If you will, take your Bibles
and turn with me to Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two. Last week, we looked at verses
10 through 20 at the first worshipers. Talked
a little bit about the angels, talked a little bit about the
shepherds, those who attended that. And this morning I want us to
look at verses 21 through 24 of Luke chapter two with this
thought in mind, Christ and the law. Let's read these verses
together. Luke chapter two beginning with
verse 21. And when eight days were accomplished
for the circumcising of the child, His name was called Jesus, which
was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification,
according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought
him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written
in the law of the Lord Every male that openeth the womb shall
be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according
to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle
doves or two young pigeons. Now there are five things that
I want us to think about in these verses that I've just read to
you. And the first thing is this,
Christ, and the law, Christ and the law. In my opinion, and I've
been doing this for a while now, there's not a more misunderstood
thing in our day than Christ and the law. People talk about
the law, but they don't really hear the law. That's what Christ
said to those Galatians who had began to follow these legalizers.
They come in preaching the law, preaching self-righteousness,
legalism, obedience to the law for salvation. And he said, you
that seek to be under the law, do you hear the law? If you heard
the law, you wouldn't want to be under the law. People are
ignorant of the law of God. And I'm convinced in our day
it's no different than it was in his day. One of the most misunderstood
things is the law of God. You think about the law. We're talking about
the law and Christ. Both are an expression of God's
character. Both of them are. In one place,
the scripture says, if there had been given a law which could
have brought forth righteousness, barely the law could have done
it, but it is weak through the flesh. It wasn't weak in the
law. The law was an expression of the character of God. It was
holy. But man's weak, and he can't
obey it. He don't have the ability to
obey it. And he has no concept of what
it is. You think about the law, think
about this, how strict it is. When the law judged a man, he
was judged. That's it. It wasn't like our
law. In our day, I've seen murderers
serve three years and back out on the street. This law was strict. It was demanding and it was unforgiving. It was uncompromised. And here's
what the Lord said. The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. Not an if in that anywhere, is
there? The soul that sinneth shall surely die. No way out. No way out. Listen to this one. Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. It's a continual thing. It's
not like, well, I keep the Sabbath day. Have
you ever missed any? Yeah, I missed a few. That's
it for you. Huh? Cursed is everyone who continueth
not. It's a continual thing. And it's
not once you reach the age where you can proceed the law. But
you're under that law from the time you're born. And what David
say about us and our birth, we come forth from the womb speaking
lies. We're already unrighteous according
to the law right after we're born. And that's why scripture
says we're born in sin. The law of God, and I chose this
word carefully, it looms over men. Do you know what that means?
That means a massive, distorted, threatening image. It's like
when the Lord descended on Mount Sinai, that's where the law was
given, he descended on that mountain and that mountain began to quake
and to burn and to smoke and the people told Moses, you go
up on that mountain, we ain't going up there. God said, if
you so much as touch that mountain, you'll die. The law of God looms over men. It's distorted, threatening. They know that God gave this
law. Their own conscience bears witness that God gave this law
and that they've broken it. The law of God looms over men. And it's something they don't fully
comprehend. yet fear a little because they
know God is the author. What do we know about this law?
Well, I know that its obedience must be perfect. It must be perfect. It must be unbroken. It must be continual. And it
must be done with a pure motivation. And here's what the Lord said
about that. They said, what's the greatest law? He said, to love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength. And he said,
the second's like unto it, love your neighbors yourself. Upon
these two hang the whole law. So if you break that law at any
point, you're guilty of not loving God with all your heart, soul,
mind, and strength. If you loved him, you would obey
him. Is that right? If I do anything against my neighbor,
I've broken the law of love. Love is the fulfilling of the
law. That's what he said. You can't,
in other words, if love has not been your pure motive from the
time you were born to the time that you die, I don't care how
many holy days you kept, I don't care how many sacrifices you
brought, it's not gonna make any difference. You failed in
the motive of the law. And so you're guilty, that's
what the Lord said, of the whole law. Of the whole law. It's strict, it's demanding. and its obedience must be perfect,
continue with a pure motivation of love and honor to God. Just simply keeping a day or
participating in a feast or attending a worship service is not obedience
to the law. Love is the fulfilling of the
law. And I know this about the law, Romans 8, 7. The carnal mind is enmity against
God For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. Wow. You think about that. To be carnally minded, Paul said
this before he said that, is death. Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God. Not subject to the law of God.
In Romans 3, 24, he said, all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God. Every man. Men are neither standards nor
are they judges of the law. In fact, Romans 3.20 says, because
we're all under sin, therefore, by the deeds of the law, there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is
the knowledge of sin. The only thing the law says to
the sinner is guilty. Guilty, guilty. I don't care
how much he looks into it. I don't care how carefully he
tries to find some common ground. All he can find in the law is
guilty, guilty, guilty. He can go to church, and he'll
be the first to tell you. He goes to church, and he goes
every day, but then he misses a few. Now he's guilty. He's guilty. He can never go
enough, attend enough, give enough, say enough. Why? Because man can't keep the law. That's why. Paul prayed for his kinsmen,
the Jews, and he said, I bear them witness that they have a
zeal of God. They go to church. They keep
the feast days. They do these things. I bear
them witness. I'm one of them. I'm born with
them, circumcised by their hands. Of the tribe of Benjamin, touching
the law, I'm blameless. I was one of them, and I bear
them witness. They have a zeal of God, but
it's not according to knowledge. Romans 10, three, for they being
ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law, for righteousness to everyone that believes. That's the law. You that desire to be under the
law, do you hear the law? That's what Paul said, do you
hear it? Do you know what you're asking for? Do you know what
you're trying to do? And then Christ, let's talk about
that. Everything our Savior did as
a man, he did according to the law. Turn with me to Galatians chapter
four. Galatians is a letter written.
to the churches of Galatia who are being drawn away from the
gospel of Christ and his suffering to a false gospel with a deadly
mixture of law and grace. You cannot mix works and grace. They don't mix, like water and
oil. You can stir it all you want
to. It ain't gonna mix. And in Galatians 4.4, here's
what he said. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law. Now the son of God had no sin,
he did no sin, he thought no sin, and in fact the scripture
said he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. He was
God come into the flesh. So why must he be made of a woman
and made under the law? Why must he assume to himself
our flesh, flesh of our flesh, bone of our bones? Why must that
happen? Why must he now be he who gave
the law, him whose character the law reflects? Why must he be subject to this
law? He's not a sinner. Why must he
be subject to this law? Well, here it is, verse five,
Galatians chapter four. To redeem them that were under
the law. That we might receive the adoption
of sons. That's why. If Jesus is but a man, then he's
subject to the law of God. and indeed cursed by it and held
accountable to it if he is but a man. Because every man fell in his
father Adam. But Christ wasn't of Adam. He was born of a virgin. And as we saw last week, he's
not just another man, he's the Savior, Christ the Lord. Unto
you this day is born in the city of David a Savior, Christ the
Lord. And he is indeed a man, but not
just another man, he's a representative man, he is the God-man, and he
is the federal head, like unto Adam, of all his elect. And when
Jesus of Nazareth appeared on this earth, was to save his people
from their sins. He's the Christ, he's the Savior. And to save his people from their
sins, he must obey the law of God perfectly on their behalf,
and that with a perfect obedience in thought, motive, and deed,
continually, from the time of his birth to the time of his
death on the cross. You think about that. It was
a baby. Now babies, they come forth from
the womb speaking lies. They cry when there's nothing
wrong. They just want your attention. You'll run into that little newborn
baby and check to see if it's wet or if it messed its britches
or whatever, and there's nothing wrong with it. It's just crying.
As soon as you pick it up, it quits crying. Our Lord didn't do that. He never
done that. He was perfectly obedient in
motive, thought, and deed continually. Continually. And the glory of our day, Paul
declares to the Romans, is that the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the
prophets. They foretold that day. They
foretold this day. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of or faithfulness of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe, for there's no difference for all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So whether
you're a Jew or a Gentile, There's only one way to be saved, and
that's through the righteous obedience of Christ, which obedience
ended in his death on the cross. That's the law, and that's Christ. And then the second thing I want
us to think about is the circumcising of Christ. Here's this little
baby, and it has to be brought to be circumcised. Luke chapter 2 verse 21, and
when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child,
his name which was called Jesus, which was so named by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb. Now, circumcision was instituted
under the law of God as the symbol of the new birth. The cutting
away of the flesh, And in Colossians 2.11, he shows
our union with Christ by this circumcision. In whom ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting
off the body of sins of the flesh by the cutting off of Christ
or the circumcision of Christ. Circumcision identifies the believer
as being one with Abraham's seed. Now they brought him forth and
circumcised him, and he was Abraham's seed. You read about it in Galatians,
he said, not as seeds as of many, but as of thy seed, which is
Christ. This is the seed through whom
all the promises was given, Christ. Not Abraham's natural relatives,
that's what they thought, but those who would believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. And here's our blessed representative
voluntarily becoming a debtor. They brought this male child
and submitted him before the Lord. It was a ceremony of dedication,
I suppose you could say. He was circumcised. And you see
our blessed representative voluntarily becoming a debtor to keep the
whole law on our behalf. He's saying, I'm a debtor. He
brought this baby in and had it circumcised. He's a debtor
to keep the whole law. And then he tells us this. For
the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. My circumcision, my obedience,
my righteousness, my salvation, my redemption, it's all in Christ.
You see that? And then thirdly, I want us to
think also about a named savior. Now the angel said, you're gonna
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin.
That's what you're gonna call it. No ifs, ands, no maybes about
it. You're gonna call his name Jesus. But nobody knew that until they
brought the child in to be circumcised. because the tradition was when they brought the child
in to be circumcised, they announced publicly his name. I'm gonna
show you that back in Luke chapter one and verse 59, and this is
John the Baptist. And it came to pass that on the
eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, talking about John
the Baptist. And they called him Zacharias after the name
of his father, and his mother answered and said, not so, but
he should be called John. And at the circumcision of Mary's
firstborn, his name was made public as Jesus. And he says,
it wasn't her idea. Wasn't her idea. But he was so
named by the angel before his conception in her womb. Now Jesus is the New Testament
name for Joshua. What do we know about Joshua?
Well I know Joshua is who took Israel into the promised land.
Joshua. He led Israel into the promised
land, and he stood at the top as all those battles were fought. Joshua. And that's the New Testament
name is Jesus, or Joshua. In Hebrews chapter four and verse
eight, Referring to Joshua in the Old Testament, it said, for
if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have
spoken of another day? And we know that Christ is our
rest. But that word Jesus that they're
using here refers back to Joshua, who brought them into the promised
land and gave them rest. If you look at the side reference
in your Bible, you'll see the word Joshua. And at the time of this passage,
Jesus of Nazareth had not even been born yet when Joshua did
those things. So as Joshua led Israel into
the promised land, defeating their enemies, even so Jesus
of Nazareth shall win the victory through his name, through his
person, and through his work. And Jesus is but one of the many
names given to our Lord But it is as broad a name and takes
in all the other names. Jesus, he shall save his people
from their sins. This name Jesus was given by
the messenger of God before he's ever conceived in the womb. And
in Acts 4.12, Peter said, neither is there salvation in any other.
Talking about His name. For there's none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. And all of
His names are associated with His salvation, with Him as the
Savior. Emmanuel, God with us. Well, why is God with us? Why
must God and man be together in one person? For salvation. You see what I'm saying? The Prince of Peace. There's
no peace apart from Christ. Christ is our peace. So you see,
it comes back to that word Savior again. That word Savior encompasses
all his other names. Jehovah Sid Canute, and so on. Jehovah Jireh. The Everlasting Father. Counselor. Christ is our counselor. Unto
you this day in the city of David is born a Savior, Christ the
Lord. And then fourthly, I want us
to think on him as the first begotten. Mary brought Jesus into the temple
in Jerusalem according to the law of the Lord. And we know
by Holy Scripture that Christ is the Firstborn among many brethren,
it calls him that. The first begotten of every creature
and the firstborn from the dead. And he is before all things.
And throughout the word of God, Christ is typified throughout
the prophets. He's typified by the firstborn
the first begotten, the firstling of the flock, and the firstfruits
of the field. All of these, when it's talking
about firstborn and firstling and firstfruits and all, it's
talking about Christ. These are all typical things
about Christ. And indeed it pleased the Father
that in him should all fullness dwell. And then lastly, I want
us to think on the poverty of Christ. Though he were rich,
the scripture said, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we,
through his poverty, might be rich. Now in Leviticus chapter
12 and verse eight, it talks about the sacrifices that Mary
brought and offered the pigeons and the turtle dove. If she be
not able to bring a lamb, Couldn't afford one, didn't have one.
They were poor, very poor. If she be not able to bring a
lamb, then she shall bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons,
the one for a burn offering, the other for a sin offering.
And what I see in this is the extreme poverty of every believer. He has no sense of the lamb that
God requires. And he has no ability to bring
it. But the law allows for a dove. Now the Holy Spirit of God in
John 1.32 is likened unto a dove, and he's so typified in that
dove, you remember Noah set out a dove and it went out and flew
around, flew around, flew around and come back. Come back. Well, the Holy Spirit of God
is typified even in a dove in the day of Noah. It is the Spirit
Himself which reveals the Lamb to the heart. He represents the
Lamb in this world. If I don't go away, Christ said,
the Comforter's not gonna come. Well, when He come, what did
He do? Christ represented His elect in this world. He went
to be with the Father. Now He sends the Comforter. Who
does the Comforter represent? The Lamb. He don't speak of Himself. I'm trying to tell you the truth.
You go down here, I'm not trying to make fun of them, but you
go down here to these churches, and all they want to talk about
is the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost. They don't know
the Holy Ghost. When He comes, He will not speak
of Himself. Christ said He'll take the things
of mine and show them unto you. Why? Because He represents the
Son in this world. That's why. He's called the Spirit
of Christ. Did you know that? That's what
the Scripture calls Him. The Spirit of Christ. And so in the depravity of our
natures, we offer the dove. That is, we offer the lamb that
the dove represents. You understand what I'm saying?
Oh, the poverty of man. And what a blessed thought that
God has made provision for the poorest of sinners to be cleansed
by the blood, given by the dove, and made effectual by God. May the Lord help us today to
truly think upon these things and the wonder that's attached
to them. Oh, my soul, what a wondrous thing it is to know Christ. Thank
you.