Calvary Baptist Church - Canyon Texas - David Crump, Pastor

These events are saturated with meaning. This is the fulfillment of hundreds of OT prophecies, foreshadowing, and prototypes. We’ll look at three of those this morning.

They celebrated the Passover together – which was a foreshadowing: The Passover celebrated an event for 1450 years when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. God sent plagues on Egypt for their treatment of the Israelites. The last plague was the death of every first born in the country. But the Lord spared the life of the firstborn whose doorways were covered with the blood of a slaughtered a lamb. The angel of death came and “passed over” those homes.

The Passover had been celebrated for 1450 years, foreshadowing what Christ would do as the Lamb of God, sparing their lives by the death of the Lamb.

Matthew 26:26-30 - Jesus with the disciples at the last supper

v. 26 He taught them about how they must accept the sacrifice of his body for forgiveness.

v. 27 His blood was poured out for them.

v. 28 You must accept the sacrifice of his body and blood. If you do, you will receive forgiveness of your sin.

He was about to go to Gethsemane where he would be betrayed, trialed, and finally executed.

v. 30 Before they left, they sang a hymn, as was custom for the Passover meal.

Did you ever wonder what they sang?

At the beginning of the Passover meal, they sang Psalms 113-114.

At the end of the Passover meal, they sang Psalms 115-118.

Listen to some of the words they sang that evening together:

Psalm 117:1-2

v. 1 – “Praise” is Hallel. These are known as the “Hallel Psalms”

Why would all nations praise the Lord? Why all peoples?

God’s plan from the beginning was that God’s redemptive work in and for Israel had in view the redemption of the Gentiles.

Genesis 12:3 - God’s promise to Abraham

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

The Gentiles would see God’s mighty and gracious acts for his people and hear their praises as they celebrated what God had done for them.

Romans 15:8-12

8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” (2 Samuel 22:50)

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” (Det 32:43)

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” (Psalm 111:1)

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations;

in him the Gentiles will hope.” (Isaiah 11:10)

God’s greatest and climactic act for Israel’s salvation was the sending of the Messiah to fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs.

God planned and used the sending of His son to gather in the great harvest of the Gentiles. The fact that Gentiles came to know and hope in Christ is fulfillment of these prophecies, as is the continuing evangelization of the nations.

The idea is that when we (Gentiles) saw the love and faithfulness of the God toward the Israelites in the OT, and especially in the giving of Jesus Christ, that you and I would join Israel in worship of the true God.

God would demonstrate for all the nations to see that his love (checed) and faithfulness do endure forever, and that the Lord God is worthy of praise.

What Jesus and the disciples sang, Jesus carried out.

v. 2 – The Lord has love for his people. Jesus sang about it, and would demonstrate it perfectly, finally at the cross.

(checed – loving devotion – a love that is merciful, kindness, and not dependent on the object of the love. It is a love that is stubborn, unshakable)

"loving-kindness," "mercy," "steadfast love," and sometimes "loyalty,"

The word carries with it not only the notion of a deep love, but a steadfast, faithful, loyal, persistent, devoted love.

It is a love that is not dependent on the actions of the recipient. He did not love the Israelites because they were lovable.

Deuteronomy 7:6

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

It is that sure love which will not let Israel go. All of Israel's persistent straying from God could ever destroy it. Though Israel would be faithless, yet God remains faithful still.

This steady, persistent refusal of God to wash his hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word.

This is the love he has for Israel – and the love he has for us who love His son.

Not only is the Lord loving, but His faithfulness endures forever.

What Jesus and the disciples sang, Jesus carried out.

He demonstrated His loving devotion, his loving loyalty to us by giving his life on the cross so that you and I could have forgiveness of our sins. Psalm 117:1-2

OT people didn’t worship idols for no reason.

The reason they worshipped a particular idol was because it was supposed to help or save them.

The idol was a physical form representing some spiritual being that had power over some area of the world.

There were gods of strength, weather, fertility, etc.

Today, we worship what helps us, what saves us.

“Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, a master craftsman of idols.” – John Calvin

Sometimes we look to another person to save us.

There is an idea in our culture that if the right man finds the right woman, they will be complete and fulfilled. They will find perfect satisfaction in each other.

The man will feel significant in the eyes of his wife.

The woman will always feel secure, perfectly protected and provided for by her perfect husband.

They will cure each other’s feelings of loneliness and lostness.

There is an idea between a man and a woman, “I’ll save you and you’ll save me.”

“Fix You” by British group Coldplay.

And high up above or down below

When you’re too in love to let it go

But if you never try you’ll never know

Just what you’re worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

The problem is we were created with a void that nothing and no one on this earth can fill.

We were created with longings and cravings that are greater than anything on the planet can satisfy.

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” – Blaise Pascal

There is only One who can heal us, fill us, make us whole, and, therefore, only One worthy of our worship.

Only God can fix us. Only God can fulfill us. Only God can fully satisfy us. Only God can make us completely secure. Only God can bring significance. Only God can save.

Jonah 2:9d

9 ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’

There is always a price to be paid for clinging to idols.

Jonah 2:8

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

Trying to squeeze out of your wife or husband something they cannot give will never work.

Your wife cannot make you feel significant.

Your husband cannot make you fully secure.

If you try to squeeze something out of them they cannot give, they will never measure up to your expectations. They will always fail. They will never be enough. You’ll always be looking for someone else.

And you will never get what you’re looking for.

John 4:7-26

There was a woman.

She was thirsty.

Jesus links her thirst to her relationships with men.

He says, “you’re thirsty because you’re going to the wrong place to get you thirst filled.”

He never tells her she’s too needy.

He tells her where to go to get her need met.

Jesus can fulfill our thirst – John 4:14 “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst”

The Beauty of Biblical Marriage

Part 2 – Balance and Leadership

Marriage is like a dance – It takes balance between the partners.

Marriage is mutually dependent, back and forth, mutually important.

Galatians 3:26-28

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

What I know about me… what I know about you…

You will come to decisions that don’t consider all sides of an issue.

You will want to spend money when you need to save.

You will want to save when you have money to spend.

You will be gracious toward your children when they need discipline.

You will be harsh toward your children when they need grace.

You need someone to balance you out.

When you lean out, your partner will lean out.

If you over-spend, your partner will try to save .

If you hoard money, your partner will try to spend.

If you are too harsh with your children, your partner will be too gracious.

If you baby your children, your partner will be overly tough.

You and your husband/wife are always trying to compensate for you.

Who is right? Usually neither.

If you’re always fighting with your spouse, listen to this.

Proverbs 13:10

10 Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Ask for your husband or wife’s opinion.

Find the value in your husband or wife’s opinion.

See the validity of their perspective.

Find out where you agree.

When you lean in, your partner will lean in.

You can have different opinions, but you can come to unity about decisions.

Coming to unity is a beautiful thing.

Marriage is like a dance – The man is called to lead.

What is leading?

Is it making all the decisions? Is it controlling money? Is it everyone in the house doing your will?

Biblical leadership is always demonstrated as serving and shepherding.

Biblical leadership is serving. Biblical leadership puts other’s needs first.

Matthew 20:25-28

25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and exercise authority over them.

But you, be a servant, a slave.

Biblical leadership is shepherding.

The marks of a shepherd are given in some key Bible passages.

Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34:11-16; and John 10:7-18

Psalm 23 – The shepherd…

v. 2 Guides to rest and refreshment.

v. 3 Leads to safety and well-being.

v. 4 Protects from harm.

v. 5 Provides for life.

v. 6 Shows goodness and mercy.

It can be an overwhelming thing to be responsible to provide for, lead, guide, love, protect a family.

How can a man lead his family well? by following the example of Christ.

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Follow His example.

When you lack wisdom, ask him for wisdom.

When you lack strength, ask him for strength.

When you lack courage, ask him for courage.

When you find you’ve been selfish, ask for selflessness and self-sacrificing like he showed you.

The Beauty of Biblical Marriage

Marriage is like a dance.

Marriage takes unity – You must be doing the same dance.

This starts before marriage – it starts before dating.

You must make up your mind to guard your heart

Proverbs 4:23

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Your heart is easily swayed.

You must decide to make your heart vulnerable only to someone that your head knows will work.

You must make up your mind to only expose your heart to someone who would be equally yoked

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God,

and they will be my people.”

17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Equally yoked – same direction, same core values, same guiding principles of life, same ideas of what life is about. For a believer that is someone who values Christ like you do.

The myth “I can change him/her” – really? Who changed you? God Himself.

Do you really think that you can do in the life of someone else what only God could do for you?

If you’re already married and finding it hard to be united, we’ll talk about that more next week…

Marriage takes commitment– You must stay together.

Ruth 1:16 – Where you go I’ll go.

Ruth’s husband died. She had no one else in her husband’s family to provide for her.

But she committed to stay with Naomi for the rest of her life.

Because of Ruth’s commitment to her mother-in-law, Boaz shows her kindness. (Ruth 2:11-12)

It all started with Ruth’s commitment for the rest of her life to her mother-in-law.

Boaz committed to marry her, buy the property left by his deceased father-in-law, brother-in-law, and Ruth’s first husband – he redeemed all their property and married her to keep it all in their family, tied to Ruth’s first husband’s name.

William Doherty is a writer and marriage counselor. He describes two distinct kinds of commitment couples make. One is what he calls “commitment-as-long-as.” It means staying together, “not as long as we both shall live, but as long as things are working out for me.”

The other kind is what Doherty calls “commitment-no-matter-what.” He describes it as “the long view of marriage in which you don’t balance the ledgers every month to see if you are getting an adequate return on your investment… You’re here to stay.”

Commitment is real only when it perseveres.

How can you commit your life to another person – for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health? What if they change? What if you change?

How can you commit the rest of your life to someone when you don’t know what the future holds?

The key topic of the book of Ruth is redemption.

Redemption is buying back something or someone who was lost.

Like buying back someone who had been sold into slavery.

Like buying back land after it had been sold to provide money for a poor family.

Boaz is a picture, a fore-shadowing of another, larger hero who would come.

He would buy back his people who had become slaves to sin.

Just as Boaz gave selflessly and generously to a poor widow, so too, Jesus Christ gave his life for the sake of the poor and downtrodden.

Ephesians 1:13-14

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Christ Jesus bought us back from sin. He rescued and redeemed us.

The only way that you can commit – really commit – the rest of your life to someone else…

You must know the One who showed that kind of commitment to you.

The early church – what did they spend their time doing? Who were they hanging around? What did they do when they got together? What was important to them?

Acts 2:42

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 7 – Stephen is stoned.

Acts 8 – Persecution breaks out, the church is scattered.

This young fellowship of believers left Jerusalem and is scattered throughout the region.

Gospel is taken to Samaria and they believe

Acts 10 – the Lord appears to a Gentile, leads Peter there and he shares the Gospel with him – the first Gentile believer.

Acts 13 – the church in Antioch sends out the first missionaries – Saul and Barnabas

Acts 17:5-11

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

The trip to Thessalonica was a disaster.

Paul did not get to spend time with the church in Thessalonica, teaching, building the church.

But look what happened there…

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

The church there should have died. It was little, young, and persecuted.

What is it that caused these little, young churches to have such an impact on the community around them?

The Thessalonians:

1. Turned from idols.

2. Served God.

3. Waited for Christ’s return.

The Jerusalem church:

Acts 2:42

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Their lives were saturated with the Gospel.

They were devoted to reading the Gospel.

They were devoted to fellowship together – reference not just to hanging out, but worshipping God together.

They were devoted to breaking of bread together – can mean eating a meal together, but probably means sharing the Lord’s Supper.

They were devoted to prayer.

Their lives, friendships, and time were saturated with reading, talking about, and worshipping about the Gospel.

What can cause this little, young churches to have such an impact on the community around us?

Lives saturated with the Gospel.

Time reading. The content of our conversations. That our fellowship together would lead to worship of God. Not just talking, taking time to pray together and for each other.

That is how through the last 2,000 years little, young churches have turned their communities upside-down.

Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.

John 15:1-8

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

v. 1 - The main point of the image is clear enough: this is a metaphor of the intimate union of believers with Jesus. The disciple's very life depends on this union. As branches, believers bear fruit.

v. 2 - Believers either bear fruit and are pruned to bear more fruit or do not bear fruit and are thrown away and burned.

There will be fruit on the branch that is joined to Christ Jesus.

He always did things that pleased the Father and He produces fruit in believers who are joined to him.

v. 3 - Jesus' disciples have been cleansed by his word. This word refers to all that Jesus taught, his entire message, conveyed by both word and action.

v. 4 – Your ability to bear fruit lies in your union to Christ.

What does it mean to “remain in him”?

Jesus is speaking to those who have already come to him, and so his charge is that they remain in him.

“Remaining in Him” is to continue in your faith in him. Not just belief that he exists, not just faith that he lived and died for your sin, although that is crucial, but faith that His work continues – that He is still accomplishing His father’s will.

Remaining is not only believing in him, though that is crucial, but includes being in union with him, sharing his thoughts, intentions, and power.

Love what he loves and hate what he hates.

It is a relationship - both parties must be engaged.

It is described in verse 9 as remaining in his love.

*-If you are not growing in love for God and for people, you are not remaining in Christ.

*-If you remain in Christ, your love for God and people will be growing.

If you fail to remain in Christ you are wasting your life. On temporary things.

God wants you to bear much fruit (John 15:5, 8). Not only does god want you to bear fruit, He wants you to abound in fruit. He wants us to become imitators of Christ.

He healed the sick

He fed the hungry

He taught people about Himself

He showed compassion to the broken

He befriended the outcasts

v. 7 - To have Jesus’ words remaining in us means to share his mind and his will.

We are to be caught up into his focus on the doing of God's will.

If we do, we will pray for his purposes rather than for our own selfish desires.

Jesus' purposes were to reveal God and share his life and love so people will be brought into union with him.

That will be concerns also of the disciples who have Jesus' words in them, and God will answer our prayers as we live according to our life in Christ and his life in them.

When you bear fruit, you bring glory to the Father.

v. 8 – We bear the fruit of this shared life, which is evidence that we are Jesus' disciples. The glory of the Father is Jesus' chief delight and has been the focus of all he has said and done. Since the disciples are now going to live in union with Christ, the Father's glory will be the goal of their lives as well.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.

John 14:10-12

10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Who? Those who believe in Jesus.

Greater things? Really? Perhaps not in extravagance, but in outreach.

What? The works Jesus was doing.

The work that Jesus did in John:

He healed the sick

John 5: He healed an invalid.

John 9: He healed a blind man.

He fed the hungry

John 6: He fed 5,000

All the while, He taught people about Himself

John 4: He taught a lost, sinful Samaritan woman that He is what she has been looking for.

John 6: He taught, “the work of God is to believe in the one he sent.”

One of the reasons for all the work that Jesus did was to reveal Himself, God’s method of salvation, to anyone who was paying attention.

God’s work is significant. His plan is eternal. It is life and light, mercy and salvation to everyone who would believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We are to take up his example and do God’s work as well. When we do God’s work, we become part of something significant, eternal, and bigger than ourselves.

• Loving and teaching children about God in ways they can understand – that matters.

• Loving and teaching youth how their faith can mature as they grow – that matters.

• Leading God’s people in worship – that matters.

• Serving the church body in a dozen different ways that many of you do – that matters.

• Growing a garden to feed other people in the community – that matters.

• Men praying together for their families, their church, and each other – that matters.

• Ladies talking and laughing together, serving, and praying together – that matters.

• Teaching others the scriptures and how to live by them – that matters.

• Caring for people in nursing homes and people who have no one else – that matters.

• Giving your money to help feed and educate kids overseas – that matters.

• Giving your money to support the local church, outreach and missionaries around the world – that matters.

• Talking to a coworker or classmate about what you found in Jesus Christ – that matters.

The good works that you do here, at work or school or privately at home, they matter. They are eternally significant.

God has created you to be a part of something significant, something bigger than yourself.

God’s works are certain. These good works are a divine decree, and therefore, are certain.

If Jesus said those who believe in him would do the works he was doing, then those who believe in him will do the works he was doing.

If I am ordained to good works, then I do walk in them, and the decree of God is manifestly carried out in me. Since it is God's decree, that I should do good works, I will despite my old nature, and despite my spiritual weakness. The decree will be carried out despite my surroundings, despite the temptations of my circumstances, despite the opposition of the devil. God has ordained that we should walk in good works; and walk in them we shall, sustained by his Holy Spirit.

God’s works are all for Him. All of your giving of your time and money. All of your frustration at times. All of your suffering to do good works, it will all be worth it.

Matthew 25:31-40

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I thank God for the dozens of ways that He accomplishes His work in you. I look forward to a year that we might do even more as a group of believers in striving together to discover all the good works that God has prepared for us to do together. I know it will be worth it.

Luke 2:8-12

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

We see in the Bible over and again that there is fear when people see angels. Perhaps it is their appearance, but Charles Spurgeon also noted about these verses that Jews believed that if a man saw a heavenly creature, that he would die because of his sin.

But the first words of the Gospel would end all of this. “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

No more would it be a dreadful thing for a man to approach God. This child would change all of that.

Those who would come to know, love and follow this child would no longer be in fear but in great joy. Their sin would be put away and the Holy God would be known to them as Heavenly Father, who loves them and shows goodness and mercy to them. “Good news that will cause great joy for all people.”

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, a Christian thinker and theologian said, “Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God.” The Westminster Confession of Faith agrees, saying that the bottom line for you and me is simply this: grimness is not a Christian virtue. There are no sad saints. If God really is the center of one’s life and being, joy is inevitable. If we have no joy, we have missed the heart of the Gospel.

Why is the coming of Christ into the world a joyous occasion?

1. Jesus Christ bridged the gap between us and God

Sin had separated God and us; but the incarnation bridges that separation. Good took our humanness and united it with his divinity so that God and man should constitute one divine, mysterious man.

1 Timothy 2:5-6

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

When God looks upon us, he remembers that his own Son, as a man, stood in our place and bore our sin and punishment.

2. Jesus Christ fulfilled the promises of God

Abraham was promised that His offspring would be a blessing to all peoples on earth.

The announcement of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds was a declaration that the promise was fulfilled, that now in the fullness of time God would redeem his word, and the Messiah, who was to be Israel's glory and the world's hope; has now really come.

Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. His birth reminds us that God does what he says.

Isaiah 46:9-11

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

Jesus will come again. He will be faithful to complete the work he began in us. We will live with him in paradise.

3. Jesus Christ came as Savior

The Lord might have come with thunderbolts in both his hands, to call fire from heaven to punish our sin; but no, verse 11; “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” He came full of love and grace.

He did not come to judge and punish, but to seek and save that which was lost.

He did not come in mighty and power, but mighty to save; able to cover all our sin.

4. Jesus Christ is the Lord

The word Lord in verse 11; “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” is Kurios, here used means Jehovah. We cannot doubt that, because it is the same word used twice in the ninth verse, and in the ninth verse none can question that it means Jehovah.

Our Saviour is Christ, God, Jehovah. No testimony to his divinity could be plainer; it is indisputable. If an angel had been our Saviour, he would not have been able to bear the load of my sin or yours; or if anything less than God had been set up as the grounds of our salvation, it might have been found too frail a foundation. But if he who came to save is the Infinite and the Almighty, then the load of our guilt can be carried upon those shoulders. He alone is able to save anyone who comes to him.

The God who made you, and against whom you have offended, has come down from heaven and taken upon himself your nature that he might save you. He has come in the fullness of his glory and the infinity of his mercy that he might redeem you.

Have you experienced the joy of knowing this news?

Doesn’t it make you thankful? Where would you be apart from the joy of Christmas?

I pray you adore Jesus Christ and find great joy in knowing him.

Luke 2:8-14

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

In our world, peace is understood as an absence of conflict. But the peace of the Bible is not just absence of conflict.

Romans 16:20

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

The peace of the Bible shalom and its Greek equivalent word express the idea of well-being, restoration, reconciliation with God, and salvation in the fullest sense.

There are things in ourselves, and things in this world that keep us from receiving Christ’s gift of peace.

Striving to be acceptable to God can keep you from realizing that God has accepted you as you are – Christ brings striving to an end. God has loved and accepted you as you are. “God is not in love with some future version of you.” – Matt Chandler. He loves you now, as you are.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Envying others for what they have can keep us from receiving Christ’s peace.

Proverbs 14:30

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Knowing Christ and being strengthened in him can bring us to contentment.

Philippians 4:12-13

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Worrying can keep us from receiving Christ’s gift of peace.

John 16:33

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We will have trouble in this life, but in the midst of it, we can have peace.

We can rest in the fact of Christ’s sovereign, loving protection.

Philippians 4:5-9

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Busyness can keep us from receiving Christ’s gift of peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

V 6 – “a child is born” – the Messiah would be a man. He was given “to us,” or for our benefit.

The first two names of the child suggest divine wisdom and power. The word “wonderful,” Who He is and what he’s done fills us with wonder, has overtones of diety. Counselor speaks of divine wisdom. Mighty God – he is God and, as such, has the strength and power of God.

The last two are the ends he accomplishes by the exercise of these attributes – [Everlasting Father] his fatherly care of his people and the bringing of peace [as the Prince of Peace].

We receive the gift of peace by dwelling with the Prince of Peace, in His Presence.

Make time with the Prince of Peace this month. Don’t miss His peace.

Don’t let the busyness of the season keep you from the reason we celebrate the real gift of Christmas.

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you. (Colossians 1:6)

Romans 8:1-4

v. 1 Those of us who are in Christ are no longer under any condemnation.

v. 2 The power of the Spirit overcame the power of sin and death over me, through Christ Jesus.

v. 3 God condemned sin completely and finally through the suffering and death of Jesus for everyone who comes to him.

v. 4 What does Paul mean that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us?

Christ fulfilled the law for us when he obeyed the law perfectly and died as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. In him, we are perfect with his perfection and in him we are pardoned in his blood.

Romans 5:19

19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

But that is not the point of verse 4. It does not say that the law is to be fulfilled for us. Then Paul focuses specifically on our walking, that is our living, as the way the fulfillment will happen.

The requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk (a metaphor for live) according to the Spirit.

How do we fulfill the requirement of the law? How can my “walking” by the Spirit – which is always imperfect in this life – be said to fulfill God’s law, which is holy, just, and good.

In this case, the context speaks a lot about following the spirit and not the flesh. That is, in following the spirit, we fulfill the law. In this case, we have to look at other passages to tell how following the spirit fulfills the law in us.

1. Fulfilling the requirement of the law refers to a life of real love for God and people.

Matthew 23:37-40

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Romans 13:8-10

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:13-14

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

2. The love that fulfills the law is accomplished by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit (not by our own strength).

God calls us to a love of him that affects our heart, soul, mind and strength – every part of our being.

God calls us to a love of others that puts them ahead of us.

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

It is a love that forgives all offenses.

Colossians 3:13

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

This is not a half-hearted love that people typically have. This is a love that requires the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-17

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Galatians 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

My loving others is not a perfect love in this life.

Romans 7:15

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

3. In this life, I will always be a forgiven sinner. I will always need the righteousness of Christ to cover my sin.

So, Christ will be glorified in my salvation. I will always depend on his Spirit to love like He loves.

How do we fulfill the requirement of the law? How can my “walking” by the Spirit be said to fulfill God’s law?

I look to Christ to cover my sin. He gives me the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, who works to bring growth and His fruit in my life.

4. Even though it’s imperfect, this Christ-exalting, Spirit-dependent love is the direction of life that the law required. In this life we have new direction, not perfection. This direction is what the law demands.

5. This is the power of the Gospel, that you and I, even though we’re imperfect, can show a love that meets the requirement of God’s perfect law. It happens by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.