The Baby and The Bible

How Long is Christmas

INTRO: 2 Corin 9:15

How Long is Christmas? 1 day 3 days 12 days?? How many people have no clue why we have Christmas? What is your reason for the season?

What does Christmas mean to you? Never ending visits from people you may not see for a while? Hassles of shopping? Putting up a tree? What??

Christmas Christians

• • Does that describe us
  • Do we have no spiritual ideas of its significance and importance?
  • Do we keep the Christ child in the manger, a babe in infant clothes?
  • Can we put it all in perspective
  • In the context of his life and death does Bethlehem take on meaning
  • Otherwise He was just another prophet
  • Can we say "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift

• • Do we bring Him out and sit Him in the manger and put Him back after

God’s Gift

• • Was Himself as His son
  • Is the source of all his grace
  • Shows Gods plan, purpose, passion, presence and provision
  • He knew what was right for us and gave at the right time
  • We look around and doubt, but faith rises above that
  • His gift is a reminder there is hope
  • He doesn’t forget His promises, He works His will as day follows night

Traditional Christmas story

• • The manger, the star , the shepherds and the Magi (astrologers)
  • What about the tree. Any symbols here?

The Jesse Tree

• • Named from Isaiah 11:1 "A shoot shall spring forth from the stump of Jesse and a branch out of his roots.
  • Talks of God in the OT and connects Him to the NT
  • • The branch is newness out of discouragement
    • Life out of death
    • Food out of famine
  • Israelites chosen by God thru Abraham
  • • Slaves to Egypt---they cried out to God and He heard and delivered them
    • Took them to where they could serve Him and not Pharaoh
    • He would be with them, they would be His people and He their God
  • They settled, got comfy and forgot God
  • • Leaders later served themselves, thought they got what they had
  • God delivered them again
  • • But they soon forgot again
    • Became discouraged and disillusioned to world around them
    • Struggled to understand and believe but hoped same God who brought slaves out of Egypt, exiles out of Babylon could bring a Messiah a savior
  • We celebrate that promise delivered, the birth of the branch, the new shoot form Jesse
  • • And anticipate the second advent to complete the promise of peace on earth, good will to men deliver us from our bondage’s /whatever they are
  • Decorate the tree, religious symbols, that point us to God
  • • We don’t worship these things, they help us
    • We see Jesus all thru the Bible
    • • The tree is the start of the shoot Isaiah
      • The dove in creation Genesis
      • The Rainbow of Noah Genesis
      • The Ram of Isaac’s offering Genesis
      • The Ladder of Jacob’s dream of the promise Genesis
      • The Burning Bush of Moses leadership Genesis
      • The Lamb of Passover Exodus
      • The Crown of a King Samuel
      • The Wall of the watchtower and rebuilding Habakkuk & Nehemiah
      • The White lily of hope in a new future Luke
      • The Joy of Mother and Child, both John and Jesus Luke
      • The Star or candle of the worship of the Magi Matthew
      • The Manager of the Messiah Luke
      • The alpha & Omega Rev as in the Advent wreath

But how long is Christmas?

• • All of what we celebrate this time of year is but 1 of 6 stages of Christmas story
  • • His virgin Birth
    • • Isaiah predicted it 700 years early Isa 7:14
      • Caused Romans to divide time today’s calendars
        time BC vs AD
      • Had human mother no human father
      • • Mary’s bloodline went back to David, Joseph’s did too but his was cursed by God
        • As Jesus needed to be holy also, no human father could fulfill that promise
    • His virtuous life
    • • Lived a perfect life
      • Was human, had emotions was not bland
      • Became the Redeemer of mankind
      • We also remember this at this time of year
      • Candlelight service in reverence of God and what He did
    • His vicarious death
    • • He became the offering for sins of man
      • Heart of Gospel is Christ gave Himself!
      • He took on wrath of God so we could be saved from it
    • His victorious resurrection
    • • Mainstays of Christianity
      • Show He was more than just another prophet
      • Death , burial and resurrection is Gospel Paul preached
      • Shows the nature of God in Jesus His Son
    • His visible ascension
    • • Jesus ascended to heaven in a cloud, they saw it!
      • Angels announced His second coming to them
    • His vital intercession
    • • To God on our behalf
      • He is our High Priest
      • He helps us get to God, He shows the Way
      • He stands before God intercedes for us

Concl: So Christmas is not one event

• • Over in one day
  • Should be start of our remembering what Christ did
  • Should point us toward God, become reverent
  • Develop our fear of God, we are saved by God from God so we can return to God (Gods wrath of judgment)
  • Series of days that reveals Gods, plan, purpose, power, provision & people
  • Christmas is for Christians don’t be Scrooge in telling others the truth of Xmas
  • So the baby in the manager according to the Bible is also
  • • A King Jn 18:37
    • King of the Jews Matt 2:2
    • King of Israel Matt 27:42
    • King of Kings Rev 17:14
    • King of righteousness Heb. 7:2
    • King of Salem(Peace) Heb. 7:2
    • The Bright & morning star Luke 2:16
    • The Bread of Life Jn 6:35
    • The beginning and the end Rev 1:8
    • The Bondservant Phil 2:7
    • The Bridegroom Matt 25:1
    • The Beloved Son Matt 3:17 and
    • Our Beloved Lord Eph. 1:6

Invitations & Prayer