The first Christmas Present notes.

Vs. 9: It was a dark night in the Judaen countryside, shepherds were keeping watch (to guard or protect) over their sheep, when suddenly an angel stood beside them startling them as if someone jump out of a hidden place. In an instance the Shechinah glory appeared, its manifestation was that of light. It is most likely first time the glory of God had been appeared since the days of Ezekiel nearly 600 years earlier as the glory of God departed the temple (Ezk. 10:4). The angel then spoke the greatest news in time and eternity.

Vs. 10 However, naturally when man meets the supernatural He becomes profoundly afraid thus the angel explains to the poor shepherds that he came to deliver a message from God and that it was Good News! I Bring Good News is the Greek verb euangelizō, meaning to tell the good news. It also means to preach the Gospel. The basic sense might mean simply ‘to deliver a message” but the stem itself contains joy, so that announcing victory is a common use and the messenger views himself as the bearer of good tidings. In the ancient Roman world a messenger was sent ahead of Cesar to announce the good news of a great military victory or in some cases to announce the coronation of a new ruler. In Jesus’ case the angel announced both, a king had been born who has brought victory to all man kind. This waant only good news but news of great joy! Great is the Greek adjective megas, meaning much in degree. Its the pinnacle of joy that man could dare to experience. Of Joy is the Greek noun chara, meaning gladness or a state of joy In this context it is the idea of having a reason for gladness. It is most used to denote a persons response to Salvation. It is an internal emotion and an action that one does. In English it means to have a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Great joy is a compound, great happiness in a great degree, its like having a triple decker chocolate ice cream cone, delight on top of delight on top of delight! This great joy is Eschatological hope, deliverance, a future!

The angel prefaced the message by the giving them the addressees of the message, it was for the whole of humanity or “Which shall be to all people.” Shall be is the Greek verb eimi meaning belonging to. For people is the Greek noun laos meaning a people or nation and as its descriptor is the adjective pas meaning each or every nation. This includes Jews and Gentiles. Not only is it not bound by race but the fact that Shepherds first received the message tells us that nether is it bound by status. In the O.T. Shepherds were highly respected but by N.T. times they were viewed quite negatively. They were considered untrustworthy and generally could not serve as witnesses and their work rendered them unclean so they were excluded from mainstream society. If shepherds were first the first recipients of the Gospel then then everyone can be a recipient.

Vs. 11 For is the Greek conjunction hoti meaning because. This good news was to bring great joy because, on that day in Bethlehem FOR YOU was born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord! For you is a personal pronoun showing possession, the Savior Lord was for them and since all the Bible is written for us, He is for us too! A Savior, this is the Greek noun sōtēr which means rescuer or ones who saves. An angel of the Lord explains to Joseph what He would rescue people from. It wasn’t from their Roman rulers but their sin. Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Sin is man’s failure to live up to God’s holy Standard, it is an archery term meaning to miss the mark. Meaning to miss the very extreme dead center of the bullseye each shot. Every single person who is alive today and who has ever lived has sinned. If if its just once you fallen short of God’s standard and miss the mark. Sin is not prejudice, sexist, or racist it is the nature of every man, Jew and Gentile. Man’s greatest problem is that of a sin problem, but on that night God met mans greatest need. That’s how much God loves us and desires for us to be saved by His Savior. It has been justly said, If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. The angel of Matt. 1:21 instructed Joseph to name Him Jesus, Yeshu, YHWH’s salvation.

I wonder what the Shepherds thought as they found the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a trough. Did it dawn on Mary that her baby was born to die, as she wrapped Him so carefully in those torn pieces of cloth that they looked just like burial strips. All baby’s are born to live regardless of their life span, but this baby was born to die. His death was to make peace on behalf of man and God, covering and forgiveness of sin, making a person holy unto God (Heb. 10:10). Jesus came into earth to solve our greatest problem and fulfill our greatest need. He died so that we can live.

Why is it important that He should die? Because the wages of sin is death. So instead of all of us dying to satisfy God’s wrath, Jesus died in our place. In what world is that fair and balanced? Its not but I am grateful that God does do according to what is fair but according to Grace!

Christ the Lord, this is the only use of this combination. Christ, Christos, meaning Messiah, the anointed one. the Lord, kyrios, Lord, Supernatural master over all. This indicates Jesus’ diety as God. Matthew 1:20–23 “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Luke 1:47 “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

This is declaration: the time has come (“today”) for the fulfillment of the prophetic expectation of Messiah’s coming.

I. The Savior

A. Man’s Greatest Problem

B. Man’s Greatest Need

C. God’s provision

II. The Lord

A. The Messiah

B. The Lord

Illustrations Needed:

An Illustration of Savior

An Illustration of sin