Why Jesus Was Born Among the Jews | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Can we bow our heads one more time as we open up

God's word? And ask him to help us as we we open up God's word. And ask him to help us as we to

and ask him to help us as we seek to discover the mystery of the incarnation together? Lord, we thank you with all of our hearts for the inexpressible gift in Jesus Christ. And Lord, in this moment, we ask that you would arrest our attention and that you would win our affection as we recognize again and realize the beauty of the humility in Jesus. The mission that was ordained before the world was even created for Christ to come and save sinners. Lord, we pray that the objective of this message would win our obedience and our worship.

And so, Lord, we just ask that by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we endeavor to exalt Jesus Christ, that you would empower us to do so. Empower us to communicate it, empower us to understand it, and empower us to apply it to our lives. Lord, we trust in you in this moment as we long to know our savior that much more. In Jesus' name, we ask these things. Amen and amen.

Well, we're beginning this week when traditionally believers in the Western world are giving their attention to reflect, to rehearse, and to even be reminded of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And though it is true that the Christmas season calls for believers to to be fixated on that specific moment when God became a child, At the same time, there are so many surrounding events and details around that event that are worthy for our recognition. And so that's what we're going to do today. We're going to explore just one of the facets, one of the details of Jesus Christ becoming a man. And this Friday and this Sunday, by God's grace, we will also consider other things.

And so the purpose, the purpose of today is to just look at one element, and by looking at one of these elements that connects to the birth of Christ, we would, by God's grace, add to our wonder and our awe concerning the goodness and the wisdom of God. Two thousand years ago, God became a man. Two thousand years ago, God entered into this world not to just visit as a theophany, not just appear as a person, but to actually take on flesh. And it is this time of the year that ministers and ministries make great efforts to offer their insights from the scriptures to answer that thematic question. Why is it that God became man?

Why is it that he entered into this world in such a way? And as believers, hopefully in that truth, we are gathered this morning not just to explore that but to, to look at another layer to the question. To look at another facet of it. Yes, God became man, but we're going to aim this afternoon to look at this question. Yes, he became man.

But why did this man become a Jewish man? Why was this man linked to the nation of Israel? Why was it that from all the people groups, all the tribes, all the tongues, God chose to be born from this specific race. Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't come as a Roman? Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not come as an Ethiopian?

Have you ever wondered why God did not become a man from the Far East in some Asian country? It seems like an insignificant thought. It seems like this, this is just a detail that doesn't matter, but you would be amazed to recognize that the Holy Spirit doesn't just give us the answers to why God became man. The Holy Spirit finds it necessary to tell us why he became an Israelite. Why it is that God from eternity past chose to come through this people.

Why did God become a Jewish man? And perhaps to our surprise, when we understand that truth, we would also be expanded in our understanding that this was given to us by the Holy Spirit to actually frame a certain conviction that would cause us to view and treat others in a specific way. You know, when when realizing that and when studying that, I couldn't believe that even understanding Jesus as a Jewish man practically impacts my life. It actually calls me to a certain action to perceive the world in a different way. Again, not just that God became a man, but let me reiterate, God became a Jewish man.

And so turn with your Bibles to me in that wonderful epistle to the Romans in chapter 15. In Romans 15, beginning in verse eight, this morning or this afternoon, rather, we have three answers to that question. Among many, that will help us reach a level of understanding concerning the depths and the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. The Bible reads in Romans fifteen:eight, for I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs. And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy as it is written, therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.

In this very straightforward passage, we read Paul informing Gentile Christians that Jesus, Jesus the Savior, Jesus the Lord, Jesus the crucified one, Jesus the resurrected one, came to be a servant to the circumcised. And that expression, the circumcised, there is no debate about it. It speaks of the ethnic people of Israel. Speaks of a specific people group. It speaks of one nation that God has chosen to fulfill a specific purpose.

And he's given the command of circumcision to this people group as a symbol that would represent their covenantal relationship with the true God. And we're told here that Jesus became a servant to this people. But this is not the first time that Paul speaks about Jesus Christ and his relationship with this physical Israel. It's not the first time in this letter that he brings this subject up. In fact, earlier, he spends three chapters explaining so eloquently why and how and who and when, all the details surrounding how does God relate to this people and how does this people relate to God?

Why is that important for us to understand? Again, Jesus Christ didn't come into this world as a child as a neutral person. He he didn't disconnect himself from culture. He didn't disconnect himself from a people. He he came specifically through this line, through this race, through this nation.

Romans nine, ten, 11 is all about that. And in Romans nine, verse four, we read about the privileged position that Israel enjoyed since their election back in Genesis with a man named Abraham. And in Romans nine:four, you and I read something that we are familiar with. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. Did you see it?

To them belong the adoption. And the adoption that is spoken here concerning this nation is not the adoption that you read of in Romans eight. The spirit of adoption is a completely different thing. Paul tells us in that chapter that the spirit of adoption that gives us the right to cause, we saying God, Abba, Father, is an inheritance that you and I receive upon salvation. Upon receiving Jesus Christ as Lord, we are now adopted.

We have now been marked with sonship concerning our relationship with God. But this adoption here is not speaking about that. This adoption that the Holy Spirit brings up concerning this people group deals with a special place, a position, a peculiar purpose that Israel has amongst all the other nations. And I'm sure you are aware that the Bible is so absolutely clear that this one nation has been lavished with specific, wonderful realities. One of them is what you read in verse five, right after verse four.

To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. You want a verse that says Jesus Christ is God? You can't find it any plainer than that. Who is God over all, blessed forever.

Amen. There it is again. Christ came from this people. Christ according to the flesh came from Israel, and it still begs the question, why? And why is it important?

Why are we taking a whole Sunday morning just to talk about that? Because I'm sure perhaps there's a couple in here thinking, how does this actually help me? How does this actually help my walk with the Lord? What does this have to do with me knowing him in a deeper way? Well, stick around.

And the first reason why God chose this people, why God chose from eternity past to work with, to partner with this nation, is because he wanted to display his undeserving love. He wanted to display his unmerited compassion. The answer to why God selected this people group from all the others that populated the world at that time to serve this peculiar mission, even till this day, is found in Deuteronomy seven verse seven. When preparing to lead the people of Israel into the promised land, the Lord spoke through Moses and he tells them exactly why he delivered them from Egypt and he's bringing them to the promised land, and why he has given them this special calling to be a light to the world. Deuteronomy seven:seven.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers that the Lord has brought you out of with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Israel, I want to tell you why God has given you this opportunity to step across this river and go into a land flowing with milk and honey. And here it is. Because I want you to understand, I want you to be clear, I want you to know for certain that there is nothing impressive on your part, nor were there anything compelling about you that would cause the eternal God to sanctify you in such a way?

It's because he loves you. It's because he chose you. In other words, the Lord wanted to communicate to this people group that they had no part to play in their adoption. You didn't contribute anything. You didn't attract me.

There wasn't something about you that made me say this is who I want my name to be associated with. And that's why he says, in case you thought you were something special, you are the fewest of all the peoples. There were many kingdoms at that time. There were many nations at that time that had great power, great status, great success, great prosperity. But it is not because of these things I've chosen to come and to say this is who I'm gonna make a covenant with.

This is who I'm going to link myself to. But I will tell you why. If you really want to know, I will inform you why it is that I've done all these wonderful things. It's because the Lord loves you. That's the motive.

No other explanation for God's promotion, other than the fact that he has a deep affection set on them. Essentially, what God is saying is that he blessed this people because he freely chose to bless this people. It's his sovereign will. It's something that he chose to do. That is his prerogative.

That is his right. And no man can change his right to choose whom will serve what purpose on his behalf. But more than that, this choice would teach Israel something about the quality of the love of God. He says, you were chosen because I love you. But he doesn't explain why he loves them.

I love you. Well why? Because I love you. Well why? Because I love you.

Well why? Because I love you. It's not merited. It's not conditioned by something. It's not provoked by what they could offer him.

And that's God's love, isn't it? It meets us when we least expect it. It changes us when we are least deserving of it. It's an astounding love because it comes from a God who is so holy that it doesn't make sense. A God who doesn't need anything, chooses to love, chooses to partner with people, chooses to save them and redeem them and use them.

How how can that be? So all they heard with little explanation is God chose you because he's God and he can do that, and God loves you, not because you're anything special, but because he is love, and he wants to display his love to you. And so he lavished upon them promises, patriarchs, covenants, worship, the law. To which someone might object and say, well, doesn't this show that God loved Israel more than other nations? Doesn't this prove that he had some special kind of love to them?

To which I may surprise you in answering, no. No. God choosing Israel to carry the blessings is no indication that he has reserved more compassion, more grace and more mercy for them in comparison to everybody else. Any more than us knowing that when God chooses to bestow certain gifts upon one child of God over the other is no indication that he loves that child more than the other. We trust that God adorns and that he provides certain things to one person, not in the same way as another, because God has the freedom to call whoever he calls and to use whoever he uses in a way that he thinks is necessary for him to be glorified.

If you believe that because somebody has a public ministry or somebody has a specific purpose that that seems more effective than you is an indication of God's love, you have to go back to the basics of the gospel. And it is something that we fight continually. But the point that I'm trying to make is that the scriptures simply read concerning Israel, that in choosing them, it was an expression of his love. And it would cause onlookers to say, surely the Lord is good and surely he is wise and surely he is merciful. For inviting Abraham and his descendants, though unlikely to be used, of all people to hold such an honorable position on the earth.

In fact, would you be surprised to know that God often had to humble this people because they were very quick to be puffed up and to look down upon foreigners and even to be so falsely secured in their covenant that they can live how they want because God chose us. God chose us. So surely he's not going to break his promise with Abraham and surely he's not going to destroy the temple and surely he's not going to pull us out of the land. And you read that false confidence throughout the Old Testament, and it's a picture of the false confidence that many believers have in that wonderful truth of your salvation being secure. Go to Amos chapter nine verse seven.

I want to see with you here how God humbles his people. In Amos chapter nine verse seven, God speaks to an idolatrous Israel, so steeped in false worship that he sends this prophet to rebuke them, and not just rebuke them, to humble them. And look what he says to this chosen people, to this elect people, to this selected people. He says in chapter nine verse seven, Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel? Declares the Lord.

Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Ker? See what God is saying? First, what he's saying is, as I look to you right now, Israel, in the current condition that you're in, you are no different to me than the Cushites. In other words, my covenant with you, though it makes you unique, it's not this agreement that separates you. It's the conduct that this covenant inspires you to that actually separates you from the world.

But right now, as I'm looking to you, as I'm looking at you, I see no difference between you and the pagan worshipers around you. What a terrifying thing for God to say. Can you imagine God looking at the church today and saying the same thing? There's no difference between you and those who don't know me? That's exactly what he's saying here.

But that's not the main point. The main point that God brings in this verse is much more profound than that. Notice what he says. Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt? Yes, you did.

But there's no period there. He continues. And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir. Though Israel enjoyed a special stance with God and experienced the creator and sustainer of the universe intervening on their behalf with blessed guidance, God is reminding them, you're not the only nation that has experienced my mercies because they are also under my sovereign authority. Think about it.

He's reminding this people, this privileged people, that there are other nations who are recipients of his mercy. So Israel, who prided herself that God has provided divine guidance, just learn you're not the only one who experienced my providential power. I actually delivered the Philistines and brought them out of a place. I actually delivered the Syrians from another place. So you're not so unique in the world that my compassion and love is exclusive just to you.

No, it's much broader than that. And you can imagine how this must have wounded their pride. And I bring this up to say to you that let this verse serve as evidence that although God selected Israel to perform certain duties, it was not to the extent that his love was compressed and reserved just for them, where nobody else could experience his love. His choosing of this people was an expression of his love, among many other manifestations of his love. It's because I love you that I chose you.

And so you're wondering, well, why? Because he's sovereign. Okay, but why? Because he loved them. But why?

Because he loved them. But why? You know the answer to that. He chose. He chose them to work with them.

And as he did, as you do reading your bible, you realize these people are now worthy. Exactly. These people, the the fewest of the people there was empires. There were so many others that God could have chosen. Why that?

Because God was illustrating. He was displaying. That's the quality of my love. I give it to those who don't deserve it. I work with those who don't deserve it.

I redeem those who don't deserve it. And example a, Israel. Look at them. Get a taste of my love as I deal with them, as I've chosen them. But we come back to our main text to continue the thought as we come to our second point of why Christ came as a Jew, why Christ came through this people group.

And we read in Romans 15 verse eight, for I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs. So point number two, God chose to work with his people not just to display his undeserving love, but to also to demonstrate his faithfulness. Christ came in order to show that God is a truthful God. Every prophecy that Jesus Christ fulfilled concerning his birth, everything from the location of it, everything from the lineage that he would be associated with was and still is a testimony, a memorial that when God says something, he keeps it. When God vows, he's not gonna break it.

When he promises, it's going to come to pass. And Paul's saying, I want you to realize that when Jesus Christ came to this people, he fulfilled what God communicated to the prophets, rather the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who heard that there was gonna be this one seed that's gonna come through them that's gonna redeem the world. They heard it, and Christ is the fulfillment of it. This is crucial. This is crucial to understand.

Why? Because it doesn't just speak of the salvation of God. You and I, when we think about the the baby Jesus, what we see is what Simeon saw in that temple. Behold, the salvation of God. Right?

Yes. But it's more than that. It's much more than that. As you see Christ in that manger, as you see him being cradled by that young virgin girl, as you try to imagine these wise men traveling from so far to worship a two year old, you and I must say to our souls, God keeps his word. God fulfills his promises.

God gave a promise to his friend Abraham that there would be one coming from his seed that would cause all the families in the earth to be blessed. And when Jesus showed up, that's the fulfillment of the promise, among many other promises. And between that declaration where God spoke to the patriarchs and the fulfillment of it in Jesus Christ, all you have to do is come to Friday night bible study for a few years to realize just how unfaithful Abraham's descendants were to this promise keeping God. And yet, the Lord did not waver with his word. And yet, God didn't take back his word.

He chose to be determined to stick with what he said. Why? Because Israel was worthy? No. Because he is committed to his glory.

God is committed to his glory, and his integrity demands him to keep his word when he says something. This puts a new dimension on our understanding of the incarnation of Christ. Yes. You see the salvation of God in that babe, but you also see the faithfulness of God. It happened.

It came to pass. It was fulfilled. Things that were said thousands of years ago are now manifest. And as you and I reflect on that truth, we realize that if God was so faithful with the details of the first coming, do you think he's gonna mess up with the second one? In fact, I challenge you today to realize the faithfulness of your God is so powerful, so profound that God is willing to move heaven and earth to make sure that every detail of what he has said would come to pass.

It would not be ignored. It would not be neglected. Every single detail of Christ's first coming came to pass. I wanna show you just one example of how God is willing to shake the world, to actually shake the world in order for every insight, every inch of what he has said concerning his son would come to pass. Go to Luke chapter two, beginning in verse one.

This is just one example. In Luke two verse one, we read, in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of the lineage of David.

Be honest. You've read that. How many of us have just skipped over the details? At best, some would argue that what these verses provide is some kind of evidence that the scriptures are consistent with historical events and historical people. And that's that's wonderful.

We can use it for that. But if you want to get revelation from the Bible, you read a verse, you read scripture, you read a portion of the text, and you ask, what does this reveal about my God? What does this say about the concrete character of my Lord? What town did Micah the prophet say that the Christ would be born in? Bethlehem.

That obscure town, that little, that little village, that was the place where Jesus Christ had to be born. Here's the problem. You have Joseph and Mary, and Mary is very pregnant. She is ready to give birth at any moment. And the issue here is that she is not in Bethlehem.

She's in Galilee. She's at Nazareth. And so we see that they are not where they're supposed to be. So what does God do? God reaches into the heart of the most influential person of that day, the most feared and revered man, Caesar Augustus.

And he stirs his heart to make a decree. And this decree would cause all the families in the known world at the time to get up and move locations. And God even gave Caesar the authority to make such a mandate that it demanded the obedience of every person living under his rule and reign. As Jesus told Pilate, no authority that you have has not been given apart from heaven authorizing it. Same with Caesar Augustus.

So consider this, that God has ordained that Caesar Augustus would have such authority. And he stirred his heart to make this decree. And by making this decree, it would cause a holy havoc. You have people planning, families packing. The roads are unusually busy.

The markets are knowing sales like they wouldn't know unless it's a feast time. Hotels are booked. And now you zoom in into this couple, this young couple with a mysterious pregnancy who are probably reluctant to get up and move and spend energy and endanger themselves by traveling because you have a woman ready to give birth at any moment. And yet, because of this decree, Joseph and Mary get up and they get going. Why?

In the human understanding, it's because they're obeying the commandment of a politician. But in the divine understanding, God, through this providential leading, is causing them to walk in the direction where they will fulfill an ancient prophecy. See what God was willing to do to make sure that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? He caused Caesar Augustus, and he caused all the families of the earth to get up and move. I'm sure many things were accomplished in that, but the main thing was the main thing.

My son has to be born in Bethlehem. Behold how God ensures that what he declared through his servants would come to pass even if he has to shake the world to make it happen. It should not cause our hearts to worship. Should not cause your heart to be in such awe of the sovereignty of God that even the most powerful man in the world at the time was subject to the control of God. That no matter what kind of authority he boasted in, no matter what kind of power he thought he had, he's he's thinking he's gonna prove his administrative wisdom when in reality God is fulfilling prophecy.

And shouldn't it cause us to be comforted to know that though Joseph and Mary were inconveniently led out of their home through disruption, through difficulty, were led out of their comfort to travel. Not in the way that you and I understand travel. But through all those circumstances, in reality, God was accomplishing his will. This is all to say that Christ came in a manner, that he came to set up an eternal memorial for all generations, that God is faithful with his word. When he says it, it will come to pass.

And he's so accurate. He's so accurate. And as I said earlier, if he's accurate with the first Advent, you think politicians are gonna stop his return? You think the world being shaken up right now is outside of God's control? Or could it be and I'm not don't stone me now, because I'm not a prophet, nor I claim to be a prophet.

Could it be that the same way God shook the world through Caesar Augustus to advance his prophetic calendar that what we are seeing today, though you may not see it, you don't you don't see how and you don't see how this, how that plays into this. Just like I'm sure Mary and Joseph didn't understand how this census had to do with prophecy at the time, could it be that what is happening in the world right now is just one step closer to the return of our Lord? Think about it. Think about it and let it cause you to worship at the sovereignty of your God. God chose to work with his people because he wanted to display his undeserving love.

Secondly, God, in Christ, coming to this people group is a fulfillment of many promises saying something of his character. God wanted to show the generations, do you want to see how faithful I am to my word? Do you want to see how committed I am to my glory? Let me choose this people and watch how inconsistent and rebellious they are, and watch how I'm going to fulfill my promises nonetheless. But as we come back to the text, we come to our final point.

God in Christ chose this nation to work with this nation, to link himself to this race, to show mercy to everyone else. We read in verse nine of Romans 15. And here's the second reason, or third rather. And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. Paul's concluding his thoughts here, and he's saying, as much as God worked with this people group, God had every nation in mind.

I had a Muslim come up to me once and ask me sincere questions about the faith. And one of the top questions that she had was, can you please explain to me why the God of the Bible seems to show special attention to the Jews? I mean, what about the rest of us? And my answer to that question was along the lines of, well, you see, when God did choose to bless Abraham and his descendants, he had it in his mind to bless every other nation at the same time. Isn't that what he told Abraham?

And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. So that you will be a blessing. That that really brings clarity, doesn't it, to many misunderstandings. Why did God work with this people group? We already determined that it's not because he showed favoritism.

No. No. No. No. It's it's even more simple than that.

God chose to work with this people simply to make them a vessel that would pour out the blessings on everybody else that was first poured into her. God sanctified this people to be a servant to the nations, A channel that would touch every tribe and tongue and culture and country. Nothing more than that. And this is a great place to consider a principle that's not necessarily related, but it's helpful to understand. When God told Abraham, I will make your name great.

When he said, you will be blessed so that what? You will be a blessing. He set a principle that is unchanging. That however you and I are blessed by God, God always has the intent that through that blessing, others would be blessed. Always.

Doesn't matter what you have been blessed with. It could be a great mind. It could be certain abilities that you're wired with. It could be resources that are unusual. But I want you to be reminded today that whatever God has enriched you with, God had every intent that you would build others up.

That you would serve others. As Abraham's name would be promoted, it was not for Abraham's sake. It was so that others could be blessed. And scripture tells us that. Paul tells the Corinthians, you will be enriched in every way.

That's in second Corinthians nine by the way, and he's talking about something that Christians get uncomfortable with. He's actually talking about money. And he says in verse 11, you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. That's not just limited to giving. That's giving in every aspect.

Your spiritual gifts, your time, your energy. You have been enriched in every way. For what purpose? So that you can, you can be comfortable. No.

To be generous in every way. Abraham, you're going to be blessed. You're going to have descendants like the stars and that black sky. Why? So that others would be blessed.

The election of Israel, Christ working with his people, was not isolated because he has some favoritism with his people. They were the chosen vessel that would touch the world. But this truth about God working with his people is important to realize. You know why? Because you have many Christians who are under the misunderstanding that because if you're not Jew in here, by the way, by blood, you're a gentile.

And you have many Christians who believe that our inclusion into the promises of God was God's plan b. In other words, God, he really wanted to just work with the Israel Israel primarily and because they rejected Jesus at the first coming, God's like, well, I have to work with somebody, so let's just open the doors for the Gentiles. That is not true. God had every single one of us in mind from the beginning. And if there's any doubt about that, may I read to you a prophecy seven hundred years before the incarnation of Christ that really deals with this with certainty.

In Isaiah 40 nine:six, we read, he says, it is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. He's talking about the Messiah, and he's saying, you know, it's too light for you, my servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, to only revive and bring back to me one nation. That's too easy for you. I will make you a light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Can you imagine how astounding that is?

God the Father speaks of his Son. He says, it's too light for you to win the hearts of a rebellious people in Israel. Your glory is too great. Your light is too radiating. And so when you do come, your ministry, your sacrifice will touch the four corners of the earth.

And I have every intention for that to be so. You know, when I read this, I thought to myself, if if that is a light thing for Jesus, then why do I worry? Consider that. Do you have troubles this morning? Are you burdened by difficulty?

Are you before a wall that you do not know how God will help you climb? Remember this verse. It's a light thing for the Son of God to win an entire nation to him. And if that's a light thing, then, well then what's your problem? Is it too complicated for God to conquer?

Is it too difficult for God to solve? We have difficulty seeing one person saved in our lifetime, and we are told here of the servant that he will one day, and that is a future thing, he will one day have the nation of Israel bow their knee and declare that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah. And that's a light thing, by the way. When I read this, I thought to myself, this was partially fulfilled. This is partially fulfilled.

In fact, look how the Holy Spirit quotes Isaiah forty nine six in the book of Acts chapter 13. You're you're gonna be touched by this, I hope. In Acts thirteen forty seven, Paul just finished with Barnabas preaching to Jews. And guess what? They resisted, they rejected, And so he rebukes them.

And he tells them, you know what? Enough is enough. We're going to the Gentiles. We're going to preach to the the other nations. It was right that you would receive the gospel first, but now is the time for other nations to receive this soul saving truth.

And look what he quotes in verse 47 of chapter 13. For so the Lord has commanded us saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. He quotes Isaiah 40 nine:six. Did you see that little phrase though? You go to Isaiah 40 nine:six and it's clear.

It's talking about the Messiah, the person of Jesus Christ, being the light to the nations and being the one that would bring salvation to the ends of the earth, and look at how Paul by the Spirit, quotes that application. He says, for so the Lord has commanded who? Us. How can you say that? How can you say us when that prophecy is so clearly about Jesus?

Paul, you're treading on dangerous ground here. But no, Paul's not a heretic. He's being moved by the Spirit to say that. He understood that there's a partial fulfillment here for who? The church.

In other words, do you wanna know how Christ will reach the ends of the world with this salvation that would include all peoples? Through his mystical body. Through his current mystical body on the earth, this will be partially accomplished as the great commission is honored and fulfilled by my people. That's why Paul could say, the Lord commanded us to bring this light to the ends of the earth. Does that not make you feel privileged to be a part of the church of Jesus Christ?

That you and I have an international mission on the earth. That we have a global mandate on the earth, that Christ so chooses to work with us, that even a prophecy that deals with him is partially fulfilled in 2021 by a Tesla filled Apple plague generation. This mission is still happening, and you're a part of it, and I'm a part of it. And look at the reaction of verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

They rejoiced. I can just I can just imagine that scene as as Paul's confronting these Jews. There are gentiles watching this confrontation, and then Paul quotes Isaiah 40 nine:six, and as a result, you had gentiles high fiving each other. We're in. We, we get to be saved.

We get to know the promises. We get to be known as the chosen people of God as well. We're part of this. And they began to rejoice and glorify the word of the Lord. This is what the Christmas season is about.

That as we are reminded of the gospel and as people come in to hear the gospel because they don't show up any other time of the year, they would rejoice and glorify God as the truth is declared that all men can be saved. But, yeah, God came as a Jewish man, but in, in that plan, he was just a vessel to serve the world and to bring them in to know the mercy of God. Because God wanted to demonstrate his unmerited love, Jesus became a Jew because God chose Israel as that vessel that would usher in the Messiah. To illustrate to the world the faithfulness of God, he made promises to ancient people. And thousands of years later, when when Christ appears on the scene, not only do we see the salvation of God, we see the faithfulness of God.

And lastly, to stir the nations through the relationship with Israel. They too would be able to say, I want to share in the blessings that this nation has known. And Christ says, come, all who thirst. Come, all who are weary. Doesn't matter where you're from.

The invitation belongs to you. But why is Paul, in conclusion, talking about all of this at this point in the book of Romans? This is where we're landing here. Why is he bringing this up? Is he trying to satisfy some complicated theological topic?

Is he just giving information for the sake of giving information? No. And this is what we believe as a church. The reason why he goes really deep, the really, the reason why he goes to this nuanced thing is because he has an application in mind. In fact, all that you just heard this afternoon, everything about why Jesus became a Jew, why God chose Israel and why that that was the seed that he worked with, all of that was the motivation for the church to behave in a certain way, which proves to us that no matter how much theology we discover and preach and learn and read, Its end is always application.

Always. It's not just data dump. It's not just like the Athenians who want to hear something new. It calls us, it commands us in a specific area of life to reflect what we just learned. Go back to Romans 15, and I want you to see why Paul brought this up.

In verse seven, he's telling this church that's mixed, that has people who believe that there are some days that are holy and some foods that you can eat. And there are some who say all days are alike, and it doesn't matter what you eat, God sanctified at all. And he says in verse seven, therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God. And then he goes on to say, for I tell you, in verse eight. It's a continuation of thought.

Listen to how astounding this is. All that we just heard was Paul by the spirit trying to illustrate to the Christians of how they can be more accepting toward one another. Church, you and I should welcome one another. You and I should accept one another. You and I should be hospitable, reconcilable toward one another.

In other words, if there's somebody that comes in here and they might not share your culture, and so there's a disconnect, you don't fail to greet them because of that. You don't fail to serve them because of that. Just because there's somebody that comes in or is part of this ministry and they don't have the same taste or the hobbies that you enjoy, it doesn't mean that you disassociate yourself with them. It doesn't mean that you fail to embrace them. It doesn't mean that you don't serve them.

You welcome them. You welcome one another. You accept. Broaden your arms. You you think this isn't an issue.

Right? It is an issue. It's an issue in many churches. Broaden your arms. Why?

You want motivation? That's what Jesus did. That's what Christ did. He came into this world as a Jew, but he opened his arms to Gentiles. He came with a specific mission, and that mission was not just to deal with one people, but to touch as many people as possible.

Christ didn't reserve his mercy. He didn't reserve his love. He didn't reserve his forgiveness. He didn't reserve his attention, his energy, his time. He even died to welcome anybody who's willing to accept that welcome.

And so as you and I read something as what may seem irrelevant to my life, what does Jesus Christ becoming a Jew have to do with me practically? Well, you just heard it. Look at his example. Now imitate him. Now imitate him.

And so you and I today, and this week, we are not just celebrating God who became man. You and I are celebrating God who became a Jewish man. And I hope that you have that much more clarity to see something about the wisdom of God, the goodness of God, and that it would cause you to fall more in love with him. And not just fall in love with him, but to imitate him. And so let's prepare our hearts to give thanks for these truths.

Lord, we thank you that on this afternoon, we get to reflect on something that perhaps we've never asked or bothered to inquire about. But Lord, we see that Christ became a servant to the circumcised because he wants to display a love that is undeserving. Because he wanted to show, he wanted to make a statement about his faithfulness, and so he recruits a people, and through that people he shows his unwavering, covenantal love, and the glory that he longs to show through his own commitment to his word. And Lord, we think about how through the relationship that you shared with Israel, it would cause the nations to say, this is what I want. I want the true and living God.

And that you did not tease the world. You did not withhold yourself from the world, but you opened your arms to the world. And so, Lord, we bask in your wisdom this afternoon, and we wanna worship you. Because there's no detail in this book, there's no detail about who you are that fails to touch our hearts. And so receive our adoration as we give thanks, as we reflect upon you becoming not just a man, but a man among the Jews.

We bless you now as a church who strives to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Can we stand as we worship the Lord together?