The birth of Jesus the Messiah
Isaiah 9
Introduction-
Good Morning… I am glad that you are joining us this morning and pray that the Lord blesses you and speaks to you!
You know in 2020, we were all forced to do things we did not want to do.
We had to adapt to the fact that Covid-19 had changed our world. How we do things.
It had come in without warning and upset life as we know it.
We had a choice. Sometimes in life all available choices are not what we are looking for.
Jesus had come into this world, not the way they thought He should. He had come to save them from eternal damnation and they were looking for a militant leader to fight Rome.
I want to be the town crier…a town crier also called a bellman is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required. It is the pastor in me to announce the Good News of Christ and proclaim warnings that could save our lives.
Good news travels fast, but bad news has more details! What I mean by that is good news travels but gossip and bad news has more details-why? Because everyone adds their personal details, Sometimes even when they are not true statements and/or exaggerated.
I think heaven gets more inviting…Why? Because each time I lose a love one and I know that they have gone ahead to be with the Lord. It is easier for me to release them to Jesus with the hope of seeing them again one day.
I have spoke at many funerals and said that I was glad that one day I will see them again!
Because of what Jesus has done for me and that person.
Because heaven and Hell is a real place and Hell is a place to avoid. God has promised for those that believe and accept what Christ has done for them… heaven.
The future is bright and the future is secured in Jesus.
I think this world has a twisted and wrong idea of heaven. Most believe those that wanted no part of Jesus on this earth will somehow be in heaven waiting for us. That is not what the Word of God tells us.
That is the one truth that will be surprising most people- Jesus says that there is one way to heaven and it is through Jesus and they will be surprised that what you said is what will happen.
We should be excited and have high expectation and anticipation of those that knew Christ to be our cloud of witnesses waiting on us as we as believers will one day see heaven.
What I have a hard time imagining is why a God that has all of heaven at his disposal would leave that wonderful place and come to this earth be beaten, to die and be resurrected that we might also be able to enjoy heaven.
By choice, I will go and I will do what is needed so that all might have a chance of accepting my gift of salvation.
Prayer-
Today Father would you make the birth of your Son Jesus so real to each of us today! That we cannot leave here today without knowing Him as Lord of our lives. May we today not leave here without the sense of urgency to tell others of His love for them. Amen.
I image that cloud of witnesses waiting for me and at the front of that line is my Lord and Savior Jesus.
The one who is the sole reason that I will be there one day - why so many of my loved ones who put their faith in Christ will be there.
I won’t be there because I was a good person. I won’t be there because I am a preacher.
I won’t be there because my good outweighed the bad.
I will be there because I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life.
I will be there because the God of the universe loved me enough and loved you enough to come to this dying world and pay for our sins that those who believe in Him would have eternal life and spend eternity with Him.
Our two main verses today are very familiar verses from the Bible. One we talked about last week. In fact, most unbelievers know these verses- the problem for them is that those verses were never acted upon.
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.”
Many millions of Christmas cards will be sent out and read with that verse inside, some not giving it a second thought of what it means.
The story of God’s redeeming love for each of us and the length of His love to see us in a right relationship with God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:1,14
It cannot be any baby, it cannot be any birth, it has to be a virgin birth- The angel Gabriel announced to this young Jewish maiden Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most high will over shadow you.”
The word translated over shadowed would have reminded the Jews the Genesis Creation story where the “Spirit of God was brooding (hovering) over creation”.
The second century theologian Irenias recognized this imagery as he stated “The Spirit brooding over the face of the deep, so also that same Spirit brooded over the womb of Mary to bring about the new creation, a new beginning for humanity through Jesus Christ.”
It was God’s mighty hand, the giver of life, who initiated the obedient Mary to carry the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit for God’s redemptive work for mankind. (Repeat)
It was God’s plan and it is His love that Jesus the Son of God would come by virgin birth Immanuel…God with us!
Theology Professor Michel Lodahl writes “The virgin birth of Jesus reminds us that it is by grace that we are saved and not by any human effort.
Paul records Ephesians 2:8-9 “It is by grace that we are saved lest any man should boast”
You can understand the problem with those that don’t believe in the virgin birth-
Isaiah was our first Town Crier- About 700 years before Jesus would come, foretelling of a coming King to redeem mankind, He would be the one that would come for a desperate world that could not possible save themselves. 2700+ years before our ears could hear the Good news brought to us that a savior was born that would if we let Him would rock our world and rock our lives.
Can you imagine? He is the one that some reject. Don’t have time for, do not let into their lives.
The Spirit of the living God spelled R.A.U.C.H- pronounced Ru..hoa (breath) moved over creation, was ever present in the work and ministry of Jesus.
Christ, meaning the anointed one- God’s Spirit, Breath, Wind.
700 years before the physical birth of Jesus the Messiah, over 2000 years after his birth, we see a king that will come in an unusual way to take back what we have lost because of the fall. He is someone who is destined to rule and the sin of the world will be on his shoulders and his name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Every year, we prepare for Christmas- but does the world prepare for the Christ child?
We marvel in the incarnation of God becoming human and dwelling among us.
Every year we are happy to leave baby Jesus in the manger but will the world realize that the baby once in the manger is the king of kings and the Lord of Lord s that willfully came to save the world from its sin and desiring to bring mankind into a right relationship with Him.
The world gives gifts! Nothing wrong with giving gifts, the wise men gave gifts to the Christ child.
All gifts given in the right context and motive show Christ love.
Where the world makes its biggest mistake is forgetting the reason we express love by gift giving at this time.
Because the ultimate gift that was given for mankind is a gift that always fits, never has to be taken back, the most thoughtful gift ever.
The one thing that we could never give ourselves no matter how much money you have, or how much influence you have.
It is the only gift that you will ever receive that you could never match.
God’s willingness to come and give up heaven for a time that we might be able to experience heaven and His presence forever makes my heart jump for joy at the thought that Jesus is preparing a place for me is joy unspeakable and it is full of his glory.
The church of the Nazarene has a magazine for ministers called Pension and benefits that comes out quarterly and it has tips and ideas for ministers preparing for retirement. One article is wedding anniversaries of ministers over 50 years and another is Church triumphant which has the name of ministers and their spouses listed when they go home. My wife Becky’s name was in there. It was hard to see her name in there because I miss her. It means that she had to leave here to go there.
It means that she has given up here, so she can go there to experience heaven.
I think that is a tremendous deal for the one leaving but hard for the ones left until our homecoming.
Here is what we have to understand, heaven was designed for those to come in- Jesus prepared a place for those that are His- it is the goal that we make it home, to finish strong and be with Jesus.
What makes it so special when I think of Jesus is that He left it all to come here so that you and I had an opportunity to enjoy heaven and to be in his presence for eternity.
We will spend eternity somewhere- that is not up for debate.
Illustration-
I saw this analogy and it made so much sense, so I’m sharing it with you
A bottle of water at Costco is $0.25.
The same bottle in the supermarket is worth about $0.50.
The same bottle in a bar costs $2.
In a good restaurant or hotel it can be worth up to $3.
At an airport or on the plane, you may be charged $5.
The bottle and the brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place. Each place gives a different value to the same product.
When you feel like you are worth nothing and everyone around you belittles you, change places, do not stay there.
Have the courage to change places and go to a place where you are given the value you deserve. Surround yourself with people who really appreciate your worth.
Don't settle for less. ”
Author Unknown
You are 5.00 water to Jesus! Someone needs to hear that this morning!
Last illustration as I close-
This couple has been married almost 41 years and his wife made his lunch every working day since day 1. On occasion the wife would join him on the job site and have lunch with him. He made the comment once that lunch tasted better when you share it with someone you love . Soon after that, while fixing his sandwich one night, the wife took a bite out of it before putting it away. When he got home (long before cell phones) he commented that someone took a bite out of his sandwich. I told him that since I couldn’t join him for lunch, I took a bite so he knew I was joining him. I continue to do this frequently (unless it’s tuna or pimento cheese) and he still says, 'saw you joined me for lunch today and it sure was good."
Credit: Tracy Howell
Prayer-
