Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The King is Born | The Writings | Psalm 145

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. Luke 2, 6 through 14. While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for the baby to be born. And she, Mary, gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the firstborn. fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

Starting point is 00:00:40 and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a assigned to you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests. Merry Christmas. So today, all across the world, followers of Jesus are celebrating the coming of Jesus. the Messiah, the King of Creation.

Starting point is 00:01:39 I can't help but believe that the heavens, the angels worship with us today like they did all those years ago when they proclaimed the shepherds that their Messiah had been born, a savior, one who would be good news and great joy for all people. The truth of their words was so overwhelming that they broke out into praise, glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth. to those whom his favor rests. In that tiny baby, lying in a manger, lived the hope of all creation for peace, justice, and eternal life. What a good gift. As we look back today at the birth of our Savior, as we remember, I want to look back at the final Psalm of David in the light of Christmas

Starting point is 00:02:33 morning. See, this final Psalm of David is a Psalm of praise. It's written for generations to sing praises to God for who he is, for what he is done, for what he has promised to be and do for his people. And as I read it, I couldn't help but see how fitting it is for this Christmas morning. Verse one, I will exalt you, my God, the king. I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another. They tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty. And I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell the power of your awesome works and I will proclaim your great needs. They celebrate your abundant goodness and sing joyfully of your righteousness.

Starting point is 00:03:29 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. God, the king. What a fitting title for today, Jesus, a baby coming as the Christ, the Messiah, the son of man. If you aren't familiar with these titles, they all point to the fact that Jesus was the promised, long-awaited king to come from the line of David, the king who would reign with true justice, who would instill lasting peace. And David, not knowing that Jesus would be the answer, praises God as king because he's in control of all things. As an earthly king, David knows that the true king is God. He knows that his greatness deserves praise forever, because he's great, mighty, wonderful,

Starting point is 00:04:23 awesome, abundantly good and righteous. He then, this opening section pulling from Exodus 34-6 when God told his people who he was. He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger. And how true would that be? After David, as God's people turned away from him, king after king, as they worshipped idols, as they found themselves in exile, God never turned away from them. And he was faithful to his promise to deliver them through a king. You see, God humbled himself to become a human baby so that he could rescue them as king Jesus, compassionate when they rebelled, gracious when they fought against his love, slow to anger, abounding in love for his people, rescuing them, saving them from generation to generation.

Starting point is 00:05:20 Verse 9, the Lord is good to all. He has compassion on all he has made, all your works, praise you, you, Lord. Your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might so that all people may know your mighty acts in the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures through all generations. You see this God that David worships, the one who is faithful, who upholds all things, who is good to all, who is compassionate to all, is the same God whose birth we celebrate this morning. This God, this baby that we worship was an answer to a promise that God made long ago. And as David says in verse 13, the Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Starting point is 00:06:13 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. See, there's the birth, life, and death, and resurrection of Jesus, God opened his hand and satisfied the desires of every living thing. Jesus is the satisfaction of every living thing. He is the reason we can breathe, the reason we can praise. He's the answer to our joy, to our desire for peace. And so David can't help but continue to praise his king. The Lord is righteous in all he does and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Starting point is 00:07:04 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him. He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. He is just. He delivers. He is near. The birth of Jesus is the ultimate act of God drawing near to his people. David could have known, but one day his God would become human, would experience the pain and humility of limitation. And he lived among his people once again, dwelling with them, drawing near, walking among them like he had in the Garden of Eden. And so David finishes with a final verse of fitting praise. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name forever. and ever. His words remind me of the angels that first Christmas evening. Let every creature on heaven and

Starting point is 00:08:03 earth praise his holy name. Angels and humans, all of creation worshiping our creator, our God, our king, Jesus, forever and ever. We will go on praising him forever from generation to generation like David imagined because of the life of Jesus, because he made a way for his people to live forever with him. He is worthy of our praise. He is faithful to his promises. May the realization that the baby you celebrate today as you celebrate Christmas is God, is king, is the long-awaited answer to God's promises to save his people from the brokenness of creation. As you open presents, as you eat good food with family and friends, may you not lose sight of the greatest gift you've ever. been given. A Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the king, the Lord. Glory to God,

Starting point is 00:09:07 in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. Amen and Merry Christmas.

Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The King is Born | The Writings | Psalm 145

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