Sermon title:
Christmas in Scripture & Song
Immanuel Baptist Church – Sunday, December 20, 2020
On
this last Sunday
before Christmas
what better time
to reflect
on
what the world’s most
popular holiday
actually means!
And
what better way to do that
than
through the words of Scripture
and
the lyrics of songs
that
have re-told the story
down
through the centuries!
We
begin centuries before Christ was born,
by
remembering the prophecies of Isaiah
around
the year 700 B.C.
Isaiah 7:14
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.
Isaiah 9:6-7
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.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall
be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
The lyrics of
“Once in Royal David’s City”
will
appear on screen.
Join in singing, if you wish,
or
just sit back and enjoy
the
powerful message.
-------------------------------------------------------------
John the Baptist was chosen before birth
to
be the one to introduce Jesus to the Jewish people.
And
John’s coming birth was announced
by
the angel Gabriel to the elderly priest Zachariah,
who
would miraculously
father him
in
his old age.
But
Gabriel had an even grander
announcement
to make six months later.
Luke 1:26 tells us,
26 Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from
God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married
to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The
Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the
saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. 30 The angel said
to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold,
you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name
‘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 the house of Jacob forever. There will
be no end to his Kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a
virgin?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will
be called the Son of God.”
Such
a wonderful message
from the mouth of
the angel Gabriel
calls to mind our next
beautiful Christmas
carol,
“Angels from the Realms of
Glory”
-----------------------------------------------------
Luke Chapter 2 continues,
1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment made
when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone
to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he
was of the house and family of David; 5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was
pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give
birth. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of
cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
The scene Luke presents is described musically in
“Away in a Manger”
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That same
night,
while
the baby Jesus was still
lying
in the manger,
there
was another miraculous visitation by angels—
this
time to shepherds in the field.
Luke 2:8
says,
8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the
field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 Behold, an angel of the
Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11 For there is born to
you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This is the
sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a
feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly army praising God, and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest,on earth peace, good will
toward men.”
Can you imagine that the eternal Son of God,
would be found in a stable next to an inn,
lying in an animal’s feeding trough?
When they ran to Bethlehem
and found the Christ child in the manger,
the amazing scene the shepherds saw
is described in this next Christmas carol:
“What Child Is This?”
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Christ’s
birth in Bethlehem fulfilled
prophecy—
prophecy
that was known and familiar
to
the Jews of that time.
But
pagan Gentiles were also notified
of
this world-changing
event.
Matthew Chapter 2 tells us,
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days
of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2
“Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and
have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of
the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 They said to him,
“In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,
6 ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah,are in no way least among the princes of Judah:
for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”
[Micah 5:2]
The visit of the Wise Men
comes to life before our eyes
in the familiar
carol,
“We Three Kings”
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The
baby Jesus was laid in a manger
because
there was no room in the inn
when
Joseph & Mary arrived in Bethlehem.
That
fact is widely known
to
both Christians and non-believers, alike.
But
the most important
message
of Christmas—
the
essential
“take-away”
of the holy nativity—
is
that we can experience a new birth ourselves
and
receive Jesus into our hearts.
Have you done that?
Have
you repented of your sins,
and
invited Jesus into your heart?
It’s one thing to know that Jesus
was
born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago,
but
it’s another thing for YOU to be born again.
At
John 3:3, Jesus said,
"I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of
God unless he is born again. ... You should not be surprised at my saying, `You
must be born again.'"
You
are born again when you
turn away from the sinful ways of this world
and
turn to Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
Then
God gives you a miraculous new birth
as
a newborn child of God.
Galatians 4:6 reminds believers,
"To prove that you are sons, God has sent into our
hearts the Spirit of his Son, crying 'Abba! Father!'"
It’s
beyond human
understanding,
but Christ will
actually come to live in your heart by his Spirit.
Colossians 1:27 calls it,
"this mystery, which is Christ in you.”
Ephesians 3:17 says,
"that Christ may actually live in your hearts"
You
may have been the
worst of sinners,
but
Jesus won’t turn you
away.
At
Matthew 11:28 he invites you,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
And
he promises to accept you.
At
John 6:37 he says,
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
You may have been celebrating Christmas
all your life,
but have you invited Jesus into your heart?
Invite him now, as we sing,
“Thou Didst Leave Thy
Throne”
and make the lyrics your own true prayer.
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The
most wonderful
thing
about the Christmas story
is
that it’s a true
story—
a
true story with a happy
ending.
It
has a happy ending for
the baby
in the manger
who
is now the Almighty King in Heaven.
And
the Christmas story has a happy ending
for
each of us
as
we make room for him in our hearts
as
our Lord and Savior.
He
blesses us now with his miraculous peace and love,
and
he will bless us forever
with
heavenly joy.
And
this week we have the great joy
of,
once more,
celebrating
his holy birth.