This morning I want to explore some aspects of the birth of Christ - ¡§what is it we celebrate when we are celebrating the birth of Christ?¡¨
„« I realize that it was the birth of our Savior
„« I realize that our redemption was purchased through the purpose of Jesus¡¦ coming
But there is more to this than we care to deal with.
We find the Christmas story ¡V the story of Christ¡¦s birth in Luke chapter 2, but I want to look at the prophecy that Isaiah proclaimed about birth of Jesus
So let¡¦s look in the book of Isaiah
Isa 9:6-7
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (NKJ)
In the majority of verse 6 and in all of verse 7 we find characteristics, purpose, and realities that will be associated with the coming Messiah
But I want to focus for a moment on the first 13 words:
¡§For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given¡¨
We find in this first statement that a ¡§Child is born¡¨ and a ¡§Son is given¡¨
The first thing we find in that statement, which we know is being spoken of Jesus is that He had to be born
But once He was born ¡V as the Son of God ¡V He was given as a ransom for us all ¡V there was purpose directly connect to his manifestation
Matt 20:28
28 Even as the Son¡Kcame not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (KJV)
We know and I would assume understand that Jesus came for a purpose ¡V He was born into this world
¡§A child is born¡¨ for a purpose
„» That word ¡¥child¡¦ from the Hebrew means, ¡§a child as a builder of the family name¡¨
Jesus came into the world to perpetuate the family name (family of God) ¡V but in that purpose of being born He gave Himself that others might also experience sonship
This is interesting because we have no problem with Jesus being the Son of God
We have no problem in reading the gospels about this Son that was given who went around doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil
We have no problem in reading about this Son who walked on water, took some loaves and fishes and fed a multitude
We have no problem with this Son who when it came time to pay taxes had His disciple go fish and the money that was needed was in the mouth of the fish
We have no problem reading about this Son who when confronted with a demoniac spoke the Word and he sat clothed and in His right mind
We have no problem of this child that was born and this Son that was given when confronted with the issue of a sinking boat in the middle of storm He could speak to the wind and the waves and they would calm
We have no problem with any of this because Jesus was the Son of God and that is what the Son of God did¡K
But do we comprehend the fact that we have been born again ¡V and that when you were born again the same thing could be said of you ¡V this day a child is born¡K (rejoicing of heaven)
1 Pet 1:23 ¡V speaking of believers:
¡§having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, (NKJ)
I Jn 5:1
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God¡K (KJV)
Rom 8:29 speaking of Jesus:
¡§¡Kthat he [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brethren.¡¨ (KJV)
And then what does the Bible say about us after we are born of God?
Rom 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (KJV)
Rom 8:19
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
(KJV)
„« Notice here that all of creation is not waiting for the manifestation of the Son of God ¡V Jesus, but for the manifestation of the sons of God ¡V us
Phil 2:15
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Given)
I Jn 3:1
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him [? Who] not. (KJV)
I Jn 3:2
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God¡K (KJV)
Now think for a moment ¡V didn¡¦t we just read in Romans 8:29 that Jesus was the first born among many brethren?
And let me go back to what I said just a minute ago ¡V We have no problem reading about the Son of God doing all of these great things that we read about
But we are born and we have been given ¡V and we are called sons of God - what does that mean?
John 1:12
12 But as many as received him, to them [one who received him ie born] gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (KJV)
„« He didn¡¦t give us ¡§title¡¨ to be the sons of God ¡V He gave us power!
Power to be sons of God ¡V Jesus walked in the power of being the Son of God and then He gave us power to be sons of God so that He [Jesus] would be the firstborn of many brethren
The gift that Jesus gave trumps anything we do for Christmas ¡V the power of Christ is ready to work in you
But He was also ¡§given¡¨
Jesus’ life was not His own, He yielded Himself to the Father and did and said that which He heard of the Father
And we are told that we have been bought with a price and that our lives are not our own.
2 Tim 1:9
9 who has saved us [born] and called us [given] with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (NKJ)
This is why Paul spent time talking about how he had been faithful to that which he was called (given) ¡V because he like each of us had been given to this world for a purpose
Paul understood that he would stand in judgment one day ¡V not based upon how faithful others were
But based upon the Word of God and why he had been given as one of the sons of God
- - - - - - - - - - -
There are two aspects of this (sonship) that many Christians just don¡¦t get¡K
1. Is the ¡§power¡¨ that has been given to us to be sons of God as Jesus was the Son of God (greater works will you do ¡V book in bookstore called Greater Works)
2. We are ¡§sons¡¨ given just as Jesus was a Son given.
You will never walk in the ¡§power¡¨ until you come to terms with the sonship
Everybody be real honest with me for a moment:
How many has ever thought, said, or acted on the notion, ¡§I can¡¦t do that¡¨?
„« We all have
What does the scripture in Phil 4:13 mean?
¡§I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.¡¨ (KJV)
„« All things is all things and with the power of Christ all things are possible ¡V this is our heritage as sons of God
What would have happened if Jesus operated on the premise of, ¡§I can¡¦t walk on water!¡¨
¡§I can¡¦t feed 5,000 men plus the women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fishes¡¨
¡§Speak to the wind and the water ¡V come on get real¡¨
¡§They tied this man down with chains and fetters, there are so many demons in him he breaks them ¡V what am I going to do?¡¨
That sounds ridiculous because Jesus was the Son of God ¡V we expect Him to have the power.
And for Jesus this was not an option because Jesus was the Son of God (who had been given) ¡V the creator of all who had all power.
„« But we are sons of God who have been given the same power of the Holy Spirit
I want you to consider something for a moment:
Matt 4:3
3 And when the tempter came to [Jesus], he said, If thou be the Son of God... (KJV)
„» Then we go through a slew of temptations
Why is it we identify with this aspect of the Son of God and say that the enemy tries to tempt us as he tempted Jesus
¡V or why is it we can identify with the hardship that is associated with Christianity¡K
But when we read scriptures like Matt 8:29:
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (KJV)
Having dominion over devils ¡V you have to have a special calling for that
But the devils identification of Jesus was the He was the Son of God
Or we struggle with sharing the gospel:
Mark 1:1
1 The beginning of the gospel [good news] of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; (KJV)
Well you need to be a preacher to bring the gospel ¡V but the good news of Jesus was that of being the Son of God of which many sons would be born.
I can go on and on¡K
We could go to Heb 4:14 and talk about the priesthood that comes from being a son ¡V but we say, ¡§I¡¦m not called into the ministry¡¨
Or we could to 1 John 3:8 and read the purpose of the Son of God, which is to destroy the works of the devil and then rationalize why that is not referring to us also
„« We have been given ¡V because we are sons of God
1 Pet 2:21
21 ¡Khereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: (KJV)
Jesus is our example ¡V He is the example of who we are to be (the firstborn)
This child that was born
This Son that was given
Jesus is that which we are born of and is Who we are to immolate
Let me take this for a moment back into the book of beginnings
When God created world and man in the first couple of chapters of Genesis ¡V what is it that God gave to man?
„« Most would respond dominion and authority
Gen 1:26
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion¡K (KJV)
The dominion ¡V the authority granted to man is in the same line as the power talked of in the N.T.
You cannot operate in dominion you can not operate in authority if you have no power.
In the N.T. in several places we are told that we have been given power over the devil ¡V power over ever situation
In other words as Eph 2:6 states we have been, ¡§¡Kraised us up together [that is with Christ], and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus¡¨ (KJV)
This power comes from the place of authority that we occupy through the Holy Spirit
But before God ever gave man dominion and authority God gave Him something that He would need to operate in that power:
¡§And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness¡¨
„« God gave us ¡§image¡¨ and ¡§likeness¡¨ before He gave us dominion
What is ¡§image¡¨ and ¡§likeness¡¨
„« Our dictionary says that image is the imitation of a person or thing
„« ¡§likeness = a copy or a portrait
Let me bring this into terms that we can understand ¡V
If President Bush called you up and said, ¡§
And you agreed to do this there are a couple of things you are going to have to come to terms with
1. You are going to have to handle yourself in a particular way because you are a representative you will be the image of the United States in China
It is going to require you to handle yourself and to operate as a representative of the U.S. and with that you have the power of the U.S. behind you.
This is what God did when He created us in His image ¡V He created us so that we can function as He functions (representative of Him) with all the power of God behind what we say and do.
What do you think will happen if you became the U.S. Ambassador to China and approached that position as you approach your Christianity?
¡§I can¡¦t do that¡¨
¡§I don¡¦t want to go to that¡¨
¡§I don¡¦t want to read that¡¨
ƒÞ You know what would happen!
2. The second area as the Ambassador to China that you are going to have to come to terms with is the ¡§likeness¡¨
You are going to have to see yourself as the representative of the U.S.
President Bush is not going to put someone in that position who can not see themselves as a representative of the most powerful nation in the history of man.
You are going to have to know that there is power behind what you say and that when something needs to be dealt with you are the one that the power has been given to in order to deal with it.
But when it comes to Christianity too many of us have this, ¡§I¡¦m a little old nothing¡¨ attitude ¡V you are the sons of God.
Given the power to be the sons of God
People ¡V Christmas is the celebration of the firstborn of many brethren
Yes unto us a child has been born and unto us a Son has been given ¡V but what does that mean in your life today?
We must stand up and become what we were created to be.
