December 25 2022 | Luke 1:76-79

Luke 1:76-79 and the Messiah’s Coming at Christmas

Good morning. Merry Christmas. Please turn your Bibles to Luke 1. Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1, we'll be considering verses 76 through 79. Here now the reading of the word, the living and true God. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.

For you will go on before the Lord to make ready his ways, to give to his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.

Thus far is the reading of God's holy inspired word. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for this opportunity to bring forth your word this morning to this body. I pray your spirit be upon me and that it would be his words and not mine.

The Lord will be saying, come let us adore him, Father, that we will truly adore him this morning. In Jesus' name. Amen. It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's the happiest season of all. Tis the season to be jolly.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. You've heard many of these phrases and many more. It seems like we as a culture really want to be happy during this season, right? But why? Why is it the most wonderful time of the year?

Sunday school answer, the birth of the Messiah. Yet we live in a world and culture so plagued by commercialism and inundated with empty attempts at joy. See, the problem is the world sees the end of the year and December approaching on the calendar and completely misses the purpose of a Christmas celebration.

The world gets it wrong, right? We say that often. We see signs of keep Christ in Christmas and he's the reason for the season. We hear about a celebration of the Messiah who would come to save the people from their sins and most people think, eh, that's it.

And the idea of Christmas is lost on most. Yet this should come as no surprise to us that there exists a people not excited by the Messiah who God has sent into the world. Was it not God's chosen people that actually missed the Messiah that God had promised them?

For we know that Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not. Even the Jews didn't get it. They had been given by God reminder after reminder, promise after promise that there was a coming Messiah of what he would come to do and what he would bring for his people.

This has been said since the beginning, the dawn of man in Genesis 3. Now don't get me wrong, the Jews believed in the coming Messiah. Not that their expectations of who we would be and what he would come to do were wrong.

So what type of Messiah were the Jews expecting? They were expecting a king or a conquering king, a political hero. All these things, basically a warrior king. That's what they were expecting. A conquering king who would oppose oppressive rule, restore their places of worship, and grow the nation state of the Jewish people.

I'm honestly a man more like David, right? Jesus came preaching the forgiveness of sins and the Jews were like, that's great and all, but what about overthrowing the government? Right? That's essentially what they were thinking.

What a slap in the face. Can you imagine Christ coming and preaching the forgiveness of sin and them asking him, well, when are you going to overthrow the government? It seemed to be that they missed the point.

But why is this? Why is it the Jews had all these reminders and promises of the coming Messiah and neglected to see that God told them of what the Messiah was actually coming to do? I think the reason why is that they believed that God would send a savior that was more likened to their image rather than God's image.

They had a Messiah that they preferred. They had a savior that they expected. Yet where they went wrong was in the fact that they based their belief of the coming Messiah on what they thought would best serve their needs and not upon the words of God.

So today I have three points. Point number one is God in their image. Point number two, we'll be looking at likening God to our image. And point number three, we'll see God's chosen Messiah. So if you can, please turn your Bibles to Psalm chapter 50.

Thank you, Ms. Christina. Psalm chapter 50. We see God bringing an accusation against his people regarding how they view him in this way. This psalm is a psalm of instruction. It tells of the coming of Christ, the day of judgment, in which God is going to judge all men, the living and the dead.

And at this point in time, you see these Jews would offer sacrifices for their sins. They saw that it was acceptable. And when they would continue on in their sin and saw it, they remained unpunished.

They therefore thought, why do we need to listen to these crazy prophets? God doesn't really care about how we live as long as we pay our tithes and bring sacrifices to the altar. So let's read it. We're going to read Psalm chapter 50, 16 through 21.

But to the wicked, God says, Money and rituals, essentially. So this is why in Psalm 50, we see God say to these people, these things you have done and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you.

Listen to that accusation. You thought that I was just like you. The charge God brings against the Jews is that they thought God was just like them. Out of all the things God could have said regarding their sin, his accusation is, you thought I was just like you.

Why in the world would these people think that God was just like them? Well, this isn't anything new, really, at all. Since the beginning of history, have we as mankind misunderstood our God? For centuries, men have fashioned God into their own images.

Men desire to make war and conquer, and therefore they made gods of war that fit the desire of their heart. Men have elevated their sensual pleasures, so they formed gods of fertility and sensuality so as to gratify the desires of their flesh.

Men have recognized their need and desire for provision, and this is why throughout history we see gods of water and grain and the sun, gods of the rain, gods of vegetation and wisdom and magic. But why liken God to a man?

To what end? Well, with the Jews, I think it's clear. They believed in a messiah who would be a warrior king because it served their purposes and their desires. It makes sense. The true God does not fit into what your ultimate goals and desires are, and so therefore, just make him to be more like you.

Because it would soothe your conscience, gratify your flesh, and the things that you want. Though it seems primitive, right? Surely we don't make out, we don't make God out to be like us, do we? There's no way we could be guilty of such an act that seems so archaic, right?

But friends, if there's one thing we've learned about the Jews is that they are, they're sort of a mirror for ourselves at times, right? Friends, the pagans and Jews are not the only ones who have longed for a different savior.

They are not the only ones who have looked at God and wished that maybe he would handle things more like the way we would handle things. We have all wished that our deliverance would contain more than what Jesus of Nazareth came to bring.

We have looked at God's salvation and wished that it contained more or less. What is it that we've wanted from our God apart from his appointed means and how we have likened him to our image? That's the question I want to ask today.

It was not just the many among the 5 ,000 whom Jesus fed that upon hearing, you must drink my blood and eat my flesh, that have walked away disappointed at what the savior provides. Jesus essentially said, you need me.

I am life and life eternal. I am everything that you need. And they walked away distraught and disappointed at what they heard from Jesus. But many of you have been reminded of a suffering servant and what he has done for you and still walked away distraught and disappointed.

Many of us have heard that all of the many treasures of life are hidden in Christ and yet we are bothered when we don't get the treasures of this world. We claim to be a people who are content and yet do we not grumble?

Do we not wish that God would just remove all temporal obstacles we have in this life to give us the ultimate comfort that we could have in this world? Do we not daydream for certain possessions or change in circumstances?

We have had the wrath of God removed from us and yet we find ourselves discontent with the provision of God. The son of God drank our hell and yet we feel as though God is withholding some good from us.

Maybe our struggle is not in wanting something else on top of the deliverance and salvation but maybe our struggle is in regards to our deliverance and salvation. Maybe it's an unbelief towards this salvation.

So have you ever thought that God would love you more if he had more good deeds in your life? I'm sure all of us have had that moment in our life. I'll tell you this, we thought that because you would have more love for others when they do good things to you.

We're good to do good things for you. We love people more when they do good things to us so naturally we think of course God would love us more if we did more good, right? We have likened our God to be just like a mere man when we think like that.

Have you ever thought that God couldn't forgive certain sins of yours? I think we do that because we can't forgive certain sins or certain ways that people betray us. That's why we believe that God couldn't do that.

Have you ever thought that God would love you more because you have kept yourself from external sins? And I would say it's because you have loved yourself more when you find yourself to be more righteous.

Church, we have judged the judge of the earth and said that his justice should look more like our justice. That his standard should look more like our standard. Literally any way that we make God out to be anything other than he is and how he has revealed himself is to make him like a man because what other example do we have?

Other than that you're likening him to a creature and I wouldn't dare say that is any better. So that brings us to point number two. Likening God to our image. So let's turn to Romans 1. We're going to see this laid out a little better in Romans 1 verses 20 through 23.

Romans 1 20 through 23. For since the creation of the world is invisible attributes both his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse.

For even though they knew God they did not glorify him as God or give thanks but they became futile in their thoughts and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and for birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

This text reveals to us that all men have done this. So if you've been wondering how you've been likening God to your image the scriptures tell us that we've done this. And not only that this is the natural bent and desire of our flesh.

All men have made a God in their own likeness and that of the creative thing because they do not like the revelation of the true God and who he is. So do we really understand the insanity of making God out to be like us?

So let's ask ourselves do you really want a God likened to your image? An image that is tarnished, sinful, inconsistent, and ever-changing? What a terror any one of us would be as a God, right? He is so unlike anything else in this world that in our sin we may come out to be like us of all things.

But we must ask ourselves the question seeing as we are finding likening God to ourselves what are we like? If we're likening God to ourselves thinking that he thinks like us, acts like us, what are we actually like?

What is it we are likening God to? Well, how do the scriptures describe mankind? They describe us who are continually evil like blind men groping in darkness. We've likened God to a child of wrath, a son of disobedience.

We've likened God to the dust. These things, these are all things the scripture has to say about us. Go back to our text in Luke real quick. Luke chapter 1. You see what the Savior was coming to bring us in verse 77.

And what is it? 77a, to give to his people the knowledge of salvation. So what does that mean? If you need the knowledge of salvation, what does that mean? You don't know it and you don't have it. And we're likening God to our image.

It's insane. See, you needed knowledge of salvation. And as we continue to read in verse 77b, by the forgiveness of their sins, you need your sins forgiven. You need mercy. It goes on to say that we sat in darkness awaiting death.

Let's get to 79. To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to direct our feet into the way of peace. And we couldn't find our way of peace in our darkness. We knew nothing of salvation and we think God should be more like us.

We need our sins to be forgiven and we want to tell God what would be good for him to do. You see friends, we needed mercy and we sought to tell God how to deal justly. We tell him to give us what we deserve to pay our wages.

And it's just pure madness. And all of this is coming from somebody who's sitting in darkness. So picture it. Can you imagine somebody sitting in darkness trying to guide you and direct you and how to live your life?

What would you say? You can't see anything. But we say that to God who is light in life. We sit in darkness telling God that we should be, what he should be like while we walked headlong into our own death and destruction.

And you see, it just doesn't make any sense. We wish that God would have come to us in another way. We say we love a meek and mild Jesus and yet we want to see vengeance taken upon someone who cuts us off on the highway.

We want to make sure that they get pulled over, right? That's what we long for. We want God to be a God of wrath. But not toward your sin. We say we love a suffering servant and yet the slightest bit of discomfort in this life has us grumbling against him.

We say we have Christ and that therefore we have all things and yet we worry about our lives and what we will eat and what we will drink. And we just wish that God will give us what we want and when we want it.

We have said that we love the title Jesus, friend of sinners. But we resist the notion of ourselves being called a sinner. Yet why are we so unmoved by this right now? Maybe we're stoic and unmoved by our sin simply because everybody does it.

The pagans did it. The Israelites did it. The disciples did it. The Pharisees did it. The world continues to do it. There must not be a big deal that we do it either. But friends, it should be a heralding burden upon our hearts that we take the beautiful image of God, the glorious nature and character of our Savior and make him more out to be like us and less like the one true God.

We at times look at the provided Christ of God and try to critique him. If only you could have saved me more this way. The sins, the sins, that's great. But I also need X, Y, and Z. We treat him like he's some object to be judged.

And my friends, to judge the judge of the earth is an unparalleled sin. Now we know that God can see what's in the hearts of men. And though he has given them ample information regarding his coming Messiah, mankind still desired a different kind of Savior.

Jesus came amongst his own, right? And his own received him not. Why wouldn't he at that point just go, okay, so this is what you make of me. You think I'm a God of war, a warrior, a God who enacts vengeance upon his enemies?

Then that is the God you shall receive. Maybe God should come to us riding a white horse carrying a rod of iron with his robe dipped in the blood of his enemies. Is that the God that we want? Is that the Savior we want?

We have no idea what we would have been asking for. Why didn't God just say, fine, you want me to be a God that delivers you from worldly discomfort? Here's the message I come to bring you. Have your wine, have your food, have your bigger houses and nicer cars.

Here's your money, here's better health. Here's some temporal peace, but now eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die. What would be the Savior we would be asking for? Or that would be the Savior we would be asking for.

This is the epitome of trading the truth of God for a lie. So back in Romans 1 verses 24, you don't have to turn back, but verses 24 and 25, it goes on to say, therefore God gave them over in their lust of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Look at the grim results of this sin. What an awful word to be heard.

To be handed over to something other than the goodness of God. To be handed over to the grips of sin. Should this not be our end? We've all done this from Adam to you and I as we sit here to this day.

But the real question is, is this your end brothers and sisters? Has God given you up to sin? I mean, we followed our lusts that led us to make God out. Have we followed our lusts to make us, to make God out to be like a man?

More like the created thing than the creator. We've longed for a savior who is not like the Messiah of God. Why has God not given us up? Though your guilt is placed before your eyes right now. Think about this.

The very things that sum up everything that is our guilt in this are actually the very reasons why the chosen Messiah of God has come. And that brings us to our last point. Point number three, God's chosen Messiah.

So look back at our text in Luke 1, verse 77. Here it tells us what the Messiah has come to bring to his people. You see, God saw that you only knew of sin and death. So what did he come to do? Verse 77a, to give to his people the knowledge of salvation.

But how? How would they be saved? 77b, by the forgiveness of their sins. We should be glad that God did not send, but why would God save? We'll see in 78 and 79, why? To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

To direct our feet into the way of peace. We should be glad that God did not send the Messiah who came to bring worldly comfort. A Messiah came bringing vengeance and war. A Messiah bringing money and fame.

He came with tender mercy. That's what he brought with him. He came bringing the forgiveness of sins. If God had sent a Messiah likened to our image, he would have failed to save us. A Savior made in our image.

Can you imagine a Savior losing his temper as quickly as we do? Can you imagine a Savior who is selfish and focused on only what serves him best? A Savior made in our image would destroy us. He would have no patience for our foolishness.

And again, a Savior made in our image, he would be out mingling with broken sinners. A Messiah likened to our image would be rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful of our day. He wouldn't be touching lepers and comforting the poor.

He would be gathering the strong and mighty for his army. He would be casting aside the broken and needy for they would be a hindrance and obstacle to his purpose. He would have no call for the weak and weary for him to come to him, but rather that the noble and powerful would come to him to be part of his kingdom.

So isn't this just how the world acts? This is how the world thinks. All those examples sound awful and we foolishly desire a Savior that acts just like that. But the reality, the reality is that though we have likened God to our image, it just sounds strange, right?

Though that's what we've done, we thought the Savior would be more like a man. And friends, in the smallest and most indirect and unintentional way, we're actually right. God did send to us a man, did he not?

But not a man in any way we could have imagined. He sent us the Son of Man. He sent us God in the flesh, not a flawed man like Adam, but a better Adam. He had to become a man for it was men that have sinned, you and I.

It was a man that needed saving and our good and wise God knew he would need the Messiah to become a man, live a perfect life, to give us the righteousness we needed and to die a death as a man suffering the wrath and death that we deserve.

So aren't you glad that God sent to you his chosen Savior and not yours? Do you even have a Savior if Christ came seeking comfort? No, he had to be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. If he was going to remove your sorrows and carry them away for you.

Do you even have a Savior if Jesus pursued fame and position? No, he had to seek humility. He had to become a servant for our sake, to serve both God and helpless men in keeping the law for us and all the ways that we could not and would not.

And praise God that he has not sent to us the saviors that we would have wanted. You see, in the divine tenderness of the Lord, he has made his visit suitable to our sorrow and even to our weakness. Our weakness is that we're just hellish brutes, that we have no pure thoughts or actions for God.

All of them mixed in with vain glory. But what did God do? Did he send his son riding on a white horse? He did not. He sent a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. One who had no stately form of majesty that we should look upon him, nor parents that we should be attracted to him.

Like one for whom men would hide their face, he was despised. See, he didn't just visit us to observe us, to see if we're worthy beings. He came to speak to us, to dwell with us, to teach us, and to open our eyes to the truest reality, and that is we need mercy.

And that he would come to bring it. He came to become a curse, to become the scapegoat of our sin, that he would be sent off into the wilderness, that he would shed his blood and give up his life, that he would take upon himself our sickness and filth, leaving all the honor that he deserved behind.

He didn't come as a superior, but as a servant to bear all the sorrows that were rightfully yours and mine. Then to bear that sorrow away so that we can have a joy that is inexpressible. Did God wait for us to have a right understanding of who the Messiah was?

Was God waiting for the Jews to have a right heart toward the Messiah? That would be to come? No. Because if this were the case, then God would never have come. God comes to us as the sunrise, the morning sun, as our text tells us, which does not wait for any man.

Did the sun wait for you to wake up this morning? If that was the case for some of you, I don't think it would ever be light outside. The sun did not wait for any of us to rise this morning. We would live in a dark world if that were the case.

No, God did not wait for man to get better or gain more knowledge of salvation, to have less sin, to spark a little light of goodness, to find the way of peace. No. He's not waiting for you to do anything to show you his love and tender mercy.

He has come to show you that tender love and mercy. He gives with gladness to those who have nothing, no merit of any kind, because he would not mar the beauty of his goodness by asking for a pitiful sense of merit as a payment.

But he gives freely according to the riches of his grace. You see, God has never saved a person that wasn't in darkness. God did not see fit to save you because though you were in darkness, there was this dim light of goodness that was appealing to him.

He has never saved anyone like that because that person doesn't exist. When we were in such darkness, knowing nothing and seeing nothing, believing nothing and hoping in nothing, even then the Lord comes to give mercy to us.

Is this not pure tenderness? While we were in darkness, Christ came to show us the way, yet before that way could be fully known, Christ had to go the way of the cross. There is no way of peace if there's no cross.

What a thought. There is no peace for you if there is no cross. What a thought. There's nowhere to guide the sinner but the gates of hell. If Christ doesn't first suffer on that cross in your place. So to truly know the way of peace is to know you can never make it by yourself because you see, I sat in darkness.

I needed my sins forgiven and I didn't have the knowledge of salvation. Friends, the beauty is that Christ is one who comes near to us and can actually guide our feet into the way of peace. To put our feet upon a rock, the solid rock of the sufferings and righteousness of Christ and that he will establish us solid and firm on his foundation.

A foundation built upon a work of God completely. And so friends, I call upon you today to believe upon the appointed Messiah of God, Jesus of Nazareth and no other saviors. No other forms of God. No other longings for something different.

I call you to believe upon this Messiah because we have fallen after false gods that we have made in our image. And what has it brought you? Nothing but destruction, lies and deceit. So turn from these things and put your hope on Christ for your salvation and your righteousness and your joy this Christmas.

Let's pray. Father, I thank you for your word, your true, inerrant, all-sufficient word. I pray that you would hide it in our hearts and that we will meditate on it throughout the week and that you will bless this time together.

Jesus' name, amen. All right, let's all stand.