Hope Through The Excellencies Of Christ

Luke 2:1-7 (ESV): 

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world  should be registered. 

2 This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 

4 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, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 

7And 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. 

In “Come Let Us Adore Him,” Paul David Tripp speaks about the danger of familiarity  in our lives as believers. He said: 

“It is good to be familiar with the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  

“But familiarity often does bad things to us. Often when we become familiar with things,  we begin to take them for granted.” 

As Tripp noted, when we become so familiar with the Christmas story, it is easier for us  to be confused and be tempted to recreate a counterfeit version of the gospel story and  “lose a sense of perspective and appreciation, awe and wonder, gratitude and gladness con cerning the incarnation of Jesus and all that flowed from it.” My prayer is that as we study  our passage together we would be reminded of a number of the truly awesome aspects of  the incarnation that in Jesus there is an admirable conjunction of manifold excellencies  (borrowed from Jonathan Edwards), infinite highness and incomparable humility. There is no  one like Jesus! Jesus brings together in one person – majesty and meekness.  

I. Infinite Highness – Jesus is the Sovereign King (Luke 2:1-6) 

A. Consider God’s Might (2:1-3) 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was  the age of foolishness…it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the  spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens) 

Our passage today is a real life tale of two kings by Luke. It is about Caesar and Christ  and in Luke’s Gospel, like in Dickens’ story, it is the best of times and it is the worst of times, 

the spring of hope and the winter of despair. 

• Notice Luke’s attention to historical detail.  

• It is true that Augustus Caesar and Quirinius are in positions of power.  They issued a decree and the people throughout the Mediterranean  world obeyed. (Who was Caesar Augustus (Octavian)? He was the great-nephew of Julius  Caesar. He defeated Cleopatra and Antony (was born a fighter who clawed his way to pow er). He was the first Caesar to be called “Augustus” (holy or revered). According to Kent  Hughes, “it was under Augustus’ rule that decisive strides were taken toward making Cae sars “gods.” An inscription at Halicarnassus reveals that most people hailed him as “savior  of the world.”) 

• What is ironic in the passage? Dan Doriani rightly stated, “Proud Caesar became the un witting servant of the divine plan.” 

• There is an invisible might behind and over these rulers and events. They were not aware  of it, but God used Caesar Augustus and Quirinius to fulfill what he promised in Micah 5:2,  that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. The annunciation of the birth of  the Messiah started out in Nazareth, but God directed these pagan rulers and ordained a  census to move the couple back to Joseph’s hometown – Bethlehem.  

What does that mean for us? God’s people need not fear! God is at work to fulfill his  plan.  

B. Consider Jesus’s Majesty (2:4-6) 

• Notice How David receives double mention. The Messiah as David’s Son is so prominent in  Luke (Luke 1:32, Gabriel said that God would “give to Him the throne of His father David.” Zechariah said that God would raise up a savior in the “house of his servant David” (Luke  1:69). Luke tells us now here that Joseph came from the royal line of David. 

• The ultimate purpose of this short but profound statement is to establish Jesus’ qualifica tions as the Savior of his people (Matthew 1:21; Romans 1:1-4, “Paul, a servant of Christ  Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised before hand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended  from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power ac cording to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead…”; 2 Timothy 2:8,  “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my  gospel.”). Why is that important? Never before or since had Israel known a king like David!  He was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), a true shepherd over God’s flock, Israel:  Psalm 78:72, “With upright heart (character) he shepherded them (care) and guided  them with his skillful hand (competence).” 

• Bethlehem was the “City of David.” The bread of life was born in the “house of  bread” (Bethlehem). 

• God was faithful to fulfill his promise to David by sending his Son.  

II. Infinite Condescension – Jesus is the Servant King (Luke 2:7) 

A. The incarnation of the Son of God in an animal’s feeding trough reveals  the horribleness of our sin. 

At the heart of the Old Testament is the expectation that God will send a king who will  establish David’s throne forever and bring God’s blessing to all the nations. But because of  the Israelites’ preoccupation with their own concerns, they missed entirely the fulfillment of  their Messianic hope and they did not even know Jesus was the King! 

“This is what we mean by the incarnation. The God of the universe entered into our  situation, taking on all the limitations of our physical existence. He did not save us from a dis tance but came as close to us as he possibly could, sympathizing with us in our suffer ings” (Dan Doriani, REC, 73). 

B. The incarnation of the Son of God in an animal’s feeding trough reveals the humility of  our Savior. The humility of Jesus’ birth was the whole pattern of his life. Jesus humbled  himself to the very death.  

C. The paradox of faith – Humility before glory. This is the way the kingdom of God works.  • Mark 10:31 – “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” • James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5 – “…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” • James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” 

We see this modeled for us right from Jesus’ birth. “True greatness is not always visible  greatness” (Thabiti Anyabwile).  

III. Conclusion and Application 

Followers of Christ walk by faith through Advent (he came and will come again): 

1. Knowing better – Again, Jonathan Edwards is helpful here, that in Christ “there is an admi rable conjunction of diverse excellencies.” What seems incompatible for us infinite highness  and infinite humility they do meet in Christ. To take our nature upon himself and to become  one of us so that he can become one with us. Such a conjunction of infinite highness and infi nite humility in one person and so Jesus is altogether beautiful, amazing! 

2. Hoping better - For Christians, hope is neither indefinite nor uncertain. It is not wishful  thinking. It is sure, because of Jesus who is our Savior and Lord. Therefore, it is a confident  expectation. (Illustration: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’ I heard the Bells of Christmas Day).