Holy Savior, Holy People

[Read Luke 1:26-38; 1 Thessalonians 3:11-4:8]

I love to read history. There’s something about reading history that grounds me in the present. For some that may not make sense. When I read history, it has a way of removing me from this current cultural context and gives me a new set of eyes. We all live with a certain set of blinders because of the context in which we grew up. It helps to remove yourself from that context and look at things with fresh eyes. 

This summer I was reading a book about the history of the Christian Reformed Church (it’s one of my favorite historical topics). As I read about some of the struggles of our denomination in the early twentieth century, I came across a couple quotes that stopped me in my tracks. 

“Our youth live in a world which has been almost completely seized by Materialism. American life today is characterized by a rush after material things. People want gold. They want goods. They want pleasure…For many of our nation the dollar is the idol before which they bow.” (S. Eldersveld written in 1915).

“Our present age is sex-mad, sex-crazy. Our amusements, our art, our music, our literature reek with sex filth…Our age is not only brutally but frankly sensual…There is no domain where sin has wrought more havoc than in that of the sexual instinct.” (H.J. Kuiper written in 1929). 

Here’s what struck me as I read these quotes from one hundred years ago. When we look at the early twentieth century, we typically think of them as prudes. We have “progressed” so far down the roads of materialism and sex-craziness that the early twentieth century looks like “the good old days” to us, when people dressed modestly and the entertainment were wholesome and people weren’t so obsessed with “stuff.” For me, these quotes forced me to realize how far we are from holiness as a culture. 

Then we have this story of Jesus’ birth which, from the outside, could be easily portrayed as another image of unholiness. Here we have a picture of a woman who became pregnant while engaged but not yet married. On the outside, you can hear people’s whispers: “So much for waiting.” “I thought she was a good girl.” Then, can you imagine trying to explain it to people: “No, seriously, God did this. It wasn’t Joseph. We haven’t done anything.” Met with repeated eye-rolls and more whispering. On the outside, another picture of unholiness. 

Yet, Luke is proactive in moving beyond the “outside picture” to reality. He begins by saying, “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26–27, NIV). Did you get the point—notice the repetition? He emphasizes VIRGIN twice in one sentence to make sure you don’t try to read more into this scenario. Then, just in case you may have forgotten, a few verses later he mentions that Mary questions the angel, saying, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34, NIV). This may have seemed unholy on the outside, but the reality is that it wasn’t unholy. She truly was a virgin and this truly was an act of God. 

This isn’t a popular thing to believe. People will look at you as if you are a fool for believing in the virgin birth. They will call you a “science denier.” They will mock you and disregard you as unintelligent. As a result, there are even “so-called” Christians who deny the virgin birth. They don’t want to be seen as foolish by the world. So, they find a way to “re-interpret” this passage to say something else. They say she wasn’t a virgin, the word just means she was a “young woman.” NO. That’s just wrong.

Look at the conversation Mary has with the angel. When she says, “How can this be?” the angel responds by saying, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35, ESV). He goes on to explain, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37, ESV). Why would the angel have to say these things if she wasn’t a virgin? It’s not like she didn’t understand the birds and the bees. She did understand how those things worked WHICH IS WHY she was so confused and needed to be reminded that God can do the impossible—even cause a virgin to conceive. 

And here’s why this is so important. When the angel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the Most High will overshadow her, then he says, “therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35, ESV). The “therefore” is connecting the beginning to the end. Why will this child be called holy—the Son of God? BECAUSE of the way he was conceived. That’s why he can be called holy. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. So, even though things looked unholy on the outside, in REALITY this was a MOST HOLY event. 

Our catechism points out the significance of this. It asks the question, “What does it mean that he ‘was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary’?” and answers that question saying, “That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might also become David’s true descendant, like his brothers and sisters in every way except for sin.” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 35). In order for Jesus to truly be our Savior, he had to be fully God and fully man and he had to be HOLY. The only way that could happen is by being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. If you lose any part of this, Jesus is no longer a savior and you are still in your sins. THAT’S WHY the virgin birth is so important. 

Our catechism goes on to ask, “How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you?” I’ve already hinted at this, but let’s hear the fuller answer: “He is our mediator and, in God’s sight, he covers with his innocence and perfect holiness my sinfulness in which I was conceived.” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 36). If Jesus didn’t take on our human nature, he can’t be our mediator—he can’t stand in our place. AND if Jesus wasn’t PERFECTLY HOLY, he couldn’t do anything about our sin.

The Bible says that we are conceived in sin. We are fully people at the point of conception and we are fully sinners in need of a savior. Yet, Jesus was conceived in holiness so that his perfect, sinless, holiness could COVER the sinfulness we carry around. If you lose the virgin birth, you lose all of this. 

So, Jesus’ holiness can cover our sinfulness, but it also begins working in us to make us a holy people. We read through this passage earlier in the service, but we need to read it again. It’s very important. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11–14, ESV). This passage is reminding us that Jesus was born into the world to bring salvation—a salvation that teaches his people to live holy lives in this world. At the end of the passage it says that Jesus GAVE HIMSELF for us to PURIFY a people for himself—to make us holy. So, have this picture of a Holy Savior being born into the world, living a Holy life, and dying so he could have a Holy People. 

This is why we have some strong words about holiness in our 1 Thessalonians passage: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification:…that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness…For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, ESV). What is God’s will for your life? Your sanctification—which means Your Holiness. What is God’s will  for your life? That you would learn how to control your body in holiness. Then he says that whoever disregards holiness, disregards GOD—the one who gave us the HOLY Spirit.

Notice that last part. This passage emphasizes something that should be obvious, but we often overlook. In the midst of talking about holiness, holiness, holiness, the Apostle Paul talks about the Holy Spirit. He says that when we disregard holiness, we disregard the God who gave us the Holy Spirit—insinuating that the primary role of the Holy Spirit is to make us…HOLY. Duh, right? Yet, when most people think about the Holy Spirit, they think about dramatic miracles, speaking in tongues, inner leading/guiding, etc. Yet, in the Bible, the PRIMARY work of the HOLY Spirit is to make us a HOLY people. That’s why He’s been given to us—to use the work of our Holy Savior to make us a Holy people. 

And this is another aspect of waiting for the Second Coming—waiting in holiness. That’s why Titus says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:11–13, ESV). As we wait for our Holy Savior to come again, we are being trained in holiness—we are waiting in holiness. This also what 1 Thessalonians says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13, ESV). In all reality, this is one of the most common commands in reference to the second coming of Jesus. We are repeatedly told to wait in holiness as we await our Holy Savior. 

Here’s why it’s repeatedly mentioned that we need to wait in holiness. There is a strong temptation to give up and stop waiting in holiness. We all know this from our own experience. The longer we have to wait for something the stronger the temptation to give up and stop trying. There is a strong temptation for Christians to say, “Christ is never coming back. I’m done with this holy living stuff. I’m going to do what I want to do.” It’s usually not that explicit, but that’s basically how it goes, right? We begin our Christian life “on fire” and slowly fizzle out the longer we wait. We have moments when we are very disciplined in holiness, but our patience wears thin, we’re sick of waiting, and we give in to temptation. It was happening when Paul wrote this letter and it’s still happening today. 

So, we’re repeatedly reminded that we need to wait for Jesus’ second coming in holiness—and we’re given two reasons. First, is the idea of judgement. Paul says, “…that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:6–7, ESV). When Christ comes again, he will come in judgement. He will avenge all the wrongs that have been done. He will judge all unholiness. So, as you wait for the day of judgement, it makes sense that you should not give up and live an unholy life. This is why so many mothers and grandmothers would ask children, “Is this what you want to be doing when Jesus returns?” 

Yet, there’s another reason for waiting in holiness for Jesus’ second coming—one that is often missed, and not spoken of very often. But, I think it’s the most beautiful motivation in this entire passage. In 1 Thessalonians 3 Paul prays “that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13, ESV). He says that when Jesus comes again, he will come with all his saints. And the word “saints” could also be translated “holy ones.” So, we have this beautiful picture of our Holy Savior returning to earth surrounded by his Holy people. 

Does that stir your heart the way it stirs mine? We have this picture of a Holy Savior being born into the world, living a Holy life, and dying so he could have a Holy People. Then, when he comes again to establish the new heavens and the new earth, he is going to gather his Holy People around Him as his prized possession—the people he bought with his blood, the people he made holy through his life and death and the power of the Holy Spirit—and he’s going to show everyone his prized possession—his Holy Bride. And, people of God, THAT should motivate us to live holy lives as we wait for his second coming.