"Post Tenebras Lux" Sermon: Isaiah 60:1-6

“Post Tenebras Lux”

[Isaiah 60:1-6]

January 6, 2013 Second Reformed Church

            During Hurricane Sandy, many of us lost power for quite a number of days, and we found ourselves in darkness – no electricity – no power of any kind. After that period of darkness, many of us longed to see light – we did everything we could with flashlights and candles, but when the electricity finally came back on, there was a rush of joy in having the light back.

            During the Reformation, John Calvin, and then the other Reformers, adopted the phrase “post tenebras lux” – “after darkness light.”  They understood that the Roman Catholic Church had erred and led the Church into a period of darkness – into a period of thinking there was something that we could do to earn our salvation. After the Reformers came on the scene, light burst forth as they announced to the Church that salvation is by faith alone. And that is what the Scripture teaches. After centuries of darkness – after centuries of people trying to find a way to make themselves right with God – it was again understood that salvation is by faith alone, through Jesus alone.

            Isaiah was given the prophecy that we read this morning while Israel was still in captivity under the rule of the Babylonians. It was a period of darkness for Israel. They didn't know where God was or what He had planned, and the prophet Isaiah revealed to them that there was yet hope after Babylon.

            Chapter fifty-nine deals with the Lord’s judgment on Israel for their sin, but it ends with the promise that God has not forsaken Israel – God will bring His people into the light – God's people will be saved if they believe by faith alone in the Savior that God promised.

            Our reading this morning begins with the prophecy of the future of Israel – and not merely the future of Israel as a landlocked province – but of Israel as up people who believe in the Savior that God promised to send. Israel is all those people – from wherever they come – who believe by faith alone in the Savior that God sent.

            Isaiah begins by saying, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”  And we will need to remember that they received this message while they were still in captivity – whereas God had told them before to sit down in the dust and mourn for their sin, God now tells them that the darkness – the calamitous state of the Church – the result of the sin that the Church had continued in in rejecting what God had said – was being replaced. He told them to arise, to shine – to show forth the Glory of God amidst their captors because the Glory of God was risen among them. It was not possible for Israel to make things right with God but God promised to bring them prosperity and salvation. The light that would chase away the darkness was from God Alone.

            We look at this to some extent last week, as we considered Who the Word is – and we looked at the Scripture which says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5, ESV). The darkness has not yet been completely done away with, but in Christ – in belief in Him Alone for salvation – the darkness can be removed from our lives, and that it is not possible – if we believe by faith alone – for the darkness to overcome us again.

            And how great is the darkness – is it really that serious? Isaiah continues, “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;” the darkness of sin covers and condemns every person from the moment of their conception. The darkness is deep and impenetrable by those who do not believe. Isaiah contrasts this with the Love of God. The darkness would hold us down and keep us down and prevent us from following after God and believing what He said and seeing that salvation is theirs through faith alone.  But God's Love is so great that He sent His Son – God in the flesh – to make the Way for all those who would believe in Him.   

            It is a matter that we should meditate on – is a matter that we should take time to consider – to look at the Scriptures and see what it says about the fact that God came to earth in the flesh – what kind of love is this? It is not a love that is based on who we are, because we are all sinners deserving of God's Wrath. It is a love that God has that desires to save a people for Himself – that He would be glorified as He ought to be glorified. It is a love that saves us for God's Sake – for God's Glory – to show how great God is – not based on anything that we have done to earn salvation.

            And Isaiah looks toward the future – toward a time that he would not see in his flesh on earth, “but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. “  The promises given Israel – and all those who believe by faith alone in the Savior, God would send – that although darkness covers the world now, God will overwhelm the darkness until the darkness is put away.

            That is a hope we look forward to – that the day will come when there will be no more sin and no more evil and it will be taken away from us – and we will enter the Kingdom of God as holy sons and daughters – brothers and sisters of Jesus. As John records, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4, ESV).

            Isaiah was allowed it glimpsed into the future. The hope we all long for us Christians. After the judgment, all evil and sin will be put away and we will be with God forever in His Kingdom. That day is still coming – that is our hope – that through belief in Jesus Alone by faith alone, we will be received into that Kingdom – and in that Kingdom all sin and all evil will be put away from us and we will live and worship God and our Savior Jesus Christ in the Kingdom – in peace, in perfection, in holiness – and all the troubles and trials of the world will be put away and ended – as Jesus said, “it is finished.”

            And Isaiah tells the captives that the Glory of God will be seen among them – the increased favor of God will be seen among them – the captivity was not the end – for all those who faithfully believed, there was yet a future – there was yet glory to be brought into. As Paul wrote,  “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22-24, ESV).

            There is part of us wants to cry out, “Why do any have to suffer?” But when we ask that we ask the wrong question, because we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death – the best we can rightly expect for our lives and our actions is eternal death, but God has said, “No, I will choose a people for Myself and I will save them through My Son through faith alone and they will see the Glory of God in a way that they never expected – in the volume they could never conceive. Shall we not be surprised by this grace – by this salvation? Shall we not find ourselves in awe in knowing that the Almighty God – despite our sin against Him – has chosen to save some, and to reveal the fullness of His Glory to them, bringing them into His Kingdom as His holy people?

            Isaiah continues, “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”  Isaiah reminds Israel of a mistake that they continually made throughout history and still make – the Savior is not just for Israel, but for all the nations. As God promised Abraham, “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18, ESV). Salvation is not about our biology – is not about our family heritage – is about believing in Jesus Christ Alone by faith alone for salvation.

            And it won't just be poor who believe in Christ, but kings – leaders of countries – will also come to believe. We talk about the three kings, who visited Jesus after His birth – after they had moved to a house – and though we don't know the actual number of people who came, we know that the word used for them actually means – astrologers – these were persons who studied the stars to try to interpret the future – like today's horoscopes and other such blasphemous enterprises. But these persons – however many of them there were – saw all the signs in the sky – they read the prophecies that God had given to Israel and they recognized that God, the King and Savior, had been born in Bethlehem. And so they came, “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11, ESV).

            And let us notice two things: they worshiped the Baby Jesus – they did not merely honor him, but they understood that He is God Almighty, and they worshiped Him. Let us also notice the gifts that they brought: gold – which would be given at the birth of the King. They understood that this baby was King of Israel – and King of all of Creation. Frankincense – incense which was burned in the worship of God – which they gave to this little Baby – again, recognizing that this little Baby was not just any baby, but He is the Incarnate God – the Only Savior. And perhaps strangest of all, they gave Him myrrh – a spice that was used for embalming. Did God tell them what would happen? Did they understand that the Savior had to die? We are not told.

            But Mary knew – Mary and Joseph knew – as they brought Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised, the prophet Simeon said, “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35, ESV). Is it any wonder that the Scripture tells us, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, ESV).

            Mary and Joseph had been visited by angels and been told that their Son would be the promised Savior that God would send. Shepherds who had seen angels in the sky worshiping and glorifying Jesus sent them to Mary and Joseph to tell them that He was indeed the Savior. Magi from foreign lands came to worship Him and to give Him gifts, which indicated that He is King of the Universe – God Himself – and One Who would die.

            In bringing Jesus to the Temple for that rite of childhood, Simeon told Mary that Jesus would divide the nation – and that she herself would be pierced through the heart. And we know that Mary was there on the day of crucifixion to see her Son tortured and put to death by crucifixion.

            And so God through the prophet Isaiah to instruct the people in captivity, “Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.” God told them to lift up their eyes – to stop looking at their captivity – to stop looking at themselves – to stop being concerned about themselves and only themselves – to look up to see the salvation that God was sending among them – the Savior would be born among them. And God promised that not only would the Savior come, but people would come and believe in Him, not just in Jerusalem – not just in Israel – but from afar – men and women from all over the earth would come to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believe that He is God the Savior and they would join together as the people of God – as the Israel of God. God told them to get their eyes off themselves – look forward to the hope that is coming and believe in and hope in and preach it to every man woman throughout the earth.

Are you number one in your life? Is your focus on yourself and your well-being and how much you can do for you? If it is, God says to you this morning lift up your eyes – none of this is about you – and if you are not focused on the Savior, God has sent, you are still in darkness.

“Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult,”

God, through Isaiah, tells the people if they lift up their eyes and keep their focus on Jesus, the Savior Who was yet to come – Who has now come – Who we know has come and lived and died and risen and ascended back to His throne – if they keep their eyes on Him and the Promise of God – they will see it – they will be radiant – they will thrill and exalt with joy. It is frightening to look out at you and wonder if you have been thrilled with that. If you have been shaken and awestruck by what Christ has done – I can't see your hearts, but God does.

Isaiah continues, “because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.  A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.  They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.”

            God rightly claims all of the wealth and the glory and the treasurer of the world for Himself – and He says that those who see the Savior – those who believe in the Savior – those were thrilled by the Savior – those were awestruck by the Savior – those who are shaken with joy for the sake of the Savior – will dedicate their treasures to God.

            The light has come in Jesus Christ and the darkness is being put away – and one day Jesus will return and the darkness will be fully and completely and finally put away. If you believe that – if you've had that epiphany – if you have had that enlightenment – if you have had that realization – if you believed by faith alone – you ought to be different.

            Our response ought to be like that of Isaiah on the day of his call – as he tells us:    “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

            ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’

            “And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’

            “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’

            “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, “Here I am! Send me’” (Isaiah 6:1-8, ESV).

            Do we understand that the light has come? Have we understood Who the light is and believed in Him by faith alone? Have we understood that there is darkness yet all around us – and only through Jesus Christ is there true light? Are we willing to welcome anyone who comes confessing faith in Jesus Alone? Will you rejoice in anyone who comes in faith and belief? Are we willing to turn over everything to God for Him and His work and His Glory? Do we really trust Him? Are our eyes on ourselves or are they on the Promised Savior?

            Isaiah told the captives: after darkness, light would come. We know that 2000 years ago Jesus, the Light of the world, came to earth to save all those who would ever believe in Him. During the Reformation, they reclaimed the slogan, “after darkness light” – the point being that salvation is by faith alone. They also said that the faith alone is not a faith that is alone. We can mouth the words, but if our hearts haven’t changed, if our lives haven’t changed – we really don't believe.

            Sometime after Jesus' birth a group of Magi – astrologers – came because in the midst of their pagan mythology they understood one thing correctly: God had sent the Savior for all those who would believe in Him Alone – this Savior is King of the Creation – this Savior is God in the flesh – and this Savior would have to die to accomplish His work.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You for the promise that after darkness, there is light. We thank You for the promises that were given to the captives of Babylon – to encourage them – to strengthen them – to fortify them in the faith. We thank You for the truth that Jesus – the Light of the world – has been born in history – and He is the Savior – the long-awaited Savior that You promised for the salvation of Your people. And we ask now that You would keep us from the darkness – the You would keep us from straying away – from being more concerned with ourselves than with You. Lord, help us to lift up our eyes and to go forward, knowing that You are our God and Savior – You have been victorious over the darkness – and You are putting it away. May Your Kingdom come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

January Sermons

D.V., I plan to preach this month:

 

1/6/13 Epiphany
 Isaiah 60:1-6  “Post Tenebras Lux”
 

1/13/13 Baptism

  Luke 3:15-22  “Three Baptisms”
 

1/20/13

  Luke 22:14-23  “The Elements”

1/27/13

 Matthew 26:26-29  “The Blessing of the Elements”

 

Join us each Sunday at 10:30 AM for worship!

Doug Durgie's Funeral

Funeral for Doug Durgie

January 4, 2013, Union Funeral Home

            “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:1-11, ESV).

            Paul wrote to the Philippians to remind them that the Gospel was not about them – it is about Jesus and what He did in history.  He wanted them to understand that Jesus came as a servant to bring the Gospel to all those who would believe, and because Jesus is God and Man in one person, He is able to bring salvation to all those who believe in the Gospel.

            This is what Doug believed.  Doug was a servant.  I did not have the pleasure of knowing his wife, Edith, but Doug told me stories about them and their life together.  I came to Second Reformed as a parishioner in 1995; Doug came after the close of First Reformed Church in 1990.  His wife, Edith, died in 1988.

            My experience of Doug was of him serving.  He served on our Consistory – the church board – and served as the Classis representative – actually enjoying going to the Classis meetings and hearing the discussions – when he didn’t fall asleep.  Doug opened the church every Sunday, getting the doors unlocked and the lights on, and then he would settle down in the back pew for a nap while I preached.  After worship, Doug, would help count the money – making sure that the deposit was correct for each Sunday.

            Doug always attended our weekly evening studies – being fond of history, he enjoyed discussions as we considered the causes and outcomes of the Crusades and the disputes of the Ecumenical Councils.

            Doug was very involved in his VFW post and in serving as an eye examiner with AT&T Pioneers.

            Doug appreciated the fact that I have a cat, and he enjoyed pet therapy at Inglemoor.  Doug, himself, had three cats – at his wife’s request.  However, and Doug laughed when he told me this, Edith’s desire was for cats that would sit and be attentive to her, but, as Doug told me, they preferred him – to Edith’s chagrin.  After his cats died, he supported numerous animal causes.  He even brought me some catnip from his yard for my cat.

            During the past two years – and especially this past year – I learned more about Doug as I regularly visited him in Inglemoor and carried out his requests to consolidate and settle his estate for when his time came.  He told me what he wanted done, and he was appreciative of my attending to his wishes.

            Doug was also a man of surprises – due to his humility.  I had known that Doug served in the military, but I didn’t know until I started going through his effects and boxing them up for the house to be sold, that he was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in battle.  I asked him what happened, and he said, “Oh, it was nothing.”  I found out in checking his records that Doug served his country in the army as an army tank gunner and rifle sniper.  Doug merely saw himself as someone who ought to serve when and where needed.

            As I helped him finalize his paperwork, he told me, “Oh, I don’t think I ever told you, my name is not Doug.”  As he told me, he was named “Eric,” but the neighbors didn’t care for the name, so his parents had it legally changed to Douglas.

            That was Doug, subdued, quite, willing to serve, believing in Jesus as His Savior and in the Hope for life eternal.  He was an example of service – without frills and fanfare – as he lived his life, generally – quietly, humbly.

            About two months ago, Doug and I talked about the Gospel, and he expressed his thanks to me for preaching what the Bible says and nothing more.  Doug told me that there are so many ministers interested in fame and money, but the point of Christianity is that God came to earth in the person of Jesus, lived a sinless life under God’s Law, died for the sins of everyone who would every believe, and physically rose from the dead and ascended back to His Throne.

            I will always be grateful that Doug was a man of quiet service – of belief, without showmanship.  He believed that Jesus is God the Savior, and we ought to serve God and country as representatives of Jesus.  That is what I saw Doug do.

            Doug would agree with Paul’s summary of what the truth – the important things – the Gospel is, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, when they were straying away in to various side issues:  “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

            “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, ESV).

            I truly believe that if Doug could speak to us today, he would want us to be assured of the Gospel – to know that Jesus Christ is God the Only Savior, and it is only through Him that we will be saved.  And he would also tell us that true living is about serving others – in the church and in the world – giving back in any and every way that we are able.

            May his life be an example to us to see the truth of the Gospel and believe and to humbly serve, just as Jesus did.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You for the life of Doug Durgie – for his witness to Your Gospel and for his witness to a life of serving.  Help us to believe what You have said and done in history, and help us to find ways to humbly, quietly serve the church and the world around us.  We look forward to seeing Doug again in the Kingdom.  May Jesus Christ be praised.  Amen.

Doug Durgie

Doug Durgie, elder of Second Reformed Church, Irvington, died on January 1, 2013.  Doug was predeceased by his wife, Edith, in 1988.  Doug served in WWII as a tank gunner and rifle sniper.  He earned the Purple Heart in his service.  Doug worked as an engineer, and volunteered much time at his church, the VFW, ATT Pioneers, and gave to many animal charities.

There will be a viewing at Union Funeral Home, 1600 Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ on Friday January 4, from 9 to 11 AM.  At 11 AM, there will be a funeral, and then we will process to inter him with his wife at Restland Cemetery in East Hanover, NJ, at approximately 12 noon.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Second Reformed Church Property Fund, 132 Elmwood Ave. Irvington, NJ 07111.

"The Word" Sermon: John 1:1-18

“The Word”

[John 1:1-18]

December 30, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            We consider, this first Sunday after Christmas, who “the Word” is. The Apostle John wrote his gospel and began with this imagery of “the Word” which we read this morning. It's helpful to know exactly why John wrote his gospel:  “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31, ESV).

John explained that he didn't write down everything that Jesus did and said, but that he wrote down what he did so that everyone who read it would understand that Jesus is: first, the Savior that God promised to send from the beginning – the Messiah – the Christ. Second, Jesus is the Son of God – and he explores a very particular meaning of that in his gospel – namely, that Jesus is God the Son – He is Divine – One of the Persons of God. Third, that the readers of his gospel do not have life unless they believe in Jesus Alone; life can only be found through believing in Jesus. That's why John wrote his gospel.

            We are only going to look at the issues found in the first eighteen verses of his gospel – and those, even, very briefly:

            John begins his gospel, “in the beginning,” and every Jew and every Greek who read those words would've immediately been taken back to the first phrase of the book of Genesis. What does John mean by “in the beginning”? The phrase that John uses means “the cut of the corner,” “the edge,” “the first,” “before to begin the begin” – John is talking about the moment before the material world existed – the moment before time and space and stuff. Can you picture in your mind the moment before time existed? The moment before space existed? The moment before anything of material substance existed? I can't. But that's what he's talking about – it's a time that reaches past our understanding, because we are all living within time and space and material substance. “In the beginning” is right before that.

            “In the beginning the word”– “the logos” – what is this term but John is using? “The Word” can be as simply defined as “the word”– and it can be defined in many similar ways having to do with speech and language. But John means something more here – and we see that as we go through these eighteen verses, but in this context, “the Word” is “God's full self-revelation through Jesus Christ” (Bible Windows). In this context, “the Word” means what Paul wrote, “For in [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,” (Colossians 2:9, ESV). “The Word” means God Incarnate – and it is not just the influence of God or a piece of God or the power of God, but “the Word” is the fullness – the completeness – the wholeness – of God dwelling in the human body. The point being, as we see in the end of our text for this morning, Jesus is not merely a human being but He is Very God Himself.

            And so we look at a few items in our text:

            “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

            John begins by telling his readers that “the Word” was not created at the time that Jesus of Nazareth the human being was created – “the Word” was before any created stuff was – and “the Word” was with God – “the Word” and God are distinct. And “the Word” was God – “the Word” has the same deity as God. In talking in the Trinitarian language that we use, we would say that there is only One God but God exists in more than one person – and here we have the Person of the Father and the Person of the Son. “The Word” and God are not two different gods. They are the same One God. But They are distinct. That means that God the Father can be reigning from heaven while God the Son is incarnate in the person of Jesus living in Israel. They are the same One God. They are fully the same deity. The fact that they exist in persons does not make one more or less deity than the other. They are exactly the same deity – the same God – fully God – completely God. And yet God is able to exist at the same time in different persons.

            Almost as an example, John says of “the Word”: "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

            First. John tells us that “the Word” is the Creator of everything that exists and that He is the One through whom life is given.

            And yet we read in Genesis, that God created everything that is, and that the Holy Spirit created everything that is: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2, ESV). 

            Paul echoes John’s claim that “the Word” is the Creator of everything by saying this of Jesus: "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him

(Colossians 1:16, ESV).

            So, in very short order, we have laid the foundation for the Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead: there is One and only One God, and that One God exists in Three Persons Who are each completely the same One God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father and the Holy Spirit are spirits and have never put on flesh, whereas the Son came to earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

            And, when John speaks of “the Word” being the life in the light of men, he does not only mean that Jesus gives biological life to humanity, but also spiritual life to those who believe in Him – as we shall see. The prophet Isaiah said prophetically of Jesus:  “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, ESV).

            As we saw during Advent, Jesus did not just fall out of the sky, announcing Himself, but God sent His cousin, John the Baptist, as a forerunner to announce the coming of “the Word” to earth in the person of Jesus: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

            And so we continue with the description of the Word Incarnate:  “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

            John the Baptist prepared the way – announcing that the Messiah had come – the long promised Savior had come into the world. We saw through John's preaching and through his baptism that he made it clear to all those who came to him that salvation was not through biology – it was not through being a descendent of Abraham – but it was through being one who believed in the promises made to Abraham – and the promises that God made to send the Savior and to bless the world through that Savior – through the descendent of Abraham – Who would come to save His people.

            As we know, through reading the Gospels, Jesus came into the world – “the Word” incarnate in the person of Jesus – the Creator of the world – and even so, the world as a whole rejected Jesus – they did not believe that He was the Savior that God sent. Even more tragically, perhaps, He came to the biological descendents of Abraham – the ones who should have recognized Him as the Savior that God sent – the ones who had received the promises and the prophecies of the written Word of God for them to hear and meditate – yet, they also did not believe Him – they, by and large, rejected Jesus and did not believe that He was the Savior that God had sent.

            We might wonder why – why did most of the Jews – and why do most of the people the world hear the promises of God, hear the prophecies that were made, see them fulfilled in Jesus, and still reject Him?

            Jesus explained:  “Then the disciples came and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ And he answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:  “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it”

(Matthew 13:10-17, ESV).

            Jesus explained that His rejection was a fulfillment of prophecy – that it was never God's intention to save everyone – in fact, most people were destined to reject Him. Part of Jesus' Mission was to preach His Gospel and have it be rejected so that those who rejected it would have no excuse.

            But there always was and there always will be a remnant – a remnant of Israel – a remnant in the world who did receive Him – and who will receive Him – all those who do believe in Jesus Alone for their salvation:  “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

            Notice that there are some who did receive Jesus – just as there are some who receive them now, and those who do receive Jesus Alone as their Savior – those who do believe the Gospel that God – “the Word” – incarnated in the person of Jesus, lived a perfect life under God's law, died for the sins of everyone who would ever believe, physically rose from the dead and ascended back to His throne – will not just be saved from the Wrath of God for their sins, but they will be given the right to become children of God – they will be the ones who are allowed to call God, “Father” – to know His Fatherly Love in all its fullness – to be received by Him forever into His Kingdom.

            But notice what John says – those who do believe in Jesus Alone for salvation do not choose to do so of their own will. No, anyone who believes in Jesus Alone for salvation – who calls God, rightly, their “Father” – God made them children of God. If you believe, it was not by any will of your own, but because God made you believe – God willed you to believe.

            Paul explained:  “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

            “You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:14-24, ESV).

            The point which Paul emphasizes again is that since we are all born sinners, it is not possible for anyone by his or her own will to choose to believe in Jesus Alone for salvation – God must change the heart – the inclination – and make us believe – literally bring us back to life from the dead – as Paul wrote:  “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:1-10, ESV).

            And so salvation is completely the Work of God – a Gift of God, of whom no one is deserving.

            John continues:  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

            And so John emphasizes again “the Word” existed prior to the Incarnation – “the Word” – the Son of God – existed as Spirit with the Father and the Holy Spirit until the Incarnation. Then – “at the right time,” as the Scripture puts it – “the Word” became flesh – the Son incarnated – God became a human being without becoming less than God. In doing that, all we who believe can now see the Glory of God. As John goes on to say. No one can see the Father – no one can see God and live, but we can see God – the Glory of God – mediated through the

Incarnate Word Who is Jesus. And because Jesus is God and human, He is able to give us grace upon grace. He is able to live a perfect life and impute that perfect life – that righteousness – to  us and He was able to take upon Himself – in that moment on the cross, the infinite Wrath of God against all of our sins – and rise again.

            John ends this section, reminding us, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”

            One of the purposes of the Law is to show us our sin, but it is impossible for the Law to grant salvation – it was never the purpose of the Law to grant salvation. As Paul wrote,  “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20, ESV).

            So Jesus, the Savior, brings us grace and truth and salvation through Him Alone. We can see God. We can call God our “Father,” we can be made right with God – righteous in His Sight – forgiven for all of our sins. What great thanks do we owe “the Word” for becoming flesh in the person of Jesus that we who God chose out of the spiritually dead should know and live eternally with Him?

            As we end the Christmas season, let us remember that the little Baby Whose birth we celebrate is “the Word” – the Son of God – full deity – Who chose to come to earth in the person of Jesus to save a people for Himself through His Life, suffering, death, and Resurrection. Now all those that He has chosen for Himself can see God and come into His Presence, knowing Him as their loving “Father” – and Jesus, “the Word,” as our Elder Brother.

            Let us ponder this mystery: the Almighty God – the Triune God – before time and space and created stuff, chose in the Second Person – Who is the Son – “the Word” – to create and then save a people for Himself that we might know Him and His grace. Let us give thanks as we receive the bread and the cup this morning – as we continue to receive His Grace and continue to be made more able to do the work that is set before us – to see Him more clearly – to be made more ready for the Kingdom.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You for this revelation of Yourself to the opening words of John's gospel. Help us to understand what You have said and still to be amazed and ponder the mystery of what You have done. Keep thoughts of the Incarnation from being a once a year event, but let us continually look and wonder at Your Glory and what You have done for us. May Jesus Christ be praised, Amen.

"The Birth" Sermon: Luke 2:1-7

“The Birth”

[Luke 2:1-7]

December 24, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs” (Hebrews 1:1-4, ESV).

            These are the opening words of the letter to the Hebrews – we looked at them earlier this year. One of the points of this text is that Jesus came after a series of prophecies concerning His coming. We are ending the season of Advent this evening – a season of preparation – a season of remembering a long prophetic history – some 4,000 years of prophets – before Jesus was born on earth – before God, the Son, incarnate in the person of Jesus, the firstborn son of the Virgin Mary.

            We have said one of the most important things and one of the most key points of Christianity that makes it different from other religions is that Christianity stands or falls on history. Christianity is one of the only religions in which the historical facts of it must be true – there must be a way of authenticating what is written – or it is meaningless – it is vanity.

            In the opening verses of chapter 2 of Luke's Gospel, he shows us that a number of historical items had to come into alignment for it to be the right time for God to come to earth as the Savior of His people and fulfill all the prophecies made about Him. Jesus was not born at a random time or in a random place or in a random way – all the points of prophecy had to align for Him to come and be the Savior of all those who would ever believe.

            Chapter 2 opens:  “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.”

            This is not merely important for dating when Jesus was born, but also for showing that Israel was occupied by the Romans. If Israel had not been occupied by the Romans at the time of Jesus's birth, Jesus would not have fulfilled the prophecies about Him. The importance of this is not just to be found in Jesus's trial and crucifixion but in His birth as well, because it was the Romans who chose to take a census – to account and register the people of the nations that they were occupying – and this census caused families in Israel to relocate – and that relocation made it possible for Jesus to be born where the prophets prophesied He would be born.

            Israel was a nation which was subdivided by tribe. We remember that Abraham had twelve: Judah, Issachar, Naphtali, Joseph, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Reuben, Simeon, Asher, Levi, and Gad. The Promised Land was divided among the tribes and was to remain in their individual families forever. Of course, Levi and his family was not given land because they were the priests, and Joseph was not given land, but his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were given land. So there were twelve tribes who owned land, and everyone could trace their lineage back to one of the twelve tribes and their land – or to the priesthood of Levi.

            Knowing this to be the case, the Romans used this system in Israel as a way to count and register the people of the land – and when the census occurred each person had to temporarily relocate and register in the land of their father – in the land of the tribe to which they belonged.

            Joseph, the betrothed to Mary, the legal father of Jesus, was a resident of Nazareth in Galilee, but he was of the line of David, and from the tribe of Judah, and so we read:

“And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,”

“Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons” (1 Samuel 17:12, ESV).

And so the holy family was relocated for the birth of Jesus and, to fulfill prophecy, He was born in Bethlehem:

            As the prophet Micah said, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2, ESV).

             So to fulfill this prophecy, the Romans had to occupy Israel, they had to call for a census, Israel had to be divided by tribes, the Romans had to observe that tribal division and take the census based on tribal heritage, Joseph had to be a descendent of David, who was from Bethlehem, in the tribe of Judah, so Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah.

            It was also important that Joseph be a descendent of David so Jesus would also be a descendent of David and be in the line for the kingship of Israel. As God promised, “But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever”

(1 Kings 2:45, ESV).

            If Jesus had not been the son of Joseph, the son of David, who had been promised that the throne would be David's forever, we would not have the testimony of the Magi – the Jesus is the rightful king of Israel and also worthy of worship:

            “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:1-2, ESV).

            As we looked at yesterday, it was also extremely important that Mary, the mother of Jesus, be who she was – that she be a virgin who had conceived by the miraculous Work of God:

            As Isaiah prophesied:  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV).

            God caused Mary to conceive a man without a sin nature, but with both a human nature and a divine nature.  Jesus was not born a sinner, but both fully God and fully human – which we have seen before was necessary for Him to be able to live a perfect life under God’s Law, died for the sins of everyone who would ever believe, and then physically rise from the dead and ascend – in His body – back to the throne of the Son, where He reigns at the Right Hand of God.

“to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

            Years later, nothing had changed, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Matthew 8:20, ESV).

            Was the fulfillment of all these prophecies – and more – merely a coincidence?

            The evidence for Who Jesus is is overwhelming – He is God the Savior.  The evidence can be checked – compared with other historians, compared logically, compared linguistically...  The evidence is not lacking – it’s just that some people have no place for Him.

            Jesus is here now, and we continue to meet with Him spiritually in the Sacrament.

            Think about this birth…see if you have room for the Savior.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, as we celebrate the day we set aside to remember Your birth – Your incarnation – as a human, forgive us for our sins.  Open our hearts and minds and help us to honestly know if You have room with us.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Christmas Eve Worship

Join us this evening for our Christmas Eve worship at 7 PM.  We will bring the Advent season to a close with lessons and carols.

"Mary's Song" Sermon: Luke 1:46-55

“Mary’s Song”

[Luke 1:46-55]

December 23, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Mary sang a song – which is this morning’s Scripture.  It is called “The Magnificat” after the Latin rendering of the first phrase.  It is a song of Mary’s faith in the God of Israel – the One True God.

            We will remember that Elizabeth, Mary’s elder sister, was the wife of Zachariah, who was serving as high priest that year.  Zachariah and Elizabeth had wanted children, but she was barren.  And when an angel told Zachariah that they would bear a son, he laughed and became mute until the birth of the child, who became John the Baptist.

            In the latter months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, her virgin sister, who was engaged to Joseph, and was recently pregnant by a miraculous Work of God, went to visit Elizabeth and support her as she neared the birth of her child.

            When Mary arrived at the home of Zachariah and Elizabeth, the baby inside Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and jumped for joy in the womb, recognizing the Child that Mary was carrying.  And Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with loud joy:  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:42-45, ESV).

            Elizabeth confirmed what Mary and Joseph had been told by the angels:  Mary was blessed by God; the Baby in her womb was blessed by God.  And we don’t see it in the English, but Elizabeth asks why she has been granted the blessing of this visit from the mother of her Lord – the mother of the Kurios – the mother of God.  Mary was to give birth to the Incarnate God.

            And again, Elizabeth confirmed the blessing by telling Mary that her unborn child recognized God in the flesh growing within her and jumped for joy in her womb.  And Elizabeth blessed Mary for believing that the Word of the Lord would be fulfilled – Mary was a woman of faith – and the song she sang was a song of faith.

            First, let us notice that Mary gave thanksgiving to God for His Mercy to her:

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

            Mary begins by praising God – by drawing attention to Him – and recognizing Him as her only Savior.  She cries out that He Alone is the One to rejoice in for this blessing that she has received.  And this salvation enables her to rejoice and give thanks to her Savior.  Why?  Because she recognized that she was not chosen to be the mother of our Lord because of who she was or what she did.  Mary recognized that she was a humble virgin, that she was – in the eyes of the world – lowly – she was a nobody, she recognized that God chose her for God’s Reasons and not because she merited special treatment from Him.

            Mary does not contradict herself is saying that all the world from then on would know her and call her blessed – because God has used her to His Glory.  God has used her to bring salvation to God’s people.  Because God showed kindness to her in this way, she rejoiced and gave thanks to God for Who He is and what He has done – not because she deserved to be the mother of our Lord.

            Here, we see that Mary is our teacher in humility.  Mary had a realistic understanding of who she was before God.  She knew that she was not any great person in the grand scheme of humanity and, more than that, she recognized that she was a sinner – underserving of God’s Mercy – surely underserving of being chosen to be the mother of our Lord.

            And yet, she is right and humble in her assertion that from that day forward everyone would call her blessed.  She was not blessed for who she was, per se, but for how God used her to save His people.  That does not mean that we should look down on Mary or dismiss her – no, God tells us in His Word that we should hold Mary in high esteem, because she understood herself and submitted to God in faithfulness and rejoiced and gave thanks to be used by Him.

            How humble are we?  Would we, like Mary, hear the Word of the Lord and say, “Yes, Lord”?  Would we submit to whatever God calls us to do – not matter what it is – if it glorified God?  Do we think too highly of ourselves – even at times – do we know we are better than so and so – more holy than so and so – do we try to avoid certainly people because they are beneath us?  Would we have scoffed and walked away, shaking our heads, if a young virgin, engaged to a carpenter, told us that God had blessed her by entering her womb to bring about the salvation of His people?

            In verse 48, Mary calls herself “humble” and a “servant.”  She is using these words in amazement that God would choose to use a poor woman – women were – at best – second class citizens at that time – they could not be trusted, they could not testify in court.  She was engaged to a carpenter, not a prince or a governor.  She would have been seen as a “maidservant.”  She was a nobody in the world.  She was a sinner deserving God’s Wrath.  She was a faithful Jewess, who believed the Word of God and submitted to Him when He called, saying, “Here I am, Lord, do with Your servant as You will.”  It caused her great joy and thanksgiving to be used by God for His purposes.  Are we joy-filled and thankful to God for the way He has chosen to use us?

            Paul explains in Romans that God, our Creator, choses to save out of humanity those He wills to save, based on His Own Will and not based on anything anyone does or does not do – we cannot merit salvation – it is the gift of God.  And then Paul answers an objection:  “You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:19-24, ESV).

            Paul explains that God is a potter Who molds people and uses them according to His Will and for His Glory.  Mary recognized that she was a lump of clay in her God’s Hands – and she rejoiced and gave thanks for the way God chose to use her.  And we ought to look to her and thank God for her – that God used her to bring salvation to His people – and we ought to consider our own lives with humble seriousness and find reason to give thanks in loud joy to God for what He has and is doing with us.

            Second, Mary acknowledges that God is Holy and exercises Sovereign Power and Judgment over all of Creation:

            ‘and holy is his name.  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;         he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

            The God Mary knew and believed in is Holy – He is Purity above Pure.  He is the God Who cannot have sin in His Presence, which is one reason He promised to send a Savior – that all those who believe in Him would be forgiven for all of their sins and made righteous and holy through God’s Own Work, that we – and all those who ever believe – could stand before Him sinless and holy.  This is the God Who is incomparably Great and infinitely Exalted.

            God is the God of Mercy to all those who humble themselves before Him in true, faithful belief.  Those who fear Him – who are awestruck by Who He is – are taken by God to be His Own.  And this is not just for Mary’s day – but for all those who have believed since the Creation and for every generation that passes until Jesus returns to restore the Creation.  This God has shown Himself throughout history to be the God of Power and Strength – which is what the reference to His Arm means – He has fought on the side of His people and He has victoriously won over the Creation that turned against Him through the sending of this Baby – God Incarnate – Who lived a holy life under God’s Law, died for the sins of everyone who would ever believe, and then physically rose from the dead – victorious over sin and death and hell – to resume His Reign at the Right Hand of God.  All we who believe have a True Man, Who is also God, sitting on His Throne, Almighty, Unconquerable, the Great God of Mercy Who understands us and makes the Way for us to come before Him as children before their Father through this Baby Whose birth we celebrate.

            But not all believe.  Some do not fear God, but shake their fists at Him in cosmic rebellion.  They say that they will not have God as their Sovereign – in their pride they believe they are the masters of their own fates.  These God will scatter and bring to judgment and punish according to their crime – infinite rebellion against their God and Creator.  These have said in their hearts that they have no need of a Savior – and on the last day, they will find that they do not have one.

            Some who have ascended to power and authority think they are above God, but God will bring them down from their thrones, because every person who has power and authority has the power and authority they have because God has given it to them to steward and use to His Glory.  Paul reminds us:  “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1, ESV).  President Bush was put in power by God, and President Obama was put in power by God, and everyone who has any authority was put there by God, and they will be judged.

            We see this truth in Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving to God for allowing him to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon:  “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.  To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter” (Daniel 2:20b-23, ESV).

            And King Nebuchadnezzar, after God had humbled him for his sin, came to the same confession:  “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35, ESV).

            Yet, as Mary sang, those who humble themselves before God – those who recognize His Sovereignty over Creation and take faith in the Savior He sent for everyone who will ever believe – those God exalts because they are made righteous by His Son.  He provides for all of the needs of those who seek Him as their Heavenly and Merciful Father.  God cares for and provides for His people with spiritual and physical care.  All of our needs are met.

            Do we recognize God’s Sovereignty?  Do we come before Him humbly and with thanksgiving for all He has done?  Do we recognize that each of us has our needs met by Him?  Do we believe it?  Or do we believe we have pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps?  Do we believe that we have earned our place in the world and God has done little or nothing for us?  Do we look at the Baby Jesus and wonder what God has done for us lately?

Third, Mary rejoices in God for His Faithfulness in bringing to pass the Promised Salvation:

            ‘He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’”

            After thanking God for His Mercy and acknowledging God as the Sovereign Judge over all of Creation, she ends her song by thanking God, specifically, for what He was doing in and through her – keeping His Promise to bring the Savior for Israel and all believers throughout the world.

            Our God is a promise-keeping God.  He never fails us.  He always does exactly what He says He will do.  Our God does not change or make mistakes.  As James reminds us:  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV).  God does not and cannot change, so He can be trusted to keep every word He has uttered.

            After the Fall in the Garden, God promised in His Curse to the serpent – the devil:  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV).  God promised war and hatred between the children of God and those who choose to follow the devil.  God would allow the devil to deceive and work his evil amongst humanity and in the Creation for a time – and within the boundaries that God set (cf. Job 1).  And God promised that the day would come when one of the Sons of Eve – even though He would be bruised, even to death – death on a cross, He would trample on the head of the serpent, saving the people of God and banishing the devil and all those who follow him to eternal hell.

            And God met with Abram and made him an unconditional promise – that the Savior would come through his line and bless all the nations of the world – not just Israel:  “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice”

(Genesis 22:18, ESV).

            God is trustworthy and He fulfilled His Promise to bring a Savior for all those who would believe.  That Savior – that Baby – is God Himself, born of the Virgin Mary.

            What do we most enjoy – treasure – about this time of year?  Friends and family?  Music?  The tree and the lights?  Presents?  Special food?  Are we amazed – and do we rejoice – in the fact that God kept His Promise and sent a Savior for every one of us who will believe?

            Mary was in a very difficult situation – one that could have had her put to death:  she was engaged, a virgin, yet she was with child.  She did not have money and was not engaged to be married into money.  Even if Joseph consented to be her husband, now that she was with child – prior to marriage – and still claiming never to have been with a man – there would always be people who would snicker and made rude comments – there were likely people who never believed her story – just as many don’t today.

            But Mary was a faithful believer.  She knew the Word of God and the Promise that God would one day send a Savior.  She also knew that she was a nobody in the eyes of the world.  So, when the angel announced to her and God confirmed through the word of her sister that she was bearing God in the flesh – the Savior Who had come for His people – and their salvation – Mary gave thanks to God for His Mercy.  Mary acknowledged that God is the Sovereign Judge of the Creation.  And she rejoiced in the fact that God cannot but keep His Promise, because God is God – the One True God.

            Let us humbly rejoice and give thanks before our God and Savior – let us pray:

            Almighty God, help us in this season of fun, friends, and family, to thank You for Your Mercy, to recognize You as Sovereign, and to give thanks to You for keeping Your Promise to send the Savior.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.