Temple Baptist Church - 12-24-2023
Luke 2:1-14; Matthew 1:21
Introduction:
A. Today, is Christmas Eve!
1. Two thousand years, the world lay in spiritual darkness. Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
2. Jesus, the Messiah, was no longer expected as the people had turned from the promise of His coming. Today is no different as the world has turned a “deaf ear” to the Bible. The fear of God is a scarce commodity, and the philosophy of this world has taken its place in the hearts and minds of the multitudes.
3. The people sat under the “shadow of death.” The “shadow of death” is the physical death. No matter how intelligent man has become, the limitations of life are still valid.
4. The “second death,” or “Lake of Fire,” is a reality that the unsaved will soon face.
B. Christmas should be a time of hope as God fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah: the Lamb of God who would die for the sins of mankind. A blessed hope and a reality to be realized.
1. The Promise of His Coming. Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
2. The Prophecy of His Coming. Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
3. The Person of His Coming. 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. (7) 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.
4. The Performance of His Coming. Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
5. This Morning, The Purpose of His Coming.
C. Three things are found in verse 1o that I want to look at, but in reverse order.
1. “Good Tidings.” “I bring you good tidings” comes from one word in the Greek which transliterated means to “evangelize.” I only said that because of how important it is that bring the same good tidings to a lost world.
a. It is the message of God’s love for sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
b. It is the message that salvation is through Christ alone. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
2. “Great Joy.”
a. Great joy because there is hope in death and after death. We that are saved can face death with the certainty that we will not die alone. Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
b. Great Joy because we that are saved will be finally home. A new body and a new home. John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
3. “Which shall be to all people.”
a. The Gospel is not limited to a certain ethnicity! Though salvation is to the Jew, it is also to the Greek (or gentile). Salvation is every race of people in all locations. The Gospel will work everywhere you take or send it. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
b. The Gospel is not limited to certain people. Salvation is to all mankind! I do not need to spend a lot of time here but, if you lean toward Calvinism, feel free to contact me. 1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13, John 3:16)
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Now, reverse the verse as we look back on what the angel said.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
1. Sins! Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (It was just a simple command that the Lord gave to Adam and Eve. They had the “run of the garden” and could eat whatever and whenever they desired. Adam and Eve listened to the Serpent, discounted the command of God, ate of the forbidden fruit and plunged the whole world into sin. What does God think of sin? Read Genesis 5! Satan said, “Thou shalt not surely die” and God punctuated “Thou shalt surely die” 8 times with “he died!” God hates sin, not sinners! It was sin that brought the Saviour to earth and the price of sin is death!)
2. Their! Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (When the Bible uses the word “their” in this verse, it does not mean everyone except us but identifies humanity corporately. It was Adam that caused sin to become inherent and the curse to come but it is each individual that chooses to sin and personal responsibility damns the sinner. Poor old Adam ate a piece of fruit (I do not diminish its sinfulness) and he gets the blame for all that we do?)
3. From! Jeremiah 7:10-11 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. (We are saved “from our sin,” not “in our sin” or “to sin!” Too many professing believers’ lives never change as they continue to walk in the way of the world. 2 Corinthian 5:17 is a reality to those who have truly been born again. Their lives are forever changed through Calvary.)
4. His people! Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (Though Christ died for all, not all will become His children by faith. God, in His sovereignty, gave every man a free will to be exercised and saves only those who come to Him by faith.)
5. Save! Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Salvation is not probation! When the Lord saves, He saves completely and eternally. I have often said, “If you do not have eternal life you have no life at all. Eternal life is the only kind that God gives.)
6. Shall! Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (When a sinner comes to Christ by faith, he or she is never turned away! Salvation is “shall,” not “may!”)
7. He! Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners because there was no other way! He is still the Way!)
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