Sermon Notes: Monument of Promise
We are gathered here today to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior’s birth, Jesus Christ. Yeshua Hamashiach. The Messiah, whom the prophets foretold would be born around 700 years prior.
“For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Great will be his authority,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”-Isaiah 9:6-7
Let’s fast-forward in the Bible and read the story of our Lord’s birth.
“This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room. Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.”
-Luke 2:2-20
The act of memorializing Jesus’ birth was not commanded by him or God. Did you know that? So then, why do Christians honor it?
Well, did you know that people memorialized days and events in the Bible? Even without God telling them to do so. They would set up sites as monuments to “monumental” situations, to memorialize God moving in their lives. One example is a dream, a vision that Jacob had at Bethel. He made a monument in that location to honor the dream God gave him.
“He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring, and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.”
-Genesis 28:11-22
Bible Hub defines monuments in the Bible as “…physical reminders of significant events, Divine encounters, or covenants between God and His people. These structures or markers were often erected to commemorate God’s intervention, guidance, or promises…” The Bible depicts monuments of all kinds. We even have one in our church, an altar. Stone pillars and heaps of stones are other examples.
As we discussed earlier, monuments were set up as memorials to remember events so profound that they needed something tangible. They became part of their identity, their culture. They are to show value to their past, to look at where they came from, and more importantly, WHO intervened. Memorials reflect our faith’s foundation of endurance, obedience, and holding to God’s promises.
I mentioned earlier in this sermon that days were also set up as monuments, memorials to God’s moving in big ways.
- Sabbath
- Creation of the world
- a day of rest
- Passover
- The Lord’s supper came out of this holiday
- Easter
- Jesus’ death and resurrection
- Purim
- God used Esther to save His people from slaughter
- Feast of Booths
- To remember how God brought the Hebrews out of slavery and led them to live in the desert
- Feast of Trumpets
- God’s victories
As Christians, we also set a part a day, a memorial, a monument: Christmas. This day, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who made a way for us to go to the Kingdom at the end. To be reunited with God once and for all. We give thanks for his blessings through family, traditions, and AGAPE (pure Godly love).
“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”which means, “God is with us.”
-Matthew 1:23
The angel told Mary Jesus’ title, God is with us, Emmanuel. And he was given his earthly name, Jesus or Yeshua, which means “salvation”. Isn’t that something? God came down as Jesus, the face of God incarnate. He humbled himself to live a human life, to be born to an unwealthy family. He grew and lived up to his name, Salvation. Yeshua. Jesus. He brought salvation to us all. And it began in a manger, on a day we have memorialized, a monument of God’s promises through ancient prophets. Jesus, the light of the world and Savior for us all.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”
-John 1:1-5
Amen.
Further Study
Bible Hub’s Topical Encyclopedia on the term “monument”.
“Memorial” often takes the form of physical objects, rituals, or specific days set aside for remembrance.
