Jesus: The Righteousness of God

The title of my message this morning is Jesus the righteousness of God and we're continuing our Christmas season sermon series entitled The Christmas Story looking at Christmas from the perspective of four different sets of people last week. We had a chance to see how the Apostle John told the Christmas story at today. We're going to get a chance to hear how the Apostle Paul saw the Christmas story next week. We'll look at the prophet Isaiah Micah and even King David at times prophetically about how they frame the story of Chris missing in the week before Christmas. We will look at the story familiar to us as it is of Matthew and Luke. Last week as you recall, we looked at John's account of the Christmas story. He talked about the fact that the word of God had become flesh that had dwelt Among Us that The God Who created the heavens and the Earth took on flesh and enter into his creation that he might redeem it a light to the world in the midst of Darkness. He wrote those memorable words that the great majority of us have memorized to encapsulate the meaning of the Christmas story for God so loved the world John wrote that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but should have everlasting life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order to save the world through him Whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God for this morning. We're going to look at Paul's presentation of the story of Jesus's birth. And you might say to yourself. Where does Paul tell the story of Jesus's birth. I know Matthew and Luke had developed that account in the gospels. But where is Paul tell that story and although Paul does not give us a historical Narrative of the Shepherds coming of the Angels appearing of death of the wise men making a great pilgrimage to see the the Christ child. He tells us very plainly that the Jesus was born for a great reason. He gives us insight into a theological perspective on Jesus's birth that some of the other gospels don't spell out quite as plainly why is it that Jesus was born what purpose did God intend to accomplish through his birth? Why did the Son of God have to take on a human nature to enter into his creation and redeem it and what does this mean for us? We're going to use as our jumping-off point the next verse on the next slide Galatians chapter 4 4 through 7 as our framework as we move through this story. But when the fullness of time had come the Apostle Paul tells us God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who are under the law. This is one of those verses that I use on a regular basis as we preach as we go through the gospel message and it's the way that the Apostle Paul and capsulated the Christmas story ever going to take each piece one at a time as we move through his account. But when the fullness of time had come and you think about an expression like that you realize that he's describing an event that took place that was expected a long-awaited event that the mini had had foreseen in and we're waiting to come about we can think of more mundane things like a great football game the Super Bowl that comes up I think often what in early January. It's got great anticipation. How long not only football fans, but the folks all over the world as they anticipate that day were the teams maybe we don't know but when that day comes the whole world eyes will be on that Stadium wherever that event takes place and hear the Apostle Paul tells us that the Christmas story with the story that had been long anticipated. It was when the fullness of time had come. Bet God's son was revealed to the world. In Romans chapter 1 he discusses a little bit about the note the fullness of that story you writes in Romans chapter 1 verses 1 through 5. The gospel of God, which he promised before hand through His prophets in the Holy scriptures concerning his son who was descended from David according to the Flesh and was Clinton declared to be the Son of God and power according to the Holy Spirit by his resurrection from the dead. He tells us about a time in which the fullness of time had come when the prophets who had foretold these events saw Jesus born. We think of those profits when we move through the Christmas season most famously, we think of the words of Isaiah who we recalled in the call to worship this morning that with Jesus is arrival in Galilee at least for his life, but certainly before that in Bethlehem, great Whitehead Dawn upon those who were living in the land of Darkness long before the birth of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit God had Foretold through His prophets that his son would be born and Isaiah 7:14 not famous verse tells us not only that he would be born but how he would be born that he would be born in a miraculous way conceived by a Virgin by the power of the holy spirit that promised birth told long beforehand by the prophets came to pass in the person of God's son Jesus Christ. And that was good news. The Apostle Paul understands the story of Christmas as good news. Good news that was foretold in advance that was long awaited that appeared on the scene and so here in Romans chapter 1 verses 1 through 5. He says the gospel, is that good news. Biblical writers did not invent that term gospel. It was taken from the public sector when an emperor would announce news to people Harold would be sent to a town to Proclaim whatever the emperor had done. They didn't have the internet. They didn't have televisions and they didn't have telephones. So whenever the emperor made a decision or our didn't something important, he would send his Herald out to the Roman cities to Proclaim. What good thing? What you on gallion what good news what gospel had come to pass and so the gospel writers grab hold of that term and use it to say that Jesus Christ had heralded and pronounced the good things of his father. But the good news of God, which was promised beforehand through the prophets was coming to pass in the person of his son.

The Apostle Paul describes his son and two important ways in Romans chapter 1 this section. He says that God son was descended from David and declared to be the Son of God in power. First he says that the sun was descended from David Paul knew it as well as all of the Jews of his time that the Messiah would can't come they have waited that event that you learn to see God re-establish his kingdom and his sovereignty over the world then and they knew that the Messiah would be from the line of David because God had foretold it. So in 2nd Samuel chapter 7 verses 8 through 17 the prophet Nathan approaches David and and tells him inspired by the holy spirit this very truth. He says to David. Says the Lord of hosts. I took you from the pasture from following the sheep that you should be Prince Over My People Israel, and I've been with you whatever you went and if cut off all your enemies from before you and I will make you a great name like the name of the great ones of the Earth in Verse 11 moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your father's I will raise up your Offspring after you do shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son and then what seems like a reference here to the work of Christ on the cross. He says when he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men with the stripes of the sons of men but my steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away from before you and your house in your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever. And so this prophetic promise that God made through the prophets hear through Nathan but through other prophets as well is essential to the fact that God's son the Messiah was a descendant from David. Jesus was not simply an angel who floated it on Earth and and foretold what God would do but he took on flesh and dwelt Among Us. It's a fundamental truth of the Gospel message. In fact Paul makes it even clearer in Philippians chapter 2 verse 6 this essential component of the Christmas story about Jesus. He says this Jesus Philippians 2:6 who being in very nature. God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own Advantage rather. He made himself Nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself are becoming obedient to death even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father and so according to the Apostle Paul the good news of the Gospel, which was promise beforehand through His prophets in the Holy scriptures concerns his son. Who is descended from David according to the Flash and it was declared to be the Son of God in power according the spirit of Holiness by his resurrection from the dead and some hear Paul is encapsulating the story of Christmas the birth of Christ in the line of David taking on flash for what sake that he might die and rise again as certainly the people of Jesus's day could confirm that Jesus was from the line of David. They kept very careful and genealogical records for these very reasons and they can trace his genealogical line both through his mother and through his Earthly father to David and yet Jesus was not simply born of a human nature, but he also a possessed a divine nature is Paul spelled out there in Philippians. But the reality of Jesus is divine nature might be difficult to discern from a far and so here in this passage Paul writes that Jesus was descended from David according to the flesh but declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead and why is that proof of the divine nature and sonship of Jesus Christ? Because death is a foe that no human being can defeat. The defeat that requires the power of God and the power of God alone and the resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates conclusively that Jesus is who he claimed to be the Messiah would taking on flesh to redeem his people from their sin Jesus Christ Resurrection declares using the word appalled that Jesus Christ was not only the son of David but he was the son of God uniquely in a way that no other person has ever been in or whatever be the Jesus Christ as John told us last week the word of God who was with God in the beginning and who was God became flesh and dwelt among us and that through his death and Resurrection. He was demonstrated to be who he claimed the Son of God who would come to redeem his people from their sin. But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman as we've discussed born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. And so here Paul has already told us two truths about the Christmas story without a plan that God put together at the last minute, but it was known long beforehand before the very foundations of the Earth. In fact, we read in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians that God had planned to redeem his people through the coming of his son long before in the fullness of time. God had proclaimed that this would take place and then in that fullness of time God sent forth his son born of a woman, but he was not only born of the woman. He was also born under the law. And this is an essential aspect of the Christmas story. Being born under the law Jesus Christ lived a life as we do we study that as we made our way through the book of Hebrews that he was like us in every way except with sin that he might understand what we go through he faced The Temptations and the struggles that we face and he was under the law. He was required as a human beings to do what God had commanded his people to do. Very recently. Come came was to fulfill the law. In fact that our study with our men's group. We heard Jesus say there in The Sermon on the Mount. I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but I have come to fulfill them. It is very person. Jesus Christ live faithfully and did what we could not do he was under the law but he fulfill the law and great contrast to the one who would come before him. The Apostle Paul is very well aware of the fact that the gospel is good news because the world is shrouded in darkness. It was a man who came before Jesus who brought a curse upon the Earth. In Romans chapter 5 Paul tells that part of the Christmas story this way. He says therefore just as Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin show death spread the Almond because all send the story of Christmas does not begin in the manger, but it began in a garden not with the second Adam Jesus Christ, but with the first Adam Adam himself and send he broke God's law and he had been told plainly that if he did that death would ensue and it would affect not only him but all of the children that he would bear as well as the creation that God had placed him as a steward over and tragically Adam send and Whitney Houston death came through that sin and entered into the world and all men and women died in atom. And God in his forbearance and in his foreknowledge in for our nation Destin to send his son as a man like Adam and so many ways to redeem us under the law from that very curse. But to do so Christ had to fulfill the law in all its ways that he might stand right knee before God and stand as a substitutionary atonement for the children that he would redeem. That good news of the Gospel speaks volumes to a world living in darkness. All categorized Is Us in Romans chapter 3 as those who are all alike under the power of sin and Adam we have all died in the power of sin Reigns in our lives. He writes these words quoting from the prophet. There is no one righteous. Not even one there is no one who understands there is no one who seeks God all him turned away. They have together become worthless. There is no one who does good. Not even one their throats are open Graves their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing in bitterness their feet are Swift to shed blood ruin and misery mark their ways and the way of peace they do not know there is no fear of God before their eyes. This is the way that the world had come to be in the wake of Adam's sin that Gloom and darkness in shrouded the land and yet God did not leave it that way, but he intervened Paul tells us that part of the story that Jesus Christ was born to run by he was born of a woman and he was born under the law to redeem those who were under the law and so he writes in Romans 8:3 for God has done with the law weakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh had to deal with sin. He condemned sin in the flash so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Jesus Christ born of the woman and board under the law for filled the law has no one else has ever done that and by doing so he stood righteously before God the Father. And by that righteousness the righteousness of God, he was able to intercede on behalf of his people. And Paul here. I think tells us as plainly as possible the meaning of the message of Christmas and Romans 5:6 as he writes these words for while we were still we at the right time Christ died for the ungodly for one will scarcely die for a righteous person know perhaps were a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us since therefore we have now been justified by his blood much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more now that we are reconciled. Shall we be saved by his life? More than that. We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation. It just the right time in the fullness of time and in a long-awaited event. God sent his son. Born of a woman born under the law to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law and to redeem those who were under the law that we might be reconciled to God. Truly Jesus Christ. Is that great gift of God a gift that we could not have purchased for ourselves. And so is the Apostle Paul tells the story of Christmas. He tells it and it's full scope. The Savior has been born a savior born to save his people from their sin. And Jesus Christ came to do just that. Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know the Salvation that he brings? When we stand before God, we don't stand before a cosmic Santa and present of the Good Deeds that we have accomplished Bryce and Bradon just the other day. We were talking about the naughty and the nice list and Melinda at the dinner table asked Brayden if he thought he would end up on the the naughty list or the nice list and it was one of those days, you know at the house and it was interesting because Brayden said well, I think I'll end up somewhere on a list in between.

For a great many of us were hoping that we might end up on a list in between that we know very plainly that we deserve to be on the naughty list. The message of the Gospel is that our goodness has nothing to do with our standing before God because if it did we would not stand at all. No one is righteous not even one but are standing before God is based not on our own goodness, but on the goodness of Jesus Christ and him alone Jesus the righteousness of God. At the very Heart of Christmas is the truth that God has made a way where we could not make a way for ourselves a righteousness from God has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law whereas we had broken it. He has reconciled us to God, whereas whereas we were in Great Rebellion. And as we celebrate the Christmas season, we celebrate of a homecoming it is come to pass because of the work of God's son. It was called us his brothers and sisters. Let's close in a word of Prayer. gracious and holy God

we give you thanks today for all that you have accomplished.

we give you thanks Lord for the the story of Christmas

it is not a story of our own accomplishments or the story of our own rewards, but is the story of the worth of your son Jesus Christ? The. Child in the manger grew up and he grew up for a purpose to accomplish a mission to redeem those who like him were under the law that we might be reconciled to you. Oh, what a holy night. That was when your son Our Savior was born May that night Mark our lives from today and all eternity as we give you that.