What Child Is This?

I said, that was really great, wasn't it? That was. What a delighted it is to see these children. I guess because I'm getting older, but it touches my heart to see God work in these ladies and men who teach our children and then just to see the effects in their lives. I want to come in that last group. That was wonderful. That they stepped up there and sang like that. It was so refreshing and so encouraging. Well, this is kind of like when you go to a rescue mission. If you ever end up at a rescue mission and you need a meal, they make you listen to a sermon first before they feed you the meal. And that's what is going to happen this morning. And we this morning are going to talk about why we celebrate Christmas, what Christmas is really all about.

If you notice on the front of your bulletin, there is a Carol there and nothing can capture the mystery and the beauty of Christmas better than the carols that we sing. It recreates scenes for us, the scenes of Christmas. What comes to our minds are that the crowded in and the Mary and Joseph in a cave, an animal shelter, and Jesus being born under those humble circumstances and the lonely shepherds in the field, the star that comes and pours out its beauty to the earth, and the angels who break into that silence and begin to sing praises and glory to Jesus Christ. And that little bay born in such humble circumstances is then becomes an object of worship. The shepherds come and they worship him, they bow down to him.

And one of those carols that we sing is this one you see on the front of the bulletin. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's loft as sleeping? Who angels greet with anthem sweet while shepherds watch are keeping? The answer to that question, what child is this? I think it's found for us in Hebrews chapter one. And I want you to look at this verse as we projected on the wall. Hebrews chapter one, the first four verses, tell us who this child is. What kind of child is this that we come to worship? The whole world all around this entire globe. This season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Over two billion people consider themselves followers of Jesus Christ on this earth. The writer Hebrews opens his book this way, God after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets, in many portions, and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his son, whom he appointed air of all things through whom also he made the world.

Notice the theme of this passage is the fact that God has spoken in that Jesus Christ is his final word. He goes on and he is the radiance of his glory, and the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of this power. When he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels as he is inherited a more excellent name than they. And that's the answer. What child is this? This child is God's ultimate and complete word to mankind. This is his final word, and it's the ultimate word of God that he would send his word in the form of a son. All that God wants to say has been said. That's what the New Testament testifies to, that all that God wants to say to mankind has been said in his son.

And now it is up to us to hear what he has said and to heed that word. So we want to take just a few minutes as just a basis of meditation during these Christmas days and weeks. As you prepare, I know a lot of us are going to be very busy, and you're going to be caught up in busyness. But don't forget what it is that we celebrate. Don't forget what it is that we sing about. Don't forget the central reality of Christmas. And that is that God has given his final word in the person of his son. And this is the theme of the Bible. And in fact, in John chapter 1, that great gospel that is given to us in the New Testament, it begins this way. In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God.

And the word was God. All things came into being through him. That is through Jesus Christ. And apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw his glory, glory, as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. So why is this child God's final word? That's the message of the New Testament. It's how the New Testament begins and ends by saying that Jesus Christ is God's final word to mankind. Why is he the complete and final word? The writer Hebrews gives us five reasons for it. And I want to go through these very quickly. But I want them to penetrate your heart. I want you to think about these things. I want these to be actually things that you meditate upon in these days to come, as we head for Christmas.

The first reason is that this word comes in the form of a son. He says, God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days, he has spoken to us in a son. And he is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of God's nature. In the Old Testament, when you open the Old Testament, that grand book, that revelation of God, it is a glorious book. Is God's word spoken to the fathers through the prophets? It's filled with a marvelous story that's unveiled to us in many different ways. Many different kinds of literature are found in the Old Testament. We have God there speaking in dreams. We have been speaking in an audible voice.

We have Him coming and suddenly appearing to men and men having visions. And throughout the Old Testament, God begins to unveil Himself as He truly is. He does it in many different ways. A great rich diversity. Several of our Bible studies are going through a study of the Old Testament, just a survey of how the Old Testament leads us to Christ. And as we read it and look at it, we find there the majestic and moving tales of creation, of the fall, of the call of Abraham, of the flood, of all kinds of events that flow forward into God's revelation. We have the sweet singing of the psalmist as He worships God from a heart that is right with God. We have the home spun wisdom of Proverbs as Solomon unveils to us how we apply the truth of who God is and who we are to daily life.

We have the beautiful and delicate tenderness of the song of Solomon, which unveils what miracle love is all about. And then the rest of the Old Testament is filled with exalted visions of the prophets. And as they speak of the events of their days and the situations and the crises that the people of God are going through during Old Testament times, they lift their eyes and they look beyond those events and they see the ultimate events of God that are to come in the future. When those seasons come around, but when you get to the end of the Old Testament, when you finish that book, you still realize that God's voice has not answered the deepest question of the human heart. And then we come to the New Testament.

And when we open the New Testament, we are confronted with a son. We are confronted with God's ultimate unveiling of himself, his ultimate and final word, the Lord Jesus Christ. We discover who he was. We discover what he said and where he went and how he handled situations and what he taught. Then all the utterances of the prophets begin to merge into the voice of Jesus Christ. Every theme that is introduced in the Old Testament comes to fruition in the Lord Jesus Christ. The writer of the Gospel of Matthew says that the law and the prophets are fulfilled in him. Everything that we begin to understand in the Old Testament comes to our complete understanding in the person of Jesus Christ. And all the various themes that God introduces in the Old Testament are brought together in the voice of Jesus, God's final word to mankind.

He's greater than the prophets and he even fulfills what all the prophets, the message that they brought to mankind. This is the great last word of God to the people of this world. It is his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The second reason that he gives us that this child is God's final word is found in these words, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom also he made the world. He is God's final word because he forms the boundaries of history. If you look at these words, you will see that he says here that Jesus Christ is the beginning of the past and that he is the end of the future. He created the world. In fact, it literally says he created the ages. Everything that is in the world and every phase of the world's history comes about because of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And also he is the end of the future. He is the heir of all things. I find that people want to know what the future holds. They want to know what the end times are going to be like. When most popular Christian books have ever been written throughout the history of the church are books about end times. But I want to tell you, you don't have to buy a new series of books on prophecy and eschatology. What you can do is go to the Bible and you can read the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21 and Mark 13. And you hear Jesus speaking about the end times. How is this all going to come to fruition? It will all end. Jesus himself says when the Son of Man returns in his glory and establishes his kingdom upon the earth.

He awaits us there at the end of times because he is called the heir of all things. Every path begins with Jesus and it ends with Jesus. Every person living on the face of this earth without exception is going to find at the end of their life, at the end of the trail, at the end of the path that they have chosen. They are going to discover that Jesus Christ is there. The Christmas story brings before us this almost unbelievable statement that Jesus is the beginning and the end of all things. We are told in the Gospel of John in the beginning of Colossians that not only is Jesus the end of all things but he is the beginning of all things. That everything that exists has come into existence through him.

That he is the beginning of everything. And that is the shocking thing about this Christmas story that sometimes is shielded from the world. And it's the fact that the Christmas story brings before us this unbelievable statement that the baby who lies in the arms of Mary, sucking from her breath is the creator and sustainer of all things that he created this universe. And yet he lies in the arms of his mother and is dependent upon her. The vast universe with its teeming millions of galaxies was brought into being by this babe who was born in a manger. That's the universal testimony of Scripture. It's what the Old Testament predicted. It says the creator would come into the world as a baby. That he would come in a particular city at a particular time and born to a particular woman.

That the God of the universe, the creator and sustainer of all things, would come. And all of Christianity has recognized this truth. The prophets taught it. The apostles proclaimed it. The church has believed it for these 2,000 years. He brackets all of time. He stands at the beginning in the end of all creation and all history. That's why he is God's final word. And the third thing that the right of Hebrew says is, and he is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his nature. And he upholds all things by the word of his power. He is the master of the present. He uses an expression here when it says he upholds all things by the word of his power. It says it in such a way that it's emphasizing the fact that he presently, he is the one who is keeping things right now held together.

Scientists continually are trying to discover what is in this miniature world of the atom and neutron and proton. And they find some amazing discoveries. In fact, they find so many things they can't even keep up with naming them all. But among other things, they have discovered that there is this strange force that holds everything together. It's kind of a cosmic glue. Why doesn't everything just fly apart? They don't even know what to name it. But the Apostle Paul knew what to name it. He named it Jesus. In Colossians chapter 1 verse 17, he says, Jesus, it is through Jesus that all things are held together. Everything that exists is held together by the Lord Jesus Christ. After the resurrection, when our Lord appeared to his disciples to see of Galilee, and he speaks with them, his very first words are, all power has been given to me in heaven and upon earth.

All power has been given to me in heaven and upon earth. It means not only that he controls the physical forces of the planet and everything in this creation, but it means that he controls every event within the history of this world. Something that Christians tend to forget at times, because we are so used to hearing and seeing things through the secular eyes of the media and other propaganda forces, that we forget that behind the events that fill our newspaper every day is a hand that's guiding and controlling every event. There is a hand that is preventing some things and allowing other things. And through all of this is weaving together his purpose and his plan. Disgod has spoken in his son and his son is the master of the things that are going on in our life this very day.

The fourth reason he gives is that when he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He is the answer to our deepest dilemma, our greatest problem. He gives the answer to the problem of our selfishness and our sinfulness. He is the final complete word of God to man because he has solved the deepest problem that we all face and that we face as a race, as a nation, and as a people on the face of this earth. We were all shocked by September 11th. We were shocked by the brutality and the selfishness that's manifested through people. But we're shocked by the things that we see happening in our newspaper every day and everyone asks, what's wrong with humanity?

What is wrong with life? Why is the world in such a continual mess? Why are our newspapers continually filled with murder and violence and hate and corruption and darkness? Is it just that there are some people like this, there are us and them? Or is there something in every one of our hearts that we can understand that the selfishness that would drive people to do what happened on September 11th is a selfishness that dwells deep in our hearts as well? The answer of Scripture to this question is the thing the root of it all is the selfishness of man, the sinfulness of man because that's what sin is, sin is selfishness. Sin is when I put my place in the place of God, when I put myself at the center of the universe.

Amazing as it sounds, what the Scripture declares is that the creator of the world became the babe of Bethlehem so that for this purpose that he might make purification for human selfishness, that he might solve the insoluble problem and wash away the unwashable stain of sin. Like Lady Macbeth cries out in Shakespeare, out, damn spot, that's what we want to cry, how can I get rid of this selfishness and this sinfulness that I'm constantly falling into? And that stains my life before a holy God. That's why Jesus came, the writer of Hebrews tells us, the good news of Christmas is that every one of us who have come to him and who follow him discover that he has the power to cleanse us and to put away sin from us.

A few chapters later, the writer of Hebrews is going to say that the high point of all the ages is when Jesus came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, to put away all the horrible consequences of our selfishness. So that we can be clean, that our sins could be purified. And notice that expression when he made purification for sins, that's a loaded expression. That's a description of the cross that it was through the cross that Jesus made purification for sins. And then it says he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. His work was finished. What he accomplished was good enough to purify our sins and all those who come to Christ experiences. It's the greatest wonder of all Christianity that we discover that our sins are forgiven, that the stain of our selfishness is removed.

And then he sits down. Jesus is Lord. That's what it means that he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high that he is Lord. That's the creed of the early church. Jesus is Lord. And it's been the creed of the church ever since for 2000 years. If we remove this statement of faith and we no longer have a church, because this is a central truth of Christianity, Jesus is Lord. And Jesus is the only one who could make purification for sins and he is the only one who can bring purification of your selfishness into your life as well. There's one last reason that he gives us here in the last verse and verse four, having become so much better than the angels. He has inherited a more excellent name, a more excellent reputation and standing than they.

The angel, of course, sang the praises of this babe when he was born. They sang to the shepherds. They sang of this wonder of the heavens that Jesus Christ had come. But they also are the ones who gather around a throne of the Lamb in the book of Revelation and they sing praises to him. It begins the New Testament and it ends the New Testament. Notice this, Revelation chapter five, then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain standing in the center of the throne. This is the one who died for us and who sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high encircled by the four living creatures and the elders of which I believe represents the church. He had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song and this is what they sang. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. And with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God and they will reign on earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands and 10,000 times 10,000.

They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders and a lot of voice they sang worthy as the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and unto the earth and on the sea. And all that is in them singing to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honor and glory and power forever and ever. You know, you ought to learn that song because you're going to sing it. If you have rested your faith in Jesus Christ, you're going to sing it with great feeling and love from your heart to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praised and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

The four living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshiped. This is the closing scene of all time. This is the great event toward which the whole creation moves. All the events that caught our newspapers are working in some mysterious and strange way which we can't always explain or understand, but they're all working to the end that is described here. And therefore Christmas means to us the most momentous event in the ages has been seen when the Lord of glory became the babe of Bethlehem. The Lord of glory became the babe of Bethlehem in order that we might be delivered from our selfishness. That's what Christmas is all about. It's the opportunity to love. It's the opportunity for love to break out in our families and our own personal lives and our homes among our friends wherever we are.

It's like breaking the back of evil and you see it breaking out all over the world. It sets us free to be the loving creatures that God made us to be. That was our purpose. And it's why even the world is sucked into this. It is the spirit of Christmas because it's the spirit of Jesus Christ. Oh, there's selfishness all around us, but it's, but it's hard to resist the pull to love and be joyful to be warm and to express love and forgiveness and healing and beauty. And light and glory because this is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of glory, the God of the universe who became a babe and came to us in an animal shelter to show us the reveal to us the final and full word of the living God to men.

And you know, he is at the end of the path that you are on. You're going to face Jesus Christ. And he wants you to know him now. He wants your whole life to be lived in fellowship with him following him as a master and as a teacher. The only one who can teach us how to be free from selfishness and sinfulness. The only one who can set us free. That's what Christmas is about. That's our heads and prayer. A great God. Glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Over and over and over again in the word of God, you say to us whenever we question your love for us, all we have to do is look to the cross. But Father, we know that you also say look. Look to the manger. Look to the place where my son came into this world to display the heart and glory and holiness of Almighty God.

We thank you today for Christmas. We thank you, Father, that as our families gather together in these next few weeks, as we've had the delightful experience this morning of looking in the faces of children who haven't yet developed that habit of hiding who they are. And what a glory it is to see your handiwork as they sing praises to Jesus and praises to the God who sent him. We pray, O Father, that during this Christmas season that our hearts would be drawn to this person, the center of Christmas and not to the trinkets and the trivial things that attach themselves. I pray you'd give us time and and cause us to take time to meditate upon the great act of love that you have manifested in sending Christ into this world.

That all of our celebration instead of being self-centered and selfish would be Christ centered and other centered. May the love of Christ flow into us and out of us into the lives of many. Make us a channel and a conduit through which your love and grace flows. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.