Good evening, everyone. Please turn your Bibles to Luke 2, Luke chapter 2. We're going to read verses 1 to 20, but before we do that, just a note on the Gospels. One man has said, and sort of answering the question, why four Gospels?
He answered by saying, because one was not enough to display the multitudinous glories of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And in Luke's gospel, we have him disclosing much glorious data concerning Jesus Christ, the son of God. And we're going to focus specifically on the narrative account of his incarnation in verses one to 20 of Luke chapter two. So why don't we read that, go to the Lord in prayer and then and then meditate upon the words in this text.
Luke two, beginning in verse one. 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 end. 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
Prophetic Fulfillment in Christ
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.
So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them. Amen. Well, let's go to God in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this portion of your word to us. We pray that you would help us now, preacher and listener, to beatified and strengthened and nourished by the word given to us in your amazing condescension and loving mercy. We pray that we would gain a greater apprehension and joy in our savior, that we would tonight would contribute to bring us out of any languor and coldness and solemn remembrance and a joyful remembrance of Jesus Christ, our blessed redeemer, that help us to focus upon him and upon his redeeming work, and that we would just glory in you, and we would sing along with these angels, glory to God in the highest, and that we would rejoice in our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ. And it is in his precious name that we do now pray.
Amen. Well,
Introduction
we're going to look at verses 1 to 14. We're going to observe four things from this portion of Holy Scripture that Luke gives us by inspiration. And those four things, before we look at them individually, Are the narratives veracity going to look at the narratives veracity and we'll define what that means in a moment. Secondly, we're going to look at the narratives condescension, the narratives condescension.
Thirdly, the narratives proclamation and fourthly, the narratives song, the first hymn of the incarnation given by the angels in verse 14. But before we get there,
The Narrative's Veracity
we need to start with number one, the narrative's veracity. When we use the word veracity, we simply mean truthfulness. Although it is more than that, as if there can be anything more than true. Truth is truth and there is only truth.
But the veracity that we speak of has to do with the most certain truthfulness, the accuracy, and not only that, but the consistent accuracy of something. When we come to the holy scriptures, we have that by virtue of they being the holy scriptures, by virtue of them being inspired, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments being inspired by God and being therefore inerrant and infallible. in all their parts, are trustworthy in all that they affirm. And so we come to the scriptures and we have something given to us by God that are, by virtue of that fact, truth, certainty and a certain accuracy of truth given to us. And by virtue of inspiration or when we come and we approach the inspired word, what do we find? but accuracy and detail and information given that bear the attributes of truthfulness.
We look at this passage and we find something right off the bat. Well, actually, before we get there, let's back up to Luke's intention. If you back up with me to chapter one, we see the author's intent here. Luke
Luke's Stated Purpose
Luke introduces his gospel by telling us what he is doing in writing his gospel by inspiration. Luke one beginning at verse one. And pay attention to the language here because it's glorious as Christians who rest upon a word given to us from on high in as much 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.
Isn't that a glorious introduction to the Gospel of Luke? You see, the inspired word doesn't come to us in the form and in the manner of a fairy tale or a myth. It doesn't start a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It doesn't start off with a long time ago on a dark and stormy night.
It starts with the certain veracity and truthfulness of the account that is being delivered. Get the language there. Things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses, ministers of the word, delivering them to us. It seemed good to me also, Luke writes concerning himself, having had perfect understanding of all things.
And then he closes that portion by writing verse four, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. You see, that song that was read at the beginning is most certainly true. We do not put our trust in princes. We don't hang on the words of rhetoricians and politicians.
We hang on every word that comes from the Lord. We hang on every word that God has given to us in his inspired scriptures. And so we saw we see here, Luke, his intent is to give an orderly account of all those things which have been fulfilled so that the recipients of this gospel might know the certainty of the things that have taken place. in the life and in the ministry of Jesus Christ. So we come to Luke 2 and we see
Historical Detail as Evidence
Luke very precise and very detail oriented in his giving this account of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, our precious Redeemer. Look at just the beginning verse 1 of Luke 2. And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Luke gives us political leaders and he gives us political events to disclose the time when this Christ was born of a virgin.
He gives us geographical information. Joseph went up from Galilee, verse four, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. gives us geographical information. If anybody wants to test this letter after it's written, wants to test the information given by Luke, who had perfect understanding of all of these things, if they dealt with Luke's proclamation that I had perfect understanding of all things. They could test these things.
Caesar Augustus, the taxation or the census for the purpose of taxation. Quirinius governing Syria. And again, the geography that we see here. He appeals to personal names, Joseph, Mary.
He appeals to genealogical legality and legitimacy. Speaking of Joseph, he says, because he was of the house and lineage of David. This is very important with regards to Jesus being the fulfillment of Davidic covenant and Davidic promises. He appeals or he uses again, he uses personal names and he discloses great detail.
You see, if a religion was founded upon lies or if someone writing a religious document is trying to trying to dupe the public and the recipients, they're not going to be as detailed as Luke, who was under inspiration, providing great detail. Notice verses six and seven. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. because there was no room for them in the inn.
You see, the account of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the life and the ministry and the goings on of our blessed Savior, were people cast their eyes upon the events, the life and the times of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Luke brought out. So if the veracity of this account was questioned, if the truthfulness of this account was questioned, they need only ask and they need only read. And they need only approach the various things that Luke sets forth in his narrative. So we have the certain veracity or the narratives veracity.
It is true. And what does that mean for us? Well, first off,
Implications of Biblical Veracity
what does it mean for the unbeliever? For the unbeliever or the unbeliever ought to be very afraid. And what I mean by that is if scripture is true and it is, then their lot is a bad one. because outside of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God abides on them. There is no wiggle room.
John 3.36, He who believes the Son has life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life. The wrath of God abides on him. We come to the Scriptures and we see this account given for the purpose of disclosing that old covenant promises are true and they are now being fulfilled.
See, that's a very easy way of looking at the Holy Scriptures. We have promises made, promises kept. Luke is writing here to disclose to us that God's promises are being kept. Old Testament promises made, New Testament promises kept.
We have that in here and we'll get to that in a moment. But this is certainly true. The account of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming for the purposes of redemption and redemption presupposes that there is a problem. That there are people in slavery, in bondage, and they need divine and saving release.
And so the sinner ought to be afraid when they come with the fact that Holy Scripture is most certainly true in all that it affirms. And one of the things it affirms is that all those outside of Christ have the wrath of God abiding on them. So flee to the Savior. And the believer finds in the verity, the veracity of Holy Scripture, great blessing. impenetrable hope, the greatest account in the history of documents.
We can use that language. It was said of Paul by Spurgeon that Christ upon the cross working out the salvation of sinners was more to him than all the sayings of the sages. You see, Paul had at his fingertips the Epicurean philosophers, the writings of the Stoics, the writings of the Greco-Romans of the era, the greatest minds. you will. But you see, the Holy Scriptures, Luke, along with that hymn writer, says, sages, leave your contemplations and behold the wisdom from God.
Behold the wisdom and the power from the triune God of Holy Scripture. We see the narratives condescension.
The Narrative's Condescension
We see the narratives condescension. And first off, what do we or how do we see that or where do we see that? Well, we see that generally in the fact that we have it. What I mean by that, brethren, and it's said often, I believe, from this pulpit, the very fact that we hold in our hands a Bible is great condescension.
The fact that the creator of the heaven and earth, the one who upholds all things by the word of his power, sought it wise and deemed it in the wisdom of his own counsel to give to us the revelation of his will and his plan and his promises is a great loving kindness towards us. We should never count it a small thing that we that we have a Bible. We should never count it a small thing and just something that's a reality that we can hold God's revelation in our hands, the very word of God. Our Bibles ought not to collect dust.
Our Bibles ought not to be cast into a closet and boxed up with duct tape, but ought to be heavily used. We ought to go through a Bible a year if we could. We ought to be heavily indicted by not appreciating and not owning and not apprehending on a daily basis the glory of having revelation in our hands. It is great condescension that our triune God revealed himself to us.
But in the context, in the narrative, we see condescension in that fact of revelation coming by way of the angelic messenger to the shepherds. Notice in verse 8, 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.
You see, these shepherds living in the flock or tending their flock by night, keeping watch over their flock by night. are the recipients of great divine condescension. The angel of the Lord comes to declare the Savior to these shepherds watching their flock. And isn't this the style? Isn't this how our God operates?
See, He doesn't come to the religious leaders. He doesn't, excuse me, I apologize for the visual. He doesn't come to the leaders of the country. He doesn't come to prominent men and prominent women, but He comes to shepherds. watching their flock by night.
Some of the first people to receive this announcement of the coming Jesus are shepherds. The first people to hear the coming of the great and greatest shepherd are shepherds themselves. The ones who keep watch over literal sheep get to see the one who will come and be the master and owner and caretaker of figurative sheep. It's a blessed reality and it's a blessed condescension.
This angelic minister comes and delivers this message of a savior to shepherds watching their sheep at night. But of course,
God Manifested in the Flesh
the greatest condescension, if we can say that revelation, of course, great condescension. But the condescension primarily in view in Luke chapter two is God manifested in the flesh. God in a feed trough, brethren, God in a feed trough. You've got to roll that around in our heads for a moment.
The creator of heaven and earth. The one who is eternal and immutable, unchangeable. The one who fashioned the universe in the space of six days and all very good. Is found in a feed trough.
The one who made the wood that constituted the trough. The one who made the hay that was in the trough, if that was the case, is found in the trough as a babe. You see, we understand Scripture. The Holy Spirit helps us to comprehend.
He illuminates us. We have renewed minds in Christ Jesus. But I confess and I submit that we cannot fully, of course, contemplate the glory and the amazing reality of God in a feed trough. Spurgeon, in his sermon on Luke 2, 14 specifically, uses these words and he speaks these words after noting that the angels had been witnesses to many amazing things that their creator and their God had made and done throughout the centuries before Christ came.
And he's talking about how how the creating power and the work of God and specifically the angels song and praise in response to that work builds as a crescendo to the redemption that Christ brings and specifically his incarnation. And he writes these words. But this time when Christ is found in a manger, but this time when they saw God stoop from his throne and become a babe hanging upon a woman's breast, They lifted their notes higher still and reaching to the uttermost stretch of angelic music. They gained the highest notes of the divine scale of praise and they sung glory to God in the highest for higher and goodness.
They felt God could not go thus their highest praise. They gave to him in the highest act of his Godhead. Isn't that amazing? The highest act of his Godhead is inaugurated, if you will, by God in a feed trough.
By God coming and lying in a place that men normally wouldn't think God would do, or a place that God would come. We think about religious documents and religions of the world. If we think of the Greco-Roman histories and classical Greek literature, you're not going to find anything that approaches Holy Scripture. Of course you're not.
But if we were to start our own new religion, let's just say today we were to start it, men were to start it, we're not going to have the hero coming and being born in a feed trough, helpless, hanging upon his mother's breast. It would be trumpets blasting. It would be coming out of the heavens with a multitude of stallions pulling some sort of a gold trailer. It would be this miraculous event.
Our minds always contemplate our heroes as these amazing... I'm not saying that Jesus Christ isn't amazing. I think you know where I'm going with this. But we like to have pomp.
We like to have circumstance. We like to have confetti and trumpets blasting. The God of heaven and earth comes and he's found where livestock eat food and drink water. Amazing, amazing condescension.
And not only it doesn't terminate here, it doesn't terminate upon or rest upon and end at a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. Yes, God manifested in the flesh comes and he's hanging upon his mother's breast as Jesus Christ, the second of the blessed triune. But you see, this same one who fixed the stars in place, who was hung upon his mother's breast and feeding was eventually hung upon a Roman cross. You see, that's the point.
That's the point of this disclosure, is to highlight this one, not to terminate upon a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, as amazing that is, as that incarnation reality, but that this babe wrapped in swaddling cloths would one day have to give greater and larger cloths to the Roman soldiers, and he would be put to death naked upon a Roman tree. Amazing condescension. Amazing condescension. And brethren, in the outside world, in the world of men, In the world of men, familiarity breeds contempt.
Familiarity breeds indifference. Familiarity breeds maybe languor and coldness. But in the Christian church, and in the hearts of her congregants, familiarity, brethren, ought to breed rejoicing. Familiarity with the incarnation of the second of the Blessed Trinity.
Coming in time and in history to this lower world. And let's follow a progression. Some of it real, some of it hypothetical. But let's follow a progression.
Jesus Christ, the recipient of the praises of angels, divine prerogatives, the angels flying about heaven not able to cast their eyes upon him, comes into our lower shame and our lower mess of a world. And you see, it would have been, again, I've said this many times, it would have been an amazing act of blessed condescension for Jesus Christ to come in the similitude of a man, not a baby, the likeness of a man and dwell in a mansion on the hills of Jerusalem. That wouldn't have been pretension. It's Jesus Christ.
It's verily and truly God. That would have been amazing condescension, dwelling in a gold palace. Condescension. Condescension, kids, means coming from a position of splendor and glory, if I can define it this way, and coming to be equal with inferiors.
So Jesus Christ, far superior to human beings, kids, and he comes condescending and finds himself equal with men. He takes on their form, takes on the form of a bond servant or a man, and he comes in the likeness of men and lives as men. In fact, not as good as men, his countrymen that he came to. As the scriptures say, the foxes had their holes and the The birds of the air had their nests, but our Christ did not have anywhere to lay his head.
But you see, it would have been condescension, Christ in a mansion. But he comes further than that, doesn't he? He doesn't just come in the similitude of a man, but then live a life of shame and ignominy, rejected by his countrymen and those who he came to save. No, he comes first as a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a feed trough. glorious condescension by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The Narrative's Proclamation
And again, and we're going to get there now with the narrative's proclamation, the point of his incarnation, the point of the condescension, the point of this glorious dropping down and loving eternal kindness is for redemption, is for the cross. You see, the narrative in Luke turns just just under halfway through where Jesus Christ is seen as setting his eyes upon the cross, looking steadfastly and diligently to that reason for his coming into the world. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. to give his life a ransom for many. So the narrative's proclamation then, what is it?
The Message Given
Well, first off, we have the message given, verses 10 and 11. The message given, verses 10 and 11. 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. We see the message that the angel is bringing is good news.
Again, an act of loving kindness. You see, God could have sent an angel to really rip into man for the fact of his law breaking, his breach of all 10 words of God's holy decalogue. But the angel comes and he says, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. We could translate that, or not translate that, but we could paraphrase, I bring you the gospel.
I bring you the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not just going to be for the Jewish nation, but this will be to all people. This Savior, yes, comes as a light to the Jews, but he comes as a light to the Gentiles also. And so this message that comes is good news.
And what are the constituent elements? What makes up this message of good news, this gospel? Verse 11, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. So this is good news, but the good news is, of course, specific.
It concerns a Savior. It concerns a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And not only is this a message of gospel, this is a message declaring prophetic fulfillment. We ought to see in the language here of verse 11 much of much of the Old Testament in it.
For there is born to you this day. Pastor Butler preached last week from Isaiah 9 6 unto us, a child is born unto us, a son is given. We see that fulfilled here. The angel comes and proclaims this message.
Promises were made and now promises are kept in this one being born to us. He's born in the city of David. Born in the city of David. Back up again to Micah 5.2.
Pastor Butler read that for us this morning. Micah 5.2. We read there that the prophecy is made to concerning Bethlehem, Ephrathah. But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are little among the nations of Judah or among the inhabitants of Judah, yet unto you will come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting." Again, Bethlehem, the city of David. the city of Jesus Christ.
So there is one born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And isn't that amazing? Because it brings into view the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
You see, you don't just throw out that biblical name for God to anyone under the sun. You throw it out concerning and representing one who is God. That title and that name is reserved for one only, and that is Yahweh of hosts. The angel announces that this one lying in a feed trough will be and is a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
The whole point of this passage, to be sure, is and hovers around the word Savior. See, again, our thoughts and our our contemplations and all that we dwell upon concerning this passage of Holy Scripture doesn't terminate. That means it doesn't end and stop at this babe wrapped in swaddling cloths. Because the reason for this, and in fact, the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger, the angel says, is simply the sign to you.
That is the sign to you, the sign of a glorious reality, that the redemptive plan of the triune God is coming to fruition. Now the fullness of the times have come and Jesus Christ has been born. He will live and he will die as promised. The sins of his people, he will rise again three days later in fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
So the promise is kept. The message is given. And the promise is kept and. This this brethren is something.
The fact and the reality of Jesus Christ as Savior is something that needs to be proclaimed, we proclaim it from this pulpit, but more and more brethren, I believe we need to grasp the reality and grasp the the opportunities when and where they are given to proclaim to anyone who's with us, anyone who's near us. I think we can, as Christians, look back upon our lives as such and realize that sometimes it's hard to figure out when to interject, when to jump in and when to speak. You see, we don't want to negatively come off as wackos. But we don't want to not proclaim the riches and the excellencies of Jesus Christ.
Brethren, the reason that Christ came into the world was to save sinners. There's sinners out there to be saved. Daily indicted we ought to be or weekly indicted we ought to be or monthly indicted we ought to be when we haven't spoken, whether it's simply to a child, not simply, but to a child, our children. a family member or someone in the workplace, the riches and the excellencies of Jesus Christ, our blessed Redeemer. Because the reality is, if a Savior is given, the Savior was born in the city of David on that day, there was a need for a Savior.
There was a need for a Savior. Sin. The holiness of God. The need for a Savior.
These glorious gospel realities that we ought to proclaim. We ought to pray to God that we would have many an opportunity given to us, that we could speak of those facts. We could speak of a lawgiver, divine, holy, triune lawgiver. We speak concerning the lawbreaker, man.
The fact that all are guilty before a holy and a righteous and a just God. We got lawgiver, we got lawbreaker, and then we got the blessed Christ, the lawkeeper. Those three law words, lawgiver, lawbreaker, and glorious law keeper. God is holy.
Man isn't. We've breached his decalogue, his holy precepts. But there is one who came in the fullness of the times, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who are under its curse. And that one and only Savior is Jesus the Lord, God in a feed trough.
The Narrative's Song
We have the narrative song to close the narrative song. It's a wonderful declaration, the angels here picking up at 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. You see, well, first off, just to observe.
Glory Belongs to God Alone
Glory is to be given to God. It's a very simple thing. Very simple thing. And we know this.
But brethren, glory is to be given to God. We don't give glory, we don't give praise, we don't render homage and worship unto angels and men, unto creatures of any kind. Glory is to be given to God. You see, this portion of the narrative follows a biblical pattern.
We have truths given. We have the reasons for those truths, and then we have praise given to God. We see this in the epistles. We see this everywhere, but we see this in the epistles.
Truths are given. Reasons for the truths, generally speaking, reasons for those truths are given. Praise is given to God. We think of the epistles, the epistles of Paul, the epistles in the New Testament.
We have doctrinal truths given. We have the application of those things. And then we have very often benedictions and doxologies given to close those epistles. Jude is a perfect example.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling. And to present you faultless before his presence with great joy. You see, glory to God in the high. And it's an amazing thing.
It's an amazing thing, the fact that angels are singing this. Think about this for a moment, the fact that angels are singing glory to God in the highest and on earth. Well, just for a moment, that is one of the reasons angels were created, the elect angels, the elect angels to sing the praises of the triune God. Another reason, obviously, angels were created, we find in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews 114, that angels are ministering spirits sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation.
So we see it only right and proper for angels to do what they're created and to render praise to God, in a sense, for vindicating the reason for their very creation, which was to minister to those who will inherit salvation. But we ought to come to this passage and as Christians who can, You can tell me later if you're wrong, who can be found to engage in a languor and a coldness with regards to remembering Jesus. That's why Spurgeon wrote or preached the sermon, Remembering Jesus, on First Corinthians 11, the giving of the Lord's Supper, the inauguration of the Lord's Supper, because he said, even as Christians, we're very often prone, we are prone to give or to remember, give attention to everything else, save for Christ in a day. Save for Christ in a day.
You see the angels. Why are we indicted by the angels singing? Because the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Savior, the shed blood of this Christ, the Lord, the shed blood of this one who was once a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, was not efficacious for the salvation of angels. They did not take upon themselves or Jesus did not take upon himself the nature of an angel.
He took upon himself the nature, the form of the sons of Abraham, the sons of men, that he might redeem men from their sins, that he came in the fullness of the times to redeem those men who were under. The curse of the law, the angels who find who find themselves the non recipients of the redemptive blessings of the triune God, nevertheless, sing the praises of that self-same God, because the glory, the glory of God would be seen and was shown as God manifested in the flesh. God in a feed trough. The glory of God would be seen as this babe grows to be a man and marches that march of ignominy to the cross, put to death upon that cross, nails, Roman nails hammered into his hands, a crown of mockery pounded into his head.
The angels knew the glory disclosed in the gospel, the glory disclosed in the good tidings of great joy, which would be to all people. And their hymn ought to be glorious to us, but it ought to be indicting also. When have we sang or when have we in any form or how often have we in any form rendered this honor and this singing of majesty and praise to the triune God of Holy Scripture? And it's for a specific reason. honor of peace, goodwill toward men.
Very often this saying and this text is hijacked and popularized and generalized to mean, you know, translated into fuzzy feelings between December 7th and December or January 2nd. And after that, you know what? Nah, no more good tidings and no more, you know, honor of peace because it's not that time of year anymore. And that doesn't mean, to these people who popularize it and generalize it, redemptive things and the glories of God's redemptive plan being fulfilled in the person and the work.
Perfect person in the work of Jesus Christ. But just a fuzzy feeling when you give somebody red rose tea or whatever it might be. You gift them with something at this particular time of year.
Peace Through Christ, Not Sentiment
On earth peace, the angels are praising God for Jesus Christ. They're praising God for Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. Often Gil makes a note here, and other theologians do also, that this certainly doesn't mean national peace, though national peace is a great thing. Political peace is a great thing.
We ought not to seek to be at war with one another as a general rule. I'd like to get along. It's a good thing. Contentions are a negative thing.
But that's not what's in view here. He says what he says, actually, what's not specifically in view is the peace that Jesus Christ brings, even Gil says. But specifically, Jesus Christ is in view. Peace manifested in the flesh.
This is spoken of in that passage in Micah, the prophet five, two. If we were to read on, it says in this one will be peace to you. This one will be peace. The Apostle Paul picks up this glorious truth in Ephesians 2, for he himself is our peace.
The passage in Isaiah 9. He's the prince of peace. Glory to God in the highest for Jesus Christ and goodwill towards men. Most likely, this has to do with the redemptive blessings that God brings to his elect through Jesus Christ, who is peace.
So the angels here aren't singing about national peace and buying your neighbor red rose tea. They're singing the glory and the majesty and the splendor of the triune God in fulfilling perfectly their redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. And we ought to sing along with these angels. Glory to God in the highest.
Glory to God in the highest, because on earth, peace came. And in him, God expressed his divine and perfect goodwill to his people, to the praise of his glory and to the praise of his grace.
Application
So in closing, brethren, one of the things we ought to know is our faith in our preaching is not futile. Why? Our faith in our preaching is not futile. Why?
Because of the veracity, the certain truthfulness, the perfect, consistent accuracy of God's holy word. Our faith is not futile. It's full. Our preaching is not futile, it's full, because Jesus Christ really and truly came in time and in history to fulfill the promises made.
And he did make it so that the promises were kept. We ought to stand amazed at the condescension of our Savior. God in a feed trough. Think about that.
God in a feed trough. The incarnation is not something that we find familiar. We set it aside. Let's move on to greater doctrines, whatever those may be.
Let's get into trivial rabbit trails of eschatology. Rejoice in those things familiar. The ABCs of Christianity. We ought to come back to those frequently, daily, hourly.
We come back to those ABCs of Christianity. God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Ensure we have the proper focus. We ought to ensure we have the proper focus.
We don't have our thoughts terminating upon the babe-wrapped and swaddling cloths lying in a manger, but rather upon the content, the glorious constituent elements of the gospel, Jesus Christ upon the cross, working out the salvation of sinners, rising again the third day for our justification. And then lastly, we ought to be stirred to praise our God. How do we do that? Well, we have this, these 66 books that are sure, that are veritable, that are true, that are consistent, consistently, not just consistently, consistently.
But you see, some people like to think that the word of God, that the Bible isn't the word of God, but it contains the word of God. You see, there might be some errors in there, but those things that pertain to salvation, Jesus Christ, those are true. But you see, it just contains, no, it is the word of God, infallible. and inerrant in all its parts, and therefore trustworthy in all it affirms. We ought to praise our God for the glorious salvation by Jesus Christ and pray, God, that we would have opportunity to speak to others of his glories, his riches, and his excellencies.
Let's pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our Savior. We thank you for this disclosure of our blessed Redeemer in Holy Scripture. And we thank you, Lord, that you condescended to reveal yourself to us. We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you came in the fullness of the times, born of a woman, born under the law, that you might redeem your elect.
And we just praise you, Lord Jesus, for doing all of this, for enduring and steadfastly marching to the shame of the cross. on behalf of guilty sinners. And we thank you that your work is perfect. And we just we just pray that you would help us not to be found in a languor and in a coldness concerning the blessed things of gospel truth, but that you would daily stir us up to glorious apprehensions of your redemptive work. We thank you, Holy Spirit, for applying the benefits of Christ's perfect cross work.
We do pray that you'd be with us We know that you promised to be so, and we do ask that you would help us to be illumined by the scriptures, that you would come as that infallible teacher and impress the words of holiest scripture upon our hearts, that we might daily glory in you. We might daily glory in our triune God, and that we would have occasion to speak to others concerning the gospel of our blessed Savior. We pray that you'd go with each and every one of us now. We just pray that you'd help us to in light of all these glorious truths of Jesus Christ, that we would go into this world living in a manner consistent with that, living in a manner worthy of our profession.
We pray all of these things in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.