JESUS IS THE REASON FOR CHRISTMAS
Isaiah 9:6-7
Introduction:
ILL. It’s Christmas time, & Lucy comes in where Charlie Brown is standing & says, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. `Tis the season of peace on earth & good will toward men. Therefore, I suggest we forget all our differences & love one another."
Charlie Brown, whose face lights up at this, says, "That’s wonderful, Lucy. I’m so glad you said that. But tell me, do we have to love each other only at this season of the year? Why can’t we love each other all year long?" Lucy retorts, "What are you, a fanatic or something?"
A. Will Christ be the center of your celebration this
Christmas season?
1.The Christian needs to remember that our joy is because of Jesus,
2. Our songs because of our Savior,
3. Our love because of our Lord,
4.Our inheritance is because of His incarnation, and
5.Our blessings a result of His birth.
B. The central figure throughout the Scriptures is the
conquering Christ.+
1. In the Old Testament era, through the Passover, the people looked forward to redemption.
2. In the New Testament era, during the Christmas season, we look backward to the Incarnation.
3.In the Book of Isaiah, He deals with the Messiah
4.One moment the Book of Isaiah is black with thunder and the darkness of the storm.
5.Then, the rainbow shines through, and Isaiah sweeps his readers onto the Golden Age still ahead for the world.
6.He writes about the Messiah as the savior and sovereign to illustrate the cross and the crown.
7.To Isaiah, Christ is just as much the Lamb of God as He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
2700 years ago, Isaiah wrote, “ For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this” (Is. 9:6-7).
From these two verses, there are several practical steps to ensuring that our conquering Christ is central during our Christmas celebration. First, we need to:
I. Gave us Help in our Present Situation
ILL. Some years ago, the cartoon pictured Charlie Brown bringing out Snoopy’s dinner on Thanksgiving Day. But it was just his usual dog food in a bowl.
Snoopy took one look at the dog food and said, "This isn’t fair. The rest of the world today is eating turkey with all the trimmings and all I get is dog food. Because I’m a dog," he said, "all I get is dog food." He stood there and stared at his dog food for a moment and said, "I guess it could be worse. I could be a turkey."
A. I think of the shepherds sitting out on the hillsides,
watching sheep all night long. (Boring it must be)
1.They were poor, with no prospect for improving their lives.
2. Life was hard & harsh for them, without much hope of it ever getting better.
3.Suddenly, one glorious night, the angels appeared & made this wondrous announcement, "Unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
4.….shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid.
"And the angel said unto them, `Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger…..
(Is. 9:6 a)
6 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, Counselor,
A. Jesus as a “wonderful counselor” has answer to every question and solution for every problem.
1. If you are weary in mind, Jesus says, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).
2.If you need basic worldly goods, Jesus says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things will be added unto you” (Mt. (6:33).
3. If you are worried about life, Jesus says, “Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid” (Mt. 14:27).
4.If you want to be a witness to the lost, Jesus says, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8).
5. If you are weak in body, Jesus says, “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (Jn. 5:8).
B. Jesus Christ has counsel for every crisis,
1.a plan for every problem,
2.a direction for every dilemma,
3.a prescription for every pain, and
4.a message for every man.
C.. To the Christian, the Lord’s counsel is
1. like honey to the taste,
2. harmony to the ear,
3. health to the body,
4. happiness to the soul,
5. and hope to the heart.
Indeed, Jesus is the Conquering Christ of Christmas!
II. in order to ensure that our conquering Christ is central
during our Christmas celebration, we need to:
II. REMEMBER HIS PERSONAL POWERS (Is. 9:6 b)
Isaiah has written: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . and His name shall be called . . . the mighty God”
A. Jesus is the God-Man.
1.Mary knew when Jesus was born that He was older than His mother, but the same age as his Father.
2. Before time began, Christ existed with His heavenly Father.
B. Jesus came down the starry spangled skies of glory.
1.He was born in Bethlehem,
(Is. 9:6 a)6 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, Counselor,
2.hidden in Egypt,
3. raised in Nazareth,
4.baptized in the Jordan,
5.and tempted in the wilderness.
C.Christ performed miracles on the roadside,
1. healed sick without medicine and charged nothing
for his services.
2.He conquered everything that came up against Him.
3.Then, Jesus Christ took our sins up to Calvary and died for the world.
D. He did not have to write His signature on the corner of a
sunrise because He is the creator.
1.He did not have to carve His initials in the side of the
mountain because He is the titleholder.
2.Christ did not have to put a brand on the cattle of a thousand hills because He is the proprietor.
3.He did no have to take out a copyright on the songs the birds sang because Christ is the author.”
E. Jesus Christ stands for free healing and full salvation.
1.Scientists are able to put a new suit on man, but only Christ can put a new man in a suit.
2.Jesus precedes all others in their priority,
3.Exceeds all others in their superiority, and
4. Succeeds all others in their finality.
Jesus is the conquering Christ of Christmas!
Third, in order to ensure that our conquering Christ is central to our Christmas celebration, we need to:
III. RESPECT HIS PATERNAL PASSIONS (Is. 9:6 c)
“…. his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,…..” Isa 9:6
A. Jesus is the “Everlastingl Father”
1.Since the triune nature of God had not been revealed to Isaiah, he is expressing that Christ is Father until everlasting.
2.Christ will still be God after eternity begins.
3. He will be God long after America lies in the dust somewhere.
4. He will be God when our fleeting and vaporous life we now have is gone.
5. He will still be God when the stars leap at His command from their present orbit, and the earth melts with fervent heat from the gaze of Him whose eyes are like fire.
ILL. The young man was feeling very proud of himself. As a brand new college graduate he had taken the C.P.A. Exams and passed with flying colors. Now he was a full-fledged Certified Public Accountant.
His father had been an immigrant to the U.S., and now owned his own little business. Filled with self-importance, the young man began to criticize his father’s way of keeping books. He said, “Dad, you don’t even know how much profit you’ve made. Over here in this drawer are your accounts receivable. Over there are your receipts and you keep all your money in the cash register. You don’t have any idea how much money you’ve made.”
The father answered, “Son, when I came to this country the only thing your mother and I was Jesus Christ --I owned was a pair of pants. Now, your brother is a doctor, your sister is an art teacher, and you are a C.P.A. Your mother and I own our home. We have a car and we own this little business. Now add that up, subtract the pants and all the rest is profit.”
6.He will still be God after all our confusions are wonderfully resolved in a heavenly understanding.
7.He will still be God when all our weaknesses become strengths.
8. He will still be God after our defeats become victories.
9. He will still be God when our Sinai sojourn through the wilderness of this life gives way to the vestibule of eternity.
Indeed, Jesus is the conquering Christ of Christmas!
Last to make sure that our conquering Christ is central
to our Christmas celebration, we need to:
IV. RECONGNIZE HIS PRIESTLY Nature (Is. 9:7)
“……and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah calls Jesus the “prince of peace” (Isa. V-6) and describes His domain (Is. V-7). 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.
A.This is prophetic because it will not be fully realized until the millennial Reign when our Savior will rule and reign over all the earth.
1. The establishment of the domain will rest upon the Lord’s shoulders. The extent of this kingdom is summed up in the words of Isaiah: “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace” (Is. 9:7).
2.The expansion of this millennial empire will materialize when Jesus is on the throne and judgment and justice in the land.
3.It will be different when Jesus comes back again. 1st time He rode a donkey.
4.The next time He will ride a white horse.
5.The first time He stood before Pilate.
6.This time Pilate will stand before Him.
7.The first time Jesus was rejected,
8.But at the last every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
9.At Christ’s first coming He wore a crown of thorns.
10.At his second, He will have on his head Many Crown
B.There is coming a day when Jesus Christ will make walking on water look like child’s play when He steps out of eternity into time and walks on the clouds.
1.There will be a rainbow of victory wrapped around His shoulders.
2.There will be a smile on His face.
3.At that moment, the laws of gravity, time, and space will ‘collapse and the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever
CONCL. Isn’t that what Jesus did? "No, you don’t have to die for your sins. I’ll take your place on the cross." "No, you can enter the heavenly home. I’m preparing a place for you there."
Christmas made the difference. God wrapped up a gift & gave it.
God offers that gift again this morning, & He waits to see what you will do. I pray that you will receive Him with open arms of love
