Christmas Carols Week 3: Luke 2:1-14

INTRO> With this year coming quickly to an end, what always marks the begging of a new year here is the USA is the Super Bowl. This year it will be on February 8th, and there is one man who has the best odds of being there and he won it last year. Tom Brady is the quarterback for the New England Patriots, he was a 6th round draft pick for the NFL, #199. He is now 1 of only two men to have won 5 Super bowls and the only player to have one them on the same team. He is married to a super model, he is the 15th highest paid athlete in the world and in 2016 he made 44 million dollars and his total net worth is close to 200 million dollars. Back in June of 2005 when he was only 25 years old he did an interview with 60 minutes( *See back side of notes for interview)

CONTEXT> Interesting isn’t it? A man who literally has everything by the worlds standards self reflects and asks himself if he was still made for more? I believe he is, I believe we are and I believe that our passage today and particularly the song that the angels sing is the answer to that.

Big Idea> The birth of Christ brings glory to God and peace to mankind.

1. The birth of Jesus brings glory to God.

• • • The context gives us the birth story then shepards in a field, then an Angel appearing and we see this phrase v9 “the glory of the Lord appears.” then in v13 there is a “multitude of angels” which is a Roman military term meaning many, the first word out of their mouths? “Glory!”

APP> Glory is not a normal word, its a very churchy word. The word glory finds in root in Hebrew meaning, “weightiness” So what is God’s glory? I think we can see the answer in our text, v9 “the glory of the Lord shown around them.” APP> The glory of God is God going public with his beauty. “The heavens are telling the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). What does that mean? It means he is shouting at us. He shouts with clouds. He shouts with blue expanse. He shouts with gold on the horizons. He shouts with galaxies and stars. He is shouting. I am glorious. Open your eyes.” -John Piper

• • • But there is a problem, look in v9-10 “filled with fear… fear not!” Why do they have that reaction? Why do they need reassurance? Because we have a big problem with God’s glory don’t we?
    • “For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 
    • This takes us back, back to the beginning. God created man in his image, we always talk about original sin, but what about original glory, what Tom Brady is longing for?
    • “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surly die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like him.” Genesis 3:5

APP> Sin is the attempt to steal God’s glory. “Sin is cosmic treason.” The slightest sin that a creature commits against his Creator does violence to the Creator’s holiness, His glory, and His righteousness. Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is an act of rebellion against the sovereign God who reigns and rules over us and as such is an act of treason against the cosmic King.”- RC Sproul

• • • So why is the birth of Jesus significant? Did you know we have 3 major times that we are told when angles sing in light of what God has done? Creation, Salvation and the incarnation! What is giving God all of this glory? Look at verse 11!
    • “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
    •  “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

APP> God’s glory is best seen in the person of Jesus Christ.

2) The birth of Jesus Christ brings peace to mankind.

• • • “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus..” Luke is doing a lot in this birth announcement and it is important to know. He tells us about this man (Pic) Caesar Augustus, which is where we get the name for the month of August. He ruled during the Roman period which is called “Pax Romana” which means “The peace of Roman”. (Pic) Rome grew by 70 million people and it was by far the greatest time in Roman history. Here is a coin (Pic) that says “Pax Augustas” “The Peace of Augustas”
    • You may be saying, Jason, what does this have to do with what the angles sing? It means everything, if the angles are singing that Jesus is bringing peace, he is bringing a peace that a government, the world and none can bring but him? What peace is this?

1. Peace with God. – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:8 Remember, we have been at war with God. The problems in your life are not from this or that, or those people or this but the source of all problems is lack of submission to Jesus Christ. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Romans 8:7
2. Peace with Ourselves. – “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
3. Peace with Others– “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18 This Holiday season will be filled with conflict with families… there is a peace that King Jesus brings.

Big Idea> The birth of Christ brings glory to God and peace to mankind.

John Calvin, the great reformer preached on these very verse in Geneva in 1562 and he said these words… “The angles sing “Peace on earth’. Why peace> Because, as they go on to add, “God has shown his good will to men… Peace is a wicked illusion unless it flows from the reconciliation and accord that God has made with us. For instead of treating us as we deserve- as enemies- instead of judging us for our disobedience and iniquity which provoke his wrath, God proves to be a Father and Savior to us, and longs even to rejoice ins, so that we might rejoice in him. Since all that is ours, we may indeed know real peace and rest. Our happiness is firmly founded on God’s goodwill. In his fatherly love he has mercy on s instead of blotting us out of his creation.” pg 150, Songs from the nativity.

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KROFT: This whole experience — this whole upward trajectory — what have you learned about yourself? What kind of an effect does it have on you?

BRADY: Well, I put incredible amounts of pressure on me. When you feel like you’re ultimately responsible for everyone and everything, even though you have no control over it, and you still blame yourself if things don’t go right — I mean, there’s a lot of pressure. A lot of times I think I get very frustrated and introverted, and there’s times where I’m not the person that I want to be.

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, “Hey man, this is what is.” I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: God, it’s gotta be more than this. I mean this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be. I mean I’ve done it. I’m 27. And what else is there for me?

KROFT: What’s the answer?

BRADY: I wish I knew. I wish I knew. I mean I think that’s part of me trying to go out and experience other things. I love playing football, and I love being a quarterback for this team, but, at the same time, I think there’s a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.