INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Christmas means many things to many people. To some it means a time for family to get together, for others it is a time to rack up the credit cards and give people gifts that we cannot afford.
• Giving gifts and visiting with family are great things to do during the Christmas season, but what is Christmas really about?
• In reality Christmas is about a child born around 6 BC to a virgin.
• This begs the question, “Who is this child?” Who is this child who came from such seemingly humble beginnings? Throughout time people have formed differing opinions of who the child was.
• Dr. Lynn Gardner in his book “Christianity Stands True.” States the following:
• The essential question is “Who is Jesus?” This question demands a personal response. Each person must answer. It is an all-important question. How a person answers will determine his purpose in life and decide his eternal destiny. It is the most important question any person will ever answer.
• The way you answer the question of the identity of that child who was born in a manger is the most important question you will ever answer in your life. Your eternity is at stake!
• Some say that He was a good teacher.
• Some say he was the illegitimate son of Mary and a Roman soldier.
• Some say that he is one of many paths to heaven.
• At the time of this birth, little did people know that the birth of this one child would change the very fabric of the world forever!
• Jesus never went to college, got married, owned a house; yet look at how the world changed because of Him!
• Who is this child? Where do you get your information? Almost all we know about this child comes from the Bible. Today we are going to look at the bible to see what it says concerning the question, WHO IS THIS CHILD!
• When you gather this information you have to decide if you are going to accept it or reject it and hope the bible is wrong.
• Let’s begin with looking at the names given to Jesus.
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. The names of Jesus give us insight as to who He is.
• I want us to look at just a few names/titles given to this child throughout the bible.
• When we deal with people we learn a lot about them today more so with the titles they have been given.
• President, CEO, CFO, Governor, Senator, Pastor, Preacher, CPA. When someone has one of those titles we know what they do. We know what they are about.
• We can do the same with Jesus! In His day, your name also meant something; the name given to you had some significance more than just being named after a soap opera character.
• Let us just examine a few of the titles and names ascribed to Jesus found in scripture.
• Immanuel!
• SLIDE #3
• Isaiah 7:14 (HCSB) Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
• Matthew 1:23 (HCSB) See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
• The name tells us that Jesus is literally “GOD WITH US’! When you looked at Jesus you were looking at God!
• SLIDE #4
• John 14:9 (HCSB) Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
• God did not just dictate from heaven, He brought is message directly to us through His son Jesus! Immanuel!
• Isaish 9:6 gives us more names and titles for Jesus!
• SLIDE #5
• Isaiah 9:6 (HCSB) For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
• WONDERFUL COUNSELOR!
• His counsel is wonderful because it will always lead you down the right path. ALWAYS! God’s way is always the best way for you to go.
• If you want to go in the right direction, Jesus will not let you down, He will give you wonderful counsel on life and spiritual matters!
• MIGHTY GOD!
• Jesus is a champion in battle! He will not and cannot be defeated! Who would you rather have by your side in the battles of life, who do you want with you in the trenches as life comes at you?
• Jesus is our MIGHTY God! He cannot be overcome!
• ETERNAL FATHER!
• Eternal life is found in Jesus!
• SLIDE # 6
• John 3:16 (HCSB) “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
• John 3:36 (HCSB) The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
• Jesus tells us that He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE IN JOHN 14:6!
• PRINCE OF PEACE!
• Jesus gives us peace with God. He is the one who shields us from the deserved wrath of God.
• SLIDE #7
• John 14:27 (HCSB) “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
• Would it not be nice to enjoy the peace Jesus wants you to have! Would it not be great to know you are at peace with God!
• When you look at the names and titles given to Jesus it points to Jesus beginning something special, the one and only Son of God, the Messiah!
• SLIDE #8
II. The testimonies about Jesus give us insight as to who He is.
• Many times we can learn a lot about a person by what is said about them. In the case of Jesus I want to briefly look at a few of the testimonies concerning Him.
• Let us start by looking at those who many would consider His enemies.
• Pilate, the Roman official with whom Jesus was on trial in front of.
• In Luke 23:4, Pilate stated that he found no guilt in Jesus. He knew Jesus did nothing worthy of death.
• Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
• In Matthew 27:3-4 Judas after betraying Jesus realized he had made a BIG mistake!
• SLIDE #9
• Matthew 27:3–4 (HCSB) Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!”
• The Pharisees.
• These “religious” leaders had it in for Jesus. They were upset at Him because He was taking their glory. Look at what they said about Him.
• SLIDE #10
• John 5:18 (HCSB) This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill Him: Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
• The Demons.
• They too knew who Jesus was!
• SLIDE #11
• Luke 4:41 (HCSB) Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.
• According to James 2:19 they believed who Jesus was!
• Those who were friends of Jesus also testified concerning Him.
• The angels.
• SLIDE #12
• Luke 1:35 (HCSB) The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
• The Magi came to worship the King in Matthew 2:1-11.
• John The Baptist!
• SLIDE #13
• John 1:29 (HCSB) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
• Andrew who was one of the first of Jesus original 12.
• SLIDE #14
• John 1:41 (HCSB) He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which means “Anointed One”),
• Peter called Jesus the Son of God in Matthew 16:16 and Paul in Colossians 2:9 stated:
• SLIDE #15
• Colossians 2:9 (HCSB) For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,
• We can also learn things about what a person says about themselves!
• SLIDE #16
• John 10:30–31 (HCSB) The Father and I are one.” Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.
• Jesus is claiming to be equal with God!
• In John 6:38 He states that He came from Heaven. In John 14:6 He states He is the way, the truth and the life that no one comes to the Father but through Him!
• He claims that He always existed. John 8:56-59. In Matthew 11:27 He claimed that He had exclusive knowledge of the Father.
• In John 11:25-26 He claimed to be able to give eternal life! In John 5:22 He claimed to be the Judge of all mankind.
• What did the Father say about Him?
• SLIDE #17
• Matthew 3:16–17 (HCSB) 16 After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!
• And of course the Old Testament had over 332 predictions concerning Jesus which He fulfilled ALL of them. Just fulfilling 8 of those would be a near statistical improbability.
• The testimonies seem to line up to tell us Jesus is the Son of God!
• SLIDE #18
III. The life of Jesus gives us insight as to who He is.
• The way a person lives their life speaks volumes about them. WE could spend years just on this point alone!
• A persons actions speak louder than their words and in the case of Jesus they SCREAM as to who He is!
• Jesus lived a sinless life, He displayed the powers of deity, and His words reflected that of Deity.
• He displayed a love that would reflect the creator.
• He sacrificed Himself on the cross for us!
• SLIDE #19
• Hebrews 4:15 (HCSB) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.
• Jesus rose from the dead and He changed the world and impacted the face of mankind like no one else! The world has been changed because of Him!
CONCLUSION
• Who do you say this child is?
• Former atheist, and Christian author C.S. Lewis, states:
• A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great teacher.
• He would either be a lunatic – on the level with the man who says that he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell.
• You must make your choice: Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.
• You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.
• But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
• Jesus was not just some child, but He was God in the flesh, God with us.
• Where do you stand? Lord, lunatic or liar?
• Life itself would lose meaning!
• Without Jesus being God, Christmas is nothing more than a pagan holiday void of meaning.
• The way you answer that question will determine the path of your whole life.
