Know Jesus

Introduction

I have a spreadsheet on my computer that lists every sermon I’ve ever preached.

This particular text I’ve preached six times throughout my career...

The last time I preached it was 2019, which wasn’t that long ago…but think about how much has happened since December 2019.

In December 2019, the only people who heard the term “COVID-19” were people in the medical field.

Yet, since that time, not only do we know what COVID-19 is, but I’m shocked on how many people act like they are suddenly experts of infectious diseases.

Especially because the source of this “expertise” is nothing more than finding someone who says what we already thought and repeating those claims.

As I thought about this, in light of the Christmas season, it struck me that many people in our society today fancy themselves as “experts” on the Christmas story.

Read Luke 2:1-20…

How many of us are familiar with this story?

How many of us are so familiar with this story that we could probably quote it, or at least parts of it?

How many of us can explain various details of the story to others so they would have a better understanding of it?

How many of us can honestly say this story, and those that follow it, has completely changed the direction, purpose, and focus of our life?

This morning we going to look at this story that tells us about Jesus, but we are going to ask ourselves something even more vital:

Do I really know Jesus?

Body:

About Jesus (three things are shown about Jesus in this passage):

Jesus was born into humble circumstances.

This isn’t an introduction into the world that one would expect for the single most important person in human history!

There was no room for them in the normal places, so Mary was relegated to having the Savior of the world in a place where animals were kept!

Nice hospitals today…

As for Mary, there was no room for her to give birth in the “inn”…

Mary gave birth to Jesus in the lower level of a home, where animals were kept…

If that wasn’t enough, they laid him in a feeding trough!

When she was a baby, if I laid Elizabeth in our dog food bowl, April would not be happy!

But that’s all they had.

See, Jesus had a humble birth in spite of being the most important person ever born. In doing this we learn two things:

Christ Jesus can identify with us; the unworthy, lowly common folks of this world!

And, the really important things are not what we can gain, but in what we do for others in that life.

I love Christmas movies...

But most Christmas movies miss the real reason for the season. They say it’s about love, family, giving, hope, goodness, kindness, etc…all wonderful things, but all things that are byproducts of the real reason for the season.

The real reason for the season is that God sent the Savior into the world to save sinners from eternal damnation. Because He did this, we can be saved from our sins, which is the only way to truly have all of those other things abundantly both in this life and the next.

That’s what He did for us. So what can we do for others as a result of the greatest gift of all?

Jesus was glorified by the highest and lowest of beings.

To be praised by a choir of angels and lowly shepherds at the same time is a wonderful dichotomy.

On one hand, exalted servants at the call of God whose greatest purpose is to bring glory to God.

On the other, shepherds, who were so looked down on by the society they lived in that they couldn’t participate in worship or even testify in court!

It’s really wonderful bookends: the great to the least all worshiped him who was and is greatest of all!

Why?

Even at birth, Jesus is Savior, Christ, and Lord.

Look again at what the angel of the Lord says: Read vv. 10-11.

He says three things about Jesus: He is Savior; He is Christ; He is Lord. Let’s understand the significance of all three:

Savior – from chapter 3 of Genesis, throughout the rest of the OT we learn that humanity has a problem…a sin problem!

Paul sums it up nicely for us in Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Mankind, needed a Savior. Only Jesus fits the bill!

Romans 3:24-25…

Romans 3:24–25 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Jesus would fulfill this at the cross, yet it was so assured that even at birth he could be called the Savior!

Christ – The Jews had long looked for a Messiah; a leader who would throw off the chains of their oppressors and reestablish Jewish sovereignty over Israel.

Jesus was and is this Messiah, though many of the Jews rejected him not seeing that it wasn’t the Romans he came to overcome, but sin, death, and Satan!

Lord – This word means more than “master,” though master is fitting too.

The Bible of the day for most Jews was the LXX, the Greek version of the OT.

The word translated as LORD in the LXX was always used in reference to God.

Here, the same word is used, purposely, showing that Jesus is exactly who the angel told Joseph he would be: Immanuel, God with us!

Key Question: What difference does that make?

For many here, everything I’ve said is familiar...

But here’s the kicker…what difference has that made in your life?

See, you can know about something or someone, but never really know them, at least know them intimately.

Many today have a least a little knowledge about Jesus. Others have a decent amount. And others have a whole lot of knowledge about Jesus.

There is nothing wrong with knowledge; but knowledge about Jesus cannot save you!

Knowledge about Jesus doesn’t necessarily make you a follower of Jesus.

Illustration: I know a lot of info about boxing…but I’ve never once fought anyone (nor have any desire too!)

I understand the history of professional boxing better than a lot of people, but that knowledge isn’t something I put to use, outside of talking to other boxing fans.

I know about boxing, but it doesn’t make me a boxer!

It makes me a fan of boxing, not a truly committed boxer.

What does it mean to be a truly committed follower of Jesus Christ?

First, you need to believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved from the eternal punishment for your sins and put your faith in Him.

Second, you must abide with Him consistently; in His Word, in prayer, in putting your faith into tangible actions, in worship with other believers, with your behavior towards others, with your finances, with proclaiming Him to others, and with your service.

So What?

Very simple challenge: Do you know about Jesus, or do you really know Him?