The Nativity of Our Lord

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
0 ratings
· 2 views
Notes
Transcript

The Nativity in Our Lives

Matthew 2:1–12 (NKJV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
As we mentioned last time, we have grown accustom to giving Christ what is on the outside, but Christ never wants that, He wants the inside always. And so the question today is How can we live the Nativity? This is the intention of the Church and of Christ, that such occasions be for our lives. We celebrate the Nativity after tomorrow, but our celebration is not a mere remembrance; we have gathered for prayer and for liturgy that we might meet with Christ in Bethlehem. What we need is to “feel” Christ today.
God proclaimed something on Christmas Day which neither narrative nor history itself can fully contain.

Meaning of the Divine Birth

What is the meaning of Christ’s Birth? The divine birth means the Incarnation; and the Incarnation means that God appeared in the flesh.

The Incarnation is the Fullness of Time

The Gospel does not record the “history” of the Lord Jesus’ birth, but records rather a heavenly happening. The Nativity happened within the course of history, but it is also the end of all history; for many prophecies proclaimed that the Lord’s birth would be the sign of the “fullness of time.”
Galatians 4:4 NKJV
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Zephaniah 1:14 (NKJV)
The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
Joel 3:14 (NKJV)
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
If the birth of Christ is called the “fullness of time” it is not longer history and we can say that it is above time.
So we cannot deal with it as just a record with historical details to be analyzed. No, our intention this evening is to make a living entrance into the story of Christ’s birth, to place it before ourselves as a heavenly occurrence which never changes and never ends.

Nativity not a Story but an “Entrance” into the time of Christ

The mystery of the Incarnation is a mystery that is above time — Christ was incarnate that we may live in Him, and since the Christian never dies, there is no more end or death and therefore the kingdom of God is lived beginning here on earth and so time is no longer of any value
That is why every parable of Christ’s was about the Kingdom of God and how it began here on earth — Hence the Incarnation is the beginning of eternal life
John 1:14 NKJV
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.
The Incarnation has become our lives, and it is the foundation of our Christian faith.
If someone asks you: “Are you a Christian?” “Yes, I am a Christian.” “Then what does it mean to be a Christian?” “It means I believe in Christ.” “And who is He?” “Christ is God manifest in the flesh.” The Incarnation is the content of our lives, our faith, our doctrine, and the salvation we live every day. That is why I say that the Incarnation is not a mere story but rather life itself.

What is our position in Christ’s birth?

What is our position in Christ’s birth?
Let’s look at each character in the birth and see if we fit as any of them
1- The wise men who offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh They has a lofty role: to be a people who traveled a far distance to meet the king of the jews and offer Him the finest gifts they had Their gold, frankincense, and myrrh pointed to each of Christ’s roles: as King, Prophet, and Suffering God. But I tell you, our position in Bethlehem is much greater than that of the Magi.
2- The shepherds, who happily followed the angel’s announcement and saw Him and were filled with joy So are we in the position of the shepherds? No again.
3- Well then, let’s go higher and ask about Joseph That righteous and just man, guardian of the Virgin Birth and faithful minister to the miraculous event—are we in his place? Again I will dare to say, no, but even higher.
4- Well, what about the Virgin as well and ask, is our position in Christ like that of the Virgin Mother? No again. Higher!
Let’s look at our place based on the following verse
Ephesians 5:30 (NKJV)
For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
Joseph, as I said, is the guardian of the Virgin Birth, and Mary, the pure saint, is Mother; but you and I are His own flesh and bones! We comprise His entire Body. This One who is born, the wonderful Child, this magnificent gift from heaven, contains me as a vital part.
Thus Christmas is not about remembrance or a past event; but the beginning of a living relationship with Christ—one that is the basis of our existence or being
This prompts us to say that if Christ is not born there is no joy and no Holy Spirit and are still under the law of bondage of satan
We can also say that Christ’s birth is our eternal birth

Is it now clear what Bethlehem means to us?

We now see how this is not just memory, ritual, or hymn

On Hymns

For example the hymn Pi-jen-misi
Pi-Jen-Misi The virginal birth and spiritual pains: marvelous wonders, according to the prophetic sayings.
Hymnology and ritual are important, of course; but if they do not take us to the higher vision and to the profound relation that binds us to Christ, then it is all for nothing. Otherwise, we just come, and sermonize, and sing, and have a merry time, then go to eat meat.
As we said before, Christ’s birth is OUR birth
If we ask what country are you born in? We should respond in Bethlehem!
If the Garden of Eden of old was the origin of Adam’s birth, where he fell into sin and was exiled, then Bethlehem is the new Eden; and we enter it never to leave again.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.