Carols Part 3

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Galatians Series

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“Joy to the World '' is a favorite carol of many and one of the best known of all the Christmas songs.

The words were written by Isaac Watts, who is widely regarded as one of the finest hymn writers in history. Isaac Watts also wrote such well-known hymns as: “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed,” “Jesus Shall Reign Wherever the Sun,” “O God our Help in Ages Past,” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Watts often wrote paraphrases of the Psalms for his hymns, and “Joy to the World” was inspired by his study of Psalm 98, especially verse 4 which reads: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.” (Psalm 98:4)

“Joy to the World” was first published in 1719 but with a different melody than the one we know today.

Over a hundred years later, in 1836, the composer Lowell Mason would combine several themes from Handel’s Messiah to create a new melody which he called Antioch.

Mason then went on a quest for three years to find just the right words to go with his melody and finally settled on Isaac Watts’ hymn “Joy to the World.”

It was a perfect match, and it is still the way we sing “Joy to the World” at Christmas today.

The irony in all of this is that Watts never meant for his hymn to be a Christmas song.

The hymn is really an Old Testament Psalm mixed with New Testament language.

Still, the note of joy and the images of the Lord coming and every heart preparing him room all combined to make this one of the best-loved Christmas carols of all time.

Week one we talked about o come o come Emmanuel.

We talked about trusting in the Lord even in the middle of waiting on Him

Last week, we talked through o come let us adore him and about the gospel—the good news—and saw that it was news.

It’s a settled fact. Nothing we can do or not do to change it.

This morning, let’s talk about why the gospel is good news.

Good News. Great Joy. For all people.

Luke 2:8–14 NIV

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

What was this Good News the angels spoke of?

Such good news that it would cause great joy for all people

It wasn’t that God had sent a soldier or a judge or a reformer or a politician, but that He had sent a Saviour to meet man’s greatest need.

There is something unique in Luke 2:11 that we don’t want to miss.

Nowhere else in all of the Bible will you find the three words Savior, Christ, and Lord together in one verse.

And these titles given are important to pull out and focus on to understand the impact, change, and completion that Jesus would bring

He is Savior

He is our great redeemer. Forgiving our sins. Offering us a grace unimaginable. Making right what we have made wrong

He is Messiah.

The promised one from God who fulfills the plan of redemption.

He is Lord.

He is coming back to rule and reign in righteousness and put death to death.

So it is important for us to understand that Jesus at his birth was already these things. Savior, Messiah, and Lord, for the one born to Mary in Bethlehem is the same person who sheds His blood to take away the sins of the world, is the same person who raised in glory and given the authority to be Lord and Christ.

The word for Savior is “soter” in the Greek. It was used to describe someone who would deliver another or group of people. It was a title given to God

The problem is, that it was not a title explicitly used for God

People were in such desperate need of saving that they were willing to give a title to someone who could never meet the expectations that came with it

So, Ceasar Augustus of this time was often called the “Soter”/Savior of the world

Now, the reality is, we still do the same thing today.

So let me just reiterate what Luke 2 is telling us

No one but Jesus can truly save you and be your Savior

Listen young people, no boy can save you. No girl can save you

Listen, no president can save you. We could elect your most perfect candidate and he still will not save you

No religion will save you. No pastor will save you

The only one worthy of the title “Soter/Savior” is Jesus and Jesus alone

And Luke 2 is explicitly pulling this to the forefront

The exact combination of the two titles christos kyrios (“Messiah, the Lord”) without a conjunction is unusual. It appears nowhere else in the NT.

The Greek word christos, together with its Hebrew equivalent mĕšîaḥ, refers to “the anointed one.” In the OT one finds the anointing of Israel’s kings (1 Sam. 9:16; 24:6), but the title also appears in priestly (Lev. 4:3, 5, 16) and prophetic (1 Kings 19:16; Ps. 105:15; Isa. 61:1) contexts.

Essentially, what this title means is that Jesus is the perfect anointed king, the perfect atoning priest, and perfect appointed prophet.

Prior to this verse in Luke, the word kyrios is most often used to refer to God himself.

It was a perfect combination of both God or supernatural and authority or ruler

And so while the Savior and Messiah is one who delivers God’s people, the Lord is one who is to be obeyed and honored

So why is this good? Why is the good news of the Gospel good?

First, it is good news because God acts to save sinners. Remember from last week that we don’t act and then God saves us.

Rather, the gospel shows us that God acts and then we are capable of being saved.

The action is already done for us. We simply believe, turn away from our sin and self, and turn over to the rule and reign of God.

Again, no other religion teaches anything like this. Only the good news of Jesus

Second, the gospel is good news because it extends to all people.

Christianity is not a tribal religion. It’s not an American religion or an African religion or a European religion.

Since God is the creator of everything that is and since all people bear his image and his alone, then when he acts to save people for himself, it will not just be a certain ethnic or cultural group.

No, heaven will be made up of those “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9).

What starts on a hillside extends to the whole world.

Third and finally, the gospel is good news because it is about God keeping his promises. It is “Christ the Lord” who is born—the Messiah, the one God promised for centuries. This means we can trust God because all of his promises are true, all the time, everywhere (2 Cor 1:20).

Now, here’s how I want us to spend the rest of our time this morning. I want us to meditate and marvel this Christmas over the wonders in this text

So I want us to focus on a few phrases here beginning in verse 11 of Luke 2

Today in the town of David. . . TODAY!!!” (verse 11). It happened on a day. A day in history.

Not a day in some mythological, imaginary story, but a day when “Caesar Augustus was the emperor of Rome and Quirinius was governor of Syria.”

It’s a day that really existed that is very well documented and historically told about beyond just the Bible.

And it did not happen on just some random day but it was a day planned in eternity before the creation of the world.

The whole universe — with untold light-years of space and billions of galaxies — was created and made glorious for this day and what it means for human history.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16).

For him! For his appearance. For this day of his appearing. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

It did not happen too early or too late but on a day and on the day the Lord had appointed

It happened on a day. The perfect day. In the fullness of time. The perfect time appointed by God before the foundation of the world. “For unto you is born this day!”

And it happened in a Real City

“. . . in the town of David.”

It happened in a city. Not in Narnia. Not in Middle Earth. Not in a galaxy far far away. Not in fairy tale or fictional book.

It happened in a city.. A city still exists today. This city is real.

The city’s name is Bethlehem (Luke 2:4, “Joseph also went up from Galilee . . . to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.”)

Bethlehem, six miles from Jerusalem.

Bethlehem, the city where Jesse lived, the father of David, the great king of Israel. Bethlehem, the city that Micah prophesied over:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Micah 5:2).

It happened in a city. A real city, just like Jacksonville, or Tallahassee, or Perry.

It happened on a day, in a real city

Savior

“. . . a Savior . . .” ****“Today in the town of David a Savior.”

A Savior. Something we all are in desperate need of.

If you have ever sinned against God you need a Savior.

The angel said to Joseph, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Only God can forgive sins against God. That is why God sent the eternal Son of God into the world, because he is God and He is good!

That’s why Jesus said, “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Therefore, a Savior was born.

Today in the town of David a Savior, “has been born to you”

You! Wherever you find yourself this morning

Whatever you’ve been through. The ups the downs. The victories and celebrations

The struggles and defeats

While you were dead in the middle of your sin Christ comes for you

Born to you so that He may die for you to have a relationship with you

This morning wherever you find yourself, no matter what you’ve done or haven’t done. Jesus has already paved the way for you to come to Him, surrender to Him, and to have a relationship with Him.

Your heavenly Father who loves you more than you could ever comprehend sent His Son to be born to you

Today in the town of David a Savior, “has been born to you”“. . . He is the Messiah .

Messiah means “anointed one,” (John 1:41; 4:25). This is the one long-predicted, long-awaited, the one anointed above all others (Psalm 45:7). The final anointed King. The final anointed Prophet. The final anointed Priest. In him all the promises of God are yes! (2 Corinthians 1:20). He would fulfill all the hopes and dreams of godly Israel. And more, vastly more. Because he is not just Messiah but also . . .

“. . . the Lord.” “Today in the town of David a Savior, “has been born to you He is the Messiah, the Lord .

The ruler, the sovereign, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. The Lord of the universe.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. (Isaiah 9:6–7).

This is the good news of the Gospel and this is why it is such good news!

So all of this summed up...

The Lord of never-ending, universal, sovereign governance. The Lord of all lords.

On a day — in real history.

In a town — in a real world.

The Savior — to take away all our guilt.

The Messiah — to fulfill all our hopes.

The Lord — to defeat all our enemies, and make us safe and satisfied for ever.

Has come to be with His people and this good news that brings great joy!

So I implore with you this Christmas to find joy in the fact that we have a great Savior, Jesus, the Christ, the Lord, born on a day in a town to save us from our sins — our many sins.

It’s a joy unlike any other.

CHRISTMAS JOY SHOULDN’T END AFTER CHRISTMAS

because it’s not a one and done kind of joy

It’s a joy unlike any other

A joy that sustains us

a joy we could not obtain on our own and it’s a joy that is not just for you or just for me but a joy that is for the world.

So let’s sing together one more time, Joy to the World