What Did Lloyd-Jones Teach About Understanding Jesus through His Birth?

How does the birth of Jesus show us the true nature of wisdom according to Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the birth of Jesus reveals that true wisdom is not something of outward appearance but is hidden from the world's understanding. He emphasizes that "wisdom, according to the Bible, is not something of outward appearance. It's something hidden. It's something that the world cannot see." The circumstances of Christ's birth—being born to a poor mother, in a stable, in an insignificant nation—demonstrate that God's wisdom directly contradicts human notions of wisdom, power, and glory. Lloyd-Jones notes how John writes, "we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," indicating that this glory is only visible to believers.

How does Lloyd-Jones describe the world's concept of glory versus God's concept?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the world's concept of glory is centered around "bigness" and power. He states, "Men's idea of glory is always in terms of bigness... especially so at the present time. We are living in an age in which there is a cult of bigness." The world associates glory with military might, pomp and circumstance, magnificent displays, palaces, intellectual achievements, and wealth. In contrast, God's concept of glory is revealed in Jesus's humble birth—born to an unknown Hebrew maiden, in a stable, in poverty, in a conquered nation. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this contrast to show how God "made foolish the wisdom of this world" by choosing the exact opposite of what human wisdom would expect for the entrance of the Son of God.

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the paradox of Christ's incarnation?

Lloyd-Jones describes Christ's incarnation as a profound paradox that divides humanity. He explains: "It is the coming together of these eternal opposites that constitutes the enigma." On one side, Jesus appears ordinary—born to a poor mother, raised as a carpenter, without formal education. On the other side, His birth was announced by the archangel Gabriel, He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, celebrated by angels, and sought by wise men guided by a star. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this paradox—being both God and man—is something human wisdom cannot comprehend: "The world says, very well then, He's just a man. The answer is, He isn't. Well, then, says the world, He's a God in the form of a man. The answer is, He isn't. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He is truly God and truly men."

How does the sermon explain that God reveals wisdom to the humble rather than the wise?

Lloyd-Jones points out that God intentionally revealed the birth of Christ not to philosophers, statesmen, or religious leaders, but to ordinary shepherds. He states: "The first people to whom the revelation was given were not a gathering of philosophers in Athens, not a conclave of statesmen in Rome, not even an august gathering of pharisees and scribes and sadducees in the city of Jerusalem, just a number of ordinary, ignorant shepherds in a field watching their flock by night." This demonstrates that God's wisdom is not disclosed based on human intellectual capacity or status, but is revealed by grace to the humble. Lloyd-Jones concludes that this pattern "tells us that we are all saved by grace, that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, that we, none of us can save ourselves, but that God can save anybody, because it is his wisdom and his power."

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about how Jesus continues to divide humanity today?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that Jesus continues to divide humanity just as He did from the beginning. He explains: "From the very moment that he came into this world, this Jesus has caused division. He has divided the human race." Quoting Jesus, he notes: "Think not that I am come to send peace into the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that even today, "the world is divided this morning, and this is the only ultimate division into those who believe in him and who are Christians, and those who don't and those who reject him." The central reason for this division is that Jesus presents a paradox that human wisdom cannot reconcile—He appears ordinary yet performs miracles, seems weak yet demonstrates power, dies yet conquers death. This paradox continues to cause people either to reject Christ based on worldly wisdom or to accept Him through divinely granted spiritual insight.