The Road To The Manger: The Messiah Proclaimed

Last Week:

The Messiah Promised

Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

I. The Promise of a Messiah (Isaiah 9:6a)

II. The Authority of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6b)

III. The Titles of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6c)

IV. The Nature of His Reign (Isaiah 9:7)

Words can’t express what my savior means to me and my life.

Without Him I would be nothing, I could do nothing, and I would have nothing.

It’s easy to get caught up in the culture when celebrating Christmas. The lights, the trees, the gifts… So today I’d like to take a moment to remind all of us what this season is truly about.

Christ is:

The light

The Lamb who hung upon the tree.

The greatest Gift.

“It avails you little that Christ is born, or that Christ died, unless unto you a Child is born, and for you Jesus bled. A personal interest in the birth, life,and death of Christ is the main point for each one of us.”

Charles Spurgeon

In a culture that loves superheroes, Christ is the hero of our story. He alone is the reason for the season and the hero of mankind.

Three main headings for this morning:

I. The Assignment of Christ. V. 21

Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””

What a wonderful announcement! God has sent the Savior! His name will be called Jesus (Savior).

Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation.

1. Christ brings certainty to Salvation.

“For He WILL save His people from their sins.”

Supporting Scripture:

Luke 2:11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Psalm 130:8 “And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.”

2. Christ brings clarification to Salvation.

“His People”

Supporting Scripture:

John 6:35–40 “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.””

3. Christ brings Cleansing in Salvation.

“From Their sins”

Supporting Scripture:

Hebrews 1:3 “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The Assignment of Christ is to save His people from their sins.

II. The Assurance of Christ. V. 22

Matthew 1:22 “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:”

Quoted Isaiah Ch. 7: 14

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Jesus did not just come upon the scene in the New Testament.

Fulfilled- Bring something to completion…

Supporting Scripture:

Hosea 11:1 ““When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”

Micah 5:2 ““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.””

Psalm 22:16–18 “For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

III. The Authenticity of Christ. V. 23

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us.”

Immanuel:

Im = “with, Together with, among”

anu (uhn-noo)= “us”

el = “God”

Amazing news!!! God is with us..

He’s not a distant savior…

Supporting Scripture:

John 1:32 “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.”

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Psalm 145:18–19 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.”

James 4:7–10 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

“By the light of nature we see God as a God above us; by the light of the law we see him as a God against us; but by the light of the gospel we see him as Emmanuel, God with us.”

Matthew Henry (Nonconformist Biblical Exegete)

Closing Statements:

As God “with us,” Jesus enables us to come boldly before God’s throne (Heb 4:16) when we accept the forgiveness of sins he made available (Matt 1:21) and develop an intimate relationship with him

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””

   If you have ever come to God, crying out for salvation, and for salvation only, then you have come unto God aright.

Charles Spurgeon

“Salvation to the Uttermost” sermon (1856)

Charles Spurgeon

Now, it is not likely that the God who made a happy world would send a miserable salvation.

A Free Salvation, Volume 4, Sermon #199 - Isaiah 55:1

Charles Spurgeon