“The Best” of Christmas.

What Josiah Has Taught Us.

Anticipating the Lord Jesus Christ - Part 1

1. Preexistent Creator and Savior.

2. The Fall of the Human Race into Sin.

3. The Curse.

4. Mankind’s Need for a Savior.

5. The Promised Seed of Abraham.

6. The Coming Messiah as Prophet and King.

What We Will Learn Tonight.

The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Part II

Introducing the History of Jesus Christ.

The Authors of Our Study.

Mark - Gospel

Paul - 2 Timothy

John - John’s Gospel

Isaiah - Letter

Luke - Luke’s Gospel

The Best News Possible.

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

Mark 1:1 NASB95

In Mark’s opening verse he introduces to us something that he introduced to his original audience and that is The Beginning of the Gospel…

The word “beginning” refers to exactly what we know it to mean…The Beginning; The Start; The Launch of something…

This something, as Mark wrote, is the announcement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

What does the word Gospel mean? Good; Good News; Good Tidings. Euangelion [E-Vaughn-Gay-leeh-on]

What is the Good News? Message of God’s Salvation.

John MacArthur communicates the meaning of the word Gospel much better than I can. But before we get to that we need to understand the source that he uses to show us the richer meaning.

What was the original language that the Old Testament was written in? Hebrew.

What was the original language that the New Testament was written in? Greek.

There is a version of the Old Testament that is written in Greek. Does anyone know what the name of it is? Septuagint.

“First-century Jews would have been familiar with the word euangelion from its occurrence in the Septuagint - the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. There it is used to speak of military victory, political triumph, or physical rescue…”

In regards to euangelion combined usage in Isaiah 40 MacArthur says,

“In Isaiah 40, this “good news” consisted of more than mere tidings of military victory or physical rescue. It encompassed a message of ultimate victory, triumph, and eternal rescue, making it the best news possible.”

So, Mark begins his Gospel, with the best news ever. And the best news ever is of Jesus Christ. Who is the anointed King; and the Son of God, who is the author of life; the sovereign creator of the world.

Do you genuinely believe in the best news ever? If so, how does it affect your life?

The Best Birth Possible.

“Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

2 Timothy 1:10b NASB95

The best news possible obviously has to do with the best birth possible.

Simply because you can not have the message without the person of the message.

The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy that the Gospel message reveals the birth; the incarnation of Christ; who is the One who in submission to the Father’s will saves those who have a saving faith in Him by His death on the Cross.

Before Christ followers were Christ followers there was the threat of death because it resulted in God’s Wrath; His Judgment; Eternal Suffering; Eternal Punishment.

How does Christ’s dying on the Cross affect death? “Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10b NASB95

The word “Abolished” paints the clear picture of rendering something inactive.

In other words, “Abolish” means to make something useless; cause something to become idle; or inoperable.

We, Christians, will die a physical death. That is a guarantee. But, death is no longer an issue worthy of fearing. When believers pass away they transition from this earthlife to eternal life.

And this fact highlights God’s mercy and compassion on those who love Him.

For those that do not love Him; death is a threat to them.

Sometimes the threat of death is seen in the unsaved as the motivation to want to live forever, so they try to eat well, and exercise a ton, etc..

We still as believers should take care of ourselves out of respect for God giving us bodies to do His work.

In addition, to Christ abolishing death, His birth “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10b NASB95

This means that Christ’s incarnation, His fleshly life, His ministry shined a light or illuminated or caused to know or revealed eternal life and immortality through the Gospel; through His Good News.

1 John 2:17, “The world is passing away, and also it’s lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

The Best Light Possible.

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 1:5 NASB95

The Apostle most loved by Christ, John, teaches us what the nature of “Light” is.

But, before we get into that we need to define what “Light is”

What do you think the word “Light” represents? Light is truth - truth of good and evil.Truth of who God is and what He did through Christ.

Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.”

Solomon, the author and collector of Proverbs, is referring to “the word of God” when he calls it the commandment.

What does the word of God talk about? The Truth about God; who He is in light of who we are as His created beings.

The word of God clearly displays God’s righteousness; and the word argues and proves that God is truth; His commandments are Truth - especially when placed side by side by the world's definition of truth.

This is why Solomon says it “Is a lamp” and that “The teaching [is considered to be] light”. Because it reproves us for discipline; meaning God’s truth corrects us, and redirects our steps which should be on “the way of life”.

What do you think the word “Darkness” represents? Falsehood; Sin…

Proverbs 4:19, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.”

Those that do not accept the Truth; The Light are considered to be in darkness where the blind continue to stumble over their own sinfulness.

And John makes the nature of the light clear; it “shines in the darkness”. Naturally it exposes the darkness; revealing it to be without truth leading to unrighteousness.

The nature of the Light is powerful.

John MacArthur, says, “Despite Satan’s frantic, furious assaults on the Light, the darkness did not comprehend it. Comprehend is better translated as “overcome.”

MacArthur gives the illustration of a “ Even a Small candle can drive the darkness from a room; the brilliant, glorious Light of the Lord will utterly destroy Satan’s realm of darkness.”

Believers are able to accept the Light by the sovereign mercy of God.

The Best Mercy Possible.

“The people who walked in darkness, Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.”

Isaiah 9:2 NASB95

Isaiah is the prophet who prophesied and preached on God’s judgment against Israel, as well as the pagan nations. - In fact the chapters and verses before this one speak about it.

Isaiah also highlighted the coming of the Suffering Servant and the future restoration of Israel, and also hints that the nations are recipients of the Light.

In this passage Isaiah is providing hope to the nation of Israel who have been exiled, and who “walked in the darkness” of exile, and “who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death.”

The point that Isaiah is making is that God is merciful.

Isaiah mentions this in Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for him.”

In our verse of study, He will and did provide “a great light”, and “Upon them a great light has [and will] shined.”

Although God had judged Israel through His use of Assyria and exiled from Israel’s land.

He did it to draw Israel back to Him, which resulted in Israel turning back to God.

God’s mercy is seen in Israel’s future permission to return to their land and rebuild the temple.

Ezra 1:1–4 “1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 ‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 ‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ ””

But, it also implied a greater deliverance, and that would be the coming of the Light [the birth of the Messiah] to remove the darkness of captivity…the Israel and Gentiles.

The same region that Assyrian brought darkness and death to Israel from is the same region that Christ began to preach. [Matthew 4:15-16]

Remember God mercifully permitted the light to shine in the Darkness in order to reveal falseness and highlight Truth in Christ in the Gospel.

The Best Gift Possible.

“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:9-13 NASB95

John writes about the opportunity for all to see the True Light which came into the world for all.

All men are responsible for knowing the Truth, or the Light. [Romans 1:18-20]

Christ the Light was born into the world and in fact the world was made through Him.

Colossians 1:16; “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens, and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

Even though the world was made through Christ, the world opted to not know Him due to blindness from sin.

In fact His own people, Jews, did not know, nor receive Him or even recognize Him as Savior.

But those that did receive Him and believe in His name. Those that willingly took hold of Christ, to them He gave; he granted; them to have the right; the authority to call themselves children of God.

The children of God are not born of blood, that is by heritage; nor by flesh, or human desire, and not by the will of man, or some man made system, but of God.

The gift then is the gift of Salvation. Which is unmerited, or undeserved; it unattainable; we can't earn it.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

How does this gift compare to any past gift or future gift that you had or may receive?

The Best Evidence Possible.

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

Luke 1:1-4 NASB95

What is Luke known for? Being a Doctor.

Luke was also a Gentile, and the first historian of the early church [Acts].

Luke wasn’t an eye witness of Christ, and because so, he was concerned about presenting, and prolonging the Gospel; the birth, life and ministry of Christ.

The beginning verses of Acts affirms that Luke was thorough in his investigation of the ministry of Christ, and that he was most certainly convinced of who Christ was.

Acts 1:1-3, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”

Luke relied upon the written accounts of the things that had been fulfilled by Christ.

Some of these accounts were handed down by “eyewitnesses and servants of the word.”

He had investigated everything carefully from the beginning, in order to record an accurate order for the purpose of writing the exact truth about the things of Christ; the Gospel and Christianity.

What is Luke teaching to do in this passage? To investigate what we believe. How to study God’s word.

The Gospel message of Jesus Christ, the Son of God is a message that is founded on historical, reliable truth.

Why do you think it is important to investigate the Gospel; the Bible for yourself?

When we read Scripture for ourselves the Holy Spirit reveals some of the deep treasures of the Gospel -

So this Christmas are focus should be studying so we may clearly see the Best News Possible, The Best Birth Possible, The Best Light Possible, The Best Mercy Possible, The Best Gift Possible and the Best Evidence Possible - Because they all Introduce the History of Jesus Christ, and the Beginning of the Gospel and affirm why we celebrate the real meaning of Christmas.