WHY THE CHRIST CHILD
ISAIAH 53:1-12
LAST WEEK WE BEGAN OUR ADVENT CELEBRATION LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS BY LOOKING AT THE NAME “IMMANUEL – GOD WITH US.” THIS BLEST PROMISE ALLOWS US TO REALIZE THAT GOD IS WITH US EACH DAY OF OUR LIVES, NOT JUEST AT CHRISTMAS.
WHEN WE CELEBRATE “IMMANUEL” WE CELEBRATE THE WAY THAT GOD HAS CHOSEN TO SAVE SINNERS. WE CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT GOD IS WITH US TO COMFORT US DURING TIMES OF SORROW. WE CAN CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT GOD’S PRESENCE WITH US IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR GOD’S CHILDREN. WE CAN GAIN COMFORT IN THE REALIZATION THAT BECAUSE GOD IS WITH US, WE CAN FACE THE TIME OF OUR DEATHS IN THE FULL REALIZATION THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FAR BETTER IN STORE FOR US, THAT IS SO GOOD WE CANNOT EVEN CONCEIVE OF IT IN ITS FULLNESS.
GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY CHOSE TO ENTER INTO THE WORLD AS A BABE TO ALLOW THE PROPHECIES OVER THE AGES TO STAND IN SUPPORT THAT JESUS AND JESUS ALONE IS THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.
MATHEMATICIANS HAVE GIVEN US THIS INFORMATION
1 PERSON FULFILLING 8 PROPHECIES 100,000,000,000,000,000
1 PERSON FULFILLING 48 PROPHECIES 1 X 10 TO THE 157 POWER
1 PERSON TO FULFILL 300+ PROPHECIES. ONLY JESUS!
THIS PARTICULAR PASSAGE WE READ FROM ISAIAH WAS PROPHECIED 750 YEARS BEFORE JESUS’ BIRTH.
THE THING THAT WE MUST MAKE CLEAR IS THAT THIS IS THE PROPHECY ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, AND THESE PROPHECIES WERE FULFILLED IN JESUS, PROVING THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH.
MANY OF THE MAJOR DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY, CAN BE FOUND IN THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE. WHEN WE CONSIDER THE NAME “IMMANUEL” – “GOD WITH US” IT REMINDS OF THE DOCTRINE OF OMNIPRESENCE, GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US. THE TITLE “LORD JESUS” SATISFIES BOTH THE DEMANDS OF BOTH HUMANITY AND GOD. THE FACT THAT GOD GAVE “HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” ILLUSTRATES GOD’S LOVE. THE BABY JESUS POINTS OUT THE DOCTRINE OF HUMILITY.
THE BEAUTIFUL HYMNS THAT WE SING AT CHRISTMAS CONTAIN MANY, AND IMPLY MANY MORE, OF THE MAJOR THEMES OF CHRISTIANITY. THEY TOO POINT TO JESUS AS THE MESSIAH. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO USE THE HYMN “HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING” AS A SPRINGBOARD TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT THE ANGELS WERE SINGING ON THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS NIGHT. WAS IT A SONG AT ALL, OR WAS IT JUST THEIR VOICES RAISED IN A RAPSODY OF PRAISE TO GOD. WE ARE NOT TOLD WHAT THEY SANG, ONLY THAT THEY SAID:
LUKE 2:14: 14 “GLORY TO GOD IN HIGHEST HEAVEN, AND PEACE ON EARTH TO THOSE WITH WHOM GOD IS PLEASED.’’
THE CAROL THEN IS THE AUTHORS ATTEMPT TO PUT TO WORDS, SOME OF THE THINGS AND IDEAS THAT THE ANGELS MIGHT HAVE USED TO PRAISE GOD FOR HIS COMING AND SOME OF THE GREAT THEOLOGICAL TRUTHS OF THE BIBLE.
POINT ONE: THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS:
THE FIRST STANZA OF THIS CAROL BRINGS US FACE TO FACE WITH THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL.
PEACE ON EARTH AND MERCY MILD
GOD AND SINNERS RECONCILED!
JOYFUL ALL YE NATIONS RISE
JOIN THE TRIUMPH OF THE SKIES
THIS HYMN REMINDS US THAT THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS AND THAT WE ARE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT IT. THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS ABOUT THE SALVATION OF THOSE WHO WILL PUT THEIR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS WHO IS THE CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR. THE ANGER GOD HAS OVER SIN IS ABOUT TO BE SATISFIED, THE PLAN IS NOT ONLY IN PLACE NOW, BUT IS BEING ACTED ON THROUGH THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.
THE WORD RECONCILE MEANS TO “REUNITE”, TO CAUSE TO BE FRIENDLY AGAIN, OR TO BRING BACK TO HARMONY. THE SIN NATURE THAT HAD CREATED A FALLEN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, WAS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF AND WILL SOON BE DEFEATED THROUGH THE BIRTH AND SACRIFICE OF THE CHRIST.
THE PROCLAMATION SHOULD RESOUND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TODAY. OUR WALLS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTAIN OUR EXCITEMENT. THERE CAN BE PEACE AND MERCY TODAY! GOD HAS BEEN RECONCILED TO SINNERS THROUGH THE BIRTH OF HIS SON! THIS IS INDEED THE HEAVENSENT TRIUMPH OF THE AGES.
NOTE THE AUTHOR DOES NOT SAY THAT “JESUS” IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM, RATHER HE USES THE TITLE “CHRIST”. THIS IS AN UNVEILED STATEMENT THAT THE GOD OF THE AGES HAS TAKEN ON HUMAN FORM, AND WAS PRESENT IN A STABLE IN BETHLEHEM. IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE ANGELS SANG THAT NIGHT.
POINT TWO: THE WORDS OF THE HYMN ARE THE VERY CENTER OF THE CHRISTMAS THOUGHT:
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE SECOND STANZE OF THIS GREAT HYMN, WE COME FACE TO FACE WITH PHRASES LIKE “ JESUS, OUR IMMANUEL” AND “VEILED IN FLESH THE GODHEAD SEE.”
AS WE NOTED LAST WEEK “IMMANUEL” MEANS GOD WITH US.
ISAIAH 7:14: “ALL RIGHT THEN, THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU THE SIGN. LOOK! THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE A CHILD! SHE WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL (WHICH MEANS ’GOD IS WITH US’).”
IMMANUEL MEANS THAT AS CHRISTIANS WE CAN TRUST IN THE ETERNAL PRSENCE OF GOD IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES. THERE IS NEVER A MOMENT THAT GOD IS NOT WITH US TO PROVIDE FOR OUR VARIOUS NEEDS.
“VEILED IN FLESH THE GODHEAD SEE”, SPEAKS TO THE VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE NATURE OF GOD. IN THIS PHRASE GOD IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE TOTAL SELF OF EACH PERSON.
BY BEING BORN AS A BABY, HE IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE BIRTH OF OTHER BABIES. BY LIVING ON EARTH, HE IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE NORMAL LIFE OF ALL PEOPLE. BY DYING ON THE CROSS, HE IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE DEATH OF ALL. BY RISING FROM THE GRAVE AND ASCENDING TO HEAVEN, HE IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE HOPE OF ALL.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:21: “FOR GOD MADE CHRIST, WHO NEVER SINNED, TO BE THE OFFERING FOR OUR SIN, SO THAT WE COULD BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST.”
WITHIN THE VEIL OF FLESH THAT WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM THAT NIGHT, WOULD BE GOD HIMSELF. HE WOULD BE VEILED FROM ALL WHO WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR, AND STILL IS. BUT TO THOSE WHO THROUGH FAITH ACCEPT HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE GOD IN JESUS.
ONLY WHEN A KING IDENTIFES WITH HIS PEOPLE CAN HE BE CONSIDERED A GOOD KING. THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS THE PERFECT KING, WHO IDENTIFIES IN EVERY WAY WITH HIS PEOPLE, EVEN TO THE POINT OF TAKING ON HUMAN FORM.
POINT THREE: HAIL THE HEAVEN-BORN PRINCE OF PEACE:
WHEN THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS AT IT’S PEAK THE UNIVERSAL GREETING WAS “HEIL” AND THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR. ADOLF HITLER USED IT IN HIS SALUTE FOR THIS REASON, TO MAKE THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT HE WAS IN CHARGE.
HERE JESUS IS BEING HEILED AS THE PRINCE OF A NEW KINGDOM, THE KINGDOM OF PEACE. THIS KINGDOM CAN ONLY BE ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE NEW BIRTH, AND STARTS ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
THE PEACE JESUS CAME TO ESTABLISH ON EARTH WILL BECOME A REALITY AS A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR RIGHT LIVING, IS LIVED BY EACH OF US AS CHILDREN OF GOD. PEACE WILL BECOME A REALITY WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE LIVE RIGHT.
CONCLUSION:
THE ONLY HOPE OF PEACED IS THE TRUE REIGN OF GOD IN THE LIVES OF ALL. THIS CAN BE DONE WHEN EACH CHRISTIAN RECOGNIZES THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IN THEIR LIVES.
2 CHRONICLES 7:14: “THEN IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND RESTORE THEIR LAND.”
THIS PROMISE IS GOD’S FIRM COMMITMENT TO HEAL A SIN-SICK WORLD WHEN THE WORLD MEETS THE CONDITIONS OF A RIGHTEOUS LOVING GOD.
DO YOU KNOW THIS PEACE TODAY? THIS CHRISTMAS COULD BE THE TIME THAT YOU DEDICATE OR RE-DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO GOD TODAY. IT WILL BE YOUR PRIVILEGE TO JOIN IN THE ANGELS IN SHOUTING GLORY FOR THE PEACE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TODAY.
