Unwrapping Christmas

Intro

Wrapping paper is expensive - the reality is that the wrapping of the gifts im giving you today, cost more than the gifts themselves.

But iyts just the wrapping, the actual gift of love is under all the wrapping.

you have to dig for it, mine into it, and search after it.

The great truths of scripture are the same, many are presented on the surface beautifiully, but there is even more as you start to go deeper into scripture.

Proverbs 25:2 KJV 1900

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: But the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Translation: God enjoys wrapping us his gifts so that his children can diligently unwrap them and enjoy them.

Lets unwrap Christmas together this morning.

Unwrapping the Promise

There are so many promises about Jesus and he keeps every one of them.

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV 1900

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

But on this christmas morning i want to go way way back to the first ever promise made about Jesus. It was to Adan and Eve and God told them what Jesus would do, on the day the first Christmas Arrived.

Genesis 3:14–15 NIV84

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The first ever promise we got about Jesus was that he would be the one who would crush the head of Satan.

That old enemy of humanity, our murder, tempter, accuser, the one who has told you lies about yourself and about others, the one who has sat with you in the dark, fanning the flames of stress, worry and depression. The one who has whispers thoughts and feeling of hate in your ears.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Yes, this slimeball, Jesus would put an end to him.

And He did! When Jesus died on the cross he stripped our enemy of all his weapons, perhaps his greatest weapon - DEATH.

Colossians 2:15 KJV 1900

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

The Devil is till temporary present, but he is disarmed. He is ll bark, but Jesus has muzzled him with no bite. And the day is coming very soon, when He will be cast into God prison.

Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Unwrapping The Birth

Jesus was not just born like every other baby. His birth was very special. His conception was not by natural Means, Mary was a virgin. So when we speak about the birth of Jesus we dont refer to it as a conception, but as the INCARNATION.

When Jesus is born, everything looks normal, it is normal, dont believe the carols that say he didn't cry, a baby that does not cry is not normal, Jesus is normal.

At first glance there is nothing different about this birth.

But as ive said this is also very abnormal, like its never happened before. Mary is a virgin.

So lets go back 9 months.

Jesus grew in Marys womb just like every other baby, He started about out as a single cell, that multiplied and grew and went through all the stages of growth like normal, and Because Jesus body was formed by Mary’s normal, yet amazing, woman body, when Jesus was born He was exactly like his mother - 100% human.

A human baby was born on Christmas day.

But lets go back to the start of that 9 month period.

Human eggs dont just spontaneously turn into babies. They need something, they need a spark from daddy to be.

Video...

Now in Jesus case there was no dad for the speak? So where did that spark of life come from?

Luke 1:35 KJV 1900

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

What does that mean? It means that the Baby which was born on Christmas day was 100% God as well.

Thats is why Jesus said:

John 14:9 KJV 1900

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Unwrapping the Crucifixion

Jesus did not come to live a happy life, find a good woman, have kids, get a job, settle down and live happily ever after. That might be your dream and thats a wonderful dream.

But Jesus came for a very specific reason:

Mark 10:45 KJV 1900

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The crucifixion was on Jesus to do list from the moment he was born.

Because God loved you and me so much that He became a man and paid off our debt Himself, so that he could give us everlasting life.

Unwrapping the Resurrection

The important of the resurrection cannot be over emphasised.

Not only did the resurrection show that Jesus christ had power of over death, but it also showed that everything think he said, even the crazy sounding things like, riding on clouds in the sky, that he was the creator of all things, that he alone knows what God spirit says...

It means that all these things were true.

Think of the resurrection as God’s seal of approval, Jesus rising from the dead, is the Father total vindication of the Son.

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 KJV 1900

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Christmas is not a day of remembrance, nor it is a memorial, its not a birthday party either. What is it is a day in which christians throughout the ages gather to that God that He so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten son.