Luke’s detailed account of Jesus’ infancy proves that the baby born in the manger is- as it is written in the Nicene Creed- the very God of very God. It is evidence against the ancient heresies that persist today which deny either Jesus’ deity or human nature. Luke’s narrative include Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna as four righteous witnesses who behold Jesus as a baby. Their actions and reactions towards Jesus testify to the fact that this infant is indeed the Son of God who came to die for sinners.

How did Mary and Joseph testify of Jesus?
Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision is significant to the Jewish nation. Not only is it a law, but it is a sign of God’s covenant with His people- all who belong to Him are to be circumcised. (Lev 12:3) Jesus’ circumcision shows that he is a historical, physical human being. The Son of God took on humanity in order to be identified with us by being born of a woman, under the law. Moreover, the blood that was shed due to circumcision foreshadowed Jesus’ death on the cross, where He shed His blood for the cleansing of our sin- by the blood of Christ, we are made new.

Circumcision is not merely a physical matter, but it is more importantly a matter of the heart. One must first be saved by faith in Christ in order for any outward obedience to the law to be acceptable to God. The law is fulfilled in Christ alone because He alone kept the law both inwardly and outwardly. When He died for us on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins to appease God’s wrath and His righteousness was imputed to us for our justification. This is the only means of being circumcised in the heart. (Matt 5:17; Eph 2:8-9)

Mary and Joseph named Him Jesus. Before Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were instructed by God to name the baby “Jesus,” (Hebrew, Yeshua) which means, God saves. Jesus came to the world to die. Whether through miracles or sermons, He lived to prove that His death would satisfy God for our sin. Jesus’ God-given name testifies to the fact that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

What kind of savior is Jesus? Jesus is the merciful savior. He promises to never turn away whoever comes to Him. No matter what you have done, Jesus is ready to welcome sinners who are contrite and broken over their sin. All of us are spiritual lepers, and Christ is the only one who is able to heal. He breaks the power of sin and reconciles us to God. How glorious our God is! This is God’s mercy, and it is for you. Now is the time to realize your need for Jesus’ salvation.

There are many self-professing Christians whose lives do not bear the fruit of a true believer. For example, most politicians who claim they are Christians support abortion, which God hates. They lack a biblical worldview and can not see God’s sovereignty and sanctity in every life from the moment of conception. Why is there a discrepancy between what people profess and how they live? Since it is by the gospel that one is saved and transformed, their understanding of the gospel must be different from what the Bible says. Without the gospel, man can not know the true God, and his life will not bear the fruit of Christ-likeness. It is only by the gospel that man can be prepared to meet God after death.

What is the gospel? And what happens when one believes in the biblical gospel?

If your gospel is biblical, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. Only the good news of Jesus Christ is able to transform men. There are many false saviors in the world. That is why the angels told the shepherds of the specific sign that the Messiah who was born would be in a manger, wrapped in cloths. God became man to bear our sins and sorrows. His birth in a manger was a picture of His humility, and it was the sign that indicated that He was the promised Savior.

Jesus is the center of the gospel. If your gospel is in Christ alone, it will surely be fruitful. He is able to save us from the power of sin, because He alone overcame it to reconcile us to God. Jesus Himself is the gospel, and the new life that He gives to believers is supernatural. (Matt 1:21; 1Cor 15:3-4) The gospel is applied to the dead heart through repentance and faith, and the believer is grafted into the life of Christ, he is transformed. Those who were once proud are now humble, and they begin on the path of sanctification, continually growing and bearing fruit. They single heartedly love Christ, and they live for the Kingdom of God. There is no power that could reverse the effects of the gospel in the life of a true believer. The biblical gospel brings about an undying passion for and commitment to Christ.

If your gospel is biblical, you would live a Christ-centered life. It is by God’s power, love, goodness, and holiness that He established the means of salvation for the hopeless. The angels praised God before the shepherds, saying, “Glory to God in the highest,” as they heralded the good news of Christ’s birth. Every time a person is saved, God’s glory is hailed in heaven, and Christians who taste the glory of God in the gospel become determined to give glory to God with their whole lives.

How can you glorify God?

What hinders a God-glorifying life? If all activities become a performance with no heart, and God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship with the church have no impact on you, there is no life of Christ in your life. There is no glory to God in a pretentious, religious lifestyle.

If your gospel is biblical, you have peace. Peace is supernatural. Without God, you can not know peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. He died for us, placating God’s wrath, erasing our guilt, and making us children of God. Christians knows peace through their salvation. No matter the circumstances, they have peace because the Lord is with them. (2Cor 5:18-21) God gives us peace to enable us to obey, and we experience His peace as we commune with Him in prayer.

The true gospel is the good news of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. It transforms men to be Christ-centered and at peace. The gospel is not to be just preached, but to be experienced through the power and love of God in Christ.

The gospel is at the heart of Luke’s account of Jesus birth. Angels appeared to shepherds to announce the good news that a Savior had been born, who is Christ the Lord. This message of good news- the gospel- was not just for the lowly shepherds, but it was for all who would believe and trust in Jesus. The gospel brings great joy to those who believe. As sinners who were once separated from God, who is the very source of all joy, in the gospel we are reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

But is it truly possible that Christians can be joyful in all circumstances because of the gospel? We will focus on the angels’ herald in v. 11 to see how, yes, the gospel is able to bring joy and peace that can surpass all circumstances.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Lk 2:11

The gospel is not aimless and random. “For unto you…”
The gospel is from God, and it lands at the heart of every one of His elect. The doctrine of election trouble many, because they believe God is not fair to choose one man over another to be saved. But in a matter of fairness, no one would be saved, because all have sinned and deserve its penalty. In God’s love, He selected some people before the foundation of the world to be saved. This is how God has designed salvation. If God had not chosen us, we would never choose Him. (Rom 8:29-30; Eph 1:4)

How do we know we are the elect?
When the gospel is preached, the elect recognize their need for a Savior. Jesus, who is the Great Physician, came for those who are sick. Those who excuse themselves because they believe they aren’t not too bad will never come to Jesus because they are not elect. The one who is elect is convicted by the Holy Spirit that he is a sinner, he is in desperate need of a Savior. (Mk 2:17)

The gospel is authorized by God. “…in the city of David…”
When the angels referred to Bethlehem as the city of David, they pointed directly to God’s prophecy in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage. The shepherds would have recognized that God was fulfilling His promise. Realizing that God keeps every one of His promises results in great joy.

The gospel is all about God. “…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The angels announced the incarnation of Jesus. He was truly God and truly man. He gave up His glory in heaven to come down to earth to save us. Our God is a saving God, and it is only by the name of Jesus Christ that a sinner can be saved. (Lk 19:10; Jn 11:25-26)

How does Jesus save?

Not only is Jesus the Savior, He is the Christ. Jesus is the Messiah. The Old Testament represents the Messiah in two ways- as a humble, suffering servant, and as a militant King, who comes to judge the wicked. When Jesus was born into the world, He was humble and meek. In great love, He came to take our afflictions and die in our stead. Many rejected Jesus and still reject Him today because they don’t want this suffering Messiah. They want the all-ruling Messiah. But Jesus will come again, and when He comes as the King of kings and Lord of lords, He will judge the wicked who have not received Him by faith. (Zech (9:9-10; Is 53:3-4)

Finally, Jesus is the Lord. He is sovereign- everything, good or bad, happens by His permission. He speaks with authority- just as He raised Lazarus from the dead by His command, Jesus effected our salvation by calling us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. By His power, because of His love for us, Jesus gives us a new heart that results in a new life. If you have not closed with Jesus as your Lord, you have not known Him as your Savior.

The gospel is available today. “For unto you is born this day…”
Today is the day of salvation. The gospel is God’s promise fulfilled for you, because Jesus Christ has come to us as our Savior and Lord. Let the gospel become your joy and your testimony today.

The beginning of a new year is a time when many people set resolutions for themselves with a refreshed determination to do something differently this time around. As a church, what is the best spiritual resolution we can make for this fresh year? As we look into Revelation 2:1-5, we can learn what is not only the best resolution for the church, but what is an absolute necessity of the church. It is not something new or strange, but it is a reality in the lives of those who are truly born again. We must love Jesus Christ every day.

In Revelation, God uses John the Apostle to send letters to the seven churches in Asia. The first church that God addresses is the church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1-5). In the letter, God acknowledges the Ephesians’ sound doctrine and steadfastness. However, He confronts their lack of love, and warns them of the dire consequences if they don’t repent. Although we can not say for sure why God addresses the Ephesians first, we can speculate that it may be because love for Christ is the most important, most fundamental element of the church. Jesus is God Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega. (Rev 1:8) Everything exists by Him, and for Him. He is worthy to be love above anything else.

What was going on in the Ephesian church? The Ephesians were champions of sound doctrine, which is a noble thing to be. In today’s relativistic society, the church should strive to be like the Ephesians in this way. They were loyal to the teachings they received from the apostles, and they were zealous enough to expose what was false and evil. They endured through persecution as they kept and defended the faith. But despite all this, God was at enmity with them. Why? The Ephesians left their first love. Although they were steadfast in sound doctrine and faith, they did it without love. People can do a lot of work without love, but God will not count any thing if it is without love. Although the church of Ephesians was full of love in the beginning, they abandoned their love for Christ. (Eph 1:15; 3:17-19) As a church, we want to be resolved to love Christ because without love, we are nothing.

What does love for Jesus look like? Love for Jesus is deep, foundational, and transformative, as you treasure Him above all things, and therefore do what He says. It is costly and sacrificial. Apostle Paul loved Jesus, and it resulted in his absolute commitment to Him. He was willing to give up his life for the sake of Christ. (Phil 3:7-8) Jesus stated that loving God was the greatest commandment. It is the goal of all our instruction and learning. (1Tim 1:5-7) Unless we love Christ, nothing we do as Christians counts for anything. (1Cor 13:1-3) It is by love that we abide in Christ and bear fruit. If our work is not motivated by love, we become cold and mechanical legalists.

What is the first love?

In God’s letter to the Ephesians, He commands three things to do to restore the first love. As Christians, we must remember our salvation. As you remember how you first became a Christian, you will realize that you are wrong to not love Christ. We must then repent, which involves both our hearts and minds. We must then return, and recommit ourselves to God to bear the fruit of repentance. Jesus warns the Ephesians- and us- of what will happen if we do not remember, repent, and return: the church will lose its testimony of the gospel when it does not love Christ. Let us therefore heed Jesus’ warning and be resolved to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength in this new year.

Rich or poor, all of us go through moments of hardships and struggles in this life. During these times, we often reflect on where things went wrong, and then backtrack to the basics and start all over. This is what we must do with Christmas. Christmas has become a secular holiday, where Christ is no longer central. We must go back to the true meaning of Christmas, and Luke 2:1-7 is the best place to go to do this. As believers, we must restore the significance of Christmas as we think about what God has revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

Mary is one of the central figures in the first Christmas. She is not to be idolized, as she is by the Catholic Church, but she is significant to the Christmas narrative because she was the mother of Jesus. Mary was a faithful believer, but she was a sinner, just like us. She was used as a vessel to bear the Son through a virgin conception. Mary’s role as Jesus’ physical mother points us to the central question of Christmas- why did God become man? In God’s omniscience, this was the only way to forgive our sin. God became man to deal with sin through His substitutionary death. As a Christian, we can not separate the thought of ourselves from sin. The Bible clearly states it- we are all sinners. If we deny and ignore the presence of sin in us, we can not be sanctified.

Was Jesus truly like us? Yes, Jesus was like us, yet without sin. Jesus is able to sympathize with all of our weaknesses, because He went through every suffering in His life. God the Son became flesh just like us, so He could suffer and atone for our sins. Christmas can not be separated from Jesus’ humanity, nature and work. This is why Christmas is full of power and hope, and able to rejuvenate our lost souls.

Can we truly trust Jesus’ work in His humanity? In Jesus’ humanity, Jesus became our ultimate substitute. Simply put, Jesus came to the world to die for us. We couldn’t do anything to atone for our sin- this is why God came to us to save us. (Heb 9:12) Jesus is our merciful High Priest who atoned for our sins.

What does Christmas have to do with our sin? When Jesus was born, there was no space for Him at the inn, so He was swaddled and laid in a manger. This is the humility of Christ- the King above all kings humbled Himself by becoming man. He was born in a dirty manger, signifying His humility to come into a sin-filled world in order to identify with sinners. Sin is lawlessness. Every man is born under the power of sin, with a natural disposition to oppose and hate God. But the good news is that this baby who was born in a dirty manger was the Son of God who has infinite power to abolish the power of sin for us. The world didn’t welcome Him then, and it doesn’t welcome Him now. This is the nature of sinful man. God had to become man to die for our sin, so He could transform us to a people who welcome Christ and celebrate Him during this season. This is the real Christmas.

In the spirit of Christmas, the whole world has been bustling with holiday cheer as people decorate homes, prepare gifts, and enjoy merry festivities with family and friends. But to most, Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah. Instead, Christmas has increasingly become a secular holiday. Even ten years ago, you would have been able to spot traditional biblical images displayed during the holiday season, but the meaning of Christmas has been completely tarnished by the world. Unbelievers miss out on the true joy of Christmas- that God became man to bring peace on earth. To understand the true meaning of Christmas, the only place we can look to is the Bible.

Christmas is an important Christian holiday. Without Christmas, there would have been no cross, and without the cross, there would have been no resurrection, no ascension, no church, no salvation. The birth of Jesus Christ is historical and Luke records the event with significant detail. Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem because of Caesar’s census. Luke specifically wrote “went up,” which precisely speaks of Bethlehem’s higher elevation than its surrounding towns, but the phrase is also significant considering how it is used throughout the Bible. Joseph and Mary were not merely returning to their hometown, but their trek to Bethlehem had to do with God’s restoration.

Jesus’ birthplace was prophesied by God 800 years before Jesus was born. What can the birthplace of Christ teach us in relation to Christmas?

Jesus is our spiritual food. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and its full name Ephrath Bethlehem means “fruitful house of bread.” In Jerusalem was born He who declared, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus is our spiritual food, and only He is able to satisfy man. Are you fed on Christ? Those who have Christ consider all else secondary.

The love of Christ. One of the greatest love stories in the Bible is of Ruth and Boaz, who came together in Bethlehem, and who became ancestors of Jesus. In relation to Bethlehem, we can see how much Jesus loved us, that He came to be with us to save us. Why do we not see the love of Christ much? When we fail to consider ourselves as the worst of sinners, we lose sight of how great of a love Christ had for us, that He would die for us even while we were yet sinners.

Jesus can quench our spiritual thirst. When David was in a dire situation of warfare, he yearned for a drink of water from his hometown Bethlehem. The water from Bethlehem was able to quench his thirst, just Christ alone is able to satisfy us.

Christ brings hope. Only hope in Christ is able to restore. In any situation, Christians have living hope because of Christ who was born in Bethlehem.

How do we know the baby born in Jerusalem is the Messiah?

The Messiah was born in Bethlehem. He alone is who we believe in and trust. This is the essence of Christmas.