Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson appointed for today, Luke 1:26-38, and reads as follows.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- You have heard from the children’s presentation, the prophecies pertaining to Jesus, the fulfillment of His mission, and the blessings that are now ours – forgiveness, life, and salvation!
- In our Lesson, you heard and read of more prophecies, given by the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary – descriptions of the son she was soon to bear, descriptions of Jesus.
- We generally tend to think of Jesus as our Savior, and this is appropriate. The name “Jesus” means, “the Lord saves.” The most important thing to know about Him is that He is “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world,” the “blood atonement for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
- He truly is Savior of the world! This is our comfort, our joy, our peace, our security – for this time now, our lives in this world, and forever, for all eternity!
- At Christmas we see the “baby” Jesus. And in His crucifixion, we see a suffering Jesus – a victim of human injustice, and the Victim of God’s justice for our sins. God placed our sin and our punishment upon Jesus – He had to die a horrible death, a hellish death. That is the dread seriousness of our sin and guilt.
- But there is more, and it is important for us to know “JESUS,” to know all that He is. His humiliation as a baby, and as the Lamb of God, are far more incredible if we know Who He truly is. And our hope is surer, our confidence greater, and our love for Him more profound, if we know Him as he truly is!
- According to the angel Gabriel, God’s messenger:
I. Jesus Is Great, Most High
A. He Is The Son Of God
Text: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”
John 3:16 “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
B. He Reigns Over The Kingdom Of God – God’s Power, Grace, And Glory
Text: “The Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.”
Heb. 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the Word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Statement: There is no question that these realities raise difficulties for us. We ask: “Is He a baby, a man? Or is He the Almighty God, the exact imprint of the Father’s nature?” And the answer to both questions is “Yes.” The matter is not one of “either/or” but rather of “both/and.” It is a mystery to be sure, unfathomable to human reason and imagination, but true nonetheless!
Application: And really, it should not be surprising to us that the very nature of Christ is unfathomable – just as the very nature of God is unfathomable. To help us understand the Apostle Paul wrote: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
For a time He “humbled” Himself, not fully revealing His glorious nature, power, and prerogative. He did so to “make purification for sins,” for our sins, in His suffering and death on the cross. But now He is fully glorified, “seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
This is your “JESUS,” your Savior, your King! He is your God and Lord. What He did in humbling Himself for our salvation is incredible! So great is His love for us, to do all of this for our sake, for our benefit, for our salvation!
Transition: And it is all true. And because of this we have no fear of things now in this world, and no fear of the life and world to come, for:
II. Jesus’ Kingdom Has No End
Text: “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
A. His Kingdom Is Growing Now
Matt. 16:18 “Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
2 Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
B. His Kingdom Shall Be Supreme In The End
Rev. 1:7,8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.’”
Statement: For Mary the contrast from the beginning – born in a stable, placed in a manger – to this glorious end, must have been mind-boggling! It is for us as well. But we know what He endured, what pierced Mary’s heart. We also know of His glorious resurrection, His ascension, and His reign even now at the right hand of God. And we know He is coming again with great glory and all power!
Application: So we worship and adore Him – even as we remember His birth and infancy. Not that we just adore babies; we know Who this baby is, and all that He accomplished for us. We know that He is coming again, not with humility, but power, authority, and glory! He is great! He is the Son of God! He reigns over all things!
Conclusion: That God Himself should come in human flesh to be our great Savior should give us pause for deep thought. Yes, Jesus appears frail and vulnerable, but only for a time, only for the work of our redemption!
As we contemplate such love, our love for Jesus grows. Not only that He is our Savior, but that He is God and Lord, “the Alpha and the Omega . . . the Lord God, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.”
So we also pray: “Amen, Come Lord Jesus.” Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.