Christmas Eve
Jesus is the I Am
December 24, 2023
When we think of Christmas, we look at the many passages in Matthew and Luke. But I want to tell you about a passage that may turn into a new Christmas favorite, or at least one that stands out for you.
The apostle Paul was talking about giving gifts to the church. It’s the passage where he wrote, God loves a cheerful giver. And that’s so true. We give, not because we have to, but because we want to. It’s our joy and privilege to give to the church and to one another.
This chapter ends with a great one liner from Paul, when he wrote - - - -
15 Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift! - 2 Corinthians 9:15
It’s really pretty simple. It’s one of those ‘no duh’ comments. Of course, thanks be to God! What Paul is saying in these words is this . . . .
The gift that God gave to us is beyond words. We can’t express it in human terms because it’s so magnificent. We can’t describe what God did for us, because we just don’t have all the words to use to describe Jesus.
And this gift ---- ---- is freely given to us, it’s not given according to our deeds or merit, but above all else, it is freely given as a gift.
This simple verse is not found in the setting related to the nativity scene, we often don't think of it in light of Christmas. It should appear on every Christmas card. This verse should grab our attention. Paul wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else, and, other than Jesus, Paul is probably the greatest theological mind ever.
And yet he pauses when he comes to this simple four-letter word "gift" and says it is indescribable. He can’t find the right words to describe the gift of Jesus, simply telling us that the gift of Jesus is indescribable.
Why is it indescribable? Why is this gift too awesome for words? I mean, after all, it's just a baby. Well let me say, if He had been an ordinary infant, there would have been nothing indescribable about Him, just like any other baby - - - cute, but no biggie, unless it’s your baby.
Let me tell you this about Jesus. As difficult as it might be for many people, Jesus is our God. He came into this world as that helpless baby, yet fully God and human in one. How do you describe that?
How do you describe that fact that this child would ultimately bring healing and hope to anyone who professes faith in Him?
How do you describe the One who could revive the dead?
How do you describe the One who could heal the lame, the leper, the blind?
How do you describe the One who would ultimately defeat death?
Pick a superhero and that doesn’t do justice to Jesus.
He’s indescribable, yet we describe Him in our own words. Which is fine! It’s great that we do, because that’s how we relate to God.
Jesus is the One who told the Jewish leaders in the temple some astounding words. They were words they never heard before and they wanted Jesus dead because of them.
He called Himself God. How dare He? How audacious of Him to equate Himself as the Son of the Father. Yet, that’s what He did. In the temple as well. At the feast of Taberbacles, in John 8, Jesus proclaimed - - - -
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I AM. - John 8:58
That’s it! Really it’s a 5 word proclamation of who He is! And at that the Pharisees picked up stones to throw at Him.
But what Jesus was telling us is so deep and profound. We could talk about this until tomorrow morning, but we have to sleep because someone’s coming tonight.
Let me spell this out in just a few minutes though.
Jesus is quoting what God told Moses at the burning bush. When Moses asked God for His name, God told Moses . . . . I AM WHO I AM. That’s it. That’s the name for God. It seems kind of arbitrary. It’s not a definite name. It’s not very descriptive. I mean I am who I am. I think we can all try that one and most likely we wouldn’t get away with it.
Why did you say that? Well . . . I am who I am.
Why did you hit your sister? I don’t know, I am who I am.
Why didn’t you help them? Because! You know, I am who I am.
So, we may wonder, what does that really mean for me? Who is this child, who came into the world who is the King of kings and Lord of lords . . . . and now He’s proclaiming to be God, calling Himself, I AM.
Jesus said “I am” many times, stating His claim as the Son of God, declaring Himself to be the Messiah. And Jesus could add something else, He could say, “I AM Christmas.
HE IS the great I AM, and that’s what truly matters.
You may say, that’s Yahweh, God the Father. Yes it is. And that is Christ as well! It’s a package deal. When you get one, you get both. When you say YES to Jesus, you gain the Father, and the Holy Spirit as well.
You can’t have Jesus without the Father and Spirit. And that’s great news.
Jesus said - - -
I AM the bread of life
I AM the door
I AM the way, the truth, and the life
I AM the True Vine
I AM the Good Shepherd and
I AM the Light of the world; to mention a few.
Have you ever wondered why God did not continue to further explain why He simply said, “I AM WHO I AM?”
Why didn’t He explain who He is? You see, there is no beginning and no ending to God. There are no boundaries. There is no height nor depth limitations. God is without boundary.
And for me, that’s the key. It’s what I want you to walk away from here tonight holding onto.
Had God stated what HE WAS that would have limited Himself to that particular claim. “I AM WHO I AM.” WHAT is He? WHO is He?
He is whatever you need.
If you need a Comforter, He is a comforter.
If you need a Provider, He is a provider.
If you need a Savior, He is a Savior.
If you need an Anchor, He is the anchor.
If you need an understanding Listener, He is just that.
If you need Grace, He is grace-filled.
If you need a Father who loves you and accepts you, He is just that.
If you need a physician, He is the healer.
There is no limit to who He is - - - - He is all!
We can’t explain God. We can’t describe Him except what He has given us in the Bible. We can’t increase Him or decrease Him. We can’t expand on Him.
So, we trust in who God is.
1. He is self-existent: He has no needs.
2. He is eternal and unchangeable.
3. He is always the same, yesterday, today, and for ever.
4. He is faithful and true to all His promises.
5. He is all powerful and all knowing.
Most of all . . .
God is love
God is the One who loves you so much that He sent His Son into the world. Into that cradle, into a crazy world,
God sent His Son so that we could find redemption, forgiveness, grace and mercy. We don’t receive what we deserve, and we receive what we don’t deserve.
It’s God’s gifts to us, His children . . . that’s us. That’s the hope we have in Jesus, because He came into the world to give us life, to give us abundant life and power and strength.
We have that right now! If we would only embrace it! It’s ours! It’s yours and it’s mine.
That’s part of the gift from God to us. God doesn’t hold back. When He gave us Jesus, God gave us the entire gift, the entire package all at one time, in one place, for all eternity.
What is a gift? It is something which cannot be earned. God didn’t owe us anything. If someone takes us out to lunch we feel we must return the favor. That’s not a gift.
A gift does not demand repayment.
I want to read a great passage from Ephesians 1. Listen to these amazing words from Paul. Because they describe God , a bit and our relationship with Him and why He sent Jesus - - - -
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as children through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will,
6 to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,
8 which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Isn’t that great! God lavished His love upon us through Jesus, our Christ.
This birth message never gets old. Jesus Christ has come to save us, to give us hope.
We’ve walked in darkness, but now the light of the world has come, He is Jesus, the Lord! The child who became King, who seeks to save and redeem us from the darkness.
Jesus constantly drew people out of the darkness. The blind are given sight. The dead are raised to life. The hungry are fed. The sick are healed. The spiritually thirsty are quenched with Living Water.
As John told us in the first chapter of his gospel - - -
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:5
Aah, that’s my Jesus and yours!
What do you need from Jesus? He says to you and I - - - I AM!
