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Pastor David Mitchell
Turn with me to Luke chapter 2 this morning. I'll review a little bit for those who weren't here last time because this is a passage that we think of as the Christmas passage many times and really as far as today's Message we would start with about verse 14, but I'm gonna go ahead and start with verse 1.
Read down through this passage in case you weren't here last time to enjoy it. So follow along with me Luke chapter 2 verse 1 and it came to pass in those days. That there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed and this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria and all went to be taxed everyone to his own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea.
Unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with child and. So it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and Wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end.
We pointed out that a thousand years earlier. It's recorded in 1st Samuel 17 15. But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. This was in fact the ancient city of David and then 700 years later.
And I should say 700 years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ. It's recorded in Micah chapter 5 in verse 2, but thou Bethlehem Ephrata though they'll be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me.
That is to be ruler of Israel. Whose goings forth have been from old from everlasting. And that was prophesied 700 years approximately before Jesus Christ was born in the manger this day. So You have to ask the question was Caesar Augustus really the ruler?
Was he really the one that was in control when he proclaimed that this tax would be? Taken place at this time so that Joseph and Mary would end up in Bethlehem. From our viewpoint. It seems that way doesn't it?
But from God's viewpoint we see that God was in complete control everything was in its place and There was no room in the inn. And he was born in a manger in exactly the place that Micah had prophesied 700 years earlier.
Verse 8 said and there was this in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and lo the angel of the Lord came upon them and The glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid in the Greek language.
That's magus phobia. They had a mega phobia. They were sore afraid. When this took place imagine being out in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere with some sheep and a few friends and all of a sudden the sky lights up with glory and You see a being that you know is from another place.
Imagine what that would be like would you be sore afraid? I think so verse 10 says the angel said of them fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings. That's the same phrase as the word gospel. I bring you the gospel of great joy.
Which shall be to all people that means to all kinds of people both Jew and Gentile. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord and This shall be this a sign unto you.
You shall be you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and that word sign Is kind of remarkable when you understand in Isaiah 714 written 740 750 some-odd years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah said therefore the Lord shall give you a sign.
Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel, which means what? God with us that's who he was. And now back to verse 13 and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts Praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth.
Peace. Goodwill toward men. And so really the points of this message, which we began last Sunday will continue today. Three points. Why? Did The shepherds say these three things number one glory to God in the highest number two on earth peace and number three goodwill toward men.
The Heavenly hosts proclaim this when the shepherds come back. After seeing the babe in the manger, they're proclaiming this. Why is this the proclamation. And that's what our message was all about. So we started last time with the first point glory to God in the highest and We made the point that there are at least four reasons they would proclaim this first of all The king of glory is about to be unveiled on the earth.
He is about to be manifested in the world and we took from Psalm 24 chapter 24 in verse 1 a beautiful passage which talks about this. It says he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity.
Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him and it seek thy face. Oh Jacob lift up your hands.
Oh you gates and be he lift up the everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in. This whole psalm is about Jesus Christ. It is about the only one who truly had clean hands and a pure heart. Is about the only one who is the generation or that could be translated the generator.
The one who brings forth all of the rest of us. Who seek God. All who would ever seek God truly from a true heart are generated forth from this one? And so They sang glory to God on the highest because the king of glory was about to be unveiled.
Secondly because God's mercy was about to be enabled and His deliverer was about to be sent. And thirdly because the whole earth was about to be filled with his glory. We find that in Isaiah chapter 6 and also Isaiah chapter 40 and also Hebrews chapter 1 in verse 3 and 4th because the sons of glory shall be revealed as witnesses of his glory in Isaiah 43 in verse 6 that whole passage Talks about the fact that as he generates us and brings us forth into the world.
Then we become witnesses of his glory and all of this was about to take place. And so they sang glory to God in the highest. Well that brings us to the second point that they sang. They sang peace on earth or literally on earth peace in Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 it says.
And from Jesus Christ Who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth? And to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests Unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen, I don't know if you remember but last Sunday We talked about a section of Scripture or several passages of Scripture where it had Several times when it had that same word formula and then amen after it and they all had to do with eternal security of the believer.
We talked about that last time now. Why does it say peace on earth? Why was this what they proclaimed? After they said glory to God, then they said peace on earth. Well, let's pick the story back up at verse 16 in Luke chapter 2 and we're gonna find this man named Simeon and Embedded in this story.
We're gonna see some information about what it means to have peace on earth and they came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger and When they had seen it they made known abroad and the saying which was told them concerning this child and All they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept those things and pondered them in her heart. Now look at the shepherds as they return. The Shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen and it was told Unto them.
How many shepherds do you think there were? There had that thought more than the wise men more than three. How many do you think there might have been do you think there were? More than would fill this room.
I don't think so. Do you? Do you think there were more than were present here today even with several of our families gone Church our size two or three haven't gone man. It's happening. We're have you noticed you guys won today?
This is unusual. This side has more people. But probably weren't more of them than there are here today. Picture, I mean, I've I know about cattle. I used to take care of cattle when I was all the way from Ben's age Beyond Paul's age.
That's what I did all the time on my grandfather's ranch. Doesn't take a whole lot of shepherds to take care of a lot of sheep. And so I don't think there were more of them than there are in this room today, but notice this and the shepherds return Glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard it does not take a large group.
To bring glory to God. Sometimes we think that's the way it is in this world. We think it takes Huge things huge events large numbers of people 5 ,000 in attendance on Sunday morning to bring great praise and glory to God.
There were probably fewer of the shepherds than there are in this room this morning. But imagine how they were glorifying God now. So from God's viewpoint, let me ask you this from God's viewpoint. Is it important to him like it is to us?
Is it important to him how many of us there are? When it comes to bringing him praise and glory. There could be one of us. Certainly from point of view of church. There could be two or three of us. But if we are praising God for what we have seen and what we have heard God do in our lives.
What we've seen him do and who we know that he is. Then this does in fact glorify God. Sometimes I think the enemy pulls a veil over our eyes and makes us think that we our little selves Can't be important enough to glorify God.
And it's not that we're important it's that he's important and that when we recognize who he is and We have spent time with him and we've been with him who had they just been with. Who was that babe he was all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily that's who they had been with and So just several of these men go back out into a place where there are no people just sheep and yet God himself says they brought great glory to me so you can do that as a small group as an individual.
You can bring great glory and praise to God by simply Sharing the things that you've seen and heard him do. Verse 21 says and when eight days were accomplished for the Circumcising of child his name was called Jesus.
Which was so named by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Now verse 25. We're going to move into Simeon and I believe this will illustrate what the angels meant when they said on earth peace and.
And Behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same man was just and devout waiting For the consolation of Israel and the Holy Ghost was upon him. This word waiting is very important because it means he was ready.
He was prepared for the first advent of Jesus Christ. The great majority of the Jewish people Missed it entirely, but this man did not and it says he was waiting for the consolation. This word in the Greek is a very important word because it is Paraclases which is the same word paraclete comes from which is what the Holy Spirit was called by Jesus.
He said I will send you another Comforter its paraclete and this word comes from the same Greek word paraclases. It means to comfort. And so when he says he was waiting for the consolation of Israel He means he was waiting for the comforter of Israel.
Jesus Christ is the comforter and When he went he said if I go it will be expedient to you if I go to heaven because I will send you another comforter like myself so he is the great comforter the Holy Spirit who was sent is a comforter like him and So he was in fact the consolation of Israel.
Jesus Christ this babe in the manger was the comforter and As Simeon held him in his arms. It says Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit and He recognized who it was that he held in his arms. And he recognized this was the great comforter In verse 27 and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost.
That he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. The word Lord in the Greek New Testament always means The highest. It means God. It means God the Father and so when it says the Lord's Christ, it means the supreme authorities anointed one and Simeon had been waiting for this one because the Holy Spirit had revealed of it to him that he would not die.
He was a very old man, but the Holy Spirit revealed to him. You will not die Until you see this one. Now not only did he wait for the consolation of Israel, but let's read a little bit further here. It says and he came by the Spirit into the temple now notice He happened to be at the right place at the right time.
This was the only time they were going to bring this babe to the temple for circumcision and When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law that circumcision. Then took he him up in his arms.
This is Simeon takes the baby Jesus up in his arms and Bless God and said Lord now let us thou thy servant depart in peace. He said I'm ready to die now According to thou word for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.
I want you to notice something that Simeon recognized that far too few people recognize today and that is that comfort and Salvation are a person. They're not a thing. It's not a religious act. Salvation is not a gift of God in the sense that we picture it sometimes as if God is giving us something.
Salvation is Jesus and As Simeon held that babe in his arms, he knew he was holding all of the fullness of God in a body. He knew that he was holding comfort and he was looking at salvation. So salvation is not a prayer you pray dear Jesus come a heart and save me.
Amen. It's not an event. It's not being baptized in the water that's behind that glass back there. It's not a religious act. Anyone can do it's not following God by a series of good works. It is a person and therefore it is a relationship or by a relationship with this person this salvation comes so as he holds him in his arms, he pictures this relationship and So he looks at the baby Jesus and he says Lord, I am ready to depart in peace.
Because my eyes have seen your salvation. I'm looking at salvation the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation here in so many places all the way through the Old Testament but in this Greek word in the New Testament, it is the word defender and It means the one who delivers.
So Simeon said I am looking at your deliverer. The Book of Judges, we've talked about it many times. How it's a cycle of going into captivity getting away from God being taken slave by the enemy the world flesh the devil it's what it pictures going into captivity and then God raising up a judge or a deliverer and bringing the people out of captivity and.
So it's a continual cycle, but this is the deliverer that had been spoken of from the times of Adam. When Adam left the garden and began to teach his children of one who would come the Christ the Messiah the deliverer.
So he says I am looking at thy deliverer. Now this was not done in a corner. He goes on and he says Which thou has prepared before the face of all people all people means all nationalities Gentiles and Jews.
You have prepared this before the face of the world. It was not done in a corner verse 32 a light to light the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel. Colossians 1 27 says to whom God Would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.
So Simeon looks at this babe. And he says you are the comfort. The comforter you are the deliverer. You are the light the Gentile. You are the glory of the nation of Israel Christ whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we might present every man perfect in Christ.
Jesus. Verse 33 says. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken by Simeon. And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of Many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against.
So we see here that this babe is the comforter the deliverer the light and the glory. But also Simeon says he is for a rising again of many. In the Greek language the literal word means resurrection and This word fall means to crash down or a giant downfall.
That is what's going to happen to the nation as a whole and that happens so that some may be raised again. And the Apostle Paul talked about that about how a blindness in part would come upon the nation of Israel.
Until the time the Gentiles would come in Verse 35 yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul. He tells Mary How would you like to be the mother of a beautiful little babe and the Prophet tells you this?
That your heart will be pierced that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed and This word revealed is a pocket loop toe, which is what the book of Revelations is called is the Apocalypse. And it means to take off the cover.
And so as Simeon looks at this little babe He says this babe this man Will cause the cover to be taken off of every man's heart. It will be revealed whether you're for the Lord or not by this one. There will be no hypocrisy possible when faced with Jesus Christ.
You're either for him or against him. You're either in him or you're outside of him. And that's what the Prophet meant when he said that there would be a taking off of the cover. Many hearts will be revealed.
So we see that peace on earth is proclaimed by these angels because The deliverer and the comforter was about to come into the world. But why did they proclaim the third proclamation? Goodwill toward men the literal rendering of that is in good in men.
Good pleasure in Men good pleasure glory to God in the highest on earth peace in men good pleasure. How could they say that God would have pleasure in men? Fallen man. Well now comes the story of Anna and as we study this story It gives us some information about how it can be that God could say in Men good pleasure verse 36 and there was one Anna a prophetess the daughter of Faneuil of the tribe of Asher.
She was of a great age just like Simeon. She was very old and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about four score and four years. Which departed not from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
Imagine this woman's life. She had lost her husband in youth and then lived the rest of her days in the temple totally dedicated to God. She happened to be ready the predominant number of the Jewish people Entirely missed their Messiah when he came into the world.
She did not miss him. She was prepared. She'd been in God's Word hanging around that temple. She had access to the scriptures. Not just the commentaries that the teachers of the day were teaching she had the real scriptures she could read and study and hear about and She fasted and prayed had a relationship with God and look at verse 38.
She coming in that instant She was there at exactly the right time. The one time when this babe would be brought to this temple she was there. Coming in that instant she gave thanks likewise and to the Lord likewise meaning like Simeon had and Spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel in Jerusalem now notice Simeon talked about Comfort and Simeon talked about a deliverer, but Anna talks about redemption.
What does it mean when they proclaimed in men good pleasure? How can God have pleasure in sinful man? Well, Anna gives us a clue. She says this babe that I'm looking at is the one who brings redemption.
What is redemption. It comes from the Greek word lewis's and it means a ransoming a ransom to be bought with a price and Then set free. It's a slave market term set free by paying a price and She looked at Jesus and she said this is what he will do.
He will set us free by paying a price. I am looking at the redemption of God. So therefore redemption does not come through religion. It does not come through a religious act. It is in a person once again the Lord Jesus Christ.
So she looks at him. She says I'm looking at redemption. Verse 39 and when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord. They returned and to ended Galilee to their own city Nazareth.
And the child grew and waxed strong and spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. We see several things about Jesus in that little passage. The fact that he grew shows that he was a man.
This is the physical growth. The fact that he waxed strong in the spirit Shows that he not only grew physically, but he grew spiritually and he grew in wisdom which meant used human wisdom as given by God, however and then in grace.
Shows the divine influence upon his heart. He was man and yet God. Speaking of what Anna had noticed in this babe the fact that he was a redeemer. Look at Romans chapter 3 verse 24 turn there with me.
This gives us great light into exactly what she meant this statement and I believe it is this aspect of the manger scene. That points out what the angels meant when they said Not only peace on earth, but to men goodwill.
Or to men good pleasure. Romans 324 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You see when Anna looked at the babe. She saw redemption. The Apostle Paul says redemption is in fact in Christ Jesus.
It is not in a religious act or something. We can do it is in a person and His name is Jesus Christ. This one named Jesus Christ is the one whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation. Why is it that the Bible that the angels could proclaim in men good pleasure?
How can God have good pleasure because he sent this babe in the manger to become the propitiation? Through faith in his blood, what does that mean? We've studied it before. Propitiation is the one aspect of the finished work of Jesus that Jesus did for God in Particular not for us though.
We benefit greatly from it. It was done to and for the father. Propitiation means that Jesus is death and his blood which he would then present in the heavenlies. To the father as the sacrifice for sin.
That blood would satisfy God's justice forever. So that it frees up God's mercy. God's justice. When he said to Adam and Eve the day that you eat the fruit thereof you shall die. When he said later on in the Old Testament That in the day that you sin you shall surely die.
Says in the New Testament the wages of sin is death all the way from Genesis to Revelation. This law of God is there. So, how can God have peace with men? Who have sinned? Against him because Jesus came to be the propitiation through faith in his blood his blood would satisfy God's justice as The just payment for sin.
There is no salvation in any other. I hate to tell our president. Mr Bush. President Bush. Though I'm glad he is a man of faith. I wish he understood better that there's no salvation in Judah. There's no salvation in Muhammad.
There's no salvation that comes through the religion of Islam. Now maybe he's just trying to be politically correct and I'm sure if we were in that role, we would have to consider What it means to anger entire nations.
I don't know. But hopefully he understands that salvation is in Jesus only because there is no other who brought propitiation. Yes, there may have been other religious leaders who said some wise words, maybe even some beautiful words.
But there is none other who brought propitiation. There is no other prophet there is no other one who ever was born in this world who could who could shed his blood and Present his blood to the father and the father be satisfied.
That the sin debt has been paid. Only one in his name is Jesus Christ. And so as Anna looked at Jesus the baby, she says I am looking at redemption. I am looking at the price that will be paid To set God's mercy free but also to set free his children from slavery.
I'm looking at that price and She knew a little bit about what it meant whom God had set forth to be a propitiation a Satisfaction of God's justice through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness.
For the remission of sins you see God never declared our righteousness for anything. That's why religious acts and good deeds don't do anything towards our salvation. What God did do however was he declared the righteousness of this babe that Anna held in her arms.
Jesus is righteousness. He declared his righteousness as that which would remit the sins take the sins away. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just. You see how it is that Jesus this one that Anna looked at she said this is redemption.
This one is the one who allowed the father to be just when he justified many. He could not just overlook our sin and say well, I'm just gonna forgive you because I love you. God couldn't do that because his justice would not allow it.
However, when Jesus Christ came forth and gave his life and shed his blood For us for our sins. He also did it for the father and primarily for the father. So that God might be propitiated so that God's just justice might be Satisfied so that then it could be say said to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and The justifier of him which believes in Jesus not only did God justify us and make us as if we've never sinned.
But he was just to do it. It was right for him to do it because Jesus had propitiated the father with his own blood. Anna saw glimpses of all this when she looked at this babe. Where is boasting then it is excluded if you're saved and you think the other person's not can you boast about it?
Can you say as the Pharisee did God? I'm thankful. I'm not as he a sinner. Can you say that way you you can say I'm thankful I'm not as he if what you mean by that is God. Thank you that you saved me.
But you can't say it like the Pharisee said it meaning I'm better than he is. I've done better deeds. Therefore I'm more nearly saved than he is totally false idea. So where is the boasting it is excluded by what law of works can the Pharisee?
Proclaim that he's better than the sinner because he's done better works nay but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Can you see how it is that the angels could proclaim?
To men good pleasure. God can be pleased with men if those men are covered by the blood of Jesus. To men good pleasure. This is what part of what this scene in the manger was all about. Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes of the Gentiles also goes to take you all the way back to Luke chapter 2 verse 10. Where it said that they bring glad tidings of joy to all people not just the Jews. The Gentiles as well. Seeing it as one God Which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith?
All the peoples of the world have only one way to God and that's by the blood of this one. Who she was holding in her arms? Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid? Yea, we establish the law.
That babe that Simeon held in his arms and that Anna held in her arms. The one that Simeon said is the comforter the deliverer that Anna said is the redemption. He came to establish the law not to destroy it.
And how did he do that? Because when you're born again a new man is created and He is in complete and continual union with the Holy Spirit as one spirit and he cannot sin and Therefore when you walk in the Spirit you are keeping the law.
You are in him who is the establishment of the law and this is the walk that the Lord had for us. Maybe Simeon maybe Anna got a glimpse of this somehow as they held this babe in their arms first. John 410 said herein is love.
Not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent his son. To be the propitiation for our sins glory to God in the highest on earth peace and men good pleasure. Let's stand and have prayer together.
Father we thank you so much for this beautiful passage the Christmas story. Maybe the most beautiful account of it. And we thank you for Luke who was given over to your life. Who's given over as your servant and penned these words as inspired by you for us to read today?
Lord as we contemplate looking into the face of Jesus May we see that he is our comfort? He is our peace on earth. He is our deliverer. He delivers us from the enemy and That he is our redemption the one who causes you to be pleased with us.
We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for your great plan of salvation. We thank you for our brothers and sisters here today and the comfort we receive from one another and our mutual faith.
We ask you to go with us from these this place. That we might be truly light and salt into this world as we ought to be. We ask you to bless our time of fellowship together in a few moments and bless our meal and our afternoon service in Jesus name Amen.