How Do You Crown Jesus On His Birthday?

Intro: How do many crown Jesus today? Many crown him with the title teacher, prophet. We don’t think much this time of year how we should crown the Wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. In this time of presents and pageantry, family and friends, gifts and giving do we thin of how we should crown the newborn king?

We decorate the trees and crown them with Santa’s, Stars, or other tree toppers. We decorate ourselves in Christmas sweaters, ties, and hats.

This is a time of year to remember we are to decorate our heart with the Love of God shed abroad by His Holy Spirit.

We can crown Christ king of our hearts.

I. The Modesty of Jesus’ birth

Luke 2.3 “it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theopilus.”

A) A Recorded Birth

1) Foretelling

a) The promise of His coming created Gen 3.5

b) The promise of His coming continued Isaiah 7.14, 9.6, 7

1) 7.14 Born of a Virgin, God will be with us.

c) The promise of His coming consummated Luke 2.7, Gal 4.4

Gal 4.4 “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,”

1) “God sent forth His son” The deity of Jesus

In a 1983 Gallup poll Americans were asked "who do you think Jesus is." 70% of those interviewed said Jesus was not just another man. 42% stated Jesus was God among men. 27% felt Jesus was only human but divinely called. 9% states Jesus was divine because he embodied the best of humanity. Also, 81% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians.

2) “born of a woman” The humanity of Jesus

3) “born under the law” The grace of God

2) Fulfilling

So God could speak to us

Hebrews 1.2 “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Not only the words and life of Jesus but the manner, time and place of His birth speaks of God’s complete control of History.

Through the written word

Through the living word

J. I. Packer, New Bible Commentary, p. 15.

"Without God’s explanatory word, God’s redemptive action could not be recognized for what it was. The clearest revelation of God (the incarnation) is nevertheless the most opaque to man.”

B) A Routine Birth

Luke 2.7a “And she gave birth to her firstborn son;”

Think the creator of the universe, the ancient of days, the covenant God of Israel, The Lamb of God.

And His actual physical birth gets less than 1 verse!!!

1) The master born of a woman.

2) The master laid in a manger.

The similarity to the manger possibly a stone trough

And the borrowed tomb cannot be missed.

He was laid in a manger and He was laid in a tomb.

Unknown

Christ was content with a stable when he was born so that we could have a mansion when we die.

How should that speak to us of our contentment with life’s aggravations, situations, etc. . .

C) A Royal Birth (king of kings, Son of David)

1) Proper praise for the Prophet, Priest, and king

a) The praise of the angel’s saying. Luke 2.13-14

b) The praise of the shepherd’s visit. Luke 2.16-17

b) The praise of the wisemen’s gifts

i) Gold -- foretells Jesus’ kingly ministry

II) Frankincense -- foretells Jesus’ priestly ministry

III) Myrrh -- foretells Jesus’ suffering ministry

2) Proper praise of us today

God has ever longs for relationship with His creation not a half-hearted attempt to reach him thorough our own vain efforts.

It was not to the religious that God announced the coming of His son. It was to the common man

II. The Message of Jesus’ birth

A) A message of Joy Luke 2.10

1) Present Joy of Salvation

2) Future Joy of Glorification

B) A message of Distinction (in a manger) Luke 2.7, 11

1) The sign of God’s coming

2) The sign of God’s humbling (We are God’s distinct people)

Luke 2.11 “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

III. The Mercy of Jesus’ birth

Romans 9.16 “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

James 2.13 “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

A) The manger was mercy’s entrance into the world

1 Peter 1.3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.