The Birth of Christ

Introduction

Good morning. So good to see everyone out this morning for this three hours of worship together where God is praised and we’re encouraged. Already had one excellent sermon this morning. Greg chose to preach to us in the nine o’clock hour from the book of Habakkuk. I’m taking a little bit different path this morning, but that’s okay. Greg and I are different. You have two preachers, one of them has the strength, energy, and good looks of youth, and the other one’s named Greg. And so it’s all right if we take a little bit different approach to our sermons as well. This morning, an appropriate time, I want to talk to you about the birth of Christ. Today throughout the world, Christians are celebrating his birth. And we’re going to join with him and them in celebrating the birth of Christ today.

Today is the right day to do that. We are people who are bound by calendars. And our calendar tells us that today is a day to celebrate his birth.

First of all, as we would expect from such a momentous miraculous occasion in human history that it did not come without announcement. It was prophesied in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophets told us that our Savior would be born. And equally it was, as we would expect, befitting such a glorious occasion in human history. It was heralded by angels. It was a heavenly host that pronounced that he was to be born, that he was born, and an angel chorus praised that event.

Another fact we read in the scriptures is that among others who were extremely surprised, Mary was extremely surprised by this miraculous birth. She was the first to know that our Savior would be born in such a way. But she was extremely surprised by that birth.

He takes really a minor role. His name is Joseph. He plays a minor role in the birth of Christ, but actually after his birth, we’ll never read about him again in the New Testament. A man by the name of Joseph. And another fact that we read in scriptures is that the birth of Christ, which occurred just outside the city of Jerusalem, was far from what the Jews expected from their Messiah. Today, I want to talk to you about the birth of Christ. Now, some in our audience may be a little stunned and shocked to think that really’s going to talk to us today about the birth of Christ. I said today is the right day to talk about his birth. Because if you listen closely, I said I wanted to talk to you not about the birth of Jesus, which was the human name of the form that deity took when he came upon this earth, but I want to talk to you about the birth of Christ.

1. The Birth of Christ Was His Resurrection

The royal messianic, anointed name of the one who came. Because in the New Testament, the birth of Christ was his resurrection. Turn with me, if you will, in the New Testament to the book of Acts, chapter 13. In the New Testament, the birth of Christ has nothing to do with the incarnation, but has everything to do with the resurrection. The preaching in the New Testament took much the same form. Whether it was Paul or earlier Peter, the outlines were much the same. In preaching Christ, they would say, you killed him, but God raised him up. And in talking about that raising up, and talking about the resurrection of Christ, notice what the apostle does in Acts chapter 13, began with me reading in verse 26. Where the apostle says, Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.

For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor even the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause for death in him, they asked Pilate that he should be put to death. Now, when they had fulfilled all this that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. And he was seen for many days by those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus.

As also is written in the second Psalm, you are my son, today I have begotten you. If this was a Bible class, I would ask you, what does the word begotten mean? And you’d correctly answer, it means giving birth to. And so God says, You are my son today you were born. In the context of that sermon in Acts chapter 13, what birth is being talked about? God raised him up. You are my son. Today I have begotten you, refers to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s the birth that we want to talk about. And today is the right day, according to our calendars, to talk about that because today, Sunday is the Lord’s day. Stay in your New Testament, but now go with me to the book of Luke.

Luke chapter 24. Today’s the right time to talk about the this birth, the birth of Christ from the tomb, because today is the first day of the week. Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 1 says, Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and they went in and did not find the body of our Lord Jesus. You see, today is the right day to talk about this birth, because it was the first day of the week that he was begotten from the grave. Surely this is the reason that it’s called the Lord’s day.

2. This Birth Was Prophesied in the Old Testament

Surely this is the reason that we read in Acts chapter 20 and other places that Christians in the New Testament met on the first day of the week. The Lord’s day. And surely this is the reason that Christians all over the world today will be honoring this birth. Because God has raised him up. And so we want to celebrate the birth of Christ. Not that baby that was born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. But that Savior. Who threw off the clothes of the deceased and came forth from the tomb. This morning, let’s talk about the birth of Christ. And let’s go back through our list. This birth was prophesied in the Old Testament. Go back to Psalm chapter 2. As we would expect of such a momentous occasion in human history.

God did not leave it without prior witness. And so in Psalm chapter 2, the psalmist prophesies that Jesus would be born. Psalm chapter 2, verse 7, beginning. Psalm 2, the seventh verse says, I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel. The psalmist in Psalm 2 prophesies of the birth of Christ, but as pointed out in Acts chapter 13, this was a prophecy of his resurrection. Psalm chapter 16 prophesies of the resurrection of Christ. This Psalm, Psalm 16, beginning in verse 9, will be cited by Peter on the day of Pentecost.

3. This Birth Was Heralded by Angels

And it says Psalm 16, verse 9, Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices, my flesh will also rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You see, this birth, the birth that declared him to be the Son of God, his resurrection, it was prophesied in the Old Testament. And this birth, the resurrection, it was heralded by angels. Go back to Luke chapter 24. We were reading there earlier, well on what day? The first day of the week. They came to the tomb with those spices, but they found the stone rolled away. They went in, remember verse 3, and did not find the body of our Lord Jesus. But keep reading in verse 4, now beginning of Luke chapter 24.

And it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. You see, this birth, the resurrection, was heralded by angels. It was angels that said, He is not here, he is risen. As Tim pointed out in our reading before the Lord’s Supper this morning in Revelation chapter 5, it was those angels and those elders and the living creatures in heaven that sang in the chorus, Worthy is the Lamb after his resurrection.

4. Mary Was Extremely Surprised

Because it too was heralded by angels. It too was prophesied in the old testament. And the scriptures tell us that Mary, the first to learn of this birth, was extremely surprised by these events. Not Mary, the mother of Jesus, but Mary Magdalene. Go to John chapter 20. John chapter 20, not Mary, the mother of Jesus, but Mary Magdalene, John 20, verse 11. This Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they’ve taken away my Lord. And I do not know where they have laid him.

And when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. And didn’t know that it was Jesus. She said to him, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary, and she turned to him and said, Rabbonai, which is to say, teacher. Mary didn’t expect this birth. She was surprised. She thought the body of Jesus had been stolen, but had to be reminded that Jesus had prophesied, as the Old Testament prophets had, that death could not keep its hold on him. Isn’t it fitting? And appropriate.

5. Joseph Plays a Minor Role

Mary, from whom Jesus had cast out those demons. It seems so fitting that she’s the first one that though she was surprised by the events surrounding his birth, that she was the first to hear that he is not here, but he is risen. Joseph plays a minor role. Though after this birth, we don’t read about Joseph anymore in the New Testament. Not Joseph who was betrothed to be married to Mary, but Joseph of Arimathea. Look with me, if you will, in the book of John, chapter 19. John chapter 19, look at verse 38. After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus, and Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.

Then they took the body of Jesus and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. And after this birth, we’ll read no more about Joseph. Joseph who wrapped him in these clothes, not the swaddling clothes of a newborn babe, but in the clothes for burial.

6. Far From What They Expected: The Firstborn From the Dead

Because this was far from the birth that the Jews expected of their coming king. Because with this birth, we’ve already looked at it, but let’s look again in Luke chapter 24, that the prophecy of this birth, of his resurrection, was tied to the prophecy of his death and humiliation.

In Luke chapter 24, verses 25 and 26, Jesus points out that before life is given to him again, that he must suffer first. Luke chapter 24, look at verses 25 and 26. He said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe, and all the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into glory. So this is not what they had expected. This was not the entrance into the kingdom that they had expected from their king who had to suffer and to be humiliated and to die before he would be given his kingdom. Today, like every first day of the week, we celebrate the birth of Christ. And we do so on the right day, the first day of the week.

And we do so because it was not the baby in swaddling clothes that washed away our sins. It was the crucified man. And it was the empty tomb. That gives us hope. And hope of our own resurrection. Because there’s a curious word in both Old and New Testament that is applied to Jesus in regard to this birth. It’s curious because he’s called the firstborn. Now, in 21st century America, we would make those two words firstborn. And in our mind, in our culture, that just simply has to do with birth order. We have the firstborn and then the secondborn and then the thirdborn. But in ancient cultures, and even in some places today in this country, that word firstborn is not two different words just indicating birth order.

It’s one word, firstborn, that indicates not so much. In fact, many times doesn’t at all indicate birth order. In fact, go with me to Psalm chapter 89 to illustrate that. The word firstborn is not to be taken literally as some doing saying that Jesus came into existence, that Christ came into existence in his birth. But this word carries with it a different significance. Look in Psalm chapter 89. Let’s start. We just want to look at two verses here, verse 20, first of all, to just establish who’s being talked about. Psalm 89, verse 20, I have found my servant David. With my holy oil I have anointed him. So the Psalm is talking about David, that second king of the United Kingdom. But notice what it says about David.

Skip down to verse 27. Also I will make him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. If we were in our Bible class in the side classroom where we’re studying David right now in 1 Samuel. That class, as well as you would know David was not the firstborn of his family. In fact, he was the youngest. And so what does it mean when God says, I will make him my firstborn? It doesn’t mean that he would be born first. It doesn’t even mean he eliminate his seven siblings so that he could be the only child now, and then in that sense kind of cheat and become the firstborn. What the word firstborn means, it means not birth order, but it means preeminence. It’s a position of power and authority and of might.

It gives them the right to the lion’s share of the inheritance of the Father’s kingdom. And so Jesus, in Colossians chapter 1, and in verse 15, Jesus is referred to as the firstborn. Colossians 1 verse 15. That does not mean that he was the first person ever born. He wasn’t.

It can’t mean that. So what does it mean when it says in Colossians 1 verse 15, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Again, that’s a position of authority, a position of preeminence. And he is given this position of preeminence and authority because of his resurrection. Look in Colossians 1, verse 18. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in all things he might have the preeminence. You see, the term firstborn just simply means he’s going to be the top. He has the preeminence.

And he has this position because, Colossians 1 verse 18 tells us, because of his resurrection. And so we celebrate as we should this day his birth.

Because so many times the scriptures talk about him being born. But many times it’s talking about this birth. You know, we are sometimes guilty of allowing the world to commit what we might call doctrinal kidnapping. And I think that’s a shame. That we’ve allowed the world to take things away from us that we feel like we can’t even talk about. Or if we talk about them, we have to explain them away. Let me give you a couple of illustrations. One is the Holy Spirit. We’ve allowed the charismatics and their abuse of what the Holy Spirit and the role the Holy Spirit might play in the lives of Christians today to make us, to which we almost just ignore the Holy Spirit and his influence upon our life.

And we’re afraid to even say that we’re led by the Spirit because we don’t want people to think we’re saying that. Grace is another one. When’s the last time you ever heard a preacher read or talk about Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8, we’re saved by grace through faith. Without having to use the bulk of the lesson explaining what that doesn’t mean. Rather than just talking about what it means.

Conclusion

Always remember that this birth was his glorious resurrection. And let the resurrection of Christ forever cement in your mind the ideas, the true facts, that love conquers hate. That good triumph over evil. And that sacrifice defeats selflessness. And let his birth remind you and give you hope that you too will be a part of that first fruits. That as he was raised from the dead, so can God give life to your body. The resurrection is promised to the Christian in two senses. If you’re not a child of God this morning, if you’ve never been baptized for the remission of your sins, the Bible speaks of your condition as being dead. Dead in your trespasses and sin. But the wonderful hope. The wonderful truth is that if you’re obedient to the gospel this morning, you can be made alive.

Those sins that made you dead can be washed away, and you can be given life this very day. That spiritual resurrection can take place. As that prodigal son who was once dead but now is alive again. And that spiritual resurrection foreshadows the physical resurrection. That this body will die one day. It too will be placed in a tomb and covered over. But if we’ve experienced that spiritual resurrection from death in our sins, we too, like that firstborn, we too can experience a physical resurrection. And life can be given to a lifeless body. Do you have that hope this morning? The hope that you will be raised from the dead to live eternally. Have you been raised from the death of your sins? Why not die to sin this morning and be buried with Him in baptism?

Arising to walk in newness of life. If we can help you as you answer the invitation, if we can help you in any spiritual way this morning, let God give life to your life this morning. If we can help you, let it be known as together we stand and as we sing.