This is the manuscript of the sermon of the first Sunday of December as we begin the celebration of the birth of Immanuel...God with us.
Galatians 4:4-5 NLT But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
What if there hadn’t been that FIRST Christmas? Have you ever thought about that? What if Jesus had never been born? What if God was still waiting to send His only begotten Son to the earth? What if the “the right time hadn’t come yet?
As you ponder these questions, consider these two points.
On that first Christmas the World was Ready
And on the first Christmas Jesus Was Ready
Scripture Reading:
Luke 2:1-11 NLT At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Text:
Galatians 4:4-5 NLT But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Introduction
We are Christians because someone told us about the wonderful deeds of God revealed in the life, death, and living presence of Jesus Christ.
We are the recipients of the blessings of our faith because somebody told us the story of the gospel.
It started with the shepherds who left the stable with a story to tell.
Luke 2:16-17 NLT They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
After Jesus' resurrection the apostles and disciples went everywhere spreading the gospel.
Acts 2:42-47 NIV They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
But I have a question. What if there was no Christmas?
Now I know it’s not easy to forget Christmas these days because for many of us the credit card companies will keep reminding us for months to come, that there really was a Christmas.
BUT what if there hadn’t been that FIRST Christmas? Have you ever thought about that? What if Jesus had never been born? What if God was still waiting to send His only begotten Son to the earth? What if the “fullness of time hadn’t come yet?
There are 2 things I want us to look at today
On that first Christmas the World was Ready
And on the first Christmas Jesus Was Ready
Our text says " at the right time other versions or translations say “In the fullness of time”. Let’s talk about in the fullnes of time for a few minutes.
There was four hundred years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament … between Malachi & Matthew. There were no Prophets … no Scripture was written … Heaven seemed silent. I believe that during these 400 years God was preparing the world for the coming of His Son, Jesus.
God was preparing the world so that WHEN Jesus came, the Gospel could be spread throughout the entire world. God spent these “silent” four hundred years preparing HISTORY for the birth of Jesus.
How did God He do that?
1.- God Used the Greeks
Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, and the Greeks started ruling over the Jews in 333 BC. When the Greeks established their vast empire, the Greek language became the universal language. Everybody knew a little Greek. They read and wrote Greek. All legal documents were in Greek. So when Jesus is born, everybody can hear about it because there’s a universal language.
When someone goes to Bible College today, they study Greek. Why? Because the New Testament is written in Greek.
John 19:19-20 NLT And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
Everybody knew a little Greek like everybody everywhere knows a little English today. So, the Disciples and early Christians could take the message of Jesus to the entire world BECAUSE there was a UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, Greek.
2.- God Used the Greeks and God also Used the Romans
In 63 BC, the Romans conquered the Greeks.
When the Romans took power, there was one government over much of the developed world. There was no need for Passports no fear of going into enemy territory no fear of wars to avoid. The Romans also built a great road system for that time so people could travel easily to spread the Gospel. There was a saying “All roads lead to Rome.” Roman roads were everywhere.
God used the Greeks; He used the Romans and He continued to use the Jews as He had for four thousand years to spread the truth that there was only one GOD.
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the world was a Pagan world. The GREEKS had their many gods & goddesses. The ROMANS had their many gods & goddesses. The ROMANS even brought to the world the idea of worshipping a MAN. Caesar said that he should be worshipped as a god.
Amid thousands of petty gods, God had been preparing the world through the Jews that there was only ONE God. The Jews also proclaimed to the world that a MESSIAH would come, to save the world from their sins.
Isaiah 53:5-6 NLT But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
Yes, we know that most of the Jews especially the religious leaders didn’t recognize that the Messiah that they were looking for and talking about had come in Jesus, because they were looking and hoping for a military leader, but that is beside the point. God still used them to announce that the Messiah was coming.
There was now a universal LANGUAGE, a universal PEACE a universal ROAD SYSTEM the concept of ONE GOD and a MESSIAH. The world was now ready for Jesus!
II. JESUS WAS ALSO READY.
Jesus was ready to come to earth!
Do you know what it’s like to move? I’ve moved eleven times since I finished High School. The packing, leaving your old home, getting your new home ready, getting the utilities turned on, getting the internet set up, getting the mail forwarded. Changes must be made for a new job, a new city, a new neighborhood, new friends a new church home. It’s quite an ordeal, and at times a very stressful ordeal.
Now just think of the CHANGE that Jesus had to make coming from Heaven to earth!
Philippians 2:6-8 NLT Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
He left His Royal Throne in Heaven … for a feeding trough in a lowly stable.
He left the fellowship of God the Father … to live among disease, crime, and sin.
He left the Royal Palaces of Heaven to travel dusty roads with no home to call His own.
He left the work of creation to die on a tree He created.
He left the splendor of Heaven knowing His destiny was the lowly Hill of Golgotha there to lay down His life for you and me.
He left it all to become “God in the flesh”.
Jesus becoming “God in the flesh” is a profound mystery we'll never fully understand this side of heaven, but when Jesus was born, God Himself came to live among us. Jesus was God in human flesh! The Bible says,
Colossians 1:19-20 NLT For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
The time had come Jesus was to make His move from Heaven to earth.
Galatians 4:4-5 NLT But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Matthew 1:22-23 NLT All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
After four hundred years of silence, God was about to speak once again. BUT this time, He would send His Son not another Prophet.
Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.
JESUS was ready the WORLD was ready GOD was ready.
BUT, I ask again what if that first Christmas never happened, what if Jesus HADN’T come more than two thousand years ago? What if “the fullness of time” had not come?
WELL….
1.- It wouldn’t be the year 2022 AD … BUT … the Jewish year 5781. (Yes, I calculated it)
2.- There would be no Christian Holidays and there would be fewer holidays, of any kind to celebrate.
There would be no CHRISTMAS … no tree, Christmas presents … no New Testament … no Church … no Christmas meal. There would be no need for us to be having this service because there would be no birth of Jesus.
There would be no EASTER. There would be no RESURRECTION DAY, because there would be no birth of Jesus.
There would be no THANKSGIVING because the Pilgrims were Christians.
There would be no MOTHER’S DAY or FATHER’S DAY because they started in the Christian Church.
There would be no America and the United States of America – Christopher Columbus was a Christian on a religious quest to discover new lands for Christ.
3.- We would still be under the Old Testament Law of Moses.
If we wanted to worship God, those of us who were not Jews would have to convert to the Jewish faith, as Jewish proselytes. We would be offering animal sacrifices, travel to Jerusalem three times a year for Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles.
4.- We wouldn’t have fellowship with God the Father.
In the Old Testament times, there was no concept of a “Heavenly Father”. It was JESUS who gave the Disciples the concept of a personal relationship with God the Father.
When the Disciples heard Jesus pray to God, as a FATHER, they said: “Teach us to pray like that!” … “Our Father …” In Old Testament times, they looked on God as a stern judge.
When Jesus saw Mary in the garden after His resurrection
John 20:17 NLT “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
CONCLUSION:
If there had not been the FIRST CHRISTMAS, we, like the Apostle Paul said, would be of all men, most miserable!
1 Corinthians 15:19-20 NLT And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
BUT thank and praise God … there WAS a FIRST Christmas. Jesus WAS born more than two thousand years ago. Jesus DID come to bring us salvation. That’s why we celebrate Christmas.
I want to end with a prayer I read yesterday.
Prayer
When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with the flocks, then the work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, to heal those broken in spirit, to feed the hungry, to release the oppressed, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all peoples, to make a little music with the heart. And to radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say. Then the work of Christmas begins.
In Jesus name. Amen
Why is this important? The reason is because only a divine Savior could save us from our sins -- and He did, by becoming the final and complete sacrifice for our sins through His death on the cross. And by His resurrection He proved that He was indeed who He claimed to be: God in human flesh.
Don't turn your back on Him, but by faith welcome Him into your heart and life today.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 NLT If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Sermon Audio
