John 1:16-17 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Consider Both Jesus and Moses

Moses was the Great Prophet of the Covenant of Law. Moses was a recipient of Grace. Moses loved the Lord. God said of Moses, “Thou hast found Grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.” God knew Moses because Moses loved God. But Moses led an Israel out of Egypt, and Israel that would not love the Lord as they should.

So through Moses, God gave the Law
to Israel from Mount Sinai.

When the Bible tells us that “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (above, John 1:17), it does not mean that anyone was ever saved by the Law. The Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24) that we might be justified by faith. You cannot work your way to God. You cannot be good enough to be in God’s graces. Moses murdered a man, and his his body in the sand of the desert. Moses was not saved by keeping a law, but by trusting in and loving God.

Moses was the Chief Prophet of the Old Covenant of God. When Moses prepared to die he promised that another Prophet like himself would come.

Acts 3:22 … A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

Jesus Christ is that Prophet. Jesus took the place of
Moses as leader of God’s people.

There are a lot of similarities between the life of Moses and the life of Jesus. Both Moses and Jesus were preserved in their childhood. The King of Egypt tried to kill Moses. King Herod of Israel tried to kill Jesus.

When Pharaoh wanted Moses dead, his mother hid her son in a little “ark of bulrushes” (Exodus 2:3), and hid him in the weeds at the edge of the river Nile. It was here that the princess of Egypt found Moses, and having compassion for him, brought Moses into the palace to raise as her own.

By God’s Grace Moses had access to the best food, the finest clothing, the best teachers, the most comfortable places to live. Moses grew up in a palace.

If Moses enjoyed the abundance of God’s Grace in the palace, you would think that Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, would also be embraced in a palace. But He was not. Jesus was hidden as Moses was hidden, but not in a palace. The Bible says that Jesus was born in a relatively unknown place. Turn one chapter back to:

Luke 2:1-6 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Jesus Christ Is The New Covenant Moses!

Moses was born a slave, but raised in a palace. But Jesus was born a subject of Rome, but raised in a relatively unknown place. Jesus was born “{in} the city of David, which is called Bethlehem”. Why? What reason did God have for this?

Word Study: The Jews often named their children and places in meaningful ways. The name “Bethlehem” means “The House of Bread”. How fitting it was that our Lord Jesus would be born in the “House of Bread”. Jesus is God’s Manna from Heaven. Jesus would, just before His crucifixion,

Matthew 26:26 {take} bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, TAKE, EAT, THIS IS MY BODY.

The New Testament Moses, our Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35).

It was appropriate that God’s Manna from Heaven be born in the House of Bread. But He was also born into the lowest of all places.

Not a palace.
Not a five star motel.
Jesus was born in a manger.
In “The House of Bread”.
And stayed hidden there around 2 years.
(We’ll talk more about this next Sunday)

Moses was given the Law inscribed on stone tablets by “The Finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). Jesus Christ was made flesh by the “Finger of God” interacting with Mary (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ is our New Covenant Law.

None of the princes of this world suspected this baby was God incarnate (1 Corinthians 2:8). Had Jesus been born in a palace King Herod would have known where He was, and would have had Jesus killed outright. But Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and stayed there 2 years until the time when the Angel of the Lord told Joseph,

Matthew 2:13 … Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

The Bible truly says “the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6). Our Jesus came to this earth:

Galatians 4:4-5 … when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Jesus was “made of a woman”. God took a virgin called Mary, and through His infinite power caused her to bear a Son, the Son of God. The Angel said “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). God’s love for us did the impossible. God Himself became part of His own creation!

The “Lamb of God” (John 1:29; John 1:36) entered this world in Bethlehem. The Bible says that …

God Literally Was With Us In The Flesh

Luke 2: 7 And {Mary} 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.

Mary had no midwife but her husband to attend her. She “brought forth her firstborn son”, and wrapped the Savior of the world in “swaddling clothes”, strips of soft cloth.

Jesus was laid in a “manger”, a place that animals ate from. Again this is appropriate, as Jesus is God’s true Manna from Heaven. Jesus said, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” Finally, there was “no room” better suited for Jesus to be born in. As our God is all powerful, Jesus could have been born in better circumstances. But God is in control!

Why was Jesus, the very Son of God, born in such a low place? The Bible tells us in …

Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV) … though {Jesus} was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus was born on purpose to be a Servant, a Suffering Servant to us all. Though the very glory of God shined from His face, Jesus came in the lowest place possible to reach the lowest of people.

Fear Not!

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Shepherds were some of the least of all the people. Shepherds had to keep an eye on their sheep no matter what the weather. They had to be diligent in the dark of night, lest a predator come in and maul their charges. Imagine if you will sitting far out of town in the dark, the stars and a campfire the only things to give you light.

God did not send His Angel to the Palace, nor the Chief Priest’s residence, nor the the head of the city council, the Sanhedrin. God reached out to the least.

Luke 2:9 … the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid

These shepherds were not prepared for the “glory of the Lord”. In Moses day, when an idolatrous Israel saw the “glory of the Lord”, they saw it as a fearful thing.

Exodus 24:17 … the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

When the “glory” of the Lord shined around the shepherds, they were “sore afraid”. Why? Because they did not know the Lord. But Jesus came to this earth specifically to reach the lost. Even as a Baby laying in a Manger, Heaven is reaching out to the lost and needy. The Angel of the Lord tells the shepherds:

Luke 2:10-11 Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

“Fear not”. Don’t be afraid! God is giving you “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people”. This is not a time for fear, but a time for faith. This is a time to rejoice at the love that God has for us all. Note though the words of the Angel:

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

I have often wondered why the angel said that Jesus is “a Savior” and not “the Savior”. We know there is only ONE Savior, Jesus Christ. The Apostles preached:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus is clearly the one and only Savior. But why is He called “a Savior”? God alone can be THE Savior, and Christ alone is Emmanuel, God with us, our Savior. The Lord said:

Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.

There is no Savior but God. But too often we foolishly choose other things or people to take the place of God. Though God says, “there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.” (Isaiah 45:21). Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved, to be made right with God.

So Why A Savior, and Not THE Savior?

Because all people know we need a Savior, but many people choose inferior saviors rather than Jesus. Some people choose money as a savior. Some choose talent or skill as a savior. Humans are always making saviors to take the place of Jesus Christ. There are “gods many and lords many” (1 Corinthians 8:5) in the world today.

Money
Sexuality
Power
Rabbit’s foot.
Lucky underwear.
Baby blankets.

Illustrate: Baby blankets? Yes, even that. I was at the Gospel Coalition website when I came across a wonderful article written by Jason Soroski on the “Charlie Brown Christmas Special”. This wonderful animation has been on television since 1967. I love that show! At one point of the show Linus begins to quote our focal text:

Luke 2:8-11 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

As Linus says “Fear not”, the baby blanket he’s held in his hand up to this time – the baby blanket he refuses to let go of, no matter what others believe – Linus drops the blanket, and ignoring it, focuses on THE Savior.

Jesus can be to you A Savior, while you make Him one of many. Or Jesus can be to you THE Savior. This is the best way. Drop your blanket. Focus on Jesus! Run to Him and Him alone. Trust in Him. Give your lives to Him.

The forces against us, against America, cannot be defeated by human strength. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 6:12 … we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Where I have no power to resist, no power to defeat, God with us has all the power I need. While we stand with Christ Jesus, we can never be defeated.

Isaiah 8:10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Moses knew that the best place to be is in the Presence of Almighty God! Moses told God:

“I beseech You, O Lord, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18).

God replied: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” (Exodus 33:19).

God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee”. The GLORY of God is the GOODNESS of God. God is so good to us. He loves us so. As God spoke to Moses, you see His care for His children. God tells Moses:

“You cannot see My face and live. Moses, stand beside Me on this rock. When My GLORY passes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by”(Exodus 33:20-22).

God put Moses in the cleft of the rock to protect him. That is the best place you can be in these uncertain days is in the cleft of the Rock. The best place is to be with Jesus, our Emmanuel! Only Jesus is

Hebrews 2:18 … able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him

Moses could not save himself. The Law of God cannot save us. But Jesus is both a Savior and the Lord. Jesus saves to the uttermost.

Don’t Fear. Run To Where Jesus Is!

The Angel of the Lord tells the shepherds:

Luke 2:12-14 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The shepherds had no star to guide them to Jesus. They were told to go to a familiar place, a place where they had probably kept their sheep in past times. The shepherds were not forced to go to Jesus. They were given an opportunity. God bid them “go”, but did not force. Christianity is a “whosoever will” faith. Jesus said:

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Mark 8:34 … Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Revelation 22:17 … whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The Shepherds ran to Jesus.

Luke 2:15-16 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The shepherds left their flocks in the dark. They went to where Jesus was “with haste”. They put their fears down. They put their false gods down. They put their broken hearts down. And they ran to where Jesus was.

Finding Emmanuel (just as the Angel said) the Shepherds did not return to their flocks, but …

Luke 2:17-18 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Now read that one more time carefully. The SHEPHERDS went with HASTE to where Jesus Christ lay. But when the shepherds told others of Jesus, what did they do? Nothing! They “wondered at those things which were told them”. They did not go to see Jesus. They heard the message, and did nothing about it. They just “wondered”. Beloved, if you would be saved, run to Jesus. Do not wonder. Do not wait. Seek Him as both Lord and Savior today. And Jesus will make a wonder of your life. May God the Holy Spirit and His Word touch your hearts this day. Merry Christmas!