Matthew 1:8-2:6
"The Gift That Keeps On Giving "
Gospelcom Bible Gateway
INTRODUCTION:
A. Whos really is the "King of Christmas"?
B. Who was the Bishop Of Myrna?
1. St. Nicholas gave to the poor and was canonized by a portion of the church.
2. He was the Bishop of Myrna who worshiped the "King of Christmas", Jesus Christ.
3. What did Nicholas do at the Council of Nicea and what heresy did he fight against?
4. Who was spreading the heresy?
5. What was significant about this heresy? How did it undermine Christianity?
B. Why is Jesus the "King of Christmas"?
1. Jesus knows all about us, Jesus has a heart full of love, Jesus said "cast all your cares on me".
2. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift.
C. This morning we will review four names for the gift of God's son to the world. Billy Sunday says there are 256 names for The son of God in the Bible
1. Christ
2. Jesus
3. Emmanuel
4. King
D. Consider what the significance of these names in your life. How are they reflected in your walk, in your relationship with God and in your life with others.
I. Christ
A. v18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ... Christ was not Jesus' last name, it is a title for Messiah,
1. Meshiach (Hebrew) to rub, to smeared or pour olive oil to appoint one for services.
2. Christos (Greek) "God's annointed one"
B. Jews always waited for their Messiah, he was their hope, their deliverer. "I believe inthe coming of Messiah and even though he tarries yet I wlil wait for him every coming day."
C.The Jew's hope was never higher than that of just before Jesus' birth.
D. Prophesy... (Genesis 49_ Jacob, said to his son Judah... "the sceptor shall not depart from Judah nor a law gfiver from between his until Shiloh comes and from him the expectations of his people
1. The scepter is the authority to execute the law of Moses even to the right of capital punichment.
2. Shiloh means the "one to whom it belongs" and referred to the Meshiach... " This name Christ is the fulfillment of humanity, Jesus.
2. The Talmud said that at the time of the Roman occupation, when the Jews lost the right of capital punishment that the Sanheddrin parade in the streets bemoaning that "the scepter has departed from Judah but Shiloh has not come"...yet at that moment in Bethelehem 5 miles away Jesus was being born
3. What does this mean to us?
II. Jesus
A. v21 "She will bring forth a son and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
B. Jesus was a common name and speaks of His approachability and His humanity, Joshua is the same name as Jesus.
C. What was the first heresy in the early church and what did it deny?
D. What does Ya-Ho-shu-ah mean and what is it's significance?
1. Jesus means God is our salvation.
2. He was fully God and fully man all in one package.
3. He was called that because of his mission, he came to die to save people from their sins.
4. Simeon raised his head up to heaven and said, "I can die know because my eyes have seen your salvation which will be to all people."
5. Simeon saw beyond the birth to the death of Christ. He understood the signficance. What was the significance of this and of His name?
a. There is no salvation in the birth of Christ and none in his perfect sinless life or his teaching.
b. There is only savaltion in the shed blood of Jesus that our sins are forgiven because of his death.
6. In your life, have you allowed Jesus to "grow up" or is he still a child in a manger in your life?
III. Immanuel
A. v22 ... (Isaiah 7 )behold the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and he shall be called Immanuel which means "God is with us".
1. A prophesy 600 years before His brith of incarnate diety.
2. The virgin birth is disputed by liberal scholars.
1. The Hebrew word for virgin is "almah" and the Greek septuagint with parthenos.
1. Almah can be a young women
2. Parthenos only means one thing - virgin.
b. The sign from God was promised in the verse before
1. How much of a sign is a young women bearing a child?
2. A virgin would have a child, not that a woman would have a child is a sign
C. The point is...
1. Jesus Christ was God,
2. Isaiah 9 states .... Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God...
D. Did Jesus ever call Himself God? Where in Scripture was this?
1. Even Jesus' enemies knew he was God.
2. He claimed to be God and he demonstrated it over and over again.
C. What does Emmanuel mean?
1. It is a description of his character.
2. Jesus came to earth as God incognito.
3. God gave us his fellowship, time, friendship through coming to earth as a man, Jesus.
III. King
A. Who were the Magi?
1. Magi from the East, they came 500 miles from Medo, Persia.
2. A priestly cast of Medes, that made laws.
3. They were king makers coming to visit the king.
4. God's annointed one to abide with us and to rule.
B. How did they know to look for the star and that a King was to be born of the Jews?
C. The wise men said "where is he that has been born King..." Herod questioned where this King would be born.
1. Why was Herod troubled
a. What Herod was called .
b. Who the Magi were.
B. Fur names for this incredible gift
1. Christ - Hope
2. Jesus - Salvation
3. Immanuel - Friendship
4. King - Ruler of our life giving direction to us.
C. Have you received the gift of God's son and opened it for yourself. JESUS, The gift beyond worth!
1. Where and who does your hope lie in?
2. Who do you place your salvation in?
3. Who is your friend
4. Who do you follow?
APPLICATION:
1. How do you celebrate Christmas? Saint Nicholas and reindeers, a manger with a baby Jesus, or Jesus the Savior who came to earth?
2. Accept Jesus as the one who fulfills all the hopes of humanity as the Savior & Messiah and as yours.
MEMORY VERSE FOR THIS WEEK:
Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."