A Christmas Message
12/26/2021 A.M.
Isaiah 9:6-7.
Greetings to all of you that are here on this day following Christmas. And thank-you for those tuning in on Face Book.
First, I want to thank Pastor Lang for allowing me to fill in for him this morning. I along with all of you pray that he and his family enjoy a very safe and joyous time with family. We look for their return.. I trust that you all had a good and merry Christmas.
My question this morning is why do we celebrate Christmas? s it because a baby was born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago? Yes, but not entirely. Is it because a King was born in a stable? Again, yes but the King was rejected.
Or is it because the Messiah, the Deliverer of the Jews and Israel was born to a young Jewess virgin named Mary? This is also true. But because Jesus was rejected as King, He was also rejected as their Messiah. He could not become the Messiah or Christ at that time.
All of these, though true, only give part of the true meaning of Christmas. Let’s look at each one of these in order
The young baby was born in Bethlehem. It is so true that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is also true that there was no room at the inn for them, for Mary and Joseph to stay. But Jesus grew up, He did not stay a baby or a child. Luke 2:40 tells us that He grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him. At about the age of 30 Jesus began His public ministry.
The true story of Christmas is not entirely about a baby being born, even if it is about Jesus. This leaves the story half-told. The Christmas nativity scene is proper and ought to begin our thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas.
Is the true story of Christmas about a King being born in a stable with animals about? Yes, that also is true. They wrapped the young baby in swaddling clothes. Not in fur and warm clothing. If he had been born a king, then perhaps he would have been born in a palace, not in a dirty, stinking stable. There are two things that are important and relevant to this portion of scripture:
First of all, according to the website, Now the End Begins, and I quote, “the manger was a stone structure for placing lambs in while waiting for the priests to inspect them for flaws.
Second, the swaddling clothes were cloth strips that were wrapped around the lamb to prevent any bruising on the lamb. This was the only place for a sacrificial lamb; for Jesus the only real sacrificial lamb for the sin of mankind.” Unquote.
Jesus is the Lamb or God without spot or blemish (1Peter 1:19).He is also the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Because Jesus left the realms of glory in heaven to come to this earth to be the Savior, He is also the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth (1Peter 1:20). A stable and manger was not a likely place for a king to be born.
But a King being born is not the whole story. Jesus was born to be the King, but while He was alive on the earth, He received no kingdom. His kingdom was not of this world. He was declared a king by the multitudes but rejected as king by the elite of the Jewish nation.
Much like today, Christians, hail Jesus as King, and we are His loyal subjects, but is rejected by the secular world. He was offered to be the king in Luke 19:35-38 “And they brought him (the colt) to Jesus; and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36. And as He went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38. saying, Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven. And glory in the highest.
This is not the first time that Jesus was thought to be the king and He refused it. We have also in John 6:14-15 the account of Jesus in the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Here is what it says in verses 14-15 “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.”
Jesus could not accept being made king by the people, it must come from God, not man.
Is it because a Jewish virgin conceived a child by the Holy Ghost and the Jewish Messiah was born? Again, this also is true. The Jews call the future deliverer of the Jews and the nation of Israel their Messiah. We Christians refer to Jesus as Christ, meaning the same thing, the Anointed One.
The Messiah will bring in the 1,000-year millennium and give His people, the Jews, and the land of Israel, peace and prosperity. He will also restore the world to what it was before the fall of Adam and Eve. It would have and will be a most wonderful time. It is hard to imagine a perfect government: perfect peace; perfect climate; and perfect nature, especially after listening to our many politicians. But it will happen. If the Jews had accepted Jesus as King, then the kingdom of Heaven, the millennium, would have taken place immediately. But the promise is still good for a future time. The Lord God knew that mankind needed a Savior before they could have a king.
Even though thi. s time is primarily a time of the fulfillment of the promises of God to the Jews, we Christians will certainly have our part and place in this special time.
But as of yet this has not happened. We are still waiting for Jesus to set up His earthly kingdom.
So, the Messiah is special to the Jewish people and nation. They for the most part are still waiting for their Messiahm. So, the birth of Jesus and Him being the Messiah, or Christ should not be what we celebrate today.
So, now let’s look at some relevant scriptures.
Turn in your bibles to Luke 2:4-7. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Perhaps Mary and Joseph understood the significance of this, maybe not. They knew what lay head for this child of theirs. These verses are so familiar to us that it seems redundant to repeat them. This then is the nativity scene we so often see at this time of the year.
This was the fulfillment of 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 everlasting.”
Isaiah 9:6. “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. 7. 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 forever: The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
I love each and every name given to Jesus in this verse for these reasons;
Wonderful Counselor. Yes, Jesus is my Wonderful Counselor. If anyone thinks differently or don’t understand why, let me explain; He not only gives us good and perfect counsel, but He has put it in writing; the bible. The book of Proverbs tells us what true wisdom is and where to get it: It tells us how to live, how to raise our children, how to treat our wives and husbands, who to associate with and who to stay away from. It also informs us that we are not to seek the council of the wicked, or the secular world. We need godly council, that can only come from the writings of God.
If we seek godly council, then it must come by the word of God. It has been said that a proverb a day keeps the Devil away.
The book of Psalms teaches us how to pray, when to pray, and for whom to pray. It tells us how to rejoice, when to rejoice. It further tells us how to wait upon the Lord and why. It also teaches us that we are to love the word of God, the bible. It also informs us of where to turn to in times of trouble.
If reading a Proverb a day keeps the Devil away, then a Psalm a day keeps Satan at bay.
The book of Ecclesiastes shows us the meaning and value of life. It tells us what is important in life. King Solomon warns us of the deceitfulness of riches. He also warns us of the brevity of life.
And the book of Revelation warns us of what will happen without Christ in our lives. That is wonderful council.
The book of Daniel along with many of the other prophets tells us what lies ahead for this world. Yes, He is the Wonderful Counsellor. We would do well to pay attention to His advice.
The Everlasting Father. I love this name because it reminds me that I have an eternal relationship with the Creator of all that was created. It always boggles the mind to think that He would desire a relationship with a sinner like me.
This Father of mine always has time to listen to me. He is always ready to help in times of need. And to be sure, like an earthly father, He is there to correct and chastise when needed. My earthly father gave me physical life and taught me how to play ball, grow as a man, and to provide my many needs. My Heavenly Father after I got saved, gave me eternal life. My earthly father died in 1970, but my Heavenly Father is an Everlasting Father, always present, always available, never leaving me.
And I love the name “Prince of Peace.” Jesus gave me peace with God on the cross, there is no longer enmity between us, as a result, I can have the peace of God that passes all understanding. One day He will return and bring peace on Earth for eternity. So many people are living their lives without peace in their lives. They hold grudges, quarrel, fuss and fight with their family, neighbors and anyone who they have a problem with. This is why I love each name given Jesus. He is all of those things.
There is one more name given Jesus that is not in this verse. In Isaiah 7:14 it tells us this: “Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel. The meaning of this title, Immanuel, is God with us.
How much more can a person want? This not only means that God’s presence is with us but also God is for us. God provides for us. God protects us. I am so thankful that the Mighty God is with me. But there is a name that I love and adore above all of these names or titles.
A child was born and a Son was given. He is Wonderful and Counsellor, He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince Peace. He is God with us. But that is not what we celebrate at this time of the year. Our rejoicing, as Christians should go much deeper than that. We have so much more to celebrate than the secular world. If we only celebrate the baby Jesus being born, then we have nothing more than the secular world. We should be celebrating more than a child was born in a stable; more than the child would be a King; more than a Messiah or Christ was born. These are all noble thoughts, but does not convey the true meaning of Christmas.
So, what is the true meaning of Christmas? Luke 2:8-20 Read. If this was only a biblical account of the nativity of Jesus being born then we would have little to be rejoicing about. If it were about a Messiah being born, again we would have little to celebrate because we would have to wait for sometime for it to come about.
Look here in verses 8-11 Reread. What does it say in verse 10? “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” To how many people? Just to the Jews that are waiting for their Messiah? No! To all people. Repeat that with me, All people. Not just the Jews and I might add, not for a pre-chosen, predestinated few. But to all people everywhere and all ages or time.
Now look at verse 11. (Reread). Who was born in that stable? A Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This is what is meant in Matthew 1:21 “And she (meaning Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”
This is the name I love above all names, Savior, that is what I need first and foremost. That sets me right with a thrice holy and righteous God. That is what gives me a Wonderful Councilor, A Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace, and Immanuel. Without a Savior I would have none of these.
That is what the world needs today as well as throughout history, a Savior.
Before Jesus as a baby could do anything, from the time of Adam and Eve in the garden, we needed a Savior. Before He becomes the Messiah and returns the Jews to their Abrahamic covenant, Jesus must first be Savior. Before He returns to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He must be the Savior.
Look at verse 13-14 (reread). This happened in part in the early church as well as today. But it is not completely fulfilled as yet.
Is the world giving glory to God in the highest? Absolutely not. The secular world is attempting to get rid of Jesus and God. They have somewhat succeeded in the schools and in the public square.
Do we have universal peace on earth? No! There are wars and rumors of war even as we sit here in this congregation. Even as I speak, Russia is threatening war, China is preparing for war with Taiwan; there is the constant threat by radical Islam to annihilate Israel and the Jews. There will be no universal peace until the Prince of Peace and King of Kings returns and takes control.
Do we have good will toward men? Again, the answer is a resounding no. People are murdering each other at record rates in many of our cities. Many agents of Satan are destroying stores just to take whatever they desire. The deception on the internet to take hard earned money from gullible people is rampant.
How can anyone say that this is “good will toward men?” Rapes and child molesting is continuing to be on the rise. Internet porn is no doubt the big reason for this. Human trafficking and drug use is out of control. There is a record death rate due to illegal drug use. No political party, no politician can or will solve these problems: regardless of empty promises, they cannot or will not keep. Only the gospel of in the finished work of Jesus on the cross will change lives for the better. I have often repeated the saying that there is a payday someday, and it is usually concerning the lost and wicked.
Romans 3:10 says this As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:23 tells us For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Isaiah 64:6 lets us know what God thinks of our own righteousness; “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade away as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away. This just goes to prove that mankind needs a Savior.
Reread verses 15-20.
These shepherds were not the most liked in society. They were for the most part, unlearned, not able to find better work and usually because they lived among the sheep; they didn’t smell too good. So, why did the Angel of the Lord come to these shepherds? Paul says in 1Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God, it pleased God that by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
And in verse 27-28 of this same chapter, it reads “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty; (28) And the base things of the world, and things which are despised God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
You might say that these poor shepherds were not preachers and did not preach. I beg to differ with you. Look again at verse 16-17. When they had found the baby as told by the Angel of the Lord; what did they do? “They made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the saying which was told them concerning this child.”
Look again at verse 20. “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had learned and seen as it was told to them.” This is preaching. Were they glorifying and praising God for a king that was born? No. The angel of the Lord mentioned nothing to them about a king. They were glorifying and praising God because a Savior was born. This is what Christmas is really about. They understood perfectly what they saw. A Savior laying in a manger that held the sacrificial lamb, wrapped in the swaddling clothes that would protect him from any disqualifying marks, in other words, sin.
If there is no Savior born, then we are of all men most miserable. The whole world lies in sin and death. There is no help and no hope. The good news, the good tidings is that there was a Savior born and is alive today. He is always ready to save anyone that will come to Him with a heart that is ready to receive Him.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. If you leave the Savior out of Christmas for the sake of Santa, For the giving of gifts; for the good feelings you get at this time of the year, then you have missed the real meaning of Christmas. If you have made Madison Avenue your focus on Christmas, or if you relied on Hollywood and their secular movies to give you your “good will toward mankind or if you have let the recording industry with its secular songs of Christmas give you your dose of Christmas cheer, then you have missed the message given to the shepherds: a Savior is born. You missed it all. You missed the good news.
How should we react to this good news? Do we dare to be like these shepherds? Will we that are saved make known abroad the good news that a Savior has been born? Will we return to our everyday lives glorifying and praising God that He sent His only Son to be born in a manger and die on a cross for our sin? The manger of Jesus was in the shadow of the cross. He was born to die. He told Pilate “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into this world.”
The closer we get to the rapture the less time we have to fulfill the Great Commission. We dare not relegate this to the pastor only. It is for all born-again Christians. The magi, the wise men from the east came looking for a king. They went away perhaps satisfied that the king was born. They left gifts. But they did not find what the shepherds found, a Savior. The shepherds came looking for a Savior and went away having nothing to give, but they went away glorifying and praising God. They had found Jesus the Savior.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. If you are saved then you have something to praise the Lord about. You have a reason to celebrate the Christmas season. You have peace on earth, peace with God and the peace of God. You have something that the world does not have. You and the many born-again believers only have a reason for the season.
Invitation: Have you found Jesus the Savior. If not, don’t look in the manger, you only need to look to His cross and believe that Jesus paid the sin debt that you owe. I invite you this morning to humble your heart and see that you need Him. The good news that the shepherds heard was to all men, and women regardless of their past or present circumstances. Please see me after the service and it will be shown how to be saved and how to know beyond a doubt that you are saved.
If you are saved, have you in some way left Jesus out of His day? If you have now is the time to get it right with the Lord. He is waiting for anyone to respond to this message this morning.
Pastor Lang gave us a challenge on Wednesday night, it was that we think and pray about what we could give Jesus this new year. Come back tonight and I will be giving a message of what we can give to God and Jesus in return for Their wonderful gift of eternal life.
Close in prayer.