INTRODUCTION:

            This morning is the fourth Sunday of Advent; we have arrived at the week in which we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  As we come together on the evening of Christmas Eve to celebrate our Savior’s birth we will light the final candle, the white candle called the Christ candle.  On the first Sunday of advent, we lit the prophecy candle which was to cause us to remember the prophecies of the first advent and to look with hope and anticipation for the second advent.  Next we lit the Bethlehem candle that reminded us of the preparations that had to take place so that the Christ Child would be born in Bethlehem.  On the third Sunday of Advent, we lit the Shepherd’s candle and remembered that the shepherds that came and worshiped the baby in the manger were the first in a long-line of those who joyously proclaimed the coming of the Messiah-King, the Savior of the world.  This morning, we lit the Angels’ candle and remembered that it was angels that first announced the birth of the Savior, the One promised so long ago.  It reminds us of the hope fulfilled in the first coming of the Savior and our continuing hope as we anticipate His coming again.  This morning, our passage is from Romans 1 and although Paul did not write a Gospel like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John he did write about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the opening verses of the book of Romans.  We are going to look at what he had to say about the first coming of Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.

--PRAY--

 

SCRIPTURE:

            Our Scripture passage this morning is Romans 1:1-7, please turn there in your Bibles.  I am not going to go through all these verses this morning but focus mainly on what Paul has to say about the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please, stand if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read this passage again.

     Romans 1:1-7,

            “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:1–7, NASB95)[1]

PAUL’S INTRODUCTION (Romans 1:1)

            Paul begins this letter to the church in Rome by introducing himself to them.  Paul had never been to the church in Rome although it does seem that he had gotten acquainted with some of the believers from Rome in his travels.  But to most of the church body he was unknown.  In introducing himself to the church Paul reveals three important things about himself that relate to his ministry.  First, his position as a bond-servant of Christ.  Second, his authority as an apostle of Christ.  Third, his power in being set apart for the Gospel of God.  Let’s explore each of these a little.

            First, Paul identifies himself as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus.  The word that is translated bond-servant is the most common Greek word for slave, it refers to someone who was in unwilling and permanent bondage, from which there was no hope of release except for death.  For a Jewish person who was enslaved to another Jew according to the law of Moses they were to serve that person six years and then be set free on the seventh year.  The law also provided a way for a slave to voluntarily become a permanent bond-slave of a master he loved and respected.  Exodus 21:5-6 states, “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.” (Exodus 21:5–6, NASB95)[2]  Paul in calling himself a bond-slave of Christ Jesus is using this term in this sense, that he had given himself wholeheartedly to his Master who had saved him from sin and death.  Paul uses this title bond-slave of Christ Jesus in the most humble sense, recognizing that any dignity or honor that God gives His children is purely from grace, that in themselves Christians are still sinful, depraved, and undeserving.  Paul uses this title to emphasize his position of service and insignificance, not honor.  Paul was called and appointed by the Lord Jesus and because of this calling and appointment he would never put down his position of an apostle or even as a child of God, but at the same time he constantly emphasized that such positions of honor are provisions of God’s grace, so first and foremost he saw himself as a bond-slave of Christ Jesus who loved him and whom he loved in return.

            Second, Paul introduces the authority of his ministry, that authority is based on being called as an apostle.  Or as it is in the Greek, a called apostle.  This more clearly points to the fact that his position as an apostle was not his own doing, he did not volunteer for the office of apostle, nor was he elected to it by a body of believers, he was called to it by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  The term apostle in its most basic meaning is “a person who is sent.”  Most often is refers to a person who was officially commissioned to a position or task, such as an envoy or an ambassador.  In the New Testament it is used as a specific and unique title to refer to the thirteen men (the twelve disciples of the Lord, with Matthais replacing Judas Iscariot, and Paul) these men Jesus Christ personally chose and commissioned with the authority to proclaim the Gospel and lead the early church.  Paul was appointed to the specific task of being the apostle to the Gentiles.  This calling was from God and Paul understood the importance of carrying it out to the best of his ability through the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Third, because Paul was a called apostle, his whole life was set apart to the Lord’s service.  To be effective when called to a certain place or a certain ministry can only happen when, like Paul, you are separated unto God for the gospel of God.  The gospel simply means “good news”  The gospel or good news of God is the truth that God will deliver us from our sin, free us from our guilt, and give meaning to our life and make that life abundant in Him.  The most important thing about the gospel is that it is of God.  That means that God is the source of the good news, it is not man’s good news, rather this is God’s good news for man.  It is only because of God’s great love for us that He would bring us good news, why else would God bring good news to a world that rejects and scorns Him.  No one deserves to hear the good news, much less be saved by it, but God brings it to us out of love so that He can lavish on us His mercy and grace.  Paul having introduced himself to the church in Rome as a preacher of the gospel of God, now introduces them to the promise and the Person of the good news of God.

 

PROMISE OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:2)

            We know that the good news originated from God, but it did not originate in the New

Testament.  Paul writes that this good news God “promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures…” (Romans 1:2, NASB95)[3]  When Paul refers to the holy Scriptures, he is referring to the Old Testament, which was the only holy Scriptures that he had.  The New Testament was in the process of being written, but it certainly was not completed.  What Paul is saying is that the good news of God that he preaches is not something new, but it is the old news of the Old Testament which is now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ.  When Paul speaks of the prophets he is referring to all those who spoke for God and received revelation from God.  Paul is saying if you look in the Old Testament you will find the promises about Jesus Christ that have been fulfilled.  It is estimated that the Old Testament holds about 332 prophecies about the Messiah, most of them were fulfilled in the first advent of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament is loaded with truths that predict and lay the groundwork for the New Testament.  Every Hebrew prophet recorded in the Old Testament prophesied of the ultimate Prophet, Jesus Christ, either directly or indirectly.  Every sacrificial lamb was a picture of the true, eternal lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.  The first promise is found in Genesis 3:15 when God declares that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.  Hundreds of years later Isaiah declared the gospel of God in Isaiah 1:18, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18, NASB95)[4]

            Let’s look at a couple of prophecies that refer to the Person of the gospel of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The first being that David’s line would endure forever, in 2nd Samuel Nathan the prophet speaks the word of the Lord to King David, the author writes in 2nd Samuel 7:16-17, “’Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.’  In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.” (2 Samuel 7:16–17, NASB95)[5] God promised David an everlasting house and an everlasting kingdom with a descendant to sit on the throne forever.  The second prophecy I want to look at is found in Psalm 2:2-7, the inspired Word of God says, “The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’  He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.  I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” ” (Psalm 2:2–7, NASB95)[6]  Here the Lord calls the King who He has placed on the throne in Zion His Son.  To be begotten is to be of the same essence and same nature, possessing the same character and attributes as the one who has begotten you.  With these two prophecies, from the Old Testament in mind, let’s return to Romans 1:3-4 and see how Paul brings these two prophecies together.

PERSON OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:3-4)

            Paul then introduces us to the Person of the gospel of God; he writes that the promises written in the Old Testament prophecies concern God’s Son.  How is it that Jesus Christ is Himself God and Lord, and still, He is the Son of God?  We believe this because the Scriptures teach both of these truths.  The issue is not whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but in what sense is He God’s Son? 

            Paul begins to bring sense to this first by giving us the facts concerning Jesus human nature.  He writes, “…who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,” (Romans 1:3b, NASB95)[7] Both His natural mother, Mary, and His legal father, Joseph were descendants of David.  To be the promised Messiah-King Jesus had to be a descendant of David because of the prophecy made by Nathan the prophet to David.  As a descendant of David, Jesus inherited the throne of David and the right to restore and rule David’s kingdom, a kingdom that was prophesied to last forever.  Let’s read what the angel Gabriel said to Mary in Luke 1:30-33, “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ ” (Luke 1:30–33, NASB95)[8]  Here we read the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, Jesus Christ is the forever King who will sit on David’s throne and rule his kingdom forever.

            The second Person of the Trinity was born into a human family; He became fully or truly human with all other humanity.  He identified with fallen man, yet He Himself was sinless.  Because He was sinless, He could be the perfect sacrificial substitute for sinful mankind.  This is the Good News of God, that in Jesus Christ, God became a Man who could die for all men, a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

            Paul goes on to tell us that Jesus Christ, this descendant of David, according to the flesh, “…was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[9]  In what sense was Jesus Christ God’s Son?  The plan was eternal, made before the foundations of the earth were laid, but the title “Son” was reserved for His incarnation and given to Jesus Christ when He took on human flesh.  He is the Son of God because of His oneness of essence and character with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and in the role of the loving submission to the Father which Jesus Christ took in His self-emptying incarnation.  There is no question that Jesus Christ is eternally God, that He is eternally the Second Person of the Godhead, but Paul says He was declared the Son of God when He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and born a descendant of David according to the flesh.  Psalm 2 was looking forward and promising that God’s Son would be King in Zion.  Let’s go back to Luke 1 and hear what else the angel Gabriel had to say to Mary.  Luke 1:34-35, “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’ ” (Luke 1:34–35, NASB95)[10]  The angel said the same as Paul wrote, Jesus Christ will be called or declared the Son of God.  John MacArthur wrote concerning this, “We could say, then, that Christ was the Son of God from eternity in expectation and was declared God’s Son in fulfillment at the incarnation and forever.”[11]

            Paul writes that Jesus Christ, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[12] In other words, Paul is saying the conclusive and irrefutable evidence that this declaration is true is given with power by the resurrection from the dead.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection showed His ability to conquer death, which is the power that only God Himself as the giver of life possesses.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead proved beyond all doubt that He is God the Son.  Paul goes on to say that this is according to the Spirit of holiness, this is just another way to say that this according to the nature and ministry of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was working in Jesus Christ to accomplish the resurrection and all the other miracles that Jesus Christ performed during His ministry on earth.  Jesus Christ who was declared the Son of God in His incarnation was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit and was with power resurrected from the dead by the working of the Spirit of God.

CONCLUSION:

            The truth of Advent is found in Jesus Christ the son of David in His humanity, declared the Son of God in His incarnation, truly Man and truly God.  The ultimate proof of who He is was His resurrection from the dead.  Paul in these opening verses of Romans declares that the Son of David and the Son of God is Jesus Christ our Lord.  The Person of the Gospel of God is Jesus because He came to save His people from their sin.  He is Christ or Messiah because God anointed Him as King.  He is the Lord because He is and always will be the Sovereign Ruler of the universe created by Him and held together by His power. 

            As we enter into this final week of Advent that is represented by the angels’ candle, which reminds us of the hope fulfilled that first advent.  But it also gives us hope for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as He returns to take us to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house.  If it were not for the first advent when Jesus came to be our perfect substitute and suffer and die on our behalf so that we might have our sins forgiven and be reconciled to God, we would have no hope for the second advent because it would be an advent of judgment only.  But because of God’s grace and mercy Jesus will come and take those who have trusted Him for salvation to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house, then God’s judgment will be released on the world.  Thank God for Jesus Christ and the hope fulfilled in the first advent and the hope for His second advent.

 

[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[11]MacArthur, John F., The Macarthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1991.

[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

INTRODUCTION:

            This morning is the fourth Sunday of Advent; we have arrived at the week in which we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  As we come together on the evening of Christmas Eve to celebrate our Savior’s birth we will light the final candle, the white candle called the Christ candle.  On the first Sunday of advent, we lit the prophecy candle which was to cause us to remember the prophecies of the first advent and to look with hope and anticipation for the second advent.  Next we lit the Bethlehem candle that reminded us of the preparations that had to take place so that the Christ Child would be born in Bethlehem.  On the third Sunday of Advent, we lit the Shepherd’s candle and remembered that the shepherds that came and worshiped the baby in the manger were the first in a long-line of those who joyously proclaimed the coming of the Messiah-King, the Savior of the world.  This morning, we lit the Angels’ candle and remembered that it was angels that first announced the birth of the Savior, the One promised so long ago.  It reminds us of the hope fulfilled in the first coming of the Savior and our continuing hope as we anticipate His coming again.  This morning, our passage is from Romans 1 and although Paul did not write a Gospel like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John he did write about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the opening verses of the book of Romans.  We are going to look at what he had to say about the first coming of Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.

--PRAY--

 

SCRIPTURE:

            Our Scripture passage this morning is Romans 1:1-7, please turn there in your Bibles.  I am not going to go through all these verses this morning but focus mainly on what Paul has to say about the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please, stand if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read this passage again.

     Romans 1:1-7,

            “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:1–7, NASB95)[1]

PAUL’S INTRODUCTION (Romans 1:1)

            Paul begins this letter to the church in Rome by introducing himself to them.  Paul had never been to the church in Rome although it does seem that he had gotten acquainted with some of the believers from Rome in his travels.  But to most of the church body he was unknown.  In introducing himself to the church Paul reveals three important things about himself that relate to his ministry.  First, his position as a bond-servant of Christ.  Second, his authority as an apostle of Christ.  Third, his power in being set apart for the Gospel of God.  Let’s explore each of these a little.

            First, Paul identifies himself as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus.  The word that is translated bond-servant is the most common Greek word for slave, it refers to someone who was in unwilling and permanent bondage, from which there was no hope of release except for death.  For a Jewish person who was enslaved to another Jew according to the law of Moses they were to serve that person six years and then be set free on the seventh year.  The law also provided a way for a slave to voluntarily become a permanent bond-slave of a master he loved and respected.  Exodus 21:5-6 states, “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.” (Exodus 21:5–6, NASB95)[2]  Paul in calling himself a bond-slave of Christ Jesus is using this term in this sense, that he had given himself wholeheartedly to his Master who had saved him from sin and death.  Paul uses this title bond-slave of Christ Jesus in the most humble sense, recognizing that any dignity or honor that God gives His children is purely from grace, that in themselves Christians are still sinful, depraved, and undeserving.  Paul uses this title to emphasize his position of service and insignificance, not honor.  Paul was called and appointed by the Lord Jesus and because of this calling and appointment he would never put down his position of an apostle or even as a child of God, but at the same time he constantly emphasized that such positions of honor are provisions of God’s grace, so first and foremost he saw himself as a bond-slave of Christ Jesus who loved him and whom he loved in return.

            Second, Paul introduces the authority of his ministry, that authority is based on being called as an apostle.  Or as it is in the Greek, a called apostle.  This more clearly points to the fact that his position as an apostle was not his own doing, he did not volunteer for the office of apostle, nor was he elected to it by a body of believers, he was called to it by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  The term apostle in its most basic meaning is “a person who is sent.”  Most often is refers to a person who was officially commissioned to a position or task, such as an envoy or an ambassador.  In the New Testament it is used as a specific and unique title to refer to the thirteen men (the twelve disciples of the Lord, with Matthais replacing Judas Iscariot, and Paul) these men Jesus Christ personally chose and commissioned with the authority to proclaim the Gospel and lead the early church.  Paul was appointed to the specific task of being the apostle to the Gentiles.  This calling was from God and Paul understood the importance of carrying it out to the best of his ability through the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Third, because Paul was a called apostle, his whole life was set apart to the Lord’s service.  To be effective when called to a certain place or a certain ministry can only happen when, like Paul, you are separated unto God for the gospel of God.  The gospel simply means “good news”  The gospel or good news of God is the truth that God will deliver us from our sin, free us from our guilt, and give meaning to our life and make that life abundant in Him.  The most important thing about the gospel is that it is of God.  That means that God is the source of the good news, it is not man’s good news, rather this is God’s good news for man.  It is only because of God’s great love for us that He would bring us good news, why else would God bring good news to a world that rejects and scorns Him.  No one deserves to hear the good news, much less be saved by it, but God brings it to us out of love so that He can lavish on us His mercy and grace.  Paul having introduced himself to the church in Rome as a preacher of the gospel of God, now introduces them to the promise and the Person of the good news of God.

 

PROMISE OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:2)

            We know that the good news originated from God, but it did not originate in the New

Testament.  Paul writes that this good news God “promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures…” (Romans 1:2, NASB95)[3]  When Paul refers to the holy Scriptures, he is referring to the Old Testament, which was the only holy Scriptures that he had.  The New Testament was in the process of being written, but it certainly was not completed.  What Paul is saying is that the good news of God that he preaches is not something new, but it is the old news of the Old Testament which is now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ.  When Paul speaks of the prophets he is referring to all those who spoke for God and received revelation from God.  Paul is saying if you look in the Old Testament you will find the promises about Jesus Christ that have been fulfilled.  It is estimated that the Old Testament holds about 332 prophecies about the Messiah, most of them were fulfilled in the first advent of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament is loaded with truths that predict and lay the groundwork for the New Testament.  Every Hebrew prophet recorded in the Old Testament prophesied of the ultimate Prophet, Jesus Christ, either directly or indirectly.  Every sacrificial lamb was a picture of the true, eternal lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.  The first promise is found in Genesis 3:15 when God declares that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.  Hundreds of years later Isaiah declared the gospel of God in Isaiah 1:18, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18, NASB95)[4]

            Let’s look at a couple of prophecies that refer to the Person of the gospel of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The first being that David’s line would endure forever, in 2nd Samuel Nathan the prophet speaks the word of the Lord to King David, the author writes in 2nd Samuel 7:16-17, “’Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.’  In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.” (2 Samuel 7:16–17, NASB95)[5] God promised David an everlasting house and an everlasting kingdom with a descendant to sit on the throne forever.  The second prophecy I want to look at is found in Psalm 2:2-7, the inspired Word of God says, “The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’  He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.  I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” ” (Psalm 2:2–7, NASB95)[6]  Here the Lord calls the King who He has placed on the throne in Zion His Son.  To be begotten is to be of the same essence and same nature, possessing the same character and attributes as the one who has begotten you.  With these two prophecies, from the Old Testament in mind, let’s return to Romans 1:3-4 and see how Paul brings these two prophecies together.

PERSON OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:3-4)

            Paul then introduces us to the Person of the gospel of God; he writes that the promises written in the Old Testament prophecies concern God’s Son.  How is it that Jesus Christ is Himself God and Lord, and still, He is the Son of God?  We believe this because the Scriptures teach both of these truths.  The issue is not whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but in what sense is He God’s Son? 

            Paul begins to bring sense to this first by giving us the facts concerning Jesus human nature.  He writes, “…who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,” (Romans 1:3b, NASB95)[7] Both His natural mother, Mary, and His legal father, Joseph were descendants of David.  To be the promised Messiah-King Jesus had to be a descendant of David because of the prophecy made by Nathan the prophet to David.  As a descendant of David, Jesus inherited the throne of David and the right to restore and rule David’s kingdom, a kingdom that was prophesied to last forever.  Let’s read what the angel Gabriel said to Mary in Luke 1:30-33, “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ ” (Luke 1:30–33, NASB95)[8]  Here we read the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, Jesus Christ is the forever King who will sit on David’s throne and rule his kingdom forever.

            The second Person of the Trinity was born into a human family; He became fully or truly human with all other humanity.  He identified with fallen man, yet He Himself was sinless.  Because He was sinless, He could be the perfect sacrificial substitute for sinful mankind.  This is the Good News of God, that in Jesus Christ, God became a Man who could die for all men, a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

            Paul goes on to tell us that Jesus Christ, this descendant of David, according to the flesh, “…was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[9]  In what sense was Jesus Christ God’s Son?  The plan was eternal, made before the foundations of the earth were laid, but the title “Son” was reserved for His incarnation and given to Jesus Christ when He took on human flesh.  He is the Son of God because of His oneness of essence and character with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and in the role of the loving submission to the Father which Jesus Christ took in His self-emptying incarnation.  There is no question that Jesus Christ is eternally God, that He is eternally the Second Person of the Godhead, but Paul says He was declared the Son of God when He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and born a descendant of David according to the flesh.  Psalm 2 was looking forward and promising that God’s Son would be King in Zion.  Let’s go back to Luke 1 and hear what else the angel Gabriel had to say to Mary.  Luke 1:34-35, “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’ ” (Luke 1:34–35, NASB95)[10]  The angel said the same as Paul wrote, Jesus Christ will be called or declared the Son of God.  John MacArthur wrote concerning this, “We could say, then, that Christ was the Son of God from eternity in expectation and was declared God’s Son in fulfillment at the incarnation and forever.”[11]

            Paul writes that Jesus Christ, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[12] In other words, Paul is saying the conclusive and irrefutable evidence that this declaration is true is given with power by the resurrection from the dead.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection showed His ability to conquer death, which is the power that only God Himself as the giver of life possesses.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead proved beyond all doubt that He is God the Son.  Paul goes on to say that this is according to the Spirit of holiness, this is just another way to say that this according to the nature and ministry of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was working in Jesus Christ to accomplish the resurrection and all the other miracles that Jesus Christ performed during His ministry on earth.  Jesus Christ who was declared the Son of God in His incarnation was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit and was with power resurrected from the dead by the working of the Spirit of God.

CONCLUSION:

            The truth of Advent is found in Jesus Christ the son of David in His humanity, declared the Son of God in His incarnation, truly Man and truly God.  The ultimate proof of who He is was His resurrection from the dead.  Paul in these opening verses of Romans declares that the Son of David and the Son of God is Jesus Christ our Lord.  The Person of the Gospel of God is Jesus because He came to save His people from their sin.  He is Christ or Messiah because God anointed Him as King.  He is the Lord because He is and always will be the Sovereign Ruler of the universe created by Him and held together by His power. 
            As we enter into this final week of Advent that is represented by the angels’ candle, which reminds us of the hope fulfilled that first advent.  But it also gives us hope for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as He returns to take us to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house.  If it were not for the first advent when Jesus came to be our perfect substitute and suffer and die on our behalf so that we might have our sins forgiven and be reconciled to God, we would have no hope for the second advent because it would be an advent of judgment only.  But because of God’s grace and mercy Jesus will come and take those who have trusted Him for salvation to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house, then God’s judgment will be released on the world.  Thank God for Jesus Christ and the hope fulfilled in the first advent and the hope for His second advent.

 

[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[11]MacArthur, John F., The Macarthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1991.

[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

INTRODUCTION:

            This morning is the fourth Sunday of Advent; we have arrived at the week in which we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  As we come together on the evening of Christmas Eve to celebrate our Savior’s birth we will light the final candle, the white candle called the Christ candle.  On the first Sunday of advent, we lit the prophecy candle which was to cause us to remember the prophecies of the first advent and to look with hope and anticipation for the second advent.  Next we lit the Bethlehem candle that reminded us of the preparations that had to take place so that the Christ Child would be born in Bethlehem.  On the third Sunday of Advent, we lit the Shepherd’s candle and remembered that the shepherds that came and worshiped the baby in the manger were the first in a long-line of those who joyously proclaimed the coming of the Messiah-King, the Savior of the world.  This morning, we lit the Angels’ candle and remembered that it was angels that first announced the birth of the Savior, the One promised so long ago.  It reminds us of the hope fulfilled in the first coming of the Savior and our continuing hope as we anticipate His coming again.  This morning, our passage is from Romans 1 and although Paul did not write a Gospel like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John he did write about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the opening verses of the book of Romans.  We are going to look at what he had to say about the first coming of Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.

--PRAY--

 

SCRIPTURE:

            Our Scripture passage this morning is Romans 1:1-7, please turn there in your Bibles.  I am not going to go through all these verses this morning but focus mainly on what Paul has to say about the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please, stand if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read this passage again.

     Romans 1:1-7,

            “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:1–7, NASB95)[1]

PAUL’S INTRODUCTION (Romans 1:1)

            Paul begins this letter to the church in Rome by introducing himself to them.  Paul had never been to the church in Rome although it does seem that he had gotten acquainted with some of the believers from Rome in his travels.  But to most of the church body he was unknown.  In introducing himself to the church Paul reveals three important things about himself that relate to his ministry.  First, his position as a bond-servant of Christ.  Second, his authority as an apostle of Christ.  Third, his power in being set apart for the Gospel of God.  Let’s explore each of these a little.

            First, Paul identifies himself as a bond-servant of Christ Jesus.  The word that is translated bond-servant is the most common Greek word for slave, it refers to someone who was in unwilling and permanent bondage, from which there was no hope of release except for death.  For a Jewish person who was enslaved to another Jew according to the law of Moses they were to serve that person six years and then be set free on the seventh year.  The law also provided a way for a slave to voluntarily become a permanent bond-slave of a master he loved and respected.  Exodus 21:5-6 states, “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.” (Exodus 21:5–6, NASB95)[2]  Paul in calling himself a bond-slave of Christ Jesus is using this term in this sense, that he had given himself wholeheartedly to his Master who had saved him from sin and death.  Paul uses this title bond-slave of Christ Jesus in the most humble sense, recognizing that any dignity or honor that God gives His children is purely from grace, that in themselves Christians are still sinful, depraved, and undeserving.  Paul uses this title to emphasize his position of service and insignificance, not honor.  Paul was called and appointed by the Lord Jesus and because of this calling and appointment he would never put down his position of an apostle or even as a child of God, but at the same time he constantly emphasized that such positions of honor are provisions of God’s grace, so first and foremost he saw himself as a bond-slave of Christ Jesus who loved him and whom he loved in return.

            Second, Paul introduces the authority of his ministry, that authority is based on being called as an apostle.  Or as it is in the Greek, a called apostle.  This more clearly points to the fact that his position as an apostle was not his own doing, he did not volunteer for the office of apostle, nor was he elected to it by a body of believers, he was called to it by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  The term apostle in its most basic meaning is “a person who is sent.”  Most often is refers to a person who was officially commissioned to a position or task, such as an envoy or an ambassador.  In the New Testament it is used as a specific and unique title to refer to the thirteen men (the twelve disciples of the Lord, with Matthais replacing Judas Iscariot, and Paul) these men Jesus Christ personally chose and commissioned with the authority to proclaim the Gospel and lead the early church.  Paul was appointed to the specific task of being the apostle to the Gentiles.  This calling was from God and Paul understood the importance of carrying it out to the best of his ability through the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Third, because Paul was a called apostle, his whole life was set apart to the Lord’s service.  To be effective when called to a certain place or a certain ministry can only happen when, like Paul, you are separated unto God for the gospel of God.  The gospel simply means “good news”  The gospel or good news of God is the truth that God will deliver us from our sin, free us from our guilt, and give meaning to our life and make that life abundant in Him.  The most important thing about the gospel is that it is of God.  That means that God is the source of the good news, it is not man’s good news, rather this is God’s good news for man.  It is only because of God’s great love for us that He would bring us good news, why else would God bring good news to a world that rejects and scorns Him.  No one deserves to hear the good news, much less be saved by it, but God brings it to us out of love so that He can lavish on us His mercy and grace.  Paul having introduced himself to the church in Rome as a preacher of the gospel of God, now introduces them to the promise and the Person of the good news of God.

 

PROMISE OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:2)

            We know that the good news originated from God, but it did not originate in the New

Testament.  Paul writes that this good news God “promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures…” (Romans 1:2, NASB95)[3]  When Paul refers to the holy Scriptures, he is referring to the Old Testament, which was the only holy Scriptures that he had.  The New Testament was in the process of being written, but it certainly was not completed.  What Paul is saying is that the good news of God that he preaches is not something new, but it is the old news of the Old Testament which is now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ.  When Paul speaks of the prophets he is referring to all those who spoke for God and received revelation from God.  Paul is saying if you look in the Old Testament you will find the promises about Jesus Christ that have been fulfilled.  It is estimated that the Old Testament holds about 332 prophecies about the Messiah, most of them were fulfilled in the first advent of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament is loaded with truths that predict and lay the groundwork for the New Testament.  Every Hebrew prophet recorded in the Old Testament prophesied of the ultimate Prophet, Jesus Christ, either directly or indirectly.  Every sacrificial lamb was a picture of the true, eternal lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.  The first promise is found in Genesis 3:15 when God declares that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.  Hundreds of years later Isaiah declared the gospel of God in Isaiah 1:18, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18, NASB95)[4]

            Let’s look at a couple of prophecies that refer to the Person of the gospel of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The first being that David’s line would endure forever, in 2nd Samuel Nathan the prophet speaks the word of the Lord to King David, the author writes in 2nd Samuel 7:16-17, “’Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.’  In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.” (2 Samuel 7:16–17, NASB95)[5] God promised David an everlasting house and an everlasting kingdom with a descendant to sit on the throne forever.  The second prophecy I want to look at is found in Psalm 2:2-7, the inspired Word of God says, “The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’  He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.  I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” ” (Psalm 2:2–7, NASB95)[6]  Here the Lord calls the King who He has placed on the throne in Zion His Son.  To be begotten is to be of the same essence and same nature, possessing the same character and attributes as the one who has begotten you.  With these two prophecies, from the Old Testament in mind, let’s return to Romans 1:3-4 and see how Paul brings these two prophecies together.

PERSON OF THE GOOD NEWS (Romans 1:3-4)

            Paul then introduces us to the Person of the gospel of God; he writes that the promises written in the Old Testament prophecies concern God’s Son.  How is it that Jesus Christ is Himself God and Lord, and still, He is the Son of God?  We believe this because the Scriptures teach both of these truths.  The issue is not whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but in what sense is He God’s Son? 

            Paul begins to bring sense to this first by giving us the facts concerning Jesus human nature.  He writes, “…who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,” (Romans 1:3b, NASB95)[7] Both His natural mother, Mary, and His legal father, Joseph were descendants of David.  To be the promised Messiah-King Jesus had to be a descendant of David because of the prophecy made by Nathan the prophet to David.  As a descendant of David, Jesus inherited the throne of David and the right to restore and rule David’s kingdom, a kingdom that was prophesied to last forever.  Let’s read what the angel Gabriel said to Mary in Luke 1:30-33, “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ ” (Luke 1:30–33, NASB95)[8]  Here we read the fulfillment of God’s promise to David, Jesus Christ is the forever King who will sit on David’s throne and rule his kingdom forever.

            The second Person of the Trinity was born into a human family; He became fully or truly human with all other humanity.  He identified with fallen man, yet He Himself was sinless.  Because He was sinless, He could be the perfect sacrificial substitute for sinful mankind.  This is the Good News of God, that in Jesus Christ, God became a Man who could die for all men, a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

            Paul goes on to tell us that Jesus Christ, this descendant of David, according to the flesh, “…was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[9]  In what sense was Jesus Christ God’s Son?  The plan was eternal, made before the foundations of the earth were laid, but the title “Son” was reserved for His incarnation and given to Jesus Christ when He took on human flesh.  He is the Son of God because of His oneness of essence and character with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and in the role of the loving submission to the Father which Jesus Christ took in His self-emptying incarnation.  There is no question that Jesus Christ is eternally God, that He is eternally the Second Person of the Godhead, but Paul says He was declared the Son of God when He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and born a descendant of David according to the flesh.  Psalm 2 was looking forward and promising that God’s Son would be King in Zion.  Let’s go back to Luke 1 and hear what else the angel Gabriel had to say to Mary.  Luke 1:34-35, “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.’ ” (Luke 1:34–35, NASB95)[10]  The angel said the same as Paul wrote, Jesus Christ will be called or declared the Son of God.  John MacArthur wrote concerning this, “We could say, then, that Christ was the Son of God from eternity in expectation and was declared God’s Son in fulfillment at the incarnation and forever.”[11]

            Paul writes that Jesus Christ, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 1:4, NASB95)[12] In other words, Paul is saying the conclusive and irrefutable evidence that this declaration is true is given with power by the resurrection from the dead.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection showed His ability to conquer death, which is the power that only God Himself as the giver of life possesses.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead proved beyond all doubt that He is God the Son.  Paul goes on to say that this is according to the Spirit of holiness, this is just another way to say that this according to the nature and ministry of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was working in Jesus Christ to accomplish the resurrection and all the other miracles that Jesus Christ performed during His ministry on earth.  Jesus Christ who was declared the Son of God in His incarnation was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit and was with power resurrected from the dead by the working of the Spirit of God.

CONCLUSION:

            The truth of Advent is found in Jesus Christ the son of David in His humanity, declared the Son of God in His incarnation, truly Man and truly God.  The ultimate proof of who He is was His resurrection from the dead.  Paul in these opening verses of Romans declares that the Son of David and the Son of God is Jesus Christ our Lord.  The Person of the Gospel of God is Jesus because He came to save His people from their sin.  He is Christ or Messiah because God anointed Him as King.  He is the Lord because He is and always will be the Sovereign Ruler of the universe created by Him and held together by His power. 
            As we enter into this final week of Advent that is represented by the angels’ candle, which reminds us of the hope fulfilled that first advent.  But it also gives us hope for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as He returns to take us to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house.  If it were not for the first advent when Jesus came to be our perfect substitute and suffer and die on our behalf so that we might have our sins forgiven and be reconciled to God, we would have no hope for the second advent because it would be an advent of judgment only.  But because of God’s grace and mercy Jesus will come and take those who have trusted Him for salvation to the place He has prepared for us in His Father’s house, then God’s judgment will be released on the world.  Thank God for Jesus Christ and the hope fulfilled in the first advent and the hope for His second advent.

 

[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[11]MacArthur, John F., The Macarthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1991.

[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.