Luke 2:8-14 – God’s Christmas Message – Bible study

Luke 2:8-14 Gods Christmas Message As a preacher and pastor, I find myself asking God repeatedly, "God, what do you want me to say today?" On this Christmas morning, the answer seemed obvious, Luke 2:8-14. Why is it obvious? Because this is the message that God had delivered on the first Christmas morning, roughly 2016 years ago. Lets consider the message God had delivered by far worthier carriers for a few minutes this morning. I. \#10\ This was a public message. Luke 2:10 I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. A. The message that the angels brought is to everyone, of all nations, of all colors, of all social and economic statuses, of all ages, and of both genders. B. God both wanted and wants everyone to know that Messiah had been born, and He wanted that message to be shared with otherswhich the shepherds did \#20\. C. Why? Because this message is essential! You may not realize it, but the message of Christmas is the message of the whole Bible! D. That is one of the main reasons Christians SHOULD celebrate Christmas, but we should celebrate like a Christian. 1. Everyone is welcome to celebrate Christmas any way you want. I am not here to punch at your way of celebrating it. 2. But our decorations, cards, and gifts, either tell the story of Jesus or they hide it. E. And that is one of the reasons why so many HATE the message of Christmas. 1. Again this year, some cities have been threatened with legal action for putting up nativity scenes. Menominee, Michigan, removed their nativity. So they removed it, but later put it back. http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2016/december/a-nativity-scene-is- returned-to-a-city-park-in-michigan 2. Why is the nativity scene hated? a. It is because of the message that it shares with the public. b. It screams out that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. c. And for it to be up today, it means that someone believed the message enough to risk the wrath of the anti-God establishment. II. \#10\ This was a joyful message. Luke 2:10 Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, A. This is a different kind of message from God. 1. We have a whole Bible full of Gods messages, and many of them are messages of judgment. a. Not all but many. b. Not so with the Christmas message. 2. Everything about this account was a signal to the people that God was reaching out to them to help them not to hurt them. a. The news was big and deserved a great host of angelic beings to deliver it, but God sent just one at the beginning to give the shepherds a few moments to get the hang of it. b. The first words out of the angels mouth are words of comfort, "Fear not." c. \#14\ God wishes to the earth PEACE and GOOD WILL. (1) Good will means joy, blessings, prosperity. (2) God came offering the human race a Child and all of the best wishes the people had missed out on because of sin. B. Somewhere along the line, we have tried to keep the joy but get rid of the message. 1. We still give gifts but we have forgotten the Gift. 2. We still put up lights but we have forgotten the Light. 3. We hang up our evergreen tree but have removed its message of eternal life. 4. We speak of the holiday but not the Holy Day. C. If that is the Christmas that you want to celebrate, fine; but it has made what should be a joyous day into a sad day for many. 1. Article: According to the National Institute of Health, Christmas is the time of year that people experience a high incidence of depression. Hospitals and police forces report high incidences of suicide and attempted suicide. Psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals report a significant increase in patients complaining about depression. One North American survey reported that 45% of respondents dreaded the festive season. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201011/why-people- get-depressed-christmas 2. Why is that? a. It is because the focus of Christmas for many is just family and worldly fun not eternity and what the birth of Jesus has done for us. b. If there is a season that ought to lift the spirits of those who have been separated from their loved ones by death, it is Christmas. c. Christmas provided the Means by which we will one day can be forever reunited with those loved ones. III. This was an anointed message. Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. A. The word "Christ" means "Anointed." 1. It is a reference to the many promises of God concerning the coming of a Deliverer. 2. The Anointed means appointed, approved, and authorized by God. B. How can we know Jesus is the Anointed One? 1. Fulfilled prophecy! 2. Depending on your source, Jesus has already fulfilled at least 100 prophecies and maybe more than 300!~ C. What kind of prophecy? 1. \#Ge 3:15\ He will come. 2. God began to narrow down the line through which Messiah would come. This would go on for centuries. a. \#Ge 9:25-27\ Line of Shem b. \#Ge 12:3\ Line of Abraham c. \#Ge 49:10\ Line of Judah d. \#Is 11:1\ Line of Jesse e. \#2Sam 7:12-13\ Line of David 3. At the same time, God began to flesh out the promises: a. He would come as a Child \#Is 9:6\. b. He would be born of a virgin \#Is 7:14\. c. He would be born in Bethlehem \#Mic 5:2\. d. He would come in humility \#Zech 9:9\. e. He would come as a Servant \#Is 53:11\. f. He would be rejected by man and die \#Is 53:1-12\. g. He would rise from the dead \#Ps 16:10\. 4. And all of these are but a few of the promises which began to be fulfilled with at the birth of this Child. D. He is indeed the "Anointed," the Appointed and Empowered of God. https://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/the-promise-of- messiah-in-the-ot-2/ IV. This was the saving message. Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, A. There is a lot of preaching packed into the word "Savior." B. The message of Jesus birth began the message of salvation. 1. In thirty years, John will say of this Child, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." 2. Jesus birth was the entrance of the sacrificial Lamb into this world. C. Salvation is a bit complicated. It requires several things. 1. First, there had to be a standard. God provided that. It was perfection. 2. Then there had to be a sin, a violation. Man provided that in the Garden but has continued to accent it daily with an untold number of additional violations. 3. Then there had to be a solemn judgment. God rendered that. It was death, complete separation from God for all eternity. 4. Fourth, a Substitute. a. That is what salvation is, One taking the place of another. b. Christmas is the entrance of the Substitute, the Sacrifice, the Savior coming into this world. 5. Fifth, there must be s sacrifice. a. The Substitute must take the place of the guilty and pay the death penalty. b. This is why I refer to Christmas as the beginning of salvation. The entrance of the Substitute would mean nothing if there was not also a sacrifice on the Substitutes part. 6. Last, there must be a submissive sinner. a. Just like it does not good for the Substitute to be born and not be sacrificed so it does not good for their to be a Savior with no submissive sinners! b. You and I all qualify as sinners the question is will be submissive so that we can receive salvation? (1) We must believe that Jesus is the Christ who died for our sins. (2) The best we know how, we must submit ourselves to Him, turning from our sins. c. That last part (submitting ourselves to Jesus) was also part of the original message God sent. V. This was a submitting message. Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. A. As there is a lot of truth packed into the word "Savior," so there is a lot of truth packed into the word "Lord." 1. The word means "Master, Owner, Lord of all." 2. It was just a Babe born in Bethlehem 2016 years ago. a. It was a Savior to save the people. b. It was a Lord to rule over the people. 3. The Babe was just the size Package within which the Savior and Lord came wrapped. B. Notice, there is no mention of having Jesus the Savior without having Jesus the Lord. 1. This was not two separate Persons. 2. They are one in the same. 3. To take Jesus as Savior is to take Him also as your Lord, and to reject Jesus as your Lord is to reject Jesus as your Savior. C. Sadly, too many do not understand the importance of submitting to Christ. 1. That is in part the fault of a good many preachers not preaching the whole truth. a. They like to preach "You must believe" but they leave out the part "You must repent." b. That is what we call "easy-believism salvation." Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 2. But is also the fault of the hearers. a. Too many want heaven and their sin and that is just not an option. b. You must make a choice as to which one you will love and which one you will hate. Mt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. VI. This was an invitational message. Luke 2:12 Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. A. The angel did not say "You COULD find." He said, "You WILL find." B. There are assumptions in that statement. 1. It is supposed that shepherds were being invited to go find this Babe. Indeed, the angels appearance all together was leading to that assumption. 2. It is supposed that the shepherds would accept the invitation and go looking for the Babe. C. You can make the same two assumptions. 1. The fact thatafter 2000 yearsGod has brought this message to you means that God has invited you to come to His Son. 2. If you will go looking, you will find Him. What will you do with Gods message of Christmas?