The Greatest Gift
John 3:16
The Greatest Gift
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Why does God give?
What does God give?
How do we receive God’s gift?
What are the results of God’s gift?
The Humble People
Luke 2:8-20
The Humble People
Luke 2:8-20
Main Idea: Christmas is good news of great joy and an invitation to worship.
I. The Content of Christmas (2:8-12)
As the shepherds are keeping their flock by night, suddenly an angel of the Lord appears and the “glory of the Lord shone around them.” This ‘glory’ (God’s radiant beauty and perfection) produces a great (mega) fear within them, as they feel the weight of God’s holiness. At the bottom of all of our fears is the reality of our sin and guilt.
In the midst of their fear, the angel assures them: “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news (‘gospel’) of great (‘mega’) joy.” Each word in this ‘gospel’ tells us about the meaning of Christmas:
Unto you (and for all the people)
Is born this day in the city of David (the promise of a royal son from the Davidic line)
A Savior
Christ (‘Messiah;’ the long-promised anointed one of God)
The Lord (God himself; cf. Isa. 9:6-7)
“The crucial significance of the cradle at Bethlehem lies in its place in the sequence of steps that led the Son of God to the cross of Calvary… the Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross. It is the most wonderful message that the world has ever heard or will hear.”
~ J.I. Packer, Knowing God
II. The Chorus of Christmas (2:13-14)
Suddenly a multitude of the ‘heavenly host’ appears with the angel. This language indicates the angelic army (cf. Josh 5:13-15). They are proclaiming a battle-cry:
Glory to God in the highest: of all the things this heavenly host had seen God do before, this moment of the incarnation of Christ spurs this response
Peace on earth: the coming of Christ brings peace and joy to those who have been stuck in the bondage of sin and fear, knowing that Jesus has come to accomplish peace through the hostility of the cross.
III. The Call of Christmas (2:15-20)
Christmas is an invitation to go and investigate further the claim of a Savior who has been born unto us. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” ~ C.S. Lewis
We see three exemplary responses in this passage:
Wonder & Amazement (2:18)
Treasuring & Pondering (2:19)
“The more we look at [the incarnation], the more we are astonished; the more we become accustomed to it, the more have we a sense of its surpassing splendor of love and grace. There is more of God’s glory and majesty to be seen in the manger and the cross, than in the sparkling stars above, the rolling deep below, the towering mountain, the teeming valleys, the abodes of life, or the abyss of death. Let us then give ourselves up to holy wonder, such as will produce gratitude, worship, love, and confidence, as we think of that great “mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.”
~ Charles SpurgeonGlorifying & Praising (2:20)
The Humble Place
Micah 5:1-5a
The Humble Place
Micah 5:1-5a
Main Idea: Jesus is the promised King, born in humility, who will shepherd us into security and peace.
I. The Promise of A Ruler (5:1-2)
Micah’s prophetic ministry coincides with Isaiah, with the Assyrians having conquered the Northern Kingdom and now closing in on Jerusalem. Micah warns that things will be worse before they improve; they should “muster their troops” for warfare, as their city is on the brink of destruction and their “judge” (king) is publicly humiliated.
In contrast, God promises a ruler to come in verse 2. We learn 3 things about this promised king:
He is “from old, from ancient days”
He will serve God faithfully
He will be born in Bethlehem
1 Corinthians 1:27–29: But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
II. A Tale of Two Kings (5:3-4a, cf. Matt. 2:1-18)
This prophecy related to Bethlehem creates a collision in the NT between:
King Herod. The (self-proclaimed) “King of the Jews” channeled all the world’s power and strategies to promote his own glory, willing to use violence and any means necessary to make a name for himself.
King Jesus. Micah promises that Jesus will gather God’s people back together after a period of exile, and that he will rule as a “shepherd” over his flock in toughness and in tenderness, showcasing the strength of God over and against the strength of mankind.
“Christ then rules not in his Church as a dreaded tyrant, who distresses his subjects with fear; but he is a Shepherd who gently deals with his flock. Nothing therefore can exceed the kindness and gentleness of Christ towards the faithful, as he performs the office of a Shepherd.”
~ John Calvin
While Herod was willing to sacrifice others in order to benefit himself, Jesus sacrifices himself to benefit others (cf. Jn. 10:11, Mk. 10:45). Bethlehem is the perfect birthplace for Jesus, as it sets the trajectory for a life and ministry marked by humility. The cradle in Bethlehem ultimately leads to the cross of Christ.
III. The Results of His Reign (5:4b-5a)
While Christ is lowborn in obscurity and killed in scandal, he is the King who has been resurrected in glory and promises to return to make all things new, establishing his earthly throne forever. The promises here in Micah draw our attention beyond the first advent of Christ to his second coming.
There are two results for those in the Kingdom of Christ:
Security: Those in his flock will “dwell secure” as a result of his greatness that will extend to the ends of the earth. Those who take up the humble place before his greatness, embracing their own obscurity and smallness, will experience this promise (cf. Jn. 3:30, Ps. 131)
Peace: The peace that we all long for is not found in better circumstances or in the next best thing that the world has to offer, but only in Christ.
“Christ is always born in Bethlehem among the little ones. Big hearts never get Christ inside of them; Christ lives not in great hearts, but in little ones. Mighty and proud spirits never have Jesus Christ, for he comes in at low doors, but he will not come in at high ones. He who has a broken heart, and a low spirit, shall have the Savior, but none else… He is the Christ of the little ones.”
~ Charles Spurgeon
The Humble Principle
Luke 1:46-55
The Humble Principle
Luke 1:46-55
Main Idea: The coming of Christ is the great reversal, putting the proud on notice and exalting the humble.
I. God is Mindful (1:46-48, 54-55)
Though the news from the Angel Gabriel to Mary would have been incredibly disruptive, she responds by searching (1:29; lit. ‘taking an audit’), then surrendering (1:38), and finally singing in praise (1:46ff). She responds in with humble gratitude and praise because:
1. Her eyes are focused on God (1:46-48)
Mary is able to “magnify” the Lord because she is caught up that the Lord of the universe is mindful of her (cf Ps. 8:1-4). Though she did not seek this out, and her circumstances will be difficult, she will be “blessed” because of what God is doing.
2. Her mind is filled with Scripture (1:54-55)
Nearly every line of Mary’s Magnificat is a Biblical quotation (most notably, Hannah’s song in 1 Sam. 2). While it would have been easy to believe that God had forgotten about his promises, he has “remembered” his word to Israel and Abraham (cf. 2 Pet. 1:8-9). His ‘mindfulness’ is seen supremely in the story of Christmas, as he moves toward those helpless and of humble estate in the incarnation of Christ.
II. God is Mighty (1:49-53)
Mary sings about the “mighty” works of God, and specifically, how he brings low those who are lofty in pride. She speaks in the past tense, echoing great stories of the OT where the might of God and his strong “arm” delivered his people. “[The gospel] is not only a complete reversal of everything that man has ever proposed, it condemns, it demolishes, it scatters everything in which man by nature trusts” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Magnify the Lord
Mary’s song identifies three specific areas of pride that will be overthrown by God:
The Pride of Intellect & Wisdom (1:51)
Through the cross of Christ, God has “made foolish” the wisdom of this world, “destroying the wisdom of the [so-called] “wise” (1 Cor. 1:18-25); God has hidden the truths of the gospel from the “wise and understanding” who are blinded in their pride, and “revealed them to little children” (Matt. 11:25).The Pride of Position & Power (1:52)
As the One who has the ultimate throne and the heavenly seat of authority, God is the one who “removes kings and sets up kings” (Dan. 2:21). The seemingly powerful by the standards of this world will be brought down, while the humble will be exalted.
Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”The Pride of Wealth & Riches (1:53)
The coming of Christ creates a paradox: the “full” will leave empty and hungry, while the hungry and the empty will be filled. Riches and wealth can create an illusion of “fullness” that leaves no room for God; those who are already satisfied with their life, status, and financial standing have no need of help or salvation from God.
Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Christmas and the Magnificat tell the story of the “great reversal,” as God works in ways we would not expect. The wise of this world will be made foolish, those who occupy thrones will be brought low, and the rich will be sent away empty, all because the omniscient One comes as a baby, the King of all kings is born in weakness and obscurity, and the Heir of the universe becomes poor.
“When the King of kings and the Lord of lords came into this world, he came into a stable. If you do not feel a sense of holy laughter within you, I do not see that you have a right to think that you are a Christian. Thank God, this is the gospel, this is salvation. God turning upside down, reversing everything we have ever thought, everything we have taken pride in. The mighty? Why, he will pull them down from their seats. He has been doing so. He is still doing so. Let any man arise and say he is going to govern, to be the god of the whole world; you need not be afraid—he will be put down. Every dictator has gone down; they all do. Finally, the devil and all that belong to him will go down to the lake of fire and will be destroyed forever. The Son of God has come into the world to do that.”
~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Magnify the Lord
III. God is Merciful (1:50, 54)
If God is only mindful and mighty, but not merciful, we are all in trouble. But Mary’s song reminds us: “his mercy is for those who fear him” and he has helped the humble “in remembrance of his mercy.” But it is only those who take up the “low place” in the fear of the Lord and receive the humble principle of grace (cf. Mark 2:17).
1 Peter 5:5b-6:Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
The Humble Path
Isaiah 8:19-9:7
The Humble Path
Isaiah 8:19-9:7
“Advent is the season that, when properly understood, does not flinch from the darkness that stalks us all in this world. Advent begins in the dark and moves toward the light—but the season should not move too quickly or too glibly, lest we fail to acknowledge the depth of the darkness… Advent bids us take a fearless inventory of the darkness: the darkness without and the darkness within.”
~ Fleming Rutledge
Main Idea: God calls us out of our pride through the glorious gift of Jesus, who must be humbly received.
I. The Darkness of Pride (8:19-22)
Assyria was closing in on Israel, but rather than looking to the Lord & his Word for wisdom and guidance (8:20), they consulted mediums and “looked to the earth” (8:22) for the solutions to their problems. They pridefully assumed they could figure out how to get out of the darkness on their own, and it only led them into further “thick” darkness.
Advent reminds us that the state of this fallen world is darkness, representing chaos, evil, and sin in the Scriptures (cf. Jn. 3:19). While it is easy for us to focus on all of the problems external to us, we must also acknowledge the problems internal to us if we are to repent of our pride (cf. Isaiah 5-6, Ps. 130:3)
“If only it were so simple, that there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
~ Alexander Solzhenitsyn
II. The Path of Glory (9:1-5)
Those who dwell in Galilee, most vulnerable to invasion and who dwell in “deep darkness” (lit. ‘death shadow’) will suddenly and unexpectedly have a light shine (flash) upon them (Mt. 4:12-17). This light comes from outside the world, not from within it.
This glorious light will bring about:
Joy (9:3): as in the day of full harvest & after a military victory.
Freedom (9:4): the Lord will break the yoke, rod, and staff of the oppressors, just as he did in the day of Midian (Judges 6-7)
Peace (9:5): all the necessities of warfare will go into the “bonfire of God’s grace” (Ray Ortlund)
III. The Gift of the Child (9:6-7)
How will God bring about this joy, freedom, and peace? He will do so through the most unexpected means: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given...”
“God’s answer to everything that has ever terrorized us is a child. The power of God is so far superior to the Assyrians and all the big shots of this world that he can defeat them by coming as a mere child. His answer to the bullies swaggering through history is not to become an even bigger bully. His answer is Jesus.”
~ Ray Ortlund
Isaiah indicates that this is not merely a royal birth announcement; these names (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) are only attributable to God himself. These names push us beyond the manger scene to the totality of the life of this promised King. Though it appeared that darkness snuffed out Jesus at the cross, his resurrection three days later definitely proves “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn. 1:5).
The invitation of this good news is to repent of our pride that contributes to the darkness, and to step foot in faith into the light of the glorious reign of this promised child. But the only way to experience this glory is the humble path.
“There has never been a gift offered that makes you swallow your pride to the depths that the gift of Jesus Christ requires us to do. Christmas means that we are so lost, so unable to save ourselves, that nothing less than the death of the Son of God himself could save us. That means you are not somebody who can pull yourself together and live a moral and good life. To accept the true Christmas gift, you have to admit you're a sinner. You need to be saved by grace. You need to give up control of your life. That is descending lower than any of us really wants to go. Yet Jesus Christ’s greatness is seen in how far down he came to love us. Your spiritual regeneration and eventual greatness will be achieved by going down the same path.”
~ Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas
The Humble Kingdom
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Humble kingdom
Isaiah 11:1-10
Introduction:
(Mark 7:21–23) “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
“Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”
– C.S. Lewis
Main Idea: We persevere by remembering our future hope in the coming King and participating in his Humble Kingdom.
I. The Humble Ancestry (11:1)
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1)
(John 1:1–5) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
(John 1:14) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
II. The Humble Anointing (11:2 -3a)
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
(Isaiah 11:2–3a)
“Jesus does not need our mechanisms for power. He has another way to build the world of our dreams. He has the Spirit of wisdom and understanding for leadership, the Spirit of counsel and might for war, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord for holiness. Unlike every other human leader in the sorry length of our history, Jesus is literally qualified to rule the world. We have nothing to fear from him. We are foolish to resist him. We can never be too loyal to him.”
~ Ray Ortlund
III. The Humble Rule (11:3–5)
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
(Isaiah 11:3–5)
“We think of Jesus as a very nice but, when it comes to real life, incompetent person. We think too much of ourselves, our worship patronizes him, and our lives set him aside. But the truth is, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3). His insight penetrates through appearances (Isaiah 11:3). The Apostle John saw him as having eyes “like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14). How many clever human leaders and judges have been deceived or misled, to the injury of many? But nobody is fooling the Anointed One.”
~ Ray Ortlund
IV. The Humble World (11:6–9)
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6–9)
(Genesis 3:15) “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
(Romans 16:20) “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
~ Isaac Watts, Joy to the World (1719)
Conclusion:
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
(Isaiah 11:10)
Wait, Watch, and Work