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Luke chapter 2, beginning in 
verse 1, and we'll read to verse 14. This continues the birth 
narrative of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, takes up the second 
giving of the birth narrative of our Lord Jesus Christ here 
dealing with the shepherds as they are the recipients of the 
announcing angels proclamation concerning the birth of the Savior, 
the Lord Jesus Christ, in the city of David. So we'll look 
at a number of things tonight, but we'll look at the text first 
by reading it beginning in verse 1. Thank you. And it came to pass in those 
days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the 
world should be registered. This census first took place 
while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, 
everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee 
out of the city of Nazareth into 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 wife, who 
was with child. So it was that while they were 
there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And 
she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths and laid him in a manger. because there was no room for 
them in the inn. Now there were in the same country 
shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock 
by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord 
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 
and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 
Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great 
joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this 
day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this 
will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. And suddenly there 
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising 
God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, 
goodwill toward men. Amen. Well, we find in this narrative 
the angels singing what Spurgeon called the first hymn of the 
incarnation. In fact, I think he had a little 
bit different words, but I'm paraphrasing. But the angels 
singing the first hymn of the incarnation here. This is, of 
course, the narrative concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. If 
you'll remember what the author Luke takes up or writes in verses 
1 to 4 of Luke 1. If you can turn back there for 
a moment, Luke 1, beginning at verse 1. Inasmuch as many have 
taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which 
have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning 
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to 
us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding 
of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, 
most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of 
those things in which you were instructed." So the task for 
Luke, the author of this gospel, is just what we read, to set 
forth an orderly account of the things that have been fulfilled 
among them. So when we come to Chapter 2, 
when we come to the Scriptures, no doubt, we come to a body of 
God-inspired literature, the only such And we come to documents 
that do not come to us in the flavor of, you've heard this 
before, once upon a time. We don't have nice little stories 
woven together by the authors of fiction or half truth, half 
fiction. We don't have the religious documents 
that are somehow conspired to be set before the ignorant in 
order for them to grasp on to some sort of some sort of so-called 
truth, but rather we have God's revelation to men concerning 
salvation, redemption by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And 
the God-inspired authors write to us, and being inspired by 
God, these documents come to us with certainty, with what 
Luke writes here, perfect understanding of all things, the certainty 
of those things in which you were instructed. And so we come 
to verse 1 of Luke 2, and we see rather than the stuff of 
fiction once upon a time, we see it set in historical context. We see it set in geographical 
context. We see it set in geopolitical 
context. And it came to pass in those 
days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the 
world should be registered. And it continues with that same 
sort of flavor. Our Bibles are wholly trustworthy 
in all that they affirm, and that includes history as it's 
given to us here in this narrative. We're going to try and look at 
five things tonight under Luke chapter 2, verse 1 to 14. The 
first thing that we'll look at is the timing of Christ's incarnation. The second thing will be the 
place of Christ's incarnation. The third, the purpose of Christ's 
incarnation. The fourth, the proper response 
to Christ's incarnation, and then hopefully the majority of 
time will be spent, fifthly, on the manner of Christ's incarnation. So first, why don't we look at 
the timing of Christ's incarnation. Note first, it is rooted in history, 
as we just read in verses 1 to 2, verse 1, 2, and 3. We see, 
it came to pass, or we read, it came to pass in those days 
that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should 
be registered This census first took place while Quirinius was 
governing Syria, so all went to be registered everyone to 
his own city. The accounts of the Lord Jesus Christ being true 
took place then at a real time and a real place in time and 
in history. Again, we do not come to the 
Bible and read cunningly devised fables as Peter brings out in 
his second epistle, but rather we come and we read things that 
are most certainly true because God in his infinite wisdom has 
revealed them to us. So we have this taking place 
rooted in a time in history. And it's a very, it's a simple 
tradition for writers to place narratives in history, but it 
is kind, isn't it, that Luke gives us these things. He places 
it with rulers, he places it at a particular event in history 
when this census first took place under the governing rule of this 
Quirinius. You see this throughout the Scriptures. In fact, you see the same thing 
in Luke 3 at verse 1. Now, in the 15th year of the 
reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, 
Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of 
Ituria, and the regent of Trachonitis, etc., etc. So you see, the authors 
of Holy Scripture are very diligent in making sure that the presentation 
of this information comes with that flavor of history, with 
the flavor of noting political rulers. And we don't necessarily 
see it here, but elsewhere we have things like architecture 
and those sorts of things. So the authors of Holy Scripture 
are writing true narrative, and it is historically Yeah, well, 
that's probably the best idea. It's annoying everyone, isn't 
it? It's like an old lady rocking a chair. Yeah, I don't know if 
it's the bracket or something. Let's see what happens with this 
one. People at home, I apologize. You can't see this, but it's 
not entertaining, so it's probably best you don't. OK, so thanks, Mike. So the timing 
of Christ's incarnation, it is rooted in history. You know, 
the prophet Isaiah does this as well, doesn't he? Not only 
the prophet Isaiah, but others in the Old Testament as well. Isaiah 6, in the year that King 
Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. So it is a common 
practice of the authors of Holy Scripture to set the setting 
forth of true narrative in the context of time and history. And this was when the timing 
of Christ's incarnation, this was when the fullness of the 
time had come. You can turn to Galatians 4.4 
for a moment, because that is most certainly a related passage 
to what we find here. Galatians 4 and verse 4. In fact, we'll start reading 
at verse 1. Galatians 4, beginning in verse 
1. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not 
differ at all from a slave, though he is a master of all. but is 
under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the 
father. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage 
under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the 
time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born 
under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that 
we might receive the adoption as sons. What Paul is doing there 
is he's really giving a theological summary sort of a divinely inspired 
commentary on the narrative that we just read in the Gospel of 
Luke. That is what is going on. The 
narrative in the Gospel of Luke serves this theological commentary 
on the purpose of Christ's incarnation. When the fullness of the time 
had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under 
the law to redeem those who were under the law. So the timing 
of Christ's incarnation was when the fullness of the times had 
come. What do you think that means, 
the fullness of the times had come? Excuse me. Yeah, I was giving 
approval to your response and the coffee is in my lungs now. 
But yes, very good. The God's plan of redemption. 
Remember, God is a sovereign God of purposive decree. That means he's a God who has 
purpose in everything that he does. And the whole point of 
creation and time, history and providence serves that redemptive 
plan that he had before the foundation of the world to save a multitude 
that no man can number through the doing, dying, rising again 
of Jesus Christ. And so the fullness of the times 
is referring to that plan of redemption. That is brought about 
in time and in history. We could see that in the fullness 
of the times had come. We see in that the fulfillment 
of promise and prophecy. Remember what's going on in the 
Old Testament. What isn't going on is simply 
a setting forth of various morals and covenants for diverse and 
varying purposes, but rather a Christward trajectory in the 
Old Testament, God working out his plan of redemption. So when 
we read the fullness of the times had come, we should see in the 
background things like Genesis 3.15 and the promise of that 
hero born of woman who would crush the serpent's head. We 
should see in that all of the types and the shadows of Old 
Covenant religion, the ceremonies, the washings, all those things 
of Levitical holiness. We should see in that the the 
wisdom of the Psalms and the Proverbs being brought to true 
manifestation in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
We should see things like Daniel 9 beginning at verse 24. Daniel 9 beginning at verse 24, 
70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city 
to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make 
reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness 
to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. 
So these 70 weeks that Daniel is speaking of are speaking concerning 
that time. And as we continue, you'll see 
that the timing is brought to full fruition at the first coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The fullness of the times had 
come, the fullness of these times in Danielic prophecy notice verse 
25 know therefore and understand that from the going forth of 
the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince 
there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks the street shall be 
built again and the wall even in troublesome times and after 
the 62 weeks Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself and 
the and the people of the Prince who is to come shall destroy 
the city in the sanctuary the end of it shall be with a flood 
until the end of the war, desolations are determined. Then he shall 
confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle 
of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering, 
and on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate, 
even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on 
the desolate." Now, all of that to read for you to understand 
that these 70 weeks that are determined, and specifically 
when we read here that from the going forth of the command to 
restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there shall 
be that whole that whole time from the rebuilding of the temple 
in the Old Covenant era after coming out of exile in Babylon 
to the coming of Christ that is the fullness of the times 
with respect to Daniel's prophecy verses 26 and 27 don't have expectation 
in our future but were accomplished at the first coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, when he gave the sacrifice of himself and when 
he returned 40 years later in judgment in AD 70 to destroy 
the ungodly apostate Jews. But suffice it to say, the fullness 
of the times has wrapped up in it the fulfillment of biblical 
prophecy as it pertains to the coming, the first coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. So the timing of Christ's incarnation, 
it's rooted in history, first off, And then it is when the 
fullness of the times had come. And more to the language of our 
text, that fullness of the times reality is brought about by providential 
means. And the providential means that 
we find in our text is the census that is inaugurated here and 
the going of Joseph and Mary back to the city of David. This 
is what Robert Raymond writes with regards to the fullness 
of the times and the providential means brought about in history. 
When the fullness of the time had come, that is to say at God's 
appointed time, when the Jewish diaspora had spread throughout 
the Roman Empire and the Old Testament had been translated 
into Greek, opening the eyes of the Greek world to its theological 
power and beauty. When the Pax Romana extended 
over most of the known world, with great roads and the Greek 
language linking the empire of the Caesars and making travel 
and commerce possible on a scale formerly impossible. When Greek 
philosophical thought had atrophied into skepticism, offering no 
hope in human wisdom to improve the ancient world, when the so-called 
civilized world as a result had sunk so low morally that even 
pagans were crying out for relief from the rampant immorality all 
around them. In keeping with the Old Testament 
promises, prophecies, sacrifices, and other types and ordinances, 
all for signifying Christ to come. God sent forth his son, 
born of a woman, born under the law as the Messiah and mediator 
of the covenant of grace. So you see there, all of those 
providential pieces of the puzzle, if you will, falling into place, 
give us something of a picture of the fullness of the times 
coming. It's God and his infinite wisdom knitting together what 
he had previously decreed bearing out now in Providence. Caesar 
Augustus ruling, the decree going out that all the world be registered 
and all the world there meaning simply the Roman Empire, the 
breadth of Roman rule. The census that takes place under 
Quirinius and then the going of Joseph and Mary to the city 
of Nazareth, from the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city 
of David, Bethlehem. the timing of Christ's incarnation. Any questions about any of that? 
Anything unclear? I feel like I was talking really 
fast, so I apologize, but if there are any questions, just 
stop me at any time with a hand up. Secondly then, the place 
of Christ's incarnation, very quickly, the place of Christ's 
incarnation, it is in Bethlehem, the city of David. Does anybody 
know a specific With regards to this passage, the city of 
David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and 
lineage of David, any verses in the Old Testament come to 
mind that this is a fulfillment of, a prophecy in the Old Testament? Jesus being born in the city 
of Bethlehem. You can turn to Micah 5 for a 
moment. You're probably familiar with 
the stuff of Micah 5, whether the language as it comes from 
the Bible or as it's been put into hymns. In Micah 5, we have this wonderful 
language in verse 2 that we're seeing the fulfillment of in 
Luke chapter 2. Micah 5 verse 2, but you Bethlehem 
Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, 
Yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in 
Israel, whose goings forth are of old, from everlasting. So you see the inclusion of the 
information here by Luke to the city of David, which is called 
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 
isn't simply to note where the Lord Christ was born. but was 
to make it known that this was most certainly a fulfillment 
of Old Testament prophecy. This is Micah 5.2 being brought 
to reality. And also the promise with respect 
to the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7, notice the language, because 
he was of the house and lineage of David. So that Davidic Covenant, 
the promise that God made to David we can say roughly a thousand 
years prior, that promise made to David is finally being brought 
forth, that a king would come from his lineage that would rule 
forever, whose kingdom shall not be destroyed. And so we have 
the fulfillment of Micah 5 too, we have the fulfillment of the 
Davidic promise of a thousand years prior, we have ultimately 
the fulfillment of the entire trajectory of the Old Testament 
being brought to reality here. at the birth of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, at his first coming. All of the complex of events 
that mark his first coming. Bethlehem, the city of David, 
yes this was according to the custom of returning to one's 
ancestral homeland for registration, but also and more importantly 
it was in fulfillment of prophecy, that Micah 5.2 prophecy specifically. Thirdly, the purpose of Christ's 
incarnation. So we have the timing, We have 
the place, now we have the purpose of Christ's incarnation. And 
we'll skip forward a little bit and just go to verse 11. Notice 
the purpose of Christ's incarnation. Of course, this is what we read, 
for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior 
who is Christ the Lord. The purpose of Christ's incarnation, 
of course, is salvation. there is born to you this day 
a Savior. And it's an interesting thing, 
and we'll get to that later, but the title given to this babe 
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, lying in a 
feed trough, there is born to you this day in the city of David 
a Savior who is Christ the Lord. You know, I don't think that, 
you know, it doesn't Maybe it does, but it doesn't necessarily 
strike us as so amazing in the sense that someone who is an 
unbeliever, someone who stands outside of Christ in unbelief, 
it's amazing in the sense that it doesn't make sense to them. 
They think of Savior, they think of a Lord, and they think of 
someone entering into this world with pomp and with power. If 
a baby, then one born into royal parentage, one brought forth 
from a mansion of splendor, you know, bespeckled with jewels 
and precious metals and that sort of thing. But here we have 
the king of kings and the lord of lords lying wrapped in swaddling 
cloths in a feed trough. It speaks to the amazing condescension 
the second of the Blessed Trinity and we'll get to that a little 
bit later, but the purpose of Christ's incarnation is the salvation 
of his people. There's another prophecy in the 
Old Testament in the book of Isaiah speaking of the fact that 
upon those who dwell in darkness, light has dawned. Matthew brings 
this out in his gospel. Jesus is the light sent unto 
the Gentiles, most certainly unto the Jews, but also unto 
the Gentiles. Christ's, the purpose of Christ's 
incarnation was salvation. Now you see, this isn't news 
to us. We're Christians. We know this. We ought to glory 
in this. But it's important, especially 
when we come to that time of year called Christmas every year, 
where the, you know, the whole the whole ambiguous spirit is 
about giving, sort of about the human spirit and about, you know, 
old grumpy men being reformed and giving cooked gooses to, 
you know, to families in need and that sort of a thing. And 
the amelioration of social ills is fantastic, but Christ didn't 
come in order to ameliorate the ills of society. Christ did come 
to instruct, yes, but he wasn't simply a teacher coming to bring 
societal reform. He wasn't simply a teacher coming 
to bring a little bit more information that people need. He was a savior 
coming into the world to save his people from their sins. This 
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, Paul writes 
in 1 Timothy 1.15, that Christ Jesus came into this world sinners 
to save. That's a faithful saying worthy 
of all acceptance and that is the purpose of the 66 books of 
the Old and New Testament to make a declaration concerning 
this Christ who would come in the fullness of the times to 
die for sinners and to rise again. Christ's, the purpose of Christ's 
incarnation is most certainly the salvation of his people. 
Christ himself says this. What are some words of Christ 
that he says that speak to this reality, that his primary objective 
in coming into this world was the salvation of his people. 
You don't have to necessarily know the text address, but what 
are some words of Christ that he says with regards to this? How about the son of man did 
not come into this world to be served, but to serve and to give 
his life a ransom for many. It's a wonderful statement by 
our Savior. The Son of Man came into this 
world, sinners to save. He came for the purpose of redemption. Yeah, very good. Yeah, you know, 
and I think often we see that and we should see that with respect 
to his proper exegeting of the law over and against pharisaical 
misinterpretation, but we should also see redemption in that as 
well. He came to fulfill the law. How does he do that? He 
perfectly fulfills the law of God in the place of all those 
whom the Father had given to him. Without a righteousness, 
without a proper and perfect obedience to God's law, we cannot 
be accepted before the bar of heavenly justice. But Christ 
comes, he fulfills the law, and therefore we have a righteousness 
that avails. He bears the law's penalty for 
violation. His going to the cross was in 
the stead of all those whom the Father had given to him who had 
violated God's law, who had sinned against the divine majesty, and 
he bears the law's penalty for our violation. So yeah, Christ's 
purpose for coming into this world is for the purpose of saving 
his people from their sins. Any questions about any of that 
so far? Anything that needs elaboration, 
clarity. Very good, yeah. That's right. That's right. Yeah. 
Yeah. Yes. Very good. Very good point. One 
of the best sermons that you will probably ever read outside 
of the sermons that come from, that are in the Bible. The sermon 
by Spurgeon on 1 Corinthians 11, Do This in Remembrance of 
Me. He has just an amazing sermon on the remembrance of Christ. 
Classic Spurgeon, he's kind of a little bit off topic because 
it's not necessarily a Lord's Supper sermon. But in Spurgeonic 
fashion, just an absolutely brilliant sermon. And he talks about how 
even with the Christian, We can enter into this languor and coldness 
where we think about everything else except for Christ. Not that we, you know, wind up 
in abject unbelief because that's impossible for a Christian, but 
we can have those periods of time where, you know, the choking 
weight of work and family and, you know, discord between, you 
know, brothers or friends and so many things can weigh us down 
and we forget And we enter into this period of languor and coldness, 
and we forget our Savior. Spurgeon said it even of himself. 
There are times where I find myself having not thought of 
the Savior for whatever period of time. We need to, as Christians, 
and we are, thankfully, by the Spirit of God, always brought 
back to the scriptures and the glories of Christ, though. But 
we do need to be mindful of that tendency in our own remaining 
corruption to not dwell upon and remember the Savior of our 
profession. Spurgeon writes in another sermon, 
wrote in another sermon, whoever wrote his sermons out, but Spurgeon 
said in another sermon that we have to, as Christians, or it's 
a good thing for Christians to very frequently return to that 
place where God first began with us. In other words, when we first 
became Christians, We may not remember the exact day and hour, 
but when we first laid hold of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need 
to often, as Christians, however far removed from the day of our 
being born again, we need to return back to the glory of being 
saved by Christ, to rejoice in that salvation that God, in his 
amazing grace, bestowed upon us for his own namesake. We need 
to think often of our precious Savior. The purpose for Christ's 
incarnation was to come into this world. Fourthly, the proper response to Christ's 
incarnation. The proper response to Christ's 
incarnation. And we see that in verse 14, 
beginning in verse 13. And suddenly there was with the 
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward 
men. Now we'll get, in a little bit, 
we'll get to what that doesn't mean, the end on earth peace, 
goodwill toward men. But first off, the proper response 
to Christ's incarnation is glory to God in the highest. And it 
should be indicting to us as believers that the angels are 
singing glory to God in the highest. Maybe indicting isn't the best 
word, but men ought the more men saved by God, men and women, 
boys and girls, Christians, ought the more to sing glory to God 
in the highest for salvation. Why? In relation to the angels. Anybody? Maybe that question 
classic pastor Porter wasn't worded very well. So you can 
turn to Hebrews 2 for a moment. The reason why Christians should 
all the more praise God for salvation is because Christ didn't come 
to save angels. And yet the angels that the incarnation, 
the announced incarnation of the Savior are singing glory 
to God in the highest notice in verse 14 did I say to turn 
to Hebrews they say that okay good Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 
14 notice what we read here in as much then as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood he himself likewise shared in 
the same this is Paul speaking of Christ that through death 
he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the 
devil and release those who through fear of death were all their 
lifetime subject to bondage. For he indeed does not give aid 
to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham." You 
might have in your text a marginal note there which says something 
like, take on as in the nature of, and then repeat it again, 
take on. So we could read that, for indeed 
he does not take on angels, but he does take on the seat of Abraham. In other words, we have the fact 
that the Lord Jesus Christ took on the nature of the sons of 
Abraham. In other words, he became man. 
He became man because he's redeeming man. Christ does not give himself 
for the elect angels. The elect angels don't need a 
savior because they don't sin. And so the angels here, the purpose 
of what I'm trying to get at is the fact that the angels of 
God praise Christ for salvation, something that they are not themselves 
the recipients of. This is what the Spurgeon says 
with regards to this. How free from envy the angels 
were. Christ did not come from heaven 
to save their compeers when they fell. When Satan, the mighty 
angel, dragged with him a third part of the stars of heaven, 
Christ did not stoop from his throne to die for them, but he 
left them to be reserved in chains and darkness until the last great 
day. Yet angels did not envy men, 
though they remembered that he took not up angels, yet they 
did not murmur when he took up the seat of Abraham. And though 
the blessed master had never condescended to take the angels' 
form, They did not think it beneath them to express their joy when 
they found him arrayed in the body of an infant. Isn't that 
wonderful? You see, the angels instruct 
us here. The angels give us a lesson in 
this, the first angelic hymn of the incarnation. You see, 
the angels have sung before. The angels have returned back 
to God singing with respect to his majesty, with respect to 
his glory. even with respect to the pre-incarnate 
son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is the first time that 
we have the angels singing for the incarnate Christ, singing 
with regards to the salvation brought to man. And the angels 
instruct us in how to sing because we ought to be more the singers 
of God's heavenly praise because we are actually the recipients 
of his condescending redemption. And so far be it from us to ever 
be found in languor and coldness with regards to a remembrance 
of our Savior, the Lord Jesus, because the angels themselves 
sing of his glory, being not the recipients of his salvation. So the proper response to Christ's 
incarnation is praise to God. The angels sang praises to God 
at the birth of Christ. Any questions about any of that? 
If we have time, I'll read another quote by Spurgeon, another great 
sermon, Luke 2, 14, by C.H. Spurgeon. I can read this one 
later. It's a longer one. Fifthly, then, the manner of 
Christ's incarnation. So we have the timing, the place, 
the purpose, the proper response, and then lastly, the manner of 
Christ's incarnation. Notice in verse 7. seven. We read this, and she 
brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for 
them in the inn. Now the manner of Christ's incarnation 
then is that it was a lowly entrance from heaven to earth. You know 
we touched on this briefly but it's our subject matter now. 
The condescension of the Son of God is absolutely startling. It's foolishness and it's madness 
and it's folly to those who are dead in their trespasses and 
in their sins, but to the children of God, to Christians, it ought 
to be absolutely startling and amazing. The lowly entrance from 
heaven to earth of Christ in his incarnation. First off, notice 
From the scriptures we see that Christ's humiliation consisted 
in being born. Christ's humiliation consisted 
in being born. The significance of that ought 
to first be obviously seen in the fact that he took on the 
nature of the seed of Abraham. In other words, he took on flesh. He took on humanity. Turn with me to Philippians for 
a moment. You're very familiar with this 
passage. I trust Philippians chapter 2 
But this speaks to this condescending act of the Lord Jesus Christ 
in the incarnation Philippians 2 beginning in verse 
5 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who 
being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be 
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the 
form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of man." So, 
you see, Christ's humiliation, Christ's condescension is seen, 
is consisted in his being born. He takes upon himself humanity. Now, Christ himself, of course, 
is sinless, unspotted, unblemished. However, he takes on the form 
of those who are. Remember just the reaction of 
Isaiah to the glory of God. He pronounces an oral curse upon 
himself. Woe is me, for I am undone, a 
man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips. 
Christ comes in and he takes on the form of those of such 
who are so lowly in comparison with God. And so when we note that Christ 
is born, it's a simple truth of Christianity that Christ comes 
in the incarnation, but it isn't a simple truth in the sense that 
we have God manifested in the flesh. We have God coming in 
the form of lowly creature, God coming and taking on himself 
humanity, made himself of no reputation, taking the form of 
a bond servant, taking the form of a slave, and coming in the 
likeness of men. It is, you know, when people 
generally think of a king of kings, of a lord of lords, of 
a savior of men, you can be assured that the first image that pops 
into their mind isn't a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying 
in a manger. As we progress through the narrative 
concerning Jesus Christ, you can be sure that they don't find 
a king of kings and lord of lords or a savior of men in one who 
has nowhere to rest his head, who unlike the foxes who have 
their holes and the birds of the air who have their nests, 
he has nowhere to lay his head. As we trace through the narrative 
concerning Jesus, we don't have, if we're using the futility of 
a Gentile mind, we don't have before us a king of kings and 
lord of lords. But we know this side of regeneration 
and salvation that at all points in Christ's earthly ministry, 
we can say, hallelujah, what a savior, because of the glorious 
condescension, the humility that he took upon himself in bearing 
out the mission of his father to save a multitude of sinners 
to the praise of his glory. We see Christ's humiliation first 
consisting in his being born. In the beginning was the word, 
and the word became flesh and dwelt among us." You know what, 
I think it was Ryle, maybe I, did I have that quote? Ah, I 
think I do. Ryle says this, and I think, 
I think this is, this is what Ryle says with regards to the 
humiliation being born into a low condition. So first off, we have 
Christ's humiliation consisting in his being born, secondly, 
from the scriptures we see that Christ's humiliation consisted 
not just in being born but being born in a low condition. This 
comes from the language of the shorter catechism. Christ's humiliation 
consisted in his being born and that in a low condition. In other words, he didn't come 
into this world born into a royal family. He didn't come into this 
world, you know, being brought home to a mansion. you know, 
where he enjoyed, you know, all the splendor of high living. 
This is what Ryle says. This is how he puts it. He was 
not born under the roof of his mother's house but in a strange 
place and at an inn. When born, he was not laid in 
a carefully prepared cradle. He was laid in a manger because 
there was no room in the inn. We see here the grace and condescension 
of Christ. Had he come to save mankind with 
royal majesty, surrounded by his father's angels, it would 
have been an act of undeserved mercy. You see what he says there? 
Had he come to save mankind with royal majesty, surrounded by 
his father's angels, it would have been an act of undeserved 
mercy. He goes on. Had he chosen to 
dwell in a palace with power and great authority, we should 
have had reason enough to wonder. But to become poor as the very 
poorest of mankind and lowly as the very lowliest, this is 
a love that passeth knowledge. You see what Ryle is saying there. 
Had Christ come with 12 legions of angels in all the glory of 
his father, condescending to come before men, that still would 
have been condescension. That still would have been an 
act of undeserved mercy for those who he came to show his glory 
to. If he came still enfleshed in 
humanity, without the glory, without the visible glory of 
deity and came and simply dwelt in a mansion in the hills of 
Jerusalem, that still would have been an act of amazing condescension. For the thrice holy God, separate 
from sinners, to come from that position of transcendent otherness 
to our lower ignominy would be an act of amazing condescension. 
But he comes, the very poorest of mankind, lowly as the very 
lowliest, in swaddling cloths, in a feed trough, that is love 
that passeth knowledge. And not just the fact that he 
came, was born, and dwelt in a low condition, but the fact 
that he came and did all that for us, for his people. He became poor so that we who 
were poor might become rich. The glory of Christ in his condescending 
act, not only in him being born, but with regards to the fact 
that he was in a low condition as well. Now, as we move through 
these things with regards to Christ's first coming and his 
condescension, his humiliation, his incarnation, the manner of 
it, we ought to think of other religious systems. Because in 
no other system of religion do you have something so glorious 
as this. You think of the old Greco-Roman 
religions and the madness of that polytheistic system. You think of Islam and a God 
that, yes, is wholly transcendent, but never has any immediate dealings 
in condescending activity with his creation. Nothing that even 
approaches the mercy and the grace and the love that we have 
in Christianity, because it is the only true religion. All other religions are madness 
and idolatry, but in Christianity, not only do we have true religion, 
but we have the splendor and the majesty of a Christ who leaves 
his former glory and comes to our lower shame in order to work 
out the salvation of sinners. It truly is amazing. So thirdly then, from the scriptures, 
we see that Christ's humiliation consisted in being under the 
law. So what was the manner of Christ's 
incarnation? Well, we have the fact that it 
consisted in being born, that it was in a low condition, and 
now that it was being under the law. Remember what Galatians 
4.4 says, when the fullness of the times had come, God sent 
forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. Now, just 
very briefly, where before we get to born under the law, where 
in the Old Testament do we read concerning Christ being born 
of a woman? Like when we come to Luke 2 here, 
and we're reading the narrative of Mary bringing forth her firstborn 
son, wrapping him in swaddling cloths, et cetera, where in the 
Old Testament do we read a prophecy that Christ would be born of 
a woman? Excuse me. Genesis, yeah, very good. Genesis 
3.15. Yeah, the woman will be, what's that? Yeah, Isaiah 9.6. In fact, if 
you are so inclined, you can turn there with me. Isaiah 9. And in fact, previous to verse 
6, Oh, very, 714, yeah, very good as well. Yeah, Isaiah 714, 
in fact, we can even back up to there, because in Isaiah 714, 
we have that same language that Matthew actually repeats, quotes, 
and then adds to in his birth narrative. In Isaiah 714, we 
have, therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, 
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his 
name Emmanuel. Matthew then adds, which is translated, 
God with us. So we have in Isaiah 714, thanks 
Roger, the announcement of the coming, and the language too 
is, you see the language of this shall be the sign in Luke's gospel 
as well. So Luke is taking up, you know, 
not only Micah 5, 2, not only other Old Testament data and 
promise, but he's taking up here Isaiah 714. Notice in Isaiah 
9, You have multiplied the nation, 
this is verse three, and increased its joy. They rejoice before 
you according to the joy of harvest as men rejoice when they divide 
the spoil. We have this language of rejoicing 
in Luke's gospel when the angels announce the fact that it is 
good news that will be to all the people. But notice in verse 
six, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government will be upon 
his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, 
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And it goes 
on to show the eternality of his government and rule. But 
suffice it to say, we have that reality that announced that Christ 
would be born of a woman. But back to this then, Christ's 
humiliation consisted in being under the law. Yes, he did come 
and he dwelt under the impositions of the Roman Emperor. He did 
come and dwelt under that civil rule that was Roman in its nature, 
foreign to the Judaic state. But also, and more to the point, 
he subjected himself unto full obedience to his father. When we read in Galatians 4.4 
that Christ was born under the law, That is what we should see 
first and foremost with regards to its meaning. We needed to 
have, sinners needed to have a righteousness, a legal and 
forensic and juridical righteousness, a righteousness as it pertains 
to divine law in order to avail before God. Christ was born under 
that so that he might fulfill it for his people. Christ is born under the law. Time and again, he says, I did 
not come to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 
In the Gospel of John, he says that a great number of times. Back in that Philippians passage, 
we have that same language of obedience. Christ comes in the 
fullness of the times, born of a woman, born under the law, 
and again, we need to see in that legal obedience to the Father 
who sent him. We read that if we were to continue 
in that Philippians 2, 5 to 11 portion of Bible. And being found, 
this is verse 8, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled 
himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the 
death of the cross. So you see, Christ's purpose 
in coming in the incarnation was to save his people. That's 
seen in him being born, being living in a lowly condition and 
now being brought or being under the law in order to fulfill obedience 
to the law of God. And again, that is for us. He fulfills the law of God instead 
of us. Fourthly, are there any questions 
about any of this as we move on? Yeah, you think of, you think, 
you know, in discussing the condescension of Christ and being born under 
the law, you think about him coming And standing before men like 
Pontius Pilate, standing before men like Herod, that account 
before Pontius Pilate specifically, where Pilate seems to think that 
he has some measure of sovereignty over the Lord Christ. And the 
Lord Christ tells him that you'd have no power over me unless 
it had been granted to you from above. You see, the very time 
Christ was being spit upon and beaten, At the very time that 
Christ is being brought under the ungodly scrutiny of a wicked 
regime, he is upholding them by the word of his power, even 
giving them the very breath that they use to speak blasphemies 
against him. That's how amazing the condescension 
of Christ is. As Goliath is blaspheming the 
Lord God before David a thousand years prior, He's speaking blasphemies 
by the very breath and strength that the triune God gives him. 
And it's all in God's providential plan to bring to bear his glory 
among men. And so, yeah, that reality of 
Christ being brought under the law is absolutely amazing as 
well, to be sure. Fourthly, from the scriptures, 
we see that Christ's humiliation consisted in being subjected 
to the miseries of this life. Remember in Isaiah 53, we read, 
he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. It's an amazing thing. Again, in the mind of puny and 
futile man, our notions of a man of intrigue and a hero is the 
people that are on a sports pitch or the people that walk the red 
carpet, we look with idolatrous eyes at at people of so-called 
splendor who are thrown before us in the media. We would have 
no, outside of the saving grace of God, we would have no time 
for a man of misery acquainted with grief. We'd have no time 
for a crucified Messiah. I mean, remember, that was a 
scandal to the Jews. That was a rock of offense to 
the Jews of Christ's age and to unbelieving Jews throughout 
history to our own day. Remember Spurgeon says, you know, 
a crucified messiah to the Jew. The Jews could not endure a crucified 
messiah. It was madness to them. Should 
all of the multitudinous sacrifices and washings and ceremonies, 
should the splendor of this temple, should the splendor of all of 
the amazing polished articles of old covenant religion, religion 
be cast away and nothing remain but a bleeding Savior. The biblical 
answer is yes to that hard-hearted Jew. And so the fact that Christ 
is subjected to the miseries of this life is a scandal to 
the unbelieving mind, it's folly, but to those who are being saved 
it is the power and the wisdom and the righteousness of God. 
Remember what Psalm 22 says, he was a worm and no man. This 
is actually Christ speaking of himself, I am a worm and no man 
despised by the people. We said this earlier, the foxes 
have holes and the birds have their nests, but the son of man 
has nowhere to lay his head. We read in the Gospel of John, 
he came to his own and his own did not receive him. Imagine, 
you know, you have, you know, let's just say 1,500 years of 
revelational history. from Moses to the time of Christ. And going further back to the 
time prior to Moses that he is writing about in the first five 
books of the Bible and that sort of thing. But you have a whole 
39 books of the Old Testament given to these Jews and the very 
scope of that writing, the very person to whom that writing attests 
comes to them and they don't receive him. It's an amazing 
thing, the nature, the reality of the sinfulness and the unbelief 
of man, peculiarly the nation to whom he was first promised. So his humiliation consisted 
in being subjected to the miseries of this life. And lastly, before 
we close in prayer, from the scriptures we see that Christ's 
humiliation consisted in undergoing the wrath of God and the cursed 
death of the cross. You see, all of that, all of 
that, all of those realities, Christ being born, Christ being 
brought into this world and living under a low condition, Christ 
being under the law, born of a woman, Christ subjected, subjecting 
himself, being subjected to the miseries of this life, all were 
coming to this particular point in undergoing the wrath of God 
and the cursed death of the cross. Remember, he says that in his 
earthly ministry. The narrative speaks of Christ 
being resolute to the task. He set his heart as a flint. We see him saying, I came to 
do the will of the one who sent me. We see him repeating three 
times in Matthew, and they still didn't get it. We see him saying, 
the son of man, must be delivered by wicked hands, must be crucified, 
but rise again the third day. And even after that event, those 
two people, those two disciples on the road to Emmaus are just, 
they're depressed because their savior was put to death. And 
he comes to them and he says, oh foolish ones, and slow of 
heart to believe in all the things that the prophets have spoken. 
Did not they write concerning me that I must die and rise again? The wrath of God and the cursed 
death of the cross. Christ's humiliation comes to 
its fullness in that event, the blessed cross. This is what Isaac, 
sorry not Isaac Watts, where's the quote from Spurgeon here? Oh yes, now I mean definitely 
related but as we close here, this is one of my favorite Spurgeon 
quotes of all time, we come to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ 
and we're We're out of time. But that is, again, where all 
of this is going to. When we see Christ in that manger, 
those wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, yes, we are 
to think incarnation. Yes, we are to think condescension. Yes, we are to think all of those 
wholesome things that are to be thought with respect to a 
babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. But you see, 
that wasn't unto the end of being cute and cuddly in a feed trough. 
That was unto the end of being bloodied and battered upon a 
Roman implement of execution for the sins of his people, where 
the wrath of God would be poured out upon him and where he would 
no doubt suffer misery of miseries, yet be victorious. three days 
later, and be victorious in that act of most unbearable misery. But this is a wonderful quote 
by Spurgeon, and it wraps up the idea of the text, the scope 
of the text, which is to set forth the incarnate Christ as 
coming to fulfill the plan of redemption. And it brings out 
the sovereignty of God. You see, the angels sing in this 
particular hymn, first hymn of the incarnation, they sing glory 
to God in the highest. And remember, they sing it because 
of the salvation that this Savior, this one born in the city of 
David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord, because of the salvation 
that he would perform for his people. And this is Spurgeon 
at his best. The angels were no Arminians. They sang glory to God in the 
highest. They believe in no doctrine which 
uncrowns Christ and puts the crown upon the head of mortals. 
They believe in no system of faith which makes salvation dependent 
upon the creature and which really gives the creature the praise. 
For what is it less than for a man to save himself if the 
whole dependence of salvation rests upon his own free will? 
No, my brethren, they may be some preachers that delight to 
preach a doctrine that magnifies man, but in their gospel angels 
have no delight. The only glad tidings that made 
the angels sing are those that put God first, God last, God 
midst, and God without end in the salvation of his creatures, 
and put the crown holy and alone upon the head of him that saves 
without a helper. Glory to God in the highest is 
the angel's song. So when we reflect upon the miseries 
and the lowliness of Christ unto that bloody end of the cross, 
which is still but a beginning, in the resurrection and the ascension 
for his people, we are to see the glory of God. Glory to God 
in the highest is the angel's song. All honor and all glory 
goes unto God and to the Lamb who sits upon the throne. Well, why don't we close in prayer, 
and then if there are any questions, please feel free to ask. There's 
a lot of information there covered tonight. There's some things 
in the text that we missed. If anybody is interested, I could 
read this other Spurgeon quote, but let's close in prayer, and 
if you need to go milk cows you can take off and get out of here 
Let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for the the opportunity 
to gather We thank you for the fact that we can come and consider 
the holy scriptures that we can read from them That we can read 
concerning our Savior the Lord Jesus And we just bless you that 
you deemed it well to in Time and in history call us from out 
of darkness and into marvelous light we do pray that that you'd 
help us daily to reflect upon our Savior. You would help us 
to rejoice in His most holy name and the salvation that He brings. 
We pray that we would learn this lesson from the angels who sang, 
glory to God in the highest, for a reality that they were 
not necessarily included in, that is salvation from sin. And 
we just pray that you would help us, Lord God, to rejoice in that 
daily, that you would help us to grow in the grace and in the 
knowledge of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. and that each and 
every day we would raise our heads rejoicing in Christ and 
in each and every night we would rest our heads safe in him. We 
pray that you'd go with us now, watch over us, help us as we 
continue in these next number of days up to this upcoming Lord's 
Day where we do pray you would help us to come with ready hearts 
to engage in worship of our triune God. We pray in Christ's name, 
amen.