WEBVTT 00:00:03.500 --> 00:00:06.660 I suppose that most of us at some time or another 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.160 in our lives have wondered what it would be like 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:15.439 to be able to travel in time. And I think we 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.059 would agree that it would be a most excellent 00:00:18.059 --> 00:00:24.019 adventure if we could do so. I'd like for you 00:00:24.019 --> 00:00:26.739 to come along with me this morning in a sanctified, 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:31.559 imaginary journey back to the past. in a time 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:35.579 machine that will take us centuries away and 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:39.219 worlds away from where we live now in the 20th 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:43.700 century. We leave behind the 20th century with 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:50.119 its world wars, the beginning of flight, the 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:52.560 invention of the horseless carriage as we journey 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.899 backwards in time. We pass the Civil War quickly 00:00:56.899 --> 00:01:01.590 and the taming of the West. The American Revolution 00:01:01.590 --> 00:01:04.510 lasts but for a second in our timeless scene 00:01:04.510 --> 00:01:07.010 as we see the Puritans and the Pilgrims quickly 00:01:07.010 --> 00:01:10.709 go by. And even now we're at the discovery of 00:01:10.709 --> 00:01:14.989 North America by Columbus, according to some, 00:01:14.989 --> 00:01:19.370 or Leif Erikson, according to others. We're traveling 00:01:19.370 --> 00:01:21.430 to another part of the world and into ancient 00:01:21.430 --> 00:01:25.290 times beyond the time of the Reformation, past 00:01:25.290 --> 00:01:28.049 the time of the invention of the Gutenberg Press. 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:32.680 The Crusades of the Middle Ages, past the Dark 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:37.159 Ages, we quickly go. We see the collapse of Rome. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.400 But we're beginning to slow down now as we pass 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:47.019 the time of Augustine and Constantine. And we 00:01:47.019 --> 00:01:50.280 begin to stop as we enter the era of the Caesars, 00:01:50.280 --> 00:01:58.420 Chariots, Legions, Slaves, and Pantheons. We're 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:02.200 beginning to stop as we come to a period of artisans 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:06.379 and vineyard growers, shepherds and carpenters, 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:12.819 Roman centurions and kings. The Gregorian calendar 00:02:12.819 --> 00:02:16.639 which we have with us is not heard of here. They 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:20.099 use a Julian calendar which was commenced just 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:23.699 a few years before this by Julius Caesar prior 00:02:23.699 --> 00:02:28.539 to our arrival here in Palestine. The world where 00:02:28.539 --> 00:02:31.500 we have stopped is a very different world from 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:35.259 the one that we left behind. Life is not lived 00:02:35.259 --> 00:02:40.539 here by the clock, but by the sun. It is a much 00:02:40.539 --> 00:02:44.439 quieter world, one of slower pace in living. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:50.639 Dusty paths are the interstates here, horses 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:55.240 the cars, and camels and donkeys are the carriers 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:59.379 of commerce. We might immediately notice the 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:03.039 lack of carbon monoxide in the air, but sanitary 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:06.340 conditions and the ever -present smoke from cooking 00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:10.259 fires confirm that this is not a pollution -free 00:03:10.259 --> 00:03:15.639 environment. Many oriental fragrances and smells 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:20.879 greet our western noses. We see around us massive 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:25.060 stone buildings and city walls with heavy security 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:28.800 gates. which dwarf the simple stone structures 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:33.840 and tents which most of the people live in. We 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.580 are struck immediately by how poor the masses 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:41.680 are, how oppressed and victimized they are by 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:45.439 the powerful, by the military, by the wealthy. 00:03:47.620 --> 00:03:53.710 We sense that life is cheap. And yet the people 00:03:53.710 --> 00:03:57.689 are a happy people. Their clothing is simple 00:03:57.689 --> 00:04:01.490 and colorful. It consists of a tunic and cloak, 00:04:01.770 --> 00:04:06.229 sandals or shoes, and a head covering of some 00:04:06.229 --> 00:04:10.270 sort. It's interesting that people are groomed, 00:04:10.270 --> 00:04:14.270 but they're not quite as clean as the standards 00:04:14.270 --> 00:04:19.750 that we've left behind in the 1990s. As we enter 00:04:19.750 --> 00:04:22.069 their homes, we notice that there is no television. 00:04:23.250 --> 00:04:27.550 There is no radio. There is no CD player. There 00:04:27.550 --> 00:04:30.829 is no cassette player, tapes. No newspapers. 00:04:31.430 --> 00:04:34.029 There is no mail service. There is no electricity 00:04:34.029 --> 00:04:39.689 or gas. Olive oil lamps provide the simple life. 00:04:41.209 --> 00:04:43.910 The closest thing to a mall in this community 00:04:43.910 --> 00:04:46.649 is the open air market down at the corner where 00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:50.639 animals and fruits, Cloth and other basic commodities 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:56.259 are either bought or bartered for. It's interesting 00:04:56.259 --> 00:04:59.399 to notice the Greek cultural influence. It's 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:03.100 obvious. Even though Rome governs the region, 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:08.500 there are temples to Greek gods. Theaters, forums, 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:13.319 gymnasiums, stadiums, public baths are everywhere. 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:17.699 That tells of the influence of Athens, even though... 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:22.439 The world around us is presently governed by 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:26.339 a city that is set on seven hills far to the 00:05:26.339 --> 00:05:30.620 west. Here where we have stopped, there are no 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:33.839 policemen, but there are many Roman soldiers 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.980 who represent the law, the law of the empire. 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.519 Augustus has reigned for some 20 years already. 00:05:44.170 --> 00:05:46.889 and has many more years in his reign before he 00:05:46.889 --> 00:05:51.170 will die. We'll see his image stamped on the 00:05:51.170 --> 00:05:55.709 coins and carved in marble. He dominates the 00:05:55.709 --> 00:06:00.189 political scene all around us, not only by his 00:06:00.189 --> 00:06:04.230 marbled presence, but also by his appointed governors 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:09.470 and other cronies. His occupation troops hold 00:06:09.470 --> 00:06:12.870 the lid on simmering frustration in the masses. 00:06:13.529 --> 00:06:16.790 and the defiance that is in the Jewish multitudes 00:06:16.790 --> 00:06:20.930 of the region. The atmosphere is a mixture of 00:06:20.930 --> 00:06:26.110 hopelessness and expectation, of despair and 00:06:26.110 --> 00:06:30.610 yet dreams of liberation. And we notice that 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:34.050 the masses are in movement. Something has recently 00:06:34.050 --> 00:06:39.209 been ordered by Rome. A census. A census that 00:06:39.209 --> 00:06:42.209 is involved with the taxation of the people. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:47.480 This had been mandated, and every person, according 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:50.639 to the order, must report to his ancestral village 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:55.500 in order to be registered there. Many are finding 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:58.420 it necessary to make long, arduous journeys. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:06.660 This man, Joseph, and his wife -to -be, Mary, 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:11.060 arrived here in Bethlehem just a few days before 00:07:11.060 --> 00:07:16.290 this. They lived in Nazareth, but it was required 00:07:16.290 --> 00:07:19.389 for them to come to this city in order to be 00:07:19.389 --> 00:07:23.649 registered. They have lingered a few extra days 00:07:23.649 --> 00:07:26.930 because Mary is near giving birth to a child, 00:07:27.029 --> 00:07:29.889 and they don't want to risk being on the road 00:07:29.889 --> 00:07:34.269 home when delivery should come. And it comes 00:07:34.269 --> 00:07:37.189 about that while they are here in this city, 00:07:37.769 --> 00:07:41.410 the days were completed for her to give birth, 00:07:41.490 --> 00:07:45.420 and she does. And our text says that she gave 00:07:45.420 --> 00:07:54.240 birth to her firstborn son. O little town of 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:02.939 Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy 00:08:02.939 --> 00:08:06.920 deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:13.120 by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:19.500 light. The hopes and fears of all the years are 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:24.500 met indeed tonight. For Christ is born of Mary, 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:29.540 and gathered all above while mortals sleep, the 00:08:29.540 --> 00:08:35.360 angels keep their watch of wondering love. O 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:40.820 morning stars, together proclaim his holy birth. 00:08:41.389 --> 00:08:45.669 and praises sing to God the King in peace to 00:08:45.669 --> 00:08:53.049 men on earth. Jesus Christ is born of Mary, her 00:08:53.049 --> 00:08:57.490 firstborn. And as we think of him in his titles 00:08:57.490 --> 00:09:01.110 as the firstborn, this morning we come to our 00:09:01.110 --> 00:09:05.330 concluding one, Jesus Christ, the firstborn of 00:09:05.330 --> 00:09:11.179 Mary. An interesting title for him. It tells 00:09:11.179 --> 00:09:14.039 us certain things. First of all, it tells us 00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:18.720 something about Mary. It tells us that Mary was 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:25.379 his mother, but Joseph was not his father. He 00:09:25.379 --> 00:09:29.080 was not the firstborn of Joseph, but merely the 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:32.820 firstborn of Mary. They were, you see, engaged, 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:37.120 according to verse 5 of our text. And they had 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:41.070 not come together yet as husband and wife. Nonetheless, 00:09:41.269 --> 00:09:46.549 she was with child. Matthew chapter 1 confirms 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:50.450 that these two had not known intimacy, that in 00:09:50.450 --> 00:09:54.250 fact she was still pure as a virgin and yet was 00:09:54.250 --> 00:09:59.210 with child. It is Luke who tells us, with the 00:09:59.210 --> 00:10:03.389 interest of a physician, that it was the Holy 00:10:03.389 --> 00:10:07.830 Spirit who came upon her. and miraculously caused 00:10:07.830 --> 00:10:13.389 Mary to conceive without knowing a man. Matthew 00:10:13.389 --> 00:10:16.190 reminds us that this is in accordance with what 00:10:16.190 --> 00:10:20.009 the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 7 and verse 14, 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:27.090 had foretold. A virgin would be with child. Luke 00:10:27.090 --> 00:10:29.909 recounts for us the angelic visit when this was 00:10:29.909 --> 00:10:33.970 announced rather to Mary, and of the joy that 00:10:33.970 --> 00:10:37.289 filled her heart. and yet the wonder of it all. 00:10:38.710 --> 00:10:41.730 The firstborn of Mary, this tells us that she 00:10:41.730 --> 00:10:44.850 was the mother of Jesus, but Joseph was not the 00:10:44.850 --> 00:10:50.169 father. It also tells us that Mary was later 00:10:50.169 --> 00:10:54.029 to give birth to other children, for Jesus was 00:10:54.029 --> 00:10:58.950 but her firstborn. In Luke chapter 8, verses 00:10:58.950 --> 00:11:03.419 19 and 20, in fact, this is told to us. where 00:11:03.419 --> 00:11:06.159 on an occasion it says that his mother and brothers 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:10.259 came to him, to Jesus, and they were unable to 00:11:10.259 --> 00:11:12.639 get to him because of the crowd, and it was reported 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.120 to him, your mother and your brothers are standing 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:20.059 outside wishing to see you. So indeed, Mary and 00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:23.639 Joseph together had a number of other children. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:28.240 In Mark chapter 6 and verse 3, these words are 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:30.899 found. Is not this the carpenter, the son of 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:35.299 Mary? and the brother of James and Joseph and 00:11:35.299 --> 00:11:39.179 Judas and Simeon? And are not his sisters here 00:11:39.179 --> 00:11:44.620 with us? And so the New Testament confirms not 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:47.720 only that Jesus had brothers, but that he had 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:50.340 sisters as well, half -brothers and half -sisters. 00:11:50.779 --> 00:11:55.799 And some of them are named. This may seem strange 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:59.799 to us in our culture where there is the teaching 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:04.629 that... Mary was a perpetual virgin. In fact, 00:12:04.629 --> 00:12:07.250 there are a number of false teachings that surround 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:11.330 Mary as a result of the worship of her in the 00:12:11.330 --> 00:12:14.350 Roman Catholic Church. Now, I know that there 00:12:14.350 --> 00:12:16.669 are those who deny that the Roman Catholic Church 00:12:16.669 --> 00:12:19.649 worships her, and yet if you look at the literature 00:12:19.649 --> 00:12:22.570 surrounding her, indeed that very term is used, 00:12:22.710 --> 00:12:28.490 worship and adoration of the virgin. We ought 00:12:28.490 --> 00:12:33.549 to tremendously respect this young woman, pure 00:12:33.549 --> 00:12:39.409 and godly, who was chosen of the Lord to bear 00:12:39.409 --> 00:12:45.169 the Son of God in his humanity as he was incarnated 00:12:45.169 --> 00:12:50.370 in human flesh. She is a marvelous example of 00:12:50.370 --> 00:12:53.529 what a young person ought to be in service to 00:12:53.529 --> 00:12:57.279 the Lord. And yet she herself confessed that 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:00.519 she was a sinner in need of the grace of God. 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.659 Some of the false teachings that have arisen 00:13:04.659 --> 00:13:07.500 around her, however, state that she is born without 00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:11.620 sin. Indeed, when you hear of the Immaculate 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:14.980 Conception, and there are churches, in fact, 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.500 I was raised in a small Kansas town where there 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:21.440 was a church by that name. That term, however, 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.139 in Roman Catholic theology does not refer to 00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:26.779 the virgin birth of Christ, but to the immaculate 00:13:26.779 --> 00:13:30.019 conception of Mary in their teaching. That is, 00:13:30.019 --> 00:13:36.139 that she was born without a sinful nature. The 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:38.559 Church also teaches that she is incapable of 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:43.899 sin. They teach of her bodily assumption into 00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:46.580 heaven, that she died and was raised from the 00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:50.220 dead and taken directly to heaven. It teaches 00:13:50.220 --> 00:13:53.419 that she is a mediator for sinners and calls 00:13:53.419 --> 00:13:57.679 her the mother of God. All of these teachings 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:02.700 are blasphemous. They are part of the worship 00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:05.419 of the mother and child, which did not originate, 00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:09.340 by the way, in that church, but originated in 00:14:09.340 --> 00:14:14.279 ancient Babylon. It is a pagan teaching. The 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:17.700 worship of mother and child can be found in many 00:14:17.700 --> 00:14:21.820 ancient religions, in far -flung corners of the 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:25.899 world. It was merely adapted and adopted by the 00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:29.779 Roman Church, with Mary and Jesus being given 00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:34.080 the names of the mother and child. What this 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:37.639 term teaches us, that Jesus is the firstborn 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:41.779 of Mary, is that in fact she and Joseph did have 00:14:41.779 --> 00:14:44.860 other children together, and it pokes at least 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.299 one hole in the false teaching that surrounds 00:14:47.299 --> 00:14:53.289 her. in the Roman Church. Jesus Christ is the 00:14:53.289 --> 00:14:55.730 firstborn of Mary. This also tells us something 00:14:55.730 --> 00:14:58.549 about her firstborn. Let me mention a couple 00:14:58.549 --> 00:15:01.970 of things. In the first place, it tells us that 00:15:01.970 --> 00:15:10.070 he was a unique baby. In this baby was joined, 00:15:10.149 --> 00:15:13.350 were joined, the nature of deity and the nature 00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:20.049 of humanity in one person. That was not easily 00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:23.809 understood. In fact, it took several centuries 00:15:23.809 --> 00:15:30.090 for believers to sort out exactly what was the 00:15:30.090 --> 00:15:34.470 nature of the Incarnation. There were some who 00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:41.649 taught that He was of one nature and that deity 00:15:41.649 --> 00:15:46.590 and humanity commingled. There was just one nature. 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:51.360 and one person. There were others who said, no, 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.840 that's impossible, there had to be two natures, 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:59.379 but there were actually two persons in one body. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:06.120 Eventually, the correct theology came to be enunciated 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:08.940 as believers studied the Scripture and prayed 00:16:08.940 --> 00:16:11.820 and sought the mind of God regarding the Incarnation. 00:16:12.909 --> 00:16:15.090 And finally, it was settled in our understanding 00:16:15.090 --> 00:16:19.250 as to what the incarnation involved. It involved 00:16:19.250 --> 00:16:24.570 deity and humanity being joined, but not mixed. 00:16:26.009 --> 00:16:30.269 They were kept separate, and yet joined in a 00:16:30.269 --> 00:16:36.529 mysterious union, forming one person, Jesus Christ. 00:16:40.049 --> 00:16:43.659 That is unique. There is no one who's ever been 00:16:43.659 --> 00:16:51.639 born like that. He was a unique baby. As God 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:59.960 and man in one person. When you think of it that 00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:05.200 way, the manger scene becomes very touching. 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:10.900 Because here you see a baby. that is in the first 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:16.420 place helpless. All babies are. They're defenseless. 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:22.460 Babies have to be protected and nurtured by their 00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:28.819 parents. And here in this manger we see a baby 00:17:28.819 --> 00:17:33.440 that is helpless and yet which is God himself 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:38.940 come into flesh. Think of this. That here is 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:44.619 the omnipotent God himself in human form. That 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:47.960 he lies there as a helpless baby that must be 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:52.000 cared for by his parents and by the angels that 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:56.240 surround him. His life would have been taken 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.900 by Herod in his early months had it not been 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:04.380 for the intervention of the angels and the protection 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:07.140 that his parents gave him in fleeing to Egypt. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:11.519 Another word comes to mind as I think of the 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:16.160 manger scene, and that is the word humble. For 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.640 here we see God himself in all of his splendor, 00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:26.799 leaving behind not his deity, but the outward 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:30.980 evidence of his deity. The glory that was rightfully 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:38.180 his as God, condescending to be born. in human 00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:41.380 flesh and to allow his glory to be veiled there. 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:47.579 Jesus Christ did not think his equality as God 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:51.220 something to be held on to tightly, but was willing 00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:55.640 to lay that aside and to come in the form of 00:18:55.640 --> 00:19:01.160 humanity. And here we see him as a baby, dependent 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:07.039 upon others for his very basic needs. We see 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:12.240 God in a baby, needing to be fed at his mother's 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:20.019 breast, needing his diapers to be changed, needing 00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:24.299 to be carried from here to there, all of his 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:30.059 needs provided for him. This is God. Think of 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:36.579 the humility of God. When I think of this scene, 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:41.660 another word comes to mind. It is the word unawareness. 00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:49.500 Here is God who is omniscient, the God who knows 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:52.640 everything, who cannot learn anything because 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:00.900 he knows all. And yet his omniscience, an attribute 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:06.920 of his deity. has now been shielded from his 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:12.339 humanity. In order to preserve the full expression 00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:16.660 and the experience of his being human, a man 00:20:16.660 --> 00:20:22.039 does not know everything. And so in the miracle 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:26.559 of the union of God and man, the attributes of 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:30.859 deity -like omniscience are shielded from the 00:20:30.859 --> 00:20:38.089 humanity. So that God fully enters into the experience 00:20:38.089 --> 00:20:42.549 of being human. He knew before what it meant 00:20:42.549 --> 00:20:48.089 because he's omniscient. But now he experiences 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:53.289 it in a body. And we see that amazing verse at 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:55.910 the end of Luke chapter 2 that tells us that 00:20:55.910 --> 00:21:01.609 Jesus increased in wisdom. The God who is all 00:21:01.609 --> 00:21:16.490 wise learned. He was a unique baby. Can you imagine 00:21:16.490 --> 00:21:19.950 the wonder that had to fill the heart of Mary 00:21:19.950 --> 00:21:29.019 as she looked into the eyes of this baby? And 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:32.099 beginning to understand that peering back at 00:21:32.099 --> 00:21:35.119 her through those little eyes and that little 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:43.619 head was God himself. And as she reached down 00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:47.079 and took his little hand in hers and felt those 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:52.200 fingers clasp around hers, the wonder of recognizing 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:59.160 that that was the strength of God. human flesh. 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:06.140 Does your heart wonder like mine does? Are you 00:22:06.140 --> 00:22:10.880 struck with awe at this amazing thing that God 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:19.019 did that first Christmas? A unique baby, but 00:22:19.019 --> 00:22:25.920 He was also authentically human. He was God and 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:30.380 yet He was man. And we see in the third chapter 00:22:30.380 --> 00:22:33.299 of Luke, and I invite you to turn there, this 00:22:33.299 --> 00:22:41.299 genealogy of Mary's. And it concludes in verse 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:47.900 38 by reminding us that Mary and her firstborn 00:22:47.900 --> 00:22:55.339 were related to Adam. Do you see that in verse 00:22:55.339 --> 00:23:02.079 38? This one who was born of Mary, in fact, was 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:07.759 the direct fulfillment of Adam. Adam, the first 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:13.619 Adam, was a type of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the 00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:19.299 last Adam. That's the way Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:23.519 chapter 15. The point is that what the first 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:31.319 Adam, the Son of God, by creation. But that first 00:23:31.319 --> 00:23:37.460 Adam lost because of his disobedience. The last 00:23:37.460 --> 00:23:44.519 Adam, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was 00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:51.200 going to restore for redeemed humanity. He is 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:54.920 related to Adam. He is related to Abraham. Notice 00:23:54.920 --> 00:24:00.349 in verse 34 that honored name. He was authentically 00:24:00.349 --> 00:24:07.170 human. He was the son of Adam and yet without 00:24:07.170 --> 00:24:11.650 Adam's sin. Thus the necessity of the virgin 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:16.390 birth. He was the son of Abraham and as the son 00:24:16.390 --> 00:24:18.890 of Abraham could be the one who would bring about 00:24:18.890 --> 00:24:21.789 eventually the fulfillment of God's covenant 00:24:21.789 --> 00:24:25.349 with Abraham found in Genesis 12 and further 00:24:25.349 --> 00:24:29.630 stated in Genesis chapter 15. where God promised 00:24:29.630 --> 00:24:32.210 to Abraham that he and his descendants would 00:24:32.210 --> 00:24:37.410 enjoy some geography. And he says that the boundaries 00:24:37.410 --> 00:24:40.509 of that include the Nile River over to the Euphrates. 00:24:41.410 --> 00:24:44.170 We've got news for Saddam Hussein this morning. 00:24:45.150 --> 00:24:48.009 He's only sitting as a squatter on that land. 00:24:49.509 --> 00:24:54.089 Someday where he is now reigning, Jesus Christ 00:24:54.089 --> 00:24:57.740 is going to reign as the son of Abraham. For 00:24:57.740 --> 00:24:59.880 all of that has been promised to Abraham and 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:02.259 to his descendants. And Jesus, as the son of 00:25:02.259 --> 00:25:05.299 Abraham, will find the fulfillment of that one 00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:09.019 day when he comes to reign. If you look further 00:25:09.019 --> 00:25:11.519 in the list, you see names that are strange to 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:14.680 you, some names we see nowhere else. But you 00:25:14.680 --> 00:25:19.640 look in verse 31 and you see David. For Jesus 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:23.259 Christ, as the firstborn of Mary, was the descendant 00:25:23.259 --> 00:25:26.039 of David. And as such would be the fulfillment 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:30.619 of God's covenant with David. That covenant that 00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:33.619 said that there would be an eternal reign of 00:25:33.619 --> 00:25:38.880 David's seed upon a throne. The immediate fulfillment 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:41.839 was Solomon, David's son, who reigned on a throne. 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:45.559 But Solomon died, as did Solomon's descendants. 00:25:46.599 --> 00:25:49.140 But one day there is going to be a son of David 00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:52.359 who will reign on a throne forever. And indeed 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:56.630 you see that. Earlier here in the Gospel of Luke, 00:25:56.769 --> 00:26:00.750 where it is promised that Jesus Christ will be 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:03.410 the one who will reign upon the throne of his 00:26:03.410 --> 00:26:07.430 father, David. You see that in Luke 1 and verse 00:26:07.430 --> 00:26:11.170 32, where the angel says to Mary in announcing 00:26:11.170 --> 00:26:13.609 the coming birth, He will be great and will be 00:26:13.609 --> 00:26:16.170 called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord 00:26:16.170 --> 00:26:19.650 God will give him the throne of his father, David. 00:26:22.220 --> 00:26:24.680 Mary understood that she was in the royal line 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:27.700 of David. And now she has given the announcement 00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:30.220 that this baby that she's about to give birth 00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:34.000 to in a few months will be the one who will reign 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:39.500 on the throne of their father David. Authentically 00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:42.180 human. He had to be human to fulfill all of these 00:26:42.180 --> 00:26:49.279 things. What does that mean to us today? Well, 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.829 it means to us several things. Let me just mention 00:26:51.829 --> 00:26:53.630 a couple of them. First of all, it means that 00:26:53.630 --> 00:26:57.890 because he's human, he knows exactly what it 00:26:57.890 --> 00:27:02.529 means to live as a person in this world. It is 00:27:02.529 --> 00:27:05.430 true that he was without sin, but that only increased 00:27:05.430 --> 00:27:09.509 his sensitivity, folks, to the hardship and the 00:27:09.509 --> 00:27:13.470 horror, the sadness and the disappointment of 00:27:13.470 --> 00:27:21.380 humanity. He understands exactly what it means 00:27:21.380 --> 00:27:27.640 to be a human being. So you and I have one who 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:32.240 stands before God today who knows exactly how 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:39.480 you feel this morning. Are you sad today? Are 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:45.140 you bearing a load? Are you fearful of the future? 00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:51.150 Jesus Christ understands every human emotion, 00:27:51.329 --> 00:27:54.289 not merely because He's God, but because He's 00:27:54.289 --> 00:28:01.730 man and has lived it. And you can know today 00:28:01.730 --> 00:28:04.930 that there's someone in heaven standing before 00:28:04.930 --> 00:28:09.230 the throne of God who's able to tell the Father 00:28:09.230 --> 00:28:15.049 exactly how you feel and tell the Father exactly 00:28:15.049 --> 00:28:21.809 what you need. That's good news. What this also 00:28:21.809 --> 00:28:28.269 means to us is this. If the Son of God can lay 00:28:28.269 --> 00:28:32.369 aside the glory that was His eternally with the 00:28:32.369 --> 00:28:36.410 Father and enter into the limitations of humanity 00:28:36.410 --> 00:28:42.690 in order to do us good, to redeem us. then who 00:28:42.690 --> 00:28:46.410 are we to stand off from people that we see beneath 00:28:46.410 --> 00:28:52.569 us and hold ourselves away from their hurts and 00:28:52.569 --> 00:28:57.710 their sorrows? Should we not rather fully enter 00:28:57.710 --> 00:29:03.849 into their experience with them in meekness and 00:29:03.849 --> 00:29:15.869 in humility and seek to do them good? Jesus Christ 00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:20.569 is the firstborn of Mary. That title tells us 00:29:20.569 --> 00:29:23.049 something about Mary. It tells us something about 00:29:23.049 --> 00:29:26.650 her firstborn. And finally, it tells us something 00:29:26.650 --> 00:29:32.710 about ourselves. For this firstborn of Mary is 00:29:32.710 --> 00:29:37.109 announced here in chapter 2 of Luke and in verse 00:29:37.109 --> 00:29:41.369 11 to the shepherds. And to the shepherds the 00:29:41.369 --> 00:29:47.960 angel says, There has been born for you a what? 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:56.140 A Savior. Jesus Christ came to save. That tells 00:29:56.140 --> 00:30:01.759 us that we are in need of immediate rescue. Not 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:06.440 rescue by and by someday, but today. We are in 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:09.559 need now. Our situation is urgent and desperate. 00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:15.440 we are in need of immediate rescue. Because every 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:19.720 moment that we live in this world, we stand condemned 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:26.440 by our sin. Our rebellion against God puts us 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:31.579 in the place of danger, the danger of His wrath 00:30:31.579 --> 00:30:35.960 and eternal punishment. Every moment that we 00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:39.559 are here, we abide under the judgment of God. 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.779 And we know not when the end of life will come 00:30:43.779 --> 00:30:50.279 and sweep us away to our destiny in hell. We 00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:55.259 are in need of immediate rescue. And it is hopeless 00:30:55.259 --> 00:30:59.960 for us to consider seeking help anywhere else. 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:06.980 God has provided a Savior for us. That's good 00:31:06.980 --> 00:31:13.240 news. personally received him into your life. 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:18.720 That is your urgent need. It's not something 00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:21.460 for tomorrow. It's not something for next year. 00:31:21.559 --> 00:31:28.460 It's something for now, this moment. It's an 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:33.119 urgent tug on your heart. God saying to you, 00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:36.160 today is the day of salvation. Call upon the 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:47.970 Lord while he is near. All of us are saddened 00:31:47.970 --> 00:31:52.710 to learn of the loss of sailors off of the coast 00:31:52.710 --> 00:31:57.049 of Israel in a terrible accident as that ferry 00:31:57.049 --> 00:32:03.970 overturned the other evening. It's hard to imagine 00:32:03.970 --> 00:32:10.509 having been on shore at leave, relaxed, having 00:32:10.509 --> 00:32:16.099 fun, and in a few seconds of time. being submerged 00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:23.960 in water, unable to breathe, and dying at 19 00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:30.599 or 20 or 21 years of age. But there was no rescue 00:32:30.599 --> 00:32:34.180 for the 19 or 20 or however many they will eventually 00:32:34.180 --> 00:32:39.740 decide have been lost. They died. But there was 00:32:39.740 --> 00:32:42.779 rescue for some. There were more than 100 apparently 00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:46.150 on that boat. which means that four -fifths of 00:32:46.150 --> 00:32:48.890 them did escape. They found rescue some way. 00:32:50.910 --> 00:32:53.150 Helicopters were sent out. Boats were sent out. 00:32:54.289 --> 00:32:57.009 And believe me, when those rescuers got there, 00:32:57.130 --> 00:33:00.710 they realized the danger at hand. They did not 00:33:00.710 --> 00:33:02.970 fight against their rescue. They lifted up their 00:33:02.970 --> 00:33:05.089 hands. They grabbed the ropes. They put their 00:33:05.089 --> 00:33:09.250 arms over the sides of the ships in order that 00:33:09.250 --> 00:33:14.079 they might be saved. I hope the same sense of 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:16.640 urgency would grip the heart of anyone here this 00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:20.380 morning without Jesus Christ. Because what this 00:33:20.380 --> 00:33:22.940 story is telling us in Luke chapter 2 is that 00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:26.900 we are in need of immediate rescue from our sin. 00:33:28.460 --> 00:33:32.259 It also tells us that we are the objects of eternal 00:33:32.259 --> 00:33:37.819 love. For Christ the Lord has come down himself 00:33:37.819 --> 00:33:41.559 to enter into our world. And He has suffered 00:33:41.559 --> 00:33:45.900 in our place. He has borne our judgment. And 00:33:45.900 --> 00:33:48.859 now God can show His kindness toward us because 00:33:48.859 --> 00:33:55.039 of what Jesus has done. 1 John 4, 9 says, By 00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:58.119 this the love of God was manifested in us that 00:33:58.119 --> 00:34:01.460 God has sent His only begotten Son into the world 00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:06.839 so that we might live through Him. It's not enough 00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:09.900 just to believe in God. We must believe on... 00:34:10.170 --> 00:34:14.190 Jesus Christ for salvation. It's not merely enough 00:34:14.190 --> 00:34:17.030 to have a head knowledge about Christ, to know 00:34:17.030 --> 00:34:19.869 the Christmas story. We must believe it for ourselves. 00:34:22.030 --> 00:34:26.750 Because Jesus Christ is the firstborn, we may, 00:34:26.889 --> 00:34:32.570 by faith in Him, be secondborn. We can have a 00:34:32.570 --> 00:34:36.110 new birth. We can be born into God's family. 00:34:38.699 --> 00:34:42.460 But to be so, we must humbly receive Him, God's 00:34:42.460 --> 00:34:48.860 wondrous gift. How silently, how silently the 00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:54.840 wondrous gift is given. So God imparts to human 00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:59.480 hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may 00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:04.099 hear His coming, but in this world of sin where 00:35:04.099 --> 00:35:09.579 meek souls... will receive him still, the dear 00:35:09.579 --> 00:35:15.880 Christ enters in. O holy child of Bethlehem, 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:22.840 descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and 00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:28.880 enter in. Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:33.900 angels, the great glad tidings tell, O come to 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:43.920 us. Abide with us, our Lord. Emmanuel. Someone 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:46.900 has written, though Christ in Bethlehem a thousand 00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:52.159 times be born, if he's not born within your heart, 00:35:52.219 --> 00:35:58.059 your life is still forlorn. Let him be born in 00:35:58.059 --> 00:36:11.250 you today. Receive him as your Savior. God, as 00:36:11.250 --> 00:36:15.150 we look at these words telling us about Jesus' 00:36:15.309 --> 00:36:20.110 birth and ponder them, our hearts are immediately 00:36:20.110 --> 00:36:29.050 filled with wonder and awe. What grace is this 00:36:29.050 --> 00:36:34.389 that you, the eternal God, should love us so? 00:36:36.969 --> 00:36:40.090 Oh, Father, I pray today that there may be someone 00:36:40.090 --> 00:36:44.170 or some servile who, before leaving this quiet 00:36:44.170 --> 00:36:49.050 moment, would open their hearts and in meekness 00:36:49.050 --> 00:36:55.969 would receive you. May the dear Christ enter 00:36:55.969 --> 00:37:02.730 in and be born in them today. And in turn, may 00:37:02.730 --> 00:37:09.269 they be born again into your family. Before I 00:37:09.269 --> 00:37:11.449 finish praying, my friend, if that is your need, 00:37:11.650 --> 00:37:18.269 would you just this moment trust Christ? Right 00:37:18.269 --> 00:37:22.550 now where you're seated there. And if that is 00:37:22.550 --> 00:37:25.030 your heart's decision today, would you come by 00:37:25.030 --> 00:37:28.170 and shake my hand afterward and just let me know 00:37:28.170 --> 00:37:32.750 that you've made that heart decision to trust 00:37:32.750 --> 00:37:39.019 Christ this morning. And Father, I pray that 00:37:39.019 --> 00:37:43.760 all of us who name the name of Jesus may allow 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:49.519 him to be incarnated in us, in our world, so 00:37:49.519 --> 00:37:54.219 that we may touch by Jesus' love and his power 00:37:54.219 --> 00:37:58.400 the lives of others who are broken and hurting, 00:37:58.539 --> 00:38:07.039 disappointed and desperate. and above all, who 00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:10.119 are under the judgment of God because of their 00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:16.239 sin. Send us on a mission this week, Lord, to 00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:21.360 find those that you are seeking and to bring 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:27.059 them to the knowledge of Christ. In his name 00:38:27.059 --> 00:38:32.659 we pray. Amen. Let's stand together, please. 00:38:38.159 --> 00:38:40.539 I hope that your Christmas will be a full and 00:38:40.539 --> 00:38:41.320 meaningful one.