Message: Unwrapping Christmas #2
I.
Introduction
a.
A gift holds
endless possibilities until you open it and find out what is actually
inside. Sometimes you are excited by
what you find, sometimes disappointed, but you don’t know what is in it until
you open it up.
II.
Body
a.
Last Week we
talked about the wrapping paper and today we are going to talk about the gift
of Christmas, so let’s look back at the portion of scripture we read last week. In it there are a group of shepherds in a
field when angels show up and tell them to go into town (Bethlehem) to see a
gift.
a.
Read Luke 2:15-20
– “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.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and
the baby, who was lying in the manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been
told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them. But Mary
treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as
they had been told.”
b.
They see and find
a baby…and are excited about it.
Why? What use is a baby?
b.
Illus: Practical
Gift Givers…the Ladder
a.
Sometimes the
gift you get isn’t what you expected or what you wished for but it is exactly
what you need most.
c.
Israel
a.
During this time
the nation of Israel had been taken over by The Romans. They were oppressed, taxed, put under a king
from Edom, and ridiculed for being backwards and weird.
b.
More than
anything they were wishing for a person to save them and give them freedom from
Rome. Someone powerful, someone strong,
someone that could rescue them.
c.
But sometimes the
gift you wish for isn’t exactly what you need most.
d.
What they got was
what they needed…a baby.
d.
Jesus
a.
It wasn’t a baby
they needed, not any baby, but this baby because of who he was and what he would
do.
b.
Read Luke 2:8-14
– “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. An angel of the
Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were
terrified. But the angel said to them,
‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ
the Lord. This will be a sign to
you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly
a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and
saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his
favor rests.’
i.
This baby would:
a.
Bring Good News
i.
When we get good
news it brings about hope, hope that things will get better. That Jesus would come to this world gives us
hope that things will get better.
b.
Bring Great Joy
i.
The word means an
inner feeling of gladness. It has the
same root as the word used for Grace, which is getting what we don’t
deserve. In this case we are glad, not
just jumping up and down glad, but a deep down satisfaction because God would
give us something we don’t deserve, himself.
c.
Be for All People
i.
It wasn’t just
for Israel or for that time, but for us all…Jesus came for you personally, he
knew you would be born some day and you would need forgiveness and love, so he
came.
d.
Be a Savior,
Christ, and Lord
i.
He came to save
us and lead us. That salvation would
come to completion 33 years later in his life, when he would choose to die for
humanity. We are all messed up and dirty
and because of that we are separated from God who is perfect. We needed someone to take our place, and Jesus
was willing to take our sin upon Himself so that we wouldn’t have to continue
to be separated from God.
ii.
Our baby would
grow and become our savior, and if we choose we can accept that forgiveness and
make him our Lord, God, master
e.
Would Bring Peace
i.
This peace wasn’t
an end of Roman rulership but a peace and freedom from sin, so we could have
peace with God.
III.
Conclusion
a.
Jesus might not
be what you wished for or where expecting for Christmas, but He is what you
need the most.
b.
Gifts can be
accepted or rejected though, and it is up to you whether you will accept the
gift of Jesus
c.
So I want to ask
you tonight, do you want to accept the gift of Jesus tonight? Do you want to make Jesus your Savior, your
Christ, and your Lord?
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