Return of the King | December 17th, 2023

Call To Worship: From Psalm 118  (19-29)

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ____________________________

Advent 2023 The Return of the King

Return of the King

Luke 1.26-38 & Revelation 12.1-13

December 17, 2023

Third Sunday in Advent: Joy

Big Idea: Jesus birth set in motion Satan's demise

INTRO: Next Sunday is Christmas Eve, which means this week most of us will be making our final preparations to finish wrapping presents, get all our baking done, connecting with family and good friends, and all the fun traditions we associate with Christmas.

In the first sermon of this series, I mentioned that in early America, many of the colonies did not celebrate, or even recognize Christmas. That’s because Church leaders did not want to diminish the importance of Easter. Easter is the pinnacle event in Christian history because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Easter is the culmination of Jesus’ ministry on Earth and ends with salvation for the world. Without Easter, we would not have a faith, and Christmas would not matter. So for many years, celebrating Jesus' birth took a backseat in the Church. The Gospels of Mark and John don’t bother telling us Jesus’ birth story. Sure, Christmas has a miracle birth story, but we have to wait 33-years for Jesus to do anything significant.   

The Puritans are not the only Christians to feel this way.

Over the years there have been a couple of well-meaning Christians who tried to convince me that we should either do away with Christmas, or drastically reform it.

One argued that Christmas is a secular holiday to promote capitalism. 

I agreed that Non-believers celebrate Christmas, but that does not mean Christmas is not Christian. Putting up a Christmas Tree, stringing lights, giving gifts, listening to holiday music, and hosting ugly sweater parties are all fun ways to spend a secular Christmas, but for Christians there is so much more.

But it is getting harder to see the reason for the Season among many of the celebrations and decorations that pass for Christmas celebrations.

ILLUS: Last week in New York, Times Square was lit up with more lights than Cambria Pines Lodge, yet Anne and I did see a single display, or even hint of the reason for Christmas. Not even the churches had nativity scenes in front. There was only one place that brought Jesus into the picture…and they did so in a BIG way. 

The Rocketts Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall featured a segment towards the end with a mother reading Luke 2 to her child describing Jesus birth and an angel proclaiming. “Don’t be afraid!I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”  Then they had live camels and donkeys and actors dressed as Joseph, Mary and wisemen and shepherds all coming to worship the new born king. It was spectacular. Anne and I were thrilled that a Christmas show actually celebrated Jesus Christ!

The other person who tried to argue against Christmas was a seminarian who had just finished his Early Church History class. He argued that Christian leaders used Jesus birth to overshadow a pagan holiday, which is absolutely true. The early church struggled with new converts going back and celebrating their pagan rituals including fling tree meat on pine trees to celebrate the winter solstice. So instead of fighting an uphill battle, some clever clergymen repurposed the new convert’s rituals to honor the birth of Jesus. 

While I understand the desire my two friends had to reform Christmas, I thought they missed the bigger point. Jesus’ birth is about God entering enemy territory to rescue us from the destruction of sin and Satan’s desire to destroy what God created and called Good. If we have to sing Jingle Bell Rock to get some people’s attention, so be it.

Christmas is not a lesser celebration theologically. 

Most Christians don’t realize that another life changing, spiritual, and deeply significant event took place during Jesus’ birth that put into motion God’s plan for all people to be reconciled to Him.

It’s the other story of Christmas that most Christians don’t know… unless you have been to our Wednesday Bible study. 

It has been said that there are two-sides to every story. Jesus’ birth is no exception, only both sides of this story are glorious and show God’s amazing love and provision for us.

First, the story you know:

Luke 1.26-38

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 

I have a lot of respect for Mary. We know she was young. She was a faithful young girl living in a small village in the hills of northern Israel in a region known as The Galilee. For a reason we are not told, Mary had found favor with God. She is given a rare opportunity to interact with God’s messenger, the Angel Gabriel. 

Can you imagine the supernatural overload Mary must have been experiencing? An angel showing up with a personal message would change a person’s life forever. Imagine never doubting God’s love, yet alone existence. 

Mary reacts like I imagine any faithful person would. Verse 29, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.”

I love the honesty of this verse. I have been a pastor for over 30-years. I have studied today’s passage in the original language and written papers on it, yet with all my academic knowledge on this event, if I was standing next to Mary at that moment, I would be more than Confused and disturbed. I would probably be more like ISAIAH, who when God called him into service makes this terrified statement in Isaiah 6.5

“It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 

In the Bible, most people who have a close-up encounter with God, either through visions, dreams, miracles, or for a fortunate few, direct contact with God’s angels, it has been life changing. Jesus birth story is loaded with people who experience this: Zachariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, even the Wisemen a year or two later, all get a glimpse of God’s divine miracle that takes place before, during and after Jesus birth. They get to witness the unveiling of God’s greatest gift to humanity, the Messiah, God in the flesh come to save all people. 

Mary, who found favor with God will be the instrument through which God will save the world! 

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

And then verse 35 punctuates how this will happen:  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

This is no ordinary birth.

Jesus birth puts God’s plan of salvation into motion. It is a royal birth, but one hidden from the earthly royals who will try to kill Jesus to preserve their own power.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is born in a simple manger, humble beginnings for the one who John 1.1 declares: 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

The Word of God, who is God, is Jesus. 

Jesus will describe Himself as the One who Is, Who Was, And Is to Come.  

In other words, The Creator Lord of John 1, The King of Kings as Isaac describes the Coming Messiah, and because of Easter, the one who will return to collect those who follow Him.

I think the One who does all that deserves to have a celebration of His birth! 

Now, the Story many of you don’t know.

Something else significant was going on just before Jesus was born, and it is a big reason why I say Jesus’ birth deserves a celebration.

It’s the other Christmas story that rarely gets read at Christmas.

Revelation 12.1-13

Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth. 

3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. 

7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. 10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, 

“It has come at last, salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” 

13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

*SHOW PICTURE OF DRAGON OVER MANGER

*SHOW CHRISTMAS CARD VERSION

Maybe next year you can replace the wisemen with a dragon

*SHOW PICTURE OF DRAGON IN MANGER SCENE

Here is the OTHER significant theological reality of Jesus birth:

It marks the beginning of the end of the Red Dragon, Satan. Satan’s reign and power over those who belong to God is severed. 

Jesus’ birth starts the countdown to His return, the Return of the King of Kings who will gather all who are faithful and usher in the Kingdom of God forever. A Kingdom where Satan and all who serve him are destroyed and vanquished, forever.

The Revelation story can be confusing with it’s apocalyptic imagery of a great woman, adorned with the sun and moon, ready to give birth, and a fearsome red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, waiting to devour her child. This dragon, a symbol of Satan and all evil, represents the forces of darkness that seek to extinguish the light of Jesus Christ before it even shines. 

But this scene is also a celebration because just as the dragon pounces, Michael and his angels rise up in defense. A war erupts in the heavens, and the dragon and those angels who reject God’s will are cast down to earth. The Dragon cries out in a desperate attempt to hold onto power, but his reign is over.

This vision given to John by Jesus is the spiritual reality of what took place behind the scenes at Christmas. It is not just a story of a baby born in a stable, but a declaration of victory over the forces of evil. The birth of Jesus Christ is the return of the King in John 1, and the hope of His return as He promised to His disciples. 

The dragon may still rage in the world around us. We see him whenever we hear of injustice, or war, or despair that grips so many hearts. But the great news of Christmas is that because of Jesus’ birth, the dragon is already defeated. His power is broken. His reign is over. We must endure a little while longer until the King of Kings, and Lord or Lords Returns.

Until that time, we are not to live in fear, but rejoice in the power and promise of the one who came to take away the sins of the world, and empowers us by His Holy Spirit to live as followers and invite others to join the Kingdom. 

So yes, I love Christmas and all that Jesus birth means to us.

In this week leading up to Christmas feel free to sing Christmas carols with abandon, make cookies and cakes in celebration of the return of the King, whom Isaiah 9.6 declares

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. 

So enjoy this week. And then invite your family and friends to join you next Sunday as we celebrate the birth of the King on Christmas Eve next Sunday.

BENEDICTION: Romans 15.13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Opening Hymns

#188 Angels We Have Heard on High v.1-3

#59 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee v.1-3

Closing Hymn

#179 Joy to the World v.1,2,4