God Has Crossed Over

Introduction The Gospel of Luke is recorded in Greek. In the Greek language, there are two words that carry the meaning of "new." One is neos. It means something that did not exist before, something that is new in terms of time. The other is kainos. It means something that is new in its very essence, something completely different in quality compared to the past. It is not merely a newly created thing, but a dimensionally different kind of newness. The new thing we are looking at today is kainos. From the perspective of the covenant, the way of salvation is the same whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament. In the Old Testament, one must believe in the Jesus who is to come to be saved. In the New Testament, one must believe in the Jesus who has already come to be saved. The method of salvation has not changed. However, with Jesus coming to this earth, a tremendous qualitative change occurred in the scope and effect of salvation, and in the way it applies to each of us. A kainos new thing has begun. Today’s text is the scene where Gabriel explains to Mary what kind of person the baby Jesus, who is to be born, will be. Crucial words appear here: Jesus, the Son of the Highest, the throne of David, a kingdom of no end, the Son of God. Following these clues, we want to look together at who Jesus is—the one who came to this earth—and what kind of reality His coming has brought into my life today. The title of today’s message is: God Has Crossed Over. Body 1. To Whom Did He Cross Over? — Beyond Israel, to Those Who Are Like Jacob Gabriel says: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: ... And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;" (Luke 1:32,33) Here, two expressions are placed side by side: the Son of the Highest, El Elyon. And the house of Jacob. The very fact that these two expressions are together is a declaration. El Elyon appears for the first time in the Old Testament in Genesis 14. When Abraham met Melchizedek, a Gentile king, Melchizedek was a priest who served "the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." Before Israel even existed, a Gentile, Melchizedek, served El Elyon. This is no coincidence. From the very beginning, God was not the God of Israel alone. He was the God who rules over all nations. This connection is also confirmed within the Gospel of Luke. In Luke chapter 2, Simeon holds the baby Jesus and says: "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." As the Gospel of Luke continues into the Acts of the Apostles, it contains the story of the gospel spreading from Jerusalem to the uttermost part of the earth. Luke knew from the beginning that this salvation extends beyond Israel. Yet, Gabriel states the recipient even more specifically: the house of Jacob. The house of Jacob refers, first of all, to the entire nation of Israel. However, the name Jacob simultaneously brings to mind the bare face of a human being who cannot stand without God’s grace. Why did he say Jacob instead of Israel? In Genesis 32, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Israel is the transformed name that God newly gave him. But Jacob is the name before the transformation. It is the name of the man who deceived his brother, deceived his father, and fled in fear. Gabriel saying "Jacob" declares this: This salvation does not come to those who are already transformed, but it crosses over to those who are still Jacob. Before becoming Israel, while still in the place of deceiving, fleeing, and stumbling, salvation crosses over to them. And this is not for Israel alone. The Son of El Elyon coming to the house of Jacob is a declaration that this salvation crosses over to all people among all nations who are still Jacob. The new thing is this: The salvation that was revealed focusing on Israel in the Old Testament has now been openly expanded to all nations. The salvation of Jesus, who came as the Son of El Elyon, crosses over to those who are like Jacob. If you are still Jacob, this declaration is directed precisely at you. 2. What Did He Do? — From Repeated Sacrifices to a Once-for-All Sacrifice Gabriel says: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) Mary asks: "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" This is not unbelief. It is an honest question. Yet Gabriel’s answer is simple: The Holy Ghost shall come. The power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Within these words lies something decisive. Why did He have to be conceived by the Holy Ghost? The moment He comes from the lineage of a human father, He would already inherit the sin of Adam. Only by being born of the Holy Ghost could He become a spotless sacrifice. For the first time, a sinless flesh appeared on this earth. And Him being the Son of God means that the essence of this child is God. In the Old Testament, atonement was made with the blood of beasts. Daily, yearly, repeatedly. But those sacrifices could not completely take away sins. This was because a beast could not be a perfect sacrifice. It was a shadow pointing to the real thing. But now, the sinless Son of God has come. For the first time, a perfect sacrifice has appeared. From the blood of beasts to the blood of the Son of God. From a repeated shadow to a reality completed once for all. The new thing is this: The repetition ends. The reality has come, not the shadow. 3. So, What Has Changed? — The Son of God Sat on the Throne Where Man Used to Sit God has crossed over to those who are like Jacob, becoming a sacrifice Himself. So, what has changed? Gabriel says: "and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:32,33) A Jew hearing these words would have felt their heart race. Because this was a promise they had waited for over hundreds of years. Yet, at the same time, a question must have arisen. The throne of David had already been cut off. How could that throne be established again? In 2 Samuel 7, God said to David: "thy throne shall be established for ever." Yet despite that promise, the throne was cut off. The last king, Zedekiah, was dragged away to Babylon with both his eyes put out. Why? Because the one who sat on that throne was a human being. Humans commit sin. Humans die. A throne where a human sits collapses along with the human. It is not because God’s promise was unfaithful. It is because the one who received the promise was human. However, in verse 35, Gabriel says: "that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Here, everything changes. The Son of God sat on that throne where man used to sit. The One who has no sin sat there. The One who conquered death sat there. This is kainos. It is not that a better human king has come. God Himself has sat in the place where man used to sit. The very quality of the throne has changed. Therefore, for the first time, a throne that does not collapse has been established. This brings two realities to us today. First, His protection is endless. The kings of the Old Testament protected the people, but eventually they collapsed. When the king died, the protection ended. But the Son of God has sat on the throne. This King has conquered death. His protection is never cut off. He protects us not from an external enemy, but from the most fundamental enemies: Satan, sin, and death. Do you not think that money will protect you, that health will protect you, or that people will keep you safe? Money, health, and people all eventually collapse. They are all human kings. They die, they end, and they disappear. But the protection of this King will never be cut off from you. Second, His judgment is perfect and irreversible. Because the kings of the Old Testament were sinners, their judgments were corrupt. Even when people suffered unfairness in the world, or when the wicked prospered, there was no perfect judge to appeal to. But the Son of God has sat on the throne. This King has no sin. He judges with perfect righteousness. The unresolved wounds of relationships, the injustice suffered in the world, the suffering that you cannot even understand yourself—you can bring them directly before the completely righteous King. And there is something even more decisive. The judgment of this King has been declared toward you yourself as well. It is the verdict that justifies you, a sinner. You can bring the unfairness suffered in the world before this King, and at the same time, you have already received the verdict regarding your sin from this King. That verdict of being justified is irreversible. Even if you condemn yourself, that verdict does not change. Now, the destiny of the saved does not depend on the condition of man. It depends on the finished work of the King who is sinless and has conquered death. His protection is not cut off, and His judgment is not reversed. Therefore, His kingdom has no end. Conclusion — God Has Crossed Over Gabriel’s words ultimately declare one thing: God has crossed over. If the Old Testament is a story of man trying to approach God, the birth of Jesus is an event where that direction is completely reversed. God Himself has crossed over to you. He crossed over to you while you were still Jacob, became a sacrifice Himself to finish your sins once for all, sat Himself on the throne where man used to sit, and as the endless King, He protects you and declares you righteous. This is not a theological proposition. It is a reality that is valid at this very moment. Stop for a moment before this word today. It is not demanding you to do something. Just stand honestly before this reality. Do you still feel that you are outside of this salvation because you are Jacob? “I have failed too much. I have repeated the same sin for too long. I am not ready yet. Therefore, I am afraid to come before God.” Yet Gabriel said the house of Jacob. You are not outside because you are Jacob. Because you are Jacob, this declaration is directed toward you. Are you still offering repeated sacrifices? Thinking that if you pray harder, if you serve more, if you fast longer, God will accept you. Thinking that you must offer something more. So you always live with a sense of insufficiency. But the sacrifice for you has already been completed once for all—by the blood of the Son of God. Nothing you offer can add anything to it. Under whose protection, under whose judgment are you living right now? Are you judging yourself every day? “Did I do well enough? Am I holy enough?” That judgment always ends in condemnation. But the endless King has come to you. The protection of this King is never cut off from you. And the judgment of this King has already been declared to you. That verdict of justifying you is irreversible. Mary did not understand everything. She did not know what would happen in the future. But she did one thing. She stood honestly before the reality of the new thing God had started. And she said: "be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38) This is not a brave determination. It is a surrender before what has already taken place. God has already crossed over to you. While you were still Jacob. Becoming a sacrifice Himself for you. As your King. Where are you standing today?