LUKE 1:29 45
THE FIRST PERSON TO WORSHIP JESUS
“[Mary] was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’
“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.
“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’”
We are witnessing a revival of ancient pagan attitudes toward new-born children. To the Roman mind, life did not really begin until the father of the child accepted the child as his own. In judicial language, the child was not a “person” until accepted by the father. A nurse would bring the newborn child to the father and attempt to lay the infant on the father’s lap. If the father received the child, the little one would be allowed to live. If the father spread his legs so as to allow the child to fall to the floor, the child was not accepted. Children were disposable.
Today, whether an unborn infant lives or dies is exclusively a mother’s choice. The woman who chooses life for her unborn child will fight to carry the child to term. However, if she believes the child to be an unbearable inconvenience, she will argue for her “right” to have an abortionist slaughter the child in utero. Today, physicians in Great Britain are calling for a debate on euthanasia for disabled infants, not unlike the “compassion” of the Nazi regime who employed the notorious “T4 Medical Killing” program to rid the nation of the burden of providing care for “useless eaters.”
Were it not shocking enough that physicians—healers who subscribe to the Hippocratic oath—should call for the murder of disabled infants, the Church of England likewise now advocates that sick newborn babies be neglected and allowed to die! In a concession to social sensibilities, the bishops’ argument is cloaked as compassion—it is based solely upon economic considerations, both for society and for the families. It is shocking that supposed men of God blatantly deny scriptural teaching, but in a communion that no longer honours Scripture, perhaps we should not be surprised.
The trend toward murdering our own children is evident even in our own nation. As an example, consider a report from the Alberta Provincial Health Ethics Network. That report, published in 2001, says, in part: “Although the Canadian homicide rate in general has declined to its lowest level in 30 years, there has been significant increase in filicides … that coincide with the positive publicity for justifying filicides… Between 1994 and 1998, the number of children under the age of 12 murdered by their parents increased by 45% to 7.1% of all homicides in Canada (compared to 4.9% for 1974-1983). This sharp increase followed a decreasing trend from 1974 through 1993.
“…This epidemic of filicide appears to be uniquely Canadian. While filicides rose contrary to the general drop in Canadian Homicides, the American filicide rate dropped along with other forms of homicide. As a result, the most recent figures report that 80% of children murdered in Canada were killed by their own parents.”
In Rome at the time of Jesus’ birth, unwanted children were often cast onto the garbage heaps or thrown onto the side of the roads. There, the infants might be eaten by roaming dogs, die of exposure, or be taken in by charlatans of the vilest, most despicable character. Castaway children thus “rescued” might have their limbs broken or suffer other cruel bodily deformation at the hands of their “rescuers”. Such severely crippled children would be the more effective as beggars throughout their toddler and childhood years, their deformities tugging at the heartstrings of compassionate donors who felt guilty at their own good fortune. Their short lives would serve only to enrich their benefactors!
Those who anticipated Messiah’s birth considered the unborn to be human—potentially and actually. The people of the Book were conversant with the mind of God. Throughout the Old Covenant are those verses that speak eloquently of the individuality of the unborn. God affirmed the personhood of the Prophet Jeremiah.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
[JEREMIAH 1:5]
Surely, despite having primary application to the Messiah, the Word of the Lord recorded in ISAIAH 49:1, 5 has relevance to this issue.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother He named my name…
…
And now the LORD says,
He who formed me from the womb to be His servant.
PSALM 139:13-16 presents powerful statements revealing the person of the unborn.
You formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
Since mortals are evidence of God’s handiwork, and if each human being is fearfully and wonderfully made, how much more marvellous is the knowledge that God became a man! How incredible to know that God chose to share our fallen condition, and to know that He did willingly!
Though the Lord Jesus was worshipped by angels, the unborn John was the first person to worship the Lord Jesus, and his mother, Elizabeth, was the first to lend her voice to praise of the Saviour. These were the first in a never-ending multitude to worship Christ the Lord. Join me, together with John, in worship of the Son of God.
THE REASON FOR JESUS’ ADVENT — Why should it be necessary for the Son of God to be born into this sinful world? Why was it necessary that He become man? Wouldn’t it have done for Him to stand in His unveiled glory and accomplish His will? Such questions are legitimate and deserve an answer.
Jesus once stood in unveiled glory, and those nearest Him were unable to stand before Him. You will recall that it was as He was praying that the appearance of His face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white [LUKE 9:29]. Peter, James and John, the Apostles accompanying Him, were startled out of their sleep and shortly found themselves facedown on the ground. Had Jesus appeared in unveiled glory, everyone would have fallen at His feet in obeisance before Him.
It is a sorrowful fact, however, that merely falling at the feet of the Saviour is not worship of the Saviour. There is appointed a day when every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [PHILIPPIANS 2:10, 11]. Either we worship the Son of God as our Saviour now, or we will be compelled to bow before Him as our Judge at His return.
How awesome is the scene that John witnessed and which he described. The kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand” [REVELATION 6:15-17]? That misplaced prayer, the falling at the thought of His judgement, is but a harbinger of what is coming, for all the lost must one day appear before His Great White Throne.
As I prepared the message, I read again REVELATION 20:11-15. I saw something I had never noted before. Listen to the Word of God. I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Notice that Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. No one steps into hell; no one leaps into hell. At the last, all bravado is absent, and sinners are flung into eternal separation. How frightful that thought!
We forget that Jesus was born to provide the means to redeem fallen creation. He came to provide atonement for sin. Here is a question to challenge your conscience. “Are you a sinner because you sin?” Or “Do you sin because you are a sinner?” Without question, we sin because we are sinners. In other words, what we are dictates our behaviour. Since we know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God [ROMANS 3:23], it must follow that man is inherently sinful. If man is to please God, and if he is to enjoy sweet communion with God, God Himself must provide a means to put away man’s sin—sin that is an integral part of man.
We are taught that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins [cf. HEBREWS 9:22]. Those who knew the prophecies of Messiah’s birth were familiar with Isaiah’s words. You have no doubt read his prophecy in the 53rd CHAPTER of his prophecy. Jewish scholars had read and still could not understand what was said.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Again, take special note of VERSES TEN THROUGH TWELVE.
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
[ISAIAH 53:4-6,10-12]
Seven hundred fifty years before His birth, the purpose of Jesus’ coming was prophesied—He would provide His life as a guilt offering. His soul would be an offering for sin; but through that offering, He would justify many by bearing their iniquities while making intercession for them as transgressors. Though the angels would sing of peace on earth, it was peace that would only be purchased with the death of babe.
We must remember that Jesus was born to die. How frightening must Simeon’s words have appeared to Joseph and Mary! This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed [LUKE 2:34, 35]. With the coming of the Son of God, the purchase of redemption was set in motion; but the purchase price was the life of that child. God must taste death to redeem fallen man. This babe, Jesus, by the grace of God must taste death for everyone [HEBREWS 2:9]. I caution you lest the gaiety of the season obscure the solemnity of His advent, for the Son of God came to give His life as a ransom for many [MATTHEW 20:28]. If He does not present Himself as a sacrifice, His coming is futile.
Have you thought of this? If Jesus did not present His life as a sacrifice, we have no reason to worship Him. If He did not bear our sin and take upon Himself our wickedness, our iniquity, our transgression, our sin … we are still under condemnation and we have no reason to worship Him.
Though He was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead [ROMANS 1:4], there would have been no resurrection without His death. Without His death and without His resurrection, there is no reason to worship Him. If He did not take our sin upon Himself and bear them away, why worship Him? If He has not provided atonement, why worship Him? He was divinely appointed to bear away our sin and purify for Himself a people, and by faith in Him we are that people.
THE REACTION TO JESUS’ ADVENT — The entire world is divided into two groups—saints and ain’ts. Either an individual is submitted to the reign of God’s Messiah in his life, or an individual is in rebellion against the Lord God of Heaven and earth. Those who looked to God to fulfil His prophetic Word through the presentation of His Messiah were prepared to worship at Messiah’s advent. Those who thought themselves sufficient to provide for their own life despised His coming. Either one is prepared to worship the Son of God now, or that one is determined that he would slay Him if he could.
For a moment, think of the world into which God sent His Son. The Apostle John wrote of that darkened world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made [JOHN 1:10, 11]. There is a reason for this studied ignorance of the Messiah by the world. This is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed [JOHN 3:19, 20].
John’s words present the most astounding thought. Very God became man, and man did not recognise Him. Their failure to recognise Him was deliberate, however. Very God shone His glory on the soul of fallen mankind, and men rejected His light because they loved darkness. Like rodents and insects, fallen mankind has become so accustomed to the murky blackness of darkened lives that they resent the light of life. Knowing that they are wrapped in chains of their own lusts, they resent even the threat of exposure of their bondage. The pain resulting from exposure of their pitiful condition is feared more than is the thought of judgement. Thus, they choose to die in their sin rather than face their own slavery.
It is the silly season. A newspaper article in the Las Vegas Sun points up the silliness of the season. It relates how officials in St. Albans, West Virginia are putting “Baby Jesus” in the manger, even though Mary and Joseph will not be there. The manger scene, one of 350 light exhibits in the town’s annual Festival of Lights, had shepherds, camels and a guiding star, but no Mary, no Joseph, and no Jesus. It appears these “religious” figures were left out because of concerns for separation of church and state! One cannot read such accounts without realising the palpable hostility toward God’s Son.
No one is truly neutral concerning the Son of God. Either people hate Him, or they worship Him. Scholars ignored His advent, though they knew not only the time He would appear but also the place of His appearance. Nobles determined they would kill Him, but He came to give His life as a ransom. To the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus said, for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father [JOHN 10:17, 18]. Religious people were ignorant of His coming. Together they blended their voices in a pæan of calumny exposing bitterest hatred that would be satisfied only with His death.
Mankind still hates Him, but what can they do to rid themselves of Him? If you attempt to stone Him, He slips through the crowd and walks away. If you try to drown Him He will walk on the water. If you try to destroy Him in a storm, He commands the storm to hush and it lies down at His feet like a chastened puppy. If you try to crucify Him, He refuses to stay dead and the stone will be rolled away from the mouth of the grave. Try to ignore Him and you will hear a still, small voice that whispers, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in [REVELATION 3:20].
You can’t get rid of Him, and at the last, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [PHILIPPIANS 2:10, 11]. Why would you wait to worship Him? Why would you wait to confess His Name? Why would you wait to bow before Him? He is Lord.
Perhaps many did reject Him at His coming, but there were also those who responded in another, more positive way. Even in the verses cited a few short moments ago we see another response. It is true that the world did not recognise Him and His own did not receive Him; nevertheless, all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God [JOHN 1:12, 13]. It is true that men loved darkness, but there was another response to His presence. Whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God [JOHN 3:21].
Mary submitted to the will of God and became the one by whom the Son of God was brought into the world. Joseph responded with deepest humility before the message of the angel to obey the will of God. At His revelation in Israel, many of those whom the forerunner had prepared turned to Him, and John rejoiced at this knowledge and said, the one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him [JOHN 3:29-36].
Long before the forerunner spoke those words, he worshipped the Son of God. John was the first to worship the Son of God, worshipping in his mother’s womb. That unborn child leaped for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice, and though his tongue was yet mute, he worshipped. I confess that I love to sing praises to the Son of God. I confess that I delight to lift my voice in praise to Him. I confess that few instruments of praise are more beautiful than the voice of a redeemed child of God.
When unable to lift my voice in praise, I can worship Him, as did John in Elizabeth’s womb. In the midst of my trials and sorrow, I can leap for joy, as did the unborn child in the womb. I can always reveal the joy of the Saviour in my life.
The world can’t stifle worship in the Christian’s heart. Silence me as I perform my appointed tasks, and I will nevertheless make melody to the Lord with all [my] heart [cf. EPHESIANS 5:19]. Command me to refrain from singing aloud and my heart will yet soar with joy. Joy is the precious gift of God to all who receive Christ as Lord, and the joyful heart cannot help singing.
Threaten the servants of God and they will go back to their friends, and together they will lift[] their voices together to God [cf. ACTS 4:23,24]. Impose a judicial ban on the children of God and they will leave the courts rejoicing that they [are] counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name [cf. ACTS 5:41]. Beat the followers of Christ and put their feet in stocks and at midnight they will pray and sing hymns [cf. ACTS 16:25]. You can’t conquer a people who worship the Living God. You can’t silence a people who know their God, for they will stand firm against those who oppose Him [cf. DANIEL 11:32].
What was true two millennia past is also true this day. The presence of the Son of God forces us to position ourselves. Either we stand opposed to Him or we are submitted to Him. Either we reject Him or we embrace Him. Either we are in darkness or we are in light. Either we are lost or we are found. Either we are dead in trespasses and sins or we are alive in Him. Either we walk in darkness or we are in the light as He is in the light. Either we reject Him or we worship Him.
THE RESULT OF JESUS’ ADVENT — If time was divided at His First Coming, time shall cease at His Second Advent. If mankind was divided at His First Coming, mankind shall be judged at His Second Coming. Throughout the years since His Advent, God has been at work visiting the Gentiles, to take from them a people for His Name [cf. ACTS 15:14]. That divine work has been accomplished through the creation of the Body of Christ. Obtained with His own blood [cf. ACTS 20:28], the church of the Risen Saviour is responsible to gather a people for His Name. We are yet charged to be faithful to His Name until He calls us to Himself.
In the smallest detail of life, we are responsible to glorify Him and to live a life of praise. Our worship is not to ensure that we feel good about ourselves or even to assist us to feel good about Him. Our worship is to equip us to serve Him until He comes. We are called to devotion to Him and to fidelity to His cause—to declare His Good News to the peoples of this darkened world. There are many still in darkness that will respond to the light of His Word, if we will honour Him and remember the purpose of His coming.
As result of the Coming of the Son of God, the church of Christ was born. Salvation is proclaimed to all mankind. Peace is offered to all who will cease their rebellion and receive the Son of God as King of life. The stage is set for His return in great power to receive His chosen people to Himself. Until that day, the people of God are charged with the responsibility of preparing themselves to serve Him through their worship of this Living Son of God, and having prepared themselves they are responsible to boldly proclaim His salvation to the lost and dying world in which they live.
We are conditioned to avoid unpleasantness in our relationship to the people with whom we share our lives. Consequently, we avoid speaking of Christ and deny His claim upon the life of those who are lost. We don’t want to offend, so we look for an easy way to witness of His claim. Our puerile efforts are silent evidence that we have failed to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Our fear testifies that we are not Spirit-controlled.
We rationalise by saying that our lost friends and family members are not so bad. We console ourselves by thinking that perhaps they have secretly trusted Christ as Lord. We don’t know and we dare not risk this shaky relationship by asking of their situation before God. I have heard comments about the lost to the effect that they are good people and that they may be a bit rough, but…
What would you think of a dentist who looked in your mouth and said, “Yes, you have a bad tooth back there in a corner, but you have a lot of good teeth and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so we’ll leave all of them alone”? Yet, we do not want to confront the lost in their sin lest we create a disturbance.
I might apply the same illustration to the preaching the Word and the confrontation of the saints. You see, if it is wicked to permit people to die in their sin, it is wicked for the minister of Christ to fail to confront the people of God about their sinful situation. We do not want our minister to deal with sin in the church lest he create a disturbance. There were good people in the church at Corinth but Paul did not overlook the evils in the fellowship. He dealt with them one by one, and only after that did he get around to the positive notes of giving, love, and the resurrection.
What better time to confront the people of God about our failure to worship, about our failure to be obedient, about our failure to seek the lost, then at Christmas? Christ came to seek and to save the lost, and His coming, commemorated at this Holy Season, speaks powerfully of His Second Coming to judge those who are yet in their sin. If the joy of His presence is seen in me, I will tell others. If the joy of His First Advent now resonates in my life, I will not be silent before those about me. If the joy of His salvation baptises my life, I will speak and I will worship. Having worshipped, I will serve.
Do you know Him? Does He reign in your life? Does your life give evidence of having worshipped Him? Have you any jewels to present before Him at His return? Because He has come once, we now live in anticipation of His return. Because He has come once, we are busy doing the work that He has assigned. Amen.
