A Child is Born                                 Isaiah 9:6-9

In a few days we will be celebrating the birth of this child Isaiah talks about. The birth of a child born into a poor family, the birth of a child that is celebrated by heaven’s host of angels who proclaimed in Luke 2: 11, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the Lord.” the birth of a child that brings love into the world.

As we get close to this blessed event it will be good for us in preparation to look at why this baby needed to be born. Some of this you have heard me say before but it never is a bad thing to refresh it in our minds.

Almost from the moment God created men we have done things against his wishes. We were cast out of Eden because we listened to the deceiver. God flooded the earth because sin had become so prevalent. Yet out of a deep love he saved a remnant of humanity so future generations would know his mercy.

Things were ok now, right? Not really. Israel as a nation started to go against God and he let them know bondage in Egypt. Yet when he honored his promise to lead them out he did so by putting the entire nation under his grace. Do you know the Bible does not record a single death during the Exodus; not the old, not the infirm, not the young, not one. And when the people demanded water, God gave them sweet water from a rock. When they grumbled about food he gave them manna. And men still didn’t get it. They didn’t understand that they couldn’t on their own do all God asked and they boasted at Mt Sinai in Exodus 19, “We will do everything the Lord says, and more.” So God gave men the Ten Commandments.

The Commandments show us without question what God wants from us but God knew we would never be able to keep the spirit of his law, he knew we would need help, and he had a plan. Through the prophets of the Old Testament; Isaiah, Zechariah, Jeremiah, Mica, God told us his plan, a savior is coming to redeem us, to heal us, to contend with men’s sins once and for all time.

This week we are celebrating the anniversary of the fulfillment of the prophets, the birth of God’s son, our savior Christ Jesus. On that day over 2000 years ago the history of the world changed. Men no longer need to fear God’s punishment for our sin; we are no longer condemned by not keeping the law perfectly. I don’t mean we have permission to go out and sin we need to live as best as we can by God’s law but when we slip, as believers our salvation is secure. Romans 6:14, “For sin shall no longer be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

Because of our belief and trust in Jesus as Lord and savior we are given the gift of God’s grace and mercy, but what does that really mean? God’s grace – he is giving us something we don’t deserve,     salvation, God’s mercy – he is not treating us as we deserve, punishment for our sins.

Jesus birth and later his death, construct the 180* turn in our relationship with God and the Bible gives us examples of this turn so we will know it is true.

If you look at the Bible, for every first in the Old Testament there is usually a first counterpoint in the New Testament. Do you know what the first question in the Bible is? It’s in Genesis 3 right after man’s first sin, Genesis 3:9, “The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” And the first question in the New Testament is spoken by the Magi in Matthew 2:2, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” The first question of the Old Testament deals with man’s fall and the first question in the New Testament deal with our salvation.

In the Old Testament the first miracle of Moses is when he turns the river from water to blood,     bringing death. And in the New Testament, Jesus first miracle? In John 2 Jesus turns water into wine. The first miracle of Moses was a punishment for those who went against God. The first miracle of Jesus is a celebration. The new family formed at the wedding and the life together that follows represent our new relationship and family with God, a relationship that goes on forever from the moment of its creation.

My last example also starts in Exodus. In Exodus 32 Moses comes down from the mountain where he was with God and he saw the people running around and worshiping a golden calf idol. Moses called the Levites to him, Exodus 32:27-28, “This is what the God of Israel says, ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp…each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’ The Levites did as Moses commanded and that day about three thousand of the people died.”

In the New Testament Book of Acts on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, Peter addresses a crowd and in Acts 2:41 it tells us, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

Worshiping false gods brings pain and death. By our faith in Christ God sends his Holy Spirit and we are given life eternal.

These are a few examples that show that before Jesus God held us accountable. Exodus 37:7 says that even among God’s chosen people  “…he does not leave the guilty unpunished…” But after this birth we can see the change in our relationship with God. As his people it tells us in Hebrews 8:12, “For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.”

This birth we are about to celebrate truly has changed the world by changing man’s relationship with Almighty God. This birth takes the law covenant between God and men; the covenant that relied on our abilities and replaced it with a covenant of grace and mercy between God and believers. It does this by taking away the requirement of our actions and replaces it with God’s actions; Jesus birth, death and resurrection. And we know this is truth for it is written in Hebrews 8:13, “By calling this covenant “new” he has made the first one obsolete and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

Celebrate this birth of a child 2000 years ago. Put in your heart those attributes Jesus brought with his birth, those attributes we have looked at these past weeks of Advent.

Put in your heart “hope.” A Christian hope that is a trust in God’s promises and the commitment to live as closely to God as we can.

Put in your heart “peace.” The peace that comes from knowing God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to earth to do what we could not. The peace that comes from knowing through our faith we are family with Almighty God. The peace that comes from knowing nothing can make God abandon us and our eternity in heaven is secure.

Put in your heart “joy.” That true Christian joy that comes from living a life of faith in Christ. The joy that comes from living a life dedicated to God. The joy that comes from working for our fellow men simply because they need help. The joy that infuses your heart when your acts give praise and honor to God.

Put in your heart “love.” Romans 5:8, “but God shows his great love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Christian love is a love of forgiveness, Christian love is a love of charity, and Christian love is putting others ahead of ourselves as Jesus put us ahead of himself at the cross. Christian love is keeping God and his ways in our hearts, living out his word and ideals while not forgetting everyone has the ability to be redeemed and saved through Christ. Christian love is not turning our backs on others but showing them God in our lives.

Celebrate this birth for as Paul wrote in Romans 5:11, “…rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Celebrate.

God bless.

Merry Christmas.