“What Are We Singing About?”

“What Are We Singing About?” (Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 2:1–7)

Pastor Cameron Jungels

Eastside Baptist Church

Sunday AM, December 11, 2016

 

Matthew 1:18–25, NIV

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  ²³ "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").  ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

 

Luke 2:1–7, NIV

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.  ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

 

1. We are singing about the miracle of the virgin birth, which was predicted by the prophet Isaiah centuries before its fulfillment.

 

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isa. 7:14, NIV)

 

2. We are singing about the miracle of God becoming man through the conception of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  ³² 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,  ³³ and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."  ³⁴ "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"  ³⁵ 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.  (Lk. 1:31-35, NIV)

 

3. We are singing about the fulfillment of all of God’s promises and covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David as witnessed by the prophets.

 

³² 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,  ³³ and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."  (Lk. 1:32-33, NIV)

 

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful  ⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors."  (Lk. 1:54-55, NIV)

 

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 1:20, NIV)

 

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (Lk. 2:4, NIV)

 

4. We are singing about the coming of Jesus into the world to be our savior and rescue us from the condemnation that our sins deserve.

 

"Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:20-21, NIV)

 

⁶⁸ "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.  ⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David  ⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),  ⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--  ⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,  ⁷³ the oath he swore to our father Abraham:  ⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear  ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.  ⁷⁶ 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,  ⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,  ⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven  ⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."  ⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.  (Lk. 1:68-80, NIV)

 

5. We are singing about the God of the Universe voluntarily humbling himself to become a servant and live in poverty, hardship, and sorrow for us.

 

⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

 

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross!  ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, NIV)