December 18, 2022
Christmas Sermon
WHO IS THIS CHILD?
Isaiah 9:6-7
Did you know that there are many people throughout our land that don’t know the true origins of Christmas? What I mean by that is, many folks don’t realize that the birth of Christ is really about JESUS THE CHRIST! And even those of us that do know the true meaning of Christmas tend to forget it amidst all of the shopping, and gift giving, and family get togethers, with all the good eating etc. Let me say that we don’t really know for certain what day the Lord was born, but we do know for certain that He was born, so we recognize December 25 as a time to remember His birth.
A question we’ll undoubted hear many times between now and December 25th is this, “Are you ready for Christmas?”
I suppose what is really being asked is, “Have you put up all your Christmas decorations? Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Have you mailed your Christmas cards? Have you decided what places you suppose to go this Christmas season? Are you ready for Christmas?
We meet ourselves coming and going, so we call it “the Christmas rush.” Sometimes the Christmas season becomes very hectic, and because of that we tend to forget much of the reason for the season.
There is a rather touching Christmas story about a little girl who watched her mother and dad getting ready for Christmas. To her, it seemed that dad was preoccupied with burdens & bundles, and mom was concerned about parties & presents, and they just had no time for her.
The little girl felt that she was being shoved aside. In fact, it seemed to her that she was always being told, “Would you please get out of the way?”
So, one night in December she knelt beside her bed & prayed this prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, please forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against us.”
Instead of asking the question, “Are you ready for Christmas”, rather the question should be, “Who is this child?” I want to preach on the thought, Who Is This Child?” Let’s look at some facts from this Scripture to answer that question for us.
Incarnation: The embodiment of God the Son in human flesh
I. HE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S GRACE
A. Notice the phrase that is repeated twice in this text – “unto us”.
B. What we deserve is the second death – spiritual death – eternal separation from God.
C. Still, God gave His Son for us – John 3:16! That is grace!
WHO IS THIS CHILD?
1. He is the embodiment of God’s grace
II. HE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S GLORY
A. Isaiah calls this baby “a child” and “a son”. The word “child” speaks of His humanity. The word “son” speaks of His deity. Jesus Christ is literally the “God-Man”.
B. Some people believe the greatest miracle was the crucifixion, others the resurrection. Some point to His healings, feeding of the multitudes with the loaves and fishes, the transfigurations, or other miracles as being His greatest. Can I submit to you today that while all of these are indeed great manifestations of His divine power, His greatest miracle is the incarnation. The day God became a man and remained God is the greatest miracle of all!!!
C. Matthew Henry says, “Christ’s being born and given to us is the great foundation of our hopes, and fountain of our joys, in times of greatest grief and fear.”
WH0 IS THIS CHILD?
1. He is the embodiment of God’s grace
2. He is the embodiment of God’s glory
III. HE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S GREATNESS
A. Isaiah tells us that this child will have a “name”.
B. The Messiah will have four very famous and descriptive names. Note that these names are compound. Single names are simply inadequate to express the extent of the Messiah’s excellence or superiority. Even the compound titles are inadequate to describe Christ’s supremacy, but they do convey the author’s intent to wholly glorify the greatness of the Savior.
C. Let’s consider the names Isaiah gives to our Lord:
Ø Wonderful – word means “Supernatural, Secret and Extraordinary”. He is the Miracle man.
Ø Counselor – This word means “to advise, counsel, purpose, devise and plan.” He is the guiding force of our lives.
Ø Mighty God – This word means “Hero”! he alone is worthy to be our Hero for He has defeated all our enemies- Death, Satan, The Grave, and Hell.
Ø Everlasting Father – He is “everlasting”! He is the great “I AM”! Your life is tied to His and you will live only as long as He does! He is our “Father”. This word means “Producer or generator.” He is our “source”! He brought us into being and He sustains us with His power!
Ø Prince of Peace – He will rule his kingdom in peace. Note the word “Prince”! This indicates that the Messiah will be a ruler who governs in peace. He is the Creator and Provider of peace.
WHO IS THIS CHILD?
1. HE is the embodiment of God’s grace
2. He is the embodiment of God’s glory
3. He is the embodiment of God’s greatness
Responsive Reading: Luke 1:26-38
