Luke 2: 1-20 Introduction
The simplicity of the historical record of the birth oOesusis in marked contrast with the unparalleled, rruimentous significance of this event.
(2:1-7) THE HISTORICAL
ACCOUNT OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
The Global Census of Caesar Augustus and the Plan of God
THE CENSUS OF CAESAR
Although "scholars· once q~estioned Luke's adiuracy concerning the historical details of Jesus' birth, Bible-believing Christians have never doubtedhisaccuracy, since what he wrote is the Word of God. Moreover, now a mass of papyri and inscriptions give sufficient evidence that Augustus did issue the census decree whic!t Luke
.. nientioIjs, "that \twas II' new, epocli-nillking measure, and
. that iriaugurateda periodic enrollment in the empi're which continued for over two centuries at intervals of
. founeen years."-Lenskt
The present tense of verb, "a census be taken; (apographesthai in Greek), suggests "a continuing series of enrollments for purposes of taxation. This correSponds exactly with the new . discoveries of a periodical, founeen ·year taxing which, in the case of Egypt, the papyri carry back as farasA.D., 20.
TtlE RUlE OF QUffiINIUS
Publius Sulpictus Quirinius was not only the regular governor of Syria in
A.b . 6, he functioned in a governing capacity from B.C. t onward, . The
. word in verse tWo the NASV translates as "governor .. can be translated simply as "acting in a governing capacity." Herod the Great died in the spring of B.C. 4 , and Jesus was born a year or two before his death. At the time of Jesus' binh, Varus became governor of Syria. While he was governor, Quirinius controlled the armies and directed the foreign policx";9fSyrla. In this capacity he supervised the census for taxation in Herod's kingdom. I point this out because some have questioned the accuracy of Luke's statement concerning QUirinius .. "The
genitive absolute, 'Quirinius goveming in Syria; is not so much a date as a statement regarding the control of the enrollment for taxation. Acting in a governing capacityin Syria, and having broader powers than those of the regular governor, Quirinius managed the enrollment also in Herod's domain.· -Lenski
THE PUN OF GOD
"Taking all the facts into considerarion, we may confidently assen that no one has yet succeeded in PROVING that Luke is mistaken (in any of his facts). On the contrary, according as our knowledge of the
.. f THE. COUNSE.L of Chalcedon ~ October, 1993
, historicalcircumstart~ofthosetimes . has increased, the accutac;y anc( trustworthiness of Luke'ssiatements have become . lllott , clearly eviderit."-Geldenhuy:s.(Pot more on the accuracy of Luke regardingCaesar's census and Quirinius's governorship see Geldenhuys, ' Special Note: · The Enrollment under Augustus; pg, 104-l(i6.)
God orchestrates and uses this global imperial decree to fulfill the prophecy of Micah 5:2 regarding the , place of the Messiah's birth. God moves emperors and elllpires around to accomplish His plan of redemption ... No one can stop Him or effectively
resiSUhe development of that plan, · Isai.iih 46:9-11.
THE TRAVEL OF
. JOSEPH AND
MARY TO
B):THtEl-IEM cOR
REGts1RA nON
.' Under this imperlal cen5Iis decree people traveled to their hometowns, according to the adminiStrative
orders in each province and region which put the decree in effect locally, vs .. 2. This is why Joseph and Mary left the town of Nazareth, where they were living, and traveled to Bethlehem to be registered. Under this decree the name, occupation, property and relatives had to be entetedin the public registers. This probably took plliee with a view of levying taxes.
Although some have questioned the accuracy of Luke's statement concerning the necessity of] oseph and Mary to return to liethlehem to be registered, "the genuineness of the · statement that everyone had to go into his own city to be enrolled has also
been strikingly confinned. It was a characteristic feature of Augustus's action towards a subject people that he gave every consideration to their national customs. Especially since he had the enrollment made through Herod, who ruled as king of the jews, it goes without saying that the jewish custom was followed to let the inhabitants go to their original nature city for the taxings.· -Geldenhuys
Since joseph and Mary were of the royal House of David the King, they had to go to Bethlehem, the city of the King, where David was born about 1000 years earlier. Today the town has 8,000 citizens, most of whom are Christians. joseph was fully aware of his Davidic descent, because jews from earliest times kept their genealogies with amazing, detailed accuracy. Although it was not necessary for Mary to accompany him on this trip, nevertheless, because the time for her delivery · was imminent, he did not want to leave her behind in Nazareth. Surely MalY, and probably joseph, knew that according to Micah 5:1-2 the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem; therefore, more than likely thatwas a major factor in their decision to travel to Belhlehem.
According to Matthew 1:24-25 it appears thatj oseph married Mary right after her return from Elizabeth. When jesus was born they had been married for less than nine months, and yet Luke speaks of Mary as "betrothed" to joseph, ("engaged" in the NASV). Why? Luke uses this tenninology to remind us that although they were married, they were living as "engaged" persons, without engaging in marital sexualactivity,Mat. 1:25, to emphasize again that Mary was pregnant, not by joseph, but because of the overshadOwing of the Holy Spirit of God. FurtheIDlore, joseph may have taken Mary with him from Nazareth to Bethlehem "to shield her against slanderous tongues, and in order to
give her all the protection and help that she needed in her condition, and not to leave her in the care of others. Mary herself must also have greatly desired to leave Nazareth with]oseph. Providence so shaped events that the two left Nazareth just at this time." -Lenski ..
The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
In two verses Luke records the most important event in all of human history---the incarnation of God in jesus, the binh of the Divine-Human Savior of the world. To save man, He humbled Himself to beborn as a human baby in the lowliest of circumstances, "and was laid in a manger, because there was no room for Him in the inn.» "The extreme simplicity of the narrative is in very marked contrast with the momentous character of the event thus narrated."-Plumer
Because the little town ofBethlehem was so crowded with people because of the reqUirements of the census, joseph and Mary could find no proper lodging, so they spent the night in a stable, where animals were kept. There Mary gave binh to the Son of God incarnate. The early church father, justinManyr,(c, A.D. 150), wrote that the "stable" was, in fact, a cave. InA.D. 330 Constantine the Great built a church over this cave. Some expen historians believe this cave was most probably the real place ofjesus' birth. Later justinian refurbished and beautified the church, which stands to this very day over the cave. This present edifice is "mainly the same as the one erected over 1600 years ago.
The day on whichjesus was born is unknown. "The decision that Christ's binh occurred on December 25 was reached in the fourth centuty, i.e., during the . reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, (period of reign: A.D. 306-337). It was then that the date of the Savior's birth was made to coincide with Saturnalia, the
orgiastic pagan festival celebrating the return of the sun after days of constantly increasing darkness.' -Hendriksen
. While jesus' conception was miraculous and supernatural, He was born naturally, as all babies are born: Mary went into labor, birthpains set in, her "water broke," her cervix dilated, and the baby passed through themouth of the womb into the world. Luke simply puts it: "she gave birth to her firstborn son . .. ." "Firstborn, or prototokon in Greek, most naturally suggests that Mary had more children. In fact, the Gospels mention that jesus had brothers and sisters, Mat. 13:55,56; jn. 7:35. His brothers are named in Matt. 13:55 as james, joses, Simon and judas. "The Roman Catholic opinion that Mary bore no further children, (and was a perpetual virgin), cannot be maintained, for then we should have expected there mono gene, (only begotten) and not prototokon, (fi rs tb om)." - Ge I den h uys. Furthennore, "firstborn" must be understood also in the O.T. sense of Exodus 13:2, IS; 34:19, i.e., the firstborn son was the primary heir of the family wealth, and was to be given to God's service unless "redeemed" with a saCrifice, Num. 18: 15. The "firstborn" was the representative of all the children ina family, who, unless "redeemed" was to serve the Levites, who were the representatives of the entire Holy Nation, which was the representative of God in the world. It is fitting that jesus bearthis title, since, as our Mediator, He is in fact: (1). The Heir of all creation, Col. 1: 15; Heb. 1:2; and (2). the representativesubstitute of the chosen people to bear their sins away, so that they might comprise "the church of the firstborn,' Heb. 12:23, heirs themselves of God and creation, because they are "in Christ," Rom. 8: 17; I Cor. 3:21-23.
(For the im ponance of the doctrine of the virgin birth of jesus, and of Christians believing it see pages 17-19
October, 1993 ~ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ 5
in my exposition of l,.uke 1.:26-38 entitled •. ~The ,Announcem~t of the Incarnation of Christ to the Virgin Mary, ")
(2:8-20)THE ANGELIC
ANNOUNC!i;MEN'T OF THE BIRTH
OF JESUS TO THE SHEl'HERDS
The Revelation of the Foolishness of God
Once agairi God is faithful to His revealed tnetho4 .of oPeration in the advance of His kingdom, He uses the lowly and l:nis,e to overturn the high and :rhe mighty, the foolish to defeat the' wiSe, the weak to. shame the: s~rong, that no man should boast before Him, I Cor, 1:26-29, God does thin~ that look foolish in the eyes of the world, so as to confuse and destroy His enemies, How "foolish" to make mankind depe1,ld upqn the testimony of two first -century women for its understanding" of the gn:atest event of all times--the incarnation,
foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men," I Cor. 1:25,
THE APPEARANCE .oF THE ANGEL AND
THE GLORY .oF THE LORD
The Angel of the Lord Himself comes to the shepherds to preach the gospel of the newborn King and Savior to them, He came to Zacharias to
announce the birth of the Forerunner, 1:IL He came to Mary to announce
And now, the Savior is born, and with the virgin conception of the Savior and that birth, the Kingdqni of God has Messenger of the Covenant, 1:26, And entered humari history and its saving nqw He comes to the shepherds to power. begins' its conquest of men's "bring the good news of great jQy which hearts and sOcieti,es, After the birth of shall be for all the people," 2:10, As we Christ the Ahgel comes from God to 4ave seen, "the Angel of the Lord," pn!ac4 the gospel to SflEPFIERDS, Who reveals God's will to His people w40 in turn share the good news of in the O,T, is a pre-incarnate Christ to otIlers, SHEPHElWS! These llppearance of the Son of God, the '~articu1arshep4~rdsweresurelygodly eternal Word of God, 'the Second men, w!iitingin faith fonhe<i?,ming of PerSon of the Holy Trinity, Now the the Messiah; but as a class shepherds Angel of .the Lord speaks of the we~e not a respected lot. These accompli$hment of His incarnation in shepherds were also simple men of a Jesus to the shepherds, What mystery despised c1ass which wasalwaysundei, ' we have here! suspicion for disllonesty:,and theft, The Glory-Cloud of the Lord also They were not allowed trustWorthy:, app~ared to the shepherds that I]ight enough tQ testify and give evi,dence in in the fields, and it "shonearound them; court proceedings, ,And ,yet, ,these and they were terribly frightened,' The shepherds are the ones to whom the "gloty," (doxa in Greek), oftheLord is gos'pelisfirst'preachedandwh6begin the magnificent display of His the evangelization of the world, "The perfections, The "Glory-Cloud~' was
6 ~ TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ October, 1993
that radiant pillar of fire that led the children of Israel through the wilderness, and that hovered over the Tabernacle and sometimes filled the Holy of Holies in the Temple, It wa~ the miraculous and, glorious visualization of the active Presence of Jehovah with His covenant people, Israel, the pledge and guarantee of His fellowship with them and prOtection of them, By that "Gl.ory-Cloud" God led His people, protected His people,
and assured them of His grace and faithfulness toward them, .Where the :'Glory-Cloud'" was., God was, for it was a sign .of His prese)lce, When , the "Glory-C!,oud" disappe:i\red, it was a sign that God was angry with His people and had removed His presence and His blessing from them,
Now with the incarnation of Jesus God supremely reveals Himself and all His glorious
perfectiOns in ,the salvation .of His people and Hi; creation, so th~tJohn can speak ofjesus as "the Exposition.of God," Jn, 1:18, "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we behe1dHis GLORY, GLORY asofthe only begotten of the Father, full of gr~e and truth," ln, 1: 14, When God enables a person to believe inJesus, that person, by faith, sees "the GLORYof God in the face ,of Je,us Christ," II Cor, 4:6, Therefore, to impress the world with the fact thatJt;sUS is the Glory of God incarnate, God caused the Glory of His Presence to be bIilliantly visualized to some shepherds in the fields immediately after the birth of Jesus, filling the entire sky and annbspbere around them With the effulgence of His Glory'Cloud, "The splendbr of the Lord blazed around them." -Morris
THE MESSAGE' OF THE AN GEL OF THE
LORD TO THE SHEPHERDS
"stop being aJraid"
As might be expected, the shepherds were terrified by this extraordina!}' incident. So, the Angel spoke to them, saying, "Stop being afraid. There is nothing in all this to terrify you. This revelation of God's Glo!}' will calm all your fears." We are only in mapter two of Luke's gospel, and already we have heard the Angel telling people not to be afraid three times, 1:13; 1:30; 2:10. Why were these people afraid when they saw and heard the Angel of the Lord? What terrified them? Knowing
'jar behold,! bnng you good news oj great joy which shall be
Jar all the people"
"The gospel for sinners must always begin with 'fear not,' for it removes sin and fear. The angel justifies the command with 'gar,' ('For'), and exclaims at the greatness of this justification with 'idou,' ('Behold'). But he states first the effect and then the cause, first the joy and then the birth that produces that joy."-Lenski
THE BRINGING OF GOOD NEWS
"I bnngyougood news"is one word in Greek, EVANGELIZOMAI, from which we get OUt· word, evangelize. It
again, Luke is a "singing gospel," which begins and ends in praise and rejoicing, 1: 14; 24:52. Luke's Gospel is dominated by ecstatic joy that salvation and the Kingdom of God have come to man in Jesus Christ. This exuberant joy and passionate hope is based on the revelation that salvation is a present reality and a future certainty in total perfection. And, as we shall see when we study chapter 15, eve!}' time· a sinner is received into the company and fellowship of Jesus, there is joy among those who live with God in heaven. Therefore, the gospel ofJesus Christ brings j oy to angels, men and to God Himself. Luke "sees God at work
bringing men salvation and these encounters were supernatural and from God, were they afraid that God was coming to judge them for their sins? This fear in the presence of God "is a plain sign our nature is fallen from her original; Heaven and we are not in the tetnlS we should be, not the best of us all." -Bishop Andrewes in Plumer. This fear was rooted in a guilty conscience before the Living
"Luke'e Goepel ie dominated by ecet<ic joy that ealvation and the Kingdom of God have come
it is his pleasure to bring out a variety of aspects of this great saving work."-Morris
THE SCOPE OF THE EXPERIENCE to man in Jeeue Chriet. Thie
exuberant joy and paeeionate hope ie baeed on the revelation . that ealvation ie a preeent reality and a future certainty
in total perfection."
OF GREAT JOY
The Angel of the Lord clearly identifies those who will expelience this great joy because the saving power of Christ's Kingdom hasinvadedandconquered their lives: it "shall be for all the people." In Greek God, Who is majestic in
holiness.
"The majesty of God could not but swallow up the whole world, if there were not some mildness to mitigate the terror which it brings. And so the reprobate full down lifeless at the sight of God, because He appears to them in no othercharacterthan that of a judge. But to revive the minds of the shepherds, the angel declares that he wassentto them fora different purpose, to 'announce to them' the mercy of God. Whenmenhearthissingleword, that God is reconciled to them, it not only raises up those who are fallen down, but restores those who were ruined, and recalls them from death to life." -Calvin
is in the present tense, which means that it denotes action in progress. Luke 1:19 is the first time this word, which plays such a central ro1ein the N.T., is used in the N.T. See also Luke 3:18; 4:18,43; 7:22; 8:1; 9:6; 16:16; 20:1.
THE GOOD NEWS
THAT BRINGS GREAT JOY
The good news the Angel proclaimed to the shepherds is the gospel of] esus Christ: God has visited the human race in Jesus Christ to bling redemption from sin. The hope of the centuries has been fulfilled. The knowledge and experience of salvati on through faith in Jesus Christ, as the Divine-Human Savior, brings great joy to believers. As we have seen time and
there is an article, "the", preceding "people", and it must be maintained in the translation. Some translations mistakenly read that it "shall be for all people," leaving a wrong impression that all people without exception will experience the joy of salvation. The Angel makes clear that this Gospel of Jesus, this joy of salvation is for "ALL THE PEOPLE." Matthew 1:21 says, "You shall call His name, Jesus, Jar it is He Who will save HIS PEOPLE Jrom their sins." "The people," ("to lao" in Greek), found also in 1:68, 77; 7:16, was generally used to designate Israel, the covenant people of God. In the incarnation of Jesus Jehovah is now fulfilling His promise to Abraham that
October, 1993 ~ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon T 7
He would bring the blessings of salvation to His seed; the chosen people of God, Gal. 3:29 , and through them to a world full of the chosen people of God, Gen. 12: 1 ff. The object of. Jehovah's saving purposes in Jesus Christ is "all the people," the elect af God, 'separated from the rest af the sinful world by sovereign grace, Eph, 3: Iff.
" "F(Jf today in the dty of David thert has beel! born for you a savior, who is Christ the Lord"
.. "
THE BIRTH OF A SAVIOR
Jehavah as the Redeemer afIsrael define , the title, Saviar, as it is applied to Jesus.
Althoughtheward, "Savior,"isused rarelytn the Gospels, the verb behind it, "tosave"isfrequentlyused. "'Saving' is one ofthose conceptions which by the very commonness of usage have suffered attrition af meaning and last the sharp cantours af their ariginal impart. The average sense connected with che ward in the present-day religious mind is the very general orie
, af deliverance without any too clear reflection upon the 'wherefram', or
, uppn the 'whereto',' the negative sense The gaod news, the gaspel of the onthewholepredominatinginamore
Angel,isaboutthebirthofababy,who or less hazy appreherlston."-G, Vas, is the Savior of the world. ~OtristJesus TheSelf-bis<;losure of Jesus , pg.258. ciline into the 'world to save sinnrn,' I ' ,<, ' ' , '",' ''',
Tim. 1:15. He was riamedjesu5, In, the Gospels the Greek word for because "it is He Who will save His , "save,'~ sadzein, has two predominant
{, h mea,nihg' s',' "to de,liver" and "co heal," or peopleJrom t £ir sins: Mat, 1:21. ,"to' make whole." However, in , the
Although there is no article, "the," . Gaspels, .save," when translated, before "S~vior," that daes not mean "heal," never depi¢ts the healing acc the noun is indefinite since the relative fram a purely medical paint af view. clause makes it definite, theref()re, ' "The healing process is subordinated "Savior" can be translated,"the SaviaC '(0 a higher purpase, and this higher Jesus is Savior in the same sense that purpose furnishes the Chief reasOli why God is Savior, 1:47, See Isruah45: 15, the', OCqmence is so qenaminated. 20; Hab. ;3:18; 1>51\., 79:9. , Thi~ Whatisthishigherideathatst.aD.dsin Divine, Htiman Savior would ,' , accompliShsalvact6n for God's peop1e , the: background? It is thac of the ' in the fullest se!iSe of the word; and tranSference out of the sphere ojdeath then seel{ and save thoSe who are lost. into the sphere of life ... -Vos, pg. 260. See Th.istltle, "Savior,';underliesthenarne, Luke 6:9; Mark 3:4 and Mark 5:23; "1",e.~," 'aiV, en, inMatthewl, :21.ThisiS Matthew 16:25-27; Mark 8:35-38;
,,- Luke 9:24-26, the first time' Jesus is called Savior in the N.t. He is referred to as Savior' "Like Matthew 1:21, this passage only one other time in the gospels, clearly ' indicates that to the circle in Jolih 4:42. Paul speaks af Hhn as whichJesusmoved His coming as the Savior in Philippians 3:20; EpheSians Messiah was connected with the great 5:23; II timothy i:io;'titus 1:4; 2: 13; ' series of prophecies which promised 3:6. Luke uses the term twice in Acts the advent of Jehovah for the with 'reference 'to JeSus, 5:31; 13:23. redemption of His people, as truly as Peter speaks of JesuS as saVior in IT with those which prediCled thecomtnK Peter 1:1; il; 2:20;3:2,18; and Jude of the Davidic King. The terms, 'a uses the title in verse 25. John uSes it Savior, which is Christ the Lord,' are, in'his first epistle in 4: 14. In some of indeed, an express cambination of the these 'passages ChnSt'ssaviorhood and : two lines of prophecy, an impart that deityaielinked.Jesusissaviorbecause ' the Child who' was born in the city af HeisGodincamate, TheO.T, ideas of David was both the pramised
8 'I' mE COUNSEL of Chalcedon f October, 1993
Redeemer of ISrael and! the Anointed King that was to come."-warfield, The Lord of Glory, pg. 107f.
Isaiah teaches us, that the fact that God is the Savior of His people is the basis of the entire OT revelatian. He prophesies of a great Divine-Human Savior, who would bring salvatian to the elect of God and to the entire casmas. See 19:20;43:3, 11; 45:15, 21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8; 25:9; 33:22; 35:4; 37:20, 35; 38:20; 45:20;' 46:7; 47:13, 15; 49:25;59:1; 63:1. The Hebrew wards use'd in theSe verse far Savior and save come fram the Hebrew word, YASHA', which along with its derivatives are used 353 times iri the Q,T. The word denotes freedom from distreSS and the ability to pursue one's o\vp.oIijec;tives, Tomqvefromdistress to safety requires ' deliverance, and deliverance tequires victory aver enemies and removal of dangers: The One who brings victory, deliverance, and the restoration of peace and health, Socially and individually, is known as the , Savior, these messianic prophecies of ISaiah c:oncerning the ' coming Savior are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the salvatiOn He brings 'to His church. '
Isaiah 19:20
The savior will reveal Himself to those who were the enemies af Gad's people am\ canvert them into His peaple, and will save them. fram their enemies. As a result of the saving work of the MeSSiah, som~day it will be said, "Blessed IS Egypt My people, amlAssyria the ~orh of My hq'l)di, and Israel My inheritance;' vs. 25., "
, , ,
Isaiah 43:3,11
The Savior will redeem,fellowship ' with, protect and deliver His' people by destroying their enemies. He will save His people globally whicn will include the nations arid the peoples of the world assembled to warship Him, because, as Hesays, '7, even r; am the Lord; and there IS no Savior besides Me," vs; 11.
Isaiah 45:15,21
The Savior is the Sovereign God of Israel, Who says of Himself: "I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causingwell-belngandcreatingcalamity; 1 am the Lord who does all these," vs. 7. He is "a righteous God and a Savior" who not only calls all nations to worship Him, but Who has sworn that every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will swear allegiance to Him, vs. 22-25.
Isaiah 49:26
As the Savior destroys all the enemies and oppressors of His people, "all flesh will hnow that I, the LORD, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
lsaiah 60: 16
The Savior will transform the attitude of the world toward His people, from one of hostility to one of appreciation. He will cause the civil governments of the nations to recognize theirresponsibility of protecting and caring for the church of God. When that happens people will know that "I, the LORD, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. "
Isaiah 63:8
The Savior will show lovingkindness, great goodness and compassion toward His people transforming their characters from disobedience to obedience. His salvation of them was totally undeserveq., unmerited and unearned. "In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them ... /' vs. 9. "In all theirajjliction, He was afflicted. .. ," vs. 9.
Closely related to these prophecies of a coming Savior are the lsaianic propheCies of the Redeemer of Israel, which also are to be interpreted as ultimately fulfilledinJesusChrist, Who is Jehovah in human flesh, 41:14; 43:14; 44:6, 24; 47:4; 48:11; 49:7; 49:26; 54:5, 8; 59:20; 60:16; 63:16. In Isaiah 60: 16 God identifies Himself
by saying, "I, the LORD, am your Savicr, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." In Luke 1 and 2 Jesus is identified as "the Lord," and "Savior," hence, He is also "Redeemer" and "the Mighty One o[Jacob" in human flesh.
THE SAVIOR WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD
This newborn infant of MalY, as Savior is "Christ the Lord." THE LORD'S CHRIST, 2:26, IS CHRIST THE LORD, 2: 111 Later on the Day of Pentecost Peter says, "God has made this same Jesus w)wm you have cnu:ified both LORD and CHRIST." This combination, "Christ the Lord," occurs nowhere else in the N.T. "There is here a declaration that in this Child born in the city ofDavid, the functions of Redemption, Messiahship and Supreme Lordship are united."Warfield, pg. 109.
THE SIGN IFICANCE OF THE TITLE,
"CHRIST"
Jesus is the Christ sent from the Lord. "Christos" is the Greek word for the Hebrew word, "Mashiach," meaning "Messiah," or "the Anointed One." Every J ew of that day understood the designation as referring to the great Savior whom Jehovah had promised to send Israel. As "Christ" He is the One Who would fulfill all the covenant promises of God in the O. T.. He is the Anointed One, appointed, ordained and anointed by God Himself to be the great PROPHET, PRIEST, and KING, saving His people from the blindness, punishment and slavery of sin. In the O.T. prophets, priests and kings were anointed upon their installation into office to symbolize the fuct that they had been chosen and called of God to that office, and fully equipped by His Spirit to carry out aU the functions required of them as prophets, priests or kings.
Jesus refers to Himself as "the Christ" in Matthew 16:17, 20; Mark 9:41; Luke 24:26, 46. Others referred to Him as such in Matthew 16: 16; Luke 4:41; Matthew 27: 17, 22; Luke
23:2,35. His public anointing was at His baptism by John. But what is the significance of referring to Jesus as "the Christ," Le., "The Anointed One"? Why are we to associate Jesus with the practice of anOinting of prophets, priests and kings in the O.T.?
THE DIVINE "SENT NESS" OF THE CHRIST
One who is anOinted is one who has been commissioned and sent out with a specific mission to accomplish in behalf of the One Who anointed. Jesus is God's chosen and sent Representative, "the Servant of the Lord," Who is to cany out the will of the Father perfectly. "The voice from heaven at both the baptism and the transfiguration in its second statement, 'whom I have chosen' places at the very beginning of our Lord's ministry the attestation of His holding it under the sovereignty ofGod."-Vos, pg.l08. InJohn 4:34 Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work."
THE CHRIST'S CLOSE ASSOCIATION
WITH GOD
"Anointing" not only includes a declarative, appointive element, it also emphasizes the close association of the anointed with God and the resulting sanctity of the anOinted. In the O.T. the pouring of the oil on the person anointed brought lhat person into closer contact and communion with Jehovah, so close in fact, that injury done to him amounts to assault upon God. The Lord's Anointed must be treated with great reverence. Furthermore, it is a great crime to harm Him in anyway, I Sam. 24:6; 26:9; II Sam. 1:14. Hence, Gabriel informs Mary that she is carrying a "Holy" offspring in her womb, because He is the Anointed One. To reject Jesus as the Christ is to reject God Himseif,John 14:6. To know Jesus as the Christ is to know God, for He and the Father are one. When one saw Him, they saw the Father.
October, 1993 ~ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ 9
Jesus is the Anointed! One because the Holy Spirit of God was poured out upon His humanity at His baptism. This gift, of the Spirit, as a dove descending on Him from heaven, amounted to a divine declaration of His Messiahship. Whereas the Spirit came upon all the prophets in the QT, "the descent of the Spirit upon Jesusat the baptism Wq$ quite unique; it was intended for permanent possession, and not limited by any measure of communication, In. 3:34."-Vos, pg. 109. This. possession of the
and to others, as belonging to the sphere of the supernarural."-Vos, pg. llO-lll.
By vinue of the anointing of jesus with the Spirit, the Anointed becomes the "Anointer," the Baptizer with the Spirit, Acts 1-2; II Cor. 1:21; I jn. 2:20,27. "The same principle of the Messianic receiver communicating what He has received to His followers finds expression, though without reference to the figure of anointing, in the divine injunction given j oNn the
prophecies that the MesSiah will be born in Bethlehem as "Ruler in Israel," (ADHON, KURIOS).
One of the characteristics of Luke's Gospel is his frequent reference to jesus as "Lord," 1:45,2:11,19:31,34; 12:36,42,43. The prevailing form of address tojesus in Luke is "Lord," 5:8; 10:17,40; 11:1; 12:41; 17:37; 22:33, 38, 49. To address Jesus as "Lord," "was to acknowledge His authority and involved subjection to His commandments."-Warfield, pg. 101.
CallingJesus "Lord" not only emphasized the
Holy Spirit ''marks its bearer as panaking of the holiest intimacies of God,"-Vos, pg. 1l0. This is the reason why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in His Messianic operations is called the unforgivable sin. "In the Holy Spirit the blasphemer touches the very sanctities of God, which inhere in the Messiah."-Vos. See
"Calling Jesus 'Lord' not only emphasized the contrast between Him and the emperor in Rome, it was used, when applied to Jesus,
with the deepest reverence, because it indicated the Jesus is Jehovah
incarnate. Jesus is 'the Lord' visiting earth in our humanity."
contrast between Him and the emperor in Rome, it wasused, when applied to Jesus, with the deepest reverence, because it indicated that Jesus is Jehovah incarhate. Jesus is "the Lord" visiting earth in ourhumanity, Mal. 3: 1 f; 4: If. The point ofthis designation is toidentify the person ofjesus with jehovah, to emphasize
Acts 4:26,27.
THE ANOINTED BECOMES THE ANOINTER
"The anointing implies that not merely a cenain stamp is placed upon the anOinted, nor merely a close bond " .established between him and God; it likewise involves that something substantial is communicated from God to him."-Vos. To anoint came to mean to endow with the Spirit, James 5:14; II Cor. 1:21. Jesus understood His anointing-baptism to be a special impaning of the Holy Spirit. "To Him the baptism must have been the anointing at the opening of His public career, and the anointing must have been that which fully made Him the Christ. And such possession of the SpiritwasthatwhichmarkedHisentire life, with all its activities, to Himself
Baptist, In. 1:33: 'He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'''-Vos, pg. 115.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE,
"LORD»
jesus Christ is the Lord Himself incarnate. THE LORD'S CHRIST IS CHRISTTHELORD. TheGreekword for "Lord," KURIOS, is the translation oftheHebrewnameforGod,ADHON, meaning "Sovereign Master. " It isused in the O.T. with reference to Jesus Christ in Psalm 110: l--"The LORD, (YAHWEH), said to my Lord, (ADHON in Hebrew, KURIOS in Greek), Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies afootstoolforYourfeet." And Micah 5:2
10 ~ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ October, 1993
His mediatorial sovereignty --"All authority in heaven and in earth has been given to Me. "--and His Divine majesty --"Christ the Lord". The Christ of Luke's Gospel is a divine-human person, who exercises Divine prerogatives and who "asserts for Himself a Divine personality and partIClpation in the Divine Name."-Warfield, pg. 145.
THE PERSONS HE CAME TO SA YE:
"FOR YOU"
The exact words of the angel to the shepherds were: "For today in the dty of David there has been born for you a Savior ... : 2: 11. The Angel is very careful to be clear on the identity of the persons whom Jesus came to eanh to save from sin. In fact, throughout this narrative Luke has been equally. as careful to point out that the objects of
God's saving grace in Christ are not all human beings without exception, but in particular, the elect of God, i.e., those whom God chose for Himself before the creation of the universe, and with whom in covenanted to be their God. The Angel identifies the "saved" as "all The People," "for you", (the jewish shepherds), and, as we shall see, the "men upon whom God's good pleasure rests." In the Magnificat, Mary sings that in Christ God "has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His (covenant) mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever: 1:54-55. In the Benedictus Zacharias praises God because "He has visited US and accomplished redemption FOR HIS PEOPLE," 1:68. Matthew 1:21 tells us that jesus came "to save HIS PEOPLE from THEIR sins." The Bible is clear, God sent jesus to eanh to save His elect, all of them, only them, to show forth the glory of His grace. How may one tell if he is one of the elect? Acts 13:48 answers: "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed (in jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior)."
THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
WORD, "TODAY·
Luke sees God'smightyactsinjesus Christ as the great, central intervention of God into the history of mankind to accomplish global salvation for His people, 2:36; 4:10-12; 17:30f. ForLuke,JesusChrist is the central focus of all histOlY. "Luke emphasizes that salvation has become present in Christ with a &'equent use of the adverbs 'NOW' and 'TODAY: He uses 'now' founeen times, (Matthew 4 times, Mark 3 times) and 'today' eleven times, (Matthew 8 times, Mark once). In Jesus the time of salvation has come."-Leon Morris. ("Now", NUN in Greek, appears in Luke's Gospel in 1:48; 2:29; 5: 10; 6:21, 25; 11:39; 12:52; 16:25; 19:42; 22:36, 69; and "today," SAMERON in Greek, appears
in 2: 11; 4:21; 5:26; 12:28; 13:32,33; 19:5,9; 22:34; 23:43; 24:21.
"and this will be a sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.·
What was the purpose of this "sign"? Surely it was not to prove that the Angers words were true. Rather it was a sign by which the shepherds could find and identify the Child, in a small city crowded with people visiting fonlW census. Taking for granted that the shepherds will go to Christ the Lord, the Angel informs them tqat they will find Him not surrounded by splendor and outward glory, but as a little Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. What humiliation this Child experienced in order to save His People from the humiliation of sin!
John Calvin explains the purpose of "signs· as they relate to the sacraments, "Sending down to us from heaven the word of the Gospel, He enjoins us to embrace Christ crucified, and holds out to us signs in eanhly and fading elements, which raise us to the glory of a blessed immonality. Having promised to usspiritual righteousness, He places before our eyes a little water: by a small ponion of bread and wine, He seals the eternal life of the soul."
THE HYMN OF THE ANGEliC MULTITUDES
Immediately upon the conclusion of the Angers message of Good News to the shepherds, "a multitude of the heavenly host" burst fonh in angelic praise to God, saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased," 2:14. Thousands of thousands of angels fill the entire sky, all for the sake ofa few, poor shepherds! Their song is comprised of three poetical lines, stressing three nouns: "glory," "peace," and "good pleasure." "The second line is in contrast with the first, and the third isin coordination and explanation
of the second. That is why no KAI, "and," introd uces the third line ... ." -Lenski
THE MEANING OF
"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST"
This praise of God, based on the incarnation of Christ, is an assertion, a statement of fact. "Glory" is the magnificent display of God's perfections in Christ forthe redemption of His people. "What has happened, the birth of the Redeemer, is the outcome and revelation of the glOlY of God, for in the coming of Chrtst the zenithofthe divine Self-revelation has been reached. Therefore to God belongs the honor and the glory and to Him who is in the Highest Heaven all praise should be accorded for the event."-Geldenhuys. With the incarnation of Christ through the virgin Mary, the glorious display of God's wonderful perfections radiates throughout the whole creation, from eanh to the highest heavens. Jesus is "the radiance of God's glory," Heb. 1:2.
"Let us remember the final cause, why God reconciled us to Himself through His Only Begotten Son. It was that He might glorify His Name, by revealing the rtches of His grace, and of His boundless mercy." -Calvin
THE MEANING OF
"PEACE ON EARTH»
The Glory of God radiating from the person and work of Jesus Chlist produces real peace on earth, i.e., the restoration of God's order on earth based on the redemptive work of Christ. This peace, (EIRENE in Greek and SHALOM in Hebrew), 1: 79, is the consequence of the incarnation of Chrtst and His redemptive work, turning away the anger of God, and reconciling His people to God. Peace in the N.T., EIRENE, rests on the O.T. concept of peace as SHALOM, meaning wholeness, prospertty, well-being,
October, 199~ t- THE COUNSEL !If Chalcedon t- 11
- -- ." ------_ .. _- --_._- --_ .. _-_.-- ---- -- --- -- ---_. _. _ .. _-,._- ..
good of any kind. "Christ restores us into that relationship with God which brings us into communion with Him who blesses us with wholeness and prosperity. Peace in this sense is declared by both Testaments to be characteristic of the Messianic Times, for God's covenant is a covenant of peace, !sa. 54: 10; Ezek. 34:325f; 37:26. The Messiah is Himself the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9:6f; Mic. 5:5; Zech. 6:13. !Tis a time also of joy, !sa. 55:12. It is a time of universal knowledge of God, Isa. 54: 13. Peace shall be worldwide and centered in the true Zion or City of God, !sa. 66: 12. --- Peace is thus first of all a restored communion with God, a present possession, and then a growing material and spiritual well-being and prosperity Which encompasses the world. Peace 'is the direct result of the redemption bf Christ, Eph. 2:17, and consists primarily in a state of conscious reconciliation with God, Rom. 5:1, though often used in a broader sense to denote all the blessings which accompany and flow from that
When wa5 Je5u5 saved?
reconciliation.' (Brown)." -Rushdoony, Revolt Against Maturity, pg. 253.
"Some of the basic aspects of peace are thus, PIRST, reconciliation with God the Pather through the atonement ofJesus Christ. SECOND, this peace with God enables us to be at peace with ourselves. -- THIRD, Christ and His Utw-Word are the principles of our peace with men. This means, POURTH, that Christian reconstruction is a basic aspect of peace. To re-establish Christian church~ and' schools, states, homes, institutions, sciences and callings on the UtW-Word of God is a necessary task of the peace-maker. Itisthe blessedorjoyful peace-makers who are called the children of God, Mat. 5:9, because they ate those who do the will of their Pather in heaven.
"PIPTH, ... peace, in its Biblical sense, does not in any sense mean compromise. Compromise is a form of surrender; the word compromise is not to be found in Scripture. Peace rather is akinto power and is an aspect of the manifestation of God's power
How was Je5u5' edu"atlon different from our publl" 5"hool edu"atlon?
What "an we learn about our5elve5 from 12 year old Je5u5 111 the Temple?
The relatlon5hlp of freewill and the 50verelgnty of God?
12 ~ TIlECOUNSELofChaIcedon ~ October, 1993
unto salvation and victory, Prederick Douglass once observed that ,'Power concedes nothing.' Least of all does the sovereign and omnipotent God concede anything: His peace is on His terms and is grounded on His righteousness and grace. --- Peace is thus more' than an emotional state. -When Christ spoke of peace at the last Supper, it was after He promised the coming of the Comforter or Advocate. Then, He declared, 'Pecue I leave with you, mY peace I give to you: not as the wqrld gives, give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither letit be afraid, , In.14:27.IncommandingHispeople to be neither troubled nor afraid, our Lord Was not advocating 'positive thinking' or psychological self-help. He was assuring them of peace in a troubled world precisely because 'all power' was His, Mat. 28:18. As' a result, His people )lave the assurance of peace, lJecause Christ absolutely rules and reigns over all things. As He declared, 'These things I have spoken to you; that in Meyou mighthavepecue.In the world you shall haye tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world: John 1,6:33. Christ's peace is grounded in ,Chrisr'svidory." -Rushdoony, pg. 254f.
Based on this primary meaning of "peace" and its basic aspects, "peace" includes: (1). harmonious relationships between people, MIt. 10:34; Rom. 14:19; (2). harmonious telationships between nations, Luke 14:32; Acts 12:20; (3). friendliness, Acts 15:33; I Cor; 16:11; Heb. 11:31; (4). freedom from harassment and molestation, Luke 11:21; 19:43; Acts 9:31; 16:36; (5). cirderin the state; (6). the harmonized relationships between God and man; accomplished through the gospel, Acts 10:36; Eph. 2:17; (7). the sense of rest and contentment consequent thereon, Mat. 10: 13; Mark. 5:34; Luke. 1:79; Rom .. 8:6.-Basedon Vine, Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words.
THE MEANING OF
"AMONG MEN WITH WHOM HE IS PlEASED"
A more accurate translation of this phrase is "among men who are the objects of God's good pleasure." This phrase should NOT be translated, "Good will toward men," or "among men of good will." "The good pleasure or good will proceeds from God, not men. The meaning is that peace on earth will in the highest instance become a reality among those who are blessed by the good-will and gracious favor of God, those redeemed in Christ, those ordained to full salvation as children of God." -Geldenhuys. "EUDOKIA" is regularly used in the Greek Bible to designate "the good pleasure of God," i.e., His free and sovereign determination to save men of His choosing, Mat. 11:26; Eph .. 1:5,9. So that, the phrase refers to those people upon whom God's good pleasure rests, or those who have been sovereignly chosen by Him for salvation according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, Eph. 1:3ff.
The Response oj the Shepherds to the Angelic Message
)HE VISIT OF THE SHEPHERDS
As soon as the angelic choirs finished their singing they vanished as suddenly as they appeared. The shepherds, convinced that the Angelic Good News was an actual revelation from the Lord, they agree to go immediately to Bethlehem to see the Savior Who is Christ the Lord. "And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger." "What a tremendous contrast it must have been to them---the miraculousness of the announcement of the nativily and now the poor and humble circumstances in which they find Him!"-Geldenhuys
"The glory of God was so fully before their eyes, and reverence for
His Word was so deeply impressed upon their minds, that the elevation of their faith easily rose above all that appeared mean and despicable in Christ, so that it does not hinder them from acknowledging the height of His divine majesty."-Calvin
THE WITNESS OF THE SHEPHERDS
The shepherds discuss with one another what they had seen and heard, and promptly obeyed .the Divine revel~tion. After visiting the Child "they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child," 2:17. Just as these simple shepherds were the first persons to whom the gospel was revealed after the binh of Jesus, so they were the first ones to
bear witness to the gospel of the incarnation to others. "The Lord had made them the wimesses of His Son to the whole world." -Calvin
THE PRAISE OF THE SHEPHERDS
Everyone who heard the witness of the shepherds were astonished at the things which the shepherds told them. "And the shepherds went back (to their flocks in the fields), gloriJying and praising God Jor all that they had heard and. seen, just .as had.been told them: 2:20. Like the angelic hosts, the shepherds glorified and praised God for His incarnation. What they began has continued ever since! "Their zeal in 'glorifying and praising God' is an implied reproof of our indolence, or rather of our ingratitude. If the cradle of Christ, (the little rags in which the childJesuswas wrapped), had such an effect upon them, as to make them rise from the stable and the manger to heaven, how much more powerful ought the death and resurrection of Christ to be in raising us to God? "-Calvin
THE RESPONSE OF MARY TO
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE INCARNATION
While everyone who heard the news of the incarnation was 'astonished,
"Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart, " 2: 19. The story the shepherd's recounted about the angelic "preaching" to them was "another link in the golden chain of miraculous happenings that had commenced on the day when the angel Gabriel brought her the news that she would become the mother of the Messiah. Everyone of these events made her realize better the divine glory of her Son. "-Geldenhuys
"Treasured up" is literally translated, "guarded closely." Mary, young contemplative woman that she was, said nothing. It was all to holy, too supernatural, too miraculous, too stupendous for her. And, in addition to guarding these things closely, she ·continued pondering them in her heart." "Pondered" is a present paniciple, matching the imperfect verb, "treasured up," both of which denoting continual action. "The idea in the participle is that of throwing things together, compaling, letting one explain and add to another. We catch a glimpse of the depth of Mary's character, it was calm and deep, spiritually receptive and strong, steady and persevering in grace." -Lenski
"If we are wise, it will be our chief employment, and the great object of our life, to COnsider with attention those works of God which build up our faith."-Calvin
CONCLUSION
The incarnation of Christ remains the only basis upon which confidence and faith in the Living God, instead of terror and dread can be built. "For the child of God the invisible and eternal can no longer have any terror, because the Christ who has come out of the unseen world and has returned to it and now fills the whole universe is his Redeemer and Lord." -Geldenhuys Q
October, 1993 ~ THE COUNSEL of ChaIcedon ~ l3
