What Child is This?

Throughout this Advent season, we have looked at our usual themes of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace in the coming of Christ.

We have seen them in the scriptures, and we have seen them in the great carols of the church, ones which we sing all throughout the year, and ones we have sung even tonight.

We looked at Hope and Expectation in “Come, Thou Long expected Jesus” seeing the past, present, and future of Christ’s coming.

We saw love and adoration in “O Come, All Ye Faithful” noting that God’s great love for us ought to drive us to a love and adoration of Christ our Savior.

We saw Joy in “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” seeing that the story of Christmas, that a Savior has come, is good news, it is what we need, and is worth rejoicing about.

We saw Peace in “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” as we explored the theme of having peace with God through Jesus Christ, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding.

Finally, then, as we close the traditional celebration of Advent, we look at Christ - the source and aim of all these things. And we see Him in the words and the thought of the carol we just sang.

“What Child is This?”

To look a little deeper into that question, I want to go briefly to a passage that is not typically associated with Christmas, but it gives such a beautiful and concise answer that I believe it will be of great help to us as we consider Christ this evening.

Revelation 1:4–6 ESV

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Who, What, and So What of Christmas

1. Who?

Revelation 1:4–5 (ESV)

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

He Was - History

God works and moves in history. He works and moves among people. He works and moves in events and decrees and distinct ways. He is not separated from His creation, as if to have made everything and then become disinterested - when we consider God, we consider at least in part His history with human beings.

And in Advent, that History comes into view in the incarnation - That God stepped into the world in a point in time, a point in geography, a point in human history. That is the beauty of God’s work - He lets us see, at least a glimpse of who He is, in how he has come to us.

He Is - Eternality

But more than even saying that God “was” in terms of history, we consider that he “is.” That is, while everything else in all the universe was created, it had a definite beginning, God simply “is.”

When we are dealing with God’s Son, we understand that he took on flesh as Mary’s son roughly 2,000 years ago, but we undestand that he was before that. There was never a time when he was not. His incarnation was an action, and really a descending, from His eternal state into the realms of time and space in order to reveal Himself and redeem us.

He Is to Come

This is the wonderful news, that even though the events of Advent historically are ancient, the work and intent of Advent is ongoing, and has its expected end in the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again. He came once, born to die, born as a baby in humble estate, but he is coming again in bright and glorious esteem to rule and reign.

Life

Reading on, we see that Jesus is the “faithful witness.”

This is an ongoing work of Christ, and He still stands as the risen Lord bearing witness to all that is in God, but it also has to do with his life - the fact that he lived and declared to us God. Nobody has fully seen God at any time, but the only begotten son, Jesus Christ, He declares Him.

Resurrection

Jesus’ life on earth is only 1/2 of the miraculous story, however. His intention in coming was to deliver, to deliver from bondage and death and sin, and to do so by walking through death. His death, though, like his life, is still not the end - His victory was shown and won and declared in the fact that He rose again - the “firstborn” from the dead, that is, the most important “resurrection” that makes all other resurrection possible, our very hope of life.

Reign

And upon his resurrection, he ascended back to his rightful place - at the right hand of God the Father. He is truly the “King of Kings” - the ruler of all kings on earth. Do you fear and murmer at the wickedness and limited ability of our human rulers? Take heart, dear one - a perfect one is truly and ultimately reigning.

2. What has He done?

Revelation 1:5–6 (ESV)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Loved us

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Freed us by Blood

John 8:36 ESV

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Made us a Kingdom

God’s kingdom is His kingship - it is how he rules and reigns, and his Kingdom exists in those who are under his reign.

We, as believers, are the embodiment of God’s Kingdom - we are a fellowship, a family, and a unified body.

3. What is our Purpose?

Revelation 1:6 ESV

and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Service to God

Priests to God - the priests of the Old Covenant were highly regarded, and highly tasked with the all-important ritual duties of the worship of God. They served the Lord by means of the temple sacrifices and offerings.

We, as priests unto God, are now as a group of believers, charged with this wonerful task of serving the Lord in all of life. We serve Him by our obedience, and we serve Him by pointing others to Him.

Which is why we are here even tonight, to point you to Jesus Christ. Is Christ your savior? Is He your redeemer? Have you been set free from the bondage of sin?

Worship of God

I hope you will find Christ to be your savior - even tonight. For only in that relationship can we truly exist as we are designed, to give glory and honor to God in all things. To worship, not just with our voices in song, but with our whole lives bowing down before Him.