“The Birth of Jesus and the Praise of Angels” (Luke 2:8-20 )

Luke 2:8-20  “The Birth of Jesus and the Praise of Angels”

 

Beloved brothers and sisters!  Today is a glad and joyous Christmas Sunday.  I pray that God’s blessing fill you and your home on this blessed day.  There have been so many people who have come and gone who named themselves “wise as a sage” in history; among them there is not one who died for you and me that could give us true life.  However our Lord Jesus gave us true life and died for us.  Therefore, the birthday of our Lord Jesus is a joyous and glorious day for us, not only that, it is also glory to God in the highest, which comes from the praise of a multitude of angels.  As we see in verse 14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  Therefore today we will receive grace through a sermon titled “The Birth of Jesus and the Praise of Angels” based on these words.  May God’s grace overflow in your hearts.

 

First, the reason for Jesus to come to this world is for the glory of God.  Jesus came to this world itself becoming glory to God.  Yes it is true.  When we read the book of Genesis it shows the beginning of the human race and its fall.  The purpose of the human race is to give glory to God and have a love relationship established between God and man. (Isaiah 43:21, 42:8).  However the first man was tempted by Satan giving glory to Satan and bent his knee before the devil rather that give glory to God.  The consequence for man is he became sick and suffered, finally dying as punishment.  God loved mankind and to save man from punishment, He Himself came in the flesh, as the baby Jesus.  See this in the aspect of spirituality, the human race knelt before Satan and was dragged to hell, but Jesus, in the flesh attacked Satan and brought victory.  Jesus would never kneel down to Satan, not only that, He would free mankind from the prison of hell where they were to and bring them to God.  So after mankind got saved by the merit of Jesus and finally understood that they were deceived by Satan, they knelt and worshipped God alone.  This is the glory to God that God’s angels praised.  In today’s text, they praised God saying in verse 14A, “Glory to God in the highest.”  Beloved saints!  What is the purpose of our lives in Jesus?  That is that we give glory to God.  I believe that we understand well why Jesus’ birth is the glory of God.  If we understand it, I believe we must not be the slave to sin anymore.  The Bible says that we must give glory in everything, even in what we eat and drink.  If we don’t know this, we may give ourselves glory.  For example in Acts 12:20-23 we see that King Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to his people.  They were so amazed.  At this time King Herod was so proud and puffed up and thought of himself as a god.  He gave glory to himself instead of God.  The result of this was that an angel of the Lord struck him and he was eaten by worms and died.  As we see this, it tells us that we must not steal God’s glory.  In another example, there were two brothers named John and Charles who lived in France.  The younger brother John was a godly person since he was little.  He made up his mind to live his life for God’s glory.  Every time as he prayed, his determination was renewed.  John shouted aloud saying, “Soli Deo Gloria, for glory to God alone.”  The older brother Charles was listening beside him and was disgusted by this.  So he said with a crooked mind, “For the glory of the wealth of the world” in response to his brother. After many years passed, the younger brother died, having lived what he said.  The older brother also lived pursuing after the glory of this world and died.  Many years later, the dictionary in France introduced the two brothers.  It said about the younger brother, whose name is John Calvin, that he was the father of Protestantism, wrote a masterpiece called “Institutes of the Christian Religion,” and greatly contributed to the democracy of the nation and constructing a free society.  His biography continued for three pages.  However, do you know how his older brother was introduced?  Charles Calvin, his older brother, was identified in the dictionary by an entry which read like this; He is the brother of John Calvin and was expelled from the church for his immoral life.  How immoral was his life that it caused him to be kicked out of church?  I don’t know for sure since he was expelled, perhaps expelled from heaven.  It is so shameful.  Beloved saints! What is your view of the value of your lives?  Is it Soli Deo Gloria, for the glory of God alone?  Or is it for your glory?  Today, the angels praise and sing for “Jesus’ birth is for the glory of God.”  As we usher in Christmas, we learn the praise from the angels and may our lives also give glory to God.

 

Secondly, it is on earth peace, goodwill toward men.  Everyone in the world wants peace.  There isn’t anyone who doesn’t want peace from the king to a single individual.  However unfortunately, the world is increasingly uncertain.  There is war and rumors of war, famine, disease, and everyone wants peace but there is no peace on earth.  Why is this?  It is because there isn’t God’s favor resting on man.  Matthew 10:34 says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”  Then what does the angel’s saying mean in today’s text?  Look carefully, “And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  It is not to everyone on earth, but it is to those whose God’s favor rests, in other words, those who are chosen of God.  They are the ones, like you and me, who have the privilege of peace.  What does this mean?  It means that we can have the peace from above in Jesus Christ, which never goes away.  Even though this world is in so much trouble and we may hear rumors of wars, our heart in Christ is at peace.

  Beloved brothers and sisters!  Would you like to have true peace in your hearts?  Then I pray that you will have Jesus Christ, Who is the Prince of Peace in your hearts.  John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  The world which we live in is so complicated and uncertain.  However, only those who come back to Jesus, Who is the Prince of Peace, may enjoy peace in their hearts.  The peace you and I, who are favored of God, enjoy is not like the peace from the world.  The refrain of hymn 469 says, “Peace, peace, wonderful peace coming down from the Father above!  Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love.”  The second verse says, “What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace.”  This wonderful peace in our hearts is treasure which we can not buy in this world and can not be taken away, why is this?  This is because the blessed peace we have came from the salvation of our souls and our flesh.  You and I are very special and precious children of God, different people from the people in the world.  I bless you in the name of our Lord and may the peace of God be with you and your home, which are favored of God.

By, Rev. Samuel Choi