"Jesus the Christ, the Lord's Christ"
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The Consolation of Israel”
(All I Want for Christmas)
Luke 2:25-35; Jn 1:40-41; 8:12; Matt 16:15-16.
Introduction:
- Benjamin Hanby’s beautiful hymn asks and answers who Jesus is.
“Who is He in yonder stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall?
‘Tis the Lord! O wondrous story! ‘Tis the Lord! The King of glory!
At His we humbly fall. Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of all”
- James Montgomery also reminded us, who was laid in the manger in yonder stall.
“Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight or all the earth.
Ye who sang creation’s story, now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the new-born King.”
Regrettably, what the Scriptures record and the truths that so many hymn writers have affirmed, seem to have fallen on many deaf ears and resistant hearts.
In her recent excellent “Our Daily Bread” publication, “Christmas Changes Everything,” Elisa Morgan explained this lack of connection, confessing, “I know now that Christmas didn’t really become Christmas to me until Easter became Easter.” Affirming that, I would gently add that Christmas does not become Christmas until Jesus is recognized and confessed as Christ and Lord.
Leaving no doubt, the angel who appeared to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, was clear.
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a SAVIOUR,
who is CHRIST, the LORD.” (Lk 2:11 ESV)
The baby born in yonder stall, laid in a manger, and praised by a multitude of the heavenly host was:
1. A Saviour – Jn 4:42; Matt 1:21, 25.
Testimony of those to whom the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well.
They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
- Jesus – Greek translation of Jeshua/Joshua (Hebrew) – “the Lord is salvation.”
- From what, from whom do we need to be saved?
- He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21)
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
- Jews – “Consolation of Israel – Luke 2:25 . Confession of Simeon at the temple in Jerusalem.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
- Gentiles – Lk 2:32; Is 42:6.
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
- Message of a Saviour/salvation– stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to the called, the power of God and the wisdom of God – 1 Cor 1:23.
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
2. Christ – Title - “anointed one” (English from Greek – Christos) – linked to kingship and divine appointment, coming king and son of God - Jn 1:40-41; Matt 16:15-16.
Andrew’s confession to Peter.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
Peter’s confession to Jesus.
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- “So, the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way – Matt 1:18, 1, 17.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
- Equivalent to Messiah (Hebrew) – only twice in New Testament - Jn 1:41; 4:25.
He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
- Martha’s confession – “You are the Christ, the son of God, who is coming into the world.” – Jn 11:27
She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
- Christ/Messiah applied to Jesus more after death and resurrection – Jn 20:30-31.
3. The Lord – (kurios – Greek)
- Lord can be used of an earthly master, which in the New Testament era usually reference a slave owner/master. In the Scriptures, “Lord” translated the covenant name for God.
- Any consideration of Jesus, the Lord, must be considered in its Scriptural context.
- “No man can serve two masters” – Jesus – Matt 6:24-26.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
- Servant/bond slave (doulos – Greek) – a servant/bond slave who willingly commits himself to serve a master whom he loves and respects – Ex 21:5-6; Rom 1:1.
But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
- Regarding Jesus, Lord inseparable from Saviour and Christ – Lk 1:16.
And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
- “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” – Acts 2:36, 38; 3:19-20; 4:12; 9:35; 1 Pet 2:25.
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
- “Let the peace of Christ rulein your hearts,” Col 3:15.
`Col 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
This Christmas Eve, we collectively lit the “Christ” candle. Lighting the Christ candle is a beautiful picture, but a more beautiful and Scriptural accurate picture would if when we light the Christ candle, the hope, love, joy, and peace candles are lit from the Christ candle.
If I might stretch your minds a bit, please imagine for a moment that we have turned off all the lights in the auditorium.
- The only lights in the auditorium and for that matter in the world is the lit Christ candle (Jn 8:12) that has in turn lit the hope, love, joy, and peace candles. Looking past the Christ candle that is higher than all the rest, we also see the light cross. The cross is empty. Christ died once and for all. He is not on the cross. And beside the empty cross, an empty tomb/grace with a light to remind us that it is empty.
Now for the most important personal part. In front of the light Christ candle there is a limitless number of unlight candles. If it were possible, inseparably bundled to those larger unlit candles would be four smaller candles. The wicks of the four small candles are enter twined to the wick of the main candle.
- That main candle is, by God’s grace, a Christ candle offered to you. The Scriptures have been clear. The Christ candle is Jesus, a Saviour, Christ, the Lord.
In this complete darkness all of us have three choices:
1. Pick up an unlit candle and light it as a confession that Jesus is our Saviour, Christ, the Lord.
2. Pick up that unlit candle and as you light your candle from the Christ candle. By lighting your candle, you are confessing your sin and need of Jesus, not as a baby in a manger, but as a Saviour, Christ, the Lord.
3. Those who stayed where they are in the darkness and chose not to approach the Christ candle, had by not having chosen to light their candle at the Christ candle made a choice.
WHAT CHOICE WOULD YOU, DID YOU MAKE?
AWV/Dec 24/23 pm