
his own
penetrating
insights,
his understanding
and his
answers to
the questions
and problems
that they
pose.
And finding
Jesus sitting
casually among
the teachers
and conversing
with them
is understandably
upsetting to
the parents
who have
been searching
practically for
them for
three days.
So Mary
scolds them
in verse 48,
Son,
why have
you treated
us so?
Behold,
your father
and I
have been
searching for
you in
great distress.
But if they
were astounded
earlier,
Jesus' response
floors them
in verse 49,
Why were
you looking
for me?
Did you
not know
that I
must be
in my
father's
house?
If Jesus
weren't really
the son of
God,
if this
weren't true,
this would
be like the
height of
insolence,
right?
How dare
you,
child,
talk to me
this way,
but that
because he
is the
son of
God,
this is
true.
And look
at the
contrast
between
verse 48
and verse
49.
In verse
48,
Mary addresses
Jesus as
son,
and then
she
emphasizes
your
father and
I have
been looking
for you.
And Jesus'
response
directly answers
that.
Why are you
surprised?
Do you not
know that I
must be in
my father's
house?
He's been
in his
father's
house this
whole time.
This reveals
Jesus'
self-awareness
and identity
and purpose,
his priority.
He must
be in
his
father's
house.
It's a
necessity
placed upon
him through
his true
identity as
the son
of God.
Biologically,
as a human
being,
Jesus is
the son of
Mary.
Genealogically,
Joseph is
Jesus'
father.
But spiritually,
internally,
Jesus is the
son of God.
God.
This is such a
bold statement
that Joseph
and Mary
are taken
aback.
They don't
quite even
understand what
Jesus means
by this.
And nevertheless,
verse 41 tells
us that in
spite of his
identity as the
son of God,
Jesus was
submissive to
his earthly
parents.
And Mary,
once again,
treasured up all
these things in
her heart.
You can see
Jesus' growth and
progression in
this chapter by
looking at what
words are used
to describe him,
to call him.
Because verse
52 provides
another growth
chart for
child genes for
us.
It says,
And Jesus
increased in
wisdom and
in stature and
in favor with
God and
men.
In this
chapter,
Jesus has
gone from
being a
baby in
verse 16
to a
child in
verse 40
to a
boy in
verse 43.
And finally
here in
verse 52,
he simply
referred to
by his
name,
Jesus.
And this
is a
noteworthy
statement that
reveals Jesus'
nature as
being both
fully God
and fully
man,
because it
says that
he increased
in three
categories,
wisdom,
stature,
and favor.
Jesus grew
mentally,
physically,
and morally
in terms of
the favorable
moral standing
he had before
God and
men.
Jesus did
not have
all of
these things
in fullness
from the
beginning.
He increased
in them.
Jesus is
fully the
Son of
God,
but in
his full
identity as
Son of
Man,
he grew
and he
increased
in these
things.
His divine
nature and
his human
nature are
united
separately and
eternally in
the person
of Jesus
Christ.
And throughout
this entire
chapter,
we've seen
the greatness
of Jesus
according to
heaven's
estimation,
salvation,
put right
next to
side-by-side
with his
lowliness
from an
earthy
perspective.
And if
you are
ready to
follow Christ,
brothers and
sisters,
this is
your calling
as well.
Because if
you wish to
follow Jesus
Christ,
the path that
we too must
follow to the
greatness that
he has is
the path to
lowliness.
To reach
glory, the
Christian must
walk through
the path of
humility.
Philippians
chapter 2,
3-8 puts
it this way,
do nothing
from selfish
ambition or
conceit, but
in humility
count others
more significant
than yourselves.
Let each of
you look not
only to his
own interests,
but also to
the interests
of others.
Have this
mind among
yourselves,
which is
yours in
Christ Jesus,
who, though
he was in
the form of
God, did
not count
equality with
God a thing
to be grasped,
but emptied
himself, taking
the form of
a servant,
being born in
the likeness of
man, and
being found in
human form, he
humbled himself
by becoming
obedient to the
point of death,
even death on
a cross.
Christ established
the pattern in
which we are to
walk.
So don't pretend
like you have
everything put
together.
Share your
weakness with
your fellow
Christian brothers
and sisters.
confess your
sins to one
another.
Don't try to
go in alone
trying to earn
salvation with
your own moral
living, self-righteousness.
Instead, renounce
your self-righteousness
and cling to
Christ's righteousness
alone for
salvation.
Don't live to
advance your own
interests.
Look to the
interests of
others as
Christ sacrificed
for you.
Humble yourself
before others.
Don't lift
yourself up by
bringing others
down with
your words.
Count others
more significant
than yourself.
If you're not
yet a follower
of Christ,
this Christmas
is also an
invitation to
you.
1 Timothy
chapter 2
verse 5
says,
For there is
one God
and there is
one mediator
between God
and man,
the man
Christ Jesus.
All of
humanity
rebelled
against God
and sinned
against Him
by resorting
to living
according to
their own
wills rather
than following
the will of
God.
And the
just penalty
for that
treason is
eternal man.
Because God
who was the
defended party
is an eternal
king.
Someone of
eternal
will.
And this is
too high a
price for any
man to
afford.
That's why
Psalm 49
7-8 says
that truly
a man,
no man,
can ransom
another or
give to God
the price of
his life.
For the
ransom of
their life
is costly
and can
never
suffice.
Only God
can pay
to bear
the ransom
price of
a man's
life.
And yet
man,
humankind
must bear
the punishment
because man
is responsible.
Hebrews 2-14-18
tells that
because God's
people were
of flesh
and blood
that Christ
too had to
be made
like us
to take on
flesh and
blood
so that in
every respect
He might be
able to make
propitiation
for the sins
of His people.
That's why
Christ alone
is the
sufficient
Savior
because He
is both
the Son
of God
and the
Son of
Man.
He's the
one mediator
between God
and man.
And the
only way
to be saved
is to
entrust
yourself
to Him.
I begin
with an
illustration
from the
first book
in C.S.
Lewis'
series,
Chronicles of
Narnia.
And in
the last
book of
the series,
The Last
Battle,
when the
last great
battle is
being waged
for the
fate of
Narnia,
the last
king,
Tyrion and
all his
loyal servants
are forced
to make
a last
stand
against
the
enemies.
And they're
forced into
a small
stable on
top of
a hill.
And Tyrion
is amazed
to discover
that this
small stable
is actually
a portal
to another
world.
And this
is what he
says.
This is what
the book
says.
Tyrion
looked round
and again
and could
hardly
believe his
eyes.
There was
the blue
sky overhead
and grassy
country spreading
as far as
he could
see in
every direction
and his
new friends
all around
him laughing.
It seems
then,
said Tyrion,
smiling
himself,
that the
stable seen
from within
and the
stable seen
from without
are two
different
places.
Yes,
said the
Lord
Diggory,
its
inside is
bigger than
its outside.
Yes,
said Queen
Lucy,
in our
world too,
a stable
once had
something inside
it that
was bigger
than our
whole world.
That's the
mystery and
wonder of
Christmas,
that once a
stable held
something that
was bigger
than our
whole world.
That Christ
the Lord
came to
redeem God's
people.
In the
human,
as a
human
being,
this
manger
king,
king in
the
manger,
this is
God's
plan for
salvation.
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
comments on
this reality
in his book,
God is in
the manger.
He asks,
who among
us will
celebrate
Christmas
correctly?
Whoever
finally lays
down all
power,
all honor,
all reputation,
all vanity,
all arrogance,
all individualism
beside the
manger,
whoever remains
lowly and
lets God
alone be
high,
whoever looks
at the
child in
the manger
and sees
the glory
of God
precisely in
his
lowliness,
they are
those who
will celebrate
Christmas
properly.
So lay
aside your
tribes,
self-righteousness
and humbly
submit yourself
to the
king whose
cradle was
the manger
and whose
throne is
the cross.
Then and
only then
you will
celebrate
Christmas
correctly.
Let's
reflect on
this truth
a moment
and I'll
work it out.
For a few
moments we'll
respond by
praying a lot
to you.