CH R I S T M A S   D A Y  (WHO IS JESUS?)

 

We have come to that glorious day in Church calendar, and the greatest day of the year for so many people. Millions of people across the world in all nations, in all cultures and race will celebrate on that day. Churches will have larger congregations of people who will never on any other occasion cross a Church doorstep.  The majority of people will not have a clue of what they are celebrating, thinking it was just time for celebrating holiday time.

Christmas time is a time for celebration, and the reason for doing so, will be to celebrate the birth of the One who became the greatest and unique man who ever lived, and the humblest one.

This should cause us to enjoy he time and pleasure of engaging in things we would not be normally doing, but this is subject to, giving primary attention to the real meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ.

There will however, be so many young people who will not know who Jesus was.  The parents may not know either, and those that do, will  have no inclination to tell them. Whereas, the schools used to have a period or assembly, in which the Christian faith was taught; now education seems dominated by compulsory teaching on sexuality.

I have chosen to speak this Christmas time on the subject of-- who is Jesus?  I pray that all of any age, who do not know the answer, will come to know and will follow Jesus, by letting Him into your life. Jesus is  more than a picture on a Church glass window.

Turning to the gospel of Matthew in Chapter 16, Jesus is asking His Apostles, who do people say I am?  They told Him, some people say you are John the Baptist, others say you are the prophets Elijah or Jeremiah. Jesus then said, who do you say I am? The Apostle Peter replied, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Jesus was pleased with the answer and blessed Peter, saying ‘You are blessed Simon because my Father in heave revealed this to you.  You, did not learn this from any human being. You are Peter (which means rock) and upon this rock I will build my Church, and all the powers of Hell shall not conquer it'.  He asked  the Apostles not to tell anyone who He was, as it may interfere with His ministry.

Here then is Jesus, the most famous and greatest man in all history, who is as well known and spoken about now,as He was 2023 years ago.  Time is based on His birth, as the years are marked as A D. (anno Domino) the system spread throughout Europe and the Christian world during the centuries that followed. AD stands for Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord”, while BC stands for “before Christ”.

  The Bible is all about Christ, from the prophecies and preparation in the Old Testament, to the birth, ministry, crucifixion on the Cross, death and resurrection, and ascension, and notice that He will return to judge the world, in The New Testament.

He was born in the most humblest way in Bethlehem, to a young girl who lived in a small Jewish village. (When God wants His work to be done He often chose a person of low stature so that it will be done well.)  God was His Father by means of the Holy Spirit, and his earthly Father was Mary’s husband Joseph, who was born in the line of David, Israel’s great King, as was foretold by Old Testament prophets.  (Some Jews wrongly, called Jesus as son of David).

Jesus according to Jewish culture, at the appointed time of eight days after birth, was taken to the Temple to be circumcised, and was greeted by Simeon. A devout servant of God whose life was based on welcoming the Messiah, recognized Jesus would be hat person.  He warned Mary her child was chosen by God to do wonderful things, but he would be opposed by many and a sword would break her heart.

 A prophet named Anna, an elderly lady who spent her life  worshipping God in the Temple, was present, and when Jesus appeared she rejoiced praising God, and spoke to everyone waiting to greet the expected child.

Jesus grew without any education, and eventually worked in Joseph carpenter’s business, in Nazareth, until it was time to start God’s work.

Jesus met John the Baptist, and was baptized by Him, which John thought unnecessary as he was the Son of God. When the Baptist was complete, a voice was heard from heaven, which said 'this was my beloved Son who brings me great joy.'  Jesus chose to be baptized to display the human side of His life, in which He had the same feelings of tiredness, weariness, hunger, that we do.    His ministry began after the baptism.

Jesus was in the Temple, when a woman was accused by the Pharisees of committing adultery, which they considered to necessitate stoning.  Her accusers asked Jesus if He thought she should be stoned, and He just wrote in some sand , and said 'let the first one who has not sinned throw the first stone.'  The accusers left, and Jesus told the woman He forgave her and she should sin no more.

His healing power was given to many people; he enabled the blind to see; the  deaf to hear, He raised some dead people back to life. He ccured lepers .

He exercised His power to control the weather, to walk on water, to turn water into wine, and other miracles were performed.

Jesus described Himself in seven different ways, using the prefix 'I am'. He said He was the way, the truth and the life. And the only way to God.

He stated he was the vine on which grapes grew.  He was teaching that the vine which produced much fruit if, properly cared for, and those who were committed to follow Him would be fruitful, and those who rejected Him were like  dead branches which would be destroyed.

He was the door to the sheepfold, and anyone entering would be saved. Anyone entering another way would be an intruder.  He was  the only way to salvation.

He was the good shepherd who was prepared to give his life to protect the sheep. He was prepared to be the shepherd who would die to save each one of us.

He was the light of the world, and all who followed Him will have the light of life. He offers a choice between the darkness of sin and the light of a life in His presence,

He was the resurrection and the life, and all who believe in Him though they die, shall live and never die as He raised Lazarus.

Jesus told His Apostles He and God the Father were one. He said, he who sees the Son has seen the Father.  He also said, the Father and I are one.  He was God in the flesh, and can be named as God. They were equal in many ways, and God had given Him authority to rule over both earth, and heaven.

From all these facts, it will be apparent to all people, that no one has existed to equal in the smallest way, the one and uniquely only Jesus Christ. God on earth, about whom books have been written, academics have discussed in the most exclusive Universities, plays and films have been made, musicals have been sung about him, Jesus the Christ, superstar, are you the one they say you are.

You may be touched by any of the Lord’s accomplishments, but above all, remember and never forget, this Jesus came to earth, knowing His task was to die a horribly cruel death on the Cross, in order that you, whoever you are reading this sermon, are given the chance to earn yourself a place in heaven.  God in His free grace, has promised that all who commit themselves to follow Jesus, and live in obedience to His teaching, will be granted salvation through Jesus, and will have eternal life with Him.  Those who reject Jesus, will follow a life in darkness, which is hell.

 

May God bless His Holy Word to our hearts, and may His Holy Name be praised