Good News, The King has come!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Scripture
Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can more like You, and more made into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all to often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possible can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!,,
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
Context
This week we move into our third installment of our advent sermon series. Thus far, we have walked through some of the big moments in the Gospel of Luke that recounts and retells that great true tale from nearly 2000 years ago, when the Christ Child, Jesus came to the world. We began our first week, by seeing God speak once again, after a long 400 years through an angel to Mary, telling her about how she would be the mother to the savior and how her long barren cousin would have a child as well (this child being John the Baptist).
Last week, we moved forward to when Mary visited her cousin, before both of the children’s birth. Here we saw a time of pure and wonderful worship to God the Savior, Jesus Christ, in Him being recognized and praised by both of the women, even leading up to one of the great worship hymns in the Bible, Mary’s Magnificent. This week, we jump forward a little, and come up to the big moment. The big moment of Christ’s birth. The big moment of God coming and dwelling with us.
Remember as I’ve said before, it’s important to keep in mind as you are reading this, that these words may seem old an familiar to you, but they were not to those that were experiencing it, they were all new and were happening in real time for them. So, as we go along I invite you to consider that and how the truth of the difficulties (like a pregnant woman traveling many miles) would have affected the situation. Despite all of this difficulty, it’s clear that something great was about to happen, for them, for us, for you, for everyone of all time! So, lets jump in and From the text, I want you to hear and proclaim, Good News, the King has come!
Message
Good News, the child has come. (1-7)
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
While Mary was still pregnant, a census was ordered by Caesar. As a result, throughout all the empire everyone was ordered to go back to their family’s town. For Joseph and his family (remember He and Mary were betrothed at this time), this meant going to the town of Bethlehem, as He was from the lineage of King David. At this point, it’s very interesting that Mary would go with Joseph in this situation, in fact it is a testimony at how much Mary relied on Joseph and His loving protection and devotion to her and the child. They didn’t know though, that with every step they took, they were moving towards a messianic prophecy being fulfilled from the book of Micah that reads, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.” This was the child she was carrying and would give birth to while they were there.
Whether or not the people realized it, this was good news, this was a very good thing for them. It’s clear here, because of their accommodations, that the people weren’t looking for this good news anymore. They weren’t awaiting this promised one in this town any longer, 400 years after the prophet had delivered God’s Word and promise to them. So, the king of the world, His earthly father, and mother were given very humble lodging, to the point that instead of having a crib for the baby; they were made to make do and use a manger; what we would call a feeding or water trough for the child’s bed. The child has come, but for us and them; in a way we would never have expected.
Any time you watch a news channel, read a news paper, or come to any part of media, what is it usually covered in? Bad news, very rarely do you ever come across good news that hasn’t been spun to where it is some kind of political or social victory. Essentially, news is used as a tool to shift and manipulate the way we think, feel, act, and respond nowadays. What news is supposed to be, is information, information that can inform the way we think, feel, act, and respond. To do this, you need both equal helpings of both the bad news and the good news in a non-skewn or spun way. It seems here that in Bethlehem, much like our society today; they are so used to hearing and receiving bad news, that they were no longer watching for the good news they had been told about. I wonder, to everyone in this room, do you know this good news; that the child has come. That Christ has come and now everything can be different, it can be different for those chained by sin and separation from God, it can be different for those that have only half way trusted Jesus, and it can be different for those that want to trust but have a hard time doing so sometimes. Brothers and sisters, hear this good news, that the savior has come and nothing else matters! Put your cares away and instead know that that this is:
Good News, for all the people. (8-15)
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!,,
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Not to far away, shepherds were doing what they would usually be doing. Watching the sheep, making sure that no danger came to them. In this most likely quite hum drum, nothing special kind of night; suddenly, unexpectantly, abruptly, an angel was before them with the glory of the Lord shining all around. The suddenness of it all and the clear presence of God would have been terrifying, I can only imagine they were cowering in fear. The angel then address them, don’t be afraid, I have good news for you! I have good news of great joy for all the people! Today, in the nearby town of Bethlehem the savior, the messiah has been born! Here is the sign, go and see a baby lying in a manger. Then! Oh Then, a heavenly host of angels came and praised God singing; Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!” This, this was certainly something special, this, this was certainly good news to the shepherds and all the people. From their, the shepherds decided, lets go right now, right now, and go see what we have just learned from the Lord. Lets go and see the messiah.
This good news that the shepherds had heard, that the angels said was good news, great news for all the people. Had been long awaited news; go back even to the fall of man. Keep your finger in your bible here, but turn with me real quick towards the front of your bible; to Genesis chapter 3, Genesis chapter 3, the very 3rd chapter in the bible. In this chapter, we see that mankind had fallen into the trap of sin, being deceived by the serpent, by Satan. However, that was not the end of the story for mankind and the serpent; rebellion against God. Look with me in verse 14 and 15. God is speaking here to Adam and Eve and the Serpent. So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this,
you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.[d] He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
In these verses, God gives us the first clue, and over time through the prophets revealed more and more, that one (the messiah) will come and kill the serpent while the serpent tries to fight back. In hindsight, we understand this to be both the events of Jesus crucixion and perhaps even the end times. However, what we can know for sure, is that mankind had been waiting for this good news of the coming savior for a long long time; and now in this child lying in the manger, He is now here. For us, He has come. He really has come. What does this mean? It means that as holders of this good news, as people who know it and have come to accept it; we have to recognize this, that it is good news that is for everyone. As such, as a believer it is both your privilege and your duty to share the good news of Jesus with others; that just like that classic hymn we like to sing “go tell it on the mountain” says, go over the hills and everywhere, go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born; and this means that forgiveness of sin is available for all who honestly want it.
The next point, I want you to hear and proclaim, come is: Good News, that amazed everyone. (16-20)
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
The shepherds hurried and found just what the angels had told them about, the child in the manger and Mary and Joseph. When they found them, they told everyone their what had happened with angels; and what they said about this child. The text then says that everyone who heard it were, amazed, but the Greek here would better means “very amazed, in a state of wonder” at what these simple shepherds would have told them. Jesus’ mother Mary, the ever present witness to Jesus’ life unfolding remembered this things, these events which serve her well later. When it came to leave, notice what the shepherds did. It says they went glorifying, and praising God for what they had just seen and heard, because everything the angel said was true; so this must really be the messiah. Amazing.
This past Wednesday night, we had a great night with the children’s pagent, and it was really really good, the kids did a great job didn’t they? While on the drive back home, Emily and I were taking in the sights; especially the lit up Christmas lights in people’s yards. Then, while we were about halfway to Hopkinsville, we saw a yard that was really lit up. I mean really lit, they had a great display! If you know me, you know that some day I aspire to be that person, who has a big Christmas light display. As we came upon it, I hadn’t seen anything like it in quite some time. So, we pulled around and drove past it another time. I was filled with Joy and loved to see what they had done in their display and take in all the little details of it.
While this was exciting and filled with me joy, it wasn’t amazing. But this scene, with the angels and the shepherds and the savior. It was amazing, it was a feeling of joy and hope times 100. And this wasn’t just amazement for one person or a few people that heard about, it was amazing to all that heard it. It was amazing to know that Jesus, God the son had finally come and God had revealed Him through His messengers, the angels. Believer, do you see this in the text today? Do you feel that amazement, put yourself in those shepherds shoes, in Mary and Joseph’s shoes. Wouldn’t this be an amazing thing to see happening before your very eyes. Beloved, as I’ve said before, this story may be old, familiar, and comfortable to you; but never let it stop amazing you, that God loved the world, loves you so much that He sent His son into the world so that you, so that mankind can be redeemed. This is truly amazing, wonderfully, joyful news indeed; joyful news, good news, amazing news for everyone.
Conclusion
Don’t lose that joy, don’t lose that amazement. Every year, every day, remember this Good News and let it inform every decision in your life; that the promised child has come for all the people, and the amazing news is that He came for everyone. So now, we share this news with others and with ourselves day after wonderful day so that people can respond to it and be able to come before God again, but not just come before Him and survive, but as beloved children. This is Good News, the King has come!
With all of that being said, I would be remised if I didn’t share the Gospel (or the Good News) of Jesus Christ with you today, for the benefit of both believer and non-believer in the room. This begins all the way back at the beginning, God created everything, and he created all things good. He gave His most treasured creation (us, mankind) the ability of free will, the ability to choose Him or rebellion. Man was deceived by Satan and desired to be like God and sinned (or rebelled against God). This brought the curse of sin and death into the world and it remains with us to this day; which separates us from God. God though, loved His creation (mankind) so much that He worked through history to redeem all mankind that would turn to Him from sin so that we can experience a full and perfect relationship with Him again. This was through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the pay for sins. Accepting this free gift from God, makes you new and forgiven. All you have to do accept this free gift by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and you will get to experience the good side of God’s justice forever. So, now that you know this, you can no longer plead ignorance. I invite and urge you to respond today non-believer and apply this to every part of your life believers in the audience today.
With that, Let’s enter a time of remembering the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice by celebrating the Lord’s Supper together.