Gracious and Compassionate • Luke 2:1-20

1:05:13 Teaching begins

Notes

God created everything very good. But the serpent led the first man and woman into sin and ruined everything.

God promised, made covenants, spoke about what He would do to fix everything and restore our relationship with God. The seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head. Everything depends on that seed of the woman.

The serpent will fight like crazy to escape being crushed by the seed of the woman. Kill everyone but me.

All God’s promises meet all the opposition at Christmas.

Christmas  proves for all time that God is gracious and compassionate.

I’m reading in Luke chapter two.

1. God fulfils His word, His covenant, His promises and prophecies.

A. We can look this chapter over and see how many words that God spoke are fulfilled in this one event.

B. Joseph is from Galilee. This fulfils Isaiah 9:2 the Gentiles have seen a great light. They’re going to see the Light of the world.

C. Joseph is of the family and lineage of David. 2 Samuel 7 God made a covenant with David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne forever.

D. Joseph is also of the family of Abraham. Genesis 12 God made a covenant with him that his seed would bless all the families of the earth.

E. Notice, Mary is engaged to Joseph, they’re not married yet, but she is in her ninth month of pregnancy. Engagement is a sacred as marriage, there can be no intimacy during the engagement, it would be treated as adultery. This fulfils Isaiah 7:14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son who will be called Immanuel, God with us.

F. They have the child in Bethlehem. That fulfils Micah 5:2 that in Bethlehem, the city of David, One would be born whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. God moves the most powerful man in the world to raise taxes. He is unaware that God uses him to move one Jewish couple from Nazareth to Bethlehem because that’s where the baby has to be born. What could move him otherwise? What could move her? It’s skilful and powerful.

G. This baby is Christ the Lord. He is the Son of David, anointed as king forever, He is anointed as priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. He is the prophet like Moses, the one who ignores Him will be destroyed. He will be anointed, not symbolically with oil, but with the Holy Spirit of God Himself, to do His work perfectly and eternally.

H. He is the Saviour. His heel will be crushed by the serpent, when He gives Himself as the substitute sacrifice for all sin, for all time. God will cause all our sins, griefs, sorrows, and sicknesses to fall on Him. This baby who has been born is going to fix everything that has gone wrong from the very beginning.

I. God, at this very moment, is blessing as He promised.He is giving, He is fulfilling, He is working all things together for good.

2. God accomplishes His word through human weakness and difficulty.

A. The serpent has attacked and schemed and done everything possible to resist God and the coming of the seed of the woman. Frontal attacks, subtle attacks, temptations, sins, failures. Dirty tricks. Unfair advantage. Politics, false religion, lies, shall we say it? Misinformation!

B. Even here, it hasn’t been easy.

1. Joseph has to pay taxes. That’s always hard.

2. Mary has to travel in her ninth month of pregnancy. The last thing she wants to do, Joseph has to bring her with.

3. Everything is in chaos, there’s no room at the caravansary, where travellers can stay temporarily. So they have a baby in a stable with animals. Horses, donkeys, camels. The baby’s first crib is a feeding trough.

4. By now, they are completely exhausted. Traveling, taxes, delivery of a baby.

C. God has accomplished His purpose through humility and suffering.

3. God confirms His word. It’s really Him at work.

A. Shepherds at this time generally don’t have a good reputation. Things go missing when they are around. Therefore people don’t think much of them. Yet we notice that these guys are doing their job.

B. An angel suddenly appears to tell them the Messiah has been born and gives them a sign. The sign is not miraculous in itself, but it is true. That’s the meaning of a sign: it points to something greater than itself.

C. When the shepherds come to Bethlehem and see the baby in the feeding trough just like the angel said, they know, the word the angel spoke is confirmed. That’s the Baby!

D. They tell Joseph and Mary, and they confirm God’s word. An angel told us we would see a baby in a feeding trough. That means the Baby is Christ, the Lord. The Baby looks like any other baby outwardly. That Baby is the Messiah, the Lord promised by God to Adam, Abraham, David, Israel, and the whole world.

4. God exalts His word to the very end.

A. This is not everything God promised. This is really the beginning of fulfilling. God will fulfil more and greater prophecies.

B. It’s all going to happen as God said. Jesus died for our sins. He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven. He poured forth the Holy Spirit.

C. There’s still a lot left to fulfil. He’s going to save all Israel, an ancient nation which He has brought back into existence. Jesus will return to the earth in glory with holy saints and angels. He’s going to rule and reign on the earth on the throne of David.

D. Even then there’s still one thing left to do. Having brought in eternal life and glory He will crush the serpent’s head, once and for all.

E. 2 Peter 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

5. So what?

A. The angels praise God for His mercy. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

B. God saw us in our sins and wickedness. He knows our misery and hopelessness and darkness. He’s promised to make things right. That’s compassion.

C.  We deserve judgment but instead He has given us His only Son to save us. That’s gracious.

D. There’s two ways to respond to God.

1. One is, you turn around from your own way and receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You have to invite Him in and submit to Him.

2. If you’ve received Him, thank God. Bless Him, worship Him who does what He says He will do, that is, bless the whole earth with hope and mercy.

3. This Christmas take time and think about the Father giving you His Son. Be blessed by the compassionate and gracious God.

Let’s pray.