Uniqueness of Jesus’ Birth
That's Christmas to Me • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Uniqueness of Jesus’ Birth
"Before we open the Word, we held babies in our arms. We pledged to raise them, protect them, and point them to God. But there is only so much a human parent can do. We cannot save them.
But this Baby (gesture to manger)... He wasn't dedicated to God; He was God dedicated to us.
Parents, you dedicate your children to the Lord today. But know this: God dedicated His Son to you 2,000 years ago. Your child is safe because this Child was not safe. He took the risk, the pain, and the cross, so your children could have the Hope of Heaven."
1. The uniqueness of His pre-existence.
John 1:1-2, John 8:58, Micah 5:2, Colossians 1:17
Every other baby begins at conception. Jesus is the only human whose life did not start at birth; He stepped into biology from eternity.
(He Was Given, Not Made)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning.
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
"We just dedicated these beautiful babies and children. Their parents gave them life, but they did not give them souls—God did. But this Baby, Baby Jesus (point to manger) is different. He is the only child who was older than His mother."
2. The uniqueness of the virgin birth.
Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:34-35
It wasn’t just a miracle; it was a biological interruption to the sin nature inherited from Adam. He bypassed the "genetic defect" of sin.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Would call this the "mystery of the intrusion"—God breaking the closed circle of sinful humanity.
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Walk to the manger. "This doll represents a biological impossibility. If you take away the male contribution, you don't get a baby; you get nothing. Unless God intervenes. This manger holds the only 'Impossible Child' in history."
3. The uniqueness of his poverty.
Caesar slept in silk; the Creator slept in straw.
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Walk over and run hand along the rough wood of the manger . "This isn't a crib; it's a feed trough. (The King in a Feed Box)
It smells of animal saliva and rot. The uniqueness of Jesus is that He started His life in a barn and ended it on a beam (point to the cross)."
4. The uniqueness of being fully God and fully man.
Colossians 2:9
Both fully God and fully man at the same time. Jesus has two distinct "natures" (one divine and one human) but is only one person.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
If He was not man, He couldn't represent us; if He was not God, He couldn't save us.
5. The uniqueness of his birth in human history.
Galatians 4:4
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Jesus wasn't late or early. He arrived at the perfect intersection of Roman roads (transport), Greek language (communication), and Jewish expectation (theology).
The sovereign orchestration of political events (Caesar’s census) to get Mary to Bethlehem.
Think about it. God used a pagan dictator (Caesar Augustus) thousands of miles away to sign a tax law just to get a teenage girl to walk 90 miles so a prophecy could be fulfilled.
6. The uniqueness of who worshiped Him at his birth.
Luke 2:15-16, Psalm 72:10-11, Matthew 2:11
(Shepherds & Kings)
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. 11 May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Jesus united the lowest (shepherds) and the highest (Magi) in worship. He is the only King who is accessible to everyone.
"The shepherds had no gift to bring but themselves; the wise men brought gold. Jesus accepted both." - Max Lucado
7. The uniqueness of His birth announcement of Joy.
Luke 2:10, 1 Peter 1:8
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
Christianity is the only religion whose central event is a birth announcement of Joy.
8. The uniqueness of His Kingship.
Luke 1:32-33, John 18:36
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
The Reverse Coup: Usually, a rebel overthrows a King. Here, the True King (Jesus) sneaks back into His own rebel kingdom (Earth) to win the rebels' hearts back.
9. The uniqueness of His name. (Savior)
Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:11, Acts 4:12, Philippians 2:9
Many people are named Jesus, but only One is the Savior. His name is His mission.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Walk to the manger to the cross. "He got His name 'Savior' here (manger), but He earned it here (cross)."
10. The uniqueness of his mission, born to die.
We are born to live. Jesus is the only person in history born specifically to die. The manger was the first step toward the cross.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
"The shadow of the cross lay across the manger." - Billy Graham
When we dedicated our babies and children earlier, we dedicated them to the Lord. We prayed for long life, health, happiness and salvation. But for this Baby, the Father's will was short life, suffering, and sacrifice. He took the death we deserved so our babies and children could have the life they don't deserve.
