The Birth Of The Messiah Part One

The birth of 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!

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.

Town crier-

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, even sometimes when they are not true or exaggerated.

Town crier-

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

Because heaven is a real place that God has promised for those that believe and accept what Christ has done for them.

The future is bright and the future is secured in Jesus

Town crier-

I think this world has the wrong idea of heaven. They 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 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.

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.

You know I lost my wife of 27 years a few months ago to cancer. Heaven has new meaning for me because she is there. A year and half ago, my mom lost her battle with cancer and covid-19. Heaven has a new meaning because she is there.

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 my good outweighed the bad.

I will be there because I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life.

Our two main verses are very familiar verses from the Bible. In fact, most unbelievers know these verses- the problem for them is that those verses were never acted upon.

We may have to do this in two parts- a lot I want you to see.

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.”