THE FULFILLMENT OF CHRIST'S COMING

Introduction

Daniel Rose, head of the Jewish department of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, was trying to evangelize one of his Jewish friends, and said to him, "I want to read you a portion of the Bible, and when I have finished I want you to tell me what part of the Bible I have been reading." The friend agreed, and Daniel opened his Bible and began to read from Isaiah's prophecy beginning at the 13th verse of chapter 52 and reading through chapter 53, which has been called by some the `Gospel of the Old Testament.'

~When Daniel had finished reading, he asked his friend from what part of the Bible he had been reading. Without hesitation the friend replied: 'From the New Testament.' Daniel then asked, 'And to whom does the passage refer?' Again, without the slightest hesitation the answer came back: `It refers to Jesus of Nazareth.' With his Bible still open to the page he had been reading, Daniel showed his friend that he had not been reading from the New Testament, but from the Old Testament.

~Daniel then said to him, `But, your second reply is correct, for this Old Testament passage does refer to Jesus Christ, and this Jesus Christ is our true Messiah.'" Since that day Mr. Rose has repeated this procedure with many others, leading them to Jesus Christ.

-One of the greatest apologetic arguments for the truth of the Bible, Christianity, and Christ is fulfilled prophecy and fulfilled promises, and we see that even in the story of Christmas.

-Over the past several weeks I have been trying to give a full view of the story of Christmas—not starting in the middle, but going from beginning to end.

~I have spoken about the need for Christ’s coming, since man is sinful and the thoughts and intentions of his heart is only evil continually.

~I have also spoken about the promise of Christ’s coming, because the sin barrier between God and man was impenetrable and man was in darkness, and God promised that He Himself would take care of the problem so that mankind has something to look forward to—an eternal future and hope.

-And today we see the fulfillment. From the fall of man through the days of the prophets, God has prophesied and promised a Messiah, a Savior, to deliver man from sin. And now the time had arrived—promises and prophecies fulfilled; changing destinies and bringing people back to God.

-But it wasn’t just for their day—this fulfillment is for the hope and peace of all of humanity even in our day, and much needed in the dark days that we have endured.

-And so, whatever you might have going on in your life, and whatever burden you may be carrying, may you find your comfort, hope, and peace in the fulfilled plans, promises, and prophecies of God in Jesus Christ.

-Today, part by part, I want to consider three aspects that Luke tells us about this fulfillment:

1) God’s sovereign control of history (vv. 1-7)

LUKE 2:1-7

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

-Luke was not an eyewitness to the events of Jesus Christ. He came to faith under the ministry of the apostle Paul, but he wanted to make sure that he understood and reported the truth. So, he carefully researched and studied and conducted interviews to ensure that the story of Jesus Christ would be accurately told.

-This research included placing the events within their historical context. He wanted to make sure that whoever read the gospel would know the timing and location of everything that happened in Christ’s life—that these were real historical events with real historical people.

-So, he notes that Caesar Augustus was the Roman Emperor at the time. Augustus was the grand-nephew, adopted son, and primary heir to Julius Caesar. Once he ascended to undisputed supremacy and was recognized as the one true Emperor, he ushered in a period of great prosperity and relative peace in what is commonly referred to as the Pax Romana. This made it very easy to safely travel throughout the entire Roman Empire.

-Augustus decreed that the Roman Empire should be registered by nation, family, and tribe, probably for the purposes of taxation. According to scholars the decree went out approximately in the year 8 BC. The census/registration would have taken years to accomplish back then.

-Now, Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, was a descendant of David, and so, in order to register in the census, he had to travel to Bethlehem, the city where David was born and raised. They were living in Nazareth in Galilee to the north at the time, but he and his family would need to travel to Bethlehem, which was 70 miles away. But the terrain had a lot of mountains and such, so you couldn’t just take a straight shot from Nazareth to Bethlehem, so, more than likely, Joseph and Mary walked or rode an animal for more than 90 miles. {Imagine being 9 months pregnant and walking 90 miles}.

-Why all this detail, and why is all of this important?

~It was prophesied hundreds of years beforehand that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem:

Micah 5:2 (ESV): 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.

-So, imagine this: It just so happened that Augustus made travel easy and safe. And it just so happened that he declared a census at the time that it just so happened that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah. And it just so happened that they had to go to Bethlehem where it just so happened that it was prophesied Messiah would be born. And then, it just so happened that the Pax Romana would make the spread of the gospel relatively quick and easy in the years following Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Coincidence? Of course not. When it comes to God’s plans and purposes and promises and prophecies, nothing JUST SO HAPPENS.

-God had been moving all of history to this point. God sovereignly controlled people and nations and events and situations to lead to this one point. There was not one detail that was out of His control. He prepared the world for this moment—the Messiah would be born.

-How wonderful it is to know that God is sovereignly in control of every situation of every person over every time period in every land. That means that right now, whatever you are going through, God is sovereignly in control of it.

~All the craziness of 2020, God is sovereignly in control of of every detail. And who knows, He may be using the virus and political strife and other things to work toward some grand purpose of His.

-I do know this—God has control of you, and me, and as He had complete control of Christ’s first coming, so too does He have complete control of Christ’s second coming. The fulfillment of the promises in this passage ensure us that God has sovereignty to bring all of His other promises to pass.

2) The angels’ announcement of eternal hope (vv. 8-14)

LUKE 2:8-14

Luke 2:8–14 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

-When God fulfills His promises, He leaves Himself with a witness. God doesn’t secretly fulfill prophecies and promises. God doesn’t turn it into some sort of puzzle where you have to try and figure out if God has done something. God doesn’t make it a WHERE’S WALDO book where you have to go looking for His work. When God does a work amongst humanity, especially a work that so changes people’s destinies, He is going to let someone know about it.

-And here He does. God sends an angel who appears to some shepherds. To verify that this angel is speaking for God, the angel is surrounded by God’s glory. This angel has the authority to speak on behalf of God, and gives an announcement that God did what He said He would do.

-We’ve all heard or received announcements that just moved our souls. Maybe we heard an announcement that a family member is getting married or that they are expecting, and we rejoice with them. Those are announcements that stir our hearts.

~Of course, sometimes it’s even little announcements that get us excited—announcements that really have no impact on much, but they get our blood pumping anyway.

~Years ago when they announced a live-action Star Wars show called the Mandalorian, I got excited, and it has not disappointed. Or, just the other day, they made the announcement that there was going to be some sort of multi-verse Spider-Man movie that covers all the different Spider-Man franchises, and I’m like YEAH BUDDY! {Yes, I know I’m a nerd…}

-Family announcements are great, and movie announcements are interesting, but this angel made an announcement that changed all of history. News of great joy that is for all people in all places in all of history, because a child was born who is Christ the Lord. News that God visited His people and fulfilled His plans, promises, and prophecies. All wrapped up in a baby boy.

-Finally, the world had hope. Finally, the barrier between man and God could be broken down. Finally, there would be release from the shame and guilt of sin. Finally, the chains would break that kept us enslaved to our fleshly wills and desires. Finally, mankind no longer needed to wander around in darkness groping for something solid to hold on to.

-God had acted in the realm of history, and gave man the remedy for their biggest questions and their greatest needs. That is something worth announcing. And that is something that we can continue to announce. People are so steeped in their sin, they are angry and hateful and spiteful. But that anger, hate, and spite covers up what is really going on inside of them, because inside they are lost and confused and chained to their lusts and sins. They have no peace within them.

-But now, the angel made the announcement, and we join in telling of the good news of great joy for all people—Christ was born, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

-And an angel chorus joined the one and gave the praise of glory to God in the highest, on peace on earth—for Christ makes peace between God and man.

3) The shepherd’s praise for God’s fulfilled word (vv. 15-20)

LUKE 2:15-20

Luke 2:15–20 ESV

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

-The shepherds were excited to see for themselves what the angel had announced to them. It says that with haste they went and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. God fulfilled His promise, the angel announced it, and now the shepherds found it to be so.

-And what was the reaction to all of this? The shepherds told Mary everything that they had seen and were told concerning the child, and it says that everyone who heard it wondered. They marveled at it. It took their breath away.

~Have you ever had an experience where you just didn’t know what to say, and so all you could do is sit there kind of with mouth wide open and go WOW! Words wouldn’t do it justice.

~That’s what they experienced here. WOW! All of that for this small child. All that He would do and accomplish. All that He would suffer. All that He would win. WOW!

-But then it says Mary treasured and pondered these things. She just thought about it over and over, and through the years she would bring it back up in her mind and think on it some more.

~I fear that we’ve become so familiar with the Christmas story (as well as most stories of the Bible) such that we don’t even think about it much anymore. But let the wonder of it all cause you to treasure it and ponder it over and over again in your heart.

-And then it says that the shepherds returned to their field glorifying and praising God along the way for all that they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. They worshipped God. That is the appropriate response.

~We are in awe of what God did through the birth of Jesus such that it makes us say WOW; and we think on it and ponder if over and over again; and it leads us to join the shepherds and angels and everybody in worship.

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

Conclusion

Author Frederick Buechner tells the story about a Christmas pageant a friend of his took part in as pastor of a church. Buechner writes:

The manger was down in front at the [stage] steps where it always is. Mary was there in a blue mantle and Joseph in a cotton beard. The wise men were there with a handful of shepherds, and of course in the midst of them all, the Christ child was there, lying in the straw. The nativity story was read aloud by my friend with carols sung at the appropriate places, and all went like clockwork until it came time for the arrival of the angels of the heavenly host, as represented by the children of the congregation, who were robed in white and scattered throughout the pews with their parents.

At the right moment they were supposed to come forward and gather around the manger..., and that is just what they did except there were so many of them that there was a fair amount of crowding and jockeying for position, with the result that one particular angel, a [little] girl...who was smaller than most of them, ended up so far out on the fringes of things that not even by craning her neck and standing on tiptoe could she see what was going on. ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will among men,’ they all sang on cue, and then in the momentary pause that followed, the small girl electrified the entire church by crying out in a voice shrill with irritation and frustration and enormous sadness at having her view blocked, ‘Let Jesus show!’

-Christian, God fulfilled His promise, now it is up to you to let Jesus show through you so others know about this fulfillment as well.

-But if you have never believed…