Go Tell It On The Mountain - A Mandate Into The New Year

Go Tell it on the Mountain - A Mandate into the New Year December 29, 2024

Brandon Michael Queen / General

Advent / Isaiah 52:7–10; Luke 2:8–20; Matthew 28:18–20

Introduction: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

I want to go back to the beginning of Advent. Hank started us with a gospel-centered sermon on O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This is one of my favorite hymns! Hank opened the Advent series with the words O Come All Ye Unfaithful. I was in an eight-year funk due to numerous family issues and losses, including the passing of my grandmother, several church members, and other loved ones. His opening statement helped me to capture the true essence of Advent. His message was this: However, you felt this Advent season whether sorrowful at the loss of a loved one, a job, or a family member due to anger or separation, or even if you felt offended at God because of loss, whether it was a person, income issues, or material possessions, /CHRIST/ was born for you. Even if you’ve been unfaithful and didn’t feel worthy to come into His presence, whether happy, sad, or angry, this truth remains: Christ was born for you.

As we move into 2025, let the truth of Christ's birth compel us to action. No matter our circumstances, we are called to "Go, Tell It on the Mountain." Share the good news boldly, proclaim that Christ is Lord, and let the joy of the gospel shine through your life. Christ is still - born for you—and for the world!

**SING**

”O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear."

This hymn expresses the longing for deliverance and the arrival of God with Us. It highlights the anticipation of Christ’s coming, a cry for God to rescue His people and be present with them. Just as Israel longed for Emmanuel, we celebrate that Christ has come. Christmas is not just a story of Christ’s birth but a powerful reminder of God's answer to humanity's deepest longing.

While “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” reflects the waiting, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” calls us to proclaim the fulfillment of that wait. CHRIST HAS COME, and we are to declare it to the world. Christmas is not just about a mysterious birth or exchanging gifts; it is the merciful reminder that IN Christ’s coming, our hope IS complete.

This truth calls us to look beyond the season's traditions and corporatization and embrace the deeper meaning of Christ’s coming as God’s promise fulfilled. In Christ’s birth, God's promises have been made visible, and salvation has been secured for His people. Just as the shepherds spread the news of the Savior's birth, we, as redeemed people, are called to declare the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The message of Christmas is not meant to be whispered. It is the glorious announcement that a King has come to save His people from their sins. Let us go and tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is LORD!

1. God’s Message of Good News (Isaiah 52:7-10)

Isaiah paints a picture of a messenger bringing good news. The messenger’s feet are beautiful because they carry hope and peace.

Isaiah 52:7–10: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

In Christ, in his fullest expression, we see the fulfillment of the ancient promise that God would dwell with His people. This truth is foundational to our faith, for as John Calvin reminds us, “We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ.” Jesus, Emmanuel, ’God with us,’ is not just a comforting idea but the very essence of God’s covenantal faithfulness, demonstrating that He has not abandoned His creation but has come near to redeem it.

This fulfilled promise is the cornerstone of the gospel, echoing Augustine’s declaration that “God became a man, that man might be made sons and daughters of GOD.” In Christ, the infinite God took on human flesh, entering our brokenness to restore us to Himself. Jesus is the living proof of God's unchanging commitment to His people and His unshakable presence among us. This is the hope we proclaim: that the God who is with us has brought salvation to His people and reigns as King forever times forever.