(God said let me tell the story) REMEMBER-RECONNECT-REVEAL
Where is Jesus? Jesus is back where He started from-having come and accomplished everything He was sent to accomplish. Jesus today sits at the right hand of God and of course we know He’s making intercession for you and I.
What do you mean pastor He’s back where He started? John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
4K years ago: Genesis 3:15 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.”
1 John 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. Let’s learn more about Jesus
700 Years: Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 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.”
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Jesus who was with God in the beginning was coming: To crush the enemies head, destroy the works of the enemy. To restore the fellowship that had been lost in the garden. Jesus would be born of a virgin, and we and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us)
The government would be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called “Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” And all this would take place in Bethlehem.
Lets see how all this turns out: The Birth of Jesus Foretold Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, 33 and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Mary is pregnant and in Nazareth. (90Miles MAP) Jesus is to be born in Bethlehem.
The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-21 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Here He is. The One who was with God in the beginning, stepping out of heaven, come to do His Fathers will, coming to destroy the works of the enemy, restore fellowship with God and His name is Jesus!
Why, Why, Why, would Jesus leave the glory of Heaven to be born in a stable in Bethlehem and eventually to die an agonizing, torturous death on a cross? That message is simple: It was all because of God’s love for mankind, a love that extends far beyond any human love. This story is the greatest manifestation of love the world has ever seen.
The Bible tells us: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that, He gave His only begotten Son, that, whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Christmas began in the heart of God. It is only complete when it reaches into and changes the heart of man.
Jesus came to reveal God to us. John 10:30 “I and the Father are One.” John 14:9 “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”
Jesus left His heavenly home and exalted position to be born as a baby on this earth. By doing this He has brought with Him the opportunity, the hope of being saved from our sinful, selfish, and destructive ways. That’s why on that first Christmas night, an angel announced: Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, the personal importance of His coming was emphasized. (a Savior has been born to you) It was for you this savior was born; God sent His Son to be your Savior!!
Of all the gifts that have ever been or will ever be given, this one stands out clearly as the absolute best and most precious gift for all time. Here Jesus is called Savior! A Savior delivers, redeems, saves people from something.
God, our Creator, came to earth as a man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He sacrificed Himself for the sins of the entire world that man might be saved, have eternal life and one day call heaven their home. God gave Himself for the redemption of His creation. This is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen.
That’s why Christmas is one of the most joyful days of the year for Christians, because WE celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, our Savior who came to save us from ourselves.
The other of course is Resurrection Sunday (Easter). But without Christmas there is no Easter.
Christmas is about: “The Son of God becoming a man so that men would have the opportunity to become the sons of God.”
The birth of Jesus was unprecedented, unimaginable, and unequaled. Jesus became our kinsman-redeemer by becoming fully man and yet remaining fully God. Making Jesus absolutely perfect in every aspect to redeem us.
He was perfect in His pre-incarnate state – – before He ever took on a body. He was perfect in His virgin birth. He was perfect in His sinless life.
He was perfect in His atoning death. He was perfect In His resurrection. He is now perfect to intercede for us in heaven. Jesus Christ was, and is, the Eternal God.
So, the true meaning of Christmas is not about man loving God– The true meaning of Christmas is about God loving you. It’s about God giving the most amazing and spectacular gift to reconcile you to Himself.
Christmas is God coming into the world to save and redeem you. God Himself coming to give you another chance, to give you a new start, to give you a new beginning, to give you a new life eternal.
It was God’s plan before the beginning of humanity to bring Jesus into the world. The Christmas story doesn’t begin in the little town of Bethlehem in Israel over 2,000 years ago. It began before the beginning of time, It began before the creation of the world.
IT BEGAN IN THE HEART OF GOD BECAUSE HE LOVED YOU
So, The true meaning of Christmas is God saying I love you. God so loved YOU that He provided a way—the only Way—for YOU to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take YOUR punishment for YOUR sins.
To receive this free gift of God you must receive it by faith, you must believe that Jesus was born to be your Savior and that He died for your sins. And that God raised Him from the dead!
It means to invite Jesus, into your life and your heart.
MANIFESTATION-DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE
REMEMBER-RECONNECT-REVEAL
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