The Focus of Christmas

Matthew 1:21

Matthew 1:21 NKJV

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

This morning we lit the Love Candle and the Christ Candle to consummate the theme of Advent and today we celebrate Jesus’ birth.

I want to thank you and encourage you for your commitment to the body of Christ called the church, for being here today to celebrate the Lord’s birth. You make a strong witness to your family as to what you find important. I could not imagine on Christmas being any other place than to be in His church with His people celebrating our Savior’s birth.

That’s what I would like to do this morning, this Christmas morning, to remind you of the focus of Christmas and your actions this morning reflects your focus. Amen.

And may I reflect along with you that it is easy to lose focus with all of the self induced expectations we place on ourselves this time of the year. . You could easily be focused on the fact of gift buying and was there anyone you overlooked? You could be thinking about the meal from last night or even more expectations of visits and preparations today. Any of our young people here today could be thinking about enjoying what Santa brought to the house. For many of you here, the coming together of family is such a joy and the highlight of the Christmas Season and it should be. Time spent with family is meaningful and important.

Psalms 39:5 “Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah”

Others could be thinking about naps, the taillights leaving shortly, or Football games tonight.

What is the most important focus of Christmas? We have all been influenced more than we realize to the worldview focus of Christmas. The worldview is that Christmas is about the gifts, the gatherings, the food, the family, the fun, the time off, the vacationing, but let’s stop for a few moments and focus on our faith. Let’s look at a biblical view of focus about Christmas.

This morning and for additional time over the remaining Christmas season, make it a point to focus on three most important aspects of Christmas.

First-The Wonder of Christmas

“She shall bring forth a Son.”

The birth of Jesus is the most famous birth this world has ever recorded. Our calendars have been set around the birth of Jesus Christ. BC is before Christ and AD is after death. Those Latin letters of BC and AD is a mark that divides time and history. It is a point in time when the world stopped at the splendor of it all. Now believe me, there is no individual, no Messiah, No Savior that has had His affect upon the world as Jesus has.

There are pagans, non believers all over the world that have to mark their calendars based upon the birth of Jesus Christ that probably hate the very idea, but it is a reality. The world has filled Christmas with many things that are not related to Christ. For example, the North Pole, Kris Kringle, Snowmen, Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer, etc.

The fact remains that if Jesus Christ had not been born, Christmas would not be.

I could begin right now and for the next ten sermons, I could speak to the wonder of Christmas and the wonder of Jesus time here on this earth, but may I share a thought to the wonder of Christmas for you?

Listen to Luke’s account of this verse:

Luke 1:31 NKJV

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

For Mary, the wonder of Christmas began inside her body.

The Virgin birth is a miracle, yes its wonder, it’s amazing.

I believe it was a couple of Sunday’s ago in Sunday School , Jane asked the class what was the greatest miracle they had personally experienced? And one quickly responded, “the birth of a baby.” I have never lost the amazement when the Lord brings a child into this world.

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Something happened within Mary’s body, inside her, as the Scriptures state, “born of the Holy Spirit”.

Dearly beloved, are you any different in the wonder of Christmas. At some point in your life, the Holy Spirit came to you, wooing you, seeking a relationship with you and He birthed new life into you by allowing Jesus to come into your life and offer you life a new.

John 3:7 “7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The wonder of Christmas begins inside your soul. Christmas is not Christmas if you have not accepted Christ in your soul.

Jesus saved you and you received that blessed gift.

1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

Second-the Word for Christ

“Thou shalt call His name Jesus”

Over the past 2000 years, more people on planet earth have known the name of Jesus than any other name. Since 33 AD, over 8 billion people, by one estimate, have claimed to be followers of this Jesus. Billions more have heard of his name. Presently, the name of Jesus can be found in over 6000 languages and more are being added every year.

For most of us, Jesus’ name is sacred. Jesus’ name sounds holy, divine, righteous. But this wasn’t the case when Mary and Joseph followed the angel’s instructions and gave their baby his name.  Granted, it had a special meaning, but it was not an unusual name.  The first century Jewish historian Josephus mentions at least twelve different people he knew with the name Jesus, including four High Priests.  In Acts 9 we read of the Jewish false prophet, Bar-Jesus.  In Colossians 4, Paul mentions one of his fellow workers, Jesus, called Justus.  And some ancient manuscripts of the gospel of Matthew call the robber released by Pilate, Jesus Barabbas, which can be translated, ironically enough, “Jesus Son of the Father.”

Jesus was a common name, like Bob or Jim or John.  When Mary and Joseph called their son Jesus, there were no prayers in his name.  No one used it as a swear word.  No one sang songs about this name, just like there is no religion I am aware of that sings songs to John(except maybe “Big bad John”).  We don’t name our sons John with the expectation that over the next 2000 years 8 billion people will pray in his name. We don’t sing, “John, John, John, there’s just something about that name!”

But common as it was, Jesus was “Jesus” by design. In Greek it is Iesous, in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, Yesu.  Both are derived from the Hebrew, the name is Yeshua or Joshua.  Joshua is made up of two parts: Ya which is short for Yahweh, and hoshea which means salvation.  Hence, Mary and Joseph give their little baby the name Jesus, “Yahweh is salvation.”

When you think of the name Jesus, there is no other name so beautiful.

Have you ever considered how many songs about the name of Jesus has been written?

“Jesus, Your Name”

“Jesus, Name above all Names”

“Jesus is the Sweetest Name I know”

“At the Name of Jesus”

“His Name is Wonderful”

These are the hymnals, the Contemporary songs-Hillsong Worship “No other Name”, “What a Beautiful Name”, Chris Tomlin “The Name of Jesus”, “ Name above all Names”-Tim Hughes and countless 100’s more.

“Ieusos”-Jehovah is Salvation”

You remember that names have deep meaning in Biblical times. You will remember that family could not understand why Zacharias called John the Baptist-John. There were no family ties to the name John in Zacharias’ family.”

What does Jesus’ name stand for?

Philippians 2:5–11 NKJV

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Humility “made Himself of no reputation”

Isaiah 50:6 “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.”

Empathy “and being found in appearance as a man”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Heathen “became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross”

JOhn 10:18 “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.””

John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.””

Highly Exalted

Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Heaven

Oh the glory of Heaven.

I Bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy by Michael English

… As I entered the gates of that city, My loved ones all knew me well. They took me down the streets of Heaven; Such scenes were too many to tell; I saw Abraham, Jacob and Isaac Talked with Mark, and Timothy But I said, "I want to see Jesus, 'Cause He's the One who died for me."

Third-The Work of Christ

“He shall save His people from their sins”

Jesus divine plan was to come and live on earth and offer his life “a ransom for many.”

IN Luke’s account His mission was spelled out:

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”” Jesus’ name means Savior. You remember that I stated biblical names had meaning. Jesus was named correctly because His name stood for His life’s work.

The people of Bible times looked to Jesus to save them from Roman tyranny. The people needed saving from the domination of sin in their lives which was the greatest tyranny we all encounter.

Today, people are no different. I am amazed on an almost weekly basis by people that will not dart of the doors of the church, but will be sure to communicate to the church a prayer need, a health issue, a financial catastrophe, and they want Jesus for those matters but choose not to make Him Lord. Oh I ask that God would forgive people that do that. You know them as well. Those same people have reached out to you to give their name to Mitzi to add to the prayer list, they text God’s people, but they will not surrender to Jesus that offers salvation for their souls.

Oh, I would pray that those same individuals I speak of would reach out to you, reach out to me and say, pray for me, I am entrapped and sin and I am in need of forgiveness. I need saving. I am plagued with guilt because of my insensitivity to the things of God. Pray that I would allow God into my heart. Oh dear church, that the Lord would hear those types of prayers this Christmas Season. That is why He came, He wants to save you today from yourself, from your sin condition that separates you from a holy God.

The greatest work Jesus has ever accomplished or will accomplish is saving you from your sins. That is your greatest need and He so desperately wants to meet that need today. You may have many needs today, many hurts, many concerns, many deficiencies, but the greatest need of your life that Jesus accomplished for you is saving you from your sins.

1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.””

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

As we close our time together this Christmas Day, this day of focus on Christ, the one who gave His life for me a sinner.

There is no greater love than one give His life in your place.

Could you , would you give your life to Him today?

The sentimental worldview of Christmas is great and there are some wonderful traditions. I know no better time of the year than I enjoy at Christmas, but enjoy Christmas for the most important reason. Christ came to “blot out” our sins and offer us life anew.

Let’s pray.