Christmas Day 2022

The Gift Who Keeps On Giving

INTRODUCTION:

My children have been the greatest gift but it hasn’t been easy

Not always happy, but filled with Joy

Christmas isn’t always a great time for some

What we can all agree with is we love getting presents, they don’t last long and they fade, break and bore us. Happiness is fleeting (Story of elite sports people recieivng a champioship)

STRUCTURE:

Gift of Truth

Gift of Identity

Gift of Joy (Gospel)

Gift of Truth

Question: Why do some people then and now not believe it?

Always Plan A and overwhelming evidence of fulfilled prophecies and promises (list some)

Geneaology Matthew 1 (just touch on it as focus in identity)

Truth equals all of the advent series (Hope, Peace, Love & Joy)

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

government shall be upon his shoulder that's not only talking about the fact that he will be a universal and eternal king that he's the king of kings he's the lord of lords. apostle paul in philippians chapter 2 and verse 10 that at the name of jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth in other words there's coming a day when every single man woman boy and girl who's ever been born and ever lived will bow at the feet of jesus and acknowledge he's the king of kings.

When it talks about the government it's not just in this life in this world so he will reign but it is for all eternity he will reign over all things but that verse is telling us more than the fact that he will reign but in that passage it tells us how he'll reign in isaiah chapter nine and verse four just two verses before verse six it says this for you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. Wonderful Counselor doesn’t translate well into english, he isn’t a christian counselor with a 5 star rating. although you can take your cares to him. This name means he is God’s wisdom wrapped in flesh. He is the source of all knowledge and wisdom and we get to place our roots into him through relationship.

Isaiah 1–39 (1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

b) The second dual name “Mighty God” (ʾēl gibbôr) includes a divine name similar to the name Ezekiel (God will be my strength). If one supplies a verb, the name might mean, “God is mighty” or “God is a mighty warrior,” similar

Isaiah 1–39 ((1) The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7))

c) The third name is one word in Hebrew, combining two ideas in one concept. It is possible to translate it as an adjective and noun “Everlasting Father” (ʾăbîʿad), as a sentence “my father [is] eternal,” or as a genitive phrase “father of eternity.” “Father” is a relatively rare way of addressing God but through Jesus we can!

Always Plan A

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””

Revelation 12:1-6 “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.... She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne...

You will know no Joy, Peace, Love, Hope if you cannot trust the one who promises it and more importantly keeps them.

Prophecy List

Prophecy of a coming ruler - Is 9:6–7

Prophecy of a virgin birth - Is. 7:14

Prophecy of his birthplace - Mic 5:2

Prophecy Fulfilled

Prophecy of a coming ruler - Acts 13:23

Prophecy of a virgin birth - Matt 1:22-23

Prophecy of his birthplace - Luke 2:4-6

Geneaology

Matthew 1:1-18 “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David....”

3 Markers of Jesus’ Geneaology

Gen 12:1-3 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.””

2 Sam 7:12 “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.”

Deut 28:58-59 “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God—the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses.”

So becasue the way Jesus came, coupled with the news seemingly to good to be true, and those around who would be out of a job (religious elite), fear, busyness and that people are prideful and want to live their own life by their own set of rules are some of the reasons then and now of why people don’t believe. Whether we believe it or not its true!

2. Gift of Identity

Why did Jesus chose to come the way he did, through the way he did?

Who is he - Second person, Logos, Word in flesh, Messiah and Saviour, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Immanuel (God with us)

Shepherds, Feeding trough, hard life, Geneaology etc. - we all have access, we can identify with him, and he can identify with us.

Who is God - Father, Only God, Just, Holy etc. all governed by Love

Psalm 103:13-14 (NLT) The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

Who are we - broken, lowly, messy, numb, unimportant. Remember i said some don’t have a great time at Christmas - Jesus can relate and has been through things we never have.

Are you having messy time? Does Christmas time suck for you? Have you experienced loss? Go to the one who has endured it all! What a great gift this is!!

Matthew 11:28-29 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: Why did Jesus chose to come the way he did, through the way he did?

Example: Town, Geneaolgy, Stable, Shepherds heralding, Poor, Lowly, etc.

Town of no status, with people of no status, poor and insignificant, with shepherds who had no acknowledgment or say in any matters. Then there is his family tree! Whilst he had some folk of notarioty alot of them would be an embarassment to you and me

Family Tree - Ancestory.com

However amongst the men there were

Adulterers

Murderers

Liars

Three Shady Ladies

Tamar – Deceitfulness

Rahab – Prostitute

Ruth – Outsider

The answer is so that we and all can have full access to him, he wants us to identify with him, and he wants to identify with us! the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Immanuel (God with us) stooped down to identify to us. That is how much he loves us.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

His identity

Word (Logos - where we get our word logic from), Second person of the Trinity - Co-author of creation, Messiah, Saviour, Lord and Immanuel God with us!

John1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Our Identity is that of the shpherds and poor lowly weak folk due to our sin! Now we are part of the Royal Priesthood, Adopted into God’s family through Jesus and now joint heirs with full access to the Father through the Son who came willingly. That should spark joy even in the hardest of times.

Answer to the Question

Wise men from the east represent all nations bowing before Jesus and that all nations have access. All those with broken lives and those who are insignificant, poor, oppressed, not welcome as part of socital norms are welcome. Those who have no identity at all or the wrong identity can find it in Jesus. The feeding trough can be accessed by all regardless of status, creed, colour, sexuality can have salvation and be redeemed.

3. Gift of Joy (Gospel)

What is the danger of leaving Jesus in the Manger? - Make him who he isn’t, salvation is not accomplished in the Trough but on the Cross

Plenty of people are offered the gift, but think its to good to be true, or want to live life their way which leads to destruction if I was to gift you this car it would do no good if you didn’t accept it.

Difference between happiness and joy

Joy is the gospel of peace we have received

Preach the gospel!

The only presents that don’t fade warp break or we tire of his His Presence!

Wise men represent that he is for all nations will bow before him

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We need to live a Philippians 3 kind of life to partake in all the Joy. Paul weighed all that he had and all that he was and held it against what Jesus offered and he considered all his acclaims as dung and as such got rid of it with one exception, he took up the wisdom of Christ as one of his assetts.

Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”