The Best Gift to Give this Christmas
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4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
It’s easy to make Christmas about everything else except Jesus.
Look around, you see Christmas lights, Christmas trees..
They don’t necessarily tell us the real story of Christmas.
My sons and I put up the Christmas lights, how old and outdated our decorations are and I’m thinking of replacing them,, buying new ones but I’ll wait until the end of the holidays because by then they will be on sale.
But then the thought hit me: “What if next Christmas never comes?”
In fact, Jesus can come anytime,, when He does, the next Christmas does not matter
The world is fixated with the yearly celebration of Christmas as a holiday but miss out on the single important event in history which is the reason for Christmas -
The birth of Christ.
It is recorded in the Guinness book of World Records that the most expensive decorated Christmas tree is valued at $11,026,900.
In the Emirates Palace found in Abu Dabi, United Arab Emirates.
Even a Muslim country celebrates Christmas ==> but it is certainly not about Christ.
The world missed the person behind Christmas.
The world understands Christmas as also a time of giving gifts.
THE GREATEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE THE WORLD THIS CHRISTMAS IS THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
FUllness = Play-romaa
Image of word here.
Wonderful word. Elsewhere in the Bible where it is used it speaks of a full measure.. the perfection of God and His timing. Examples:
John 1:16 - of Jesus’ fullness we have all received grace for grace.
Eph. 1:23 - talks about the church, which is the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.
Eph. 3:19 - to know the love of God which passes knowledge, and that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
Talks about Jesus:
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
It also talks about God’s perfect timing:
Romans 11:25 - until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ==> The Rapture
and here in Galatians 4 --- when the fullness of time has come.. GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON..
The Lord Jesus was born and the world will never be the same again.
“born of a woman” - who among you here is not born of a woman? born of a man?
Pastor I’m adopted — you were still born of a woman at some point..
He became like One of us! That is a big deal..
“born under the law” - Even though He was born as God, Jesus did not circumvent the law— he obeyed it to the fullest — As God He fulfilled the law..
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Christ fulfilled the law:
By Living the Perfect Life.
By Giving us the Only Source of Righteousness (not the law), through His Finished Work at Calvary.
JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE.
What is the outcome for us:
Read together:
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
This is the Gospel. Because of Jesus...
you are no longer a slave
you are a child of God
you are an heir
Heir, we have an inheritance, what is that? It gets better.. God elevated us..
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Take Away:
Give the Gift of the Gospel this Christmas.