December 20th, 2022
Merry Christmas, everyone! As we celebrate, I want to encourage you not to lose the wonder of the birth of Christ. See, the miracle of Jesus’ birth is just the beginning of the story. This week, a Scripture I’ve known as long as I can remember—one that’s often quoted this time of year –absolutely captured my heart. Before I gave my life to Jesus, I knew this Scripture only because it’s the passage Linas recites to finally tell Charlie Brown the meaning of Christmas (If you know, you know). Luke 2:10-11 says,
‘The angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’
In this Scripture, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds after the birth of Jesus to announce that the One they had been waiting for had come. It was good news of great joy. The word for good news in the original language is one that’s used many times throughout the New Testament. It’s more often translated gospel. This was the first time the gospel, the good news, was announced after the Son of God became flesh and it was announced by angels to lowly shepherds. One of the reasons we celebrate Christmas is because the gospel is still the good news. It’s not religion or tradition. “For God so loved the world He gave His only Son” (John 3:16)! The gospel is the promise of light, forgiveness, hope, freedom, deliverance, provision, protection, and peace to every human heart that will receive it. In 2 Timothy 1:9-10 Paul wrote that the purpose of God for all time was “manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection was His offensive attack on the powers of hell. See, God was always forgiving. He was always good. He always loved humanity. God has never not been who He is, but before Jesus, the power of sin reigned in mankind. When Jesus came, He abolished the power of death. That’s good news! Hebrews 2:14-15 says,
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Let’s look back at that Scripture in Luke 2:10-11 again. When the angels announced the news of Jesus’ birth, they declared three different aspects of who He is and His purpose in coming to earth.
First, the angel said, “For unto you is born this day a Savior.” Jesus came to save us—body and soul. He came to heal that which was broken and restore what was separated. He came to deliver us completely and give us life. When John the Baptist had doubts about the identity of the Christ, Jesus responded,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Matthew 11:4)
His identity was demonstrated in His power, as He destroyed the works of the enemy and delivered humanity from the grip of sin and darkness. The Scripture goes on to say that the good news was for all the people. The gospel was for Israel and the Gentiles that were alive then, along with every human being that would come after.
Secondly, in Luke 2:10-11, the angel called Jesus the Christ, the Anointed one. The shepherds would have known immediately that the angel spoke of the Messiah—the one the prophets wrote of for so long. The first recorded time that Jesus spoke publicly in the synagogue, He read a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Luke 4:17-21 says,
‘[Jesus] unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”’
The Christ, the Anointed One, had finally come.
Lastly, in Luke 2:10-11, the angel called Jesus the Lord—the Master. How strange must that have seemed as the angel announced the birth of an infant—humble, dependent, and born in a stable. A Lord in a manger? A Messiah sleeping with the livestock? However, it didn’t matter that He was born in a stable or that He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. It didn’t matter that He would be stripped and beaten, abused for the sins of humanity. Every humble, obedient action of Jesus, from the moment He was born in that stable, were the actions of a King. He was stripped of His garments, but He was never stripped of His authority. He laid down His life, but He never laid down His Lordship. He gave Himself willingly, but even as He hung broken on a cross, He was still the King of the Jews and of all of humanity. Every step He took were the steps of the Lord. As Zechariah prophesied hundreds of years before:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
This week, as we celebrate, I want to encourage you to remember He isn’t just a baby born in a manger. He’s the Savior. He’s the Christ—the Anointed One. He’s the Lord. He’s the King enthroned in the hearts of men by faith. It’s the gospel! It’s good news of great joy and it’s still for all the people!
‘The angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’
In this Scripture, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds after the birth of Jesus to announce that the One they had been waiting for had come. It was good news of great joy. The word for good news in the original language is one that’s used many times throughout the New Testament. It’s more often translated gospel. This was the first time the gospel, the good news, was announced after the Son of God became flesh and it was announced by angels to lowly shepherds. One of the reasons we celebrate Christmas is because the gospel is still the good news. It’s not religion or tradition. “For God so loved the world He gave His only Son” (John 3:16)! The gospel is the promise of light, forgiveness, hope, freedom, deliverance, provision, protection, and peace to every human heart that will receive it. In 2 Timothy 1:9-10 Paul wrote that the purpose of God for all time was “manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection was His offensive attack on the powers of hell. See, God was always forgiving. He was always good. He always loved humanity. God has never not been who He is, but before Jesus, the power of sin reigned in mankind. When Jesus came, He abolished the power of death. That’s good news! Hebrews 2:14-15 says,
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Let’s look back at that Scripture in Luke 2:10-11 again. When the angels announced the news of Jesus’ birth, they declared three different aspects of who He is and His purpose in coming to earth.
First, the angel said, “For unto you is born this day a Savior.” Jesus came to save us—body and soul. He came to heal that which was broken and restore what was separated. He came to deliver us completely and give us life. When John the Baptist had doubts about the identity of the Christ, Jesus responded,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Matthew 11:4)
His identity was demonstrated in His power, as He destroyed the works of the enemy and delivered humanity from the grip of sin and darkness. The Scripture goes on to say that the good news was for all the people. The gospel was for Israel and the Gentiles that were alive then, along with every human being that would come after.
Secondly, in Luke 2:10-11, the angel called Jesus the Christ, the Anointed one. The shepherds would have known immediately that the angel spoke of the Messiah—the one the prophets wrote of for so long. The first recorded time that Jesus spoke publicly in the synagogue, He read a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Luke 4:17-21 says,
‘[Jesus] unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”’
The Christ, the Anointed One, had finally come.
Lastly, in Luke 2:10-11, the angel called Jesus the Lord—the Master. How strange must that have seemed as the angel announced the birth of an infant—humble, dependent, and born in a stable. A Lord in a manger? A Messiah sleeping with the livestock? However, it didn’t matter that He was born in a stable or that He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. It didn’t matter that He would be stripped and beaten, abused for the sins of humanity. Every humble, obedient action of Jesus, from the moment He was born in that stable, were the actions of a King. He was stripped of His garments, but He was never stripped of His authority. He laid down His life, but He never laid down His Lordship. He gave Himself willingly, but even as He hung broken on a cross, He was still the King of the Jews and of all of humanity. Every step He took were the steps of the Lord. As Zechariah prophesied hundreds of years before:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
This week, as we celebrate, I want to encourage you to remember He isn’t just a baby born in a manger. He’s the Savior. He’s the Christ—the Anointed One. He’s the Lord. He’s the King enthroned in the hearts of men by faith. It’s the gospel! It’s good news of great joy and it’s still for all the people!
No Comments