December 23, 2012
Morning Service

God’s chosen people, Israel, always looked to a time in the future when their promised Messiah would appear and establish His kingdom.  Their images of God came from the wonderful stories passed down over many generations.  They knew of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who promised them a land in which to dwell and as many descendants as the sands of the sea.  They knew of the delivering God of Moses, who saved His people from the Egyptians.  He appeared as a cloud during the day and fire during the night.  They also knew the vision of God on His throne that Isaiah wrote of.

 

Isa 6:1-4 In the year that King Uzziah died I then saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.  (2)  Above it stood the seraphs; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  (3)  And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts; the whole earth full of His glory.  (4)  And the doorposts moved at the voice of the one who cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

 

Congregation-“I Exalt Thee”

 

God has also given Isaiah a prophetic look at what He had planned with the coming Messiah.  It had a very different view of the distant and powerful God they pictured.  He promised to came and live among them.

 

Isa 7:14 So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.

 

Congregation-Emmanuel Page 134 (2x)

 

Isaiah also gave details of the Messiah that gave them hope for a peace that this world had never truly known.  A God who would love them, guide them, and protect them.  He, however, would come as a child. 

 

Isa 9:6-7  For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  (7)  There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.

 

Congregation-His Name is Wonderful Page 101 (2x)

 

In His time, God chose a young woman to bear that Child, our Savior.  There was no way that she could understand the part she was playing in God’s perfect plan of salvation, but she was willing to trust Him who called her. Prophecy was again fulfilled as Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  This was not the scene the Jews would have imagined for the coming of their King.  It indeed was a very humble beginning.

 

 

Luk 2:1-20 And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  (2)  (This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  (3)  And all went to be registered, each to his own city.  (4)  And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David).  (5)  And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child.  (6)  And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled.  (7)  And she brought forth her son, the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger-- because there was no room for them in the inn.  (8)  And in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And lo, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were grievously afraid.  (10)  And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  (11)  For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  (12)  And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, lying in a manger.  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,  (14)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  (15)  And it happened as the angels departed from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Indeed, let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord made known to us.  (16)  And hurrying they came and sought out both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.  (17)  And seeing, they publicly told about the word spoken to them concerning this Child.  (18)  And all those who heard marveled about the things spoken to them by the shepherds.  (19)  But Mary kept all these sayings, meditating in her heart.  (20)  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as was spoken to them.

 

Silent Night

 

This arrival was not known only in Bethlehem, but God had alerted others to be watching for the Savior’s birth.

 

Mat 2:1-12  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem,  (2)  saying, Where is He who is born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.  (3)  But when Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  (4)  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.  (5)  And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it is written by the prophet,  (6)  "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the governors of Judah. For out of you shall come a Governor who shall rule My people Israel."  (7)  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, inquired of them exactly what time the star appeared.  (8)  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child. And when you have found him, bring me word again so that I may come and worship him also.  (9)  When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the child was.  (10)  And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  (11)  And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother. And they fell down and worshiped Him. And opening their treasures, they presented gifts to Him, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  (12)  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

 

O Holy Night

 

What is the real meaning of Christmas?  It is the beginning of the greatest love story ever told.  This is God’s perfect plan of salvation coming into action.  God himself, the Creator, became one of us, the creation, and lived among us.

 

Joh 1:1-5  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.  (4)  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

Joh 1:12-14  But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name,  (13)  who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.  (14)  And the Word became flesh, and lived among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth.

 

The destiny of this Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger was not a throne, right away, but a cross.  One that He would give His own life’s blood upon so that we (I) could be redeemed from our (my) sin that separates us (me) from God.  He came as our (my) Savior. This has been God’s plan from the beginning.

 

Joh 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

 

The Night Love was born