***********************************************************************************************************************************************
(The Message and the Messenger)
Text: Luke 2:8 -12, John 3:16, 1 John 3:1,
The whole message of Christmas is wrapped up in Christ, God’s greatest gift, who came as a little baby, with one powerful purpose—to die a sacrificial death to save a lost world. Jesus reveals God to us as “the Lord is Salvation, the sovereign God with the sovereign power to save mankind from sin.
If there’s anything that I am thankful for about Christmas is that regardless of what the world is trying to make of it, Jesus Christ is at the center of it all and the world cannot deny this truth. So, whether people celebrate or acknowledge Christmas, the fact is that Christmas is centered around the supernatural announcement, conception, and birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
This is why even with the glitz, glamour, and festivities that surround Christmas, it is a reminder to the world of the birth of a Savior and the glorious and supernatural events that surround his birth are one that still leaves the world in awe and wonder. This is why as believers we have the responsibility not only to Christ but at every opportunity to continue to remind the world of the true purpose of what Christmas really means.
REDEMPTION PLAN – The Message: Christ is the message of Christmas, He is God’s eternal gift to mankind and this gift comes with it. Jesus came to show us the way of the kingdom and how to see and enter it. ( Matt 5:20, John 3)
SALVATION: as stated in Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.”) and good tidings of great joy just as the angel announced to the shepherds
LOVE: The gift of Jesus also comes with it which is undergirded by God’s incredible and marvelous love for us his creation. John 3:16 (God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life), reminds us of the unstoppable Love that God, our Abba Father has had for mankind ever since He created man.
Gift of Salvation and Sacrifice of Jesus
-
- Redemption
- Reconciliation
- Restoration
- Brand New Identity (1 Peter 2:10 Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
- Justification
- Sanctification
- Deliverance
JESUS IS GOD’S PASSCODE FOR REDEMPTION AND HE CAME AT THE RIGHT TIME
The scriptures below further reveal that God had always had man salvation’s in mind (because Jesus came when the time was right) and I believe this has been the case before man ever was formed and even sinned. This is because our God is the all-knowing omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God, hallelujah!
Romans 5:6 TPT “For when the time was right, the Anointed One came and died to demonstrate his love for sinners who were entirely helpless, weak, and powerless to save themselves.”
Romans 5:6 MSG “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready.”
Romans 5:8 MSG “But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.”
Establishment of the 2nd Covenant
(The birth of Jesus marks a pivotal moment in human history because it marked the end of the first covenant and initiated and herald the second covenant God( Hebrews 10:9 AMP “ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant by means of obedience].” God himself came to dwell amongst His creation ( Matthew1:22-23, Isaiah 7: 14)
Hebrews 10:3-10 MSG – The Sacrifice of Jesus
“The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old “law plan” wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone blissfully on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ:
You don’t want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you’ve prepared a body for me for a sacrifice.
It’s not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite. So I said, “I’m here to do it your way, O God, the way it’s described in your Book. ”When he said, “You don’t want sacrifices and offerings,” he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, “I’m here to do it your way,” he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.”
The Messengers – Shepherds – We are Christ Messengers. Go ye and make disciples
In Luke 2:8-12 TLB gives us the account of an Angel appearing to the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus.
“That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. [That night In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for [all the people. 11 For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah). 12 And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest [heaven], And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. 17 And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, 18 and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.”
As believers we now assume the roles of the shepherds mandated with the responsibility to share the Goodnews of Christ to a dying and broken world. Jesus left us with this mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:8 TPT “But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be seized with power. You will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces—even to the remotest places on earth!”
Acts 1:8 AMP “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea,”
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
Matthew 5:13-16 MSG
WE ARE SALT AND LIGHT
13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
CALLED TO BEAR FRUITS – John 15:8
John 15:8 TLB “My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father.”
John 15:8 AMP “My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.”
As Christ disciples, ambadsors and messengers we are called to bear much fruits. As long as we abide in Christ, our mandate is to bear fruits and sharee our love edxperience of Christ with others especially thse who are yet to exdperience the love of Christ.
Jesus is the reason for the season – Merry Christmas 
y’all 
