Come, Let Us Adore Him

1. The Christmas Story: A Tale of Hope and Redemption

The Christmas story is the story of stories.

A narrative beyond imagination. The Christmas story is not merely a heartwarming tale, but a mind-boggling, divine intervention in human history. It's a story that defies human logic and imagination, pointing to the existence of God and His holy character.

God's response to brokenness. This story unfolds in a world broken and groaning under the weight of sin. Instead of condemnation, God chose intervention and rescue. He did what philosophers could never conceive, leaders could never strategize, and poets could never imagine - He became the greatest, most costly, most transformational gift ever.

The ultimate love story. The Christmas story reveals God's patient and forgiving love. It tells of a Messiah who came to suffer because He came to save. This narrative of divine love and sacrifice stands as an eternal affirmation of God's commitment to redeem and restore humanity.

2. Jesus: The Ultimate Gift of Grace to Humanity

Jesus is the grace of God, given to sinners who cannot free themselves from the death grip of sin.

The embodiment of grace. Jesus is not just a bearer of grace; He is grace personified. His birth, life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate expression of God's unmerited favor towards humanity.

A solution to human inability. The coming of Jesus addresses our fundamental inability to rescue ourselves from sin. He is the divine solution to our human problem, offering forgiveness, transformation, and deliverance.

The ultimate gift. Christ's coming demonstrates that:

• God was not willing to leave us in our desperate state
• His response to our rebellion is love, not judgment
• He chose to give Himself to those who could never deserve His favor

3. The Incarnation: God's Response to Human Sin

Sin causes us all to live as self-appointed self-sovereigns.

The root of human problems. Sin is not just about wrong actions; it's a condition of our nature that affects every aspect of our being. It causes us to:

• Put ourselves at the center of our world
• Focus excessively on our wants, feelings, and perceived needs
• Desire control over things we can never control
• Want to write our own rules without consequences

God's radical solution. The incarnation of Jesus is God's response to this universal human condition. By becoming human, Christ:

• Exposed Himself to the full range of human brokenness
• Lived a perfect life in our place
• Died to pay the penalty for our sin
• Rose to conquer death and offer new life

The path to true freedom. Recognizing and submitting to God's sovereignty isn't a loss of freedom; it's the only path to true human freedom. Jesus came to liberate us from self-rule and welcome us into His kingdom of wisdom, grace, and love.

4. Christ's Birth: Fulfillment of Prophecy and Promise

All the promises of the prophets were carried on the shoulders of the One born in Bethlehem, and he fulfilled them all.

A long-awaited event. The birth of Jesus wasn't an unexpected occurrence but the culmination of centuries of prophecy and divine planning. Specific prophecies included:

• His birthplace in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
• His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14)
• His lineage from Abraham (Genesis 22:18)
• His calling out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1)

God's faithfulness demonstrated. The fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus' birth serves as a powerful testament to God's faithfulness. It shows that:

• God keeps His promises, no matter how long it takes
• His plans are unstoppable and precise
• We can trust in His future promises based on His past faithfulness

A guarantee of future hope. The surety of these past prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus is also our guaranteed future hope. God is still working His unstoppable plan in our lives and will not rest until all that was prophesied is fully realized in the lives of every one of His children.

5. The Humility of Jesus: From Sovereign to Servant

Jesus "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped."

The shocking humility of Christ. The incarnation displays an astounding level of divine humility:

• The Creator took on the form of the created
• The Lord of all became a servant
• The King of kings submitted to human authority
• The Owner of everything lived with virtually nothing

Motivated by love. This radical humility wasn't driven by anything in us, but by the pure love and grace within Christ Himself. His willingness to leave glory and take on human form is the definition of sacrificial love.

Our source of hope. Christ's humility is our hope because:

• It unleashed God's glory upon us
• It guaranteed our eternal future with Him
• It enables us to approach God with confidence, knowing He will never turn us away

6. Christmas: A Celebration of God's Love and Forgiveness

The Christmas story is about grace in its most shocking and surprising form.

A story of undeserved favor. The Christmas narrative is fundamentally about God's grace - His unmerited favor towards those who have rebelled against Him. This grace is:

• Shocking in its extent (God becomes human)
• Surprising in its recipients (sinners and rebels)
• Transformative in its effects (from death to life)

The violence of grace. The grace of Christmas involves a kind of violence:

• It destroys our self-oriented kingdoms
• It decimates our illusions of self-sufficiency
• It breaks down the barriers between us and God

An invitation to new life. Christmas celebrates that:

• God deals with us not in judgment, but in mercy
• We are freed from the bondage of sin and self
• We are welcomed into God's kingdom of life and light

7. The Transformative Power of Christ's Birth, Life, and Death

Jesus lived to die. He died so we'd live.

A life with purpose. Every moment of Jesus' life, from His birth to His death, was focused on His mission of redemption. He came to:

• Live the perfect life we couldn't live
• Die the death we deserved
• Rise to conquer sin and death on our behalf

The power of substitution. Christ's work as our substitute means:

• He took our place under God's judgment
• He credits us with His righteousness
• We receive life through His death

From death to life. The transformative power of Christ's work moves us:

• From spiritual death to spiritual life
• From slavery to sin to freedom in Christ
• From objects of wrath to children of God

8. Jesus: The Answer to Humanity's Deepest Needs

Jesus is all we need.

Meeting our fundamental needs. Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 9:6-7) reveals how Jesus meets our deepest needs:

• As Wonderful Counselor, He rescues us from foolishness
• As Mighty God, He empowers us in our inability
• As Everlasting Father, He welcomes us into God's family
• As Prince of Peace, He establishes righteous rule in our hearts

The ultimate solution. Jesus is:

• The way to restored relationship with God
• The truth that sets us free from deception
• The life that conquers our spiritual death

A comprehensive salvation. In Christ, we receive:

• Wisdom to understand God and His ways
• Righteousness to stand before God
• Sanctification to grow in holiness
• Redemption from the power and penalty of sin

9. The Christmas Story: An Invitation to New Life

The birth of Jesus is God acting radically in human history to give life to dead people.

From death to life. The Christmas story is fundamentally about bringing life to those who are spiritually dead. This involves:

• Awareness of our condition (dead in sin)
• Divine intervention (God's initiative in sending Christ)
• Miraculous transformation (from death to life)

An invitation to feast. The birth of Jesus is an invitation to the ultimate spiritual feast:

• Jesus is the Bread of Life that satisfies our deepest hunger
• He offers living water that quenches our spiritual thirst
• His grace provides a banquet that fills our emptiness

A new beginning. Christmas celebrates that in Christ:

• We are born again to new life
• We receive power to live as God intended
• We are invited into an eternal relationship with God

Last updated: September 30, 2024