Title: Good News of Great Joy / 2004.12.19.
content good news
Luke 2:8-14
Christmas is just a few days away. Christmas doesn't really need any meaning or explanation of Christmas. It is simply because the story of Christmas is the sermon, the Word, and grace. Today I would like to tell you again the beautiful and gracious story of Christmas.
It was said that Caesar Augustus sent down his spirit and told him to register all under the heavens. Augustus was the emperor who ruled the Roman Empire for 41 years, from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. Because this emperor ordered them to register for the census, they all went to their hometowns. Mary and Joseph, who were already betrothed, also went to their hometown, Bethlehem. Mary was already full term, so eventually baby Jesus was born there. Because every house was full of people, he stayed for a day in the stable, and Jesus came to the manger.
It seemed to have happened in a corner of such a small town, but it was the biggest event in human history.
Meanwhile, in the nearby fields, shepherds were watching their flocks all night long. Then suddenly a bright light shone, and an angel appeared and said to the shepherds.
I bring you good news for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born for you.
Christ the Lord.
You will go and find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
This is a sign for you.
this
As I listened, I heard a loud chorus of angels from heaven.
Glory to God in the highest
On earth there is peace among those with whom he is pleased.
So, while the shepherds were surprised on the one hand and thrilled on the other, they ran to the stable and worshiped the baby Jesus. There they see the stars in the sky and also see the worship of wise men from the East. Thus, as already mentioned in the first week, a great meeting of the stables took place. Beyond the barriers between the rich and the poor and the ignorant, beyond the barriers of man and beast, the history of becoming one with the baby Jesus came to be revealed.
The heavenly host of angels praised, saying, Glory to God in the highest. The birth of Jesus is a glory to God. How does it glorify God?
Because God's earnest desire is being fulfilled. God's earnest hope, what is it? It is the full return of your most precious creature, man, into your bosom. The greatest thing of God is to restore a human being created by God, but who forsakes God and runs only astray, who does not glorify or fear God. Hope, the most earnest wish.
God wants people to be people. Nevertheless, when a person wants to become a god, he falls into sin. What were the words of temptation when Satan tricked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit? It was about becoming like God. If we eat of the forbidden fruit, we will become like God and know the future, and we will be able to do anything. So Adam and Eve wanted to become like God, so they ate of the forbidden fruit. But, far from becoming like God, because of sin, he could not be with God, and he was expelled from the Garden of Eternal Peace. He was trying to become like God, but he became a being that could not be with God.
Also, when a person ceases to be a human being and falls into eating, drinking, and enjoying like animals, he becomes a sinner. Humans are spiritual beings. Therefore, you should not live your life just by eating and drinking. The soul should not be empty.
The kingdom of God does not consist in eating and drinking
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17
That is why Jesus Christ, God Himself, came into the world in the form of the flesh to show the true man. Jesus who came to make God’s will come true on this earth, Jesus who came into the world to reveal the perfect human form, and Jesus who ultimately took the place of mankind’s sins and came into the world to become the Lamb and atonement. This figure of Jesus is to bring glory to God because he is fulfilling all of God's will. It was also to reveal the glory of God.
And the angels praised him, saying, 'Peace on earth among men with whom he is pleased.' The Lord is the Lord of peace. Jesus came into the world for peace. The peace of God resides in the hearts of those who truly receive the Lord. The life of faith is a life in which anxiety and fear disappear, and gratitude and joy are filled.
The purpose of the Lord's coming into the world was to solve the problem of humans living a life of discord and building a wall with God because of their sins. The Lord came to the world and preached that you came into the world for this purpose. He actually gave up his body to open the way for God and man to be reconciled.
So, when the Lord died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. It means breaking down barriers with God. It means that the wall of sin between God and man has been broken down. It means that the way for human beings who could not go to God has now been opened to boldly go to God through the grace of the cross.
The angels' praise proclaimed what the Lord was going to do in the world. The Lord of Peace, the Prince of Peace, solving human sins, breaking down barriers with God, and allowing those who believe in it to live a life of peace--that is what the Lord will do in the world, and for this, the Lord Because he has come, the angels praised, saying, 'Peace be with those who are pleased--the children of God who have been saved--.
What rises in Christmas is the stars. The darker the night, the brighter the starlight. That is the symbol of Christmas.
When Jesus was born, a star with a strange and mysterious light appeared in the sky. And the star was moving towards somewhere. Doctors studying astronomy in the East followed the strange and mysterious star to Jerusalem. The wise men of the East saw this mysterious luminous star and believed that this must be a sign that a great king was born into the world. So they traveled to unfamiliar and remote places, hoping to see the great baby king who would rule the world.
However, these wise men did not keep their first faith to the end. Because they followed the stars, the signs of heaven, and followed their knowledge. The king had the humanistic idea that he would be born in the royal palace. Such humanistic thinking has brought great misery to the world. Truly, a momentary choice has only created historical misfortune. Out of envy and fear, Herod gave the dreadful command to kill all babies under the age of two in Bethlehem. In the end, due to the human judgment of the doctors, they forgot the stars and only brought commotion into the world, resulting in the suffering of many innocent babies.
On my way back from my mission trip to Indonesia, I had an amazing experience while looking out of the plane. I saw so many stars in the night sky. There were literally no voids anywhere and the stars were densely packed. And it sparkled like it was about to pour out at any moment. I thought while looking at these stars. Ah! There were so many stars in the sky. You are living with so many stars lost! Yeah don't lose the stars! The star of my soul, the star of my faith, the star of my life, the star of my innocence, the star of my clear heart, don't lose them! Lord, please guide my faith, my ministry, and my life like the stars that guided the wise men of the East. As I prayed, I looked up at the stars in the air.
Jesus came as the light of the world. He is the light that illuminates our lives. You are the light that guides life. You are the light that illuminates the path of life. You came as the light that becomes the goal of life.
The wise men did not get lost while looking at the stars. While seeing the light, their path was not crooked. But when I saw the world, I lost the sky. When I saw the ground, I lost the stars. When you see people, you have lost God.
Faith is following the Lord who is light. Those who look to the Lord as light will not lose their way in life. Those who discern the world according to the word of the Lord, who is light, will not wander. When you look at this light even when you are lonely, you can gain courage. When you look at this light even in difficult times, you gain strength. When we look at this light even when we are weak, we receive the grace of restoration. When you do not know where you are going, you can be guided by this light. The Lord came as a light of hope, a light of grace, and a light of healing.
That is why the angels proclaimed it.
I bring you good news for all the people.
So, with this faith, joy, and thanksgiving, today we can also say Merry Christmas! I pray that God's peace overflows to you and your family during this gracious season.
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