John 3:16-18
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
The Tiny Giant - today let’s take a look at the enormity and the smallness of what we will be celebrating on Thursday, Christmas Day.
Let’s take a look at the characters involved in the account of Christmas found in the Bible
(Know these characters well enough so that you can give a brief account of their participation in the Advent Narrative)
Zechariah (father of John the Baptist - forerunner of the Messiah)
Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist - forerunner of the Messiah)
Mary (angel appearances 1)
Joseph (angel appearances 4)
Shepherds (angel appearances 1 + a heavenly host)
Simeon
Anna, daughter of Penuel - she was a prophet
Magi (angel appearances 1)
There are 260 chapters in the NT - four chapters are devoted to the birth of Jesus and the surrounding characters and events.
Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, the Shepherds, Simeon, Anna and the Magi are only seen in these four chapters of the New Testament and are never mentioned outside of the Gospels. The story of the birth of Jesus is only mentioned in Matthew and Luke.
Mary is only mentioned outside of the Gospels in one verse and that only states that she is at a certain location.
The last we see of Mary
Acts 1:14
“These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
In all of the other 256 chapters in the New Testament there are no references to the birth of Jesus or any of those involved.
The birth account is actually only reported in two of the four Gospels.
So, just what are we trying to get at here?
In this one event we have a tiny giant!
We have the birth event (tiny) and the incarnation (GIANT).
Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger (tiny)
Jesus is God AND man (GIANT)
Luke 2:8-12 says
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
What is the tiny phrase in this verse? (You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.)
What is the giant phrases in this verse? (a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.)
But, the Christmas narrative is important.
Does anyone know what this is? (Picture of a tractor hitch pin)
It is a tractor hitch pin. Pretty small isn’t it? Pretty important isn’t it?
Let me give you an example of how important it is!
New Holland NH 76 baler (describe - from the 1940's - baler with it's own engine - it can do everything needed to make bales of hay but can't get to the field)
Old Allis Chalmers tractor (describe - it can drive all over the hay field but it can't make bales)
What was needed in order to bale hay? A hitch pin!
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In the beginning, when humanity had fallen into sin God gave us the Law and
He gave us hope of a reconciliation, a salvation that would take place one day
God gave us the moral law - the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments showed us that we were far from God
God also gave us the ceremonial law
The ceremonial law was a foreshadowing of the promised future Messiah
The moral law condemned us by our own actions
The ceremonial law however was still unable to give us complete reconciliation with God
God had a plan - reiterate John 3:16-18
God sent His own son!
Jesus was fully human - Matthew 4:4
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus was fully God - John 14:9
“Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?’”
And in John 10:36 Jesus says:
“I and the Father are one.”
So, we’ve got the Old Testament laws (baler)
And, we’ve got Jesus (the tractor)
What is the hitch pin that connects the two? The incarnation.
The incarnation is HUGE! But at Christmas we seem to minimize that great truth in favor of what’s contained in those four chapters - the story of Jesus birth.
This event of Mary giving birth to Jesus is not really the hitch pin that changed the relationship between God and mankind for all of eternity; it was God becoming Man which enabled the fulfillment of the purposes of the Messiah!
A tiny Giant event
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All of us are born with a human nature that is destined to sin, to separation from God.
We can try to be righteous and earn salvation but it’s impossible.
We can try to be “spiritual” people by seeking other religions or trying to find inner enlightenment.
This desire within us to know God is just like that old baler sitting there running; unable to produce one single bale of hay. We can’t do it on our own.
God, on the other hand, loves you and wants to save you.
He has made the way of salvation possible through His death on the cross which was a sacrifice for out sins.
God is the power, the tractor, which can make our salvation possible.
What is the hitch pin? It is us! It is us cooperating with the call of the Holy Spirit.
God wants to connect our broken lives to His Holy Spirit!
The devil tries to give us the impression that we are alive and that our lives have real meaning without Jesus but it is a façade, a false front.
An old country Gospel song puts it this way:
“I used to write songs about living. I used to think I was alive.
But I was dead and didn’t know it until I met my Lord
And the difference is just like day and night.”
Isaiah, looking ahead through the centuries could see this coming to pass.
Isaiah 9:2 (YLT)
“The people who are walking in darkness have seen a great Light. Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light has shone upon them.”
Coming to Jesus Christ for salvation is the hitch pin that will move your life from being a dweller in a land of death-shade to someone who lives a life in the perpetual light of Jesus! He will give your life real meaning!
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
You have the potential to be great in the kingdom of God. God wants you to be great in His kingdom. He will not force you to come to Him for salvation but the provision is there.
Conclusion
