Christmas: a Reason to Celebrate

[ ] 12/9/2007 #751

CHRISTMAS: A REASON TO CELEBRATE

Luke 2:8-14

INTRODUCTION: The reasons to celebrate Christmas are the facts that the Savior has been born, atonement for sin has been made and salvation is now available. The meaning of Christmas has been lost in the world due to materialism and greed. As the redeemed of the Lord, we know Jesus is the reason for celebration. God has given unto us His Son to be our Savior.

I. RELEVANCE OF THE ANNCOUNCEMENT

A. BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

B. BLESSING OF THE MESSAGE.

1. Message of good news. v. 10 “I bring you good tidings”

1. Message of joy. v. 10 “great joy, which shall be to all people”

2. Message of hope. v. 11 “For unto you is born this day . . . a Savior”

II. REVELATION IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT

A. PLACE OF HIS BIRTH. v. 11 “in the city of David”

B. PURPOSE OF HIS BIRTH. v. 11 “Savior”

C. PREEMINENCE AT HIS BIRTH. v. 11

1. Christ. “the anointed one”

2. Lord. “Messiah, Master, Jehovah God, the covenant keeping God”

III. RESPONSE TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT

A. PRAISE OF THE HEAVENLY HOST. v. 13

B. PRAISE OF THE SHEPHERDS. v. 20

LESSONS FOR LIFE:

1. Christmas speaks of “Christ” and “worship.” Worshiping the idols of this world will rob us of the joy and hope we have in Jesus.

2. Satan uses the world to draw our attention away from Christ. He desires us to substitute Jesus Christ, the Savior, with false gods.

3. Each year many people become depressed and some even suicidal. Joy, hope, peace, and love are four blessings we have in the person of Christ. He makes our life have meaning and purpose. The things the world offers are only temporal. It will help us to celebrate Jesus if we would do the following things:

a. Read the Birth of Christ carefully from the Scripture. Meditate upon the significance of His birth.

b. Ponder the matchless, majestic person of Christ. Ask the Lord to give you a greater spiritual understanding of Jesus and why He was born.

c. Contemplate the consequences if Jesus had not been born.

d. Consider the value of the gift of salvation to all other gifts.

4. We will only celebrate Christmas when we realize how lost we were in sin.

In our hopeless and lost condition, God sent His Son to find us and bring us into His family.

5. God’s gift of salvation is His Son. You cannot have salvation without having Jesus as your Savior. You cannot have Jesus as your Savior unless you are willing to turn from your sin. Jesus paid the penalty of your sin on the cross. Are you willing to trust Him as your Savior and live for Him as your Lord?