Christmas Sermon

Intro

Ron Has been preaching the last couple of weeks on the visible and the invisible, and we begin to see our world in this different perspective. The world has this invisible nature where spiritual battles go on, but it also has this visible nature that we can perceive.

And I want to take that a bit farther and talk about when the invisible becomes visible. Open your bibles to John 1:1-5

John 1:1–5 ESV

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.

So here we see this invisible being, the Word of God who also was God. and this being is the word that God spoke in the creation. and it was only through him that everything was made. but then as we look down to verse 14,

John 1:14 ESV

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.

So this invisible Word of God, has become flesh and dwells among us. And so we have made Christmas to be this time that we remember God’s gift to humanity, the gift of his son. That he might dwell among us and be the savior that we so desperately were in need of.

But let’s take some time to dig into exactly who Jesus was before he came in the flesh.

The Christophanies

Jesus as we know is God, he is now and he was as he walked on this Earth and he was before he was incarnate. But some people don’t realize that Jesus shows up throughout the Old Testament. Who here has ever heard of the term Christophany? a Christophany is any time reveals himself reveals himself outside of his incarnate life.

When reading through the Old Testament we often times encounter this character referred to as The Angel of the Lord. Often times when reading about this angel of the Lord it leaves us wondering whether he was an angel of the Lord or the Lord himself.

For example let’s open our bibles to Exodus 3:1-6

Exodus 3:1–6 ESV

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

So here we see this Angel of the Lord appearing as a burning bush and then he is reffered to as Yahweh and then referred to as God.

So thought this angel of the Lord is God he is also in some ways distinct from God as we read in 2 Samuel 24:16

2 Samuel 24:16

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And so this angel is represented as God but also distinct from Yahweh himself. and so as we read this it begins to prepare us for this idea of a being who is both God but distinct from the father.

Jesus Foretold

And then on top of this prophets such as Isaiah foretold of this coming God like we read in Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

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.

And so the scene is set, this Immanuel will be born of a virgin. Immanuel if you didn’t know translates as “God with us” and like the angel of the Lord he will be both God and distinct from God, as he puts on his humanity.

The Humanity of Christ

Now this is the story that many know and most of you I assume know how the story goes, the virgin mother Mary travels to bethlehem and gives birth the a son named Jesus, and he is the foretold Emmanuel.

But what is so significant about this Humanity and how can Jesus be both fully God and fully man.

Reading the Christmas story changed in my heart a bit after we had Asher. Because when you read that Jesus came as a baby it doesn’t really click until you’ve had a baby. and so now I read this story that god came to this Earth as a baby and i’m just filled with awe.

You see I remember holding Asher for the first time, I remember how frail he was how reliant he was on Sierra and I. He couldn’t take care of himself all he did was cry eat sleep and poop.

And to think that God was willing to step down to us to humble himself in such a way that he would be Human born as a baby.

And then Jesus began to Grow, he made friends he learned to work as a carpenter, which is not easy Job. He learned when he went to the temple.

which let’s pause there have you ever wondered wether Christ was all knowing? after-all he was fully God right? and wouldn’t him putting aside part of his divine nature make him not fully God?

But I want us to flip over to Philippians 2:4-8

Philippians 2:4–8 ESV

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Now it’s easy to read this and think Christ emptied himself of his Godly nature while on Earth, but that’s not what this is saying, he emptied himself, in my opinion would be better translated he made himself nothing. its and analogy of Humility.

So then what does this have to do with Christ’s divine nature? It’s not that he Got rid of it, he simply chose not to use it in order that he might be a servant in the likeness of man.

What Does This Mean for Us

Now what does this mean for us. Yes because Jesus came as a man he was able to die for our sins, that’s true but let’s save that sermon for April. What does Christ Human nature mean for us?

First it means, we have a personal relationship with him. He is our direct connection to the Lord, it is because of him that we can turn to the Lord as our father in Heaven. It is because he came that the spirit was able to be poured into us. Because of his humanity we have been adopted as coheirs with Christ as children of god.

Second, It means that Jesus has experienced what you have experienced. You lost a friend, Jesus’ close friend lazareth died, and Jesus wept. You feel rejected by the world. Jesus was rejected by his own people. You are struggling with pain and sickness Jesus suffered excruciating pain on the cross so severe that he sweated blood. Now i’m in no way trying to make this a competition of who had it worse, you or Jesus. But I want you to understand that all of your pain and hardships, all of your joy and achievement, whatever it is, Jesus has also experienced that feeling.

And that leads me to this.. Third, Jesus Get’s it. He get’s you he understands what you’re going through, have you ever dealt with something and you try to talk to someone about it but they very clearly don’t understand because they haven’t been through what you’ve been through. That’s not the case with Jesus. I had a really good life growing up i never faced physical abuse or substance abuse, and so some people have told me Clay you just don’t get it. and they’re right I don’t. But Jesus does, he get’s it and he weeps with you and he rejoices with you, because he had the same flesh and blood that we have.

Don’t turn to other people expecting them to be able to understand exactly what you have faced. turn to Christ and he will give you peace.

Now I tried to make my sermon a bit shorter today and this is why, yes today should be focused on Christ, I 100% agree, however for some of you maybe most of you this is the day that you see more family than any other day of the year. and I want you to have the opportunity to share the gift of Christ with them.

Some of your family members think they’re alone in this world that they have no-34one, but you have to opportunity to share Christ with them, and I would ask that you do that today when you see your family. Just simply let them know that Jesus get’s their struggle and their pain, and that they can turn to him for the ultimate peace!

Let’s pray.