Jesus Christ fully accomplished our salvation by His life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, and everything necessary for our inclusion in His salvation is granted to us freely through the gospel.

I. Christ =

See also Isaiah 9:6-7

II. Died =

See also Genesis 3:15; Psalm 22:16-17; Isaiah 53:8-9

III. For His enemies! =

Definition: Grace is God’s unmerited favor in Christ, whereby He freely gives salvation to those who deserve judgment, accomplishing everything necessary for their redemption.

Application

Make every effort to grow in God’s grace by daily meeting with the Lord in prayer and in His Word.

I. Growing in grace is a command – 2 Peter 3:18.

See also 2 Peter 1:5

II. Growing in grace is through the Word – Matt. 4:4.

See also Psalm 1:1-2; Col. 3:16

Application

“The Word of God is the rule of our faith, the measure of our hope, and the ground of our comfort. … If we would grow in grace, we must be much conversant with the Scriptures.” – John Newton

“My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” – John Newton

Anchor your hope in God’s steadfast faithfulness in Christ, and trust Him to provide all you need to walk in humble obedience.

I. God’s grace for the lowly (vv. 26-30).

II. God’s Impossible Promise: The Holy Son of God (vv. 31-37).

III. Mary’s faith: humble, trusting obedience (vv. 34-38).

Faith waits. Christ is Coming. And that changes everything!

I. Simeon was an ordinary man (v. 25).

II. Simeon was a godly man (v. 25).

III. Simeon was a waiting man (v. 25).

IV. The Unique promise given to Simeon (v. 26).

V. God’s Promise to Simeon is fulfilled as he sees Salvation (vv. 28-30).

VI. Jesus Christ is a Sign (vv. 34-35).

The shepherds serve as a great example of the truth that God prioritizes the lowly.

I. Shepherds in the Field – 2:8.

II. Angels in the Sky – 2:9-14.

III. Shepherds in Bethlehem – 2:15-20.

Application

See also: Isaiah 57:15, 61:1; Matthew 5:3; James 2:5; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

God calls us to trust and obey Him even when His purposes are hard to understand, because in Jesus He has come to be with us and to save us.

I. Joseph’s Dilemma – 1:18-19.

See also Micah 6:8; Deuteronomy 22:23-24

II. Joseph’s Dream – 1:20-23.

See also Galatians 4:4

III. Joseph’s Determination – 1:24-25.

Application

True gratitude does not flow from striving for a positive mental attitude. It flows from a Spirit-produced confidence that God is in control and He is good in every circumstance.

I. True Gratitude is a Command to Faith.

See also Col. 3:16-17; Phil. 4:6-7

II. True Gratitude is a Fruit of Faith.

See also Psalm 103:1; Rom. 1:21; Eph. 5:18-21

Application

At the appointed time, Christ, the Son of Man, will harvest the earth—gathering His people into safety and casting the wicked into the winepress of God’s wrath.

I. The Wheat Harvest – 14:14-16.

See also Matt. 24:30; Mark 4:29; Matt. 24:31

II. The Grape Harvest – 14:17-20.

“The love that saves is the same holiness that must destroy evil; they are not two attributes but one character of God seen in different objects.” – Herman Bavinck

“The most terrifying truth of Scripture is that God is holy. The most comforting truth of Scripture is that God is holy. Because He is holy, He must judge sin; because He is holy, He can be trusted to do so justly.” – R.C. Sproul

Application

The world is divided by loyalty — those who are loyal to the world face eternal judgment, and those loyal to Christ receive eternal life.

I. The Danger of Loyalty to the Beast – 14:9-11.

See also Matt. 6:24, 25:46, 18:9

“Eternal punishment is as necessary as eternal salvation. Heaven will forever demonstrate God’s grace; hell will forever manifest His justice.” – A.W. Pink

“God’s eternal justice requires that sin, which rises up against an infinite Majesty, be eternally punished.” – John Owen

II. The Glory of Loyalty to the Lamb – 14:12-13.

See also James 2:26

Application

Because He loves us, the Lord silences our accuser, removes our guilt, and clothes us in the righteousness of Christ.

I. The Accuser of the Brethren – 3:1.

II. The Justifier of the Brethren – 3:2-5.

“In Joshua we behold the believer, silent under guilt, and in the Angel we see Christ, who not only rebukes the accuser but furnishes the sinner with a righteousness meet for God’s presence.” – Thomas Boston

Application