Prince Of Peace Series

ISAIAH 9:6 CHRISTMAS: PRINCE OF PEACE

ISAIAH 9:6

#isaiah96christmas

INTRODUCTION… Cool Gifts for Christmas 2021 (p)

Christmas, more than any other time of year, is a season of giving gifts. It is part of what we do and what makes this time of year special. I am a full-service pastor so we are going to begin today in this ‘season of giving’ with some cool gift suggestions to get you warmed up to giving gifts and give you some good ideas. I have given you, thus far, fantastic ideas for gifts which I understand some of you have purchased. Today, we are very very very close to Christmas. It is in fact tomorrow if you didn’t know. If you haven’t purchased gifts by now, you are a procrastinator extraordinaire and you are in trouble. I am here to help!

#1 The Homemade Coupon Book. Go home and get out some scissors and paper and cut paper into squares. Those are your coupons. Then, write on your ‘coupons’ things for another person. Here are some options: ‘Dishes for a week.’ ‘Day of no complaining.’ ‘Car wash.’ ‘You automatically win an argument.’ “Dinner date.’ You put together this coupon book and give it to them. You are gifting them you so how can they complain?

#2 The Re-Gifting Trick. This requires sleight of hand and a devious mind. As you unwrap presents, pick out one that you receive at the beginning of opening presents and drop it into a gift bag you have laid to the side. Slide it under the tree. They will open the gift and think… wow… we both got the same gift! This is dishonest, but might work in a pinch.

#3 The Treasured Possession Ploy. Go home and pick out something that you moderately like in your home. Wrap it up and gift it to the person saying that it is a “Treasure” that you decided you wanted them to have. You come off looking like you have sacrificed something important to you and the day is saved. You only gave up something you moderately liked. Win. Win.

#4 Homemade Card with Poem. Ever since we were little, we come to understand that if you make something for someone, they love it. That is why moms and dads all over have refrigerators covered in things they have no idea what they are. We never lose that. So, go home and fold a piece of paper in fourths and make some art. Draw left handed. Go crazy. Even if you can’t draw… not the point. Then, on the inside of the card: ‘Roses are Red, Violets are Blue… then fill in the blank… blah blah blah you.’ This works for anyone of any age because it is instilled in us from a young age to love such things.

Like I said… Full. Service. Pastor.

THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTMAS

Gift giving is definitely part of Christmas, but the reason that we celebrate and give gifts is because of the birth of Jesus. We who believe in Jesus make sure each year that we observe and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus because He is the greatest gift that the world has ever received! Jesus is worthy of being celebrated and we celebrate everything about Jesus… even His birth!

In the Church, “the earliest feast day in connection with the birth of Jesus was January 6, Epiphany, the Day of His Manifestation. This was originally the celebration of the birth itself.” Later, the Christ-mass was celebrated on December 25 because the Christians at the time did a corporate takeover to push out a pagan holiday at the same time each year. This happened under Constantine in the early 300s (The Story of Christianity, Gonzalez, 1984, page 96). The truth is Christians have always celebrated the birth of Jesus and we moved the date early in the Church to push out a big holiday not connected with Jesus.

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus because He is the greatest gift that the world has ever received! Jesus is worthy of being celebrated and we celebrate everything about Jesus… even His birth!

We celebrate the birth of Jesus because…

… the birth of Jesus is a supernatural event where God becomes flesh and dwells with us

… the birth of Jesus looks forward to all the magnificent miracles He would do

… the birth of Jesus looks forward to all that He would teach us and His life example

… the birth of Jesus looks forward to His meaningful death

READ MATTHEW 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with Child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His Name Jesus.