The Christmas Story
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1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Today is going to be different than other Sundays… This Sunday we celebrate Christmas on the Lord’s day. This week we are not separating our gathering before the young and the old we hearing the Christmas story together, and unlike other weeks where I preach 30-35 min I am going to walk through this story in bits and explain some of it as I go. This is my second favorite story is all of the bible after the resurrection, but its one of extreme importance now the last several weeks was leading to today we walked through the scriptures and examined some characters of Christmas.
And as we walked through some of those characters I believe I showed you three important truths. That Mary was called out by God to bring about the savior of the world, and praises God for it. One of the reasons we gather is so we can praise the Lord, and what a great day its been doing that very thing.
We saw that Joseph was a faithful man who believed God about the coming of Jesus Christ. We have to have faith to believe that Jesus actually came because we are not there.
Finally last week we saw Luke’s genealogy starts and finishes with two beginnings: Jesus as the beginning and God as the beginning. When the service started today I read to you John’s version of the Christmas story. Rich in theology, and truth, showing us that Jesus was not just a person who came to earth non existent like you and I rather he has always been, and always will be.
As we dive into the scriptures the Christmas story starts in the most unlikeliest of places.
Listen to the scriptures in Luke chapter 2.
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Jesus really came to earth at a real time to a real place. The bible speaks of Jesus coming during the reign of Ceasar Augustas. He was the first man to be declared Emperor of Rome, and Jesus came at a time where peace was actually happening in the world.
So scholars note that he began to have a more centralized government, having a-lot of the same things we do today, and with that came taxes, and so he called for a Census, and with the Census people had to return where they were born, and though Joseph lived in Nazareth he had to go home to register for these Census, and he took his wife with him which is important, because she is likely not going to this place because its 70 plus miles away without this Census, another divine act of God to make this plan of Christ coming is going unfold according to the scripture, and you might say what scripture, and that scripture is Micah 5:2
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
Jesus the one who always was and always will be was born in a manger, not in a world class health facility, because there was no place for him in the inn.
And as he is born some angels show up…
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
I have read and heard alot of people’s thoughts on this section of scripture, and so many are amazed that God choose these shepherds to first hear the good news that the Christ has be born. If you know Shepherds during that time are not what we would refer to as elite people. They were considered by some to be the scum of the earth, but we know God loves shepherds, God often deems things special that we do not.
The angel was the first to bring the gospel into the world proclaiming that wonderful truth about Jesus, For unto you is born, not just a amazing little baby like they all are, but a Savior, this baby that has come will be the savior who will save his people from their sins.
And the angel tells them where he will be lying in a manger, swaddled up, and after the angels proclaim, they praise. The bible says that there is a multitude of heavenly host praising God.
I think about how that may have looked, seeing a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. Its like when you hear a room full of singing after just hearing one it hits differently.
and this heavenly choir says Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he pleased. This peace comes because he has come.
Lets keep reading the story.
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
I never thought of this until this week. You see a little bit of the great commission at the beginning of Jesus life on earth. When the shepherds went and told Joseph and Mary about their baby Boy, and those around them wondering what the shepherds told them. Never under estimate the impact of sharing about Jesus to others, even to people who have already heard the promises of God. Mary treasured the fact that shepherds told Mary something she had already knew and that was her Son would save the world, and the shepherds telling them about that very thing led them to worship God even more. Preaching the good news to someone is an act of worship, and it glorifies God, and its what God wants us to do with his Son.
I want to move just a few days later quickly because it ties into the Christmas story.
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Jesus is named, and they did everything the law of the Lord asked them to do. Jesus was purified in the way all children were suppose to be at that time.
And yet if we read on we see another character of Christmas you could say, Simeon proclaim about Jesus.
Luke 2:25–27 (ESV)
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
This Simeon guy was a righteous and devout man who waited his whole life for this moment. The consolation of Isreal is a term used by the Jewish people of the awaiting of their messiah to come, and what I love about Simeon is he was faithful and devout until he came, proving just how important it to be faithful until the Lord does something No matter how long that takeys.
Now Simeon had a promise that he would see the Messiah before he died, and when Mary and Jospeh brought in Jesus he said these powerful words of praise and prophecy.
Luke 2:29–36 (ESV)
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
The Lord has come and Simeon tells them now that I have seen the Lord I can go in peace, to be with you because I have seen the Lord, I dont need to follow his life I know that this baby is going to grow up, and do incredible things in the name of God, and again like the shepherds coming and telling Mary and Joseph all the great things Jesus was going to do they are amazed. All parents want the best for their children, but this child was going to do something no child could ever do, and that was rescue God’s people Truly unlike anyone ever before. We see a bit of prophecy here today, and thats why I wanted to end the Christmas story with this…
That Jesus life would be so marked by God that no-one could miss it, that Jesus was truly God, and called out for this mission, but the mission would have a great twist ending in the death of Jesus, this is a prophecy of Jesus own side being pierced and scripture says he was pierced for our inequities.
The Christmas story is not only that he came to live, but that he came to die. He did live a truly incredible life free from the sin that we all have, and yet he paid the price for his. How can we be his by repenting of our own sin, and trusting in Christ for salvation today..
charles Spurgeon once said for this child is not born unto you unless you are born to this child. dont leave here today without knowing you are born unto him!
We are going to respond like do so often with the Lord suppers, and I would ask the deacons to come up here and begin to prepare for that very thing.
The Lords supper is one of two ordinances the Local church has the other is Baptism.
At the last Supper Jesus said these very words… Luke 22:19 “19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””
Its a reminder of the work of Christ on the cross, how his body and blood were shed for believers.
The Lords supper is an act of unity in the Body. Now before we take of this I want to be clear this is for believers only. So if there are any children or unbelievers who have not came to know the Lord yet this is not for them you, but can be a moment that we teach them about Christ.
Listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
You can also take the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner if you are living with some sort of un-repented sin. Repent of that. The Lord takes this moment very seriously, and so should we, and that being said let us take a moment to pray in silence for ourselves and our own standing with God, and I will close with pray in a moment.
The bread and the wine symbolize the body and blood of Jesus and I want to pray for each one before we take it.
Pray for body.
1 Corinthians 11:24 “24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””
Pray for the blood
1 Corinthians 11:25 “25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.””
1 Corinthians 11:26 “26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
We are going to close after the singing of Silent night this morning, after that you are free to go, I want to wish you all a merry Christmas, and will see you all next year..