Praise God For Jesus

PRAISE GOD, FOR JESUS

MATT. 1: 21

I. INTRODUCTION

WHEN WE OBSERVE ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US AND IS DOING FOR US, IT IS EVIDENT THAT ALL OF US HAVE SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR. FOR OUR HEALTH AND STRENGTH, FOR DANGERS SEEN AND UNSEEN, FOR FOOD ON OUR TABLES, CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS, LOVED ONES LIVING AS WELL AS THOSE WHO’S SOULS HAVE TAKEN FLIGHT ON THE MAJESTIC WINGS OF ANGELS TO BE WITH THE LORD, FOR THE PRIVILEDGE OF LAST NIGHTS SLUMBER, THEN WAKING US UP, FOR THE HOMES WE LIVE IN, FOR THE JOBS WE POSSESS, FOR ANOTHER DAY OF LIVING, YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE HAVE SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR.

PRAISE IS THE VERBAL EXPRESSION IN APPRECIATION TO GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US. THEREFORE, ALL OF US OUGHT TO BE SHOUTING BECAUSE OF THE GLORIOUS GIFTS OF GRACE THAT GOD CONTINUES TO BESTOW UPON US. AND IF YOU CAN’T PRAISE GOD FOR ANY OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS PRAISE GOD FOR JESUS. THE ONE WHO WOULD BE BORN OF A VIRGIN, THE ONE WHO WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS AND BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES, THE ONE WHO TOOK OUR PLACE ON AN OLD RUGGED CROSS. PRAISE GOD, FOR JESUS.

II. THE TEXT

IF WE READ THIS CHAPTER IN ITS ENTIRITY, WE WILL DISCOVER THAT JOSEPH WAS ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED. IN THOSE DAYS, ENSPOUSAL, IN ONE SENSE MEANT THAT YOU WERE COMMITTED TO THE ACTUAL MARRIAGE VS 19.

JOSEPH, WHO WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY, DID NOT WANT MARY TO BE PUBLICALY HUMILIATED, THEREFORE, HE CONSIDERED DIVORSING HER PRIVATELY. AND WHILE HE PONDERED THE MATTER, GOD INTERUPPTED HIM IN A DREAM. MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IF GOD CAN’T GET YOUR ATTENTION ONE WAY, REST ASSURED THAT HE WILL GET IT ANOTHER WAY.

THE ANGEL TELLS JOSPEH THAT HE WILL NAME THE CHILD JESUS. THE NAME JESUS IN THE GREEK IN THE LONGER FORM TRANSLATES YEHOSUA, WHICH MEANS YAHWEH IS SALVATION. IN THE SHORTER FORM IT TRANSLATES YESUA, WHICH MEANS YAHWEH SAVES. THE NAME DEFINES THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

THE REASON FOR THE BIRTH OF THE CHRIST CHILD WAS TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. IN THIS TEXT, HIS PEOPLE REFERRED TO THE JEWS. HOWEVER, PRAISE GOD THAT SALVATION WAS NOT LIMITED TO JUST THE JEWS. FOR ALL OF US HAVE BEEN UNDER THE PENALTY OF SIN, AND SOME OF US ARE STILL UNDER THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN. BUT GLORY TO GOD, THAT HE LOVED US ENOUGH TO SEND HIS SON TO SAVE US FROM MISERY. PSALMS 150:2, “PRAISE HIM FOR HIS MIGHTY ACTS: PRAISE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS EXCELLENT GREATNESS.”

III. BECAUSE OF JESUS

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THE RAMIFICATIONS OF YOUR LIFE IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN? LONELY NIGHTS WOULD BE LONLIER, GLOOMY DAYS WOULD BE GLOOMIER, BURDENS WOULD BE UNBEARABLE, BROKEN HEARTS WOULD BE UNMENDABLE, MISERY WOULD MAGNIFY AND MULTIPLY, AND SALVATION WOULD BE A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATION.

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED HOW BLESSED WE ARE AS THE RESULT OF HIS BLESSED BIRTH? BECAUSE HE WAS BORN, WE ARE THE BENIFICARIES OF ABUNDANT LIFE, JOHN 10:10, “I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY.” WE HAVE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, PHILIPPIANS 4:7, “AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.”