The Wonder Of Jesus! Series

Transition Skit: It’s Time!

Wonder of Jesus leaving Heaven to come to earth!

Series: Wonder of Christmas 2023

Thesis: Do you have a wonder and awe for God over the historical event of Jesus leaving Heaven to come to earth? That event is called Christmas!

I love our subject this Christmas season on “Wonder”:

Websters Dictionary describes wonder like this:

1. Wonder (noun):

a. a cause of astonishment or admiration

b. Marvel - MIRACLE

c. the quality of exciting or amazed admiration

d. rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience.

e. a feeling of doubt or uncertainty

2. wonder (verb)

a. wondered; wondering

b. to be in a state of wonder

c. to feel surprised!

d. to feel curiosity or doubt

i. wondering about the future

e. transitive verb - to be curious or in doubt about

3. Wonder (adjective)

a. WONDROUS, WONDERFUL: such as

i. exciting amazement or admiration

ii. effective or efficient far beyond anything previously known or anticipated.

Scripture: Psalms 77:14-20 NLT

14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.

15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths.

17 The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed.

18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook.

19 Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!

20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Hebrews 12:28-29: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Having a wonder for Jesus and His birth is about having a reverence and awe for God and what He did by sending Jesus into the world to save us from our sin.

Introduction:

What makes you “wonder” at this time of the year? Maybe another way to say this is what “Amaze’s” you at Christmas? Let me say another way, what makes you stop and say “Wow!”

• Is it the Christmas Lights?

• Is it the time you spend decorating the house?

• Is it other peoples decorated houses?

• Is it the amount of money you spend?

• Is it the crazy Christmas shoppers?

• Is it the Christmas movies?

• Is it Christmas travel?

• Is it a Christmas vacation somewhere exotic?

• Is it the family get together?

• Is it the work Christmas parties?

• Is it the crazy Christmas schedule?

• Is it the Christmas events?

• Is it the snow, or in our case rain?

• Is it the generosity of others at Christmas of lack of?

• Is it the cheerful Christmas attitude or the Scrooge attitude of some this time of the year?

What amazes you – What makes you wonder – What makes you stop and say “Wow!” at the Christmas season?

As I have pondered this theme – prayed about this theme – my mind steps back and says wow – the biggest wonder for me at Christmas is that Jesus choose to leave the throne of Heaven – filled with singing saints, flying angels singing Holy – Holy – Holy - the beauty of Heaven with all colors imaginable, a crystal sea, a river of life, the tree of life, the fellowship of the saints of old, being in the presence of God the Father – The Holy Spirit and leaving the light and love of God!

Scripture Text:

John 1: 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John himself in his Gospel opens up looking at Jesus as the Word from Heaven - the light of Heaven which descended from above to come to this dark world. Driven by love to set people free from sin!

This makes me say “WOW!”

We have a break in Scripture between the last prophetic book penned in the OT called Malachi – Until you hear the cry of Jesus in Bethlehem – for 400 years (could you imagine) – God was silent – no letters - no prophets that we know of – it was a time of spiritual darkness – the dark ages. Yes, the promised Messiah has been predicted for over 1,000 years but there is no mention of God using prophets to communicate His truth or direction in this time – it was silent until there is a cry from a new born baby in Bethlehem – born in a barn, a stable – a place where animals live. But God chooses to send Jesus to the earth that way – not in a palace or even home – but in a lowly manger! Please hear me that makes me wonder a lot! It makes me say “WOW!” How about you?