The Great Questions Of Christmas

THE GREAT QUESTIONS OF CHRISTMAS

Isa. 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Isa. 9:6-7 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

Christmas is a time for questioning. It is the year's end. In the life of a church it is the climax of a year's worship and service unto God. A time when every individual should have a close look at his relationship to Christ and stop and reassess his committal.

Isn't it strange that the secular spirit of Christmas sometimes seems to run so counter to all that the Christian life should be about all the year through? When you think of the materialistic emphasis of the season, is it any wonder the little child was heard to inadvertently pray, "Lord forgive us our Christmases...." Or the drunk was heard to mutter as he staggered past a Christmas service, "They have to bring religion into everything!"

Yes, questions are appropriate this time of year. Someone told me that as they the sat in a crowd of many hundreds watching a Christmas pageant one night this week, they overheard a little boy ask his mother, "Mom, is this story true?" And as they looked around they wandered if even a dozen people there really knew the true story of Christmas.

For the Christian the most important questions relate to the meaning of Christmas. And even for the non-committed, this could be the critical and crucial time in your life. What better time to seek the truth about the Saviour who was born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem? Let us ask ourselves the classic questions that have well served sincere truth seekers in every age:

I. WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

A. He is the One who prophets predicted would point men to God.

Micah 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting." (See also, Isa. 7:14, 9:6-7, 53)

B. He is the eternally existent One.

John 1:1-3 &14 " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.. . . .And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

C. His birth - incarnation - was merely His emergence on the plains of history as the God-man. Present with man.

D. Who is Jesus? This is what that babe born in a manger had to say about the question during His ministry.

John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; .."

John 10:30 "I and [my] Father are one."

II. WHERE WAS JESUS BORN?

A. The geographical location and the humble situation of His birth are well known and central parts of the Christmas story.

It is beyond the comprehension of worldly and finite minds that the Creator and King of Kings could have such a lowly beginning. The event is so unusual it bears repeated comment. Millions of angelic hosts heralded His birth. - yet man practically ignored it.

But wise men studied the scriptures and found His birth place.A. Jesus was born into a world of darkness and sin. A world filled with lost and hopeless souls - without meaning and purpose in life.

1. He was born among those who needed eternal salvation.

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

2. He came to give life and purpose to all who would believe.

John 10:10 ". . . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly."