TEXT: Luke 2:1-20 (Esp. vv. 13-14); Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; 1 Timothy 3:16
READING: Luke 2:1-20
SUBJ: The Gospel as declared in Charles Wesley’s great hymn
AIM: That we might engage in a season of praise at the things that are therein declared
INTR: The great hymns of the faith are closely tied to Scripture and this one is no exception.
1. Greetings and best wishes for the holiday season. At this time as at all times the worship of God is to be our priority and that through the word.
2. The message of the birth of Christ is gospel in its essence. It was, indeed heralded as “good news of great joy.”
3. The strong ties to scripture and the promotion of worship are missing from much of today’s Christian music. The words to this beautifully present the Gospel of Christ our Lord. Many of these hymns were not written as Christmas songs at all.
THESIS: These wonderful hymns should always be used as words which respond to melody in the heart whereby, we speak to one another.
I. The Purpose and Design of Christ’s 1st Advent
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
1. The announcement at the beginning as at the end as we see it in Revelation that all glory goes to Him.
2. Peace had indeed come to earth!
3. The design of God was reconciliation (God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself)
4. We have the same message as the angels – that Christ is preached to all nations.
II. God Manifest in the flesh
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
1. I have set my King! (Psalm 2)
2. Late in time or “hath in these last days” come of miraculous birth. – Man was a failure.
3. He is God manifest I the flesh. The fullness of the Godhead is in Him bodily.
4. Made of no reputation, but God with us.
III. The Mission and Accomplishment in coming
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
1. He is the maker of peace between God and man and so He reigns over peace.
2. Righteousness rises in Him
3. The light of the world and see Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
4. Compare the glory that He would take at the end as seen in John 17.
5. Born that He may provide a New Birth. He shall save indeed.
IV. A desire to dwell with Him
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
1. Compare: Haggai 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
2. That He should indwell us fully – filled with His fullness.
3. We draw a powerful lesson from Genesis 3.
4. And consider the “power of God unto salvation.”
5. And make us “partakers of the divine nature.”
6. Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
V. A Desire for Holiness
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
1. We confess the fallen image of Adam in us
2. Rather we would bear His image that it might be claimed “when we see Him, we shall be like Him.”
3. We see His Love at the cross but would experience the expression of it in our relationship to Him.
4. The desire is that Christ would be with us in the “inner man.”
5. Well defined in our hearts (Paul: till Christ be formed in you. Hark! The herald angels sing,
