Christmas: Why Jesus Came Series

INTRO.- ILL.- On Christmas morning a woman told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a beautiful diamond necklace. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know tonight,” he said. That evening just before opening presents, the husband came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it only to find a book entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”

I would suggest that all husbands not give their wives a book or books unless that’s exactly what they would like to have for Christmas!

ILL.- A little boy returned from Sunday school with a new perspective on the Christmas story. He had learned all about the Wise Men from the East who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. He was so excited he could hardly wait to tell his parents.

As soon as he arrived home, he immediately began, "I learned all about the very first Christmas in Sunday school today! There wasn’t a Santa Claus way back then, so these three skinny guys on camels had to deliver all the toys! And Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright wasn’t there yet, so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find their way around!"

Cute story but far from accurate. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is about Jesus coming into this world.

Luke 2:1-11 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Jesus is Christ the Lord. But why did He bother to come to earth? What was mission? Every human person has a mission or a purpose in life. That’s why Rick Warren wrote his book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” And Jesus had a purpose driven life!

PROP.- Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did God send Jesus to earth?

1- To seek and save the lost

2- To serve and not be served

3- To destroy the devil’s work

4- To show us the Father

1. JESUS CAME TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Jesus’ major mission was to find lost people and save them.

ILL.- One man wrote: We were on our annual Christmas trek to Chicago. Each year we brought our family to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma and visit the museums. This year we decided to finish our Christmas shopping at suburban Woodfield Mall. In the midst of all the fun and excitement, one of us noticed that little three-and-a-half- year-old Matthew was gone. Terror immediately struck our hearts. We had heard the horror stories: little children kidnapped in malls, rushed to a rest room, donned in different clothes and altered hairstyle, and then swiftly smuggled out, never to be seen again. We split up, each taking an assigned location. Mine was the parking lot. I’ll never forget that night--kicking through the newly fallen snow, calling out his name at the top of my lungs. I felt like a fool, yet my concern for his safety outweighed all other feelings.

Unsuccessful, I went back to our meeting point. My wife, Martie, had not found him, nor had my mother. And then my dad appeared, holding little Matthew by the hand. Our hearts leaped for joy. Interestingly enough, Matthew was untraumatized. He hadn’t been crying. To him, there had been no problem. I asked my father where he had found him. "The candy counter," he replied. "You should have seen him. His eyes came just about as high as the candy. He held his little hands behind his back and moved his head back and forth, surveying all the luscious options."