Joy to the world
Luke 2:1-11
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever. May The favour of the Lord be continue to hold you up and bless you to see many wonders during Christmas. On this Christmas Eve, I would like to meditate with you three favours we have through Jesus Christ under the theme joy to the world. Such as, God became a man, God became a messiah, and God became The message of salvation.
God became a man (Luke 2:1-7)
For many centuries God spoke with the fallen humanity through his prophets, servants of God by many ways and means but in our days he has spoken to us through His Son and Our Lord Jesus Christ. So God became a man. Jesus was not a mythological personality. He was not a ghost. But an historical person. He was not a hero of a story fabricated by many as we heard many stories saying ‘long long ago’ a man was born. He was very much a man lived in our history like all of us with daily chores of life yet has set an exemplary life to follow.
St. Luke presents history of our Lord Jesus with a clear link and context of the personalities of his time, and of his era. He mentioned three important references such as:
* Firstly, the connection between the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the census decree of Caesar Augustus under Quirinius, and the appearance of John the Baptist based on the dates from Roman and Jewish history. So the history of Jesus belongs to the world history.
* Secondly, the connection between the crucifixion and death of Jesus with Pilate the Governor of Judaea. Luke establishes the political innocence of Jesus in the eyes of the Romans. Luke proves that Jesus was not a Political restrictionist. He was political apologetic made Romans to feel guilty for the crucifixion of Jesus.
* Thirdly, the connection between the history of Jesus as the beginning of the ongoing church history yet never became the person of the past history. He continues to influence the world history through church history (Ref: Joseph A Fitzmyer, Gospel according to Luke).
So, God became a Man. Precisely the incarnation of God has taken place in the form of a man in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the distance between man and God has been reduced, and through his death and resurrection, it was completely erased. A new relationship has been created through Jesus Christ. God made his dwelling among men not as untouchable God, sacred and unreachable God (1 Timothy 1:14, Psalm 113:5, 135:21, 1 Kings 8:12, 27, 19:15, 1 Chronicles 13:6, 17:5, Psalm 46:4, 80:1). But he decided to live with Israelites through their sanctuaries and tabernacles (Exodus 25:8, 29:46).
But God became a friend, and an exemplary person through Jesus Christ. God identified himself with the humanity with their daily struggles for food, water, dignity and divinity. He has shown himself as reachable, approachable and compassionate ever loving God. At the same time he lives with all those who are humble, broken (Isaiah 57:15). He came and lived among the countries of the Naphtali and Zebulun (Matthew 4:13). He lives among you when you know him and obey him (John 14:17,23). He never lives in the temples, churches and shrines but in your hearts (Acts 17:24, 2 Corinthians 6:16).
God was portrayed as a furious, angry and consuming God in the Old Testament but now he has come as a humble person, reliable and loveable person in Jesus Christ. He became a real hero of everyone. He had the charisma to attract anyone and everyone on the earth at all generations.
He became the hope of the hopeless people and the Lord of all. He became an address and an identity of humanity. He became a member of our family. Today, on this Christmas Day, Jesus has born into every house as a loveable boy, therefore whoever welcomes him, they find the joy therefore joy to the world because Jesus is born today.
Is it not true that the birth of Jesus has brought dignity to humanity? Yes, he changed the Dignity of all irrespective of nationalities, personalities, classes and castes. The birth of Jesus made everyone equal as Paul puts it in Galatians that no more Greeks or Romans, Jews or gentiles, no more male or female, All are one (Galatians 3:28).. Through this Christ Jesus, the lesser being of humanity has upgraded to higher than the status of Angels. The book of Hebrews says that God has ordered angels to Serve humanity (Hebrews 1:14).
God became the Messiah (Luke 2:8-11)
The Jews were waiting for a messiah. The term "messiah" refers to "the anointed", designated, and consecrated for specific purposes. Persons who were anointed had been elected, designated, appointed, given authority, qualified, and equipped for specific offices and tasks.
Near eastern concept of messiah is different from biblical concept. The Egyptian referrals speak of a divine king who would bring deliverance and prosperity. But, Jews had the king not divine king. The Mesopotamian, Hittite, and Canaanite texts also exhibit a common literary and historical background with the Scriptures, but the views concerning kingship and priesthood, the interrelationships between these, and their relationship to gods are radically different from the biblical explanations.
Scholars insist that only an actual reigning king could be considered as a Messiah. So, Messiah could be a royal person and only those who were in positions as kings and emperors were depicted as messiah. Then among the countries, those who were doing heroic acts and those who were expertise in philosophy, theology, medicine and astronomy were known as messiah. A person with special qualities and abilities to save people and could bring well being to a people group or nation were known as messiah. The Near Eastern texts presented a messiah of a divine-royal person who would fight, kill, and plunder to gain advantage and thus set up his political organization, of a kingdom or empire. But, The biblical messiah was a divine-human being the mediator of the covenant and the administrator of the kingdom of God.
But, Jews expected a messiah with multiple tasks and abilities. They had kings, priests and prophets. So the biblical messiah must be three in one, threefold responsibilities of a king, of a priest and of a prophet. So, the gospel writer Matthew presents that the baby Jesus was showered with the blessings of threefold gifts from the eastern visitors. The wise men had bequeathed Jesus with threefold gifts to honour him indicating his three fold ministries. We read it in Matthew 2:11. ‘Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ So, God became ‘The Messiah’ in Christ. It Included the wider view of the characteristics, tasks, goals, means, and consequences of the messianic person. (Ref: Dictionary of the Bible)
Jesus is ‘The Saviour’ of the world. He is the saviour with power, authorities, principles, philosophies, prosperity and became propitiation. He became the appeasing sacrifice to the Lord to remove the punishment, hatred of God. He became the bridge and a peacemaker between God the father and men, between one another.
Though Jesus was a man but not a sinful man. He shared the flesh of the humanity but not their sin and inabilities. He was born as a man but not of the blood of the man. He was not a seed of a man but of the woman. He was a son of Virgin Mary. The incarnation of Christ has broken the barrier, and dividing walls. He broke the hierarchy. He became a friend to the followers. He made everyone as the partakers of the heavenly possessions. People found in Christ a leader whom they were looking for, a friend who can be trusted (John 15), and a brother who cares for them (John 19). He was their Messiah. So, he became messiah.
It was the primary call of Adam and Eve to have a living, loving, lasting relationship with God. He made a covenant bond, with the Creator God. They were given authority, ability, and responsibility to mirror, represent, and serve the sovereign Creator and King of the entire created cosmos. Adam and Eve were to believe, obey, and serve God in the living, loving, covenantal relationship. But they failed. The seed of the woman would restore, continue, and bring to full fruition God's kingdom plans and goals. So, Christ became the messiah to fulfil God’s expectations. When Andrew confessed that he has found the Messiah to his brother Peter. Because they were waiting for such a messiah.
So, Andrew, Peter, James and John had been earnestly expecting and waiting for the Messiah and that they had been searching to find him their attitude of expectancy having resulted from John the Baptist's preaching, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"(ref: Matthew3:2).
The congregation of John the Baptist met with their expectations. They came with some dire needs and they were listening prayerfully to the heavenly counsel which has come through John the Baptist. So God has met them and answered their prayers, and expectations. But, Pharisees became critics, priests became accusers, and the government officers became investigators. So, none of them found Christ and his grace.
How do you do? Are you listening to the preachings or looking into your WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and social media. Your blessings are depended upon your involvement in the church worship and listening to the preachings. If you don’t seek him earnestly, if you don’t heed to the Counsel of God which comes through preaching, then you will be a looser. If you have been blessed then you are the messenger to carry the message of God. Because Jesus is the message of Good news.
God became the Message (Luke 2:12-15)
We are flooded with messages of hate, messages of fear, messages of threat, messages of pain, poverty, cruelty, and casualties. The cries of people heated and ringing in our ears, painful to the heart. Now, the question is What message do I have for thus lost world? Am I communicating a simple message, or a complicated? Is it effective? Is it able to accomplish the desired results? But we are sure if we take this message of love God can meet every human need. Cross had brought solutions all problems of humanity. Multiple variants of diseases and viruses of sin but only medicine is Jesus Christ.
Paul says in Colossians 1:28-29: ‘Christ is our message! We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. It has become my inspiration and passion in ministry to labor with a tireless intensity, with his power flowing through me, to present to every believer the revelation of being his perfect one in Jesus Christ.’(The Passion Translation)
God became the message of favour, messages of love, compassion and joy. This is the joy to the world. The message is God is exalted through him, Men found favour of God through Christ. Men and creatures found peace on earth which was lost in the Garden of Eden.‘
Paul says, ‘This is the wonderful message that is being spread everywhere, powerfully changing hearts throughout the earth, just like it has changed you! Every believer of this good news bears the fruit of eternal life as they experience the reality of God’s grace.’(Colossians 1:6, TPT).
Barnes: any religious person, follower of religion will proclaim the message of his religious affinity. He desires that others may possess it, so all could live with peace with one another. Salvation in Christ belongs to all, so, no one monopolize it or hide it under a bushel. It is proclaimed to bring everyone to Saviour. A disciple does not “wait” for listeners to come, but it goes “for” them; it seeks them out, and tells them that a Saviour is found. So, new converts should “seek” their friends and neighbors, and relatives tell them of a Saviour, as far as possible, that all may come to Jesus and be saved.
At Pentecost Peter said, "That same Jesus, whom you have crucified" is the messiah and message (Acts 2:36). Peter preached Christ (Acts 3:20). The message of the apostles continued to be a Person called Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42). In witnessing to the Ethiopian, Evangelist Philip preached unto him Jesus (Acts 8:35). Paul preached Christ to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 9:20, 11:20), in the continent of Europe too he had preached Jesus Christ, cities such as at Thessalonica and Athens (Acts 17:3, 18). Later, Paul wrote to the same church: "We preach Christ Jesus" ( I Corinthians 2:2, 1 Corinthians 4:5). He was so much concerned about getting this message to all men that he even rejoiced when it was preached by unworthy men (Philippians 1:15-18).
Our message is not a description of Christ, but rather a prescription of Him for salvation. Like a doctor prescribes the tablets and explains about it. The apostles did not preach about Christ; they presented Him as the answer to every human need. Our task is to present Jesus Christ to the fellow human beings as the remedy for their sin and guilt. We must present Christ even to to the sinning believers who call themselves as Christians. Because Christ is the cure for the helplessness and defeat humanity. He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). The emphasis in the messages of Paul to make known Jesus Christ and his crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:2). (MILES TABER, Pastor, Grace Brethren Church Ashland, Ohio)
Conclusion:
Wish you all a happy Christmas. God bless you, Amen.
