Christmas Mystery

The Christmas Mystery is about the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. Although he was an ordinary baby, there is a deep mystery behind his birth. Angels appeared to shepherds and proclaimed that he would be the savior, Christ the Lord. The birth of Jesus is a historical event that took place during the Roman occupation of Palestine. John's Gospel reveals that Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. Hebrews further emphasizes that Jesus is not an angel, but the Son of God who came to purify our sins. The mystery of Christmas is that Jesus, the Christ, is the embodiment of God's nature. Welcome to Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Today's topic, The Christmas Mystery. Who exactly was born to Mary of Nazareth, a spouse wife to Joseph the carpenter of Nazareth? His birth process was very natural, following a nine-month gestation in the womb of Mary. As he was born, there were the groans of the pain associated with natural birthing. When he came out, his cries filled the air. After all, birthing can be messy and loud. This firstborn son of Mary was in many ways just an ordinary baby, an ordinary child. But behind his birth, there is a deep mystery. For a few minutes, you see, the hills broke forth with angels singing to a few select faithful shepherd men who, after the angels' announcement, hurried to Bethlehem to see this infant boy, who it was declared to them was to be a savior who has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord, that is, the Lord Messiah. There's a hymn that expresses what I'm trying to say. It goes like this. What child is this who lay to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch her keeping? Now, the hymn goes on to answer, but we're not going to answer it right yet. Here's a second hymn by William Howe. Who is this so weak and helpless, child of lowly Hebrew maid, rudely in a stable sheltered, coldly in a manger laid? Again, the question, and the hymn goes on to answer the question, but we're not going to go there yet. Instead, let's go to the word of God, and let's look at the core meaning behind or involved in the birthing of Jesus to Mary of Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago. To understand what's happening there, we're going to have to turn to John's Gospel, John 1 through 3. Before that, we are very familiar with the nativity stories, and we should be. At this time of year, we have heard them, perhaps we've even sung them, and their history. We should never forget that this is history. We're talking about a real human being born of a real human mother. In real time and circumstance, even the history is located for us in Luke's Gospel. Who was the king on the throne that is appointed by Rome? Who was it that was the Caesar at the time Christ was born? It was during the time of Roman occupation of Palestine. You see, it's a very historical event. This is real time and place history. Jesus of Nazareth was born of Mary at a particular time, in a particular place, in a particular year. Now, we're not exactly sure what year that is, and we have no idea what particular day of the year it is. We have a custom that's grown up around December 25th, but more than likely that was not his birthing day, more than likely it was in either the spring or in the fall. Around the time of feast, the shepherds were out in the hills with their sheep. This would definitely not be in the dead of winter. So, Christ is born in history, and we know the story about the angels and the shepherds and the wise men, and they're all true. It is history. These are facts. But, you see what John's Gospel does, and also the book of Hebrews, is it pulls back the veil. It lets us see behind the history of what's actually happening, and here's what John says. Here's the core of Christmas. Here is the mystery of Christmas. In the beginning was the Word, the Logos, the Reason. God's very Reason, thinking, the Word, the speaking, the communicating. In the beginning was the Logos, the Word. And the Word was with God. Notice, there's a distinction. The Word was there in the beginning. So, whenever the beginning began, the Word was there. He's eternal. And the Word was with God. So, there is a distinction being made, and in the next statement, and the Word was God. So, there is total identity. There is essence. The Word was God. In the essence of his being, he and the Father, the Spirit, are one God. And yet, the Word has communion with the Father. The Word was with God. And the Greek word carries the idea of face-to-face, proskantheon, face-to-face with God. So, he was in the beginning with God. Moreover, all things came into being through him. And apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. Therefore, the Word could not have come into being. He was the one who made all things come into being. And without him was not anything made. So, God, in the fullness of his triune being, is the Creator. He spoke the Word, the Logos, and things came into being. John goes on, in verse 14, to tell us more about the Word. Here is the Christmas mystery, the mystery. The Word became flesh. Now, notice, it does not say the Word took on the appearance of flesh. It does not say that the Word appeared as a ghost-like apparition. It does not say the Word just appeared as some kind of thought in some wise man. It says the Word became flesh. So, the Word was not simply residing in a shell of a body. The Word is united with a human body that was knitted for him in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The result was this natural child born of Mary after a nine-month gestation. He then grew into childhood, to adulthood, and then begins his ministry at the age of 30. The Word became flesh. The Word became human. And he took up residence among us. Now, when the Word took up humanity, he did not cease to be what he was. God cannot cease to exist in any of his manifestations. God always is the Eternal One. But his deity is veil, and he voluntarily condescends, and in so doing, he becomes a human being and goes through all of the learning processes of natural human children, because he is a natural human child who is also, at the same time, resident deity. The Word became flesh. He took up residence among us. We observed his glory, says John. He's talking about those days of ministry in which he traveled with Jesus, along with the other disciples, seeing the miracles that he did. We observed his glory. The glory is the one and only Son, that is, the only begotten from the Father, full of grace, full of the favor, the undeserved merit of God and truth. He is the very vehicle of grace and truth. Verse 17, for the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only God, the one and only God, or the only begotten God, depending on your translation, the one and only God, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father, that one has made him known. This is the great mystery of Christmas. You see, God condescended in the person of the Word, the Son, to become a human being. Now what that entails is also explained for us in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 4. Listen to these words. God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, that's talking about the revelation that occurred beginning with Abraham and all the patriarchs recorded by Moses and all the writers of what we call the Old Testament scriptures of the First Testament. After God spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his Son. So he's God's Word, God's revelation. Now what about this Son? It says, he has spoken to us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things. Well how can he, who's been the creator of the whole world, the whole universe, be the heir of it? Well, because in his humanity he takes on the role of man, of mankind. And so he becomes the heir of all things, through whom also he made the world. So he is the creator. Now he's not simply an angel. He's not an angel at all. He is the creator God. He's the Word. This is what it says about him. He is the radiance of the Father's glory. He's the radiance of God's glory. The exact representation of his nature. He is the image, the very image of God. He is like the seal. You stamp and there is the exact image. There is Jesus Christ. He is the exact image of God. The exact representation of his nature, of his essence, of his being, of his characteristics. Moreover, he upholds all things by the Word of his power. He's the one who sustains the universe. He keeps the world together. And when he had made purification for sins, that's the reason he came. He sat down. This is the ascension of God. He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. Then the author of Hebrews goes on to prove his point. For to which of the angels did he say at any time, you are my son the day I become your father. Now notice that this is very important. Jesus is not the archangel Michael. Jesus is not and never has been an archangel. Jesus was and is the Word. He is the Logos. He is God the Son. God never said to any angel, you are my son, the day I have become your father. Or again, I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son. This is talking about God's speech to the King David and the one who would be the son of David, that is, the one who descends from David, who is the appointed King of the kingdom of God, the one who would establish the kingdom of God here on earth. That's Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. Or again, when he brings in the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. That's from Deuteronomy 32, 43, from the Septuagint version. You see, all of these verses of Scripture from Psalm 2 to Samuel 7, 14, 1 Chronicles 17, 13, and Deuteronomy 32, 43, all testify that Jesus is not an angel. He is the eternal God who has taken up residence as a human being, who took up his residence, pitched his tent among us, that he might reveal the Father to us, that he might reveal God to us, and that in his humanity, he might bear our sins and make purification for them on the cross of Calvary. Colossians 2, 9 really sums up all I'm trying to say. The mystery of Christmas is that the entire fullness of God's nature dwells vitally in Jesus, the Christ. He is the Christ of God. I want to give you a quote. It comes from Walter Martin, years ago, when he was speaking on the subject of Christmas. He says, and I quote, Christmas was God's emancipation proclamation. It was signed in a manger and ratified in blood on a cross and sealed by an empty tomb in a broken Roman seal. The mystery of Christmas, the very core of Christmas, is that that child, born of Mary, though he is every sense, 100%, a human male of Jewish descent from the line of Abraham and David, is at the same time, he is the Word, God the Son, come in human flesh for us people, us humans, and our salvation. All praise, honor, and glory unto him. This has been Wayne Conrad with Bible Insights. Remember who Jesus is. Here are two Christmas carols with this question. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthem sweet, while shepherds watch her keeping? And here's the answer that the hymn gives. This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing, haste, haste to bring him Lord, the babe, the son of Mary. And this one, who is this so weak and helpless, child of lowly Hebrew maid, rudely in a stable sheltered, coldly in a manger lay? Here's the answer. This is the Lord of all creation, who this wondrous path is trod. He is God from everlasting and to everlasting God. He is the object of our faith and the object of our worship.