THE CASE FOR CHRISTMAS

Proverbs 17:1 ESV

Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

This morning I want you to know that this is not a sermon that is aimed at practicality. I am not going to give you a ten step program today to love your life more. Today rather what I aim to do is to focus on Jesus and Him being the one and only unique, begotten son of God. I am going to do this by helping you to connect the dots of scripture. What I really like to do when preaching is to take these really heady concepts of scripture and funnel them down to bite size portions that edify and strengthen your faith

Last week we began Chapter 1 of the Christmas Tree prophecies, in which we looked at a couple of the prophecies in found in the old testament specifically found in isaiah 7 and Isiah 9. And I told you that there are over 150 prophecies in the OLD TESTAMENT CONCERNING THE MESSIAH. Messiah means anointed one, a saviour. This Saviour would not only rescue God’s people from their enemies, but ultimately He would rescue them from their sin, redeem them from hell and rescue them from the wrath of God that is coming because of corruption and sin. HE who knew no sin became sin for us…

CONTINUE TO NARROW THE FOCUS WITH THE LINEAGE OF CHRIST

You know everywhere I look in Scripture I see Jesus

TYPE AND SHADOWS- In the Bible when we speak of something being a type or a shadow of something. When we talk about shadows or types in scripture we are speaking or something picturing a certain aspect of Jesus. A shadow is not the true form of something, when you go out into the son and your body gets between the ground and the sun. There is a shadow on the ground. in the Old testament we see many of these shadows of the Lord jesus Christ. The Day when the Son not the Sun would shine bright in this world

You know everywhere I look in Scripture I see Jesus

TYPE AND SHADOWS- In the Bible when we speak of something being a type or a shadow of something. When we talk about shadows or types in scripture we are speaking or something picturing a certain aspect of Jesus. A shadow is not the true form of something, When I look in the Boob of see if when immediately after the fall two brothers named cain and Able both bring their sacrifices to present before the Lord. cain brought some of his produce from the field. A Work of His own hands, it was rejected. Able brought a spotless lamb who was sacrificed. I see Jesus as being that Spotless lamb that taketh away the sin of the World

Noah- In chapter 6 of Genesis the world grew so corrupt that it was full of bloodshed that God had no choice but to destroy the entire world, but not without leaving hope. In which He gave Noah and his family an Ark and that Ark became a vessell of salvation from the wrath of God. The Ark pictures Christ. Because the wrath of God

Abraham- In Chapter 11 of genesis a man named Abraham was introduced who was calleda friend of God. But this man was without Child but given great and precious promises by God Almighty. And these Promises would be fullfilled through a child. But not just any child, the Child that God would give. And when that child finally came, God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable. To take that child to the Top of MT Moriah and to offer His son his only son and slay him and offer Him up as a sacrifice. And as He lifted up His dagger to sacrifice the Child the Angel of jehovah said Abraham do no harm. And then isaac noticed a rAM CAUGHT IN THE THICKET… There Abraham Abraham learned a new name for God Jehovah Jira… The Lord will provide. And approximately 2000 years ago God did provide that lamb, He provided His own son, who would be carried away to the very same Mount, no longer called Mt moriah, but Mt Calvary where God would not withold His one and only son

PROPHECY- Foretold His Life

Not only were there types and Shadows of the Messiah, the Lord jesus Christ, but there are also Prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. But there were Prophecies about the Messiah

Last week I spoke about the probability of one man fulfilling just eight of the most common old testament scriptres concerning Messiah. The chances are astronimical. In fact you would have a better chance of winning the lottery every day for the next. You say okay show me some of these prophecies? Ok I will I’m glad you asked!

1) Born in Bethlehem

He had to be born in Bethlehem ( Micha 5:2) Not only would He have to be betrayed by a close friend ( Find Scripture, not only would He be be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver () not only did the Old Testament tell us that He would be crucified (Psalms 22:16) But to make it even more specific, because God is dope like that! He tells the end from the beginning. You never want to gamble with God. never place a bet with Him on anything because He know it, He knows everything. The devil took that bet and is on his way to an eternal vacation in the hottest part of hell. But God just being God, showing that He can and He will and nothing can deter Him from being God . Said OK I will make it interesting, not only will I make crazy predictions that will come to pass in the life of my messiah, My anointed one. But he will also have to come from a certain blood line. And that is where we are going to start our Christmas story, looking at a family tree.... We are jumping from the Christmas Tree to a family tree, because rather you realize it or not this is important

Micah 5:2 ESV

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

2) There would be nothing spectacular about His physical Appearance to draw men to Himself.... The New Testament doesn’t make Him out to be a 7 foot George Clooney

Mica 5:2

Isaiah 53:2 ESV

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3) He have to be betrayed by a close friend

Not only would He have to be betrayed by a close friend

Psalm 55:12–14 ESV

For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.

Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver ()

4) Crucified

To narrow it down even more, not only did God give us detailed aspects about this messiahs life in the Old Testament, like that He had to be born in Bethlehem ( Micha 5:2) Not only would He have to be betrayed by a close friend ( Find Scripture, not only would He be be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver () not only did the Old Testament tell us that He would be crucified (Psalms 22:16) But to make it even more specific, because God is dope like that! He tells the end from the beginning. You never want to gamble with God. never place a bet with Him on anything because He know it, He knows everything. The devil took that bet and is on his way to an eternal vacation in the hottest part of hell. But God just being God, showing that He can and He will and nothing can deter Him from being God . Said OK I will make it interesting, not only will I make crazy predictions that will come to pass in the life of my messiah, My anointed one. But he will also have to come from a certain blood line. And that is where we are going to start our Christmas story, looking at a family tree.... We are jumping from the Christmas Tree to a family tree, because rather you realize it or not this is important

not only did the Old Testament tell us that He would be crucified ()

But to make it even more specific, because God is dope like that! He tells the end from the beginning. You never want to gamble with God. never place a bet with Him on anything because He know it, He knows everything. The devil took that bet and is on his way to an eternal vacation in the hottest part of hell. But God just being God, showing that He can and He will and nothing can deter Him from being God . Said OK I will make it interesting, not only will I make crazy predictions that will come to pass in the life of my messiah, My anointed one. But he will also have to come from a certain blood line. And that is where we are going to start our Christmas story, looking at a family tree.... We are jumping from the Christmas Tree to a family tree, because rather you realize it or not this is important

HAD TO COME FROM A SPECIFIC FAMILY

I know I know He had to be Jewish! No, more Specific than that. Yes He did have to come from Abraham… who is the Father of the Jews. But He had to come through Isaac, his Son, Through jacob.... But He even had to come through the right tribe… He had to come from the Tribe of Judah

Genesis 49:10 ESV

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

The coming Saviour will be the seed of the woman (); in the line of Seth (); through Noah (); a Descendant of Abraham (). Subsequent revelation traces the lineage through Isaac (), Jacob (), Judah (), through Boaz, Obed, Jesse and David

2 Samuel 7:12–13 ESV

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

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Heres another fun fact.... There are two major people in the Bible that gave us the covenants. Moses and Jesus. Moses is a type of saviour who goes into Egypt and

400 Years between Moses and Abraham.... 400 Years Between Malachi and Matthew

Heres another fun fact for you. Only something that god could possibly do.

There are tw seperate sections in the Bible.... The Old_________ Testament and the The New Testament. Testament means covenant.... Remeber God is a covenant making God. Now going back to types, or shadows. Guess who else is a Type of Christ in the Old Testament… The guy that God gave the Old testament… The 10 commandments through.... Moses.... Now there is an interesting thing about this… Gen 15:

Genesis 14:14 ESV

When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

the institution of the Old Testament Covenant and the New testament are similiar.

Genesis 15:12–13 ESV

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

Four hundred years would pass before God would send a deliverer named moses who would deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and through Him Moses would come the Law.... And the Whole Old testament the prophets would make predictions… But when you go to the last Old Testament book, the last Prophtic book… There is silence from God… Do you know how long? For 400 years!! Do you see this white blank page between Matthew and Malachi yeah thats 400 years… And then Matthew start his book, Do you know what He starts with a Familiy lineage. A family tree…

Matthew 1:1–2 ESV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Matthew 1:1-2

Now why in the world would anybody start their book out this way? Have you ever wondered why these genealogies are in here? Like Matthew if you are going to write a new york Best Seller you dont start wiht a family tree, nobody cares! Right? Well yuou would be wrong? First you need to understand that the Gospel Writers werre writing to particular audiences and Matthew his audience was the jews. And the Jews knew about this long waited Messiah, they also knew the details. And not only is Matthew and the Lineage in Luke Gospel, it is also historical record. in fact the last family record of any Jew that can claim to be a direct descendant to The King David...

Why do I say that? Because in 70 AD the Romans came in and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and burned the thing down to the ground… Guess what was in there… The official family lineage of The Kingly line of David… What does that mean? That no one can legally claim to be the Messiah, the saviour, why because He had to come from David, He had to be born in Bethlehem and when the official transcripts when up in smoke well so did any others Messiahs claim. If it isn’t Jesus it cant be anyone…

And for 400 years God had been silent. nothing, not a peep. Has God died. is God angry why hasn’t he spoken to His people. Where was He at? Has His promises failed to His people?

And then one starry night the night sky lights up with a multitude of angel armies, coming to shepherds in a field

Luke 2:8

Luke 2:8–21 ESV

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Bethlehem- The House of Bread

Jesus said that He was the Bread of Life

The Shepherd- Taking care of no ordinary sheep- these were the ssheep that would be carried to the Temple on the day of Atonement. These were the sacrificial lambs. And how fitting for God to prodide the Lamb

Verese 14 Glory to God in the highestand on Earth with those whom He is pleased

THE INCARNATION-

Theology: This is not reincarnation, this is not happenstance. This is Jesus the one called Jehovah in the Old Testament

i certainly see Christ as the Fulfillment of the OLD Testament

Connect to the lineages found in the book and the fact that the Temple which held the legal lineages were burned when the Romans came through in 70 AD.

A good entry point would be when Joseph had to go back to His home of Bethlehem, the house of David to be accounted becausue of Cesar Augustus

Bethlehem- The City of David- Means House of Bread

Wise men- we don’t know where they came from, we don’t know where they came from? We don’t know how many were with them..

Gold

Frankincense

Myrhh