Comunidad y discipulado

The King of Christmas (Luk. 2:1~14)

2013.12.22Rev. Eddie Byun

Jesus, not Caesar, Santa Claus, or the stores, is the true King of Christmas. He is the sovereign King who humbly came as a baby to save us from our sins.

God's sovereignty rules even the decrees of kings (vv. 1-4)

Caesar Augustus, a proud emperor who counted his people, seemed to rule the world. Yet God used his census to move Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the town Micah named as the birthplace of the Messiah. Kings and presidents may think they control history, but our sovereign God is always in control. Even when dictators seem free to do whatever they want, God is working out his plan of salvation. The true king was born in a small, humble town, not in Rome.

The King who chose a manger over a palace (vv. 6-7)

The Son of God did not enter the world in a palace or a hospital, but was born in a barn and laid in a manger. He could have come as a grown man in a stretch limo, but he chose to come as a helpless baby. This humility is the heart of the incarnation, God going lower in order to love us. Just as adults lower themselves to play with children, Christ entered our world out of love. He became a child so that we might become children of God.

The lowly shepherds are the first to hear the good news (vv. 8-9)

The first people invited to the Savior's birth were not the rich or respected, but lowly shepherds whom even the rabbis rejected as witnesses. God received those the world rejected, the outcasts and misfits. It does not matter if you are not rich or do not command attention, because God is not interested in your position or bank account. He is interested in your heart. The misfits of this world fit right into God's family.

Fear not, for God is with us to save (vv. 10-11)

The angel first said, 'Fear not,' because people are afraid when God shows up. Joshua 1:9 tells us to be strong and courageous because the Lord God is with us. God became Emmanuel, God with us, so that we could be with him. The good news is for all people, and Jesus came to save the world from our sins. He is our saving King.

Give glory to God and receive the gift of peace (v. 14)

When we grasp the glory of the gospel, our hearts should respond with passionate worship, not empty emotion or cold silence. Santa says, earn it, and I'm watching; Jesus says receive it, for it is a gift. Only his love can make us good, and on the cross he declared, 'It is finished.' Peace does not come from governments but from a heart surrendered to the Prince of Peace.

Apply to Life

  • Let us pause and be still, and know that God is God, even in the busy season.
  • Let us honor Jesus as the true King of Christmas, not Santa Claus or the stores.
  • Let us receive the gift of Christ's grace rather than trying to earn his love.
  • Let us surrender our restless hearts to the Prince of Peace.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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