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Good Tidings of Great Joy
December 25, 2016
Christ was born of the Holy Spirit of God, to a virgin woman. King Herod sought to kill him because men honored him as someone special, a king. Fleeing to Egypt, His life was spared. He went on to teach the words and ways of God to the Jews, giving His life to take away the sins of the world. - Bernie Parsons
Good Tidings of Great Joy
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 12-25-2016
Normally, I just present another general lesson around the Christmas
season, but this year, so as not to neglect to declare the whole counsel
of God, I wish to discuss the birth of our Savior.
We see the prophecy by Isaiah regarding the birth of this Lord and King
of the godly.
Isaiah 9:1 "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her
vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by
the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy
before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when
they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his
shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments
rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
We see that the Savior would be both the offspring of God and the
eternal king of God’s people.
Luke 1:28 "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art
highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his
kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore
also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in
her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called
barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."
Jesus Christ was born amidst angelic proclamations which called for
courage and joy.
Luke 2:8 "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the
Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward
men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe
lying in a manger."
Political forces were aligned against this mighty Savior at His birth.
Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days
of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the
people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written
by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule
my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them
diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for
the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I
may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which
they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over
where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with
Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had
opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to
Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth
to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:
for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I
called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was
exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,
according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great
mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted,
because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a
dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into
the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's
life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into
the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being
warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a
Nazarene."
Our Savior was born and survived the wrath of Herod. He went on to teach
the word of God, His father, turning the hearts of many Jews and
Gentiles back to God. He then gave His life for the sins of the world,
ascending back to God to sit at the right hand of His throne.
