Christmas Timeline Pt 3 (Joy)

Joy

Review

Hope- Waiting for the messiah

Peace- Messiah has arrived and is Shalom

Joy - Today we look at Joy

A few weeks ago we talked about the traditions that we observe. Even if we look at the changing of the very traditions that we had as children, they have morphed to mean something different then what they originally meant.

I mentioned the tradition of Santa clause which came out of a combination of a couple of traditions. I think it would be worth while to see a little about this early church leader. Santa Clause is based on Nicholas who was a bishop of Myra. His parents died in and epidemic and left him a large inheritance, Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He had a heart for children as well as sailors, but what help him make his mark what what he did when he attended the council of Nicea in AD 325.

The purpose of these councils were to “ retain unity was to humbly accept one doctrinal authority.” During this first council an argument for the nature of Jesus and God came forth. Arius of Alexandria argued (against alexander of Alexandria “always God, always Son”) that Jesus was subordinate to God being made, homoiousios means "similar substance". (Subordinate similar in that of greek mythology). Athanasius argued what we believe, that Jesus was Eternally begotten of the Father, God from true God. (Begotten not made), Jesus being a distinct person, but not a created being but as homoousios means "same substance".During this counsel Nicholas becoming incensed at Arius’ charismatic but heretical teaching of the nature Jesus’ divinity that Nicholas walked across the room and punched/slapped Arius in the face. Nicholas was punished for striking someone in the presence of Emperor Constantine, but later was restored to his post as a bishop.

As funny as we can take this bit of Church history, the nature of the Trinity is a profound mystery not to be taken lightly. the point that I want to make is that if you look closer at the two views between Arius and Athanasius. Athanasius makes his argument from the Bible for the nature of Jesus’ eternal divinity. So as we study church history we will see councils that keep there teaching Biblically centered we find that the truth will be sustained continually.

As we are looking at what the Bible teaches us about the birth of Jesus we will see today that when we discover truth we will find Joy in the truth.

Open your Bibles to Luke chapter 2

Good News is announced

Luke 2:8–14 CSB

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

Shepherds and Angels

We begin the story today in the region of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) that Mary and Joseph traveled to from Nazareth. We find shepherds faithfully keeping their watch over the sheep by night. I want to take a few minutes to talk about the views that we have of shepherds in this passage. We often describe shepherds as unskilled, untrained, unclean, social outcasts. I was curious where this view came from because if we look at the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob shepherding was part of their lives and King David too was a shepherd. In my research I found that there are two primary sources for this view. This first view comes from Jewish Talmudic teaching circa 500 A.D. (The Talmud (Mishna and Gemara) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology) “The rabbis considered them to be religious outcasts and their testimony was not admissible in court.” The second view come from the view of shepherds by the Greek philosophical teaching that held shepherding as a lazy or easy job. Maybe the McDonald’s of their day? So modern scholars use these views to establish the view of NT view of shepherds.

I think as we look at how the Bible teaches and uses the shepherd as an illustration we cannot come to the same distasteful view of shepherds. They may have been considered a very humble people as they spent their time in the fields were not among the prominent of society, and that may is the idea that these people were among the first to hear the Gospel! Never the less we see that angels had appeared to these humble people of the land to reveal the good news of the birth of a Savior.

I think today that the reality is that Jesus would come in an ordinary to ordinary people rather than as a celebrity. We view people with celebrity status differently and some people will only see Jesus as the celebrity and not as the person that he came to be.

An Angel of the Lord appeared (and the glory of the Lord shone)(Rev 21-illuminates, Ex 40- reside with, Ex 33 - Moses ), what we see is the fear of the shepherds, this is the (phobic fear). The word angel means messenger, which is their role. So this angel of the lord relays the good news that the Birth of the Savior occured today. and that this baby was the messiah and Lord, and with this great news we see proclamation of the greatest worship in verse 14

Luke 2:14 CSB

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

“with whom he is pleased”, “men of his good pleasure/will”

There is a proof of doctrine here, but I will save that for conversation offline because the more important doctrine in the is passage is in the message the angels bring. This message is that the Savior’s birth has indeed occured and they identified the savior as messiah and lord.

Messiah and Lord

These are titles that correspond with the role of Jesus

Messiah (Prophet, Priest, King)

Messiah is Hebrew/ Christ is Greek - Anointed One

The messiah is the title of the savior promised to the world through Abraham, this is the hope that the nation of Israel longed for.

At first it is fore-announced that the Messiah is to be a prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 18:18), then a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4), and then a king, great David’s greater Son (Isa. 11:1–10). In his threefold office he is to free his people from sin, and is to teach them the ways of God (Isa. 53:10–12; 61:1–3); his power, also, is to reach beyond the Jews and is to embrace all the Gentiles (Isa. 60:3–11). These prophecies have in our Lord a complete fulfilment; accordingly, the great burden of apostolic preaching was “showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts 18:28)

Thomas J. Shepherd, The Westminster Bible Dictionary (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1880), 346.

Lord

The word Lord is the idea of someone who is in position of Authority. We this overflows from the position of Jesus as King. Yet it is more that our idea of an earthly king, but also the heavenly king which places Jesus above all things and rules over all in accordance with the will of God.

The Shepherds Respond

Luke 2:15–20 CSB

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.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Share the news

We see the angels return and the shepherds in response go straight to Bethlehem, and they discover exactly what God has revealed to them they found a baby lying in the manger.

So the Shepherds reported what they were told, all who heard this were amazed at the message. (Not the messengers)

Mary

Mary was treasuring all these things in heart and meditating on them. (Luke 2:51)

Think about this young woman who in all reality is a teenager, and has shown great faithfulness to God and submission to his will, even though it will have cost them much. Pregnant before she was married and what grief socially that cost Mary and Joseph. She is treasuring these things and as we will see next week, we will see Simeon delivering a prophecy to Mary, that these things that she treasures about Jesus will be to sustain her for such grief and sorrow that no mother has experienced.

The Joy of the Shepherd

Luke 2:20 CSB

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 were given the good news of the birth of the Savior and were told about who this savior was to be and how they can find him. They found that that they were told and saw was all true, and because of the truth that was given to them and they found a joy and they overflowed and praise God.

The News and Our Response

We see in this birth narrative, the foundations of evangelism. The angels are sharing good news revealing the person and role of Jesus; the shepherds seek and find indeed that it is truth. This truth knowing that the savior that they have so long hoped for had come, and they share what they heard and in their joy glorify and worship God.

Likewise today we come to Jesus because someone told us about Jesus being the Son of God who took on flesh. Experiencing the same trial and pains we all do, and that Jesus is Christ and Lord. We seek this out and find it is true, and when we do we find the joy that we were seeking. We find Joy in being deliverance from sin that in turn we repent or turn away from a life we lived that is contrary to God's desire for our lives. We find joy because when we trust in Jesus, no matter where we are or what we go through we have a truth that is unchanging that Jesus is Christ and Lord, who delivers us and we can.

Romans 10:9 CSB

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Joy is not necessarily wearing a smile on your face all the time, but the deep sense and attitude of happiness that is ground not in your circumstances but in the Work of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Christian is not superficial in any sense, but is fundamentally serious and fundamentally happy. You see, the joy of the Christian is a holy joy; the happiness of the Christian is a serious happiness. ... it is a solemn joy, it is a holy joy, it is a serious happiness; so that, though he is grave and sober-minded and serious, he is never cold and prohibitive. - Dr. MLJ

Questions:

How do you respond to God or those that he clearly sends?

Do you treasure and meditate upon the Truth? Does this help you in your joy?

In the midst of this Christmas season where are you finding your joy?