{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Luke: A Savior Who Is Christ, The Lord","description":"Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-14 Perhaps the best-known biblical passage recording the birth of Christ is found in Luke 2.  Matthew has some other details concerning His birth, but this account (indeed, this entire chapter) occurs only in Luke.  Here we have Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem, due to a Roman census.  According to Micah 5:2, the Jewish Messiah would come from Bethlehem.  This empire-wide census depicts the sovereign providence of God, who is orchestrating the birth of Jesus, down to the details. An angel appears to a group of shepherds, proclaiming not only the birth of Jesus, but His nature ... Savior, Messiah, Lord (Lk 2:11).  Upon announcing the birth of Jesus, the angel is joined by a host of angels glorifying God, which was also the response of the shepherds (2:20). The incarnation of the Son of God was essential in order for Jesus to be the necessary substitute for sinful people (Heb 2:17) ... both in His perfect life (Gal 4:4; Heb 4:15) and in His sacrificial death  (2 Cor 5:21).  Both His righteous obedience to God's law is credited to people who trust in Him, as well as His substitutionary death.  If there is no incarnation, there is no salvation.  The mysterious wonder of God the Son taking on flesh is essential to Christianity.  If there is no incarnation of God the Son, Christianity is not weakened, it vanishes. ","author_name":"Bethel Baptist Church","author_url":"https:\/\/bethelbaptistscs.org\/","html":"