Jesus - Knew

Hebrews

The Greatest Gift Ever Given - Jesus

Hebrews - Jesus Knew!

Many years ago a promise was made of a child that would be given as a gift.

700-800 years before the birth of Christ, the book of Isaiah prophesied of a Messiah that would come.

We gather together today to remember and celebrate this prophecy, The Christmas Prophecy.

A prophecy that today has been partially fulfilled.

Just a heads up, the message I am going to share at the Christmas Eve service will be about the unfulfilled portion of the prophecy that we are waiting on to be completed.

Come back on the 24th to hear the rest of the story.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6–7

Today we gather to remember.

Today we gather to be reminded.

As I was preparing for this message. I was stuck. I wasn’t sure what to share today. I spent some time praying. As I was praying the Lord kept bringing me back to the kids that just performed.

You have to love a good children’s performance!

Especially a good Christmas one.

I love seeing all of the faces of engagement……and the unengaged faces (staring off into…….I don’t know).

I love seeing those that are belting out the songs…….and those that you think are lipsyncing.

I love the kid that is making faces at all of us. (If you look around you know whose kid it is. Look for the red faced parents)

I look at these children that just walked off the stage and I ponder something. I wonder what they will become?

What their path of life will be?

What highs they will have?

What lows they will have?

What will define their life?

What dreams will they have that will be completed?

What dreams will they have that will be crushed?

Will they have the courage to stand back up when life knocks them down?

Will they have the courage to take on hard challenges?

Will they be willing to forgive when they have been wronged?

Will they have the courage to stand for what is righteous and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord?

As a kid I loved Christmas! I have so many memories of traveling to both of my grandparents' houses. At Christmas dinner there was a kids table and an adult table (the kids table was always so much fun). It was so fun getting the entire family together. Lots of food. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins would come.

One of my favorite memories was singing the 12 days of Christmas. Everyone was assigned a single part of the song. My uncle and I would always get assigned the “5 Golden Rings”. Each time through we would do it differently (long, quick, quiet, loud), and it always got a laugh from everyone.

Another favorite memory of the Christmas family gatherings was listening to all of the past stories shared by the adults. They would reminisce about times they did funny things or got in trouble; not funny at the time but funny now. The laughter would go on for hours.

I loved pulling out my grandmother’s picture books with my siblings and cousins. We would look at the pictures of when we were babies, pictures of our parents when they were younger (before kids).

(Kids, I am sorry to say technology has failed you. You are missing out on the amazing picture books experience.)

Side note: I don’t know about you guys, maybe it is just me. When I look at pictures of my parents they look younger, they look like kids. But when I look at the pictures of my grandparents, even when they were young, they still look old to me. Why is that?

As we listened to the stories and looked at the picture books, I remember pondering a few things:

Did my parent’s life end up the way they hoped and dreamed?

How will my life turn out?

Will I have lots of kids and grandkids, like my grandparents do?

Who will I marry?

Many of us are old enough that we can look at pictures and memories come flooding back.

Memories of Christmas.

Memories of grandma and grandpa.

Memories of family gatherings.

Memories of playing as a child.

Memories of wondering what your life would be like when you got older.

I think it is safe to say that none of us have ended up exactly where we thought we would end up.

One thing is certain…………..none of us knew what life would bring us.

A week ago, as I started to work on this message, I was reminiscing on past Christmasas. I was looking at my children and started wondering what life will be like for my family 10, 20, and 30 years from now. And then it hit me……………….Jesus knew!

There is only one child born in all of humanity that knew the purpose of His life immediately. Jesus knew!

Jesus knew the purpose of his life.

Jesus knew how his life was going to end up.

He was the Messiah!

He came to be a sacrifice!

He lived his life to fulfill that mission and purpose.

From the beginning of His life……………. to the end of His life…………….. Jesus knew!

Here is what astonishes me. He knew what was going to happen to him……yet He still chose the path!

He knew he was a gift to the world. (The Christmas Gift)

And He knew………. the world would hate him.

He knew he would heal the blind and the lame would walk.

And He knew…………the would get mocked and questioned for healing the sick.

He knew he was going to call a group to follow him.

And He knew…………….that same group would disown him when it counted most.

He knew what was going to happen to him……yet He still chose the path!

Isn’t that astonishing!!!

Let me put this into perspective for us:

Many of us have lived long enough to experience trauma and pain.

If you knew ahead of time when the trauma and pain would come, would you take a different path? (Sociology would tell us the answer to that is a hands down YES, humans live to avoid pain).

Jesus knew how his life would unfold…...His entire life………..yet He still chose the path!

Why?

Let’s look at God’s word for that answer.

Background:

God established the 12 tribes of Israel.

To serve as a priest the priest had to come from the lineage of the tribe of Levi. To be a priest it was a requirement to be a direct descendant of the tribe of Levi.

However, these priests were just men. They were no different than the people of Israel. These priests sinned just like the people of Israel.

Because of that their sacrifices and offerings could not cover the sin.

The sacrifices they offered were weak because they could not fully atone for the sin of the people, or themselves, in the eyes of God.

But God, our Father, had a plan.

Father desired for us to be brought back into relationship with Him. To be in relationship forever.

Father gave a promise of “another that would come”. Not from the tribe of Levi but from the tribe of Judah.

A prophecy was given of a Messiah that would come.

A Messiah that would make one final sacrifice that would last forever.

The Christmas Prophecy.

Lets Stand for The Reading of the Word of the Lord

12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Hebrews 7:12–27

This is the word of the Lord.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them, “A better hope has been introduced!!”

Back to the question of “Why”?

Jesus knew how his life would unfold……....His entire life..…...yet He still chose the path!

Why?

Because what Jesus was going to endure would ultimately result in the completion of the Father’s plan:

The plan for Jesus to serve at the altar.

The plan to prove Jesus had an indestructible life.

The plan for Jesus to be a priest forever.

The plan for Jesus to bring forth a better hope.

The plan for all mankind to draw near to God.

The plan for Jesus to be the guarantor of a better covenant.

The plan for Jesus to be the source of complete salvation for all.

The plan for Jesus to be the final sacrifice.

It was the Father’s plan, from the very beginning of creation, that the Son “ALWAYS……….. lives to intercede for us!”

Even though Jesus knew how his life on earth would unfold……….His entire life……He still chose the path because He ALWAYS LIVES to intercede for us!!!!

CLOSING - HAVE WORSHIP TEAM COME UP

I have often thought about how the birth of a single child changed the entire world.

Not just for a few years…………………….but for thousands of years.

The moment the child was born………….the world changed forever.

The child was no ordinary child.

From the beginning of the birth of Christmas Prophecy, (the birth of Jesus), the child ALWAYS LIVES to intercede for us!

That statement is the true reality of how the birth of a single child changed the entire world.

The birth of Jesus changed the entire world because He was born to ALWAYS LIVE TO INTERCEDE FOR THE WORLD.

There is no portion of this world that He was not born for. (REPEAT)

Thus the whole world changed and was impacted.

What IS…………….IS!

The world has the choice to believe or to not believe. That is simply a personal choice of yield to Jesus as Lord or to not yield to Jesus as Lord.

The personal choice to yield or to not yield does not change the reality………………..JESUS ALWAYS LIVES TO INTERCEDE FOR US.

JESUS HAS ALWAYS KNOWN……………..THAT HE WAS TO COME TO ALWAYS INTERCEDE.

THAT IS THE MIRACLE OF THE CHRISTMAS PROPHECY. THE CHILD HAD TO COME TO BE ABLE TO INTERCEDE.

WORSHIP TEAM PLAYS:

CLOSING:

Come back on the 24th to hear the rest of the story!

There is more!

There is great news about the unfulfilled portion of the Christmas Prophecy.

PRAY:

As a reminder:

Christmas Eve Services on the 24th will be at 4pm & 6pm.

There is no church on 12/28.

Come back at 9am or 10:30am on January 4th for our testimony Sunday.

Also, if you have not been baptized and you want to be baptized. We will be doing baptisms on January 4th. Email Patti if you or your child would like to be baptized. (Email is on the bulletin).