Topic: How to celebrate His birth
Text: John 1: 1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Introduction:
This is the period of the year tagged “Christmas”. It is a time mankind all over the world remembers and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. To some it is a time of travelling, vacation, family reunion, enjoyment, exchange of gifts, etc. Often time the commerce and funs associated with the season gets people carried away to the extent of forgeting the real essence of why Jesus Christ the Beloved Son of God came to earth and had to be born by a virgin.
In this message we shall be seeing how God the Father expects us to perceive and celebrate His birth.
1. Promise of His birth
God the Father used both prophet Isaiah and Micah to prophesize the birth of His dear Son Jesus Christ.
a. By Isaiah – Isa 7: 14, 9: 6-7,
Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel
Isaiah 9: 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
b. By Micah – Mic 5:2
Micah 5: 2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. "
c. By the angel to Mary – Lk 1: 31, 35
God the Father also used the angels to prophesize his birth
Luke1: 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
d. By the angels to Joseph, Math 1: 20-21
Mathew 1: 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
e. By the angels to the shepherds – Lk 2: 10-12
Luke2: 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.
Not only did God use the prophets and the angels to prophesize His birth, but He also gave Him names before His birth.
2. Fulfillment of His birth
The promised was fulfilled
a. Mary gave birth to Him in Bethlehem, Lk 2: 7
Luke 2: 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.
b. He was Seen by the Shepherds, Lk2: 16-17
Luke 2: 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
c. He was Seen and given gifts by the Maggi, Math 2: 1
Mathew 2: 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
d. He Lived among men of old, John 1: 11, 14, 1 John 1: 1
John 1: 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1John 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
e. While living, He Saved, healed, delivered, performed miracles, empowered people of His time, Math 9: 35
Mathew 9: 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
3. How God expects mankind to respond to His birth
a. Repent from our sins, Math 1:20-21, Lk 13: 2, Acts 17:30
Mathew 1: 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The reward we get for committing sins is death both physical and spiritual, but just as we share gifts with one another this season, God also has a gift for every one of us and that gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ whose birth we are celebrating now. Let us therefore stretch forth our hands to receive this gift. Eternal life means a life directed and controlled by God here on earth and the same with Him in heaven.
Luke 13: 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Acts 17: 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
In the time past, we may not know of our need to do away with sins (repent), but today God has made it known to us through His Word and the birth of His Son Jesus that we need to repent of our sins so that we will not perish.
b. Recognize and receive Him, John 1: 10
John 1: 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
It is rather unfortunate that the people to whom He was sent to save did not recognize nor receive Him. Let us not be carried away by the activities of the season as to forget the reason for the season - to save mankind from their sins.
Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Just as we look forward to making new friends and receiving them into our homes this season, let us also not fail to receive Him into our hearts so that He can be wining and dining with us every day of our lives.
c. Believe in His name, John 1 : 12, Rom 10 :9
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Romans 10: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
As we recognize and receive Him as a friend, let us also believe in His name and ask Him with our mouth to become our Lord so that we can be saved from our sins and become sons and daughters of God.
d. Obey Him wholeheartedly, Math 28: 20
Mathew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
John 14: 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
While He was here as a human being, He was always busy obeying the Father, as we become member of God’s family, let us follow His example by obeying all that God says in His Word. As we do this, He and the Father will make us their home.
e. Imitate Him, Phil 2: 5
Philippians 2: 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name
Ephesians 5: 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God
f. Serve Him, Heb 9:14
Hebrew 9: 11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ……… 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
As we surrender our lives to Him, we are expected to help others who are perishing to also come to the knowledge of His saving grace so that they too can be saved. We are saved to save others.
g. Wait patiently for His second coming, John 14: 2-3, 2Pet 3: 9
John 14: 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Acts 17: 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
He is coming back again, but not to be born again in a manger, but He will come as a king to ask for the account of what we have done with the message of salvation He brought many years ago and how we have been living our lives since then.
4. Conclusion:
The season is not just a time of buying and selling, travelling, etc. It is a time of recognizing who Jesus Christ is. It is a time of repentance from sins, a time to believe, receive and make Him our Lord. It is also a time of imitating His behavior and preparing for His second coming.
It is also important to note that the purpose of virgin birth did not stop when He went back to heaven. Though He is in heaven right now, yet He still cares for us. He is now our advocate in heaven.
A story was told by David, W. Lehigh about a young man who got into trouble with the law some years ago. He hired a lawyer who persuaded the judge and he was placed on probation. Later this lawyer was elevated to become a judge and the same man who had earlier committed a crime, now older but not wiser, repeated the same crime. When he was brought to the court, he felt that the judge would be lenient with him again, but the judge said, “Then I was your advocate, now I am your judge.” Jesus offers to be our advocate during this present age, but if we refuse to accept Him, He will someday be our judge. If you have not already done so, accept Him as your advocate today, or he will be your judge sometime in the future. The Lord helps us in Jesus’ name.
