Christ The Savior Is Born.

Sermon Transcript

Few Christmas carols have been sung by more people, in more languages, in more countries, and circumstances than Silent Night. Though Silent Night has gone global and been translated into more than 300 languages, the carols origin is quite humble. Silent Night was originally written by a little known Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr in 1816. Mohr wrote the lyrics to Silent Night to encourage his congregation after a particularly difficult year to know that God still cared for them. That was the original purpose for which Silent Night was written. As one scholar put it, “To convey hope that there was still a God who cared.” We too need the hope that in the midst of everything we’ve faced and are facing that there is still a God who cares. And there may be no greater evidence that there is still a God who cares than the angel’s announcement in Luke 2:10-11 – And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The reason that you can live with the hope that there is still a God who cares is the Big Idea of our passage this evening: Christ the Savior is born. You can know that there is still a God who cares because Christ the Savior is born. This evening we are going to explore three life-changing characteristics of the Savior’s birth that remind us that there really is a God who cares. (1) He is the humble Savior (2) He is the glorious Savior (3) He brings us peace.

HE IS THE HUMBLE SAVIOR

Luke begins his account of the Lord Jesus’ birth with a lot of historical data. He tells us who the Roman Caesar and the Syrian governor were and he provides details about the Roman census that took Joseph and his pregnant fiancé Mary from their home Nazareth to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Why does Luke include the historical details? First, Luke wants to establish the Lord Jesus’ birth as a historical reality, rather than a religious myth. This really happened.

But there is a more fundamental reason why I think Luke includes all this historic detail about the time, the location, the empty inn, and the manger: Luke is emphasizing the humility of our Savior’s birth. Where would you expect Christ the Savior to be born? Luke 2:7 – 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. The Savior was born in some kind of animal’s stable and his first crib was a manger – an animals’ feed trough – because there was no room for them at the inn. His presence wasn’t celebrated, his health wasn’t attended to, and it seems his birth was untimely to his parents. Now, I know a little something about untimely births. If you’re a Citylight regular, you already know this story, but if not, our daughter Sage was born in a most untimely fashion. After a precipitous labor that only lasted one hour, my wife Andrea gave birth to our daughter Sage in the front seat of our car while we were stopped in the center lane at a red light in Center city. It was a most untimely birth. However, with one phone call, an ambulance arrived, paramedics were ready to attend to us, a police car escorted us to the hospital, and as soon as we arrived at the hospital, an army of medical professionals rushed out to the car to care for our daughter. And we’re just a couple of nobodies. The Savior’s birth had none of that. No family, no friends, no medical care, no crib, not even the inn had room for him. The humility of the Savior’s birth is astonishing. And the humility of it is all the more astonishing when we realize that the birth of the humble Savior was the birth of God himself! As the ancient church leader and theologian Augustine of Hippo wrote some 1600 years ago, “Man’s maker was made man that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the one who was the Bread of Life might know hunger, that the one who was the Fountain of life might thirst, the one who is the Light of the world might sleep.” He is the humble Savior! Friends, this is how much God cares for you. He gave His Son to be your humble Savior born in stable, laid in a manger, and hanged on a cross for your sins. If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus, receive him, welcome him as your humble Savior who came low to save you from your sins. If you are a Christian, adore Him for his humility toward you! Christ the Savior is born and He is the humble Savior. But don’t get it twisted. He is the humble Savior, but secondly…

HE IS THE GLORIOUS SAVIOR

We all have a shared what could be called “glory-hunger.” We love glorious things. We tolerate mediocrity, but we love glorious meals, glorious music, glorious beauty, glorious craftsmanship, glorious athletic feats, glorious entertainment, and glorious achievements. We love tuning in to watch the best chefs, the best athletes, and the best home builders because we have a shared glory-hunger. But it’s bigger than the TV we watch. Our lives always move in the direction of what our hearts consider most glorious.

The ultimate glory that our hearts are truly hungry for is all over our passage. The glory is seen in the paradox. The paradox of the glorious, eternal, Son of God taking to himself a human nature without compromising his divinity, that’s glory! The paradox of the birth of God himself with no fanfare, born in a cattle stall, and lying in a manger, that’s glory. The paradox of a dazzling angel of the Lord appearing to average Joe shepherds and the glory of the Lord shining around them to announce the Savior’s birth, that’s glory. The paradox of a multitude of heavenly hosts singing glory to God in the highest because His Son came to the low places to save sinners, that’s glory! The paradox of God’s Son becoming what we are so that we can become what he is, that’s glory. The paradox of God taking on flesh to save us from sins we’ve committed against him, that’s glory. The late theologian J.I. Packer describes the glory of the incarnation this way, “The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.” The humble Savior is also the glorious Savior. Only the glorious Savior can satisfy our glory hunger.

And that’s why the shepherd’s moved so quickly toward the glorious Savior. Our lives always move in the direction of what our hearts consider most glorious. That’s why the shepherd’s went so quickly to find the Savior. Luke 2:16 – And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. That’s why they had to tell others about the Savior. Luke 2:17 – And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning the child. That’s why the shepherds praise God for the birth of the Savior. Luke 2:20 – And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. The shepherds seek the Savior, make known the Savior, and praise God for the Savior because only the humble Savior can save us from our sins and only the glorious Savior can satisfy our glory hunger. If you’re not yet a Christian, be like the shepherd’s and seek him out, pursue him, and consider his claims this Christmas. Don’t delay. He’s the glorious Savior. If you are a Christian, like the shepherds, look to the glorious Savior to satisfy your glory hunger, tell others about the glorious Savior, and praise God for the glorious Savior. He is the humble Savior and He is the glorious Savior. And, thirdly…

HE BRINGS PEACE

After the humble Savior is lain in a manger and the glorious Savior is announced to the shepherd’s, an entire army of angel’s sing about what the humble, glorious Savior can bring to you and to me: peace. Luke 2:14 – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Peace. Isn’t that what we all want to experience more of in our lives and more of in this season? Who of us doesn’t want to be less stressed, less anxious, and more at peace no matter what circumstances come our way? We all want peace.

In the Bible the word “peace” is used in at least two different ways. First, the Bible speaks of peace in the sense of being at peace with God, having a peaceful relationship with him. Secondly, the Bible speaks of “peace” in the way we often think of it, that is, having a sort of content, peaceful state of mind despite difficult circumstances. Which “peace” are the angels singing about? Which “peace” does the humble, glorious Savior bring? The answer is both. The primary reason why peace is elusive is because, as that old theologian Augustine once said, God made us for himself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. God made us for himself, but we have all sinned and sin separates us from God. Our hearts are restless until they rest in Him, but the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve and the sins we’ve committed make us enemies of God. We’re not at peace with God and won’t be at peace with him forever because of our sin and rebellion against him. But the message that is at the heart of Christianity, what we call the gospel, is the good news that God sent the humble, glorious Savior to save us from our sins. If we receive and rest in Jesus Christ, the glorious and humble Savior for the forgiveness of our sins, he reconciles us to God in perfect peace forever. As Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And since we have complete peace with God through the Savior, since the One who was once our judge is now our Father, we can have peace in all circumstances. We can experience the peace that nothing is outside my Father’s control and everything that comes to me is part of his perfect plan, even if it’s not part of mine. I can receive even the setbacks and sufferings of this life as part of his good plan to satisfy me in him and make me more like His Son, which is true peace.

CONCLUSION

Joseph Mohr wrote Silent Night to encourage his congregation that despite their circumstances and suffering, there really is a God who cares. Friends, the ultimate display that there is really a God who cares is that by his grace, Christ the humble and glorious Savior is born to give you eternal peace. Receive his perfect peace, sing his worthy praises, and spread his glory.