The Gospel of Luke (6) 10/23/2022

First Baptist Church Leominster

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And this morning, Pastor Jason will read the concluding chapter of Paul's epistle to Titus, and then pray for us.

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Titus chapter 3. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

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For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

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But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the

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Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our

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Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

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The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.

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These things are excellent and profitable for people, but avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

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As for a person who stirs up division after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.

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Knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self -condemned. When I send

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Artemis or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend a winter there.

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Do your best to speed Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing.

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And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful.

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All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

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Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for the salvation that we have in Christ Jesus.

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We thank you, Lord, that it was not because of anything done by us, but it was done by you.

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Our salvation was accomplished by you. It was according to your mercy. Lord, we thank you for the tremendous gifts that are found in Christ Jesus, for the blessings that are found in Christ Jesus.

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We thank you for the word that guides us and leads us and gives us everything we need for life and godliness.

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Lord, I pray that we would line ourselves up under the authority of your word. Lord, as we hear the word proclaimed, we pray that we would do just that, that we would line up under it.

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We pray that you would teach us what we need to know. Help us to apply these truths to our lives so that we might live as bright lights, exalting you and proclaiming your glory.

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We ask, Lord, for your help. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, let's turn in our

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Bibles, please, to Luke chapter 2. We've completed the first chapter in five sessions, five weeks, and now we are opening up Luke chapter 2 before us.

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We have somewhat of a difficult task before us, or at least I sense the difficulty.

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It's a challenge to consider a passage of Scripture with which we are all familiar, one that we read or have heard read many, many times.

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Sometimes the ability that we have to hear and learn is hindered somewhat because it's familiar to us, that which we presume we already understand fully, and so we don't focus or concentrate.

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But the Lord has a way of opening our minds and hearts to truths to which we have been taught, but perhaps have never truly grasped.

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He turns on the lights. Oh, I never saw that before. And that's always a blessing, isn't it?

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And so may our Lord reveal himself and his ways to us in his Word before us here in Luke chapter 2.

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We read, beginning in verse 1 and continuing through verse 20, the account of the birth of our

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Lord Jesus, our Savior. It's a story that we recite every Christmas and on occasions leading up to Christmas, but it is with our desire and effort to see fresh importance and relevance in these words, which is the difficulty before us, and we pray that the

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Lord would help us in this way. And so here is Luke 2 verses 1 through 20, and I'm reading from the

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New King James Version. And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

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This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria, so all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

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Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city

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David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

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And so it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

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Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

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And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the

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Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them,

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Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.

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For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you.

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You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising

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God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on peace, goodwill toward men.

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And so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another,

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Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

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And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

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And now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child.

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And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

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And then the shepherds returned, glorified and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

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The birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem had long and frequently been proclaimed among the expectant people of Israel.

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One once described this messianic expectation in this way. Such then was the hope of the promise made of God unto the fathers for which the 12 tribes instantly serving

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God night and day longed with such vividness that they read it in almost every event and promise with such earnestness that it was ever the burden of their prayers with such intensity that many long centuries of disappointment have not quenched it or had not quenched it.

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It's light comparatively dim in the days of sunshine and calm seemed to burn brightest in the dark and lonely nights of suffering as if each gust that swept over Israel only kindled it into fresh flame, fresh gust of difficulty, persecution, hardship.

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But though Bethlehem had long been recognized and regarded as the birthplace of the

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Messiah, no Jewish person could have imagined yet alone appreciated the manner that God chose to bring about this birth that's recorded for us in Luke chapter 2.

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It's paradoxical really. Again Alfred Edersheim wrote to Bethlehem as the birthplace of Messiah not only

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Old Testament prediction but the testimony of rabbinic or rabbi's teaching unhesitatingly pointed and yet nothing could be imagined more directly contrary to Jewish thoughts and feelings and hence nothing less likely to suggest itself to Jewish invention, in other words nobody would have invented this story that we read here in Luke chapter 2, than the circumstances which according to the gospel narrative brought about the birth of the

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Messiah and Bethlehem. A counting of the people or census and that census taken at the bidding of a heathen emperor and executed by one so universally hated as Herod would represent the essentially in Latin the highest point of all that was most repugnant to Jewish feeling.

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If the account of the circumstances which brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem has no basis in fact but it is a legend invented to locate the birth of the

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Nazarene in the royal city of David, it must be pronounced most clumsily devised.

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Nobody would have invented a story like this. It would have been cast entirely differently and so because of the details of Luke 2 verse 1 and following are so out of character with what the

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Jewish people would have viewed as commendable or even conceivable respecting the birth of the Messiah it could never be regarded as having been a humanly devised fable or narrative.

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The account itself is so out of character its very presence bears witness that it's an actual historical record.

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It must be of what God has wrought in history. Now as we read this passage over this passage verses 1 through 20 we can discern two major divisions verses 1 through 7 and then verses 8 through 20.

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Of course in the first seven verses we have the events leading up to culminating in the birth of Jesus and then in verses 8 through 20 is the record of the announcement to the shepherds and their journey to see the newborn

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Messiah and so let's consider these two divisions.

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First the birth of Jesus. We want to sidetrack a little bit.

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When we first began to study Luke's infancy narrative we identified seven separate but related episodes and these episodes include what we have listed before you in your notes seven of them and the account of the birth of Jesus is the fifth episode in Luke's infancy narrative.

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If we had more time we could show in some detail how each of these episodes although related to the others is set in a separate discernible order or organization.

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I do want to point this out to us briefly because I think that it gives us an insight and ability to understand the emphasis of the passage.

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Each episode each one of these seven contain five discernible signs for the most part.

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Let's consider each of these five stages. First each episode begins with a simple introduction in which the writer identifies the persons or characters involved and places them in a historic time frame a historic setting as it were and in our episode the introduction to this entire narrative unit this episode is verses 1 and 2.

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Came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered and this census first took place while Quirinius was governing

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Syria and all went to be registered everyone to his own city. So it's just kind of a broad context as it were but secondly the second stage of this episode there is a more specific and immediate setting for the account that is before us and so the setting may be distinguished from the introduction and that the setting says for details which are the immediate circumstances or the local causes of an event or occurrence to which all the details of the episode are directed.

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It's a setting of the stage on which the event occurs and to say stage is being set up as it were and then it's played out before us in the narrative and in this episode before us verses 4 through 7 would be the second stage setting the stage for the main event as it were the episode verses 4 through 7.

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Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David which is called

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Bethlehem because he was at the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who is with child so it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling claws and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

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That's really setting the stage for the major thrust or the major teaching of the episode.

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The third aspect or stage of the episode may simply be called the event. This is the major thrust or the point of the episode to which the writer wanted to give particular emphasis everything leads up to this and often this is set forth in the speech of the main character it's within quotation marks nothing up to this point has been in quotation marks but now the angel comes forward and it's this that the writer wants to give emphasis and so here in this episode we have verses 8 through 14 in which the shepherds are in the field and then the angel of the

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Lord appears and then he speaks to them do not be afraid for behold

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I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people and there is born to you this day in the city of David a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be the sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and then it's reinforced of course with this whole multitude of angels heavenly hosts appearing and singing glory to God in the highest on earth peace goodwill toward men now as we read this episode historically speaking of course the actual birth of Jesus recorded in verse 7 is the most significant historic event obviously but when you consider the way that that the

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Holy Spirit has laid out this episode through the hand of Luke's pen all the events that lead up to the birth as well as the birth itself is really setting the stage for the angels message this gives the interpretation and the meaning of what occurred and so here is the explanation and the application of the birth of this baby given given to Mary and so the the emphasis the event of this whole episode is really in the speech of the angel to the shepherds and the lesson that is born from that it's the meaning of the birth of Jesus that is pronounced here which is preeminent this is the major message of the passage well the fourth element or stage of the episode is the reaction to the event and so after the event occurs you you have the narrator describing a reaction how did the how did they respond to this and in our episode the reaction to the angels message is verses 15 and 16 so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherd said to one another let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that's come to pass which the

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Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger that was their reaction to the message and then the fifth or final stage or aspect of the episode is simply the conclusion which will oftentimes record the effects or the response that the major event had which is set forth and in our episode this would include verses 17 through 20 now when they had seen him the baby in the manger wrapped in swaddling cloths they made widely known the saying which was told them see the emphasis on the saying that was told them concerning this child and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds see the message again of emphasis is what the angels declared but Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart and then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising

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God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them and so you can see the narrative episode the the event come you know the whole episode comes to a conclusion introduction conclusion it's a concise episode one of seven within the

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Luke's infancy narrative of Luke chapter 1 and 2 well now let's begin to work through these verses first of all in those days verses 1 through 3 came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered and this census first took place while Quirinius was governing

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Syria so all went to be registered everyone to his own city verses 1 through 3 set forth the time in history and the occasion that initiated

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Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Galilee to from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea where the

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Jewish Messiah was to be born verse 1 it came to pass in those days there's a time reference that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus at all the world should be registered it was a time of general peaceful conditions in the

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Roman Empire at that time in those days when our Savior was born his birth took place in the days of Caesar Augustus who ruled

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Rome from 27 BC singly he was a part of a triune group of men that ruled

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Rome before but in 8 in BC 27 he became Caesar the

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Pax Romana prevailed which is the peace of Rome that secured relative stability security and freedom of movement of its citizenry.

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Quirinius was the governor of the Roman province of Syria and this included the region of Palestine the census was a registration with view to taxation and so each family was to register itself in its ancestral hometown now when we look at verse 3 we might perceive the cruelty of oppressors requiring much of its citizenry certainly when we're sympathetic with Mary in her condition nine months pregnant having to travel this distance but actually it was probably quite a an accommodation to the

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Jews to be registered in their hometowns and to be identified with their ancestors and the inheritance which was theirs and so this actually shows a degree of Roman deference to the

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Jews to have been registered in this fashion and perhaps a bit of background about Caesar Augustus would substantiate this understanding

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Caesar Augustus was originally known as Octavian who is the grandnephew of Julius Caesar Julius Caesar favored his grandnephew

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Octavian spoiling him with many favors and gifts throughout life and when

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Julius died in 44 BC Octavian only then learned that he was in his his granduncle's will and that he had been named

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Caesar's son officially an heir the primary heir of Julius Caesar and so at that time

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Octavian changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar now a sister of this man

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Octavian married Marc Antony who was at that time along with Octavian one of the three leaders of Rome before there was a single

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Caesar there was a triumvirate a three -man leading committee as it were if you want to call them that that ruled over the

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Empire but when Antony who was one of these three abandoned his wife in Rome and aligned himself with Cleopatra the

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Queen of Egypt Octavian and the Roman army came to fight against Antony defeating him and as a result of his defeat

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Antony committed suicide and Cleopatra committed suicide along with him well after he was defeated in 27

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BC the Roman Senate declared Octavian Caesar and gave him the name

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Augustus he was declared Caesar and so in 27 BC he became the singular ruler

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Caesar over the Roman Empire and thereafter he was known as Caesar Augustus he reigned over the

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Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in AD 14 41 years

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I believe here's a description of his character I found this quite interesting and informative his character is hard to analyze during his climb to power he was ruthless once in power however he mellowed he became in fact a wise administrator and a famous organizer especially of his military forces and his bodyguard by choosing his generals wisely he won many battles he showed superb tact in dealing with his subjects and allowed even the conquered provinces to retain a considerable measure of home rule he respected their custom religious convictions and even their laws to the extent to which they did not interfere with Rome's he caused an ordinance to be passed making adultery a crime he stimulated the arts and encouraged cleaner literature he was a great builder he gave the world a lengthy period of heretofore unknown peace the

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Pax Romana he'd been called a benevolent ruler and even the father of his country and then after 41 years of reigning a predominantly successful rule he passed away in the arms of his wife and many of the reforms he instituted survived after his death and so here we read in Luke chapter 2 that by means of the census

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Caesar Augustus Caesar the ruler of the known world contributed to the fulfillment of prophecy

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Micah chapter 5 verse 2 now let's consider

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Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David which is called

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Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child and so was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered she brought forth her firstborn son wrapped him in swaddling cloths laid him in a manger because there were no room for them in the end so Joseph's home was

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Bethlehem meaning house of bread it was the ancient city of King David from whom

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Joseph's lineage descended it was a long journey of about 90 miles from Nazareth roughly to the their current home to to net to Bethlehem of Galilee and of course

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Mary traveled with Joseph no doubt it was a difficult journey for her but the Lord sustained her because it was necessary that this baby born in Bethlehem in accordance with Old Testament prophecy and of course later you recall that some questioned the legitimacy of Jesus can any good thing can the

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Messiah come out of Nazareth no everybody knew was Bethlehem because of Micah but you

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Bethlehem Ephrathah though you were little among the thousands of Judah yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler at Israel whose goings forth are from of old from everlasting well there you have the divine nature of the

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Son of God as well as the humanity of the Son of God prophesied in the Old Testament don't you he's going to be born in Bethlehem but his but his goings forth are from of old as it were even from everlasting he's eternal

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God God's oven control over his creation is displayed in our

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Luke an account in a marvelous fashion the timing and the circumstances betray the providence of God what is providence what is providence well it's

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God working behind the scenes shaping and controlling events in order to fulfill his will

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God was controlling everything that took place he put Caesar Augustus as Caesar he moved

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Caesar Augustus to you know to to take a census of everybody in the

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Roman Empire and he showed deference to the Jews so that they can be registered in their hometown and so as God who

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Caesar Augustus was in his hand controlling him to put into effect to bring into realization the fulfillment of Micah chapter 5 verse 2 and so Caesar thought to tax the world but in reality it was

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God who purposed to have his son born in Bethlehem and to have a genealogy to King David officially recognized and recorded how much how much more official can you be but have the

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Roman census declaring that this Joseph the father and Mary the mother came to Bethlehem and so the decree of Caesar was issued in order to accomplish the decree of God concerning his son princes are but puppets in his hands

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God removes Kings and sets up Kings and so we see God's sovereign control over history over people even unconverted people being exhibited here and so let us always remember and affirm that Jesus Christ is presently

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King of Kings and Lord of Lords this is important the Lord Jesus sets up Kings as well as presidents and congressmen and women and then the

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Lord Jesus takes them down when he's completed his use of them and although we may and should be very interested and concerned who is elected to office we should not be overly distressed at whatever outcome the

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Lord Jesus determines for us the Lord is accomplishing his purposes through Caesar Martin Luther used to admonish his friend and fellow worker

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Philip Melanchthon cease Philip to try and govern the world and I thought

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I think that and apparently he said that frequently to Philip and that would be a good word for you and me today right especially with the elections looming before us ultimately all things are unfolding according to God's good and wise plan for history which is ultimately for his glory in both blessing and cursing nations and their people and that's what we're seeing unfolded

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King Jesus is in control of this world and history not just those who are compliant and yielding to him over everyone in verse 6 we read the term of Mary's pregnancy was completed and so she gave birth to her firstborn son

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Mary was not a perpetual virgin after her firstborn son was born she later had other sons and more than one daughter they referred to in Matthew 13 55 and 56 upon the birth of Jesus Mary found no better suitable place for him so she laid him in a manger the feed box of an animal she had wrapped him in swaddling claws strips of cloth wrapped about the body of the newborn to restrict his movements and keep him warm that's how they cared for babies apparently although Joseph may have had relatives in Bethlehem none afforded them a place to stay perhaps the relatives already were occupied with guests and there was no room but could not room be found for this woman in this condition

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Joseph and Mary were either purposely refused a place because of Mary's condition or Joseph or Mary did not feel bold enough to approach his relatives who knows after all she was about to bear a child but she'd not had a hot husband really long enough to justify a legitimate birth

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Joseph and Mary were married months before of course but it must have been a hasty arrangement it must have been obvious to all that the betrothment period had been shortened due to her pregnancy scandal and Mary's reputation could not have been a good one in the eyes of Joseph's family and this must have been a stigma she retained all her life for later even our

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Lord was subtly accused of being born illegitimately what does that say about his mother the

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Pharisees are recorded as having said in John 8 41 we be not born a fornication and that was a you know slap to Jesus they all presumed that he had been born a fornication which was a falsehood of course but perhaps lodging was not available simply because the crowds because of the crowds that might have already gathered at Bethlehem as again one wrote the little town of Bethlehem was crowded with those who had come from all the outlying district to register their names even if the strangers from our far off Galilee had been personally acquainted with anyone in Bethlehem who could have shown them hospitality they would have found every house fully occupied the very end was filled and the only available space was where ordinarily the cattle stable buried in mind the simple habits of the

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East this scarcely implies what it would in the West and perhaps the seclusion and privacy from the noisy shattering crowd which thronged the con or the end would be all the more welcome perhaps it was preferred nevertheless we're struck with the starkness of the event the poverty of the couple the loneliness and seeming abandonment of this couple by all others about them but then in verses 8 and following the scene abruptly changes and so this brings us to that should be third not second the third major section of our episode which we should regard as the primary message of this entire passage it's the shepherds and angels verses 8 through 20 we read in these first two verses verses 8 and 9 now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and behold an angel of the

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Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid understandably and so the angel appeared to them resulting in them being terribly frightened and this is certainly understandable for the glory of the

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Lord shown around them if the shekinah glory of God all of a sudden appeared before us in this room which is described sometimes as far brighter than the noonday

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Sun and especially if it was outside and it were at night

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I suspect our appropriate response would be one of being greatly afraid and by the way one day when the

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Lord calls a human race before him in judgment all will react this way John saw this in advance

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I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it that's Jesus Christ sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them here of course though it was but an angel that appeared because the angel was always in the presence of God and because he was coming to them as God's messenger the glory of God emanated from and about this angel he got their attention

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I'm sure the shepherds had been fearful for they were but mortals and it was believed that a vision of heaven a vision of God coming into the presence of God or even angels who were always in the presence of God if they appeared to mortals it would bring about sudden death that was the fear of Samuel's parents you might recall from the

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Old Testament we read then the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold

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I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people for there is born to you this day in the city of David a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be the sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger the substance of the message of the angel was this there's no reason to fear

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God why because unto them was born a Savior Christ the

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Lord fear not the angel said to the shepherds and so they had cause for great for unto them this one was born a

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Savior Christ the Lord the emphasis of the angels message is that this baby would be the

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Savior of all people the form of this expression all people reveals that the angel and declaring the baby to be the

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Savior of all kinds of people and just before we get to that point these shepherds were the lowliest strata of society this

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Savior is for people of all walks of life any center anywhere all people all kinds of people and in this context it means lowly people also including even ones like these shepherds well let's look in more detail of the angels pronouncement the shepherds were not to fear for unto them was born and there are three terms used here of course familiar terms to us he's a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord let's look first at the word Savior they were fearful because they were sinners but it was for this very purpose that Jesus came into the world to be the

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Savior of sinners he didn't come to call the self -righteous but sinners to repentance do we fear

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God due to our sin we'd need not if we humbly come to our Savior for pardon to deliver us from that which has defiled us and condemns us

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Jesus welcomed sinners in fact among biblical scholarship one of the things that that even the rank liberals recognize must be legitimate with regard to Jesus because they deny so much you know wrongly is the idea that Jesus was a friend of sinners nobody would invent that kind of appellation for somebody it had to have been reality sinners found welcome by Jesus when they came into his presence this is a cause for great joy is it not

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God stooped down that he might pick you up he became a Savior to do for those who could not do for themselves and so is coming into the world would not to condemn man as he himself declared but to save him from a fate that he had brought upon himself because of his sin now when we speak of Jesus as being the

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Savior of sinners it's often the case that people do not see or understand from that which they need to be saved why do we need a

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Savior for that matter what is salvation in these days you can't assume anything folks what is salvation why do we need a

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Savior well very succinctly we might simply say biblical salvation is the work of God through his son

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Jesus Christ to save his people from their sin that has alienated them from the life that is in God alone from the sin that has incurred his damnation of them that's what salvation is and so the result of salvation is that a sinner formally alienated and condemned by God is brought into an eternal covenant relationship with God the

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Bible uses an expression to describe this relationship between God and his redeemed people God has promised those who are saved from sin

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I will be their God and they shall be my people that's covenant language sin had been an impenetrable obstacle preventing mankind from having a relationship with God Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden after they said death both spiritual and physical is the consequence of having been separated from God in whom alone is life and this obstacle of sin in all its forms and effects had to be dismantled dealt with removed and only

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God couldn't do this he had to send a Savior sin had its dire effects upon mankind leaving all people in a hopeless and helpless condemned condition that's you and me outside of Jesus Christ hopeless and helpless impossible to bring any kind of remedy you can have all the step programs you want that's not going to do it

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Jesus Christ alone is the Savior of sinners while there are a number of effects of sin that God would need to remedy in order for him to bring salvation to a sinner we can list some

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I need to go rather rapidly through this I think first of all of course sin due to sin man is ignorant of his condition he doesn't see that he's a guilty and before God he's ignorant of God who he is and to whom he's accountable

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Paul wrote the natural man that is anybody born into this world the natural man doesn't receive the things of the

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Spirit of God for their foolishness to him that's how you know before I was converted you know

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Christianity was for old women children and weak men and I used to you know lambdash

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Christians for their stupidity and their ignorance and foolishness that's the that's the natural man that's what comes out of the thinking of a fallen heart has given itself over over to sin and Paul says that the natural man can't even know the things of the

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Spirit of God and so God must inform the sinner of his condition and also

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God's remedy of his condition through Jesus Christ and this of course is God's work of illumination he opens up our understanding to see to hear to see and understand and to see the relevance of it no one knows the things of God except the

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Spirit of God and so he gives the Spirit so that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God and so we're ignorant second do this in man refuses to believe and submit to the true

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God as God to whom he's accountable and so not only is fallen man stupid in his ignorance due to sin but he's also stubborn well that's a prescription for problems isn't it stupid and stubborn and but that's how people are that are born into the end of this world with respect to God fallen man is opposed to God and refused to submit to him because the carnal mind is enmity the the natural man the carnal fleshly person his mind is enmity against God it's not subject to the law of God we will not have this man rule over him rule over us we will crucify him nor indeed can be the sinner cannot possibly be subject to the law of God oh we might go along with it if we want to and agree to but not because it's been given to us by God and is above us because we were not subject wholly and fully we'll always have exceptions won't we all go this far and I feel a lot better about myself and doing so but we leave a lot of things undone and the fact is that none of us naturally can be subject to the law of God it's not possible and so man is not only guilty for the sins he commits he's guilty because he's a sinner because he desires the delights in his sin and so this has to change you know there's room you know there's room for only one

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God in this universe and it's not you is it not me and so this has to change and this of course can only take place through regeneration

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God giving causing us to become new giving us the new birth regeneration is what the

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Bible describes it to be born again in which God of his own free will takes action and he imparts spiritual life to a person who is spiritually dead it's a sovereign work of God and declared in John 1

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Jesus came to his own and his own did not receive him nobody would but as many as received him to them gave he the right to become the children of God to those who believe on his name well how is it that some came to him if he came to his own

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I did not receive him how is it that as many as received him to them gave the right to become the children of God well he explains verse 13 who were born they didn't become born because they received him they received him because they had been born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man you're not saved ultimately by your free will but of God he put it in you that's why you desired it because you didn't before he enabled you by his grace to desire and receive him they received

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Jesus and that they believed on him but they believed on him because they had been born again by the sovereign grace of God had

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God not caused him to be born again they would not have received Jesus Christ just as the preponderance of Jewish people his own refused to believe on him well aside from being ignorant and aside from you know from being defiant as well due to sin man is guilty and condemned before God for having transgressed

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God's law thereby incurring God's wrath upon him it's an indebtedness every time you sin against the holy law of God you become indebted to justice

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God's justice and God is always just every sin that we've ever committed is there's justice is rendered no sin ever committed in history is going to escape justice because God is just thankfully for Christians God's justice is satisfied with the death of Jesus on the cross we don't escape justice our sins were dealt justly also and it's through Jesus Christ alone but every sin through history nobody gets away with anything these guys who go out commit a mass murder you know slaughtering people than then commit suicide thinking that their escape they're sending themselves right to the pit of hell and they're gonna get an account an eternal account of every sin they've ever committed this is why we need a

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Savior God must pardon the sinner of his guilt or there's no hope we have to we were justly receiving you know the

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God's punishment for sin and so for God to justly receive the forgiven sinner on himself he had to deal with the guilt of sinner and he did so of course through Jesus Christ and so through Christ faith in Christ because of Christ death on the cross

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God freely and fully forgives sins of all those that come to Jesus Christ as Savior and then forth due to sin fallen man lacks a positive righteousness it's not just enough to have your sins forgiven in order to be to dwell with God you need to be holy as God is holy how's that going to happen well it's not but you need a positive righteousness in order to stand before God on the day of judgment and so the only possible way that you and I as sinners even forgiven sinners can stand holy and righteous is if God provides a righteousness for us that we cannot acquire or achieve ourselves and so the

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Bible of course speaks about the gift of righteousness that is that God gives freely to sinners who believe on Jesus and so we read about it in Romans 5 the gift of righteousness is not like that which came through the one

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Adam who sinned for the judgment which came from one offense Adam sin resulted in condemnation but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification the free gift is the righteousness of Jesus Christ for if what by one man's offense

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Adam's offense death reigned through the one much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness there it is will reign and life to the one

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Jesus Christ and so not only do people need to be forgiven of sin they need to be given this gift of righteousness and one day when we stand before Jesus Christ the judge the

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Bible describes it like clothing we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ and and we'll be not only forgiven but we will be regarded as though we had been fully obedient to the law of God all the days of our life what a tremendous work of grace on our behalf a positive righteousness and then fifth due to man sin man is alienated from God and the people of God fallen man is an enemy of God God must reconcile the sinner unto himself incorporating him that sinner into the family of God declaring the believing sinner to be his child forever and so we read of this this matter of being reconciled and adopted into the family of God if when we were enemies that's who you are outside of Christ an enemy of God and God is an enemy to you he regards you as his enemy but through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we should be saved by his life we've been reconciled to God we should not think that God's wrath is ever upon us that's not possible for the

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Christian we're we're in God's favor we've been reconciled we were formally alienated that came to an end in Christ and then sixth of course the sinner needs to have the power of sin dethroned in his life so that he becomes a compliant obedient obedient to God and ordering his life and righteousness to God's law revealed in his word and God accomplishes this aspect of salvation of course by the believers ongoing progressive sanctification and so he cleans us up and over time you know we're not as egregious sinners as we once were what we become more and more like Jesus Christ and it's a work of God's grace by the

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Holy Spirit using the Word of God to teach us instruct us and move us and empower us to become more like the

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Lord Jesus himself and it's a lifelong work of course and then ultimately of course the sinner seventh has to be delivered from the very presence of sin you know there are some really aberrant

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Christian groups who think that we are in the eternal state right now you know that we're in heaven now as it were this is the way it's going to be an eternity can you imagine being eternity with the presence of sin no we're going to be you know we're sin's going to be eradicated from us wholly and fully will be totally delivered from the presence of sin upon our death and ascension of our souls to be with the

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Lord as the Westminster Shorter Catechism rightly answers question 37 what benefits do believers receive from Christ at death answer the souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness you'll be as holy as God is holy upon death if you're a

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Christian and do immediately pass into glory into his presence and then eighth the sinner is in need in need of this corruptible body to be replaced with an incorruptible body you know

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I'm feeling my age I'm turning 70 next month and it seems like I've aged 10 years in the last one year it's coming on me folks but you know the

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Lord gives strength but these bodies are just not suited for eternity they're not even suited for a long life of health and strength but one day it will be transformed again as the catechism

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Westminster catechism answers question 38 what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection answer at the resurrection believers being raised up in glory and 9th if God is to save sinners unto himself he must enable them to stand exonerated on the day of judgment when

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Jesus Christ will judge the entire world according to the works you and I are going to be a George according to our works well how's that going to come out you're going to be exonerated if you're a

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Christian yeah you may learn a whole lot about your life and sins but you're not going to be condemned for them there's no danger for the

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Christian on the day of judgment you're going to stand in the righteousness of Christ fully pardoned of your sins but it's going to become aware on that day of judgment just how indebted you are to the grace and mercy of God for your salvation and it's going to put us in a frame of mind a frame of heart that's going to set us up for eternity always grateful and joyful for what we've been freely given to us in Christ he enables us to stand in the judgment and so the shepherds were not to fear for unto them a

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Savior was born who is Christ the Lord and he'd secure for them all for which they were in need everything they didn't probably in no way conceived of all these things at that moment but this is this was in the purpose of God Jesus Christ the

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Savior was going to save them from their sin we have to rapidly go through this last portion the shepherds were not to fear for unto them was born a

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Savior who is secondarily Christ the Lord he is the

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Christ which is the translation of the Greek word Christos the word means the anointed one that's what

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Messiah is in the Old Testament anointed one and it speaks of God having called and equipped this one for the great work that he need to accomplish

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Jesus of Nazareth was appointed and equipped to accomplish God's work of salvation in you if you come to him and by the way there are some people that perhaps hesitate coming to Christ because they feel that they're too guilty too sinful that's how you're supposed to come to him as a sinner he's the

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Savior it's his responsibility and his pleasure to clean you up come to him as a sinner not as a cleaned -up sinner you come to him as a guilty sinner recognizing

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Lord you have to cleanse just as the leper Lord you you have the authority you can clean me if you're willing to would you be willing yes

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I'm willing and he's willing to cleanse anyone who comes to him humbly and believing more specifically the term

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Christ speaks have been in Christ being anointed to his threefold office of course a prophet priest and King and he's all three offices first one to figure that out in church history was

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John Calvin in the 16th century he's the prophet priest and King in the

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Old Testament there were examples of men that had two of these offices so you had a kingly prophet

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David you had a kingly priest Melchizedek you had a priestly prophet

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Samuel but only our Lord Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows to possess this threefold office to execute on our behalf and so Christ Jesus Christ is a priest having sacrificed himself on our behalf and he lives to praise our priest to God on our behalf he is to us a prophet who declares and reveals the will of God to us he's our teacher and third he is our

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King who delivers us leads us and provides for us so in Christ is him is all we need and we've cited many times the little children's catechism a series of question and answers taught children that so distills this wonderfully question why do you need

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Christ as a prophet answer because I'm ignorant why do you need Christ as a priest answer because I'm guilty why do you need

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Christ as a king because I am weak and helpless we need this threefold office and so here is a true king an anointed one who could bring true peace to his people he was equipped just to do that empowered to do that an ancient writer described

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Caesar while the Emperor may give peace from war on land and sea and this was a

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Roman philosopher while the Emperor may give peace from war on land and sea he's unable to give peace from passion grief and envy he cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even more than outward peace amen and then lastly the shepherds were not to fear for unto them was born a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord now this is extremely significant in verse 9 we read of an angel of the

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Lord in other words an angel of God in verse 15 the shepherds desire to relate the news that the

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Lord had given them through the angel clearly the term Lord is a reference to God himself and in the angels message we have do not fear

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I have news of great joy for born unto you a Savior Christ the Lord God himself is born unto us and we saw that in Micah 5 to again didn't wait from everlasting was this one who is going to be born in Bethlehem and so do not fear

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I've got great news for you for on to you is born a Savior Christ the

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Lord he's one with us as we were babies so is he though he is

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God over all blessed for ever you need not fear if you're a child of God you need not fear if you're a sinner if you're willing to come to him in humility and faith and lastly let's close with just an understanding of these shepherds who are the recipients of these mess of this message again the angel said to the shepherd do not be afraid for behold

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I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for there is born to you this day in the city of David a

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Savior who's Christ the Lord and this will be assigned to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger and so though the announcement in one sense seems quite universal all people in another sense it's quite restricted at Christmastime cards will be circulated by many of those who are not the

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Lord's people with his very passage embossed and golden glitter but does this message apply to them well yes in a measure but the context of these words was directed to the shepherds and all people like them who were there well the sign given to the shepherds you'll find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger and when you see this site it will be a confirming sign to you that God is denied for salvation on you lowly people shepherds and that's how shepherds were regarded by the way shepherding was not regarded as a noble profession at biblical times in fact they were under a ban not being allowed to participate in the religious observances of the temple for they were seen as a lowly people unclean in a lowly occupation in isolation but these shepherds around Bethlehem although lowly had a very unique responsibility for it was in the fields of Bethlehem that the sacrificial sheep offered in the temple were raised and kept it was the duty of these shepherds to watch over these flocks destined for sacrifice and inspect them continually for their fitness for such a purpose and so here this episode we see these shepherds these inspectors of for spotlessness as it were are called upon by God to go and inspect this child lying in the manger wrapped in swaddling cloths and so it was to these lowly shepherds that the message of God's designs came don't be afraid for behold

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I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all kinds of people even the disenfranchised those who had formerly no part the lowly the humble the sinners can rejoice for today in the city of David there's been born for you a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be assigned for you you will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger just like any other child infant in poverty and so you'll find him as one of you lowly humble in poverty he is to be a

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Savior for you and such as you glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among them with whom he is well pleased and then after the angels departed from the shepherds they sought out the child of whom they were informed and so we read in quote in closing verses 15 through 20 and so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another well let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the

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Lord has made known to us and they came and they made widely known the saying which was told them they went out and preached the gospel to sinners didn't they all around them and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds but Mary kept these things in her heart plundered them in her heart and then the shepherds returned glorified praising

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God for all the things that they had heard and seen and it was told them and so the thrust of this message is that Jesus Christ is a

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Savior to the humble and needy to sinners how do you stand are you one on whom the favor of God rests do you see your need for a

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Savior are you a no account no excuse sinner well then this message is for you is your faith and hope centered in this one in whom

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God has entrusted the responsibility to save you I hope that can be said for each and every one of us amen let's pray

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God thank you for your word and for the clarity Lord of the messages you've given to us help us to take these matters to heart and help us our

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God to be as these shepherds who went abroad declaring this good news that was made known to them help us our to declare the good news that Jesus Christ the

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Savior to sinners great sinners who presently have no hope

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Lord in this life or certainly in the life to come help us to point them to Jesus our