The Son of God and Son of David has Come

Sermon Transcript

What was Christmas like in your home growing up? I grew up in a half-Jewish, half-Roman Catholic, but wholly irreligious home. Nevertheless, and quite ironically, Christmas was a huge deal in the Cohen house because my mom – the Roman Catholic half of the family – loves to give gifts. My siblings and I loved Christmas because we loved presents, and my mom was an expert at giving them. As big a deal as Christmas was in the Cohen house, I don’t remember learning much about the difference Christmas really makes. I loved Christmas day, but I didn’t learn much about the difference Christmas can or should make the other 364 days of the year. Even if you grew up in a Jesus-exalting home, you may never have really considered: what difference does Christmas make? What difference should it make for all of life, all year? That’s the question we are going to consider together from the Bible from now through Christmas Eve.

To experience the difference that Christmas really makes, we need to begin with the person that Christmas is all about. In Luke 1:31-33, the angel Gabriel introduces us to him by making this promise to Mary the virgin: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Though the angel is foretelling the arrival of Mary’s child, we have the advantage of looking back with certainty that he has come. That brings us to the big idea of our passage: The Son of God and Son of David has come. The Son of God and Son of David has come. Ok – what difference does that make? What difference does Christmas make? What difference does it make that the Son of God and the Son of David has come? We are going to answer that question by observing the difference that Christmas made for Mary and Elizabeth. Three differences: 1. We can have faith (over unbelief) 2. We can have joy (over jealousy) 3. We can sing (over sadness).

WE CAN HAVE FAITH (OVER UNBELIEF) – Luke 1:26-38

The Bible says that all of God’s promises are “yes” to us in Christ. But when your child is sick, when your marriage is difficult, when sin is overpowering you, when your career won’t go, or when everything goes right and you still feel a nagging, anxious emptiness, does anyone want to say they always walk by faith in God’s promise that he is always good, always in control, and always working all things in your life toward the ultimately good end of making you more like Jesus? No? Ok, good, we’re all in this together. I’ve got great news for us, since Jesus the Son of God and Son of David has come, the difference that makes is that we can have faith over unbelief even in the most trying or confusing times. We’ll see Christmas make that difference in Mary’s life. Luke 1:26-28 – In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Notice the repetition of the word “virgin.” Even in his greeting, the angel Gabriel is signaling to Mary that her child will not be conceived in the ordinary way. But by the time we arrive at verse 31, Gabriel removes all doubt. Luke 1:31-32a – “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” In the original Greek text, the phrase I just read in verse 32 reads “Son of Highest,” which indicates that Mary’s son is not one of many sons of God. He is the unique, only begotten, uncreated, eternally existing Son of God. And not only that, he is the Son of David. What does that mean? David lived about 1,000 years before Jesus Christ, he was Israel’s greatest king, but the greatest thing that ever happened to David is what God promised would happen to him after his death. In 2 Samuel 7:12-13, the Lord promised David, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. [13] He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” The angel tells Mary, “Your son Jesus will be that long-promised offspring from David’s family line! Luke 1:32b-33 – “And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” What a promise! Mary’s child, Jesus, will be the Son of God and Son of David. God has kept his greatest of all promises. The Son of God and Son of David has come. Since God has kept his promise, we can have faith over unbelief.

Now that the Son of God and Son of David has come, what does faith over unbelief look like? Mary’s example answers the question. Faith over unbelief looks like asking God the right questions. The right questions. There are right and wrong questions to ask God. We know that because earlier in this same chapter, Mary’s cousin’s husband, a godly priest named Zechariah, asks God the wrong kind of question. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were old and infertile; they never had children despite all their prayers. However, like Mary, Zechariah is promised a child. But Zechariah asks the wrong question and is disciplined for it. His question is motivated by unbelief. Luke 1:18, 20 – And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him…And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words…” Now contrast that with the question Mary asks. Luke 1:34 – And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Notice the difference? Mary has faith and asks God how he will give her a son since she’s a virgin. Zechariah doubts and puts God’s integrity on trial. When you’re in a trying season, it’s completely appropriate to ask God how he will keep his promises, but it’s never ok to put God on trial as though we the creation have the right to interrogate the Creator’s power, goodness, or trustworthiness. Since the Son of God and Son of David has come, and God has kept his greatest promise, you can have faith over unbelief. Faith over unbelief looks like asking the right questions. Faith over unbelief looks like listening to God’s answer to your questions. Notice what Mary asks, notice what she does after she asks. She closes her mouth and listens. Luke 1:35 – And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. As a pious Hebrew, Mary would have known that overshadowing – cloud language – represents the very presence of God himself. In Exodus 40:34, upon completion of the tabernacle, it says, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Mysteriously, God the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity will overshadow Mary like a cloud. Therefore, the child will be holy – free from all taint of sin – the unique Son of God and Son of David. Mary asks God the right question and listens because she trusts that God has an answer. When you’re not sure how God may be keeping his promise to work your present circumstances for your ultimate good, open the Bible and ask God to show you some possible answers. That’s faith over unbelief. Faith over unbelief looks like taking God at his word. Notice what Mary does after she’s asked her very good question and received God’s very good answer. She takes God at his word. Luke 1:38 – And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Let’s connect the dots. Since God has kept his greatest promise, the Son of God and Son of David has come, we can have faith over unbelief. Faith over unbelief looks like turning to God in your trying or confusing moments and asking Him the right questions, opening his word to receive his answers, and then once you’ve read his answer, take Him at his word because He is God and he is more trustworthy than our doubts. The Son of God and Son of David has come; you can have faith over unbelief. That is the first difference that Christmas makes. The second is…

WE CAN HAVE JOY OVER JEALOUSY (Luke 1:39-45)

The Son of God and Son of David has come. That means we can have joy of jealousy. That’s the difference that Christmas can make, and we see that difference in Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin. After Gabriel announces Mary’s pregnancy she goes to stay with Elizabeth and Zechariah. Remember, the Lord granted Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah with the ability to conceive in their old age, after a lifetime of infertility. When Mary arrives, Elizabeth is six months pregnant with her son, John the Baptist. Now notice what happens to Elizabeth when Mary arrives. Luke 1:41-44 – And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit… In a few moments we’ll see that as soon as Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, she knows that Mary’s child is the Son of God and Son of David, which means that God the Father chose Mary to carry an even greater child than Elizabeth. If you were Elizabeth, how would that make you feel? Put yourself in Elizabeth’s shoes. Elizabeth endured the pain of infertility for decades before she was pregnant. Teenage Mary shows up pregnant literally without trying. Yes, Elizabeth knows she will have a great child – John the Baptist – but God has chosen Mary to have a greater child – Jesus Christ. Yes, Elizabeth knows that though her child will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Yes, Elizabeth knows that though her child will be a prophet of the Most High, Mary’s child will be the Son of the Most High. Yes, Elizabeth knows that though her child will turn many to the Lord, Mary’s child is the Lord and Savior to whom many will turn and be saved. How would you react? Let me ask it another way. How do you react when someone else is enjoying the life that you want or feel that you deserve more than they do? How do you react when another married couple gets pregnant on the first try, and you’ve been praying for years. I know a little of that pain. I never thought we’d only have two children. How do you react when someone else gets married and you’re still waiting, someone else gets promoted and your career is stagnant, when someone else goes on an amazing vacation and you can’t even afford a day off, or when someone else’s child gets baptized and yours is living in open rebellion? How do you respond when someone else is living the life you want? That jealous, angry, self-loathing, pouting, ungrateful, and cold response we so often have is the result of what is called coveting. I’m not talking about being sad. Recently a friend of mine told me that his wife was pregnant and I genuinely celebrated with him with all my heart. Then put down the phone, cried, wiped my eyes, and got back to work. I don’t think I sinned. But coveting is what is behind that deep down jealousy that wishes they were as miserable as you. The Tenth Commandment forbids coveting. The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.”

Jealousy is how we might respond. That’s not how Elizabeth responded. Luke 1:41b-43 – And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? The late great New Testament scholar from Princeton and Cambridge, Norval Geldenhuys, describes Elizabeth this way: Elisabeth nobly and voluntarily placed herself in the background and acknowledged unreservedly and joyfully that her younger relative had received infinitely more honor than she. The gift of God to herself she accepted in grateful worship. But when she meets Mary, to whom a still greater gift has been given, she does not become jealous or unsympathetic. She humbles herself and sings to the honour of the all-excelling privileged one among women who is to become the Mother of her Lord. Because she was filled with the Holy Ghost, she was capable of such special magnanimity. Whilst jealousy would have darkened her life, her humble attitude opened for her the gates to true, deep and jubilant joy. He who elevates himself is constantly engaged in wrecking his own life. But he who is sincerely humble finds richness of life and happiness. Let’s connect the dots to our lives. The Son of God and Son of David has come. Elizabeth knew what that means. It means that God keeps his promises, it means that though we are wretched sinners, God so loved us that He gave His only Son to live, die and rise for our sins. It means that God has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, adopted us as his children, loves and will keep us on the narrow path of faith until the day when our faith becomes sight. When you know the Son of God and Son of David that way. When you treasure him because he first treasured you, then you can have joy in all that he is, all that he gives, even when he gives more or better to someone else, since he can’t give anything better than himself. That’s the difference that Christmas makes. You can have joy over jealousy. The final difference Christmas makes is…

WE CAN SING OVER SADNESS – Luke 1:46-56

The Son of God and Son of David has come. We can sing over our sadness. You know, Mary lived in a sad world. Her homeland was occupied and her life controlled by the Romans. Can you imagine? Now she has to go to her fiance Joseph and try to explain to him that she’s pregnant and still a virgin. Mary’s reputation will be tarnished for the rest of her life. She has plenty to be sad about. And yet she sings.

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
[47] and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
[48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
[49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

Mary sings over sadness because in an unexpected reversal of fortunes, God her Savior chose her to bear the Son of God and Son of David. After our first child was born, I know Andrea was still in incredible pain. But she was so full of joy holding that little boy that praise triumphed over pain. That’s the kind of singing that rises from Mary’s heart. She sings over the sadness because God chose her and because God’s great reversal of grace has now come into the world. What is making you sad? I actually have a note in my phone, it’s very important to me. In the note I keep a list of Bible verses I’m memorizing, thoughts or ideas I want to remember, and burdens I’m carrying. That burden list is long these days. I bet yours is too. Do you know why we can sing over the sadness, why we can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing? Because in the greatest reversal the universe has ever known God chose us in Christ. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were spiritually poor and bankrupt with nothing to offer God but our sins. We were sprinting from God in our sin and destined for Hell. We were enemies. But God, in his great love and mercy, sent His Son, the Son of David, to save us from our sins. And though we were dead and unable to believe in Him, the God who chose us in Christ before he created the universe made us alive with Jesus Christ. From Hell to saved, by God’s grace and for his glory. He chose us, he predestined us, he justified us, and he will glorify us in the Son of God, Son of David, the Savior Jesus Christ. Though the earth gives way, we can sing over the sadness. That’s the difference that Christmas makes.