And I invite you to turn to that chapter we just read, Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2, I won't take the time to read the chapter again, obviously. But let me read for you verse 7. And this is the word of God, let us hear it. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. But Jesus was born, the Messiah had come, had come at last, long promised Messiah, at exactly the right time and precisely the right place, had the Savior come. Well, let's seek the Lord in prayer before we consider this passage then, and let's all pray and ask the Lord to speak to us now as we contemplate his word. Let's pray. Dear Lord, as we bow in thy presence now with thy word open before us, we look to thee for help. We look to thee, Lord, to quicken us by thy word and by thy spirit. May it please Him to pull back the veil and enable us to see with greater clarity and fullness the glory of our Redeemer. And as we behold Him, may we be the more conformed to Him, and may our desires be the stronger to bring honor and glory to Him. And to this end, dear Lord, I plead the blood of Christ over my life, and ask of thee, Lord, to apply to me fresh cleansing in that blood, And then may it please thee as well to grant to me strength of heart and mind, clarity of thought and speech, and especially unction from on high. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. In the Olivet Discourse, which takes place in Matthew 24, Jesus warned his disciples about something that would take place following his departure. So we read in verses four and five, and Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no one deceive you, for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. This very thing took place even before the generation of the apostles had left the scene of time. So John writes in his first epistle, chapter 2, verses 18 and 19, Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. Many antichrists, even in that day. Now, an antichrist is one who professes to be in the place of Christ. That word anti is a Greek preposition that is sometimes used pertaining to Christ's substitutionary death. So it can be translated in the place of or instead of. It can also be utilized to mean against. And in the case of an Antichrist then, you find one who is actually against Christ and one who professes to take the place of Christ. That definition is what gave rise to the Protestant view that the Pope of Rome was the Antichrist. He professes to occupy the place of Christ in the position he holds. What we have to realize, however, is that there were many in Luke's day that would have placed Jesus himself into the category of false Christs. They did not believe he was the Messiah. And indeed, up to this present hour, that would be the view of the vast majority of the Jewish race, as well as the view of many Christ rejecters. Now I think it's worth noting that historians, generally speaking, will acknowledge the historical truth that a man, Jesus, really did exist in ancient history. I don't know that there are many, if any, that would deny the historical existence of him. Very few and far between that can be found that would actually put forward the view that Jesus is a completely fictional character, entirely made up by men. They simply believe that this historical character has been shrouded with so much superstitious myth that has led to many religious traditions. that are with us up to the present day. Books have been written with titles like, In Search of the Historical Jesus. The authors of such books endeavor to separate what they take to be the historical Jesus from the so-called mythical Jesus. Basically, such authors deny the supernatural and they seek to remove or explain away anything supernatural that pertains to the historical character of Jesus. And so the fact that there were many, even in the days of the apostles, that claimed to be Christ, and there have been many since that time, right up to the present hour, that would deny that Jesus is the Messiah or the Christ, it gives rise then to an important question that we ought to ponder. Are you sure that you're worshiping the right person this morning? might seem like a ridiculous question, and yet when you read in the gospel accounts of the doubts that even the disciples had at times, Maybe it's not so ridiculous a question. John the Baptist himself had caused the wonder about this as he languished in prison and sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus. So we read in Luke chapter seven and verse nine, and John calling unto him, two of his disciples sent them to Jesus saying, art thou he that should come or look we for another? Now, what gave rise to that kind of doubt in the mind of John the Baptist? Well, probably a major contributing factor to it is that things just didn't pan out the way he anticipated. If this is the Messiah, if this truly is the right one, if I have identified the one that God told me to point to, then why do I languish in jail? Indeed, he would remain in jail until the time of his execution. The disciples themselves had doubts along the way, some even after Christ was risen from the dead. So we read in Matthew 28 and verse 16, and this is now in the setting of the risen Christ about to ascend into heaven. We read, then the 11 disciples went away to Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but then note, but some doubted. Given such circumstances, then, of doubts and rejection and false Christs that arise on the scene of time, it makes it a valid question to consider, are you sure you're worshipping the right person? Let's face it, if we're not worshipping the right person, then Christians of all people are guilty of the most heinous sin. They're worshipping a false god. They're worshiping a mere man. They've made way too much of this historical character than they should, and they've been deceived. So there would be many that would put forward that view. Now Luke's gospel, as I pointed out a number of times already, was written to counter all such doubts and misgivings. Listen again to the purpose statement found in chapter 1, verse 3. Luke writes, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. When you keep this purpose statement in mind, and then read the account we've read this morning of the birth of Christ, it becomes very clear, I think, that Luke builds a very strong case to support the notion that this child, this miracle child born to Joseph and Mary, is beyond all doubt the Christ, the promised Messiah. And so that's what I want to focus on this morning in the moments that remain. The certainty of Christ based on the account of his birth. The certainty of Christ based on the account of his birth. I'm hopeful that such a study will serve the purpose of bolstering your confidence in him so that you may worship and serve him in these days with all your hearts. completely confident that you are indeed worshiping the right one. After all, if we're placing the eternal destiny of our souls in his hands, then we do well to bolster our confidence in him. Let's look then in Luke chapter two at the factors that contribute to the certainty of Christ. the factors that contribute to the certainty of Christ. Let's look first of all at the certainty of his lineage. The certainty of his lineage. Look with me at verses one through three again. We read, and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea under the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. And then note this parenthetical statement right at the end of the verse, because this is incredibly important. Okay, Joseph goes to Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. He was of the house and lineage of David. This lineage is given in even greater detail when you come to the second half of chapter three in Luke's gospel. And indeed, and I'm sure you're aware of it, that Matthew's gospel begins with a detailed genealogy. The very first verse, indeed the very first verse of the New Testament begins like this, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. This verse then in Luke's gospel, along with this opening statement in Matthew's gospel, become very important statements. They present to us, you see, Christ's credentials to validate the claim that He is the Messiah. Now, there are critics of the Bible that point out a number of discrepancies between Matthew's genealogy and Luke's genealogy in chapter 3. And the simplest explanation for these discrepancies is that Luke's genealogy traces Christ's line from his mother Mary, while Matthew's genealogy traces his line from Joseph. That explanation at first doesn't seem feasible based on the words themselves. But when certain Jewish traditions are considered, most especially the tradition of a husband being adopted by his father-in-law when the bride has no brothers, then the genealogies make perfect sense. The point that needs to be emphasized, however, is that Christ descends from the line of Abraham and from the line of David. I can remember many years ago—I don't remember the source for this, I either heard this or I read this—about a Jew who, upon reading the genealogy in Matthew's Gospel, became convinced that Jesus was and is the Messiah, and he called on Christ to the saving of his soul. Imagine that! These genealogies that we tend to gloss over becoming an evangelistic tool for leading a Jew to Christ. And why? Well, simply because he saw the credentials of Christ. The Messiah, you see, must come from Abraham's line. That's in keeping with the Abrahamic covenant. that in Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And when the Lord spoke to David through the prophet Nathan, he spoke in words that looked way beyond David and Solomon. In the Davidic covenant found in 2 Samuel 7, we read in verse 16, and thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee, thy throne shall be established forever. Well, that goes way beyond David, doesn't it? And it goes way beyond Solomon. It goes to forever. It points to Christ. Peter would refer to this covenant when he preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. So we read there, beginning in verse 29, Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." So Jesus of Nazareth possesses the credentials to be the Messiah. He has come through the line of Abraham and David, and what that means to us today is that we can distinguish Him from any and all others that would seek to make any claim to being the Messiah, and we can trust Him, and we can commit our souls to Him. He is the only mediator between God and men. He is the Savior of sinners. And what's more, we can trust our Bibles. We see clear and wonderful continuity, don't we, between the Old Testament and the New. We see a sampling in the account of Christ's birth of how the Old Testament conceals the New and the New Testament reveals the Old. It's a singular story from Genesis to Revelation, and it tells the story of redemption through Christ and for the glory of Christ. That's the first factor, then, of the certainty of Christ. His lineage vindicates his identity as the Messiah. In coming to Christ for salvation, we come to the one who possesses the credentials to be the Messiah. But Luke has only begun to make his case for Jesus being the Messiah. There's much more to his case than only the lineage of Christ, important as that is. So let's look next at another factor that contributes to the certainty of Christ, and that is the heavenly testimony of angels. Maybe it's because I'm familiar with working the night shift that the account of the angels appearing to the shepherds appeals very strongly to me. It's not hard for me to envision these shepherds facing the challenge of trying to stay awake. I remember when I worked the late night shift in printing, a shift that ran from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next morning, I became convinced during those days that God hardwired humanity to be sleeping during those hours, and it was a nightly challenge for me to stay awake enough to do whatever work was expected of me. became particularly challenging where things were slow and there just wasn't a whole lot to do. Well, how much would those shepherds have to do during those late night hours? I wonder if they would have welcomed a predator of some kind attempting to get to the sheep so they could chase the animal away. It would have given them something to do. But then in their mundane sleepy stupor, we read in Luke chapter two and verse nine of an event that instantly brought them to a state of being wide awake, perhaps more awake than they had ever been at any time in their lives. So we read in verse nine, And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And as if that appearance of the angel and the splendor of the glory of the Lord shining round about them wasn't enough, the scene becomes even brighter when we read in the next verse, and suddenly and underscore that there is a suddenness to this scene. Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. What a witness to the certainty of Christ we find in that angelic announcement and worship Keep in mind, though, that Luke isn't describing his own firsthand experience. Kind of makes you wonder, how would Luke have known about this sensational event? He would have done the research. That's how Luke compiled his gospel. He did the research. He very well may have interviewed some of those shepherds, maybe those who would have heard the accounts of the shepherds. We're told, after all, in verse 17, that after they beheld the baby Jesus in the manger, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. So this thing, though it was only seen firsthand by the shepherds, it was told far and wide. And it may be that Luke would have had occasion to interview those that had heard the account of the shepherds, or to have interviewed the shepherds themselves, or perhaps to have even interviewed Mary. In any case, we have a divinely inspired account of this heavenly witness that we can add to his lineage, which both point to the certainty of Christ. And the thing that always impresses me about this heavenly witness is the way the angels quote Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6. But in quoting it, they apply it directly to those shepherds. And so we may apply it directly to ourselves when we read, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. underscore those words unto you. He is born unto you. Do you not find yourself moved to wonder and awe at the very thought of that? He is born unto you. A Savior born unto you. A Savior that came to accomplish salvation for you. A Savior that came into this world with your eternal well-being in view. This message from heaven, you know, very much aligns itself with the words of Christ when he instituted the Lord's table. So we read every month those words of Christ cited by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 24. Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. And in Luke chapter 22 and verse 20, Christ speaking, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Born unto you, body broken for you, blood shed for you. Oh, it's no wonder we sing, hallelujah. What a savior. There must be, of course, a personal appropriation on your part of what is done unto you and for you. And this is the blessing of the Lord's Table. It affords us, each time we partake of it, the opportunity to appropriate a new and afresh Christ's salvation. I was very happy during our Young Adults Fellowship to have sung hymn number 26, Great God of Wonders. That is one of those hymns that you need a good-sized congregation to sing effectively. The third stanza especially speaks to us of appropriating that which is unto us. So the hymn writer writes, in wonder lost with trembling joy, we take the pardon of our God. Pardon for crimes of deepest die, a pardon bought with Jesus' blood. We take the pardon of our God. There is a sense, you know, in which you do that every time you partake of the Lord's table. So there's the factor of Christ lineage that points us to the certainty of Christ. There's the factor of a glorious heavenly witness that points us to the certainty of Christ. Let's consider, finally, the witness of godly saints that point us to the certainty of Christ. We read earlier from chapter two, in verse 25, of a man by the name of Simeon. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Now, given the state of Israel at the time that Christ came into the world, I think it would be true to say that Simeon, as he's described by Luke in this verse, would have been a very rare Christian indeed. He's described as just and devout. He's described as one waiting for the consolation of Israel, which means that he was waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. And he's further described as one upon whom the Holy Ghost had come. Surely the integrity of such a spiritually minded man adds weight to what he says about the baby Jesus. And notice what he does say. He says something that's very important to every one of us. Notice the words beginning in verse 27. And he came by the Spirit, that is Simeon, came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us now thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. And my, how that last statement in particular is so important. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. I never will forget the first time I heard one of my Bible professors point out something very significant in those words. When he said to the students in the class, salvation is not found in a plan, but in a person. To see Christ is to see salvation. He is, after all, the light of the world and the door through which we enter heaven. He is, as we thought about last Sunday afternoon, the way, the truth, and the life. And he is the resurrection. You remember, I hope, what I pointed out last week, that His very name, Jesus, means Jehovah is salvation. And it's so very important that you see Him today with the eye of faith, especially before you pass from this present world. There's no way you see that you can depart from this world and know peace unless you've first seen with the eye of faith Jesus Christ. To those that do behold him as he's revealed in the word of God and believe in him, they are ready to depart from this world. Indeed, they have a longing for that better world to come when Christ returns. So here is a man who walks so closely with God that he could see what others could not. Others would not see anything particularly unusual about this baby that Joseph and Mary had brought into the temple, but Simeon was close enough to God to see the secrets of the Lord. He's a perfect example of that verse in Psalm 25 that tells us, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant. Verse 14. And so Simeon, being filled with the Holy Ghost, comes to the temple and bears witness to Christ. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And that the certainty of Christ may be further vindicated by the mouth of two or more witnesses, we read of another godly lady that could be found in the temple serving God with fastings and prayers night and day. Again, another rare spiritually minded and elderly widow. So we read in verse 38, My Luke has built a pretty strong case, hasn't he? Luke has pretty much made this foolproof. So what can we say of Jesus then? as we would compare him to any and all others that would lay claim to being the Messiah. We could certainly say of him that he bears the proper credentials. He's from the line of Abraham and David. The Messiah must come through that line. And he's received testimony from the angels of heaven and from shepherds that saw and heard those angels. And he's received testimony from two godly saints that could be found often in the temple awaiting the consolation of Israel and seeking the Lord in fervent prayer, praying and fasting night and day. I should add before I close this study that the place of his birth also vindicates his identity. He was born in Bethlehem. Matthew tells us in his Gospel, chapter 2 and verse 1, the chief priests and scribes who would not receive him, who would reject him, nevertheless knew their Bibles well enough to point out to Herod that the prophet Micah prophesied of the place of his birth. So we read Matthew's quote of Micah chapter five in verse two, in Matthew's gospel chapter two in verse six, and thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Oh, wouldn't you agree with me that we can be certain about this baby that's in view in Luke chapter two? and that it's none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the long-promised Messiah. Oh, may the Lord so bolster our confidence in Luke's account that we know with certainty that we do indeed worship the right person. We worship this miracle baby who was God himself come in the flesh, May we live then with confidence that we haven't followed cunningly devised fables, but that we rather have gained a saving interest in Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners and the ruler over all creation and the head of his church. Let's close then in prayer. And let's all pray. O Lord, as we bow in Thy presence now and bring this time to a close, we thank Thee for the case that has been made in the Gospel of Luke for Christ. We thank Thee for the very purpose this Gospel has been written, that we might know the certainty of those things in which we've been instructed. And we thank Thee, Lord, that the case for Christ is so strong that to deny it is to deny reason itself. O Lord, may we be confident then about the one we worship and serve. And we ask, O Lord, that what we know about him would go from our heads to our hearts so that our lives are transformed and we live not simply with academic assent to the truth, but we live in the reality of it. for the honor and glory of Christ. So hear our prayers now in Jesus' name. Amen.