TITLE: The Miracle of Christmas
TEXT: Galatians 4:4-5
INTRO: Congregation joins in Responsive Readings-
1. Isa. 9:2-7 & 7:14
2. Luk. 2:7-16
I. MIRACLE OF THE PROMISE
A. God Made a Promise to Adam & Eve
1. When man fell in the Garden of Eden curse was put
upon the human race
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen. 3:19)
2. But God also promised a Savior
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Gen. 3:14-15)
B. God Made a Promise to Abraham
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3)
C. The Prophets Spoke Forth God's Promises
1. Balaam spoke of a Star and a King coming from Jacob
(Num. 24:17)
2. Isaiah said the Savior would be:
-Born of a Virgin (Isa. 11:1-2)
-A descendant of Jesse
-Named Immanuel (God with us)
-A Ruler sought by the Gentiles (Isa. 7:14; 60:3)
3. Micah prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem
4. Jeremiah said He would be a descendant of David
II. MIRACLE OF HIS BIRTH
A. God Choreographed the Events of History
1. Caesar Augustus ordered a census. Every Jew had
to go to his home town to register (Luk. 2:1-4)
2. Mary and Joseph were of David's lineage,
so they had to go to Bethlehem
B. At the Right Time, Jesus was Born
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal. 4:4-5)
C. God Came Into Human Flesh
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (Joh. 1:14)
1. He left Heaven with all its glories to come to earth
"Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the virgin's womb,
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with meen to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel."
-Hark the Herald Angels Sing verse 2
2. While on earth, Jesus knew what it was to be:
-Hungry
-Tired
-Poor
-Despised by others
3. He suffered temptation, yet never committed a single sin
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Heb. 4:15)
III. MIRACLE OF REDEMPTION
A. We Cannot Comprehend God's Love
"But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!" (Rom. 5:8 HCSB)
B. Jesus Was Born to Give His Life for Us
1. He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sins
2. He died in our place
3. He nailed our sins to the cross
4. He paid the debt we owed, but could not pay
"Hail the heaven-born Prince of of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give the second birth."
-Hark the Herald Angels Sing verse 3
C. Because He Died and Rose Again, He Can Be:
1. With us,
2. For us,
3. Within us
CONCL: At the close of a preaching service, a stranger came up to the preacher and said, “I don’t like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and example.” The preacher replied, “If I presented Christ in that way, would you be willing to follow Him?” “I certainly would,” said the stranger without hesitation. “All right then,” said the preacher, “let’s take the first step. He did no sin. Can you claim that for yourself?” The man looked confused and somewhat surprised. “Why, no,” he said. “I acknowledge that I do sin.” The preacher replied, “Then your greatest need is to have a Savior, not an example!”
Amen
