Christmas – 2023

Matthew 1:18-23 NKJV Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. (20) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (22) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (23) “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which is translated, “God with us.”

• This took place 740 years before the birth of Jesus.
• Ahaz was King of Judah and Syria was attacking them at this time.

Isaiah 7:1-2 NKJV Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. (2) And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

Isaiah 7:10-14 NKJV Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, (11) “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” (12) But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” (13) Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? (14) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:11 NKJV “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

• God said to Ahaz to ask Him for a sign to prove that He was not going to let these people destroy Judah.
• Ahaz said that he was not going to ask the Lord for the sign. (This sounded real spiritual.) The truth was that Ahaz had made a deal with the king of Syria to sell the people into bondage.
• He said that he did not ask for a sign because he did not want to test the Lord. But the real reason he did not ask for a sign is that he would not have to trust the Lord. He knew that if God gave a sign, then he would have to trust Him.
• Isaiah told Ahaz that the sign was going to be a Virgin giving birth.
• The prophecies had already been given that Jesus was going to come of the lineage of Judah and sit on the throne of David.
• The Lord is telling Ahaz that He has a plan for Judah, and it was going to be impossible for the enemies of Judah to stop it. The proof of this was going to be a virgin birth.

• God’s plans are ALWAYS GREATER than the enemies’ plans.
• If we will stay in faith, you are going to make it through because His plan will prevail.

We need to trust this Word from the Lord but for a different reason!

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

1. We believe in the Virgin Birth.

The Virgin Birth boldly declares that Jesus is 100% God.

Matthew 1:18 NKJV (18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:20 NKJV (20) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

• • Jesus was not conceived by a man. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. God took the egg and womb and added His own seed for the conception to take place.
  • It had to be God’s seed because sin was in the seed of man.

2. We believe Jesus is God having come in the flesh.

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

John 1:1,14 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

• • It is very important for us to believe in the Virgin Birth because it shows that Jesus is God. It is also very important for us to believe that Jesus came in the flesh.

Why is this important?

• • If He was only 100% God, He could never die because God cannot die.
  • If He did not die, then He did not pay for your sins.
  • If He did not pay for your sins, you cannot be redeemed.
  • This is what Christmas is all about. Jesus being fully God and fully man; fully God and fully human.

Hebrews 2:14 NLT Because God’s children are human beings–made of flesh and blood–the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

• • We were held in bondage to the power of death and the reason He became a man was because only a man that was 100% God could break the power of death over us.
  • We do not have to fear death because our Lord has already conquered death.

3. Jesus did not have a sin nature.

• • The sinful nature is what is passed on because of sinful man’s seed.
  • On the Cross, He took upon Himself our sin nature to deliver us from it.
  • We are born into the earth of corruptible seed. But we are Born Again with the incorruptible seed of the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:23 NKJV having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

• • When I got Born Again, God became my Father.

4. We believe that He is still Immanuel, God with us.

• • This did not end with when Jesus ascended up to Heaven. It still goes on today.
  • The Holy Spirit of God has been sent to be with us and in us.

John 14:16-18 NKJV And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (18) I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This verse describes to us Jesus fully human and fully Divine.

• • He was not a messenger sent by God. He was God with a message.
  • He also was the message of God sent to man.
  • God did not send someone else to redeem us; He came Himself to suffer and die for us. The Creator became creation, so that He could redeem us!

Christmas is all about God coming in human form to redeem us so that God could be with us, but it is also about us being in Him and Him in us!