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Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION

Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-lsb/

Hymn # 145: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (3 vs.)

Prayer & Announcements

The Christ Candle:
The final candle of Advent is sometimes called the Christ candle. We will light this candle tonight as we worship the incarnate Savior. Let’s read a passage that proclaims the birth of Jesus.   

[READ Lk. 2:8-14]
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Thanks for Jesus: Dear God, we are so thankful for the birth of Jesus! We celebrate His birth, His life, His sacrifice for us, and His resurrection. We rejoice that we can have a personal relationship with You through Him. We ask You to help us, amid all the busyness and bustle of this season, to live a life that reflects what You have done for us. Help us honor You as we celebrate Christmas. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hymn: “The Candle of Hope” (sing verses 1-5)

Responsive Reading: (with pauses for lighting today’s candles)

Leader: There were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

People: Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Leader: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see -I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

People: Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!” We light the first candle to remind us to keep awake and be ready. (Pause) The second Advent candle reminds us to change our ways. (Pause) The third Advent candle reminds us of the good news that the blind can see and the lame can walk. (Pause) We light the fourth Advent candle to remind us that God is with us! (Pause) We light the Christ candle to remind us that the Savior is born!

Hymn # 137: “What Child Is This?” (3 vs.)

WHEN THE INFINITE BECAME AN INFANT

Introduction: My goal this evening is to help answer the question to the song we just sang, “What Child Is This?” John’s gospel begins with a prologue that gives us some clues about the identity of the Baby in the manger.
[READ Jn. 1:1-13]

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
6 There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

I. THE REALITY OF JESUS (Jn. 1:1-9)

The first nine verses we just read together show us the reality of Jesus.

The Infant is Infinite (Jn. 1:1-2)

For many years I thought that Jesus got His start when He was born. The fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ has always existed.

[READ Jn. 1:1-2]
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

What I’m about to say is going to seem grammatically incorrect, but I can’t think of another way to say it -- Jesus is before the beginning of time.

[READ Jn. 8:58] Jesus explained to the Pharisees,
58 … “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

He is eternal, or infinite because He has always existed. This passage immediately reminds us of the opening words of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God .…”

Jn. 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Going back to John 1:1, the word Word is the Greek logos -- which refers to Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity. In Greek culture, logos was that which gave meaning to all things. The philosopher Philo saw the logos as a bridge between a transcendent God and the material universe.

John is using a term that everyone would have been familiar with, and yet he expands its meaning. Since a word is an audible or visible expression of thought, Jesus perfectly revealed what was going on in the mind of God. He’s the bridge between God and us.

For example, I’m trying my best this evening to convey to you the thoughts that are on my mind, and the only medium I can use are my words. Likewise, Jesus is God’s Word to us.

[READ Rev. 1:8] Notice Jesus’ declaration,
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Basically, Jesus is saying He is the A through the Z, the beginning and the end. He is God’s alphabet, the One who spells out deity for us. As the final Word, Jesus makes the incomprehensible God intelligible to mankind.

Jn. 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

The “Word was with God,” indicates that Jesus Christ existed in a face-to-face relationship with the Father.

Jn. 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Jesus was not only in the closest possible fellowship with God, the “Word was God.” We don’t have time this evening to explore all the majestic intricacies of the doctrine of the Trinity, but suffice it to say, Jesus is not a creation of God, but is God Himself.

Jn. 1:1-2
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Verse 2 summarizes and repeats verse 1 in order to make sure we grasp the magnitude of this truth: “He was with God in the beginning.” The infant is infinite.

Christ is the Creator (Jn. 1:3)

[READ Jn. 1:3] We see in verse 3 that Christ is the Creator …
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

[READ Col. 1:16-17]
16 For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things,
And in Him all things hold together.

Jesus is both the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

The Lord is Life & Light (Jn. 1:4-9)

The infant is infinite, Christ is the Creator, and thirdly, the Lord is life and light.

[READ Jn. 1:4-5, NKJV]
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The story of the Bible begins with physical darkness in Genesis 1. To correct this darkness God said, “Let there be light.” Spiritual darkness spilled into our world in Genesis 3 and can only be removed by the Lord who is life and light. As the light, Jesus shines into the darkness, and those who have not yet received Him are still in the dark and cannot understand Him. Many people today do not comprehend the real meaning of Christmas. It’s because the world in general has no place for Christ.

Jn. 1:4-5
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The word comprehend means “to lay hold of, to seize or grasp.” Something can be seized either for hostile purposes, or in order to possess it. It can refer to resistance or refusal. In this case, the darkness cannot ultimately put out the light because light is more powerful than the darkness. Darkness by its very nature refuses to come into the light because darkness and light are mutually exclusive. If you have one, you do not have the other. Those in darkness cannot readily understand the Lord who is life and light.

[READ Jn. 1:6-8]
6 There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.

Here we learn about the role of John the Baptist. He was the forerunner of Jesus and helped prepare the way for people to see Jesus for who He really is. He was the conduit, if you will, to bring the power of the light to those blinded by darkness. He wanted people to know that the King was about to appear and that His coming demanded a moral renewal. He urged people to repent, and his primary responsibility was to be a witness to the light.

[READ Jn. 1:9]
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.

Jesus Himself is the true light that gives light to every person. Unfortunately, for many of us, we’d rather live in the dark.

[READ Jn. 3:19-20] Jesus says it this way,
19 And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed.

Light and darkness are recurring themes in the Gospel of John. Basically, people love one or the other, but not both.

Max Lucado tells the story about a tribe of people who lived in a dark, cold cave. The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the chill. Loud and long, they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew to do. The sounds in the cave were mournful, but the people didn’t know it, because they had never known joy. The spirit in the cave was death, but the people didn’t know it, for they had never known life.

But one day they heard a different voice. “I have heard your cries,” it announced. “I have felt your chill and seen your darkness. I have come to help you.” The cave people grew quiet. They had never heard this voice. Hope sounded strange to their ears. “How can we know you have come to help?”

“Trust me,” he answered. “I have what you need.” The cave people peered through the darkness at the figure of the stranger. He was stacking something, then stooping and stacking more. “What are you doing?” one cried, nervously. The stranger didn’t answer. “What are you making?” another shouted even louder. There was still no response. “Tell us!” demanded a third.

The visitor spoke in the direction of the voices. “I have what you need.” With that he turned to the pile at his feet and lit it. Wood ignited, flames erupted, and light filled the cavern. The people turned away in fear. “Put it out!” they cried. “It hurts to see it.”
“Light always hurts before it helps,” he answered. “Step closer. The pain will soon pass.”

“Not I,” declared a voice. “Nor I,” agreed a second. “Only a fool would risk exposing his eyes to such light,” said another. The stranger stood next to the fire. “Would you prefer the darkness? Would you prefer the cold? Don’t consult your fears. Take a step of faith.” For a long time no one spoke. The people hovered in groups covering their eyes. The fire builder stood next to the fire. “It’s warm here,” he invited.

“He’s right,” one from behind him announced. “It is warmer.” The stranger turned to see a figure slowly stepping toward the fire. “I can open my eyes now,” she proclaimed. “I can see.” “Come closer,” invited the fire builder. She did. She stepped into the ring of light. “It’s so warm!” She extended her hands and sighed as her chill began to pass. “Come everyone! Feel the warmth,” she invited.

“Silence woman!” cried one of the cave dwellers. “How dare you lead us into your folly? Leave us. Leave us and take your light with you.” She turned to the stranger. “Why won’t they come?” “They choose the chill, for though it’s cold, it’s what they know. They’d rather be cold than change.” “And live in the dark?” she asked. “And live in the dark,” he replied.

II. THE REACTION TO JESUS (Jn. 1:10-13)

Let’s look now at three responses to Jesus.

Immanuel Is Ignored (Jn. 1:10)

The Infant is infinite, Christ is the Creator, and the Lord is life and light. Unfortunately, verse 10 reveals that Immanuel is often ignored.

[READ Jn. 1:10]
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

With all the tinsel of Christmas, it’s easy to blow right past the birth of Immanuel, which we’ve learned means (pause) “God with us.” Everything starts with this truth: Jesus Christ was in the world. And He was here for more than a fleeting visit, having walked on this planet for 33 years. He was one of us and lived among us.

Bible commentator J.B. Phillips put it this way, “We must never allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem so long ago. Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a visited planet.”

There has always been a great divide in the human race. The majority has never recognized Jesus for who He really is. When He came the first time, Herod hated him, the scribes ignored Him, and there was no room for Him in the inn. Only the shepherds and the wise men, the poor and the foreigners, welcomed Him to earth. Not much has changed today as we see the birth of Jesus steadily slipping away from our cultural conscience. He came to the world He created, and “the world did not recognize Him.”

In 1932, Robert McGimsey attended a Christmas Eve service in New York City and then headed back to his one-room apartment. As he walked, he passed by the open doors of private clubs where people were partying with all their might. They didn’t seem to have a clue that it was Christmas Eve, and if they did, they didn’t seem to care. As he stepped over people who had passed out on the sidewalk, he thought to himself, “What a strange way to celebrate the birth of the most perfect Person who ever lived on this earth. People are missing the whole significance of His life.”

When he arrived home, he scribbled some more thoughts on the back of an envelope. His words formed the basis of the Christmas spiritual: “Sweet little Jesus Boy, they made You be born in a manger. Sweet little holy Child, they didn’t know who You was. Didn’t know you’d come to save us, Lord, to take our sins away. Our eyes was blind, we couldn’t see, we didn’t know who You was.”

Have you been ignoring Jesus this year? Don’t let this Christmas pass by without figuring out why Jesus came.

The Revealer Is Rejected (Jn. 1:11)

While some are apathetic and ignore the Christ of Christmas, others reject Him outright. Look at verse 11.

[READ Jn. 1:11]
11 He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

The idiom - came to what was His own - means “to come home.” It’s been said, “Home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in.” Jesus came to the people who should have known Him best, but they wanted nothing to do with Him. Jesus came “home” to His own people and they wouldn’t take Him in.

They should have known better because they knew He was coming. Every book in the OT testifies to this one great truth: He’s coming. One day God would send His Messiah to deliver His people Israel. And when Jesus finally arrived, they didn’t receive Him because they didn’t want to. To not receive means, “to reject.” Instead of welcoming Him home they drove Him away.

This is not just an historical observation; it’s a profound theological statement. Humans in general reject God. And the reason we reject Him is because we want to. While some people seem to be sincere seekers of Christ, the Bible says that most of us are looking to be rid of Him. People are blind because it’s their nature to reject the light. We can’t come to Christ on our own.

[READ Jn. 6:44] Jesus put it this way,
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him ….

While it is true that the world ignored Him and His own people rejected Him, there have always been some who will receive Him. John 1:12 is one of the greatest verses in the entire Bible because it explains clearly how someone can become a Christian.

[READ Jn. 1:12]
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.

Notice the three key words. Jn. 1:12

Received. This is an active word with a deep meaning. It literally means, “to take, or to seize.” Those who receive Christ are those who welcome or accept Him into their lives. Jesus is God’s gift to us at Christmas. We can choose to ignore Him, or reject Him, or we can take what has been freely offered to us. Have you taken hold of Him? Have you received Him into your life? Jn. 1:12

Believed. To believe means to engage our total being so that we put our trust completely in Christ by committing our lives to Him. It involves more than just intellectual assent or an emotional response. Biblical belief always involves receiving, or responding to what God in Christ has done for us. Jn. 1:12

Right. This word means “honor” or “privilege.” The moment you receive Christ into your life God gives you the honor of becoming a member of His family. We are given permission to become a child of God when we believe and receive. Jn. 1:12

Believe, Receive, and Become. We must first believe that Jesus is the only way to a relationship with God the Father. Then we must actually receive what He has done by personally appropriating the gift of salvation. Then, we become children of God.

[READ Jn. 1:13]
13 Those who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Verse 13 makes it clear that salvation doesn’t take place automatically from one generation to another. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “You will never go to heaven in a crowd.” Although it’s true there will be multitudes of people in heaven, we only go there one at a time. God saves individuals, not masses or groups. Let’s take a quick look at a parallel Scripture:

[READ 1 Jn. 5:1]
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the One who gives new birth loves also the one who has been born of Him.

The whole gospel is summed up in the little phrase born of God. Salvation is of the Lord. It’s a free gift -- totally free and totally of grace. It’s not a cooperative venture where you do your part and God does His. We may ask, “Don’t I have any part to play in salvation?” We do indeed have a part. Our part is to be hopelessly lost in sin and God’s part is to save us. That way God alone gets the credit. Salvation is a work of God from first to last. It is wrapped up in the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Christmas is the great reminder that we’ve not been forgotten by God. We live on a visited planet. In her book The Whisper Test, Mary Ann Bird writes:

I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech.

When schoolmates asked, “What happened to your lip?” I’d tell them I’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me. There was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom we all adored -- Mrs. Leonard by name. She was short, round, and happy -- a sparkling lady.

Annually, we had a hearing test. Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn. I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back -- things like “The sky is blue” or “Do you have new shoes?” I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper, “I wish you were my little girl.”

The Lord Is Life & Light (Jn. 1:12-13)

Friend, do you hear the whisper of Jesus this Christmas? The Infant is infinite, Christ is the Creator, and the Lord is life and light. Don’t ignore or reject Him. He’s whispering in your ear right now. Do you hear Him? “I wish you were my little girl. I wish you were my little boy. I want you to be My son or daughter. I wish you were in My family.”

The good news this Christmas is that you can be … if you will receive Jesus into your life.

When it comes to great spiritual issues there can be no neutrality. No one “drifts” or stumbles into Christianity by accident. God has no natural-born children. At some point you must consciously believe and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. In order to fully understand the reason for Christmas, we must respond to the reality of Christ and be born again.

The real message of Christmas is not focused on what you know, but on Whom you know. The key is not information, but life transformation. Most of us have enough data; we just need to make a decision.

Conclusion:

William Willimon, the former chaplain of Duke University, has some good insight when he says, “We are better givers than getters, not because we are generous people but because we are proud … the Christmas story … is not about how blessed it is to be givers, but how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers.”

I want to conclude this afternoon’s service by giving you one more opportunity to be a receiver by accepting the greatest Christmas gift of all time. His name is Jesus. He’s whispering your name and knocking at the door of your life. Will you let Him in? Will you receive Him? The Bible says that if you don’t receive Him, you’ve actually rejected Him. But if you’re ready to believe and receive, I invite you to pray this prayer with me.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept You out of my life. I confess that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear You knocking. By faith I gratefully receive Your gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I acknowledge that You are infinite; that You’re the Creator, and that You’re life and light itself. With all my heart I believe You are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank You for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe and now I receive so that I can become Your child. Come into my life, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.

Invitation # 147: “Silent Night” (3 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, let us proclaim that we have seen the glory of God, believing that there is a light that shines in the darkness which the darkness shall not overcome. May the love of the Creator, the joy of the Spirit, and the peace of the Christ-child be with you this Christmas, and forevermore. Amen.

WHEN THE INFINITE BECAME AN INFANT

Advent Series (Lesson 5) - Dec. 24, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins
Text: Jn. 1:1-13 (from the LSB)

Introduction: My goal this evening is to help answer the question to the song we just sang, “What Child Is This?” John’s gospel begins with a prologue that gives us some clues about the identity of the Baby in the manger.

I. THE REALITY OF JESUS (Jn. 1:1-9)

• The Infant is Infinite (Jn. 1:1-2; 8:58; Rev. 1:8)

• Christ is the Creator (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16-17)

• The Lord is Life & Light (Jn. 1:4-9; 3:19-20)

II. THE REACTION TO JESUS (Jn. 1:10-13)

• Immanuel is Ignored (Jn. 1:10)

• The Revealer is Rejected (Jn. 1:11; 6:44; 1:12-13;
1 Jn. 5:1)

• The Lord is Life & Light (Jn. 1:12-13)

I want to conclude this afternoon’s service by giving you one more opportunity to be a receiver by accepting the greatest Christmas gift of all time. His name is Jesus. He’s whispering your name and knocking at the door of your life. Will you let Him in? Will you receive Him? The Bible says that if you don’t receive Him, you’ve actually rejected Him. But if you’re ready to believe and receive, I invite you to pray this prayer with me.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know I’m not very righteous. I confess that I am a sinner and I want to turn from the way I’ve been living. I praise You for being Immanuel. I confess that I need You to be my Savior. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I desire to live under Your Lordship for the rest of my life. Take my dreams and help me to live out Your desires, for I want Your purpose for my life, and not my own. Thank You for not only being born, but for dying in my place, and rising again so that I can have new life in You. I now receive the gift of salvation and forgiveness by asking You to come into my life. I want to be adopted into Your family. Make me into the person You want me to be. I want to act on what I know to be true. Please enable me to adore You for the rest of my life. I want to fit into Your perfect plan. In the name of Immanuel, I ask this. Amen.

Hymn # 155: “Once in Royal David’s City” (4 vs.)

Prayer & Announcements

A Message of Love:
The fact that God loves us so much that Jesus came to earth to pay for our sins, it is an overwhelming thought. The theme for week 4 of Advent is love, and it is a great opportunity to reflect on and give thanks for His love for us.   
[READ Jn. 3:16-17]
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Prayer of Love: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us! Your love is perfect, holy, and faithful. Thank You for loving us so much that You made a plan for our salvation through Jesus. May we feel Your love and presence not just during this Christmas season, but all year around. May we reflect Your love to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hymn: “The Candle of Hope” (sing verses 1-4)

Responsive Reading: (with pauses for lighting today’s candles)
Leader: When Mary was engaged to Joseph, she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit.
People: An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Leader: “She will bear a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 
People: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us.” We light the first candle to remind us to keep awake and be ready. (Pause) The second Advent candle reminds us to change our ways. (Pause) The third Advent candle reminds us of the good news that the blind can see and the lame can walk. (Pause) We light the fourth Advent candle to remind us that God is with us!

Hymn # 92: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (4 vs.)

JOSEPH’S TENACIOUS LOVE
It’s a bit awkward for me to be speaking to you today because I’m known as a man of very few words. My name is Joseph. I’m the only character in the Christmas account that doesn’t say a word. I actually did speak a little, and at times I wanted to scream a lot, but Matthew and Luke didn’t write down anything I said. I’m fine with that, because it helps to keep the focus where it belongs.

Most of my relatives lived in Bethlehem, but my home was in Nazareth. This was a small agricultural village that at one time was beautifully secluded. When I was a young boy, the pagans started putting up altars to their gods and it became a pretty dark place to live. Then, when the Romans started pushing their weight around, my little town was run down by them and became known as a place of bad morals. People even made fun of how we talked, kind of like how many of you tease people from Carolina for their drawl. A disciple named Nathanael, who was from Cana, said:

46 … “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

I’m known as a carpenter but I was more like a general contractor. I was good with hammers and nails [hold up spike] but I also worked with stone. Most of the homes in Nazareth did not have much wood in them. I would make furniture and sell it to other communities that could afford it. My father’s name was Jacob and he was a carpenter as well. I dreamt of the day I could pass along my trade to my son. My parents always teased me about being a dreamer, pointing out that the patriarch Joseph in the OT was known for his dreams.

One of my dreams was to be as righteous as I could possibly be. I loved God so much that I wanted to live out my faith in every way. I’m a bit embarrassed that Matthew referred to me as a “righteous man” in 1:19, but I had become known as a tsaddiyq (sawd-deek). That’s a Hebrew word reserved for someone who was known for their uncompromising obedience to the Law of Moses. I was careful about what I ate, who I hung out with, and how I spent the Sabbath. I didn’t just do spiritual things; my very identity was a tsaddiyq. People admired me and little boys wanted to be like me. I understand in your culture that people look up to athletes and actors; from what I’ve heard, I think you’re aiming way too low.

I should tell you that while I was a tsaddiyq and therefore kept my distance from anything out there that would derail me spiritually; I was also unsettled by what kind of blood flowed in my veins. Let me explain. I had the wonderful benefit of being related to King David. That meant I came from the royal line of the kings of Judah. It was prophesied that one day the Messiah would rule from David’s throne. However, just as many of you have some nuts hanging off the branches in your family tree, one of my relatives really messed things up for me. Let me take you back to an incident recorded in Jeremiah 36. In David’s line, there was a wicked king named Jehoiakim who when confronted with Scripture, decided to burn the scroll written by the prophet Jeremiah.

[READ Jer. 36:30] As a result, verse 30 states:
30 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.

I’ll come back to this curse later. So, there was a little fame, but my family name was also filled with shame because of what Jehoiakim had done. As a tsaddiyq, I determined to delight in Scripture and not disparage it like he did. I had it all – a strong faith, a good family, and a lot of friends. My business was going well and my dreams for the future were filled with images of a beautiful maiden named Mary.

Our families had known each other for many years and our parents had actually arranged for us to get married. I was OK with that because she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. I was also attracted to her faith, because she was a woman who feared the Lord. There was no way I wanted to marry someone who was lukewarm toward the God. I hear that believers in your culture often settle for a spiritual mismatch in matrimony – what are you thinking!

I was quite a bit older than Mary when we got engaged. My dad used to tell me a joke that went something like this: “Son, I hope you marry a pretty girl on our side of the street because your mama says you’re too young to cross the street!” Then he would tip his head back and roll with laughter. Our engagement period, or betrothal, was very serious. We had a ceremony with two witnesses and signed an official marriage contract. I gave Mary a present, and her father made a down payment on her dowry. This betrothal period often lasted a year, yet people still referred to us as husband and wife.

However, we were never intimate and wouldn’t think of living together. Mary lived with her parents and I lived with mine. It was a period in which we were to test our commitment and faithfulness. Any sexual immorality during this time would be severely punished and would be immediate grounds for divorce. This was a happy time, filled with dreaming and planning and building. I fashioned a number of pieces of furniture and works of art for Mary with my tools; and Mary stored them at her place, in anticipation of our big day.

I was busy building a house for us to move into after the wedding. [Hold up spike] Actually, it was an addition to my father’s home (that’s how we did it back then). I drew up the design and carefully labored out of love for the love of my life. Shortly after we were engaged, Mary traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Jerusalem to help her out, because amazingly, she was now pregnant in her old age, after having been barren her whole life. Mary mentioned something about an angel appearing to Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah in order to announce the news, but I was a bit skeptical.

After Mary returned to Nazareth, she sat me down and said we needed to talk. She looked a bit different and I sensed this was going to be a life-changing conversation. She got right to the point and it was pointed, let me tell you! She told me that she was pregnant! The only thing I knew was that I wasn’t the father. How could she do this to me? I thought I knew her. My dreams were dashed to pieces like a hammer hitting fragile pottery. I was physically ill. I cried more that day than I had in my entire life. Tell me, men, would you have believed her? One of your country songs summarizes how I felt: “My pain comes and goes. It comes in the morning and goes on all night long.”

I felt like a spike had been driven through my soul. My idyllic expectation of getting married and having a son had turned into a nightmare. My dreams were destroyed and I didn’t know what to do because I still loved Mary. I was torn between my legal rights and my love for her; between conviction and compassion; between doing what would be right for her and still being righteous myself.

I’m now a tsaddiyq with a huge problem. My fiancée is pregnant and I’m not the father! This is a big problem because as a tsaddiyq, my reputation was on the line. My small town was filled with gossips (most of you who are from small towns understand what I mean). People were saying all sorts of bad things about me. My fellow tsaddiyqim quoted Scriptures at me, urging me to expose her publicly and then have her punished. A tsaddiyq never questioned what the Scriptures taught and they were very clear that Mary should be taken to the city gates and stoned to death.

[READ Deut. 22:23-24] gives the reason for this:
24 “…Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”

I didn’t want to be like Jehoiakim and disregard the Scriptures, yet I was in a huge dilemma because as a tsaddiyq I was committed to obey the Word of God. I was thankful that I had some other options. Stoning was not done very often in my day because the Romans wouldn’t permit it, but Deuteronomy 24:1 allowed me to take her to court, collect more money from her family, and publicly humiliate her. I had every legal right to do this … but because I loved Mary so much, I didn’t want to do it. Instead, my plan was to just find the two witnesses to our betrothal ceremony, and privately break off our relationship. This would lessen Mary’s shame and it would restore my name as a tsaddiyq. If I didn’t divorce her people would assume that I was the child’s daddy. I guess I was trying to do the loving thing and still fulfill the law at the same time. But most of all I wanted to do what God wanted. My plan was to do everything quickly and quietly … but I was surely a sad tsaddiyq.

I couldn’t stop thinking about this. Mary told me that she had not been with another man and that somehow the Holy Spirit was the cause of her conception. Yet, who had ever heard of a virgin getting pregnant? Then the scroll of Isaiah shouted in my mind:
“Behold a virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel .…”

I quickly brushed this aside. Mary was too young. Nazareth was too small. We were supposed to get married! And so, I determined to divorce her and just get on with my life. But you should know, I didn’t rush into the situation, and I didn’t allow my emotions to control my response. Sure, I was hurt -- but I wanted to take the time I needed to allow God to speak to me about this. I’m so glad I did.

After I thought I had settled everything (though I admit that I was still very unsettled), I had a dream in which an angel of the Lord showed up and said: “Joseph, son of David, [he reminded me that I was related to royalty as a descendant of David – it’s cool that he never brought up the junk that Jehoiakim did] do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife [I was afraid to do that because I didn’t want to offend God or be an offense to others] because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit [Mary was telling the truth!]. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name [in our culture for me to name the baby meant that I would become the legal father and He would be my adopted son] Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” The name “Jesus” was a common Jewish name, a form of the name Joshua, which means “the Lord saves.” It was true!  The baby inside of Mary’s womb would be called “Immanuel!” God really was with us!

Interestingly, the name Jesus also comes from the same root word as the Hebrew name Hosea. I was reminded that the prophet Hosea was asked by God to demonstrate unconditional love by taking a wife who had a bad reputation. I knew Hosea’s tenacious love was a picture of God’s love for us. Just as the prophet was told to love no matter what his wife did, I would do the same … knowing that’s how God loves me. At the time I didn’t fully understand that Jesus would not only show unconditional love, but that He would be love incarnate.

What a relief! I was able to obey the Word of God because God’s Word came to me through an angel! As soon as I woke-up I immediately did what the angel had commanded me. I ran to find Mary and told her we were getting married. She wanted to know when and I said, “right now!” I then sealed it by taking her to my half-finished home as my wife, deliberately tying my destiny to Mary and her child, no matter what. Out of respect and reverence for the baby she was carrying, I was not intimate with my wife until after she gave birth to Jesus.

Many people wondered why I did what I did. Some of my friends warned me not to do this because they said by marrying Mary people would think I was the child’s father. I didn’t care; that didn’t bother me. But I did grow weary of how mean people were to us. We were never invited into anyone’s homes, it was a long time before anyone would hire me as a carpenter, and the malicious things they said about Mary were SO hard to hear. Whenever we would try to explain the facts, people would just shake their heads and say, “Yeah, right!” We lived under a cloud of humiliation, knowing that almost everyone believed that we had been immoral. Because of my tenacious love for Mary, and my devotion to the Lord, I gladly took her shame and made it my own.

Frankly, I was glad when I heard that everyone had to return to their hometowns to register for the census. This would get us away from the nosy Nazarenes for a while. It meant we had to travel about 90 miles south to Bethlehem, the city of David, because that’s where my family records were kept. It was no easy task traveling this far with a pregnant wife. It took us about 10 days to get there, stopping only on the Sabbath to rest. I wept and worshiped as God brought Micah 5:2 to mind which says that the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem.

Incidentally, we were too poor to own a donkey. We walked the whole way there. I know that messes up your Christmas cards, but you’re just going to just have to believe me on this one. A clue that should help you know how poor we were is that after [Luke 2:22-24] Jesus was born, when we took Him to the temple to dedicate Him, we were only able to afford inexpensive turtledoves, not a lamb.

When we arrived in Bethlehem, I thought one of my relatives might help us out with a room, but we were shunned by all of them. It’s amazing how quickly gossip spreads, even before the invention of telephones and the internet! I kept watching Mary and knew that we didn’t have much time. I started running from place to place, finally finding an inn, but was told it was full. The manager explained that there was a manger out back we could use, so I gladly accepted. When we got there, I was overcome with sadness. My dream had been to build a house for us, and now we were in a cave-like area that was dirty and smelly. We hurried to the area reserved for animals and Mary’s water broke. I became frantic, as new dads do, and started yelling, “My baby’s having a wife! My baby’s having a wife!” Mary told me to sit down, that everything was going to be OK. I think she knew that if I hadn’t sat down, I would have fainted and fallen down.

It all happened pretty quickly. Mary gave birth to a baby Boy and I wrapped Him up in swathing bands and placed Him in a feeding trough. When Mary put Him in my arms I felt like I was holding heaven. Just as we were enjoying the miracle of this moment, I heard some loud noises outside. I grabbed my hammer and ran to the door. I would do anything to protect my wife and the baby. I was met by a group of gruff shepherds who looked like they had seen something supernatural. They were filled with joy and couldn’t stop talking, saying something about angels. I moved to the side and they crowded around the make-shift cradle. These shepherds dropped to their knees in worship, giving thanks for Mary’s little lamb. They didn’t stay long. It seemed they hardly took notice of Mary and me. They were mesmerized by the Baby though, and suddenly they bolted out the door, heading straight for the innkeeper. I heard them tell him about Jesus, and as they ran to the other houses, I could hear them praising God and proclaiming that Immanuel had arrived.

Eight days later (while still in Bethlehem) I officially gave Him the name Jesus. Several weeks after that, Mary and I went to Jerusalem and presented Him to the Lord. Amazingly, when we arrived a fellow tsaddiyq named Simeon showed up and took Jesus in his arms. He then broke out into praise.

[READ Lk. 2:29-32]
29 “Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace,
According to Your word.
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light for revelation to the Gentiles,
And for the glory of Your people Israel.”

We marveled at what Simeon said about Jesus as we tried to put together everything we heard. The elderly man then said something that was very troubling to us. Some people would believe in Jesus and some would not. He would be a sign that would be spoken against and He would reveal the thoughts in people’s hearts. He then said these words that were difficult for Mary, as a new mother, to process: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

We were rocked by this revelation, and were ready to leave when all of a sudden, a widow named Anna came up to us. I’m glad Luke wrote this down because everything was becoming a blur for me: [Luke 2:38] “… She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Sometime later, when we were staying in a house, some sages from the other side of the desert came to worship Jesus and give Him gifts. All of this was beyond my wildest imagination.

I was looking forward to finally going back to Nazareth with my new family and couldn’t wait to teach Jesus how to use my tools. As I was drifting off to sleep one night, I had another dream. An angel told me to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt, because the evil king Herod was looking for a way to kill Jesus, the newborn king. We immediately left and escaped to Egypt, staying there until Herod died. Incidentally, this fulfilled another prophecy, this one from Hosea 11:1.

[READ Hos. 11:1]
1  When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

Later, I had another dream in which the angel of the Lord told us it was time to leave Egypt, and so we headed back to the land of Israel. Just when I thought things would settle down, I learned that Herod’s son was ruling in the region and I was frightened. I had yet one more dream at this point, and was warned to not stay around Jerusalem, so we headed back to Nazareth. Matthew 2:22-23 points out that this fulfilled yet one more prophecy about Jesus: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

When we arrived back in Nazareth, no one threw us a baby shower. People were still gossiping, wagging both their tongues and heads at us. I tried to get some work. And Mary and I did our best to raise Jesus. He seemed to be fascinated by wood and nails. He spent hours as a toddler using my hammer to pound nails into scraps of wood.

There’s another highlight from His childhood stands out. When Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and I lost track of Him when we were in Jerusalem for Passover. When we finally found Him three days later, He was sitting among the teachers of the law. Luke 2:47-49 states: “Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers.” We were astonished and a bit upset that Jesus had left us. Mary even said, “Why have you treated us like this?” His answer showed me once again that this was no ordinary boy, and that I was not His real dad: “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

Jesus was committed to doing His Father’s will, no matter the cost. He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world; He is Immanuel.

Before I take leave of you, let me pass along some life lessons I learned through God’s working in my life.

Lesson 1: The whole point of my story is to prove that I’m not the father of Jesus. The long genealogy in Matthew 1 makes this very clear. As you read through the first 15 verses of this chapter, the phrase “the father of” is repeated over and over, until you come to verse 16, which says …

[READ Mt. 1:16]
16 And Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Jesus was born of Mary, not of me. And because I was not his biological father, the curse of Jehoiakim was not passed along to Jesus. Jesus is not the genetic descendant of Jehoiakim. This means He is not disqualified from the dynasty of David. And since I adopted Him, Jesus was the legal heir to the throne of David. More than this, Mary was also a descendant of David through Nathan’s line (see Luke 3:31). It is an indisputable fact that God’s promise to David was fulfilled in Jesus, who is called the “Son of David” throughout the Gospels.

Lesson 2: God often calls us to do more than we think we can do, but He never calls us to do more than He can do. If you’re faced with something that seems too hard for you, remember what the angel said to Mary …

[READ Lk. 1:37]
37 For nothing has been, is, or will be impossible with God.”

Lesson 3: God uses ordinary people who are available and obedient. On the grand scheme of things, there was really nothing special about Mary or me. We were simply available and obedient. Have you surrendered to the Savior and will you do what He tells you to do? It’s only when you obey that you learn you are much better prepared for what the Lord has in mind than you thought you were.

Lesson 4: Following Jesus may bring shame to you. It’s not always easy to do what’s right, but millions of people have made sacrifices for the sake of the Savior. God may call you to give up your possessions, your place, your position and certainly your pride. He often leads us down roads that we wouldn’t chose on our own. What are you willing to sacrifice for the Savior? With all He has done for us, how can we not give Him our very lives?

Lesson 5: God often shatters our dreams so He can give us new ones. Are you still holding on to a dream that God wants you to let go of? Sometimes, the future you think you are preparing for is not what the Lord has in mind for you.

Lesson 6: Always do what God tells you to do even if it doesn’t make sense. Some of us want detailed explanations before we’ll obey. But God wants us to obey Him by faith, no matter what. Are you in a dilemma right now? You will never go wrong when you do what is right. Like me, you may be faced with the choice between doing what you want and what God wants. Always do what He wants even if it seems unbelievable and impossible.

Lesson 7: God will always do exactly what He promises; He will never let you down. Think of all the prophecies that were fulfilled with pinpoint precision during the first Christmas! Every promise God has made will come to pass. You can trust Him today because of what He’s done in the past, and what He promises to do tomorrow.

Lesson 8: My good works were never good enough. Our righteousness is never enough to satisfy a righteous God. I thought my time as a tsaddiyq was over forever. I feared that I would never be known as a righteous man again, and then I realized that my own righteousness was never enough in the first place. I needed the Savior’s tsaddiyq applied to my account and that happened when I placed my faith and trust in Him. Even though I was righteous, I needed a Redeemer, and so do you.

Lesson 9: You can have a room in the Heavenly Father’s house. This thought boggles my mind. I provided for Jesus and gave Him an earthly home while He was here on earth; but now Jesus has provided salvation for me and will guide me to my heavenly home. When Jesus left His home here, He went to Heaven to get your home ready for you. He’s adding on to His Father’s house, but the only way you can get there is by being born again here.

Lesson 10: As we’ve learned together today, Jesus’ name means Savior, and Immanuel means “God with us.” Here’s the thing --you and I need both. We need to be saved from our sins and the only way that could happen was for the Savior to leave heaven and live among us. That’s what Christmas is all about. The Savior is now among us and you can be adopted into God’s family by receiving the gift of His Son right now.

[READ Jn. 1:12-13]
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

If you’re ready to receive the best Christmas present ever, would you pray this prayer with me right now:

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know I’m not very righteous. I confess that I am a sinner and I want to turn from the way I’ve been living. I praise You for being Immanuel. I confess that I need You to be my Savior. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I desire to live under Your Lordship for the rest of my life. Take my dreams and help me to live out Your desires, for I want Your purpose for my life, and not my own. Thank You for not only being born, but for dying in my place, and rising again so that I can have new life in You. I now receive the gift of salvation and forgiveness by asking You to come into my life. I want to be adopted into Your family. Make me into the person You want me to be. I want to act on what I know to be true. Please enable me to adore You for the rest of my life. I want to fit into Your perfect plan. In the name of Immanuel, I ask this. Amen.

This closing song summarizes some of the things I felt as I tried be the best stepfather I could be to the Savior. If it would help you to come up to the altar during this song and have someone pray for you, please feel free to do so.

Invitation Special: “Joseph’s Song”

Benediction: Beloved, this is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. Amen. (Jn. 4:9-12)

JOSEPH’S TENANCIOUS LOVE

Advent Series (Lesson 4) - Dec. 21, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Jn. 1:46; Mt. 1:19; Jer. 36:30; Deut. 22:23-24; Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:20-23; Mic. 5:2; Lk. 2:22-23; Lk. 2:29-32; Lk. 2:38; Hos. 11:1; Mt. 2:22-23; Lk. 2:47-49 (from the LSB)

Introduction: Today’s message is a one-person monologue of the Christmas story, told from the perspective of Joseph.

LIFE LESSONS FROM JOSEPH:

Allow me pass along some life lessons I learned through God’s working in my life.

• The whole point of my story is to prove I’m not the father of Jesus (see Mt. 1:16).

• God often calls us to do more than we think we can do, but He never calls us to do more than He can do (see Lk. 1:37).

• God uses ordinary people who are available and obedient.

• Following Jesus may bring shame to you. It’s not always easy to do what’s right, but millions of people have made sacrifices for the sake of the Savior.

• God often shatters our dreams so He can give us new ones.

• Always do what God tells you to do even if it doesn’t make sense.

• God will always do exactly what He promises; He will never let you down.

• Our righteousness is never enough to satisfy a righteous God.

• You can have a room in the Heavenly Father’s house.

• Jesus’ name means “Savior,” and Immanuel means “God with us.” We need both.

If you’re ready to receive the best Christmas present ever, would you pray this prayer with me right now:

Lord Jesus, I know I’m not very righteous. I confess that I am a sinner and I want to turn from the way I’ve been living. I praise You for being Immanuel. I confess that I need You to be my Savior. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I desire to live under Your Lordship for the rest of my life. Take my dreams and help me to live out Your desires, for I want Your purpose for my life, and not my own. Thank You for not only being born, but for dying in my place, and rising again so that I can have new life in You. I now receive the gift of salvation and forgiveness by asking You to come into my life. I want to be adopted into Your family. Make me into the person You want me to be. I want to act on what I know to be true. Please enable me to adore You for the rest of my life. I want to fit into Your perfect plan. In the name of Immanuel, I ask this. Amen.

Hymn # 1: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (4 vs.)

Prayer & Announcements

A Message of Joy:
Joy is not as fickle as happiness. Happiness depends on our circumstances, but joy that we find in the Lord depends on Him! We can trust Him for the joy and contentment that we can find when we walk closely with Him. Today’s Scripture reading reminds us of the joy and strength we find in His salvation.   

[READ Isa. 12:1-3]
1 Then you will say in that day,
“I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh;
For although You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away,
And You comfort me.
2  Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not dread;
For Yah—Yahweh Himself—is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.”
3 Therefore you will joyously draw water
From the springs of salvation.

Prayer of Joy: Dear Lord, we are so thankful for the joy we have through the salvation You offer to us. We rejoice over who You are and what You have done for us. May our Christmas plans and preparations celebrate the joy that You have given us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Hymn: “The Candle of Hope” (sing 1st, 2nd & 3rd verses)

Responsive Reading: (with pauses for lighting today’s candles)
Leader: John asked Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
People: Jesus said, “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear.
Leader: The dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.
People: Truly I tell you, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” We light the first Advent candle to remind us to keep awake and be ready (Pause). The second Advent candle reminds us to changes our ways (Pause). We light the third Advent candle to remind us of the good news that the blind can see and the lame can walk.

Hymn # 135: “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” (5 vs.)

THE SHEPHERDS’ JOY ABOUT JESUS
Introduction: A survey was done to see which characters from the advent account most people identify with. How many of you think its Mary? Joseph? The wise men? Anyone for Herod? Not surprisingly, it was the shepherds who took the No. 1 spot. In fact, if it had been an election, they would have won by a landslide. When I was young, my favorite role of them all in the annual Christmas pageant, was that of a shepherd. They certainly had the most comfortable costumes – a bathrobe with a towel tied on your head!

Most of us are pretty comfortable with the Christmas story. Maybe it’s because we’ve become so familiar with it that it’s become part fable and part legend in our minds. Some have sentimentalized the miraculous story so much that now they just skim along through it on a purely superficial level, counting down the remaining shopping days, and stressing about the many things they still have left to do, while the Nativity is relegated to the back burner, so to speak. It reminds me of the little girl who once misquoted John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only forgotten Son.” Her faux pax was certainly an accurate assessment of most peoples’ Christmas celebrations. The carols we’ve sung this morning have helped us remember that the Baby who was born in Bethlehem, so many years ago, is Jesus, the Son of God, who still brings great joy to His remnant today.

Other than Mary and Joseph, the shepherds were the first people to receive the great news about the gift that still goes on giving to this very day. And because of what they did with this great gift, we too can sing the joyful carols of the season!

I. AREN’T THE SHEPHERDS OUT OF PLACE?

Do you ever find yourself wondering why God would choose to send His Son’s birth announcement to shepherds? Even the Christmas story itself doesn’t tell us much about who they were.

[READ Lk. 2:8]
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

Did you pick up on the fact that no adjectives are used to describe them? There were just “some shepherds living out in the fields nearby ….”

Throughout the ancient history of Israel, shepherding was actually a pretty noble profession. Abel was the first to have this job, followed by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and of course, David. God even calls Himself a Shepherd and we’re compared to sheep -- which is anything but a compliment, by that’s a sermon for another day. By the time we arrive in the first century AD, however, shepherding had lost its luster. Shepherds made up one of the lowest classes of people, coming in just ahead of beggars and lepers. In the Talmud, which is a collection of interpretations and insights on the holy Scriptures from the rabbis, we read these words: “No help is to be given to the heathen or shepherds.”

In order to understand how unusual it was for the angels to have appeared to these lowly shepherds, let’s learn a little bit about them:

• Shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean. Because of the nature of their work, they were perpetually unable to attend any religious services.

• Shepherds were an isolated and forgotten group of humanity. Since their flocks needed to move around in order to find new grasslands and fresh water, they never stayed in one place for very long.

• Shepherds were treated with contempt and mistrust. They were the first suspected of stealing from others and were known to often confuse “thine” with “mine.” Their testimony was never allowed in court because they were considered so unreliable.

• Shepherds were known to be brash and bold. Living out in the fields away from proper society made them unappealing to most people. Many of them had foul mouths and were ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

Now imagine, if you will, that when the crown princes, William and Harry, were born that instead of the royal treatment with all the media attention and birth announcements to presidents and heads of state, the news of their births was delivered only to dock workers unloading cargo at the Port of London in the middle of the night. Are you getting the picture?

God entrusted the greatest message ever sent from heaven to a bunch of smelly shepherds. But really, this isn’t so unusual, is it? God has always worked wonders for the forgotten, for the despised, and for the lowly. From the very beginning of His time on earth, Jesus ministered to the humble and lowly.

[READ Mt. 9:10-13]
10 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus reached out to sinners like Zacchaeus and Levi, to prostitutes, and the demon possessed, to strangers and Samaritans. He did in His ministry what the Father did in a borrowed stable when the lowborn shepherds looked upon the face of the newly born Lord as the cattle were lowing. Mary captured this in her song recorded in Luke.

[READ Lk 1:52]
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

[READ 1 Cor. 1:26-29] Paul said it this way,
26 For consider your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may abolish the things that are, 29 so that no flesh may boast before God.

The Christmas story doesn’t begin with, “Now there were in the same region scribes keeping watch over their scrolls by night.” The Lord comes to the lowly, the most undeserving, the neglected, and marginalized in order to show His power. The shepherds help us understand that God has a message for sinners just like us. Everyone matters to God. And the only supernatural announcement of Christ’s birth is given to a bunch of uneducat-ed outcasts. What a strange way to the save the world!

II. LEARNING FROM THE LOWLY

As we look briefly at the shepherds’ response that first Christmas, we’ll see some lessons we can apply to our lives so that we don’t forget Jesus this season. These lessons come from the shepherds’ deeper qualities. I know you’re thinking, “What? Didn’t you just tell us how miserable and no account they were? What could we possibly learn from them?” First, I wasn’t trying to demean their character, I was just explaining what most people thought when they encountered a shepherd. But God sees things much differently than most people.

• The Shepherds were Attentive. The first thing we see about the shepherds is that they were very attentive to their jobs.

[READ Lk. 2:8]
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

These shepherds were so committed to their career that they never left their work. They not only worked the third shift; they pulled the first and second shifts as well. This was a 24/7 deal for them. We also see from this verse that they were faithful, since they were “keeping watch.” Quite often the different flocks would come together at night into the same sheepfold. Then, one of the shepherds would lie across the entrance to make sure none of the sheep could get out and no predators could get in. This gives us deeper insight into the meaning of John 10:9.

[READ Jn. 10:9] Here, Jesus said,
9 I am the door [gate]; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Notice that God came to those who were attentive to the jobs they were given to do. They weren’t slackers; and He met them right where they were. I encourage you to do likewise. Whatever God has called you to do, be attentive to it and do it with excellence. In …

[READ Col. 3:23] we read,
23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.

You may be thinking that God doesn’t even know you exist, and if He does, for some reason He’s mad at you. Friend, you are not insignificant to Immanuel. God will meet you right where you are. You don’t have to clean yourself up on your own, or act like someone you’re not. If you smell like a shepherd, let Jesus clean you up. If the weight of your sins is crushing you down, allow Jesus to lift you up. Heaven chose to bring the Christmas message to low achievers as well as go-getters. You were created in the image of God as an original masterpiece; the signature of the Creator is inscribed on your soul.

• The Shepherds were Awed. While they were being attentive to the responsibilities they were given, they were suddenly awed equally by the angelic appearance and announcement.

[READ Lk. 2:9-11]
9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

God meets us where we are, but then He brings us to our knees.

As God’s Shekinah glory lit up the sky over Bethlehem, it caused the shepherds to quake in their sandals. You see, whenever we come face-to-face with God’s holiness, we fall apart because of our sinfulness. Peter had this response:

[READ Lk. 5:8]
8 … He fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

It’s also possible the shepherds were terrified because they didn’t know if this was an angel of judgment or not. Perhaps he had been sent with a message of retribution for their raunchy jokes, bad language, and sticky fingers. Maybe their sins were catching up with them, and they thought they were about to be vaporized. Whatever the case, they were in awe. And by the way, it took a lot for these toughs to be terrified.

I wonder, when is the last time you were in awe of God? Do you marvel at the Messiah? Has it been a while since you fell on your knees before Him?

• The Shepherds were Accepting. The attentive, awestruck shepherds accepted the message of good news and great joy.

[READ Lk. 2:10-15]
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

The lead angel calms the shepherds down by telling them he is bringing good news of acceptance, forgiveness and hope. You and I would have a lot to fear if Christmas had never happened. “Bringing good news” is the phrase from which we get the term “evangelize.” This is good news of great joy. The Greek word used here is “mega” which means exceedingly large, loud, and mighty. It’s a superlative of “to the Nth degree.” Wycliffe translated it this way: “I evangelize to you a great joy.” Beloved, a “joyless faith” in Jesus is a contradiction of terms!

A Christmas card bore this message: “May your steps jingle with delight and anticipation at this time of year!” I like that.

While the angelic message is truly great news for “all the people,” I want to point out the word “you” as well. Though the Christmas message is a joyful one for all the earth, it must also become deeply personal to us.

After the lead angel gives the shepherds some more specifics about this joyfully good news, suddenly a whole regiment of rejoicing warrior angels fills the sky, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” We know the shepherds accepted the angel’s message as the gospel truth because in verse 15 we read, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” The apostle Paul expands the meaning of this for us in …

[READ 1 Thes. 2:13]
13 And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

Have you accepted the gospel message and allowed the word of God to work in you? God’s good news is a gift that must be received if you want it to be activated in your life.

• The Shepherds Acted. They didn’t just accept and enjoy the message they received; they acted upon it.

[READ Lk. 2:16]
16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

The phrase “they went in a hurry” means they left in haste. The idea is, “Come on guys, hurry up, we need to get going!” This is amazing in itself because shepherds normally didn’t do anything quickly. They were patient men, who were accustomed to allowing the sheep set the pace, moving slowly through the pastures. Yet, the Bible is clear that acceptance must lead to action, or as James puts it: “Even so faith, if it has no works [if it is not accompanied by action], is dead by itself.” The shepherds could have doubted or delayed, but instead they decided to act and moved quickly.

The first thing they did was bounce into Bethlehem. They wanted to see the Baby with their own eyes. A baby born in a smelly stable wouldn’t have been difficult for men, who were used to the scent of sheep, to find. Check out this irony: unclean shepherds went to a smelly stable to see the Holy of Holies lying on a bed of hay. Many commentators point out the possibility that they were taking care of sheep that were going to be sacrificed at Jerusalem’s Temple. If this was the case, then it’s no accident that they left their sheep behind to visit the Lamb of God. A millennium earlier, David kept watch over his father’s sheep in this very same pasture and now the shepherds see the Son of David born in the City of David.

It’s telling, that the shepherds didn’t plop down on the straw and make themselves comfortable. They didn’t hang around the manger. I think that once they beheld God’s Immanuel with their own eyes, they somehow knew that they were now the managers of the Incarnation message. Notice, the message they shared had nothing to do with seeing the amazing angels. There’s no reference to Mary’s magnificence, or Joseph’s job. They came to see God’s Son, and having done so, they immediately headed out to proclaim the good news.

[READ Lk. 2:17, NIV]
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child ….

The word “spread” means to “make known in such a way that people can understand.” Do you realize that we’re gathered here in worship this morning, because the shepherds couldn’t keep quiet?

I wonder, in what area is God calling you to some action? It’s not enough to just say you have faith, or to feel good about something; there comes a time that after seeing, we must be involved in sharing.

• The Shepherds Adored. The shepherds eventually went back to their same boring jobs, but they weren’t the same on the inside. They returned to where they started and were attentive again. And notice, they didn’t write a book, or go on a speaking tour, or launch a ministry called “A Shepherd’s Story.” I mention this because after Christmas we also have to go back to our same routine, but now we can do so with joy!

[READ Lk. 2:20]
20 And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.

They didn’t just wonder about what they saw, they worshiped the One whom they saw.

The clearest evidence of conversion is always adoration. Someone has observed that many of us worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship. When a person is genuinely converted, he or she will praise God. Let me encourage you to allow yourself, this Advent Season, to adore Immanuel as you glorify and praise Him for all you have seen and heard. You can return to the same place tomorrow, but not as the same person.

Do you want to take on the role of the shepherds? Or, will you just plant yourself like a tree and be as unmovable as a boulder? The shepherds were changed forever by what they heard and saw, and so can you if you follow their example:

• Be attentive to what God has called you to do.
• Be awed by God’s message to you.
• Accept the gift of the good news.
• Act on what you know to be true.
• And, adore Immanuel 24/7

Christmas is real history, but it must become your story. Luke 2:11 declares: “Today [that means right now] in the city of David, a Savior [one who forgives sins] has been born to you [it’s personal]; He is Christ [the long-awaited Messiah] the Lord [your Master and Leader].”

Is He the Savior to you? Is He the Christ to you? Is He the Lord to you?

I love what Corrie Ten Boom once said: “If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost.” It’s time for you to make sure that Jesus is born in you. You can do that right now by praying this prayer:

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I’m in awe of You. Thank You for loving me even when I feel like a loser. I don’t understand how You can accept me when I don’t measure up. I confess that I’m a sinner and I want to turn away from the way I’ve been living. I need You to be my Savior. I believe You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I desire to live under Your Lordship for the rest of my life. Thank You for not only being born, but for dying in my place and rising again so that I can be born anew. I now receive Your gift of salvation and forgiveness by asking You to come into my life. Make me into the person You want me to be. I want to act on what I know to be true. Please enable me to adore You for the rest of my life. I want to exhibit Your joy in my life. In Your name Immanuel I ask this. Amen.

Invitation # 125: “Joy to the World” (4 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, equip you in every good thing to do His will, by doing in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)

THE SHEPHERDS’ JOY ABOUT JESUS

Advent Series (Lesson 3) - Dec. 14, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins

Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB

Introduction: Other than Mary and Joseph, the shepherds were the first people to receive the great news about the gift that still goes on giving to this very day. And because of what they did with this great gift, we too can sing the joyful carols of the season!

I. AREN’T THE SHEPHERDS OUT OF PLACE? (Lk. 2:8; Mt. 9:10-13; Lk. 1:52; 1 Cor. 26-29)

Do you ever find yourself wondering why God would choose to send His Son’s birth announcement to shepherds? In order to understand how unusual it was for the angels to have appeared to these lowly shepherds, let’s learn a little bit about them:

• Shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean. Because of the nature of their work, they were perpetually unable to attend any religious services.

• Shepherds were an isolated and forgotten group of humanity. Since their flocks needed to move around in order to find new grasslands and fresh water, they never stayed in one place for very long.

• Shepherds were treated with contempt and mistrust. They were the first suspected of stealing from others and were known to often confuse “thine” with “mine.” Their testimony was never allowed in court because they were considered so unreliable.

• Shepherds were known to be brash and bold. Living out in the fields away from proper society made them unappealing to most people. Many of them had foul mouths and were ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

The shepherds help us understand that God has a message for sinners just like us. Everyone matters to God. And the only supernatural announcement of Christ’s birth is given to a bunch of uneducated outcasts. What a strange way to the save the world!

II. LEARNING FROM THE LOWLY

Let’s see what we can learn from the shepherds’ deeper qualities.

* The Shepherds Were ATTENTIVE (Lk. 2:8; Jn. 10:9; Col. 3:23)

* The Shepherds Were AWED (Lk. 2:9-11; 5:8)

* The Shepherds Were ACCEPTING (Lk. 2:10-15; 1 Thes. 2:13)

* The Shepherds ACTED (Lk. 2:16-17)

* The Shepherds ADORED (Lk. 2:20)

The shepherds were changed forever by what they heard and saw, and so can you if you follow their example:

• Be attentive to what God has called you to do.
• Be awed by God’s message to you.
• Accept the gift of the good news.
• Act on what you know to be true.
• And, adore Immanuel 24/7

Luke 2:11

It’s time for you to make sure that Jesus is born in you. You can do that right now by praying this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I’m in awe of You. Thank You for loving me even when I feel like a loser. I don’t understand how You can accept me when I don’t measure up. I confess that I’m a sinner and I want to turn away from the way I’ve been living. I need You to be my Savior. I believe You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I desire to live under Your Lordship for the rest of my life. Thank You for not only being born, but for dying in my place and rising again so that I can be born anew. I now receive Your gift of salvation and forgiveness by asking You to come into my life. Make me into the person You want me to be. I want to act on what I know to be true. Please enable me to adore You for the rest of my life. I want to exhibit Your joy in my life. In Your name Immanuel I ask this. Amen.

A Message of Peace

Hymn # 128: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (4 vs.)

Prayer & Announcements

Hymn # 140: “Communion Hymn for Christmas” (vs. 1, 4, 5)

Communion

Fellowship Offering

A Message of Peace:

We often think of peace as serene and calm circumstances. But the most important peace we can have is peace with God. We warred against God with our sin, but Jesus’ sacrifice puts us at peace with God. We only need to accept the free gift of salvation.  

[READ Isa. 9:6-7]
6  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.

Prayer of Peace: O God, we were dead in our sins, doomed to spend an eternity away from You. But Jesus paid the debt we owed in our sinfulness. Thank You for the peace that we have with You through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And, thank You for the peace we can find in You every day, as we pray and trust in You. May we rest in Your peace this Christmas season. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Hymn: “The Candle of Hope” (sing the 1st and 2nd verses)

Responsive Reading: (with pauses for lighting today’s candles)

Leader: John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

People: And the people went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Leader: And John said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry His sandals."

People: He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.” We light the first Advent candle to remind us to keep awake and be ready. (Pause while the 1st candle is lit.) We light the second Advent candle to remind us to repent and make peace with God. (Pause while the 2nd candle is lit.)

THE ANGELS’ PLEA FOR PEACE

Introduction: When one contemplates Christmas in our culture, there are some pretty weird things that we do. One Christmas card captures this sentiment: “What other time of the year do you sit around staring at a dead tree in your living room and eat out of your socks?” As we return this morning to the details surrounding the birth of Jesus, there are some strange, surprising, and supernatural elements going on.
Ray Pritchard states: “Take the supernatural out of Christianity and all you have left is a religious book club.” nativity scene

Let’s review the list of some of the unusual events connected to the first Christmas, shall we? (1) A virgin teenager becomes pregnant. (2) Her fiancé remains faithful. (3) They make an 80-mile trip to Bethlehem. (4) There’s a birth in a barn. (5) Shep-herds leave their sheep in the pasture. (6) A supernatural star appears. (7) Wise men travel across a desert to see a king. (8) Messages come through dreams. (9) And lots of angels appear.

Last week, you’ll recall, we looked at Isaiah’s audacious hope as his prophecies were fulfilled with pinpoint accuracy. Jesus was a sure sign, a sent Son, a shoot from a stump, and a suffering Savior. Isaiah reminds us that one can never start too early when getting ready for something really big.

On this second Sunday of Advent, our focus is on the Angels’ Plea for Peace.

While the Christmas story is saturated with the supernatural, some of us miss its meaning because we just skim through the season on a superficial level. My point is: We must see the mysterious and miraculous elements surrounding the birth of Jesus. In his book called, “Rumors of Another World,” (p. 165) Philip Yancey writes, “The Bible presents a … view of reality that encompasses both the familiar visible world and an invisible world that coexists as a kind of parallel universe.”

Did you know that angels appear in more than half of the books of the Bible, with a total of over 300 references. These supernatural beings have three primary responsibilities.

• Angels magnify God (Neh. 9:6; Job 38:7)

The number one job of angels is to adore God.

[READ Neh. 9:6]
6 You alone are Yahweh.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down to You.

[READ Job 38:7] according to this verse, at Creation … 7 … The morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

• Angels are messengers of God (2 Thes. 1:7)

The word “angel,” as it’s used in the Bible, literally means messenger. Their job is to do what God sends them to do. Angel messengers basically convey two types of messages. Sometimes it’s good news like announcing the birth of Christ. The Christmas carol “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” captures the fact that angels “herald” or proclaim this good news. But, at other times they bring bad news. When they serve in this capacity, they are not cute and cuddly cherub dolls that we put on top of our Christmas trees. For example,

[READ 2 Thes. 1:7, NIV] Paul explains what will happen when the Lord returns,
7 ... This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

The Book of Revelation is full of avenging angels, and it’s anything but pretty.

• Angels minister to people (Heb. 1:14; 13:2; Isa. 64:1)

Hebrews puts it best …
[READ Heb. 1:14] Speaking of angels, the writer says,
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Most of the time angels are not seen; they minister invisibly behind the scenes. And yet, on occasion, they break into our world, appearing for a short time to accomplish a specific task. The Bible mentions that when they do appear, they often look just like humans. Let’s look to Hebrews again.

[READ Heb. 13:2]
2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

It is next to impossible to read the Christmas story without understanding a little about angels, because it begins and ends with them. The incarnation is so incredible and so earth-shaking that only the angels could be trusted by God to be His appropriate messengers. No earthly channels of communication could be relied on to get this amazing message out, because no human could possibly be persuasive enough. Let me make an important point: if you were to look at all the major events in the Bible, there is no other incident that has as many messages from so many angelic messengers as the incarnation of Christ.

Philip Yancey refers to a concept called, “thin places,” where the natural and supernatural worlds come together at their narrowest margins, with only a thin veil between them [“Rumors of Another World,” (p. 45)]. As we read the Christmas story, there are many of these thin places, particularly when messengers from the angelic world show up in our world. In a few minutes we’ll look at how four human characters in the Christmas story responded to these angelic encounters.

But, let me mention something before we look at these accounts. You have all heard the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt,” haven’t you? Basically, this means the more familiar we are with something -- at best we get bored with it, or at worst we start resenting it. Let’s all try really hard to read these accounts as if we were hearing them for the first time. In fact, by way of our imaginations, let’s put ourselves in their sandals, remembering that four hundred years have gone by where God was silent between the end of Malachi and the beginning of Matthew. People have been pleading with God to come down into their world with words similar to what we heard last week from Isaiah 64:1: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down.”

Here are some observations about angels in the Christmas story.

• Angels appear suddenly to ordinary people doing ordinary things. Angels don’t come with some kind of alert being given beforehand. Instead, they come bearing an announcement, often entering our world unexpectedly with messages of galactic proportions.

• Angels cause people to be afraid (Isa. 6:1-5; Job 38:7)

When an angel appears in Scripture, a sense of awe and fear blasts through the blasé and predictable. This awe-inspiring element was built into the very fabric of worship in ancient Israel. The Ark of the Covenant was constructed with two special angelic beings known as cherubim facing each other on either end of the mercy seat. Prophets like Isaiah came face-to-face with another type of special angels known as seraphim.

[READ Isaiah 6:1-3]
1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory.”

In verses 4 and 5, we learn that the doorposts of the temple were shaking and the Holy Place filled with smoke, as Isaiah cried out in fear, “Woe is me!”

Knowing that they have this kind of effect on humans, some of their first words are: “Do not be afraid.”

• Angels are never to be worshiped (Ps. 103:20; Rev. 22:8-9)

Every reference to angels in the Bible is incidental to some other issue. We must be careful not to give them too much attention. Psalm 103:20 says that angels are “the mighty ones who do His [God’s] bidding.” We are never told to seek out encounters with angels, and they themselves refuse to be worshiped. In fact, in Revelation 22, the Apostle John is completely overcome by all he has heard and seen.

[READ Rev. 22:8-9] Here’s how he described what happened next:
8 … And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Good angels never draw attention to themselves. While they can get our attention, they always do so for God’s sake, not their own. As soon as biblical angels discharge their duty and deliver their tidings, they quickly withdraw from human contact. They don’t stay around long because they don’t want us to focus on them; they want us to worship God.

While we’re on this topic, let me also point out that angels are not to be prayed to. They may help deliver answers to prayer, but the Bible never suggests that we should direct our requests to them.

I. ANGELIC ENCOUNTERS (1 Tim. 3:16; Mt. 4:11; Lk. 22:43; Mk. 16:5; Acts 1:10-11; Mt. 25:31; Lk. 2:10; Mt. 1:22-23)

In one of the earliest recorded Christmas carols, based on 1 Timothy 3:16 and other passages, we read these words:
[READ 1 Tim. 3:16]
“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

We know that angels were present at His Temptation, for they ministered to Him afterwards (Mt. 4:11); in the Garden of Gethsemane, they comforted Him, encouraging Him to fulfill His mission (Lk. 22:43); at His Resurrection they rolled the stone away and explained to the women that Jesus had risen (Mk. 16:5); they attended Him at His Ascension (Acts 1:10-11); and they will accompany Him at His Second Coming (Mt. 25:31); and angels were most certainly involved during His first advent.

Now, let’s look at four different reactions to these early angelic encounters in Matthew and Luke.

1. DENIAL & DOUBT (Lk. 1:7, 12-20, 68-79)

The first appearance of an angel in the gospel accounts takes place in the opening verses of Luke when Gabriel, one of only two named angels in the Bible (the other being Michael) appears to Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son named John. Luke 1:7 indicates that “they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”

Zechariah was a priest and when it was his turn to serve in the Temple to burn incense, the angel of the Lord appeared and verse 12 tells us that Zechariah was “gripped with fear.” The angel comforted him and said,

[READ Lk. 1:13]
13 “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.

The angel then proceeded to describe what kind of person their son would be as well as his purpose: “…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Even though Zechariah had been praying for a child for years, and as a priest was a religious man, he denied and he doubted.

[READ Lk. 1:18]
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

Because of his doubts, he is made dumb (a double entendre) and is unable to speak until the baby is born. Luke 1:64 tells us that when he is finally able to talk eight days after John’s birth, the first thing he did was praise God. He then breaks into a song with these opening lyrics …

[READ Lk. 1:68, NKJV]
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,

The song ends with an allusion to Isaiah 9:2.

[READ Lk. 1:79, NKJV]
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

2. UNSURE but SURRENDERED (Lk. 1:26-38)

In the next angelic encounter, Gabriel appears to a virgin named Mary six months later. After giving a greeting, Mary is greatly troubled and so we hear these words of comfort once again: “Do not be afraid …” Mary is then told that she will be pregnant and give birth to a son and she is to give Him the name Jesus. In verse 32, Gabriel tells her a little about the baby she will give birth to:

[READ Lk. 1:32-33, NKJV]
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.

While Zechariah denied and doubted when he heard the amazing news, Mary was simply not sure how all this would happen. We hear this when she asks in verse 34: “How will this be … since I am a virgin?” After Gabriel gives her a few more details that must have been quite difficult for a teenager to comprehend, Mary responds with the heart of a servant.

[READ Lk. 1:38, NKJV]
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary wasn’t exactly sure how it was all going to work out, but she surrendered to God’s will anyway.

3. ACCEPTANCE & ACTION (Mt. 1:18-25; 2:13-14)

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on Joseph’s reaction to the message of the angel because we’re going to focus on his limitless love in a couple of weeks. However, Joseph needed some divine intervention after he found out Mary was pregnant, because he knew he wasn’t the father. His reputation was on the line. What was he going to do? Since he was a righteous man, he determined to end the engagement as quietly as he could.

It’s in the midst of his misery, that Joseph receives his first visit.

[READ Mt. 1:20-21, NKJV]
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

This unnamed angel fills in some of the blanks for Joseph, but first he settles Joseph’s anxious heart by saying, “Do not be afraid.” Amazingly, Joseph is being tasked with raising a child that is not his own. And, he’s given a glimpse of the glory of this child as the angel tells him that this boy will be the Savior, fulfilling the prophecy of the “sure sign” from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph immediately accepts his assignment and acts on it. The proof is found in Matthew 1:24, where we read that Joseph did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him to do, and took Mary home as his wife.

Joseph actually had two more encounters with angels several months later, and like the first time, he accepted these messages and acted on them.

[READ Mt. 2:13-14, NKJV]
13 Now when they [the wisemen] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.

Joseph really had some “get up and go,” didn’t he? His response was identical after another angelic encounter, in which he was told to take his family back to Israel because Herod had died.

[READ Mt. 2:21, NKJV]
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

Zechariah denied and doubted. Mary wasn’t sure, but she surrendered. Joseph accepted and acted. There’s one more reaction I want us to consider this morning …

4. BELIEVED & BROADCASTED (Lk. 2:8-20; 2 Kings 6:17)

The final example of angelic intervention takes place when God changes up the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job.

[READ Luke 2:8-9]
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Into the midst of the mundane, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared. Into the darkness of a silent night came the brightness of the glory of the Lord. I’m sure they were rubbing their eyes and shaking in their sandals. In fact, the phrase “terribly frightened” means that they were scared out of their wits. We’ll learn more about this next Sunday, when our study will focus on the shepherds.

[READ Luke 2:10]
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.

Notice, that once again, an angel has to tell humans not to be afraid. The reason they didn’t need to be afraid is because the messenger was bringing “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Verses 11-12, announce the subject of this “good news.”

[READ Luke 2:11-12]
11 For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

The shepherds are trying to get a handle on the message from this lone angelic messenger, when without warning they are taken aback again in verse 13!

[READ Luke 2:13]
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God …

The word “suddenly” means that the heavenly host came unexpectedly and without warning. The words “a multitude” means there were so many of them that it was impossible to count this vast array of angels. The sky was filled with myriads of these mighty messengers. The phrase “heavenly host” identifies the Lord’s supernatural army in other passages of Scripture. Such as …

[READ 2 Kings 6:17]
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Now, back to the angels and shepherds. The shepherds watched as heaven opened up and they literally saw an entire militia of messengers, hundreds and thousands of angelic warriors worshiping God. While angels do sing in some instances, on this particular occasion they speak.

[READ Lk. 2:14]
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Notice that peace only comes after praising. We must put God and His glory first and then peace will come. While this season is truly a wonderful time of the year, there is nothing magical about Christmastide if one doesn’t know the Christ of Christmas. The phrase “Happy Holidays” is absolutely meaningless without an acknowledgement of the holiness of God.

After witnessing this incredible display of unbridled adoration and praise, the shepherds were stirred to action.

[READ Lk. 2:15-16]
15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

They discussed what they should do and were unanimous in their decision to head to Bethlehem. I love verse 16, because it shows that their fear had been replaced with faith, and their faith went all the way down to their feet!

They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. There was no delay. The word “hurry” carries with it the idea of speed. And, it was no small matter for them to leave their sheep behind, either; they could have lost their jobs by leaving the flocks unattended. Then the shepherds became messengers of the good news they had received from the angel.

[READ Lk. 2:17-18]
17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it marveled at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

With hearts filled with gratitude, these lowly herdsmen broke out into praise.

[READ Lk. 2:20]
20 And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.

Beloved, I believe there are angels everywhere, and they are still doing God’s work today. Now, whether we see or hear an angel doesn’t really matter. What matters most is that we get God’s message and respond to it. Considering the different responses to the angels’ messages we’ve just looked at, which Christmas character, would you say, best represents where you’re at today?

II. RESPONDING TO THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS (1 Pet. 1:12; Lk. 2:11; 15:10)

Are you denying and doubting? Don’t be like Zechariah and allow your doubts to delay a decision. Did you know that the angels are very curious about Christmas? In fact, they have studied salvation and are amazed by it.

[READ 1 Pet. 1:10-12] I want to read the entire paragraph so you can get the full context.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, 11 inquiring to know what time or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was predicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven -- things into which angels long to look.

Angels don’t understand everything there is to know about redemption, because they can’t experience it for themselves. My guess is that they are dumbfounded when people deny and doubt. Friend, ask God to dispel your doubts; study the Scriptures, and be open to the supernatural. Here’s the take away from Zechariah’s response: Wise men still follow Christ; dumb people don’t.

Perhaps, you are a bit uncertain but ready to surrender. Mary wasn’t sure about how everything would happen, but she surrendered anyway. As we’ve seen this morning, Luke 2:11 says that a Savior is born to you. This means Christmas must become personal. Have you personally received Christ, even if you’re a bit uncertain? I want to show you an amazing verse.

[READ Lk. 15:10] Jesus says,
10 … I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

When you repent and receive all that Jesus has to offer you, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels.” The angels are ready to throw a party on your behalf, but first you must receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Will you do that today?

At the heart of Christmas is a gift heralded by the angels. It’s a present that must be received; a gift that must be opened. To remind us of this, here is a little poem used in many Christmas pageants down through the years:

What could I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him my lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
What can I give Him?
I’ll give Him my heart!

Are you ready to accept and act? Joseph is a good model of someone who put feet to his faith. What is God asking you to do right now? No matter how difficult it is, if God is telling you to do it, that’s what you need to do because He will make a way.

Do you believe and will you broadcast the good news? Have you ever noticed the middle letters in the word “evangelism”? Do you see the word “angel” there? We are called to believe and broadcast the good news today, just as the angels did back then. The shepherds communicated the Christmas story. We are now the messengers of the Incarnation story. Who can you point to the Savior this season? Invite a friend to church next Sunday, the Sunday after, and for our Christmas Eve service at 3:00 p.m.

This week, I ran across a story that I think will help us capture what may have been going on in the angelic realm during the birth of the Christ into our world. It’s entitled: “Out of the Ivory Palaces,” by Bruce Howell. It might help, if you shut your eyes and try to visualize the story with your mind’s eye.

There was sorrow in heaven! Can you imagine that? Sorrow in heaven! It all seemed so strange to two of the smallest angels by the name of Arnal (eagle eye) and Pax (peace). They were given the task of carrying messages for the Master from one end of heaven to the other.

Arnal said to Pax, “I actually saw those things called ‘tears’ in Gabriel’s eyes. Something terrible must have happened to have caused that. Someone said that tears were shed in heaven on only one other occasion … I believe it had something to do with the first people of earth. They did something that broke the Master’s heart.”

Pax added, “The Father loves them so much, but I’m not sure why. They don’t seem to appreciate what He’s done for them. I overheard some of the other angels say the Lord Jesus is going down to earth to live among them!”

Arnal looked at his friend, shocked! And for the first time in his existence tears rolled down his cheeks. Arnal asked, “He’s going to leave us? Leave the Ivory Palaces and the Rainbow Throne and the love and beauty of Heaven? What will He do down there, Pax?”

“I don’t know for sure. Someone said He was going to be born.”

“Born? What’s born?”

“I don’t know. It’s something that happens to earth creatures.”

“You don’t mean to say that He’s going to be like them and take the same kind of body they have, do you?”

“I’m afraid so,” said Pax.

“Well, when is this thing supposed to take place?”

“I think it’s what they call ‘tonight’ down there. It could be any moment now.”

Arnal said, “Then come on, Pax. Let’s hurry back to the city.”

There was a great deal of commotion in the celestial city when the two little angels arrived. Messengers were hurrying back and forth, and the great trumpets were sounding the song of assembly. Angels had amassed from the four corners of the heavens. Row upon row, rank upon rank -- angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, were there before the Great Throne of God Almighty. Then Arnal and Pax saw something that made their hearts sink; the seat to the right of Yahweh’s throne was empty! The Bright and Morning Star was gone!

Suddenly, Arnal and Pax heard their names called and Gabriel ordered them to find a place within the gathered group of the heavenly host. They stood together at the end of the front row. Gabriel raised his hand and there was complete silence. Then in clear tones as sweet as the sound of many waters, he spoke: “You’ve been called together to hear the most wonderful pronouncement ever made! Our beloved Lord, the only begotten of the Father, has left us.”

Gabriel’s voice trembled. In a moment, he found his composure and continued: “Our Lord has gone to earth to be born as a baby so that He might take upon Himself the fashion of a man. It is only in this way, the Father believes, that the earth people will know of His love for them. God the Son will take away the sin of all the earth creatures who receive His offer of salvation.”

A gasp of astonishment rose from the angels. Gabriel continued: “On earth tonight in a little town called Bethlehem, His incarnation will be accomplished. By order of the Father, you will accompany me as we bring the good news to that weary world. I will make the announcement to a few shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, simple-hearted men who fear God and believe His promises. You will join me and give glory to God in the highest. The time has now arrived and we must go.”

Arnal was trembling with excitement as he and Pax, even though they were small, had been selected for this important journey. The whole air seemed to be filled with the angelic host joining Gabriel on his way to the earth. By the hundreds of thousands, they swept through the heavens. Down through the belt of Orion, on past the Milky Way -- down, down, they went through the still night air, leaving the stars twinkling far behind them.

At a signal from Gabriel they stopped, poised above the earth. Below them, by the light of a camp fire, they could see shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. In an instant, Gabriel stepped through the clouds and appeared to the shepherds, who gazed at him in total awe before falling in terror to the ground. Then Gabriel spoke: “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

As Gabriel finished these words, the light of the glory of God fell from heaven and the innumerable angelic host were revealed to the shepherds. They knew what they were supposed to say, though they didn’t comprehend the mystery of it all. And so, they lifted their glorious voices in praise to God: “Glory to Yahweh in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

These words of worship floated out through the still night air. It enraptured the shepherds who heard it. Then the soft night breeze that blows over the fields of Bethlehem caught up the announcement of the angels and bore it heavenward; where it echoed around the Throne of God and was dispersed among the stars. Then at a signal from Gabriel, the heavenly host quietly retreated upward to their home in heaven.

“What does all of this mean?” Arnal asked Pax.

“I cannot tell. But wasn’t it wonderful? Oh, Arnal, it will be great when the people of earth appreciate what God has done. I suspect they will soon be gathered together to welcome the Baby. They will come from the ends of the earth to worship and adore Him. They will then love Him as we do. I hope it doesn’t take long for Jesus to redeem them, for we will be so lonely in heaven without Him.”

Some 33 years pass, and again we listen in as Arnal and Pax are engaged in conversation.
“I can’t believe it Pax! They killed our Lord! He went to love them and show them the way to the Father, and they ridiculed Him, mocked Him, tortured Him, humiliated Him, and finally nailed Him to a cross. Why doesn’t the Father punish them? Why doesn’t He obliterate that sick and wretched planet?”

“I wonder that myself, Arnal. I guess it’s because He loves them. In fact, I heard one of the bigger angels say that the Master knew all along that they would do these awful things to Him, yet He willingly laid down His life to redeem them.”

“He just returned to the city, only two days ago, Pax. All heaven is rejoicing. It’s just like it was again. It’s so good to have Him back.”

With this, the two small angels returned to the celestial city to behold their Lord. It was so awesome! Jesus’ glory filled the entire city -- with only one difference -- His glory was now shining through an earth creature’s body -- a body with scars on His hands, feet, and side.

On a future day, all of the angels will gather from the far corners of the universe to sing a new song to the Lord. But when they approach God’s Throne, they will find that it is impossible to get near it. You see, on that special day, it will be surrounded by thousands and millions of human souls singing in perfect harmony: Can you sing it with me? No. 180 in your hymnbook if you need it.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive:
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
Honor and glory and blessing!
Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
Worthy is the Lamb!”

Then, every single created being that exists will say, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Rev. 5:13-14).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in a season which should be filled with peace, many are struggling with the heaviness of life – various burdens try to steal the joy right out of our Christmas. When the enemy whispers, “Be afraid!” may we immediately remember that You have told us to fear not; so, Jesus, we need Your peace. Lord, during this season of wonder when our focus should be on Your amazing love for us, we confess that our hearts are often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering how the bills will be paid, wondering when the terrors of our world will stop, wondering when rest will come. Sometimes, we get so discouraged, we even wonder if the message of Christmas is still true. So, Father, in a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up the good news again. Make Christmas real in the hearts of all believers this year. Never have we needed Your peace more than we do right now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. Forgive us when we forget that Your love never changes, never fades, and that You never abandon the purpose for which You came: to save us from our sinful condition, gifting us with eternal life and peace with God. It is because of Jesus’ birth, His death, and His resurrection that Your promise to us has been sealed forever. For all of Your blessings, we praise and thank You, through His exalted name, Amen. 

Invitation # 152: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (5 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the Prince of Peace keep you in perfect peace, because your mind is stayed upon Him, and you trust in Him. You can trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord our God is an everlasting rock. Amen! (Isa. 26:3-4)

THE ANGELS’ PLEA FOR PEACE

Advent Series (Lesson 2) - Dec. 7, 2025 - Rev. Alan Cousins
Text: Selected Scriptures from the LSB
Introduction: Angels have three primary responsibilities:

* ANGELS MAGNIFY GOD (Neh. 9:6; Job 38:7)

The number one job of angels is to adore God.

* ANGELS ARE MESSENGERS OF GOD (2 Thes. 1:7)

The word “angel,” as it’s used in the Bible, literally means messenger. Their job is to do what God sends them to do. Angel messengers basically convey two types of messages -good news and bad news.

* ANGELS MINISTER TO PEOPLE (Heb. 1:14; 13:2; Isa. 64:1)

Most of the time angels are not seen; they minister invisibly behind the scenes. And yet, on occasion, they break into our world, appearing for a short time to accomplish a specific task.

If you were to look at all the major events in the Bible, there is no other incident that has as many messages from so many angelic messengers as the incarnation of Christ.

Here are some observations about angels in the Christmas story.

• Angels appear suddenly to ordinary people doing ordinary things.

• Angels cause people to be afraid (Isa. 6:1-5; Job 38:7)

• Angels are never to be worshiped (Ps. 103:20; Rev. 22:8-9)

Let me also point out that angels are not to be prayed to. They may help deliver answers to prayer, but the Bible never suggests that we should direct our requests to them.

I. ANGELIC ENCOUNTERS (1 Tim. 3:16; Mt. 4:11; Lk. 22:43; Mk. 16:5; Acts 1:10-11; Mt. 25:31; Lk. 2:10; Mt. 1:22-23)

Let’s look at four different reactions to these early angelic encounters in Matthew and Luke.

* DENIAL & DOUBT (Lk. 1:7, 12-20, 68-79)

The first appearance of an angel in the gospel accounts takes place in the opening verses of Luke when Gabriel appears to Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son named John.

* UNSURE but SURRENDERED (Lk. 1:26-38)

Mary is told she will be pregnant and give birth to a son and she is to give Him the name Jesus. Gabriel tells her a little about the baby she will give birth to. Though Mary was simply not sure how all this would happen, she responds with the heart of a servant.

* ACCEPTANCE & ACTION (Mt. 1:18-25; 2:13-14)

Amazingly, Joseph is being tasked with raising a child that is not his own. He’s given a glimpse of the glory of this child as the angel tells him that this boy will be the Savior, fulfilling the prophecy of the “sure sign” from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph immediately accepts his assignment and acts on it. Joseph has two future encounters with angels, and like the first time, he accepted these messages and acted on them.

* BELIEVED & BROADCASTED (Lk. 2:8-20; 2 Kngs. 6:17)

The final example of angelic intervention takes place when God changes up the routine of some guys who are just out doing their job. The shepherds became messengers of the good news they had received from the angel.

Considering the different responses to the angels’ messages we’ve just looked at, which Christmas character, would you say, best represents where you’re at today?

II. RESPONDING TO THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS

Are you denying and doubting? Don’t be like Zechariah and allow your doubts to delay a decision (see 1 Pet. 1:12; Lk. 2:11; 15:10).

Perhaps, you are a bit uncertain but ready to surrender. Mary wasn’t sure about how everything would happen, but she surrendered anyway (see Lk. 2:11; 15:10).

Are you ready to accept and act? Joseph is a good model of someone who put feet to his faith. What is God asking you to do right now? No matter how difficult it is, if God is telling you to do it, that’s what you need to do because He will make a way.

Do you believe and will you broadcast the good news? Have you ever noticed the middle letters in the word “evangelism” form the word “angel”? We are called to believe and broadcast the good news today, just as the angels did back then. The shepherds communicated the Christmas story. We are now the messengers of the Incarnation story. Who can you point to the Savior this season?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in a season which should be filled with peace, many are struggling with the heaviness of life – various burdens try to steal the joy right out of our Christmas. When the enemy whispers, “Be afraid!” may we immediately remember that You have told us to fear not; so, Jesus, we need Your peace. Lord, during this season of wonder when our focus should be on Your amazing love for us, we confess that our hearts are often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering how the bills will be paid, wondering when the terrors of our world will stop, wondering when rest will come. Sometimes, we get so discouraged, we even wonder if the message of Christmas is still true. So, Father, in a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up the good news again. Make Christmas real in the hearts of all believers this year. Never have we needed Your peace more than we do right now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. Forgive us when we forget that Your love never changes, never fades, and that You never abandon the purpose for which You came: to save us from our sinful condition, gifting us with eternal life and peace with God. It is because of Jesus’ birth, His death, and His resurrection that Your promise to us has been sealed forever. For all of Your blessings, we thank You in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

On the first week of Advent, as we light the Hope candle on the Advent wreath, also known as the Prophecy candle, we are reminded to prepare our hearts for the foretold birth of Jesus. This candle symbolizes the hope and anticipation of the coming Messiah, promised throughout the Old Testament. It reminds us of the prophecies that foretold Jesus’s birth and of the faithful waiting of God’s people for the Savior. What a wonderful gift the Lord gives us, in that we have hope! We have hope in Christ, whose birth represents hope to the whole world. 

[READ Isa. 42:1-4]
1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul is well-pleased.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.
2  He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street. 
3  A crushed reed He will not break
And a faintly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will bring forth justice in truth.
4  He will not be faint or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

[READ Mt. 12:18-21]
18  “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED;
I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
19  HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
20  A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT,
UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
21  AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

[Light the first candle & sing first verse of The Candle of Hope]

Prayer of Hope: O Lord, You are our hope! We are so thankful that You came to live among people like us, that You were fully God and fully man, in order to bring us Your salvation. Prepare our hearts for celebrating You this Christmas. May our worship be a sweet gift to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Responsive Reading:

Leader: The Son of Man is coming, but about that day and hour no one knows,
People: Neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Leader: Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
People: Therefore, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. The first candle of Advent reminds us to keep awake and be ready.

Hymn # 123: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (4 vs.)

ISAIAH’S AUDACIOUS HOPE

Introduction: Do you know that after today, there are only 24 more shopping days left until Christmas? Some people panic when they hear this, but for others it means that they still have more than three weeks left before they have to begin shopping! Doesn’t it seem like a lot of stores start their sales earlier and earlier each year? Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving to kick off Christmas now we’re hearing “Jingle Bells” right after Halloween. If this keeps up, it won’t be long until Labor Day will launch the Christmas rush. How many of you went shopping on “Black Friday?” Retailers love this day because it helps them get in the “black” financially. However, I promise you, I was not waiting in a long line during the wee hours of Thanksgiving night for a store to open at 5:00 a.m., only to deal with a bunch of people with short fuses. You see, Debbie and I have discovered this wonderful thing (maybe you’ve heard of it) called Amazon! It allows us to do almost all of our Christmas shopping from the comfort of our recliners!

Against our culture’s call to get caught up in all the commercialized clamor of Christmas, stands the simple yet profound season of Advent. The word “advent” means “coming” and refers to the coronation of a King. Traditionally it’s been a time for prayer, repentance, and preparation to help believers slow down enough to truly enjoy the awe of the Savior’s birth. You could say, Advent is a spiritual journey that helps us focus on the greatest gift of all so that we can worship the Word made flesh with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Special music, responsive readings, candles, and sermons help us to reflect upon and rejoice in our Savior’s birth.

As we experience both the past and future dimensions of this time of the year, it has dawned upon me that (spiritually speaking) one can never start too early when getting ready for something as monumental as Christmas.

The Advent Wreath with its four colored candles, are said by some to represent the four centuries of waiting between Malachi and Matthew. We’ll light a different candle each week, shining the light on the themes of hope, peace, joy, love, and then on Christmas Eve we add the white candle signifying Jesus’ birth. This will help create a sense of expectation so we don’t just get caught up in the consumerism of our culture. Using rich reminders from the Scriptures, our aim is to keep the Christ of Christmas present in the midst of all the presents as we remember His first coming to this world, and look forward to His second coming to earth. We want His beauty to shine bright in the busyness of our lives. And that can only happen when we slow down.

This morning, we will consider Isaiah’s amazing message of hope. Isaiah has often been called the “fifth gospel” because it is filled with so much good news. Yet, while the book is over-flowing with glory and good news, it also contains some gloom as well.

[READ Isa. 60:2]
2  For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And dense gloom the peoples;
But Yahweh will rise upon you,
And His glory will appear upon you.

Isaiah was written about 700 years before the time of Christ, a fact that should cause us to worship with wonder as we contemplate how specifically Isaiah’s prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. From Isaiah we learn that we can never start too early when getting ready for something as big as the coming of Christ.

Isaiah contains some of the most beautiful language ever written and was quoted by Jesus extensively during His ministry. Since Isaiah was one of the Lord’s favorite books, we should carefully consider what it has to say. Isaiah is called a “major” prophet for two reasons. First, his book is one of the longest and second his message is very meaty.

Some have pointed out that the 66 chapters in Isaiah serve as a “miniature” Bible, since there are 66 books in the Bible. The first 39 chapters correspond to the “law” of the Old Testament; while the final 27 chapters harmonize with the “liberty” taught in the New Testament.

There are many themes found in Isaiah’s prophecy, I only want to mention three of them by way of introduction. They are: (1) God is in control; (2) The Messiah is coming; and (3) God always has a remnant that stays committed to Him.

Isaiah’s name actually means “Jehovah saves.” He had a long ministry of more than 50 years, and was the chief prophet who ministered during the reigns of four different kings. Isaiah’s life was deeply impacted when the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed, and its inhabitants led into captivity by the Assyrians. Isaiah actually ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah during a time of cultural corruption (very much like what we’re seeing taking place in our own country today). Part of Isaiah’s mission was to warn the people of Judah that the same thing which had happened to Israel, would happen to them, unless they repented and turned back to God.

Although, Isaiah’s opening words begin with a complaint …

[READ Isa. 1:4]
in Isaiah 1:4: “Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt …”

He continued to offer words of hope and encouragement throughout his book.

Today’s sermon is entitled: “Isaiah’s Audacious Hope.” The word “audacious” means to be bold and fearless. Isaiah was bold about longing for something more. He dared to believe that something better was coming even though his culture was corrupt and everything around him seemed so dark. We can summarize Isaiah’s audaciousness by looking at what he said in …
[READ Isa. 64:1]
1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence.

Isaiah was longing for the Lord to somehow come down into his world in order to make sense out of all the nonsense, to bring peace to all the problems, to dispel the darkness, and to banish evil. Isaiah was hungry for the Holy One to enter our messed-up world in an extraordinary manner. Beloved, aren’t you glad that the Lord came down and visited earth? By the way, He is coming back one day. Isaiah 64:1 is a prophecy with a double-fulfillment – it happened in the past when Jesus came into our world as the Lamb of God. But the prophecy also looks to the future when Jesus will return as the Lion of God for the purpose of bringing judgment upon the world that has rejected Him. “O … that the mountains might quake at Your presence,” even foretells the earthquake that will happen just as soon as the feet of our Lord touch the Mount of Olives.

[READ Zech. 14:4]
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Now, that we’ve considered Jesus’ first coming and His second coming, let’s look at four important instructive passages in the book of Isaiah. My goal this morning is that we’ll get a composite picture of what Christmas is all about from the mind of the Holy Spirit and the pen of Isaiah, because one can never start too early when getting ready for something really big.

I. A SURE SIGN (Isa. 7:1-2, 8-9, 13-14; Gen. 22:8; Lk. 2:10; Mt. 1:22-23)

Let’s turn in our Bibles to Isaiah, chapter 7. In this chapter we meet an evil king named Ahaz who rules the kingdom of Judah. He had deliberately disobeyed God, and as a result his kingdom came under attack from all directions.

[READ Isa. 7:1-2]
1 Now it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. 2 When it was told to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans (Syrians) have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

Friends, like King Ahaz, if you don’t know God, when troubles come you too will be shaken to the very core of your being.

Instead of turning to the Lord, Ahaz begins thinking about partnering with the evil Assyrian Empire. At this critical time for God’s people, Yahweh in His great love and mercy toward the house of David, took the initiative and sent Isaiah the prophet to help King Ahaz.

[READ Isa. 7:8-9] Isaiah points out …
8 For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), 9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not establish your faith in Yahweh, you surely shall not be established.

* This sentence is a pun in Hebrew, which basically means: “If there is no belief, you will find no relief.”

In verse 10, we learn that Ahaz was supposed to ask for a sign that would help him believe. But in verse 12, we’re told that Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. At the king’s refusal, Isaiah explodes in righteous indignation.

[READ Isa. 7:13]
13 Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?

Then we come to this remarkable prophetic passage in verse 14:

[READ Isa. 7:14]
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

I want to point out a few things in this verse:

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

* Notice, the Lord Himself will give the sign. This is similar to what Abraham said in Genesis 22:8: “God Himself will provide the lamb.”

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

* The sign was given to all of us. The word “you” in this passage is plural, indicating that it was not just a sign to Ahaz but to everyone as the angel made clear to the shepherds …

[READ Lk. 2:10]
10 … “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.

Going back to Isaiah 7:13, the prophet mentions that this sign was specifically given to the “house of David.” The sign would be a son born to a virgin.

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

* In the Hebrew, this phrase is a grammatical interjection which is used to arrest the attention of the listeners or readers. It indicates the importance of what is about to be said. As you well know, this was no ordinary pregnancy and no ordinary birth. A virgin would be with child and give birth to a Son. This would certainly stand out as a miraculous sign. The Son would be God incarnate, meaning He became fully human and lived in a body of flesh.

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

* The name Immanuel means, “The strong God with us.” While this was not Jesus’ proper name, it was a name that identified His attributes, letting us know this is who He is. From Jesus’ miraculous birth forward, God Himself would be present among His people. This verse from Isaiah 7:14, is quoted in Matthew’s gospel.

[READ Mt. 1:22-23]
22 Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Did King Ahaz understand all of this? No. Was it fulfilled during his lifetime? No. It was a prophecy, focusing on the future, given to all people by God as a sure and unmistakable sign.

II. A SENT SON (Isa. 9:1-2, 4, 6; Jn. 8:12; Mt. 11:30; Lk. 1:32-33)

Let me give you the context of the next passage we are going to look at. This original birth announcement was made in the midst of grief and gloom.

[READ Isa. 9:1]
1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

Zebulun and Naphtali were tribes from the northern kingdom of Israel, whose collective OT inheritance, made up the lands of Galilee in the NT. For many years the people in this region knew only grief because of invasions by their enemies unleashed by the Almighty as punishment for their sin of disobedience to His Word. Because they lived closest to the route the bad guys followed to invade the land, they were the first ones attacked. Isaiah tells of a time in the future where gloom will be replaced with gladness in Galilee. Also, don’t miss the fact that the ministry of Jesus began in Galilee.

Beloved, Christmas was, and is, birthed in the midst of great grief. While the angels were proclaiming “Peace on earth,” Herod was preparing to annihilate the baby boys of Bethlehem; while Mary was worshiping, other Jewish mothers were weeping for their children (see Jer. 31:15; Mt. 2:18). Christmas joy is best understood in this light -- when we are bogged down by all the difficulties life brings, as well as the confusion and sinful condition of the world around us, the gladness and joy of Christmas comes even when we’re grieving.

If that is where you’re at today, it’s okay because this is exactly where Immanuel will meet you.

Verse 2 describes how the birth of Christ brought light and brightness to our dark world.

[READ Isa. 9:2]
2 The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in the land of the shadow of death,
The light will shine on them.

I’m looking forward to our Christmas Eve service this year when we will light the Christ candle to show the impact that Jesus has made on a dark world.

[READ Jn. 8:12] In referring to Himself in John 8:12, Jesus said,
12 … “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

In Isaiah 9:4, we read that the enemies of Israel had burdened the people with “bars across their shoulders.”

[READ Isa. 9:4]
4 For You shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, ….

When the One who is the Light of life comes, the heavy yoke of mankind’s enemy will be shattered. Instead of crushing us beneath the heavy weight of guilt and sin, Jesus says, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt. 11:30). In the place of burdens, God wants to give us blessings. Now let’s look at …

[READ Isa. 9:6]
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The words “to us” mean “for us, for our benefit” and the emphasis is on the child. The baby was given for our benefit. This verse points out the indescribable uniqueness of Jesus. Notice that both His humanity and deity are described. We see attributes of God and characteristics of man.

“For a child will be born to us.” This describes His birth as a baby.

“A son will be given to us.” Jesus, God’s Son, is the greatest gift ever given to mankind.

The child was birthed in Bethlehem and the gift of the eternal Son is given to us.

On top of this, “the government will rest on His shoulders.” This means that all the expectations of the throne of King David are fulfilled in Christ (see 2 Samuel 7:13-16). The bundled Baby in the straw holds the universe together. The one nestled on Mary’s lap, bears everything on His shoulders. He is Redeemer and Ruler of all. Part of the reason why people (even some Christians) have become bored with the baby in a manger is because we focus only on the infant Jesus. But He is oh so much more than this, as we see in His four-fold titles.

The phrase, “and His name will be called” means “He will justly bear this name…”

• He is Profound – as the “Wonderful Counselor.”

• He is Powerful – as the “Mighty God.”

• He is Personal – as the “Everlasting Father.”

• He is Peaceful – as the “Prince of Peace.”

It’s amazing to me that Isaiah not only knew Immanuel would be born to a virgin as a sure sign; but he also understood that He would be the sent Son. Doesn’t this remind you of what Gabriel said to Mary?

[READ Lk. 1:32]
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

So, Jesus is a sure sign and a sent Son. Then thirdly, He’s …

III. A SHOOT FROM THE STUMP (Isa. 11:1-2, 6; Lk. 2:4, 14; Rev. 5:5)

Please turn with me now to Isaiah chapter 11.

[READ Isa. 11:1-2]
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.

During the past 35 years or so that we’ve lived in the parsonage, heavy snows and ice storms have been really rough on our white pines. We used to have two of them in the front yard. One of them was uprooted by the wind years ago and had to be cut down. The one remaining tree, shows the scars of being battered by the elements. It doesn’t look very good anymore. Every time I look at it, I wonder how much more can it take.

In Isaiah’s day, people felt hopeless because it seemed like the only thing left were stumps. The northern kingdom had been destroyed and things were looking bleak for the south. Do you ever feel like that? Have the stumps in your life shattered your hope? But wait a minute, notice that a shoot will come up from the stump. Jesse was the father of King David, and it’s through his line that the Savior would come into the world.

[READ Lk. 2:4]
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

[READ Rev. 5:5] Look at how Jesus is described,
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Now back to Isaiah 11.
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him,

* This shoot will become a Branch that will bear fruit from the root of David. Once again Isaiah uses a play on words. The word “branch” is the Hebrew word “neser.” What’s interesting about this is that Jesus spent most of His earthly life in Nazareth, which means “a protected branch.” This pictures Jesus as the tender shoot who branches forth from the protective stump of Jesse. Then, notice also that the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him.

Isaiah was not only able to catch a vision of the Savior as a shoot; he could also foresee a time when peace will prevail. This dovetails perfectly with the angels’ proclamation to the shepherds.

[READ Lk. 2:14, NKJV]
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Isaiah fleshes all of this out in a series of amazing contrasts to show that during His Second Advent, Jesus will usher in a time of protracted peace. There’s a lot here, but I just want to share one verse.

[READ Isa. 11:6, NKJV]
6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.

Are you listening? when Jesus comes again, He will come as the conquering King and the Prince of Peace. During this season, we tend to count the shopping days left until Christmas; but what we really should be doing is counting the days until Christ comes again in power and glory, readying ourselves for His return.

Isaiah gives us a sure sign; he points to the sent Son; he connects the Messiah to David’s throne as the shoot from a stump; and finally, he proclaims that Jesus is …

IV. A SUFFERING SAVIOR (Isa. 53:3-5, 65:1-2; Mt. 1:21; Jn. 12:41)

Jesus came at Christmas so that by His suffering and ultimately sacrificing Himself as our substitute, we can be saved from our sins. This purpose is stated from the very beginning of the Nativity account.

[READ Mt. 1:21]
21 And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

There are an amazing number of prophecies in Isaiah 53 that were fulfilled with pinpoint accuracy, which describe the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. We’re only going to read and consider three verses from this section. As we do, I want you to think about what Jesus bought for us, not on black Friday, but on Good Friday.

[READ Isa. 53:3-5]
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.

You can never start too early when getting ready for something really big.

A man from China, who was converted to Christ, told this story which has obvious tie-ins with the story of the Good Samaritan:

A man fell into a dark, slimy pit. He tried to climb out of the pit, but he couldn’t. Confucius came along, saw the man and said, “Poor fellow, had he listened to me, he never would have gotten there,” and he went on. Buddha came along and saw the man in the pit and said, “Poor fellow, if he’ll come up here, I’ll help him,” and he too kept on walking. Then Jesus Christ came along and said, “Poor fellow.” And then He jumped down into the pit and lifted him out.

I’ve often wondered what all Isaiah knew about Immanuel. Ministering seven centuries before the first Christmas, how could he be so specific?

• Jesus is a sure sign

• He is the sent Son

• He is the shoot from Jesse’s stump

• He is the suffering Savior

Though Isaiah wrote about the future, his words seem to indicate that he saw the Savior with his own eyes. Then we find this confirmation …

[READ Jn. 12:41]
41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him.

Jesus not only came to be born into our world, but to be born in us. You can never start too early when getting ready for something really big. Are you ready now to receive the Christ of Christmas? Jesus IS coming again; it won’t be long; it may be soon. Are you prepared? Are you watching the skies? Is your lamp filled with oil?

Isaiah’s promises about Jesus give us hope, and when they’re fulfilled in us, they bring peace. But like a present, Jesus must be received. I want to end with God’s own testimony found in --

[READ Isa. 65:1-2]
1 “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; (Israel)
I was found by those who did not seek Me. (the Gentiles)
To a nation that did not call on My name, (Israel)
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2 All day long I have held out My hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations …. (all the world)

A woman was doing her Christmas shopping and was stressed out trying to find the perfect present for everyone on her list. Knowing that her credit cards were almost maxed out, she couldn’t wait for Christmas to be over. With her arms full of gifts, she tried to get into a crowded elevator. As she squeezed in with the other weary shoppers she exclaimed, “Whoever came up with Christmas ought to be strung up and killed!” Several around her nodded their heads in agreement. Then, from somewhere in the back a voice spoke up: “Don’t worry. They already did that to Him.”

Beloved, let’s not miss the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, every word in Scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus. The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of this message of hope because the Old Testament is full of glimpses of Your plan to redeem Your people and restore them into a relationship with You. But we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great Your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in our Bibles. Help us to see that You are with us. Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for You. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only You Father, can give when we believe on Your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That first Christmas, You gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable gift. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen. 

Invitation # 124: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (2 vs.)

Benediction: Beloved, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom. 15:13)