Good evening to you all. Let me add my warm welcome to
you this evening, especially if you're new.
My name is Dan. I'm one of the.
Clergy here at Church of the. Resurrection and I want to speak
to you. Briefly about what we've just.
Heard from Luke. Chapter 2.
You can find it in the. Black church Bible.
On page. 805, page 805. Luke chapter 2.
And as we begin, let me. Say a word of prayer.
We thank you almighty. God, that you speak to us
through your Word. We thank you for the.
Gift that it is to us. And through your word, we
encounter this gift. Of Jesus.
At Christmas. We praise you.
For him we. Pray that you would be.
At work in every heart this evening.
That we would. Open.
Ourselves before you to receive all that you are offering.
To us this evening we thank you for.
Christmas and we. Pray in Jesus name, Amen.
So we've just heard about these. Shepherds and imagine if.
You will the the sheer. Terror they must have.
Felt. One moment, it's the same old,
same old. It's the same damp.
Grass. It's the cool.
Night air, the bleeding of sheep, and then the next moment
everything changes. And they are.
Terrified because here is a. Warrior from God's army standing
before them. They're trembling with primal
fear. But this wasn't the Angel of
death before them. This is a messenger.
A messenger with a royal message.
He's a herald of royal good. News.
And he says, fear not. For behold I.
Bring you good. News of great joy that will be
for all the people. For under you is born this day
in the city of David. A Savior who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you that you will find a baby
wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a Manger.
This was good news for them then.
It is still good news today. And let's.
Take a closer. Look and let's.
See why it's? Still good news.
Today, the first part of it. That's good news.
Is that Jesus? Is a new king now the Bible?
Tells the epic story of the whole world.
It begins with creation and humanity's fall into sin, and
then the story. Builds throughout the old.
Testament to a great turning point.
The great turning point of history on Christmas.
Jesus is. Born into our world and the New
Testament contains several eyewitnesses several eyewitness
accounts of. Jesus.
'S birth and. Jesus's life.
And they all present. Jesus as the.
Long-awaited. Christ, that's the word that.
Is used in what the Angel announces.
That he is Christ the Lord. And all of the eyewitnesses
describe him as the Christ. Now, people oftentimes make the
mistake of saying that or thinking that.
Christ is Jesus. 'S surname.
Jesus Christ like. Maybe we and, and maybe this
might be interchangeable names like Napoleon and Bonaparte.
You can call him either one, right?
You can call him Jesus, or you can call.
Him Christ, but. Christ is not Jesus's surname.
It is his role. Specifically, it means.
That he is. The King centuries before Jesus
came. The first great.
King of Israel, King David was. Also the Christ, that is to say.
He was the king, he was anointed to be king, and then after King
David came King Solomon and he. Also was the Christ because he
also. Was anointed to be king and so
many centuries. Later.
When Jesus comes along, and he is born in the city of David, he
is born also to. Be the Christ.
To be the king But unlike King David or King Solomon, Jesus
came at a very different time. David reigned during the house
in. Days of Israel.
'S undivided Kingdom. But Jesus.
Was born into. Occupied Israel.
Now. Part of the.
Roman Empire. Caesar Augustus.
Was the Emperor? We heard the.
Governor also his name was Carinius and he was the governor
over Syria and these were Gentile rulers ruling.
Over the people. Living in Israel, Joseph and
Mary weren't even citizens. They were conquered.
Subjects. Driven like cattle from Galilee
down to Judea to be numbered in the census.
Meanwhile, in the. Fields outside of.
Bethlehem as we. Heard a soldier appeared to the.
Shepherds keeping their flocks by night.
But he wasn't a Roman soldier in Roman.
Occupied Israel. A member of God's heavenly army
came bringing good news. Of great joy, which is just
exactly. The phrase that Roman heralds
would shout when a new emperor was placed on the throne.
But this wasn't a Roman soldier. This was God's messenger, and he
was accompanied in verse 13. By a great multitude of the.
Heavenly Host. That's Bible language for a huge
invasion force, a huge army that had come into Roman.
Occupied Israel. God did not sing a send a.
Choir to. Sing lullabies that night, he
sent a battalion to proclaim. That the rightful.
King had landed in enemy. Occupied territory.
And this was good news. Of great joy.
Not just for the. Jews, but for all people verse.
10, it says. All people not.
Just the people. Of Israel, but also the.
Gentiles, including Roman subjects, Roman citizens, and
even Roman emperors someday. But the first announcement, it
didn't come to any of them. It came.
To the shepherds. Working the night shift.
Who were just the sort of. People most in need of a new
king, and they were most unlikely.
To be. To have any say in who would be
their king, and most unlikely to meet the new king for them and
for. All the people though both.
Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, slave and
free. Jesus came to be the new King,
so the angelic messenger and the heavenly host.
Brought very good. News.
The tide was. Turning a new and better
government was coming, not just for the.
Jews, but for. Everyone, because Jesus was born
to be the Christ the King. For all people.
Including the shepherds. But that wasn't all that the
Angel promised. The Angel also said not only was
Jesus to be born the king. He was also.
Born this day in the city. Of David, a savior.
Who is the king? Who is?
Christ the. Lord a Savior.
Now what does that mean? That Jesus came.
Also as savior. Who needed saving and from what?
Well, if we had read from the very beginning of Luke.
'S Gospel chapter. One we.
Would have heard all of these. Songs that are sung at the
beginning of Luke. 'S Gospel it.
Starts off very much like a musical or like an opera.
With a lot. Of music.
That tells us what the whole story is about.
And starting in chapter 1, we would have.
First heard Jesus. 'S Mother Mary singing My soul
magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior. Rejoicing in God my Savior.
Mary knew that her Son was coming to rescue, to redeem, to
save everyone who is suffering and broken in our world.
And after Mary finished her song, then.
Zechariah the Father. Of John the.
Baptist also. Burst into song.
Zechariah praised God for. Raising up a horn of salvation
in Jesus the Messiah King. And like Mary, Zechariah also
knew that Jesus would. Fix.
Everything that's broken, he sang of how.
Jesus would. Save us from our enemies and He.
Would save us. Through the forgiveness of our
sins too. So these two songs are like.
Overtures at the. Beginning.
Of of a. Great musical, they introduce
themes that will dominate. The story.
From this point forward, all. The way.
Through to the end, they give us a.
Foretaste of what? Is yet to come when?
Jesus will save. Everyone who turns to him, he
will save us from our enemies and from.
Ourselves by. Rescuing us from sin and death.
Jesus will save. US comprehensively.
He will save. Us completely.
Here's a challenge to you all sometime over the next week when
you're back at home. Pick up the gospel.
Pick up Luke. This is what we've been reading
SO. Far we've heard a little.
Bit from chapters 1:00 and 2:00. Go ahead and read it all the way
to the end. You can read it aloud.
With with others. Or you can read.
It by yourself, it'll take you about two hours.
Read it all. The way to the end and what you
will find is that. Jesus saves.
Over and over and over again, Jesus keeps saving.
Jesus. Does it early on as he saves
people from diseases and from demons.
He drives them out and he raises people from the dead.
He also fights. For justice, saving people from
all kinds of tyranny, from abuse, from mistreatment by
their neighbors. And then ultimately, Jesus comes
to the. Rescue through his.
Suffering and death on a Roman. Cross there Jesus gives his life
to save Jews. And Gentiles, rich and poor, men
and women, boys and girls. All who swear.
Allegiance to him as their king. Jesus's crucifixion is the
hardest, and yet the. Most beautiful part of the
whole. Story in Luke's.
Gospel. See, the Jerusalem elite did
not. Appreciate Jesus.
Condemning them for their hypocrisy and their greed and
their. Abuse of power.
So they had him arrested and they brought him to the Roman
authorities and they said this man.
What was the? Accusation, they said this man
claims to. Be the Christ.
He claims to be king. Which is the.
Very thing that the Angel. Told the shepherds that Jesus
was. Born to do.
So. There was an accurate charge,
Pontius. Pilate the.
Roman governor knew. That Jesus.
Hadn't done anything wrong, though.
But Pontius Pilate was more concerned about his standing
with the Jerusalem elites than he.
Was about justice. And so he.
Had Jesus stripped? And beaten and nailed to a
cross. And then the crowds mocked him,
saying if. You're the Christ save yourself.
If you're the Christ, save yourself.
These two things that Jesus was born to do.
To be the. Christ the King and to.
Be the savior. And he's being mocked on the.
Cross for these. Very things.
Why didn't Jesus save himself? He certainly could have.
He certainly could have come down from the cross.
He could have. Commanded the heavenly armies to
come to his rescue. After all, he.
Had driven out demons. He had healed the sick.
He had raised the dead. He could have snapped his
fingers and all the heavenly hosts would.
Have wiped out. Pilot the Jerusalem elites the
Roman Empire entirely, but King Jesus did not give the.
Order to. Save himself?
Why not? Because Jesus came not to save
himself. But us just.
As the Angel said to the. Shepherds I.
Bring you good news. Of great joy that will be for
all people. For unto you is born this day in
the city. Of David, a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. The Angels message was good
news. For the shepherds.
Back then. It's still.
Good news today because Jesus came.
To us as Savior. And as King and the good news of
Christmas. Especially is this that.
We too can go and see him. We too.
Can go just. As the shepherds.
Did remember what the Angel? Said this will.
Be a sign for you. You'll find a baby wrapped in
swaddling clothes and lying in a Manger.
A Manger is a feeding through. It's the last.
Place anyone would look for a king.
But this wasn't an accident. It was a sign given by.
God to show. His great condescension not only
did God take the initiative. To fix.
What was broken in our world? Not only did he give his own
son, but he also made. Jesus accessible to.
Everyone, even poor shepherds working the night shift.
They couldn't have gotten into a palace.
But they sure. Could find a Manger and yet the
shepherds still had to do something right they they to
find the savior and king they had to admit that they needed a
savior and king and then they had to go and see him and
that's. Exactly what they did, they
dropped. Everything.
And they went to find Jesus. And Luke tells us at the end of
this passage in verse 20 that they returned, glorifying and
praising. God for what?
They had seen just as the Angel. Had said.
They had met. Their savior.
And their king. How about you today?
Many. Still give their.
Allegiance to other tyrants. Petty tyrants often times.
To those who would give us wealth or popularity.
Or comfort. But none of those kinds of
things can save. You.
They can only keep you enslaved. Jesus is the King who came to
save. And by God's grace, we don't
need any sort of VIP. Passes to go.
And see him, for he's right here among us.
He is here. In the humility.
Of this church he is accessible to all right here.
Not the church building, but rather in the Saints.
Who are gathered? Here tonight, who've sworn
allegiance to him as King and his savior.
Swearing allegiance to. Jesus above every power or.
Principality. Every president, every
governing. Official Jesus is the highest.
And most. Worthy of our.
Allegiance and. Our praise.
And that's. What we have?
Chosen to do. For those of you who.
Are new to this community or new to Christianity?
I encourage you to make that same commitment and give your
allegiance to Jesus as King sooner or later.
We all will bow before him because he has.
Come to reign. Over all things Bow.
Before him now. Give your life to him now,
because he came not only to be king.
But also to save, also to save. Remember to find him you.
Will have to. Do what everyone else.
Has had to do all the way back to the shepherds you have.
To admit your need. For a Savior who is Christ the
Lord. And turn to him.
So I encourage you. Follow the shepherds to Jesus.
Go with them to see this thing that has happened in Bethlehem.
Admit your need for Him as both Savior and King, and then come
with. Us.
Let us. Adore him together, He's what
we've been looking for all along.
Will you pray with me? We thank you Almighty God for.
This the greatest. Gift that you could have given
at Christmas the most. Costly gift.
Of your son, thank you for. Life.
In his name, thank you. For hope.
In him. Thank you.
For the hope that you are. Setting everything that is
broken in our. World to rights.
Through Him and thank you that you can set our broken hearts
and lives in order. Lord we.
Turn to you with our sin and with.
All of the hurts. That we experienced all the
injustice. That we see.
We also turn to you. With the hope that we have for a
good life. And to live.
Forever with you. And we say, welcome, Jesus King
and Savior, may you reign over every person here and save us,
for we pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy.
Spirit. Amen.