Good Will Toward Men

Introduction

Last week we attempted to give you a survey of the OT - the events that led up to the birth of Jesus to which we celebrate this time of year.

The reason that we did that was to hopefully lay down a foundation for the Christmas story.

We looked at the Creation - the Conquering

We saw God’s Creation was Good

Sin Caused the Fall of Man

Sin Caused the Flood

Sin Caused the Dispersement

So Time and again, we’re seeing the Sin of man and in turn the Judgment of God!

But in the midst of it all, we’re seeing God’s Grace!

We saw it in the garden when God clothed Adam & Eve

We saw it in Noah and the Salvation through the Ark

We saw it in God’s Redemption of a rebellious people in Egypt

We saw it in God Sustaining of a murmuring people in the Wilderness

We saw it in God’s Supply of a Land forsaken

We looked at the Habitation - The Kingdoms

We saw God’s Grace in growing a people who continued to ‘Do what was right in their own eyes’.

We saw God’s Grace in the ministries of David & Solomon - even though they would sin, God still gave them a Kingdom above all upon the earth

Then as the people would continue to sin against God, God would Divide the Kingdom, then Disperse the Kingdoms

But even still, we see God’s Grace

In the Diaspora - the Return

God would bring the COI back into the land - allow them to rebuild the temple & walls of Jerusalem, only to see them Rebel once again.

THEN SILENCE FOR 400 YEARS

I’d titled the message ‘Great Despair Among Men’ because by all right and reasoning, God would have been Just in just leaving man to their own devices. Leaving them with no hope without God in the world. BUT THANK GOD HE DIDN’T!

THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE OF GOD’S GREAT GRACE!

Grace (def) Unmerited Favor

This leads me to follow up on a statement I made last week concerning one of the greatest statements in Scripture. It’s found in Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.”

The specific part of the phrase is this: ‘peace, Good will toward men’. Let’s break this down:

‘peace’ - a quietness / rest. The opposite of conflict.

‘Good will’ - Benevolence; charitableness

‘toward’ - ‘direction’

‘men’ - mankind

So this statement is saying: ‘God desires Peace with man. Therefore, He is showing benevolence / charity TOWARD mankind!’

This is AMAZING and it’s POWERFUL once you understand the nature of man! This magnifies the Grace of God!

In my studies I happened across something that I want to show you. I looked up this verse in other ‘versions’ of the Bible and I’d like to share what they say to you:

Holman Christian Standard Bible - “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!”

English Standard Version - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

The Message Bible - “Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.”

New Living Translation - “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

New International Version - “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

It changes the nature of Jesus from a Grace based system to a merit based system

It changes the nature of Salvation from Grace based to favor based (Calvinism)

It’s not ‘to’ anybody, it’s ‘toward’ everybody!

In other words, God’s Grace extends it to all of mankind - because we’re all sinners and there is ‘none righteous, no not one!’

In examining ‘Good Will Toward Men’ we see first that by Grace, God’s Given a Saviour

I. By Grace, God’s Given A Saviour

Jesus is Undeserved

I’ve been speaking of God’s Grace, but truthfully it cannot be overstated.

Church, mankind didn’t deserve Jesus! You and I didn’t deserve Jesus!

So often I hear people going through a valley and they either blame God or question God - as if God owes them something. Church, God doesn’t owe us anything much less a Saviour!

THIS IS WHAT MAKES GOD SO GREAT! HIS GREAT GRACE!

Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Romans 3:24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

Jesus is Undeserved

Jesus is Unique (Able, Unrivaled)

There’s only one Jesus. There’s none like unto Him!

Peter - when he was filled with the Holy Ghost said: Acts 4:11–12 “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

There’s none like Jesus! Jesus is unique in that there is no other option for salvation!

Allah, Buddha, Confucius can’t save you.

Hey, but Jesus is Able to Save! Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Jesus is Unique

Jesus is Unavoidable

Jesus is Necessary. Every soul in here needs a Saviour. And the only one Able. The only one who can save you is the one who you don’t deserve!

Every soul will do SOMETHING with Jesus! It’s unavoidable. You’ll either:

Accept Him or Reject Him.

The Bible says: Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Let me say this: For a man to walk that broad way unto destruction, they have to pass by a few things:

They’d have to first pass by a babe who was laid in a manger. The Saviour of the Word that the Angels declared unto the Shepherds

They’d have to pass by a Hill called Golgotha - a place where upon a Cross stood 2,000 years ago. That Cross held the Saviour of the World

They’d have to pass by that same Saviour and ignore His plea which said: Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

For a soul to lift up their eyes in Hell, they’ve got to Reject Jesus - but if one is to escape that awful place, the only way to do so is THROUGH JESUS!

Jesus is Unavoidable

By Grace, God gave a Saviour. Secondly, By Grace, God gave His Son

II. By Grace, God Gave His Son

The Gift of Jesus was Personal

The Bible tells us in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus is begotten of the Father - meaning that He is unique.

Jesus is the expressed image of the invisible God.

This Gift was Personal

The Gift of Jesus was Precious

Consider if you will the relationship between a Father and their child.

The anticipation that you have while they’re in the womb

The wonder when that life is brought forth

The joyous feeling you have when you hold them for the first time

The peace you have when they lay asleep upon your chest

(Ill.) Years ago I worked in a farm supply dealership and worked with two young men. One of them in particular God blessed them with a child, and before that baby came forward we talked and I told them “Listen, there’s nothing like becoming a father. Words cannot describe seeing that new life come forth and knowing that you’re responsible to care for and protect that child. Well months went by & they had their child. Not long after, he came to me and said ‘You know you were right. I didn’t understand when you were first said it to me, but I understand now’.

Children are precious.

Now remember when Jesus came forth to be baptized of John the Baptist we’re told this: Matthew 3:16–17 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Whenever I look at Jesus from the Father’s perspective I consider how I would feel in His position.

Watching His Son:

Feed a multitude

Open blinded eyes

Causing the deaf to hear & dumb to speak

Looking down as Mary & Martha are outside their brother’s tomb - and hearing Him speak and say John 11:41–42 “…Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Then hearing Him say “Lazarus, come forth.” and watching the dead rise again!

I imagine watching them take Him in the garden. Just before He’s asked saying ‘Father if it be thy Will, let this cup pass from me’… but it wasn’t, so I couldn’t.

I imagine them beat & mock Him. Pluck His beard from His face. Place the crown of thorns upon His Head. Then they nail Him to a Cross.

I picture the mixture of pride & sorrow as He looks down at the soldiers casting lots for His vesture, then looks to me and says “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

I see what they’re doing to my Son! I see Him suffering at the hands of those He came to save!

I have heard till it makes me sick people say “How could a loving God send people to Hell…” Church, know this: God doesn’t send us to Hell, OUR SIN SENDS US TO HELL! God has given us the MOST PRECIOUS GIFT to keep us OUT of that awful place!

The Bible says: Hebrews 2:3 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

How great is this Salvation that God offers BY GRACE unto man!

And then we cannot forget: Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

If Righteousness could come any other way church, the Father wouldn’t have Sacrificed His Son!

That was a Precious Gift

By Grace, God gave a Saviour, By Grace, God gave His Son. Lastly, by Grace, God has Given a Sign

III. By Grace, God’s Given A Sign

It Began with a Declaration (v10-11)

We see a couple things in the announcement by the angel.

‘Good tidings of great joy’ - It’s Good News!

‘to all people’ - It’s a Universal declaration!

‘unto you’ - It’s also a Personal declaration!

Church I have Good News for you today! Isaiah 1:18 “… Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

This news is unto ‘whosoever’! No matter what you’ve done, no matter how great your sin is, God’s Grace is GREATER!

But it’s not just unto ‘whosoever’ - it’s unto YOU - and YOU and YOU. For God so loved (YOU)… that He gave His only begotten Son.

It began with a Declaration, but concluded with Directions

It Concluded with Directions (v12)

The angel made sure to tell them how they could get to Jesus. This is how will conclude the message today.

As I hope you understand, all of us here are sinners.

And because we're all sinners, we are all under the judgment of a Holy and Righteous God.

Romans 5:20 “…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”

The Grace of God sent Jesus to die for our sin. To pay a price we could not pay. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The innocent for the guilty

And the Bible tells us: Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:9–10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

If we place faith in Jesus (here - our heart), and confess Jesus (here - our mouth) we can be assured of Salvation!

These are God’s directions for Salvation today. The question is, what will you do with it today?

Conclusion

Where are you at today? You’re in either one or two positions:

Either you need to accept the LORD Jesus as your personal Saviour OR

You need to Praise God for the Gift in which you enjoy!

That’s what the angels did! ‘Glory to God in the Highest!’ - He’s Worthy of Praise!