O Come Let Us Adore Him
A Sermon on Micah 5:2
Originally preached Dec. 25, 1958
Scripture
2But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Sermon Description
The story of the human race points to Bethlehem. The focal point of history is Bethlehem. Everything in the Scriptures points to Bethlehem. In this Christmas sermon on Micah 5:2 titled “O Come Let Us Adore Him,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings out the marvelous character of the season. But how does one respond to the Christmas season? Do they marvel at it? Are they amazed by it? Often people are distracted by many other messages during this time. Listen as Dr Lloyd-Jones looks at Micah 5:2 in order to move the church to adore the great Savior Jesus Christ. In this message, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says Christians marvel at Bethlehem because it is where God’s promises are fulfilled. In Bethlehem, God the Father was vindicating His character and proving Himself to be faithful, beginning in Genesis 3. What is more, it is in Bethlehem that the eternal counsel by the triune God was made manifest as the Son of God came to earth. Jesus Christ was just like every other babe, for He was fully human. But He was unlike every other babe in that He is from everlasting. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones connects the promises of God from the Old Testament to their fulfillment in the babe in the manger. He encourages the listener to come, adore, and marvel at the mystery of Bethlehem.
Sermon Breakdown
- God was fulfilling his promises in Bethlehem.
- God was revealing and vindicating his character in Bethlehem. He was showing his veracity, independence from circumstances, and power over all.
- God was putting his plan of redemption into operation in Bethlehem. The one born in Bethlehem came to carry out God's eternal plan of salvation.
- The one born in Bethlehem was the God-man, the eternal Son made flesh. He was a man, but he is also God. He came forth as a babe, but his goings forth were from everlasting.
- The one born in Bethlehem came to be the ruler in Israel. He came to defeat sin, Satan, and death and establish God's kingdom. He rules over history and will one day return to judge the world.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Micah 5:2
What is the significance of Bethlehem according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Bethlehem is "the focal point, the very center of the whole of human history." It is the place where God fulfilled all His promises, where the eternal Son of God came into the world, and the turning point of human history. As he puts it, "Everything in the Bible points to Bethlehem, to the coming of the son of God into this world. The whole of the Old Testament is looking forward to it."
How does Micah 5:2 demonstrate God's independence from human circumstances?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that despite Bethlehem having become "one of the smallest of the hundreds and the thousands of Judah," God still chose it as the birthplace of the Messiah. This demonstrates that "God is completely and entirely independent of circumstances, entirely independent of what men may do or attempt to do." Lloyd-Jones states this is a comfort because "though men may make a shambles and a hell of this world, God is completely independent of it all."
What does the phrase "whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting" reveal about Jesus?
This phrase reveals the dual nature of Christ - that He is both human and divine. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "Here is the mystery, the marvel, the paradox of it all. He is a man, but he's God. He was born, but he didn't begin. He came out of eternity into time." Lloyd-Jones notes that biblical scholars agree that Micah used "the strongest expressions that the Hebrew language was capable of to describe the eternity, the everlastingness of this babe that came forth in Bethlehem."
How did God demonstrate His control over world events in the birth of Jesus?
God demonstrated His control by using Caesar Augustus and the Roman Empire to fulfill prophecy. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "Joseph and Mary didn't live in Bethlehem, they lived in Nazareth... Caesar Augustus, for no reason whatsoever but to satisfy his own whim... decided that he'd have a census." This census required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, ensuring that Jesus would be born there as prophesied. Lloyd-Jones states, "What made Caesar Augustus do this? There's only one answer to the question. It was the Lord God Almighty who put it into his mind."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the proper response to understanding who Jesus is?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the proper response is worship and adoration. He points to biblical examples: "We remember the reaction of the shepherds, don't we? We are told that after they'd seen it all, they went back to their sheep glorifying and praising God. You remember what the wise men did... they bowed before him. They worshipped him." He concludes his sermon by saying that those who realize who Jesus is "are men and women who look at one another and who say, having looked at him, 'O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.'"
What does the phrase "unto me" in Micah 5:2 signify according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "unto me" signifies that Christ came to fulfill God's eternal purpose and plan. He explains, "What God is saying there is this, that he who shall come forth there in Bethlehem Judah is the one who is coming forth unto him and to God, unto me, which simply means this, that the one who comes forth there in Bethlehem Judah is the one who is going to fulfill and to carry out and to put into operation God's great plan and scheme and purpose for men and his salvation."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Jesus as ruler according to Micah 5:2?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that as ruler, Jesus is "the one to whom God has given the kingdom." He says Christ fulfills this role by "first of all, defeating all the enemies of men, sin, satan, death, hell," then by "saving his people out of this present evil world," and finally by keeping, sanctifying, teaching, guarding, and guiding His people. Lloyd-Jones declares that Christ "is the lord of history" and "the lord of the universe" who will eventually "return and judge the world and destroy his enemies and finally set up his kingdom."
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.