Luke 2:10-11 – A Gift for You – Bible study

Luke 2:10-11 A Gift For You This morning, children all over the countryand I suppose the worldawoke to gifts underneath the Christmas tree. I hope that every child received gifts of love from those who care for them, but the way some people celebrate Christmas, the children may think their gifts were free. I wish that was the way things worked; but as adults, we know that no earthly gift of material value is free. Someone has to pay for it. So it is was for the Gift in the manager 2000 years ago. God gave us a Savior, but Someone had to pay a priceand might I add, a very high price. Who paid for the price of salvation? The answer is, "God did," and most of that price was paid for by the Son of God. Tonight, lets consider the price that Jesus paid to be our Savior, and lets start where the Christmas story starts, when Jesus left heaven. I. The Price Jesus Paid A. Jesus gave up His home. 1. Do you realize how little we know about heaven? 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 2. Bible scholars have spend years of their lives tyring to better understand this glorious place. a. Why? b. So that human voices can better proclaim and human hearts can better be comforted by this place called heaven. c. But with all of the study, all of the sermons, all of longing, we still know possess just an outline worth of knowledge about heaven and its beauty. 3. Yet, Jesus walked away from this glorious place to walk among on a defiled and sinful planet. 4. How His soul must have yearned from the joys of heaven! a. Did Jesus get homesick for heaven? b. I dont know for certain, but I think so! B. Jesus gave us what He was. 1. I did not say that Jesus gave up WHO He was. a. I said that Jesus gave up WHAT He was. b. Jesus could not give us WHO He was. Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not. 2. But Jesus did give up WHAT He was. a. I have spent some time attempting to understand what I am about to say, and I have failed. b. Yet my limited understanding does not prevent me from telling you that Jesus gave up some of Himself to come to this plane. 3. I cannot explain that statement much more except to say that you can see that truth in the attributes Jesus laid aside, three attributes in particular. a. His omnipresence – the Son of God could be in all places at all times. b. His omniscience – the Son of God knew all things at all times. c. His omnipotence – the Son of God could do every thing at any time. 4. These were not just things that the Son of God could do. These were WHAT Jesus was. 5. I think Paul made reference to this in Philippians 2:7. a. Paul speaking of Jesus said. Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: b. Paul mentioned three things that Jesus gave up for us. (1) Jesus gave up His position – He made Himself of no reputation, going from the MOST exalted to the LEAST exalted. (2) Jesus gave up His form – He took on the form of a Servant. (3) Jesus gave up His ability – He was made in the likeness of men. He could do what man could do. No longer could He do what God could do. 6. Never has anyone paid so much for so little in return. C. He gave up His angels, His servants. 1. I have always wondered why there are angels. God doesnt need them; but like with us, God chooses to use them. 2. There are angels and beings from heaven all through the Scripture. a. \#Eze 1:14\ There are four heavenly beings who wait on God and they go and return like lightning. b. In the New Testament, we read of the angel Gabriel appearing to Zacharias, Mary, and Joseph. c. Then there is the Arc-Angel Michael, who appears to be a strong fighting angel. d. And other who are not mentioned by name. 3. These angels stood to serve Jesus; but when Jesus left heaven, He left those heavenly beings. 4. Actually, Jesus swapped those heavenly angels for 12 earthly disciples. a. How do you think He did? I believe it was then that God invented the eye roll. b. You say, "They got better after the Holy Ghost filled them." c. You are right, but they all died. d. Now He has us. e. I will let you decide how He is doing now. 5. Jesus gave up His servants. D. He gave up His form. 1. I wont say much here except we need to remember that Jesus did not begin at His birth. 2. Like the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus was a Spirit before the incaration. 3. How much of a price did Jesus pay? He gave up that form forever. E. He have up fellowship with the Father. 1. For most of the time that Jesus was on the earth, He had some fellowship with the Father, but it was not like back home. a. How do I know? b. Because God had to sent angels to minister to Jesus on at least one occassion and to strengtehn Him on another. c. If Jesus had fellowship with the Father like He did in heaven, He would not have needed those angels to do those things. 2. But then while Jesus paid for mans sins, the fellowship with the Father seemed to be completely broken. Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? F. He gave up His glory. He gave up honor and worship. 1. I have never understood Gods glory but it appears to be what God is clothed within. a. Adam and Eve were apparently naked before the fall but did not notice it. b. Why? I think because they too were clothed in Gods glory. c. Man lost his glory in the fall, but God did not. d. Yet, when Jesus came to this earth, He came without His glory. 2. He also gave up worship and honor. a. Did Jesus have to have worship and honor? b. No, but He deserved it. He is still the holy, God. c. Yet, very, very little did Jesus receive of it. G. He gave up His comfort. 1. A God who never needed anything came to earth and immediaely needed everything. 2. Three phases: a. Preborn – Needed Marys both to feed and care for Him. b. Infant – Needed Mary and Josephs care to feed and care for Him. c. Adult – Needed the help of others. H. He gave up His life. II. The Product Jesus Purchased A. Understand, Jesus gave these up but they were not lost. B. If you are saved, everyone of these things was transferred to you and me. 1. By sacrificing His home, Jesus purchased the gift of an eternal home for us. a. We dont study heaven to learn where He came from. b. We study heaven to learn where we are going to! 2. By sacrificing His attributes, Jesus purchased for us abilities and powers we have yet to comprehend. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 3. By sacrificing His angels, Jesus purchased for us ministering spiritsnow and for all eternity. Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 4. By sacrificing His form, Jesus purchased for us a glorified body. 1Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 5. By sacrificing His glory, Jesus purchased for us a place inside the glory of God forever. Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 6. By sacrificing His comfort, Jesus purchased for us peace and comfort for all eternity. 7. By sacrificing His fellowship with the Father, Jesus purchased for us an unbreakable fellowship with the Father. 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 8. By sacrificing His life, Jesus purchased for us life everlasting. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.