The Meaning of Advent

[This message was preached on December 22, 2024 at Resurrection Hope Congregation, Hartley, IA (we are a small gathering of believers with a like mind in Christ Jesus our Lord – we began gathering in September, 2024 – please pray that others from this community with a like mind and spirit in Christ will join us for fellowship and Christ-centered preaching)]

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“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2 KJV)

This message is drawn from Luke 2:1-20

Introduction: A Zealous effort to snuff out the Light that came into the world

The assault on Advent and the effort to detach Jesus Christ and His birth from it has been quite intense.  The political secularists using law fare have been very successful over the years demanding that any reference to the birth of Jesus Christ be removed from all public places, including public schools, roadway signs, and even military bases.  They claim that it violates the Constitutional provision of the separation of church and state.  The problem is that they are quoting from the communist constitution of the Old Russian Republic, not the Constitution of the United States.  Their claims are being asserted at the expense of at least two provisions of the Constitution, the freedom of speech, and the establishment laws forbidding a state run, state controlled religion. 

But that is not the real reason they are seeking to remove Jesus Christ from the Advent season; they seek to separate Him from the public celebration of His first coming, because they are deliberately seeking to subvert and suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and to drive this nation deeper into spiritual idolatry, darkness and oppression.  Though there has been much progress in their zealous attack against Jesus Christ, as they seek to snuff out the Light of the world; we know from John Chapter 1, the Light has come into the world, and darkness will never apprehend, or overcome it (John 1:4-5).   It is the eyewitness accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world that reassures our hearts and minds that the celebration of advent is truly all about Jesus Christ, coming into the world to save sinners, like you and me. 

In the sermon a couple of weeks ago, we looked at the necessity of the Incarnation of God the Son.  This week we will consider the time, the place, and the marvelous events that took place when the Incarnate Son of God was born in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and what was announced to the Virgin Mary and Joseph by the angel Gabriel and reaffirmed by Elizabeth and Zacharias in Luke Chapter 1. 

The beginning of the earthly life of Jesus Christ is recorded for us in the verses we read just a few moments ago. The birth of Jesus is a historical event that defies every human concept of how a king, and redeemer, indeed, the Messiah ought to have been brought into this world.  But it was the way and the means by which God in His infallible wisdom and abundant goodness had ordained from before the beginning of the world; it was the way and the means that was spoken of by the prophets; and it was the way and the means that God used to demonstrate to all His people, and to us also, that He is glorified in the humble, or as the apostle Paul puts it, the weak things of this world (1 Corinthians 1:27).  The eyewitness record ought to strengthen our faith and our resolve to keep Jesus Christ the focus of this season; in fact, the focus of our everyday lives, as we live our lives in our words and in our deeds with humble hearts. It is in this way that we will give testimony to the grace and goodness of God to sinners, like you and me; especially, as we approach the last days of the last days of this age and much tribulation.

In considering the passage before us this morning, there are three parts to the account recorded in this second Chapter of the Gospel of Luke.  First, the actual birth of Jesus in verses 1 through 7, where we learn the time, the place, and the manner of our Savior’s birth; verses 8 through 14 contain the second part of the passage, wherein Jesus’ birth is announced and affirmed to by the angel of the Lord and a glorious heavenly host nearby shepherds; and then, in the third part of the passage from verse 15 to verse 20, we find the birth of Jesus confirmed and testified to by the shepherds.

The Birth of Jesus Christ is historically Established

In the first part of the passage, verses 1 through 7, we learn of the time, the place, and the manner of our savior’s birth.  The time of Jesus’ birth was at a very low point in the history of the Jewish nation, which had been put under subjection to the Roman Empire. It was a time when the scepter had left Judah, just as it was prophesied in Genesis Chapter 49.  Under Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, a decree had been sent out that “all the world should be taxed,” or registered, as recorded in verse 1 of our text.  The Roman Empire was so large and vast that it was called “The Empire of the whole earth.”  And in the passage before us, it is referred to as the “world.”  It was this “Empire of the whole earth” to which the prophesy in Daniel pointed, wherein we learn that during the fourth monarchy of kings from the time of the exile of the Jews to Babylon in 579 BC, God would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed or cease (2:44). The kingdom being everlasting is also according to God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel. This kingdom began to be established at the birth of Jesus; a kingdom over which Jesus reigns forever at the right hand of the Father, not only as its King, but also its only High Priest, and Mediator.  Thus we learn that the birth of Jesus Christ was during the time that fulfills the prophecies found in Genesis, 2 Samuel, and Daniel.

Not only does the account of Jesus’ birth tell us that the time in history fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, it also allows us to know within a 12 month period the time of His birth.  Verse 2 speaks of the census being taken when “Cyrenius” [aka, Quirinius] was governor of Syria.  Further, it is also known that His birth was during the reign of Caesar Augustus, and that it was during the rule of Herod, son of Herod the Great, over the region of Judea, as we learn from Chapter 1, verse 5. Considering these historical facts together with other known facts of the time period, it has been determined that Jesus was born in either 4 B.C., or 5 B.C., with a heavy leaning towards 4 B.C.  

The royal place where the Incarnate Christ is born

Now the information concerning the census not only helps us to establish the approximate date of Jesus’ birth, it also helps us to understand why Joseph and Mary would travel during the last days of her pregnancy. How many of you men would even dare suggest to your 9-month pregnant wife that you go on a long trip – riding on the back of a donkey, no less? Move aside dogs here comes daddy!  Something had to compel this new couple to travel over 150 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem; God, in His providence, used men of evil intentions to get this couple to the place where they needed to be, Bethlehem.  Bethlehem was the birthplace of king David, it is referred to in our passage as the city of David, where, before his royal anointing, David was a shepherd of lowly means and circumstance; similar to the lowly means and circumstance that surrounded the birth and life of the eternal King, Jesus Christ.

So it was, according to God’s providence that Joseph and Mary traveled from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem where they would be registered as members of the house and lineage of David, as we see from verse 4 of our text in Luke.  It was there in Bethlehem, where God had determined that Mary would give birth, as prophesied in Micah 5:2.  This prophecy, given about 730 years before, tells us; “’But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.’” 

The lowly surroundings of Christ’s birth

Yet, the Incarnate God, “the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting,” was not to be born in a manner that would be expected for the eternal King of kings and Lord and lords.  Having arrived in Bethlehem, it would be assumed that the couple of royal extraction about to give birth to the long expected Messiah would have been given first class accommodations.  But this was not the case!  There was no room at the Inn for them, because of all the people traveling there to register under the decree of Caesar.  However, there was a stable nearby where they would be able to at least find shelter.  It was there, in those humble surroundings that Mary would give birth to Jesus.  We read in verse 7 of our text in Luke Chapter 2 that Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, . . . wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger.”  It was neither a place of respect, nor was it a place of honor, but it was the place where God had predetermined, in His wisdom, to introduce His beloved Son to this fallen world, who came not to be served but to “serve and give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). 

God the Son was humbled in taking on the very nature of man, both in body and in soul. As if that wasn’t humbling enough, His birthplace was a stable, where He was laid in a feeding trough, a manger, as His first bed. In fact, if we saw Jesus in such humble conditions, we would be tempted to say, “This certainly cannot be the Son of God, the Savior/King.” However, the Son of God was born in a manner that would reflect the manner of His entire life. The prophet Isaiah described for us the humble and most unappealing life and appearance of Jesus Christ, “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (53:2). This describes perfectly our Savior and King, doesn’t it? It most certainly does! Even the reference to “a root out of dry ground” is a veiled reference to Him being conceived in the Virgin Mary and His humble beginnings, wouldn’t you agree?  Further, Jesus, our Savior being born in a stable, laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths, was a most humble, crude, dishonorable and impoverished sight to behold. It could easily be said that there was nothing about Him and His surroundings that would stir up a desire to honor Him as the Messiah; much less, bow before Him as a king.  Yet, it was in this dishonorable, poor beginning that our Savior was born so that He might obtain an inheritance of everlasting life on behalf of all who by the washing and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit come to Him by faith alone in repentance of their sins; who were made partakers of the benefits of the eternal riches of God’s grace because of Him; because of what Jesus Christ came to accomplish and did accomplish on their behalf; obtaining for sinners, like you and me, the forgiveness of sins, salvation, righteousness and everlasting life.  The Lord of glory was humbled so that He might be later exalted; He was humbled so that we, by faith alone, might be lifted up in Him from our lowly depraved state by the power of the Holy Spirit and transferred into the everlasting kingdom of God in Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory Incarnate.  

When you consider that the King of kings and Lord of lords was born in such poor and crude circumstances, as we find recorded for us in our text, you might have good reason to be sad and disappointed. Yet, that is not the case! What takes place next tells us just the opposite. It was a time of rejoicing, not weeping over the humble and dishonorable circumstances of our Savior’s birth.  This leads us to the second part of the passage before us this morning, the announcement and affirmation of Christ’s birth in verses 8 through 14.

The angel of the Lord appears to Shepherd, not the Jewish religious leaders

We read in verse 8 of our text in Luke that the shepherds were “living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  God did not send the angel of the Lord to bring good tidings to the religious leaders of that day, but rather to several poor shepherds; who were plain men living in tents, of humble rank; crude characters, to say the least, as has been reported by some historians. They had no influence among men like Jacob, with an appearance like the shepherd David, the son of Jesse, who was described as being of a “ruddy” stature (1 Samuel 6:11-12).

Now, the angel of the Lord stood before the company of shepherds powerfully with the brightness of heavenly glory, causing them to become terrified.  They became “sorely [greatly] afraid,” as verse 9 of our text tells us.  It was a fear that gripped their hearts, a fear of terror that cut to their souls; for they were conscious of their great guilt before a holy God, and they most likely assumed their condemnation was going to be pronounced and their time had come to begin paying their eternal debt for their sins with eternal torment of being in hell. 

Much to their relief, I am certain, that was not the purpose of the angel’s appearance. The angel quickly comforts them with the words that we find in verse 10 of our text, “. . . Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”  News of great joy, not of great fear, was the message that was being sent from God by the angel of the Lord. 

It was good news of great joy, not only for the Jews; but “to all people.”  It was good news that is proclaimed not only to those who are members of the old covenant; it is also good news that would be proclaimed to all people, no matter their nationality, skin tone, or status in society: rich, poor, master, servant, great, common, religious or secularist. 

Though this good news is to all people, we learn that there are only some who will receive it by true faith in true repentance of their sins, and thereby actually bring them great joy.  The good news of Jesus Christ brings great joy and life to those who are being saved, but to those who are perishing it is not good news; it only brings anger and death.  The Lord teaches us this truth in 2 Corinthians Chapter two, verses 15 and 16, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.”  It is not the gospel, or good news because of the one who hears it; it is good news because of the nature of the news.  This is the real reason the unregenerate heart of the God denying humanists and the political secularists are working so diligently to remove Christ from the Advent season; the good news of Jesus Christ has angered them.  So what is this good news, or fragrance of Christ, that will bring life and great joy to all people, who believe?  

The answer is found in verses 11 and 12 of our text in Luke.  The angel tells the shepherds that the good tidings, or good news that will bring great joy to all people is that in Bethlehem, a Savior has been born; who is Christ the Lord.  The Savior, who was born that very same day the angel appeared to shepherds, will save His people from their sins.  

Jesus is Lord over all there is; and the savior and deliverer of sinners; yet the shepherds won’t find Him in a place of royalty. The angel tells the shepherds that their Savior, who was born to them, is wrapped in torn strips of cloths, and lying in a manger.  It is as though the angel was telling them that Jesus won’t look like a Savior; He won’t look like Christ the Lord, the Messiah; but, He is.  There is nothing royal about the place where He lay; nor in what He was wearing. In fact, God affirms this announcement to the shepherds using a most glorious means, which we learn from verses 13 and 14 of our text.

The glad tidings affirmed by a heavenly host of angels

A glorious multitude of angels suddenly appeared with the angel, saying, “’Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”  God is glorified because He is bringing peace on earth through the little child that can be found lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus would bring peace on earth by reconciling God to men through His atoning death on the cross some thirty-three years later; but it is gloriously said here as though it was already accomplished. In fact, from God’s eternal perspective, it has. Jesus is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” as we read in Revelation 13:8.  In bringing peace on earth, God demonstrated His goodwill toward men.  In Paul’s Epistle to the saints in Rome, it is expressed this way, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God did not bring peace to men of good will, as some would have us believe. That would be to pervert the meaning of the text, and contradict the rest of Scripture, which speaks of men as not having any good will (Romans 3:9-18 – men of good will? Bah, hum bug!).  The meaning in our text in Luke is rather that God’s rich grace, or goodwill, toward men is the source that will bring peace on earth.  True peace on earth will not come by treaties, alliances, or politics; true peace on earth comes only through Jesus Christ.  Without Christ there is no peace; with Christ men know peace.  Men are at peace with God when they are reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ; and when men are at peace with God, peace and goodwill among men are found.  Therefore, let us be messengers of God’s peace, so that we might be at peace with one another, reflecting to others the goodwill shown to us through Jesus Christ. This brings us to the third part of the passage before us this morning, beginning with verse 15.

The angels departed, having delivered the message from God to the shepherds.  Then in verse 15, we read that the shepherds, having received the message of good tidings that their Savior had been born that day, quickly set out with great joy to see the one who is their savior, who would bring true peace on earth. They dropped what they were doing, left their flocks in their fields and hurried to Bethlehem in search of their Savior/King.

The Shepherds confirmed and testified widely what they heard and saw – zealously!

When the shepherds saw the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager there was no disappointment, for they knew they had found the child, who was their Savior, just as the angel said they would find Him.  These shepherds believed what they heard; and their faith in the words that were spoken to them was confirmed by what they saw; they beheld with their own eyes the Savior of the world, the Messianic king and Deliverer of Israel, lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths.   

With great joy of faith they testified to Mary and Joseph how they had received from God, through His angel, the announcement of their Savior’s birth; they witnessed also concerning the multitude of angels praising God for His goodwill toward men in bringing peace on earth through the child that was lying in the manger before them.   They testified not only to Joseph and Mary what they had heard; they also “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child,” as we read in verse 17. There was great joy in the shepherds!  In that joy, they could not contain themselves; they told everyone who would listen.  They became, as it were, passionate human messengers of the “good tidings of great joy,” which marveled many people.

There is no doubt that the account by the shepherds brought great comfort and reassurance to Joseph and Mary.  They held close to their heart what was told to them, especially Mary, as it is noted in verse 19 of our text.  She pondered in her heart the things that were told to her. She meditated upon them considering deeply how great a privilege it was to conceive and bear the Son of God, the Savior of the world; who would sit on the throne of David with all authority over the entire world, forever.

With the excitement of the birth of Jesus Christ clearly embedded in their hearts and minds, the shepherds returned to their fields with renewed hope “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen,” as we see in verse 20 of our text. Peace would be obtained through this little child born in crude and humble surroundings, who would give His own life to reconcile sinners to God.  Out of God’s abounding grace, Jesus Christ would purchase peace for a sinful people, bringing goodwill to sinners who deserve only ill will & eternal punishment.  He is the good tidings to sinners everywhere.

How will you respond to the glad tiding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

We have seen in the passage today the true meaning of Advent; or, as it’s commonly called, ‘Christmas.’  The ungodly, secular notions of men are not what Advent is all about.  It is about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the good tidings that brings great joy to all who believe in Him, resting their eternal hope in God’s salvation through Him.

Yet, how do we respond to the message of the good tidings, the good news of our salvation through Jesus Christ?  Is it a message of joy and life? Or is it a message that stirs up anger and death?  Beloved, let us hear the message of God, His message of salvation, though it offends our sinful, and man-centered senses; and receive it by faith that we, too, might have the great joy that it brings to all who truly believe.  Further, let’s not sacrifice the joy that message brings, by receiving it as mere words of men having no impact on our daily lives; rather let us with Mary keep close to our hearts the words of joy in the good news of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Let’s humbly seek our comfort and joy in the one who is our Savior; God the Son, who humbled Himself to take on the very nature of man: who, becoming a bondservant, was obedient, even to the point of death; who died for our sins; and, having raise again from the dead, He became our living hope of eternal life (Philippians 2:5-11).  Beloved in Christ, let not the hardships and sorrows of this life, and the apparent disappointments sadden you, but let us rejoice always in Christ; for He gave up far more than what we ever would to gain far more for us than what we ever could, beginning with His birth in a Bethlehem stable, laid in a manger, having been wrapped in strips of rags.

Finally Beloved in Jesus Christ, let’s with assured hearts and humble spirits zealously testify to others in our words and deeds the good tidings of the Advent of Jesus Christ; glorifying God in the Highest, who has brought peace on earth, and goodwill toward sinners through Christ Jesus our Lord, our life, our joy! – To Whom belong all glory, honor, wisdom and power, forever!

AMEN!

(May the Lord bless you and all your loved ones as you celebrate the first Advent of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It also a time to look forward to His Second “Advent” and the new heavens and the new earth, where all who are in Christ by faith will live in eternal blessedness together with Him, where there will be no grief, no sorrow, no pain, and most of all no death, being freed from the presence of sin! – Rev. Richard Stetler, Evangelist, Vanguard Presbyterian Church)

Soli Deo Gloria!