Christmas Eve 2019 HBC

Christmas: The birth of our Savior, Messiah, and Lord ()

One tradition during Christmas time is the giving of gifts. I have a Christmas present tonight and I would like to have someone come up and open it. Wow! Did you see their reaction? Did you see their excitement and anticipation as they were opening the present? I have four kids and I love seeing them open their Christmas presents as well. Whoever is opening, they just inch their way over and get as close as possible to try to get a sneak peek of what is underneath the wrapping paper. And then as the wrapping paper gets torn off, the present is revealed and they are thrilled to see what’s inside. It’s such fun!

One tradition during Christmas time is the giving of gifts. I have four kids and I love seeing them open their Christmas presents. Whoever is opening, they just inch their way over and get as close as possible to try to get a sneek peek of whats underneath the wrapping paper. And then as the wrapping came off, the present was revealed. Such excitement and anticipation in their eyes.

On the first Christmas day there was a

On the first Christmas night ever, God gave us a Christmas present. He gave you and I very special present; one of a kind and wrapped in cloth and placed it in a manger. What was this present? It was the baby Jesus. Underneath the wrapping paper of straw, hay, and cloth the baby Jesus lay. Let’s read about that first night together in . Who is this baby Jesus? Who is this present? says he the Savior who was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

In this one verse we see the identity of our Lord, the baby Jesus, in three names; Savior, Messiah, and Lord. There are only about a dozen verses in the New Testament which contain these three names in one verse. All three of these names are precious to us. All three of them are equal in weight and application. All three of them unwrap for us the true identity of this baby in a manger. First this baby is...

I. The Savior in a Manger

The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua, meaning to rescue or save. And it is given to our Lord because "He saves His people from their sins," (). Jesus was a very common name at the time, like naming someone John Smith today. This is significant for us to understand because by giving this common, ordinary name to Jesus, God is reaching out to you and me. He desires us to approach Him, to come near Him, to live in relationship with Him, to accept Him as the Savior of our sins. God has destroyed any barrier that comes between us and Him.

The shepherds were the first to see Jesus. They were the lowliest of the low in society, as common and as simple as you could get. And yet the invitation came to them. Not to kings. Not to rulers. Not to nobles. Not to the famous. The invitation came to simple shepherds as the angels declared the birth of the Savior in a Manger. As soon as the angels left, the sheperds got up and rushed to Bethlehem in search of the baby. After just a few minutes at the stable, standing beside the manger, their lives were forever changed. At that moment they saw the Savior. They met the Savior . They saw the One who came to die for them. The one who came to die for you. The baby Jesus is the Savior in a Manger. But he is also...

Illustration here?

II. The Messiah in a Manager

Messiah comes from the Greek name Christos from which we get our English name Christ. Christos or Christ means the anointed one, the chosen one. The deliverer. The Jewish nation was living in expectation for someone to deliver them from the Roman Empire. They longed for a deliver who could rescue them from their foreign enemy - the Romans. This is what the Jewish nation wanted - political freedom and independence. They wanted national peace. But this is not what the Messiah in a Manger came to deliver. He did not come to bring a message of political peace. No… the true message of peace the baby in the manger brought was a message of peace for the war in their hearts. And this is the message of peace he brings to you. He brings peace to end the war in your hearts.

The war in your heart is very real. It is a war for peace. This world, society in general, offers you peace. Peace in things, people, places, stuff, and popularity. But all this is fading. They will never last. Things break. People pass away. Places change. Stuff gets lost. Popularity comes and goes. None of these things bring you true lasting peace. However, God, through the Messiah in a manger, offers you everlasting peace. He says “come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will you give you rest.” You can come to the manager and find an end to the struggle in your heart.

In verse 19 we read that Mary pondered in her heart everything that was going on. There was a wrestling inside of her as she pondered the birth of her son, the stable where she lived, and the visit of the sheperds. She wondered what just happened? Who is this boy? What is God doing? Mary, the mother of the Messiah in a Manager, had a war for peace in her heart happening that first Christmas night. And then here struggle ended. That night she discovered where true peace can be found. She found peace in her son because He is the Deliver - the Prince of Peace. He is the baby Jesus who is both the Savior in a Manger, the Messiah in a Manager, and also the Lord in a Manger.

Application?

III. The Lord in a Manger

Notice in the last name we see for this baby in a manger. He is the Lord. The Greek word is kurios (keereeos). Technically, the name means boss. It means Master. Jesus is Lord. He is God. He is more than a good teacher, a great man, or a moral guide. For this baby in a manager, it means He is the Great I AM.

Several years later, after the birth of Jesus, some wise men from the east presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When the star stopped over the place where the young boy was, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they then saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshipped him (). These wise men, the maji, probably of high status and with much power and prestige where they came from, humbled themselves and proclaimed allegiance to this young child. With their gifts they worshipped him as their Savior, Messiah, and Lord.

When was the last time you knelt at the feet of Jesus and confessed him as Savior, Christ and Lord? Is He Lord of your moral life? Is He Lord of your financial life? Is He Lord of your marriage? Is He Lord of your life as a child? Sibling? Spouse? Is He Lord of your life in the workplace? At church? He wants to be Lord of everything; your thoughts, emotions, actions, reactions. It all. Will you make Him Lord?

Remember how with great anticipation my kids open up their Christmas presents every year? Likewise, God the Father is waiting in great anticipation for you to open the gift He has given you. He has given you the greatest gift of all - His Son, the baby in a manager. God has laid His Son underneath the tree (actually in a stable) and all you need to is to receive the gift. Receive Jesus. Accept the gift of salvation that God offers you in His Son - the Savior, Messiah and Lord. May this Christmas season be the time when you come to know the Savior, Messiah, and Lord in the manager in a very special way.

Jesus - the Savior, Messiah and Lord

Let’s pray.