FOCUS ON CHRIST THIS CHRISTMAS!
Genesis 3:1-15
INTRODUCTION: Often we wonder today if Christmas has anything to do with Jesus Christ! Christmas is supposed to be about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar, is built upon the term Anno Domini or A.D. which is the year of our Lord. B.C. denotes the years before the birth of our Lord. People who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ certainly remember Christ birth because they not only have religion but relationship now with their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. The mystery of the Incarnation: The Word took on flesh! Jesus Christ died so that we might live for all eternity. No one else in all of history has affected our world as our Lord Jesus Christ has.
I. PROPHECIES OF CHRIST’S COMING AUTHENTICATE THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE!
The prophecies of the Word of God show us the fulfillment of God’s plan by sending His Son into the world. There are hundreds of prophesies which extended over hundreds of years which find their complete fulfillment in the short thirty-three-year life span of our Lord Jesus Christ: John 20:30-31; Matthew 26:55-56; Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39; Luke 24:44-49.
II. JESUS CHRIST BIRTH FORETOLD!
Did you know that the place of the Messiah’s birth was foretold 700 years before His birth? Micah 5:2. Did you know that about the same time Micah told us the where of Messiah’s birth, the prophet Isiah told us the how? Isaiah 7:14. Did you know that 1012 years B.C. the Scriptures said that Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced and that whoever pierced His hands and feet would cast lots for His clothing? Psalm 22:15-18. 435 years before His birth Micah said the Messiah would live with the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem: Malachi 3:1. Do you think it only a coincidence that what Zechariah wrote 500 years before Messiah’s birth was fulfilled by Christ? Zechariah 11:11-13 with Matthew 27:3-10. The probability that one man in all of history fulfilling only eight of the sixty major prophecies fulfilled by the life of Jesus Christ would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000. That is one in 10 quadrillion chances. The real problem with Jesus Christ is not that people cannot believe in Him but that they chose not to believe in Him. The very first prophecy given about the coming of Jesus Christ was given 4000 years before His first advent: Genesis 3:1-15. Jesus Christ death is the very means that God used to crush the head of Satan!
III. OTHER PROPHECIES REGARDING THE COMING MESSIAH!
The name to be given to this One that was coming would be “Emmanuel” God with us! Not just a good man or a great teacher, but God with us! Again the place of this coming One who would be called God with us was given 700 years before His birth: Micah 5:2 and the fulfillment of that prophecy is found in Matthew 2:1-19. The word “Bethlehem” in the Hebrew language means “House of Bread!” As we surrender our lives to our Lord He will move heaven and earth to fulfill His plan for our lives just as He did to fulfill His plan for His only begotten Son’s life! 2 Chronicles 16:9. Again Isaiah was used as the prophet of God to tell us the coming Messiah would be born of a virgin! Isaiah 7:14. The fulfillment of that prophecy is found in Luke 1:24-35 and Matthew 1:18-25. Our prayer today for you is that you will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is “God with us!” We pray today that you will personally receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and allow Him to transform your life from the inside out! John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10,13; Romans 12:1-2; Isaiah 44:6-8.