Jesus: Always the Same

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to preach on the last Sunday of 2015. While I was thinking and praying about what God would have me preach, I started to think about how so much has changed in 2015, which sometimes makes me worry about 2016. That got me to thinking that so much changes in this world all the time, and so what I really need--what we all really need--is something stable on which we can stand and place our hope. We need an anchor in an ever-changing world so we can rest. That led me to preach from He. 13:1-9 because there in v. 8 we are given one of the most profound and central statements in Scripture: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." I needed to hear that as one year ended and another began, so perhaps you do too. If you would like to listen to the sermon, you can here, or you can read the transcript here.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will use it to magnify Christ in your heart and mind to the glory of God.

By His Grace,
Taylor

The Lowly Shepherds

Each day at breakfast my family and I read through an advent devotional, and yesterday, we read Luke's story of the shepherds encountering Jesus from Luke 2:8-20:

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ 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. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Have you ever seen a nativity play? Have you or your kids ever been in one? Which role did you or they want to play? Well, the girls, I am sure, wanted Mary, and the boys, wanted Joseph. But, if you couldn't get Joseph, as a boy, the wise men were usually the next best thing. And, then, if you were really unlucky, you had to be a shepherd, which probably meant kneeling in a bathrobe on and a hand towel tied over your head. The shepherds often times get relegated to the lowest part of the pecking order of the nativity scenes and plays we see/perform. In fact, I have often wondered why Luke, the doctor, would choose the write about the shepherds. It seemed to me that surely Luke would have chosen to write about the wise men, the intellectuals like him. Why the lowly shepherds? I think we often think that the shepherds were just lucky, unimportant guests at the party. Well, those kinds of thoughts are a mistake that God and Luke do not make.

Have you every wondered what Joseph and Mary thought when the shepherds showed up? They knew what the angel had told them about Jesus, but they had to wonder, "What brought you here? How did you know?" The shepherds just showed up at the gate to the stable. And, they could have asked the same question of the wise men, who were the "academics" in their time. Now, we know the wise men probably did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds. It was perhaps years later. But, let's imagine the nativity scenes, as we often see them in plays or we put on our mantles, are correct and they all made it there at once, and Joseph or Mary asks, "How did you know?" Perhaps the wise men would have had a proud response and said that they had been directed by a very careful reading of ancient prophecy and vigilant watching the stars, as only an academic could have done. Then, they might have turned to the shepherds and said, perhaps looking down their noses a bit, "And, how did you know about this?" And, I image that a cheeky shepherd might have answered, "Yeah, we may not be too bright and able to read prophecy or watch the stars, but we had an angel appear to us; then an army of angels singing to us, and we saw the glory of the LORD surrounding us. You saw a star. God sent us a special host of heavenly messengers."

This is one of the great paradoxes of Christmas: the most marginalized of those in the nativity had the most spectacular display of divine power. And, as most of you probably know, shepherds were the lowest of the low in the society of that time. They could not even testify in court because it was believed de jure that they could never be trusted. Yet, the glorious birth announcement comes to shepherds who had done nothing to qualify for it, and they probably knew that they could do nothing to qualify, as they were the lowest of society. Do you see what this means? God shows us His grace even in the announcement. The Savior doesn't despise the shepherds, which means He doesn't despise the likes of me or you. He was born even for the likes of us.

But, let's think a little more about this story. Now, if you were a shepherd and you had seen a host of angels announcing the birth the Savior who is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, where would you think you would find that baby? You would probably think, like the wise men, that He must be royally-born and that He'd be in a palace. The wise men knew the star announced the birth of someone really important--a king--and they went looking in the place important people go first: the palace. But, what do the angels say to the shepherds? "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Have you ever thought about how that is a really weird sign? If the one born is the Savior and Messiah/Christ, how is Him being born in a manger--in the food trough of animals--a sign? Well, consider this: If you were a shepherd--the lowliest of society--and the angel told you He was in the palace, would you have gone to see Him? I doubt it, because you'd know a shepherd would never be let into the palace! That Savior would be off limits to anyone but the highest ranking people in the world. They would have said, "He's not for the likes of us." But, He was placed in a food trough, and that was a sign for the shepherds and us that the Savior has come for the least in the world. There is no one so far gone or so low that they could say, "I know He could save others, but He can't save me." He is so gentle, meek, and lowly that there is no obstacle in Him to prevent anyone from having access to Him as their Savior. He is the God of gods, the Messiah, the heir to King David's eternal throne--i.e. qualified to save the greatest--and He was born and laid in a manger--i.e. qualified to save the lowliest. Everyone from the shepherds to the wise men can go to Him because He is God born in a stable. The only obstacle is our sinful rebellion. The obstacle is found in us, not in Him.

Let's consider one more part of this story. There is something else odd in the birth announcement, in v. 11. Does that phrase "unto you is born" seem a little odd? Wouldn't you expect it to say, "unto Mary" or "unto Joseph"? The shepherds probably were good Jews and knew the Messiah was coming, but there is all the difference in the world between knowing that is true and believing that is for you. That little phrase was another way the angels showed them that the Savior can be theirs. He was born for them. He was born unto us, and even the way His birth was announced tells us that.

The glory, meaning, or "magic" of Christmas is not in the presents or good will that travels around this time of year, though those things in themselves can be great. The glory is, paradoxically, that Jesus--the second Person of the Trinity--humbled Himself to the level of a servant, was announced to lowly shepherds, and drew the shepherds to Himself, so that we could know we can come too and tell others that He is a Savior qualified to save the greatest to the lowliest.

By His Grace,
Taylor

The Lowly Shepherds

This is a little late being posted because I wrote it back on Dec. 19, 2014 and sent it out to my congregation as a devotional before the sermon I preached on Dec. 21, 2014. But, better late than never, and while it has a kind of Christmas theme to it, I think the content will still be applicable no matter what time of year it is. My congregation's advent reading for Sunday Dec. 21, 2014 was from Luke 2, which is related tangentially to the sermon topic (the sermon will be posted in a couple of days), so I figured a devotional from that text would be fitting and (hopefully) helpful. The devotional focuses particularly on the classic Christmas story of the shepherds--Luke 2:8-20:

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ 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. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Have you ever seen a nativity play? Have you or your kids ever been in one? Which role did you or they want to play? Well, the girls, I am sure, wanted Mary, and the boys, wanted Joseph. But, if you couldn't get Joseph, as a boy, the wise men were usually the next best thing. And then, if you were really unlucky, you had to be a shepherd, which probably meant kneeling with a bathrobe on and a hand towel tied over your head. The shepherds often times get relegated to the lowest part of the pecking order of the nativity scenes and plays we see/perform. In fact, I have often wondered why Luke, the doctor, would choose the write about the shepherds. It seemed to me that surely Luke would have chosen to write about the wise men, the intellectuals like him. Why the lowly shepherds? I think we often think that the shepherds were just lucky, unimportant guests at the party. Well, those kinds of thoughts are a mistake that God and Luke do not make.

Have you every wondered what Joseph and Mary thought when the shepherds showed up? They knew what the angel had told them about Jesus, but they had to wonder, "What brought you here? How did you know?" The shepherds just showed up at the gate to the stable. And, they could have asked the same question of the wise men, who were the "academics" in their time. Now, we know the wise men probably did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds. It was perhaps years later. But, let's imagine the nativity scenes, as we often see them in plays or we put on our mantles, are correct and they all made it there at once. Perhaps the wise men had a proud response to how they knew and said that they had been directed by a very careful reading of ancient prophecy and vigilant watching the stars, as only an academic could have done. Then, they might have turned to the shepherds and said, perhaps looking down their noses a bit, "And, how did you know about this?" And, I image that a cheeky shepherd might have answered, "Yeah, we may not be too bright and able to read prophecy or watch the stars, but we had an angel appear to us; then an army of angels singing to us, and we saw the glory of the LORD surrounding us. You saw a star. God sent us a special host of heavenly messengers."

This is one of the great paradoxes of Christmas: the most marginalized of those in the nativity had the most spectacular display of divine power. And, as most of you probably know, shepherds were the lowest of the low in this society. They could not even testify in court because it was believed de jure that they could never be trusted. Yet, the glorious birth announcement comes to shepherds who had done nothing to qualify for it, and they probably knew that they could do nothing to qualify, as they were the lowest of society. God shows us His grace even in the announcement. The Savior doesn't despise the shepherds, which means He doesn't despise the likes of me or you. He was born even for the likes of us.

But, let's think a little more about this story. Now, if you were a shepherd and you had seen a host of angels announcing the birth the Savior who is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, where would you think you would find that baby? You would probably think, like the wise men, that he must be royally-born and that He'd be in a palace. The wise men knew the star announced the birth of someone really important--a king--and they went looking in the place important people go first: the palace. But, what do the angels say to the shepherds? "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Have you ever thought about how that is a really weird sign? If the one born is the Savior and Messiah/Christ, how is Him being born in a manger--in the food trough of animals--a sign? Well, consider this. If you were a shepherd--the lowliest of society--and the angel told you He was in the palace, would you have gone to see Him? I doubt it, because you'd know a shepherd would never be let into the palace! That Savior would be off limits to anyone but the highest ranking people in the world. They would have said, "He's not for the likes of us." But, He was placed in a food trough, and that was a sign for the shepherds and us that the Savior has come for the least in the world. There is no one so far gone or so low that they could say, "I know He could save others, but He can't save me." He is so gentle, meek, and lowly that there is no obstacle in Him to prevent anyone from having Him as their Savior. He is the God of gods, the Messiah, the heir to King David's eternal throne--i.e. qualified to save the greatest--and He was born and laid in a manger--i.e. qualified to save the lowliest. The only obstacle is our sinful rebellion. The obstacle is found in us, not in Him.

Let's consider one more part of this story. There is something else odd in the birth announcement, in v. 11. Does that phrase "unto you is born" seem a little odd? Wouldn't you expect it to say, "unto Mary" or "unto Joseph"? The shepherds probably were good Jews and knew the Messiah was coming, but there is all the difference in the world between knowing that is true and believing that is for you. That little phrase was another way the angels showed them that the Savior can be theirs. He was born for them. He was born unto us, and even the birth announcement tells us that.

The glory, meaning, or "magic" of Christmas is not in the presents or good will that travels around this time of year, though those things in themselves can be great. The glory is, paradoxically, that Jesus humbled Himself to the level of a servant, was announced to lowly shepherds, and drew the shepherds to Himself so that we could know we could come too and tell others that He is a Savior qualified to save the greatest to the lowliest.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Solus Christus: The Good Shepherd

Yesterday we looked at Christ as the King. He’s the King from the line of David that God promised to establish forever, but His kingship is far beyond any ideas we might have of kingship. He’s the King of the universe and the King of believers’ lives. While thinking of Him as King, let’s not imprint on Him what this world has done with kingship. Let’s not identify Him with the dictatorial, self-serving, narcissistic kings the world has seen come and go through the ages. He is King and as King He’s the sovereign Lord, but He’s also the good Shepherd:

⁹ Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young. (Is. 40:9-11)

Isaiah goes on in this passage to describe Him as the sovereign Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe, but those are both within the context of Christ as the good Shepherd who “will gather the lambs in his arms” and “will carry them in his bosom.”

When Christians hurt—when life knocks us over and then kicks us while we’re down—we often ask two basic questions: “Can Jesus take care of this mess that I call a life?” and “If He can, does He actually care enough to do it?” Being the sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe means that of course Jesus can take care of this mess that we call our lives, but that’s little comfort if we don’t know for certain that He actually cares enough to do it. But, Isaiah’s words above remind us that of course He cares—He’s our Shepherd. Indeed, He Himself tells us that He’s the good Shepherd:

¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd…. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11-15)

The sovereign Lord whom God the Father appointed to be born of a virgin and whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, is the good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Isaiah tells us that the same God who is the sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe—who “comes with might and his arm rules for him” —is also the sovereign Shepherd who gathers His beloved lambs and tenderly holds them close to His chest. The same mighty arm that rules this universe and brings princes, kings, and presidents to nothing: that same arm gently lifts the hurting lamb and lovingly leads the bewildered sheep. Can He deal with this mess? Absolutely, for He’s the sovereign Lord. Does He care enough to do so? Of course, for He’s the good Shepherd.

On this day of Advent remember the baby born in Bethlehem who is our king, our prophet, our high priest, and the world’s righteous judge, is also the good Shepherd. Remember that He loves His sheep like you and me. Indeed, He loves His sheep so much that He became one of them and laid down His life for their salvation. What other king would do that for his people? None but Jesus. Go to Him with your pain, your problems, your sins, and your needs. He won’t turn you away. He won’t tell you to suck it up and deal with the pain. He won’t tell you your problem is too small or insignificant. He won’t tell your sins are too big or atrocious. He won’t tell you that your need is too trivial for His attention. He’ll gather you in His arms and hold you close to His chest. He’ll love you with an intense love. I know this to be true because He laid down His life for His sheep and there is no greater love than that.

By His Grace,

Taylor

Solus Christus: The Good Shepherd

Yesterday we looked at Christ as the King. He’s the King from the line of David that God promised to establish forever, but His kingship is far beyond any ideas we might have of kingship. He’s the King of the universe and the King of believers’ lives. While thinking of Him as King, let’s not imprint on Him what this world has done with kingship. Let’s not identify Him with the dictatorial, self-serving, narcissistic kings the world has seen come and go through the ages. He is King and as King He’s the sovereign Lord, but He’s also the good Shepherd:

⁹ Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young. (Is. 40:9-11)

Isaiah goes on in this passage to describe Him as the sovereign Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe, but those are both within the context of Christ as the good Shepherd who “will gather the lambs in his arms” and “will carry them in his bosom.”

When Christians hurt—when life knocks us over and then kicks us while we’re down—we often ask two basic questions: “Can Jesus take care of this mess that I call a life?” and “If He can, does He actually care enough to do it?” Being the sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe means that of course Jesus can take care of this mess that we call our lives, but that’s little comfort if we don’t know for certain that He actually cares enough to do it. But, Isaiah’s words above remind us that of course He cares—He’s our Shepherd. Indeed, He Himself tells us that He’s the good Shepherd:

¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd…. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11-15)

The sovereign Lord whom God the Father appointed to be born of a virgin and whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, is the good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Isaiah tells us that the same God who is the sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe—who “comes with might and his arm rules for him” —is also the sovereign Shepherd who gathers His beloved lambs and tenderly holds them close to His chest. The same mighty arm that rules this universe and brings princes, kings, and presidents to nothing: that same arm gently lifts the hurting lamb and lovingly leads the bewildered sheep. Can He deal with this mess? Absolutely, for He’s the sovereign Lord. Does He care enough to do so? Of course, for He’s the good Shepherd.

On this day of Advent remember the baby born in Bethlehem who is our king, our prophet, our high priest, and the world’s righteous judge, is also the good Shepherd. Remember that He loves His sheep like you and me. Indeed, He loves His sheep so much that He became one of them and laid down His life for their salvation. What other king would do that for his people? None but Jesus. Go to Him with your pain, your problems, your sins, and your needs. He won’t turn you away. He won’t tell you to suck it up and deal with the pain. He won’t tell you your problem is too small or insignificant. He won’t tell your sins are too big or atrocious. He won’t tell you that your need is too trivial for His attention. He’ll gather you in His arms and hold you close to His chest. He’ll love you with an intense love. I know this to be true because He laid down His life for His sheep and there is no greater love than that.

By His Grace,

Taylor

Advent: Day 22

Today is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. Last Sunday we started looking directly at the Christmas story itself, and we read from Mt. 1:18-25 and Lk. 2:1-7. Today we are going to continue to look at the Christmas story itself:

¹ 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, ² 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." ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
⁶ "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." ⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ 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. ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Mt. 2:1-12)

Before we move on to the second reading for today, I would like to talk about this one a little. R. C. Sproul once said, "In the tiny land of Palestine, two kings were alive at the same time and at the same place. One of the kings was about seventy years old; the other king was an infant. The big king was evil; the little king was pure. The big king was rich and powerful; the little king was stricken by poverty. The big king lived in an opulent palace; the little king lived in a stable. The little king's mother was a peasant girl; His adopted father was a carpenter." (Christ in Christmas Family) Of course, the "big king" to whom Sproul refers is Herod. He was the king of Judea at Christ's birth, yet he was only that because Rome made him so. He did not deserve to sit on that throne, the "little king" did. That is why Herod was troubled by the Magis' revelation that the prophesied King of the Jews had been born—he knew in his heart that he did not deserve the throne. As the story above goes on to say, when the Magi never returned to Herod, he went on a rampage killing all the infant boys in Bethlehem. We know, however, that the "big king" did not succeed in defeating the "little king." In fact, if it were not for the story of the "little king," the "big king" would have disappeared from history altogether. This story reminds us that even the most powerful cannot stop the plan of God. Herod had the power to slaughter many, yet he could not stop the plan of God. Nothing can.

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ 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. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Lk. 2:8-20)

How should we celebrate Advent and Christmas? Well, from the story of the shepherds we can learn a few things. First, the angels proclaimed the good news to the shepherds. This is remarkable considering the reputation of shepherds during this time. They were a despised cast of people in society and so mistrusted that their testimony was not admissible in legal proceedings. Yet, the angels went to them to declare the birth of the Messiah. They did not come to the rich of Bethlehem or even King Herod. They went to the shepherds. A modern equivalent might be the angels going to the homeless of Midtown Atlanta and using them as witnesses to the affluent. As we saw last Sunday, God breaks the molds of this world in many ways with the advent of Jesus. Second, the shepherds became bold witnesses for Jesus. They knew their reputation in society but they did not care. They knew the people needed to hear the good news and they were going to tell them, even if no one listened or believed them. I doubt you and I are as mistrusted in society as shepherds were at the time of Christ, so why are we not as bold in sharing the good news as they? Third and finally, the shepherds glorified and praised God for what they had seen. They not only shared the news with others, they praised God for it. We should praise God for sending Jesus every day, but Christmas should especially remind us that He is worthy of our praise for He sent Jesus to become poor so we, by His poverty, might become rich (2. Co. 8:9).

By His Grace,
Taylor

Advent: Day 9

Yesterday we looked at Christ as the King. He is the King from the line of David that God promised to establish forever, but His kingship is far beyond any ideas we might have kingship. He is the King of the universe and the King of believer's lives, but let us not imprint on Him what the world has done with kingship.  He is the Sovereign Lord but He is also the Great Shepherd:

⁹ Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young. (Is. 40:9-11)

Isaiah goes on in this passage to describe God as the Sovereign Creator and Sovereign Ruler, but those are both within the context of Christ as our shepherd. Being the Sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe means that of course Jesus can take care of the mess that we call our lives, but that is little comfort if we do not know for certain that He cares enough to do it. Isaiah's words above remind us that of course He cares. He is the Good Shepherd.

¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd…. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11-16)

The Sovereign Lord whom God the Father appointed to be born of a virgin, which we celebrate at Christmas, is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Isaiah tells us that the same God who is the Sovereign Creator and Ruler of this universe is also the Sovereign Shepherd who gathers His beloved lambs and holds them close to His chest. The same mighty arm that rules this universe and brings princes, kings, and presidents to nothing, that same arm gently lifts the hurting lamb and lovingly leads the bewildered sheep.

The baby born in Bethlehem is King, Prophet, God with us, the Righteous Judge, and He is also our Shepherd.

By His Grace,
Taylor