Jesus the Light

 

Good evening! Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus, long prophesied as the Messiah who was to come. There are many Old Testament verses that point to Christ, but I want to just look at one tonight:

This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness; I will take hold of Your hand. I will keep You and will make You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. – Is. 42:5-7

If you listened carefully to this passage, you may have noticed that God promises to make this Person into two things. The first promise of God to make this person into is a covenant. This is a strange idea. How can a person be a covenant? Well, Jesus gives us the answer at the Last Supper, where in Luke 22:20, He says, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” The Old Covenant was the sacrificial system given to Moses and explained in Exodus and Deuteronomy, where innocent animals were sacrificed to atone for the sin of people. This system was only a shadow of greater things to come, however. The Old Testament sacrificial system was temporary, in the sense that you had to keep sacrificing animals over and over as you continued to sin. It was also ineffective, in that the sinner did not seem to be able to stop continuing to sin, despite the fact that animal after animal was sacrificed; that is, the sacrificial system did not seem to be able to permanently change the sinner. And because of this, it was incapable of truly bringing God and man together; the intimacy with God experienced by Adam “walking with God” in the Garden of Eden was never reproduced. In fact, God was unapproachable. Only the high priest, once a year, after undergoing all kinds of purification practices, could enter the Most Holy Place, where the Presence of God dwelt. 

But the New Covenant is different. Jesus, the God-Man, fully man and fully God, also without sin, became the Covenant. That is, He allowed Himself to be sacrificed, through death on a cross, as a once-for-all sacrifice to atone for sin. His incarnation – His coming in the flesh – to Earth, as an infant to be brought up by Mary and Joseph – was necessary for this New Covenant to happen. This Covenant is eternal, not temporary, because the one sacrifice is for all sin forever. And it is effective, not ineffective, because God is working through His Spirit in us to make us become people who never sin again. This process has its beginning in our present lives, but it will find its completion later, when “we will all be changed – in a flash, in a twinkling of an eye”, as we are told in I Cor. 15:51-52. And this change will include changes to our bodies, so that death itself is defeated, and we will be clothed with immortality. And unlike the Old Covenant, the New Covenant will truly bring us and God together. We experience this to a degree now, in how the Holy Spirit lives in us, guides us, teaches us, and comforts us. But we will experience this too in another way, as we will be with and worship the Lamb who was slain, and we will experience true intimacy with God forever.   

The second promise of God in this Isaiah passage is to make this Person, whom we know is Jesus, into a light for the Gentiles. What does this mean? Well, the passage itself provides some explanation. This Light for the Gentiles will open eyes that are blind and free captives from prison, release from dungeon those who sit in darkness. Now this is highly symbolic language, so it is fair to again ask the question, what does this mean?

Well, being a Light is a major theme in the Gospel of John. Starting in John 1:4, we are told,

In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5

And then we are given an almost parenthetical comment:

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. – John 1:6-8

But then we get back to the Person who indeed was the light:

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was his own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. – John 1:9-13

And so, although it is true that Jesus literally healed blind people of their blindness while He was on Earth with His disciples, I believe the Isaiah passage has a deeper fulfillment. John says that the world did not recognize Him. But then those that received Him, who believed in His name, became children of God. How? By opening their eyes. And if you are here today as a believer in Christ, He has opened your eyes as well. You are a fulfillment of Isaiah 42. 

And, as for freeing captives from prison and releasing from a dungeon those who sit in darkness, I think we could say that how Jesus cast demons out of people was one fulfillment of this passage. We could also point to the Book of Acts, where God miraculously released His followers from jail. But the deeper meaning and fulfillment is again referring to us, to all believers. We sat in darkness, because we did not have the “light” of Christ. And we were captives, prisoners, because we were slaves to sin and we were also headed for eternal separation from God as our sin separated us from Him, and a day was coming when we would be judged for our sins. And apart from God, we were powerless to stop sinning. We were utterly unable to break free from the predicament we had put ourselves into. But through receiving Jesus, believing in His name, we went from prisoners in darkness to children in light. 

The theme of the light of God runs throughout Scripture. In Genesis 1:4, God says that the light is good, and He separates the light from the darkness. In Exodus 10, one of the plagues sent against Pharaoh is a plague of darkness. It affects all of Egypt for three days, except where the Israelites are, where there is light. And then as God leads the Israelites in the Exodus, He does so as a pillar of fire, a source of light. In the Tabernacle and then the Temple there are lamps that are burning continually. Light is a frequent theme in Job and in the Psalms. And it is a huge theme in Isaiah – we have looked at one passage but there are many more, and in nearly all of them they point to Christ. 

And then we have Jesus. During the transfiguration His face “shone like the sun,” and his clothes became blindingly bright white. And He spoke of Himself as the light, saying for example in John 8:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12b

And in John 12:

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.” – John 12:46

And because this is Christmas Eve, I last turn to Simeon, the old man who was led by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple courts when the Christ child would be there. And he had the rare blessing few people will ever experience, the blessing of picking up his Savior in his arms. And this is what he said:

“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” – Luke 2:29-32

And so we have one song left to sing, Silent Night, and as is our tradition for many years, we will turn off the lights and sing to the Lord in candlelight. We are incredibly blessed, because we are the beneficiaries of God’s promise in Isaiah 42, where God said [I] will make You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Christ Jesus is indeed our covenant and our light. Let us sing to Him.

This Good News

Luke 1

Good morning!  As Carl mentioned last week, we are taking a break from our series on the book of Ephesians.  Today, we will have a Christmas focused message.  After Christmas, we will have a New Year’s message before returning to the Ephesians series on January 7th.

It is a rare occasion where I start with a nearly blank sheet in front of me.  I say nearly blank because it’s supposed to be a Christmas message.  Obviously, that narrows things down a bit.  I had been thinking about using Luke 1 as a basis for the message, but the title did not come about until David asked me what to put on the sign last Sunday.

We are going to take a look into the first chapter of the book of Luke.  It’s a long chapter, 80 verses.  So, we won’t be taking the whole chapter into view but rather the messages that Gabriel brings to Zechariah and Mary and then the prayers of Mary and Zechariah as a result of what God had done.

Let’s take a moment and pray and then we’ll jump right into the word.

Dear Jesus, thank You that You came from heaven to earth to show us the way.  Thank You that you are the Way.  That You came as a little baby, and You lived a sinless life.  Then, You gave Your life for us on the cross so that we could be a part of Your family forever.  Thank You Jesus, Amen.

We’ll pick up the reading at Luke 1:11. The first few verses are Luke’s introduction.  Then, we are told of Zechariah, a priest who lived during the time when Herod was king of Judea.  His wife’s name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God and observed the Lord’s commands and decrees. But, they didn’t have any children.  We are told that Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and now they are both very old.  The expression here is the same as used to describe Anna in Luke 2. Anna was at least 84 years old.  So, Zechariah and Elizabeth are old enough that any hope of having a child is gone.

Zechariah is in Jerusalem working in the temple as his division was on duty.  He is chosen to go into the temple to burn incense.  While there, an angel of the Lord appears.  Remember, Zechariah went in to burn incense.  It says the angel is standing at the right side of the alter of incense.  The altar of incense is not big.  I didn’t find dimensions for the temple in Jesus time, but in the tabernacle, it was only a foot and a half by a foot and a half.  In the temple of Ezekiel’s vision it’s three feet square.  Either way, the angel is “right there.”  When Zechariah saw him, “he was startled and gripped with fear.”

But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." – Luke 1:13-17

Gabriel starts by saying: Your prayer is heard. (A prayer of long ago.) Elizabeth will bear a son. You are to call him John. (The Lord is gracious.) He will be a joy and delight to you. Many will rejoice at his birth. He will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is to be set apart for righteousness (no wine or fermented drink). He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord. He will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children.  (A prophecy in Malachi 4:6 of the Elijah before the Lord comes.) He will turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.

Why?  To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.  John will prepare.  He is a forerunner.

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time." – Luke 1:18-20

Zechariah doesn’t ask the angel how it can happen.  He wants to know how he can know, how can he be sure that what the angel told him is true.  Gabriel answers.

I am Gabriel (mighty one of God). I stand in the presence of God. (Contrast with Zechariah’s words “I am an old man.”) I have been sent to speak to you. (This doesn’t happen every day.) I have been sent to tell you this good news.  Without Zechariah, there is no John the Baptist.  If there is no John the Baptist, there is no herald who announces the coming of the Messiah.  If there is no herald, the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah are not fulfilled.  If any of the prophecies aren’t fulfilled, then the Jesus doesn’t fulfill all things.  If Jesus doesn’t fulfill all things, then God’s plan for our redemption for us is not completed.  This message from Gabriel to Zechariah is good news.

Zechariah is going to lose his voice for about 9 months.  Already when he comes out of the temple, the people are waiting because he has been inside too long, he cannot speak.  How difficult it must have been to be unable to speak at the moment of the greatest good news.  After his time of service, Zechariah returns home, and lo and behold, Elizabeth becomes pregnant.  She stays in seclusion for five months.  We aren’t told why.  Maybe she is afraid she will lose the child.  But maybe she is secluded in joy, devotion, and gratitude to the Lord.  She is convinced that the Lord has allowed her to have a son.  “The Lord has done this for me.  In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Now in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, Gabriel is sent again by God with a message.  This time it is not to the big city of Jerusalem, but to a small village in Galilee.  Not to a priest but to a young virgin named Mary.  Mary is pledged to marry Joseph, a far descendant of King David.  But Joseph is not a king, not even a wealthy many, he is a carpenter in a small village in the remote northern region of Galilee.

The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." – Luke 1:28-33

Gabriel opens saying: Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid Mary. You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son. You are to call him Jesus.  Yeshua, Savior. He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High.  The divine Son of God, and the Messiah born in time.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.  (Another promise to the Messiah from the Old Testament.) He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever. His kingdom will never end.

This is a different level than John.  It reminds me of John’s words about Jesus. “There is one coming after me whose sandals I am not fit to untie.” (Mark 1:7)

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail."  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:34-38

Contrasted with Zechariah, Mary doesn’t ask for a sign or proof.  She’s asking a question for understanding.  How can a virgin have a baby?

Gabriel gives Mary’s humble question a full answer.

The Holy Spirit with come on you.  It will be a supernatural conception, not a natural one like John. The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  He is God’s Son from birth. Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age. Though she could not conceive, she is in her sixth month.

Why? For no word from God will ever fail.  No word of God is without power to accomplish what He has said.  The things Gabriel has said will come to pass.

At this point, Mary gets ready and goes to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea.  Upon her arrival Mary greets Elizabeth, and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.  She exclaims with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” – Luke 1:42-45

Blessed are you among women. Blessed is the child you bear. Why am I so favored the mother of my Lord should come to me?  (Again, a clear difference between John and Jesus.) Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.  

Here the emphasis is on Mary’s faith, and the work is the Lord’s, not Mary’s.

Mary’s Prayer:

Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His Name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised our ancestors." – Luke 1:46-55

My soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.  Mary considers her own need for a savior.  Mary is favored by God, blessed by God.  She is not divine.

Why?  He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. 

Why?  The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His Name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds. He has scattered those who are proud. He has brought down rulers from their thrones. He has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things. (Beatitudes.) He has sent the rich away empty. (Physical and spiritual, John 6:35.) He has helped his servant Israel.

How?  Remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as He promised.  The Savior has come from and to Israel just as had been foretold.

Mary stays on with Elizabeth for about three months and then returns home. That means it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, and Mary stayed for the birth before departing.  As Gabriel foretold, she gives birth to a son. Neighbors and relatives share her joy which was also foretold by Gabriel.  At the time of circumcision on the eighth day, it is tradition to name the baby then.  Everyone expects the baby is going to be called Zechariah Jr. after his father.  But Elizabeth speaks up and says, “No! He is to be called John.”  Now everyone is curious because John is not a family name.  So they make signs to Zechariah which is a funny thing to me.  Zechariah is not deaf, he just can’t speak.  He gets a writing tablet and surprises everyone by writing, “His name is John.”  At that moment, Zechariah’s speech is restored, and what does he do first?  He praises God.  Everyone is amazed and story goes throughout the region with everyone wondering who then will this child become, what is he going to do?  Meanwhile back at the moment of getting his voice back …

Zechariah’s Prayer:

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-- to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." –  Luke 1:68-79

Zechariah starts with praise as Mary did. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Why? Because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His prophets long ago)  He’s not talking about John but Jesus. He has raised up salvation from our enemies and the hand of all who hate us.

Why? To show mercy to our ancestors and remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham.

Which oath? To rescue us from our enemies and enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. You, my child, will be called prophet of the Most High.  John will be a prophet.  He is not the Son of God, like Jesus.

Why? You will go before the Lord and prepare the way for Him.

Why? To give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins

Why? Because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

It is clear that Zechariah is not speaking only about his newborn son John.  He is speaking of Jesus, the one who John will go before.  Jesus who will come from heaven to shine on those in darkness.  Zechariah even includes himself in the ones living in darkness who will be guided into the path of peace by the Messiah.  He says guide our feet.  Both Mary and Zechariah recognize their need for a Savior.

People today have the same need for a Savior.  And as we sang in the third verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem, “Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.”

Luke 1 is a remarkable whirlwind of revelation.  The last recorded prophecy had been the book of Malachi, 400 years prior to the events of Luke 1.  Now, we have two visits and messages from God by way of Gabriel.  And, the divinely inspired responses of Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah.  

Their messages blend together and point to the arrival of the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  The already, but not yet.  This is a moment of revelation and yet, we’re left holding our breath waiting for the real events to come.

Most if not all of us look forward to Christmas.  To me, it somehow captures a similar feeling of anticipation combined with fulfillment in the same event.  This is the place we live today.  Jesus has come and he is coming.  He is risen, and he will return.  

Going back to the words of Gabriel in Luke 1:37, “No word of God will ever fail.”  He will reign forever.  His kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:32-33.)

This is good news!

Noel

What does the word noel mean and when did it start to be related to Christmas? According to the dictionary, English speakers borrowed the word from the French word nael which can be traced back to the Latin word nalalis, which can mean birthday as a noun or of or relating to birth as an adjective.  The English adjective natal has the same meaning and is also an offspring of the Latin word natalis which, as I said, can mean birthday or relating birth. (Neonatal means “of or relating to, or affecting the newborn and especially the human infant during the first month after birth.”) According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, noels (or carol songs) were being sung in Latin or French for centuries before English speakers started using the word to refer to Christmas carols in the 18^th century.  An early use of noel (spelled nowell) to mean “Christmas” can be found in the text of the late 14^th century Arthurian legend “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”

But is noel really a Hebrew word or does it have Hebrew origins?  Some say no.  But Scriptural researcher, Bible teacher, and shepherd of God’s flock whose parents (whose sir name is Corpuz) had given him the first name Noel says the word is the shortened form of two Hebrew words NOrad and EL.  “NOrad EL” meaning “born of EL” or born of God.  Corpuz says it has nothing to do with the pagan holiday festivals that coincided with the Christmas holiday celebrated by Christians all over the world on December 25. 

So when did the idea of celebrating birthdays begin?  Well, the first recorded birthday celebrations took place about 3000 years before Christ’s birthday.  These celebrations were coronation dates, symbolic of the Pharaoh’s birth as a god.

The Roman Catholic Church formally celebrated Christ’s birthday on December 25^th in 336 AD, during the reign of Constantine.  It was then that Constantine made Christianity the effective religion of the Roman Empire.

Some have speculated that their choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations that also used that date.  The December 25^th designated date was not widely accepted at first in the Eastern Empire, where January 6^th had been the favored designated date, and it remained so for another 50 years.  But Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until the 9^th century.  Noel Corpuz writes that the hymn titled “The First Noel” refers to the “The Firstborn of God” who is Jesus Christ (or YAHoshua Masiyach translated Jesus the Anointed One).

The exact time and date of Christ’s birth and life had been of great interest to the prophets that came before Him.

1 Peter 1:10-12 tells us,

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” – 1 Peter 10:12

More than the fact that the prophets were interested in these times and dates, Peter says that even angels long to look into these things.

Job is considered one of the earliest written books of the Bible.  Job, in chapters 1 and 2, documents God’s conversation with Satan about Job.  Note: God brings up the topic with Satan.  As a result of this conversation, Job experiences the incredible loss of the lives of his sons and daughters and the lives of most of his servants and his herds. Job also experienced excruciating physical pain that resulted from the next conversation between God and Satan recorded in Job 2.  Note: again God brings up the topic with Satan.

But Job is not privy to any of God’s boasting about him to Satan either time.  However, Job, through the Holy Spirit, prophesies of the Redeemer and that in the end he (Job) would see Him. Job says:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes. – Job 19:25-27

(The Amplified Bible goes on to say, “My eyes will behold Him and not as a stranger.”)

So God used the suffering and temporary loss of life in Job’s immediate family to reveal a bigger planned event i.e., the coming of the Savior Redeemer.  I don’t even think Satan understood this mystery at the time nor his part in the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Now we sing noel carols (i.e., Christmas carols) and some of them contain truths that Satan and his demons did not know at the time of Jesus’s birth.  For example, in the words of the first stanza of the hymn Silent Night:

 

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light!

Radiant beams from Thy Holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

I don’t think that the prophets knew at the time, nor did Satan and the fallen angles know at the time, that the Redeemer was going to be the Lord God Himself at His birth.  I don’t even think Mary knew.

So what makes me think that?  Listen to what God says at Jesus’s Baptism, and then listen to Satan’s conversation with Jesus after He had fasted in the desert for forty days and forty nights:

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” – Matthew 4:1-3

Note: Maybe Satan wasn’t listening to God at Jesus’ baptism or why would he say “If”. But maybe Satan was listening and he heard God say, “This is my Son,” but he didn’t understand that Jesus was actually God The Son (the second person of the Trinity Godhead) who was the Word of God made flesh.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4

This is a reference to Deuteronomy 8:3.

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” – Matthew 4:5-6

Again the “If” statement. This is a reference to Psalm 91:11-12. Note: Satan knows what is written. Why?  Because he has read it.

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” – Matthew 4:7

Note: Jesus reminds him of what is also written.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” – Matthew 4:8-10

It is so ironic that Satan tries to tempt Him with only the kingdoms of the world, when Jesus is Creator and King of the entire universe.

Verse 11 goes on to say:

Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him. – Matthew 4:11

So it appears that even Satan did not know that Jesus was God Himself in the flesh.  What Satan thought being called the Son of God meant, we will not fully know until all is revealed to us in heaven.  I think that if Satan knew Jesus was God, he would not dare to ask God to bow and worship him.  I think Satan, like the prophets, longed to look into these things, but they remained hidden from him as well as from the prophets.

It amazes me that Satan, one of the most powerful of the angels, thought that if he could just get Jesus to sin that he could prevent Him from redeeming mankind of their sins.  It also amazes me that Satan was as fluent in the Scriptures as he was, and yet he was still blind to God’s ultimate plan of salvation for mankind.

This should be a lesson to us all. No matter how fluent we are in the Scriptures, there are still things that God has decided not to reveal to us until the appropriate time. But what about the things God has chosen to reveal to us that involve Satan and those demons that follow him that are written in the Book of Revelation?  For example:                  

 

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. – Revelation 20:1-3  

I think Satan must be aware of these things and his impending end as described in Revelation 20.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city He loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. – Revelation 20:7-10

I think Satan, zealous student of the Scripture that he was and is, has read those things and knows how they end for him.  I think he continues his evil actions because his mind is depraved.  I think he is like those godless and wicked men described in Romans 1.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. – Romans 1:18-20

(Satan, even more so, would be without excuse.)

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. – Romans 1:21-25

Certainly the fallen angels worshiped Satan, a created being, so this would apply to them.  Satan, on his part, is so deceived that he worships himself since he is the quintessential narcissist, so these verses would apply to him also.

Also Romans1:28-32 goes on to say of the godless:

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. – Romans1:28-32

(Note Satan and the fallen angels did have knowledge of God.)

Well, this sounds like Satan’s resume and the resume of all who follow him.

So I think Satan has the most wicked and depraved mind that ever existed.  He may know the Scriptures about his end now, but it only makes his wicked and depraved mind want to steal and kill and destroy all the more while he still has time left.  There is no remorse or regret or repentance with him.  That is why the verses in Revelation 20 are final for him and his followers.

But what should our response be?

Peter goes on to say in 1 Peter 1:13-16:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:13-16

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. – 1 Peter 1:17-21

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. – 1 Peter 1:22-23

So you and I can say as Job says in Job 19:25-27:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes. My eyes will behold Him and not as a stranger. – Job 19:25-27

Now it is only right to celebrate Jesus’ birth.  Why? Because He is worthy of all glory and honor and praise and so much more from us.

We celebrate each others’ birthdays, not because of who we were when we were born, but we celebrate each others’ birthdays because of who we are now that we have been born again.

Let’s pray.