The Hinge Of History

THE HINGE OF HISTORY

LUKE 2:1-10

A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONANT IN VARIOUS FORMS OF CARPENTRY IS THE HINGE. THEY CAN COME IN VARIOUS FORMS BUT ESSENTIALLY HAVE BUT ONE TASK TO DO. HINGES JOIN THINGS TOGETHER.

THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND EVEN SOME OF OUR BODY PARTS SUCH AS: KNEE

ELBOWS

JAW

ALL ACT AS HINGES.

ANY CHANGE ACTS AS A HINGE BETWEEN TWO POINTS. A NEW PASTOR FOR EXAMPLE, IS A HINGE BETWEEN THE WAY THE CHURCH USED TO DO THINGS, AND THE WAY IT DOES THINGS UNDER THE NEW PASTOR.

BABIES ARE HINGES IN FAMILIES. I KNOW OF MANY PARENTS WHO SPEAK ABOUT THE RESTFUL QUIET TIMES BEFORE A CHILD’S ARRIVAL, AND THE LATE NIGHT FEEDINGS THAT ARE NOW A PART OF THEIR LIVES. THEY LOOK FORWARD TO THE BABIES AFTERNOON NAP SO THAT THE PARENTS CAN TAKE ONE TOO. TESSA IS THE NAME OF MY LITTLE NIECE AND SHE ONLY HAS ONE SPEED FROM THE TIME SHE WAKES UP UNTIL SHE GOES TO BED. FULL THROTTLE. WE LOOK AFTER HER IN SHIFTS BECAUSE WE CAN’T KEEP UP WITH HER. WE CALL HER “HURRICANE TESSA.” SHE STARTS KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR. PRAYER MEETINGS FOR THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ARE NOW IN PROGRESS.

CHRIST’S BIRTH, THE FIRST ADVENT IS A HINGE IN HISTORY. BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, B.C. TIMES, PEOPLE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH. FOLLOWING THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, A.D. TIMES, THE TIMES WE LIVE IN NOW, HIS BIRTH IS CENTRAL TO MANY THINGS. LEGAL DOCUMENTS, CHECKS THAT ARE SIGNED, ALL BEAR WITNESS TO THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD.

CONSIDER OUR PRESENT YEAR 2018. HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT THE CONCLUSION TO CALL THIS YEAR 2018? THE BIBLE GIVES CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT THE WORLD WAS CREATED THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE THIS, SO HOW DO WE COME TO THIS 2018 DATE?

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. IT IS A CALCULATION BASED ON THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. B.C. DATES ARE ESTABLISHED BASED ON THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. FOR EXAMPLE, WE REFER TO DATES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AS 705 B.C., OR 705 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT WHETHER A BELIEVER OR NOT, THAT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS A DIVIDING LINE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

THIS PASSAGE IN LUKE TWO GIVE US FIVE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE ANGELS ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERDS CONCERNING JESUS’ COMING.

POINT ONE: JESUS COMING HAD A UNIVERSAL DIMENSION.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SINFUL NATURE HAVE UNIVERSAL CONSEQUENCES, AND SO THE SOLUTION TO THE SINFUL NATURE MUST ALSO BY NECESSITY HAVE UNIVERSAL APPEAL. THE ANGEL IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT GIVES SUCH AN APPEAL IN VERSE 10.

LUKE 2:10: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

JESUS COMING INTO THE WORLD WAS FOR ALL PEOPLE. IT HAS A WORLDWIDE SIGNIFICANCE THAT IS NOT KNOWN AMONG THE OTHER RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD.

FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE MAY SHARE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND CUSTOMS, BUT WE SHARE THE SAME SALVATION EXPERIENCE.

WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AS WELL. CHURCHES IN NORTH AMERICA ARE VERY COMFORTABLE CHURCHES. WE DON’T FACE OPPOSITION AS PEOPLE IN SOME COUNTRIES DO. THERE ARE SOME CHURCHES IN COUNTRIES OVERSEAS THAT HAVE DIRT FLOORS AND NO WINDOWS OR DOORS. THERE ARE OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE TO MAKE A DECISION FOR CHRIST WOULD OSTRACIZE YOU FROM FAMILY AND THREATEN YOUR LIFE. YET WE WORSHIP THE SAME GOD AND ARE SAVED BY THE SAME ATONING WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

IN HEAVEN THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THERE OF EVERY RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN. WE WILL ALL BE PRAISING GOD WITH A UNITED AND UNDERSTANDABLE VOICE. WHEN WE SPEAK WITH EACH OTHER EVERY WORD WILL BE UNDERSTOOD AND UNDERSTOOD IN OUR OWN LANGUAGE. IT WILL BE LIKE SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION.

AT CHRISTMAS PEOPLE FROM ALL NATIONS WILL BE JOINING TOGETHER TO WELCOME THE MESSIAH, IN JOY AND EXCITEMENT AS WE CONSIDER THAT HIS MISSION, THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS, HAS STARTED.

POINT TWO: JESUS COMING HAS A HISTORICAL DIMENSION.

LUKE 2:11: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

HERE THE ANGEL CONTINUES WITH HIS DECLARATION TO THE SHEPHERDS, AND TO US AS WELL. IT IS IN V.11 THAT HE INCLUDES A HISTORICAL DIMENSION TO HIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

SMALL WORDS CAN SOMETIMES CARRY SIGNIFICANT MEANINGS DEPENDING ON HOW THEY ARE USED, AND THE WORD “TODAY” AS IT IS USED HERE IS ONE OF THOSE WORDS.

THE ANGEL WAS STATING THAT AT THIS SPECIFIC POINT IN TIME THE MESSIAH CAME INTO THE WORLD. THERE WOULD BE NO MORE SPECULATION. THE TIME OF ANTICIPATING HIS BIRTH WAS OVER.

HE WAS HERE.

OUR FAITH, THE FAITH OF CHRISTENDOM, CENTERS AROUND THIS ONE POINT, AND THAT IS THAT AT THIS TIME, THE FIRST ADVENT, GOD BROKE DIRECTLY INTO OUR WORLD BY TAKING ON THE FORM OF A HUMAN.