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Text: Luke 22:19-20

The ultimate gift of Christmas was that the Son of God became the Son of Man, so that the sons of men could become the sons of God.

I. THE PASSION OF JESUS

The Lord took two of the frailest elements in the world as symbols of His body and blood.

A. The Bread Represents His Broken Body

Isaiah 52:14
“His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men”

B. The Juice Represents His Shed Blood

Hebrews 9:22
“…without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.”

II. THE PERSON OF JESUS

A. We Remember Who Jesus Is


• Jesus is the Son of God

John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

• Jesus is the Creator of all things

Colossians 1:16
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him”

• Jesus alone reveals the Father

John 1:18
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

B. We Remember What Jesus Has Done

Galatians 6:14
“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Whatever we don’t turn into PRAISE turns into PRIDE.

If you’re at the table, you belong here.

TEXT: Matthew 2:1-12

Isaiah 7:14
”Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:21-23
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Isaiah 60:1-5a
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see:”

I. REJOICE IN THE HOPE THAT CHRISTMAS BRINGS

II. REMEMBER THAT CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT WORSHIPING CHRIST

Christmas is more than a time to celebrate, the call of Christmas is come and worship.

III. RESOLVE TO FOLLOW THE SAVIOUR

The Magi “came and saw” our mission is to “go and tell.”

I Thessalonians 5:5
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”

Ephesians 5:8
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

Quote:
“The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.” - C.H. Spurgeon

Matthew 5:14-16
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Quote:
“In short, Jesus is the divine light of the world because he brings a new life to replace our spiritual deadness, because he shows us the truth that heals our spiritual blindness, and because he is the beauty that breaks our addictions to money, sex, and power. He is the Light for us when all other lights go out.” - Tim Keller

II Corinthians 4:4-6
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

TEXT: Luke 2:25-35

For Simeon and Anna what they wanted and had been waiting for was no ordinary gift!

Simeon and Anna serve as examples that God honors and recognizes the faithfulness of those who are patiently waiting on Him.

I. SALVATION

Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”

I Timothy 2:4-6
“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

II. STONE

Psalm 118:22
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

Isaiah 8:14, 15
“And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”

I Peter 2:6-8
“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”

Until you’re willing to bow to the Saviour in humble adoration and repentance God can never raise you up in Salvation.

III. SIGN
Quote:
“The gospel is not good advice to men but it is good news about Christ. It is not an invitation to do anything but a declaration at what God has done for mankind!” - John Stott

You cannot have Christmas without Calvary!

IV. SWORD

Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 9:28
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Everything about the first Christmas eventually and ultimately points us to Christ Second Coming!

Until you have the treasure of Jesus in your heart life is empty.

TEXT: Luke 1:46-55

Mary’s magnificent song about her son, the Saviour of the World, is the greatest Christmas carol ever written.

Never mistake God’s silence for His absence.

Mary is an example that belief in the Word of God is the fundamental basis for living a faithful life that is pleasing to God.

I. PRAISE AND EXALTATION FOR GOD’S SALVATION

It is not that we shouldn’t admire Mary but nowhere are we told to adore her.

"Christ shall be magnified in my body”!

Psalm 34:3
“Oh magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

Psalm 69:30
“I will praise the name of God with song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

When you know your true position, you will proclaim and praise the Holy name of God.

Mary proves that you can live a holy life in the midst of an unholy people, in an unholy place, at an unholy time period!

II. EXPRESSION OF THANKS AT GOD’S INTERVENTION

Psalm 126:3
“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

A. God’s Mercy Extends To Every Person

Psalm 103:11-17
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;”

B. God’s Mighty Power Confounds The Proud

I Corinthians 1:27
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

C. God’s Tender Compassion Reaches The Poor

III. RECOGNITION AND REMEMBRANCE OF GOD’S PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE

Colossians 1:27
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

This Christmas may the songs we sing not only reflect the joy of Christ birth but the reality of His life in us!

Text: Selected Texts

II Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Isaiah 9:6, 7
“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. 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.”

I. CHRISTMAS IS A DECLARATION BY GOD

Christmas is more than an announcement it is a coming and a giving by almighty God, a promise fulfilled in Jesus.

Micah 5:2
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

II. CHRISTMAS IS A DEMONSTRATION THROUGH JESUS

I Peter 1:18-20
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”

Nothing about the Christmas story is an accident or an afterthought but a planned action by an all sufficient Lord!

Colossians 1:20-22
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Romans 5:8-10
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

What began at Bethlehem in a manger was completed at Calvary on a cross.

I Peter 2:9
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”

Our mission as Christians is to show the world the real meaning of Christmas!