Christmas Message, Isaiah 9:2,6-7; Philippians 2:5-11
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2, NIV.
1. God promised to give a Child.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.
“15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:15-17, NIV.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12, NIV.
2. God gave us a Child with mighty names.
Isaiah 9:6-7, “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throneand over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousnessfrom that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” NIV.
· Jesus has about 100 names in the Bible. His names reveal his identity, his character and his ministry.
· In Christ, all the fullness of deity is displayed, as well as the perfect human is present.
3. God gave the Child the name above the rest.
“5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothingby taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himselfby becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (This is the ministry or mission of Jesus, He was born to die for our sins, His death became the payment to appease God’s wrath on our sins.)
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest placeand gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11, NIV.
· John MacArthur, “Jesus divested himself of His self-interests.”
Jesus temporarily set aside at least three privileges.
· First, the honor of being with His Father in heaven.
· Second, he gave up his equal authority with God and submitted to his Father’s will.
· And third, He set aside his eternal riches in heaven and became poor.
· John Piper, “This is what the Pharisees could not see: the glory of God in the inglorious Christ. This was the peculiar glory they couldn’t see. This is what Paul said Satan blinds unbelievers from seeing. He says, “The god of this world [keeps] them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”