Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20091220.htm

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: GOD'S GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY
Part III: God's Joyful Good News Regarding Our Spiritual Welfare
(Luke 2:10-20)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    Last Monday, a local radio talk show host began his program by saying he wanted to focus that day on the personal value of Christmas since, at this time of the year, so many are "reflective" on this subject.

    (1) He made a valid observation: Christopher Radko's editorial, "'Czar of Christmas' sees holiday in a whole new light," in the December 14, 2009 USA TODAY, p. 19A reported on his reflections about Christmas. He related that "When I was a kid, the Christmas tree was a safe zone, an escape from the unhappy realities of my parents' broken marriage . . . And then as a young adult, I shared my childlike awe of the sparkle of Christmas in the ornaments I designed for close to 25 years . . . But what is Christmas to me today, now that I've sold my company and am no longer 'the Czar of Christmas'? . . . (T)his December, I'm thinking of the frenzy of shoppers and folks overdoing it as I used to. For what glory is all this stress?"

    (2) If Christmas is only about sparkle and frenzied shopping, Radko's question is quite potent, one that agnostics and atheists would also use! A Letter to the Editor in the same paper (p. 18A) replied to an earlier issue's December 7 article by Stephen Prothero, "Atheists need a different voice," explaining how atheists think "asking whether there is a God is . . . useless . . ." The letter's author added: "Agnostics say they don't believe in a kingly infinite being until proved otherwise."

    Another letter voiced dismay that the paper even ran an article on atheism when this season is to be "full of the joy and hope . . . in the Christian message," Ibid. Yet, if Christmas is actually only frenzied shopping and overdoing it, indeed, to use Mr. Radko's words, "For what glory is all this stress?"

    (3) Locally, a letter to the editor by a self-professed Catholic in the December 14, 2009 Republican-American, p. 6A, complained of a principal in a Waterbury elementary school who would not allow Christmas celebrations at his school.

    Some would join in complaining about religious oppression by an official's restricting of Christmas rituals while others would ask, "Why get upset over not focusing our children on festivities marked by 'frenzied shopping and overdoing it'?"



    So, we may ask, "As many become reflective at Christmas only to face emptiness or illogic, how may I find real fulfillment?!"

    Need: "Many lack fulfillment this Christmas, so, how may I gain it?"

  1. Though the angel announced God's "good tidings of great joy . . . to all people" in Luke 2:10, those who heard of the message were VARIOUSLY FULFILLED based on how each RESPONDED to it:
    1. The people were astonished at the shepherds' report of God's angelic announcement, Luke 2:8-14! However, they failed to apply that Word from God, failing to exalt Jesus as their Messiah!
    2. The Shepherds believed and applied God's Word, gaining great joy:
      1. After the angel had told them of Messiah's birth, the shepherds APPLIED it, visiting their infant Messiah in his bed, Luke 2:15.
      2. They found Him in accord with God's Word from the angel, so they joyfully heralded the news of Messiah's birth, and returned to their fields expressing praise and glory to God, Luke 2:16-17, 20!
    3. Mary EXCEEDED what the shepherds had done: going beyond trusting and applying God's Word, she kept treasuring it so that she kept reflecting upon it for additional rich fulfillment, Luke 2:19:
      1. The KJV verb "kept" translates the Greek Testament's "suntareo" in the imperfect tense to mean, "was treasuring," and the KJV "pondered" translates "sumballo " in the present participle form to mean "pondering", U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 208; Arndt & Ging., A Greek-English Lexicon of the N. T., 1967, p. 800, 785.
      2. Thus, Mary kept treasuring so as to keep pondering God's Word by the angel to the shepherds for additional rich fulfillment!
  2. We too are blessed in continuing to treasure and ponder that Word:
    1. Pondering the angel's word opens up the wealth of Isaiah 9:6-7:
      1. The angel's words, "For unto you is born this day . . . " recalls the Isaiah 9:6a Messianic prophecy, "For unto us a child is born . . ."
      2. If we ponder that prophecy, it opens up a wealth of truth for us:
        1. Jesus as "Wonderful [Supernatural] Counsellor" in view of Isaiah 8:19-20 shows He replaces man's need to consult occult sources for answers! (Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978, ftn. to Isa. 9:6)
        2. Jesus as the "Mighty God" in view of Isaiah 8:7-8 shows He will rule over the threat of formidable enemy nations.
        3. Jesus as Israel's "Everlasting Father" [lit. "Father of Eternity; i.e., Messiah is eternally a Father to His people", Ibid.] in view of Isaiah 8:21 would guard, supply and care for man's needs in contrast to the present failure of human overseers to do so, Ibid.
        4. Jesus as the "Prince of Peace" in view of Isaiah 8:22 shows He as the hope of a coming ruler bringing lasting peace would meet the needs of depressed folk who feel hopelessness and despair!
    2. [Pondering the implications of the Dead Sea Isaiah scroll opens up more wealth from Isaiah 9:1-7: paleographers date it B. C. 150, so as Jesus fulfilled the Isaiah 9:1-2 part of the broad Isaiah 9:1-7 prophecy in His earthly ministry in Galilee, which prophecy is proved to exist long before His birth, Jesus is the Messiah, and the Bible's God exists, Zond. Pict. Ency. Bible , vol. Three, p. 321; Ibid., Ryrie, p. 980.]
    3. Pondering the angel's word opens up the wealth of Micah 5:2-3:
      1. The angel's Luke 2:11b word that Messiah was born in the "city of David", in Bethlehem (Lk. 2:15), recalls the Micah 5:2-3 prophecy.
      2. If we ponder that prophecy, it offers edifying theological insight:
        1. Micah 5:3, in accord with the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy made just thirty years earlier, predicts the birth of the Messiah by his earthly Mother! (Leslie C. Allen, The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah (NICOT), 1976, p. 345)
        2. The Hebrew text there reads, "she who labors (fem. participle, yoledah) gives birth (yaladah)" (KJV, NIV, ESV; Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 938; B. D. B., Heb. & Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 408).
        3. The Roman Catholic New American Bible avoids the idea that Mary experienced labor, for that would mean she was a sinner under the Genesis 3:16 Adamic curse! Thus, the NAB translates the above phrase: " she who is to give birth has born". However, that would require the original Hebrew text to have the infinitive construct, ledah ("to give birth"), not the participle, yoledah ("she who labors") as it does, Ibid., B. D. B.; Kittel! [Also, even the Catholic Douay-Rheims version of its own Latin Vulgate makes the phrase read, "she that travaileth"!]
        4. Jesus' earthly Mother, Mary, experienced labor to bear Him, so she was a sinner, and salvation is through Christ alone!
    4. Pondering the angels' word opens up the wealth of Matthew 11:28-30:
      1. The angels told of God's glory and peace on earth to "men who are the recipients of His favor and grace," Ibid., Ryrie, ftn to Lk. 2:14.
      2. Matthew 11:28-30 explains this peace comes when a (a) believer (b) trusts Christ to handle (c) his sin and (d) legalistic oppressors.
Application: (1) May we believe the angel's message, trusting in Christ to have eternal life, John 3:16. (2) Then, may we apply God's Word, and (3) keep treasuring it to (4) keep pondering it for (5) continual application and fulfillment THIS Christmas!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 The needs we mentioned in our sermon introduction can each be met by believing, applying, treasuring and pondering the words of the angel to the Bethlehem shepherds as we developed this truth in our sermon notes, and we can illustrate this as follows:

(1) Regarding Christopher Radko's December 14 USA TODAY article where he told of his search for fulfillment at Christmas over "the frenzy of shoppers and folks overdoing it as I used to," a search begun by his childhood that was laced with the pain of his parents' divorce, we report that faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior provides eternal life and a relationship with God. Then the Isaiah 9:6-7 Supernatural Counsellor can deal the pain of the past, and Jesus as the Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace can fulfill us where the "frenzy of shoppers and folks overdoing it" only disappoint.

(2) Regarding the needs of atheists and agnostics, news of the arrival of the Messiah in fulfillment of the Isaiah 9:6-7 prophecy made long before Jesus' birth, which prophecy we can archaeologically verify existed long before Jesus' birth, supplies evidence that the God of the Bible exists, and that Jesus is His Son and our Messiah! May the atheist and agnostic then trust in Him for eternal life and fulfillment!

(3) Regarding the letter by a self-professed Roman Catholic to the Waterbury paper expressing concern over the banning of Christmas celebrations at an elementary school in the town, we have the good news from Micah 5:2-3 and Matthew 11:28-30: (a) true fulfillment is by faith alone in Christ alone, not by adding external religious works or rituals of any kind to our faith! Even Mary, the earthly Mother of Jesus, was a sinner, so she is incapable of interceding for our salvation, but Jesus alone by faith provides full inner salvation and fulfillment!

(b) Then, since Jesus alone provides inner peace even from oppression as taught by the Luke 2 angels and Matthew 11:28-30, we are confident that no external restrictions on celebrating Christmas rituals by any government official at any level can diminish one's inner joy of spiritual fellowship with Jesus Christ!



May we then TRUST in the WORD of GOD by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, and may we KEEP TREASURING it so as to KEEP PONDERING it for CONTINUED BLESSING!