Two Births, Two Gospels

Introduction — Two Gospels, One Question Nearly 2,000 years ago, an inscription carved in stone was discovered in the ancient city of Priene, in western Turkey. Known as the Priene Inscription, it contains this declaration: the birth of the Roman Emperor Augustus is a gospel — a good news of great joy — for all the world. The word gospel, euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον), was the announcement of a king's birth or a victory in battle. The common thread was this: it brought peace. And so a king's birth became gospel for his people. That king was called savior and lord. It is precisely here that Luke makes his bold declaration: the true gospel is not the birth of Augustus, but the birth of Jesus Christ. Today we stand together before this declaration. Who is the true gospel? The answer is one. Jesus Christ alone. For He alone is the true Savior and the true Lord. Let us now consider these two truths together. First: Jesus Christ Alone Is the True Savior. The Priene Inscription calls Augustus a savior. There is a reason for this. In his era, a long civil war came to an end and peace descended upon the empire. The world called this salvation. Pax Romana — the peace of Rome. Yet this salvation had a fatal limitation. It was a peace that could only be maintained by crushing and oppressing others. It was an imperfect peace, destined to shatter and dissolve. Peace built by force crumbles before a greater force. Then what is humanity's true problem? It is not war. It is not famine. It is sin. The transgression of Adam brought upon all mankind both physical death and spiritual death — separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Even the most innocent child will one day die. In the heart of man, made an enemy of God through sin, there is no true peace. In a corner of every heart, the fear of judgment quietly takes its place. No amount of comfort or prosperity can overcome this dread. It is precisely to resolve this problem that Jesus Christ came. He bore the judgment of sin in our place, dying on the cross. He demolished the wall of sin that stood between God and us. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14). In its place, instead of the dread of eternal judgment, we have been given the hope of living in fellowship with God forever. This is the decisive difference from the salvation of Augustus. The peace of Augustus was a peace that required others to die. But the peace of Jesus Christ is a peace given to us through His own death. It is an eternal peace that no one can ever take away. Jesus Christ alone is our true Savior. Second: Jesus Christ Alone Is the True Lord. The Priene Inscription also calls Augustus lord. His word was law. His power was so absolute that Mary, heavy with child, was compelled to travel all the way to her hometown to be registered. And why the census? Taxation. The sweat and tears of the subjugated flowed into Rome to fund the luxurious lives of its rulers. This is how the lords of this world govern — from above downward, the strong crushing the weak. But how does Jesus Christ govern? The Lord and King Jesus Christ was born not in a glittering palace, but in a manger — a feeding trough for livestock. This is no mere poverty. It is a declaration of how He rules. He governs not by command but by example, not by compulsion but by service, not by exploitation but by sacrifice. Having experienced our weakness in the flesh, He knows our suffering, and even now intercedes for us. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). In the reign of this Lord, we enjoy a peace the world can never give. Beyond our walls, the sounds still echo — wars and famines, disasters and pestilence. "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars" (Matthew 24:6). Yet we are sheep within the fold. The assurance that the Good Shepherd leads and protects us — that assurance flows peace into our innermost being. Jesus Christ alone is our true Lord. Conclusion — The Gospel of One Luke is asking us: Is the birth of Augustus the gospel, or is the birth of Jesus Christ the gospel? The answer is clear. The gospel of Augustus is temporary and incomplete. The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect and eternal. For He alone is the true Savior who has delivered us from sin and judgment, and the true Lord who governs us through service and sacrifice. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Are you living in this peace today? Is this peace overflowing in your life? May you praise with wonder and joy the coming of Jesus Christ — our true Savior and true Lord — into this world.