Who Is the Christ of Christmas?
Chuck Sligh
December 18, 2011
A PowerPoint presentation for this message is available by emailing me at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
TEXT: Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 1.
INTRODUCTION
Christmas is a wonderful time of year…
• It’s a time of happiness, joy and expectation.
• It’s a time for family, decorating the Christmas tree and gift-giving.
• And it’s a time for Christmas parties and children’s plays.
Don’t you just love children’s Christmas plays?!
Illus. – I love the story of the kindergartners who got out of line while putting on a Christmas play in church—and they, of course, were just adorable. But they also had one of those inevitable blunders that you know is just going to happen every time you get a bunch of little kids up on stage!
Thirteen of them were supposed to walk across the stage, each carrying a letter-bearing placard. Together, if they were in correct order and in line—their placards spelled out
B-E-T-H-L-E-H-E-M S-T-A-R. But the “star” group got turned around and went in backwards, so to speak, spelling out B-E-T-H-L-E-H-E-M R-A-T-S!
All the merriment, activities, gifting and children’s plays are wonderful; good; wholesome traditions which leave wonderful memories in our minds and the minds of our children. There’s nothing really wrong with most of it…but they all kind of miss the point, don’t they!
Illus. – Imagine going to your own birthday party and no one paid much attention to you. Suppose they all brought birthday gifts, but instead of giving them to YOU, they gave them to one another. They would be missing the point, wouldn’t they? A birthday party is supposed to be for THE BIRTHDAY PERSON, right?
Illus. – On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk NC. Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message – WE HAVE FLOWN FOR 12 SECONDS – WE WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!
Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to their local small-town newspaper office, told the editor in glowing terms of her brothers’ new flying machine, and informed him they would be home for Christmas if he would like to set up an interview. He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding her brothers.
On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the SIXTH PAGE of the paper: “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.” The most important story of the year, perhaps of the century and surely of the decade—man’s first flight—AND THE EDITOR MISSED IT!
I wonder if the same could be said about us when it comes to Christmas. Look all around us: The trees are decorated; the music is festive; the season is right. It’s Christmas, and THERE IS ONLY MORE SHOPPING DAY LEFT! In all of your rushing around, in all of your gift buying, in all the things you have to do during this season—HAVE YOU MISSED THE KEY IDEA—that Jesus is the reason for the season?
Yes, Christmas is and should be a time of merriment, joy, gift-giving, expectation and family-togetherness. But let’s not forget the “Christ” in CHRIST-mas. Let’s remember, in this season, that Christmas is about Christ—the Lord Jesus Christ.
The text we’re about to read introduces us to this person.
• Who is He?
• What did He come to do?
• What were the circumstances of His coming to this earth?
Please stand in honor of God’s Word, and follow along with me as I read Matthew 1:18-25 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
This Bible passage teaches us at least three things about the CHRIST that CHRIST-mas:
I. FIRST, NOTE THE MIRACULOUS NATURE OF HIS BIRTH—I.E., HOW HE CAME.
Look again with me at two verses in our text:
• Verse 18 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
• Verse 25 – “And [Joseph] knew her not [biblical language for having marital relations] till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
Jesus’s birth is unlike any other birth in history. The Bible teaches that Jesus was born to Mary without her ever having had sexual relations. God the Father planted the seed in Mary’s womb that became Jesus. Jesus had a human mother, but no human father. Joseph was not God’s father; GOD was the Father of Jesus Christ.
This is known as the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Many people misunderstand the virgin birth of Christ.
Illus. – I read recently about a children’s Sunday School class that heard the Christmas story and sang the beloved Christmas carol, “Silent Night.” They were then told to draw what they thought the nativity scene might have looked like.
One little fellow did a good likeness of Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, but off to the side was a roly-poly figure. The teacher, thinking that the boy had somehow worked Santa Claus into the scene, asked him who that was. She wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or even more worried when the boy responded, “Oh, that’s ROUND JOHN VIRGIN!”
Well, that little boy wasn’t the only one who didn’t quite understand the significance of the virgin birth of Christ. Several polls taken between 1998 and 2004 among ministers in various denominations uncovered the shocking fact that about 30% of clergy do not believe in the virgin birth!
But folks, if you deny the virgin birth, you deny your very salvation, for if this is a myth, then everything else in the New Testament is built on a lie. This doctrine is a FUNDAMENTAL NECESSITY to Christianity. It is not an interesting sidelight to the Bible. It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to fabric of the story about God coming to earth to die for our sins in our place.
The Bible teaches in Romans 5 that the sin nature is passed down through the father going all the way back to Adam. The reason we sin is because of our sin nature passed on from our fathers. We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin because we’re born as sinners. But when Jesus took on human flesh, He was without a sin nature because He had no human father.
Over and over again the New Testament reminds us that Jesus was without sin:
• In John 8:46 Jesus said to His enemies “Which of you convinceth [convicts] me of sin? …” – No one could answer and point out a single sin in His life!
• Paul tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For he hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
• Hebrews 7:26 describes Jesus as our high priest who “…became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…”
• And 1 Peter 2:22 tells us that we should follow in the steps of Jesus “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
It was only because Jesus was sinless that He was a suitable substitute before God to pay for our sin. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] by the Spirit.”
The sinlessness of Christ was made possible by the miraculous nature of His birth—His VIRGIN birth.
II. NOTE SECOND WITH ME, THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF JESUS’S NATURE— I.E., WHO HE WAS.
Jesus was the most unique person in history—past, present and future—because of WHO HE WAS. Who was this unique character?—He was many things, of course, but I want us to see two things the Bible teaches us about the nature of Christ.
A.
• First, the Bible teaches us that Jesus was FULLY HUMAN.
This is intimated in verse 18 where we’re told that Mary was Jesus’s human mother.
Philippians 2:6-8 speaks of Jesus this way: “Who, being in the form of God [that is, possessing the nature of God], thought it not robbery to be equal with God [literally, this means, “thought not that equality with God was something to be to be held on to”]: 7 But made himself of no reputation [literally, he “emptied himself”], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” – This is one of the most powerful descriptions in the Bible of how God the Son—co-equal with God the Father and God the Spirit—stooped to became fully man.
The description of Jesus in the Gospels bears out over and over again that Jesus was fully man.
-- Jesus got hungry and thirsty, and became weary just like you and I do.
-- He felt pain just as we do.
-- He bled, just as you and I would.
-- He felt the full range of human emotions—anger, love, sorrow—just like anyone.
-- He was tempted, just like any other person on the face of the earth.
Although the Gospels don’t go into detail about some aspects of his humanity, enough information is provided to prove that Jesus would have seemed no less human than any other child of that day, except for His sinless perfection.
-- So the famous Christmas carol that says, “The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes” cannot really not be accurate because Jesus was as human as any baby on earth who cries to indicate hunger, thirst or discomfort.
-- There is no reason to believe that as a child he didn’t fall down and get scratched up like any other child; that He didn’t bump His head and get a knot on it like all kids do; that He didn’t want to go out and play with other children; or that when He did go out to play in the hot desert sun, He didn’t sweat and stink and have body odor like any child would.
Do you see what I’m saying?—The whole New Testament attests to the fact that Jesus was fully, 100% flesh and blood HUMAN.
• But the Bible also teaches that Jesus was FULLY DIVINE.
In verse 18 we’re told that Mary, his human mother, “was found with Child of the Holy Spirit”—or we would say today, “she discovered that she was expecting a child by the Holy Spirit.”
Verse 20 says that that which was conceived in her was “of the Holy Ghost”—meaning that Jesus was not conceived by normal human sexual relations and that Jesus’s father was not Joseph, but God Himself.
And verse 23 leaves no doubt who Jesus was. – “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”—Jesus is God dwelling with us.
So you see, Jesus was not half God and half man. He was simultaneously fully God and fully man at the same time. He was not 50% God and 50% man; He was 100% God and 100% man. Though we can’t comprehend it, it’s nonetheless the clear teaching of the Bible.
Illus. – Once the great American statesman, Daniel Webster, was dining with a company of literary men in Boston. During the dinner the conversation turned to the subject of Christianity. Mr. Webster stated unapologetically his belief in the divinity of Christ and his trust in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection for his salvation.
One of them said to him, “Mr. Webster, can you comprehend how Christ could be both God and man?”
“No,” he replied. “I cannot. If I could comprehend Him, He would be no greater than myself. I feel I NEED A SUPER-HUMAN SAVIOR.”
So we’ve seen how our text teaches first the miraculous nature of Jesus birth—that is, how He came: by way of a miraculous virgin birth; and second, the unique character of His nature, that is, who He was: the God-man—fully God and fully man.
III. LASTLY, THIS TEXT TEACHES THE WONDERFUL PURPOSE OF JESUS’S COMING—THAT IS, WHY HE CAME – Verse 21 – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Jesus’s very name tells us the purpose for His coming. “Jesus” is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means, “Savior.” That’s why the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him to name the baby “Jesus”—for, the angel said in verse 21, “…he shall save his people from their sins.”
That’s why He came—to save us from our sins! Jesus didn’t come to earth TO BE OUR EXAMPLE, though He was the greatest example we could ever have. Nor did He come to be a martyr, or to show us the power of love, or to give us great and lofty teachings—all false or partial notions you hear of why Jesus came.
No, Jesus came “to save His people from their sins.” And folks, we NEED to be saved from our sins, because Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” – We have ALL sinned—every single one of us, and every one of us fall short of God’s glory and holiness.
But Jesus came to this earth, was born of a virgin, was fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, and then willingly gave that life on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin – John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Through His death, Jesus made salvation a free gift—at GREAT cost to Him, but NO cost to you and me. – Paul says in Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
All you have to do to receive this free gift is to believe in Jesus Christ, which means to place your trust in Jesus Christ – Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:15 – “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Would you come to the God-man and be saved today?
CONCLUSION
Matthew teaches us some important truths about the CHRIST of CHRIST-mas in this passage.
In our opening song we sang today, we sang, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room…” Have you received the King as your personal Savior? Have you prepared your heart to make room for Him? If not, please, please, please…don’t leave here this morning until you’ve asked Him into your life to be your king and savior!
Tomorrow, in our Christmas Eve Candlelight service, we’ll open with the carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, the chorus of which goes like this: “O come let us adore Him; O come let us adore Him; O come let us adore Him; Christ, the Lord.” You’ve hopefully participated in the merriment of Christmas, and no doubt you’ve shared too much of the commercialism of Christmas. This morning and tomorrow in our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service is a time for those of us who claim the name of Jesus to pause and to ponder the truths we’ve heard this morning, and like those wise men of long ago, to bow our knees and adore and worship Jesus.
• Praise Him for how He came—by a miraculous virgin birth, guaranteeing His sinless perfection.
• Adore and worship Him as the man who was fully God, and therefore, as God, worthy of all worship and praise and honor and glory we could give Him.
• And then thank Him for the purpose of His coming: to save you from your sins— you, who fell far short of the glory of God; you, who were dead in trespasses and sins; you, whose understanding was darkened, being alienated from God; you, who did not believe and were under condemnation.
Come, let us adore Him.
Illus. – A preacher’s family had started putting up a nativity scene in their front yard. All of them were carrying out the little statues to put in the nativity scene. Finally everything was in place—Mary & Joseph and the manger and the baby and the angels and the shepherds and all the barnyard animals.
Then little Scott came out carrying one of his favorite toys—the figure of the fierce Tyrannosaurus Rex, king of the dinosaurs! It was one of those plastic figures that you inflate, and in comparison to the other figures it was an enormous thing, towering over them all, and certainly not something to have in a nativity scene.
The Dad said, “I tried to tell him, ‘Scott, you have to take that back because it doesn’t belong there. Dinosaurs existed thousands of years before the baby Jesus, and it just doesn’t belong in a nativity scene.’” But little Scott insisted—so they finally put it there behind all the other figures—a fierce dinosaur hovering over the manger and everything else.
Then he said, “As we stood back and looked at it, we realized that maybe that dinosaur says more than we realized. For over each of us there is this menacing character that threatens to rob us of all our joy and peace and cheer. It’s a three letter word called sin. And God has given us the victory through the gift of His Son.”
Yes, this little child who was the God-man, went to the cross and on that cross, He defeated that great T-rex of sin once and for all, as well as sin’s cousins of death and condemnation.
Yes, come let us adore this one who has defeated them once and for all!
