The True Christmas Story

DECEMBER 20, 2020 STUDY NOTES THE TRUE CHRISTMAS STORY BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES INTRODUCTION Life has been different, and life has been difficult for all of us in 2020 We talk about getting back to normal, but what is normal going to be after coronavirus? It certainly will not be a normal Christmas in the mind of most people this year But if you know and observe the truth of Christmas it can still be normal for you For years many have not celebrated the truth of Christmas, they have celebrated traditions The coronavirus pandemic has not changed the True Story of Christmas The true story of Christmas does not take us to the North Pole or the Christmas tree farm It does not take us to the shopping mall, liquor store, party store, or even the dinner table The True Story of Christmas takes us to Bethlehem (Listen to the song) Did you hear the message? Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light (Still shines) The hopes and fears of all the years (even 2020) are met in thee tonight (He is still with us) Where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in (Have you let Him in?) It is time to pray, “O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel” Through the coronavirus pandemic Satan is working to destroy the truth of Christ Satan is turning attention away from God’s hand, God’s Word, and God’s Church And from every truth found within the True Story of Christmas, don’t let him do it in your life The true Christmas Story is the story of the birth of Jesus, Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Who is this child that is born in the city of David? Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. The child was named Jesus because He is the Savior, He is the Messiah, He is Christ the Lord The true Christmas Story is the Person of Jesus, it is His story that must be told at Christmas So, what is the story of this man Jesus? Throughout scripture you will find His complete Story JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE EVER BORN OF A VIRGIN The virgin birth was the sign that revealed who He was, Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The term “Virgin Birth” explains the way in which the Son of God entered-into human existence The birth of Jesus Christ is the only birth of its kind that the world will ever see There has never been and never will be another birth like the birth of Jesus Christ The birth of Jesus was in normal human flesh from a normal human mother But it was not normal because there was no human father The virgin birth of Jesus was a special supernatural work of the Holy Spirit At the Christmas season, we often hear, “Jesus is the reason for the season” The truth is, “The virgin birth of Jesus is the reason for the season” Without the Virgin Birth, Christmas has no meaning, the child born is the truth of Christmas The child born was the Son given, Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The child born of the virgin was the eternal “Son of God,” He was called “Immanuel,” Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 1 The unique Son, one and only such Son, the “only begotten” Son of God When Jesus was born, it could be proclaimed, “God is with us” The word “Incarnation” refers to the fact that Jesus was God in human flesh The word “incarnation” does not appear in scripture But it is the word used by theologians to teach that the Eternal Son of God The Second Person of the Trinity, took upon Himself flesh and became man Incarnation is the act of assuming flesh It is the word that explains the truth that God became flesh Incarnation describes the voluntary act of the Son of God When He assumed a human body and a human nature The important truth that we are to learn from the doctrine of the Incarnation is that in one person: There are two natures--One is the eternal Son of God--The other is that of man The man Jesus was “all God” and He was “all man,” but He was man “yet without sin” JESUS IS THE REVELATION OF GOD TO MAN Only God can reveal God to man and Jesus was God, Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. When the “Word” was made flesh, God was revealed to man, Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Jesus clearly is the manifestation of God to man, to see Jesus is to see the Father, Joh 14:9 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? In the man Jesus, the fullness of God is manifested, Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Without Jesus coming as man, we could not see or know the “Fullness of God” Without Jesus coming as man, we could not know the truth of man JESUS IS THE REVELATION OF MAN TO MAN Through the life of Jesus upon the earth God revealed the truth of man to man Jesus came to be the truth of life to man and to be our example for life From Jesus, we learned that no man stands righteous before God on their own, Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: If sinners could come before God as righteous on their own, Jesus would not have been born Because of sin no one can approach God on their own, Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Apart from Jesus, without Jesus in your life, all sinners are under the penalty of sin, Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Jesus came that we might learn the truth of God and the truth of man, therefore--JESUS IS THE GREATEST TEACHER EVER KNOWN A man by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus, Joh 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: Nicodemus was a master teacher, the most well-known teacher among the Jews, Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 2 Nicodemus identified the teaching of Jesus as the teaching “of God,” Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus confirmed that His teaching was of God by what He taught Nicodemus Jesus taught Nicodemus the most important truth that man must learn, Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The greatest teacher ever, came to teach the greatest lesson ever heard Jesus not only came to teach by word He came to teach us by the life He lived--JESUS LIVED THE GREATEST LIFE EVER LIVED Jesus was fully human just as we are, yet without sin Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent human and 0 percent sin Jesus was tempted by the devil, Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He did not go against God’s Word, He used God’s Word to defeat the devil, Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Throughout His life on earth Jesus was tempted to think or do something wrong, Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. But Jesus never went against the will of God or disobeyed the Word of God If Jesus had not been sinless, He would have needed a Savior for Himself He could not have died for our sins, 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. JESUS DIED IN OUR PLACE We must sing both “Away in a Manger” and “The Old Rugged Cross” for the truth of Christmas Jesus Himself, in His own body, went to the cross to bear our sins so that we could live, 1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Peter identifies Jesus by His Messianic title, the One who would suffer and die for sinners, 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: Peter tells us five things about the death of Jesus: (1) He suffered for sins, dying for the sins of the world (2) His suffering was once for all (3) The righteous suffered for the unrighteous (4) The purpose of the suffering was to bring those who would trust Him to God (5) He was put to death “in the flesh” but made “alive in the spirit” The true story of Christmas is “Jesus is Alive now and forever” JESUS IS THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE RESURRECTION For the true story of Christmas we must sing, Silent Night, Holy Night, Christ the Savior is born”\ And then we must sing, He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today Jesus Christ is alive, 1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. “But now” is the answer to all-of the concerns stated in the previous verses (1 Cor. 15:12-19) 3 Especially the previous, 1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. “But now” is two very-exciting words often found in the NT, indicating there can be a difference There is an answer to all-of the dilemma’s we face in life, the answer is “Christ is Alive” Therefore, believers are not to be pitied, there is hope for today and hope for eternity Our hope for the coronavirus pandemic is not in the one who will sit in the White House Our hope is in the One who sits at the “Right Hand” of God today JESUS SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD For the true story of Christmas, we must sing “What Child is This, This, is Christ the King” And then sing, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, Crown Him, Crown Him, Lord of all” Christmas is the story of Jesus from the cradle to the cross and then to the Throne of God Jesus could sit down at the right hand of God because the price of redemption was paid in full, Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Jesus is exalted to the “right hand of God,” the place of supreme honor and power, Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; What wonder-working power was manifested when Christ created the universe What wonder-working power we witness as Christ sustains the universe But the greatest wonder of all is that Jesus was sacrificed for our sins No other sacrifice ever satisfied the righteous demands of God for sinful man The evidence that our sins have been paid in full is that Jesus sits at the right hand of God In the hands of Jesus everything is being sustained, maintained, carried along, and moves along God has a plan, for the future of man and that future is in the hands of Jesus Christ Eventually the purpose of all things will be fulfilled, everything is moving toward a goal Christ as the Creator made all things! As “The Son,” He is the heir of all things Because He is the Son of God, He sustains all things, He holds all things together That means that all things are carried along and move along by the hands of Jesus Christ The past was in His hands--The future is in His hands--Christ is in control of this present day Everything is moving along by the Person, Plan, and Power of Jesus Christ JESUS IS NOW OUR ONLY MEDIATOR A mediator is one who stands “in the middle,” one who mediates between two parties One who mediates a disagreement between two parties to help them work out their differences The mediator brings about an agreement between the two and guarantees that it is followed He must represent both parties, Jesus, as God, represents God, Jesus, as man, represents man Jesus the Messiah is called the only Mediator between God and man, 1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Paul tells us why Jesus is qualified to be the only Mediator between God and men, 1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Jesus is our Mediator because God accepted His blood that was shed on Calvary By His death on the cross, He removed the obstacle of sin between God and man It was the death of Jesus Christ that provided our redemption, that is why He is the “mediator of a better covenant,” Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 4 Jesus is the mediator of the New Testament, Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Christ is “The Administrator” of an entirely new agreement between God and man Man must have someone stand between God and us in-order to reconcile us to God, Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Reconciliation) As Mediator He alone can bring about complete reconciliation Reconciliation is the process by which God and man are brought together again The blood of Jesus is the only sacrifice that God accepted for the salvation of lost man The blood of the sinless Son of God was shed on Calvary “once-for-all” We can now understand why Jesus said, Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus alone, being fully God, can represent God to man Jesus alone, being fully man, apart from sin, can represent man to God Jesus is the “mediator of the new covenant” and the only way into the presence of God, Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. JESUS WILL RETURN To tell the true story of Christmas we must sing, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” “Glory to the new-born King; Christ is born in Bethlehem, Glory to the new-born King” And then we must sing, “The King Is Coming! Praise God He’s coming for me” Jesus came in the flesh to offer Himself as the sacrificial Lamb, to die for the sins of the world, Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The Lamb who sits at the right hand of God will one day stand, Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. He will stand to receive the book of redemption from the hand of God the Father, Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. He will fulfill every detail in the redemptive plan of God, Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. The Lamb will reign as King of Kings, Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. I have given you a summary of the story of Christmas, a summary of the story of Jesus You can only find the “Truth of Christmas” in the Bible, we must read it This Christmas and every day of 2021 keep a song in your heart, listen to the song The True Story of Christmas is the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard Love in that story so tender, clearer than ever I see Stay, let me weep while you whisper, Love paid the ransom for me That is the story of Jesus, that is the true Christmas story That is the story that must be told this Christmas Season, go tell it Tell the True Story of Christmas and you will have a Glorious Christmas 5 6