Luke 2:8-14
WHAT THE ANGELS PROCLAIMED!
This is not original with me as I have borrowed from a song and some statements of faith.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
1. There is A NEW BORN KING Would you agree that there is a God who created and sustains and rules the world, and has a purpose for all of history; that this God is three in one, three persons: Father, eternally begotten Son, and Holy Spirit; that the Father sent the Son into the world, conceived of a virgin by the Holy Spirit so that he was both God and man; that this God-man, Jesus Christ, was a King whose reign will never end; that by his sinless life and substitutionary death he saved his people from all their sin; that he revealed the glory of God and taught the truth; that he fulfilled the Old Testament promises of a Messiah; AND THAT HE IS THEREFORE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING ALL OF HISTORY AND ALL OF LIFE, INCLUDING YOUR OWN.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’ angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King!
2. THERE IS A JOY FORM THE ANGELS
The Athanasian Creed
For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever. This is what the catholic faith teaches: we worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity. Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty. What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is. The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated. The Father is boundless, the Son is boundless, and the Holy Spirit is boundless. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal. Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being. So there are not three uncreated beings, nor three boundless beings, but one uncreated being and one boundless being. Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent. Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being. Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. However, there are not three gods, but one God. The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord. However, there as not three lords, but one Lord. For as we are obliged by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person singly to be God and Lord, so too are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords. The Father was not made, nor created, nor generated by anyone. The Son is not made, nor created, but begotten by the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is not made, nor created, nor generated, but proceeds from the Father and the Son. There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits. In this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less. The entire three Persons are coeternal and coequal with one another. So that in all things, as is has been said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. He, therefore, who wishes to be saved, must believe thus about the Trinity. It is also necessary for eternal salvation that he believes steadfastly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man. As God, He was begotten of the substance of the Father before time; as man, He was born in time of the substance of His mother. He is perfect God; and He is perfect man, with a rational soul and human flesh. He is equal to the Father in His divinity, but inferior to the Father in His humanity. Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ. And He is one, not because His divinity was changed into flesh, but because His humanity was assumed unto God. He is one, not by a mingling of substances, but by unity of person. As a rational soul and flesh are one man: so God and man are one Christ. He died for our salvation, descended into hell, and rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. At His coming, all men are to arise with their own bodies; and they are to give an account of their own deeds. Those who have done good deeds will go into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into the everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith. Everyone must believe it, firmly and steadfastly; otherwise He cannot be saved. One thing I would add is that our good deeds will not save us but what Christ did for us and our believing in Him.
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel
3. We have an EVERLASTING LORD.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Apostle’s Creed
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
4. WHY HE WAS BORN INTO THIS WORLD TO BRING HEALING.
That is the meaning of Christmas: Jesus comes to give light and truth where there was darkness and confusion, to set things right where they were wrong, to give healing where there was sickness and brokenness. to give freedom where there was bondage, and to give calf-life joy where there was dreariness and fear.
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Refrain
Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman’s conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent’s head.
Adam’s likeness now efface:
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.
5. We have a SECOND ADAM CREATED BY GOD
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. The Nicene Creed
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. LK 2:6. What do we do with our time? This might be too much to take in our short time but think with me. We try to manage time and then we waste time. We spend our time, and then we try to save time. We wish a certain time would come and then we wish that some time would pass away. We sometimes think time flies, and then time at times seems to drag along. We like to watch clocks and we carry calendars and date books, we think somehow we can control time and yet the moments flow like a mighty river that nothing can stop. We cannot control time and we think we can. It is God that controls time. He was before time and He started time for us. We are his creations and it is by his time that we are directed and guided by his holy and loving hand. God was not surprised “while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born?” We’re often surprised by unforeseen advance in our lives. The Bible teaches that God is never surprised by any event. Would your faith be different if you really believed God was not surprised by your current conditions? If you believed that he’s working all the time for your holy and healthy life?
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU TODAY?
[1. WE FIND THAT GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME, AT JUST THE PERFECT TIME. There is a story about George Mueller, who was great prayer warrior from the 19th century. He was once waiting on a dock for a special chair. His back was bad and the chair was needed for the ocean voyage he was about to take. As the time grew closer the chair still had not arrived. He had some friends offer to buy him a chair, but Mueller said no, “Either God will provide the chair, or he’ll give grace to do without it.” The chair arrived right on time. Mueller noted, “If the chair had arrived earlier, we might have dismissed the provision of God.” This Christmas we need to realize God is always on time.
2. WE CAN BE CERTAIN GOD WIL PROVIDE? Would you act, think, and live differently if you were always certain God would provide in very need you have? Even if there were only seconds left you would still believe that God would be working through your circumstances? We need to believe that he’s always able to provide which is the real meaning of faith. We need to say “I believe; help my unbelief.”}
Revised from “Time came for her baby to be born” By Jon Walker© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
