In the first part of this series, we learned that the birth announcements of angels in the Gospels brought “good news of great joy” for those who have been humiliated by sin, suffering, and death. In our second part, we will focus on two other truths: (1) the birth announcements by the angels were made to?All the people? (Luke 2. 10) and (2) these birth announcements spoke of the person and work of Jesus. Let’s take a closer look at each of these points.
As we reflect on the angels who send birth announcements to “the whole people,” we must realize that the angels were not saying there that the God of the Bible is a universalist. No, God is not a universalist, neither in judgment nor in Here we focus on God’s work and saving will. The God of the Bible does not save or intend to save every sinner without exception. He saves only sinners who repent and believe. the Bible shows no prejudice to save sinners.
- In the Bible.
- God has proven to be impartial with sinners.
- Despite the social categories in which we can distinguish them.
- He saves all kinds of people.
- It saves both those who have no authority and those who have it.
- Saves women and men.
- Poor and rich.
- Weak and strong.
- Saves both non-Jews and Jews.
- Turks and Iraqis.
- Both Palestinian and Israeli.
- South American Indians and the South American Andes.
- Africans and Europeans.
In other words, angels tell us that with regard to the salvation of sinners, the God of the Bible has no preference for any nationality, language, social status, gender or other distinction made between humanity. None of these distinctions count sinners against us. None of them exclude us from God’s work and saving will.
How do you respond to God’s impartiality? Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, was very outraged that God’s impartiality might include even the notorious Assyrian criminals who came to repent; Jonah even came to tell God, when he had just felt sorry for the Assyrians who repented: “O Lord, take my life, why is it better for me to die than to live?(Jonas 4. 3). Would you rather die than see God’s saving work and even reach out to the extremely wicked villains who repent in their time?attitude, don’t forget what happened to Jonah. Better yet, remember that the birth announcements of the angels in the gospels were sent to “all people. “The angels who brought birth ads to Christmas teach us to count. They say the “good news of great joy,” reaching people in slavery for their sins, no matter what other social category we can distinguish them by.
Angel birth announcements to all people? They also talked about the person and the work of Jesus. Notice the titles the angels used to describe Jesus.
Is he Salvador? (Luke 2. 11). In fact, because he will save his people from slavery from their sins, the angels in heaven have led Joseph and Mary, their earthly parents, to call the baby Christ by the name of “Jesus?”(Matthew 1. 21). His own name, a Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua,” means the truth that “Yahweh (Jehovah) saves. “”In Jesus, then, do we have one? Joshua: This brings greater deliverance than Moses, Joshua, and David. They have freed the nation from his pagan enemies, but Jesus will deliver His people from their sins and in doing so will reveal Himself as God Himself, for only God redeems. his people of their sins (Psalm 130. 8).
The nursery child is not just “Savior”; Is it, too?Christ? (Luke 2. 11), the Anointed One of God. Jesus is the last anointed prophet to lead God’s people to spiritual freedom, the high priest anointed to offer this one sacrifice of himself to take away the sins of the world, the true king anointed to overcome sin. and death and thus make your nation safe and pure for communion with God.
The boy, too, the Lord? (Luke 2. 11) Actually, isn’t it?God with us? (Matthew 1:23). He is God, absolute sovereign above all, of whom, for whom and for whom everything is. He is the Son called “admirable counsellor, strong God, father of eternity, prince of peace,” whose rule and peace will never cease when he reigns forever on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6). As Lord of all, this Jesus will exalt the vilified and humiliated by faith, while humiliating the proud and powerful in their sins.
What’s the point here? When the angels talk about the person and work of Jesus, they tell us that there is hope for those who live in the dark empire of sin, in the valley of shadow of death, they tell us that there is hope because someone greater than Abraham is here, someone greater than Moses and Joshua is here, someone greater than David and Solomon is here , Jesus surpasses them all in his person and in his work.
What good news of great joy for all!
By: R. Fowler White. © 2014 Ligonier Ministries. Original: Christmas according to angels (part 2 of 3).
Translation: © 2014 Ministério Fiel. All rights reserved. Website: MinisterioFiel. com. br. Original: R. Fowler White? Christmas According to the Angels (part 2 of 3).
Authorizations: You are authorized and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided the author, his ministry and the translator are informed, not to modify the original content and not to use it for commercial purposes.