LUKE 2:11 | CHRIST THE LORD
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: LUKE 2:11 | CHRIST IS LORD
TEXT: LUKE 2:11 | CHRIST IS LORD
INTRO
INTRO
EXPLANATION: It was just another night for those shepherds.
EXPLANATION: It was just another night for those shepherds.
They were just doing their job like any other night, taking care of the sheep.
Trying to keep the sheep from getting eaten
Moving them from one spot to another so they had grass to eat.
But on this totally normal night, something extraordinary was about to take place.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Isn’t it interesting how we just read over things without thinking.
The Bible says, “They were sore afraid”
The word “sore” there doesn’t mean that they were in pain from exercising.
It is the Greek word megas (may-gaws) - and the first two definition of the word are “big” and “loud”
Are you getting the picture here?
These shepherds, who we talked about a couple weeks ago were outcasts, possibly criminal.
They screamed like little girls!
And the angel responded, “Fear not”
“Don’t be scared” - Good Luck!
But then the angel gives the wonderful message, “I’ve got good news for you and for everyone”
Over the last month, we have dove into this “good news” that the angel gave on that night:
“For unto you”
It was a message for the whole world, but it was a message to those lowly shepherds as well.
And it is a message for you and I today as well.
“Is Born this day in the City of David”
Christ could have come as a middle aged super hero style man, but instead He came as a baby born in humble circumstances.
And as He grew He faced the same struggles that you and I have as well.
He understands what you have been through and where you are today.
“A Savior”
It is a title that we only find referencing Christ 9 times in all the NT.
Yet is one of the most important titles given to Christ.
He is the Savior.
But He didn’t come to save you from your unfavorable circumstances or your unfaithful lifestyle
No, Christ came to save you from your inescapable sin.
If you miss this point about Christ, you will have missed the most important point of the message!
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ILLUSTRATION: Tomorrow is Christmas, and children everywhere will gather around the Christmas tree in anticipation for the presents underneath.
ILLUSTRATION: Tomorrow is Christmas, and children everywhere will gather around the Christmas tree in anticipation for the presents underneath.
By this point they have given the packages a good shake
The’ve worked to pull back the tape or torn a small hole in the corner that would be imperceptible to the parents eye.
But now their anticipation has come to completion as the moment they have been waiting for has finally arrived.
And the greatest lie is about to take place.
You see we call those packages under the tree gifts… but what have we been taught by every children’s Christmas song about the subject.
You only get the gift if you are on the nice list!
“Have you been good this year?”
Because if you’ve been naughty, you don’t get a gift, you get a lump of coal.
But a true gift can’t be earned, so I submit that from henceforth we should change the name of the packages under the tree to bargaining chips rather than gifts to avoid confusion!
EXPLANATION: The Bible makes clear that God wants you to receive the “gift of God that is eternal life” that has been made available through Jesus Christ!
EXPLANATION: The Bible makes clear that God wants you to receive the “gift of God that is eternal life” that has been made available through Jesus Christ!
And that gift isn’t based on you being on the nice list vs the naughty list.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
God had the same idea about changing the names of things if you had to work for it: He didn’t call it bargaining chips, He called it debt.
If you could work your way to heaven eternal life wouldn’t be a gift, no God would be indebted to you.
No Paul goes on to record in the next verse Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Who is it that can justify the ungodly?
Who can make a sinner like me and like you righteous?
Only One
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
You see back over in Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus died in your place, so that you can receive, not achieve or earn eternal life!
He died on the cross so that He could save you from your sins!
But here is the question today, why would God accept Jesus death as our payment?
Why was Jesus dying for me any different from someone else dying for me?
The answer is found in the final part of v.11, and it is where we are going to finish our Christmas series today.
“Which is Christ the Lord”
Since the garden of Eden, Scripture had been pointing to the day that the Messiah would come.
As early as Genesis 3:15, we find mention of the One Who would come and set things right.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
In the OT the name that we find over and over to describe Jehovah is the Hebrew word, Yahweh
Hebrew doesn’t use vowels like we do in english so the word Yahweh was written YHWH
When this name was translated and recorded for us in the english language in the OT it was translated with 4 english capital letters.
Those letters are LORD
7256 times that name is written in the OT alone!
But here in Luke 2:11, is the first time in the life of Jesus it is given to Him following His birth.
“Christ the Lord”
Jesus isn’t just a god amongst other gods
He was not just a prophet or good person
Jesus Christ is God!
Back in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah wrote about the coming Lord.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.
Immanuel means “God with us”
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
For thousands of years this prophesied Messiah was said to be coming, but it was on this night amidst these lowly shepherds that for the first time following his birth, Jesus was called LORD!
God with man!
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
While Christ was on this earth enduring all the struggles of life that come with living on this earth as a man, never once did He vacate His deity!
He remained perfectly spotless from all sin.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
And then on that terrible day of Christ’s death, when so much seemed to have gone wrong, there was one thing that Pilot got right.
Above Jesus’ head a sign was hung.
It was customary for the charge of the criminal to be hung above him on the cross for all to see, and such was the case with Christ.
On that day when they wrote Jesus’ charge the words were written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS”
Pilate had no idea just how right he was when the roads were written.
Hanging on that cross was the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!
The One Who was spotless and sinless!
The One Who was perfect!
And that is the reason He could die on the cross in your place and mine.
You see there have been many who have given their life to pay for your freedom!
Here at WBC we honor and praise God for them.
But there is only One Who gave His life to pay for your sin: Jesus!
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
That word “propitiation” isn’t a word we use very often.
It has the idea of a satisfactory payment.
ILLUSTRATION: Most of you found yourself in the dreaded situation of a checkout line over the past few weeks.
ILLUSTRATION: Most of you found yourself in the dreaded situation of a checkout line over the past few weeks.
You had some “bargaining chips” or gifts in your cart.
When you get to the register and scanned the item, there was an amount that came up on the screen.
That was the payment you owed.
If you chose not to pay it and tried to walk out of the store, alarms would sound!
If you tried to pay part of the payment, that wouldn’t work either.
No, you paid whatever the amount was, so that the item was paid for and you could escape that store.
In a very loose sense, we could say you paid the “propitiation” for that gift… The satisfactory payment
APPLICATION: The requirement to enter heaven and have eternal life is perfection.
APPLICATION: The requirement to enter heaven and have eternal life is perfection.
While your girlfriend told you that you were perfect when you were dating, you actually have a lot of flaws.
But Jesus Christ was perfect… is perfect!
And when He died on the cross, he satisfied the payment for your sin, Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You see Jesus can be called Savior, because Jesus Christ is Lord!
IS CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF YOUR SOUL?
IS CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF YOUR SOUL?
APPLICATION: This morning is your Savior?
APPLICATION: This morning is your Savior?
Has there ever been a moment in your life where you have put your trust in the only One Who can pay for your sins.
Have you ever acknowledged that all of the good things you can do can’t get you one step closer to heaven.
The only One Who can pay for your sins is Jesus and the only One Who can forgive your sins is God.
If you’ve just been playing the religious game, this morning, why don’t you open an early Christmas present, a real gift, and trust Christ to be your Savior.
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.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
As we finish up this morning, I have one final thought I want to leave you with.
The greatest decision that you could ever make is to let Christ be the Savior of your Soul.
That’s a wonderful thing!
There are many Christians in this room who have made Jesus the Savior of your Soul
But is He the Lord of your Life?
IS CHRIST THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE?
IS CHRIST THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE?
EXPLANATION: The angel on that night made a definite proclamation, “Jesus Christ is Lord”
EXPLANATION: The angel on that night made a definite proclamation, “Jesus Christ is Lord”
He is Lord of this earth.
He will be Lord for all of eternity.
One day everyone on this earth will acknowledge Him as Lord
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What a wonderful day that will be when everyone in unison will declare that Jesus is LORD!
He is the King!
APPLICATION: But I wonder, while Jesus is the unquestionable Lord of heaven and earth, could it be possible that He isn’t the Lord of your life?
APPLICATION: But I wonder, while Jesus is the unquestionable Lord of heaven and earth, could it be possible that He isn’t the Lord of your life?
ILLUSTRATION: A phrase that has been uttered countless times in our home and probably in yours as well in the past few weeks has been, “what do you want?”
ILLUSTRATION: A phrase that has been uttered countless times in our home and probably in yours as well in the past few weeks has been, “what do you want?”
“I want some toy.”
“I want some game”
“I want some electronic”
“I want some time alone!”
APPLICATION: If just for a moment we could push pause on the Christmas music
APPLICATION: If just for a moment we could push pause on the Christmas music
If we could shield our eyes from being blinded by the Christmas lights
If we could put the scissors and tape down and stop wrapping the gifts.
And if we could just be still for a moment, and ask God that question: “What do You want?”
I think His answer would be simple, “I want to be your Lord”
He wants to be the One in control so He can make your life so much greater than you could ever imagine.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
You see, when Christ is your Lord, He can make you an even greater dad or mom
When He is Lord, He can heal broken relationships
When He is Lord, He can restore broken lives.
God is able to do so much more, when we let Him be Lord.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
ILLUSTRATION: A young boy went to the local store with his mother.
ILLUSTRATION: A young boy went to the local store with his mother.
The shop owner, a kindly man, passed him a large jar of suckers and invited him to help himself to a handful.
Uncharacteristically, the boy held back.
So the shop owner pulled out a handful for him.
When outside, the boy’s mother asked why he had suddenly been so shy and wouldn’t take a handful of suckers when offered.
The boy replied, “Because his hand is much bigger than mine!”
APPLICATION: Friend, God’s hand is so much bigger than yours!
APPLICATION: Friend, God’s hand is so much bigger than yours!
And the life He desires for you to have is so much greater than the one your could imagine.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
This morning, I hope you will decide to make Him your Savior… I hope you will decide to let Him be your Lord!