Mysteries And Miracles Of Christmas - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

You've heard me say this many times, and if you haven't, this is the first time for you. His last name's not Christ, okay? It's not like his mailbox says Jesus Christ. He's part of the Christ family.

He's not. Christ is his title. He's Messiah. Christos means Messiah. He is Yeshua, the Messiah. That's who he is.

And that's what he tells him. But notice, he is also Kurios, he's Lord. So we see again this uniqueness that Jesus Christ has, a complete uniqueness. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt.

Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. What do people think when they first saw him?

Not much. Remember the line, what good could come out of Nazareth? It wasn't like, have you seen him?

No. It says he was despised, forsaken. Now, you'd wonder after all these love letters that God sent over all that period of time telling you the uniqueness of him, born of a virgin, sent from God.

They couldn't wait to see him, but they didn't. So here's what happens, verse 4. Surely our griefs he himself bore and our sorrows he carried, yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

What's that mean? When they finally crucified him, they were glad they did. They thought he got exactly what he deserved from God and them.

Wow. He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening of our well-being fell upon him and by his scourging we are healed because all of us, like lost sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned his own way. But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.

Now, when you and I read that, what do you think of? The cross, right? But when Isaiah wrote it, there wasn't any crucifixions.

He's just telling you what's going to happen. He had no idea. He didn't see the cross. He described it perfectly, but there were no crucifixions in his frame of mind. So now we know how he's going to do this.

He's going to die as a substitute. That's going to fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 3. So.

I guess the best way to look at it. What are the odds of this happening? We can't even estimate it. A mathematician not that long ago decided with a computer to help him. He wanted to figure out what would the odds be of 60 prophecies concerning Christ coming to pass? 60. There's 300.

60. He said the odds of 60 prophecies coming to pass is one in one plus 157 zeros after. Can you even think what that number would be? I mean, six zeros is a million. Nine, a billion.

One hundred and fifty seven zeros after it. That's the odds. What that at least should make us think is what an event. What an amazing event this is.

How did this happen? You see, there's a mystery and a miracle to this. And what's amazing is, in spite of all these things, when he showed up like the man from Welles did and knocked on the door of the hearts of the people, they rejected him. Just like today, people reject him.

So here we are, 2000 years later. And how does the world deal with something so phenomenally supernatural and amazing as the birth of Christ? How do you deal with it?

I mean, it's been in Western culture, so how does the world deal with it? Well, how about Santa Claus? That's the way to deal with it. We'll just have Santa Claus. We'll try that, see how that works. And we'll decorate. Let's put up a lot of decorations.

That'd be good. Let's shop till we drop. Let's just shop. And now we can shop online. I mean, come on, let's just do it. Let's just do all the shop. Let's have let's have parties.

Let's get drunk. I mean, that's a great way to celebrate it, isn't it? No, we just substitute anything we can.

The event's too big to ignore, so we just make substitutions. Now, my prayer for all the people I know that only see it that way is sort of they become like the Grinch, who's one of the great Christmas characters, isn't he? And I remember the Grinch. You remember as it got on in the story and near the end, it said that the Grinch thought of something that he hadn't thought of before. He said, what if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas perhaps means more? It does mean more.

It means a lot. You see, the question comes down to who is he? When you start thinking of a virgin giving birth, God sending his son, the hypostasis of Christ, the unique characteristics of him, this is an event of enormous mystery and miracle.

But we are so familiar with it, we don't really think about it very much. Well, he was born in Bethlehem and all that. I want you to see how the New Testament sort of handles the same kind of idea. Come with me to Hebrews chapter two, the book of Hebrews chapter two. Verse six.

By the way, this is a verse that is very encouraging to me in a strangest sort of way. The writer of Hebrews is pure genius. He is an expert in the Old Testament, no doubt. He quotes so many quotes.

I believe it's Apollos who was mighty in the Old Testament scriptures. But the idea is, I love what he writes in verse six. He says, But one has testified somewhere saying, you ever talked to someone that way? Look, it's in the Bible.

I'm not sure where, but it's in there somewhere. That's what he does. He said someone has testified somewhere.

You've got to love that. And he's quoting the Psalms. Psalm eight. He says, What is man that you should remember him with the son of man that you are concerned about him? You have made him a little lower than the angels.

That's us. You have crowned him with glory and honor and have appointed him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet. So we have mankind and the son of man. The son of man is a little lower than the angels. The Jesus who was born in Bethlehem is a little lower than the angels. Now, he's also the son of God, the creator of angels. So as it goes on here, it says, He says, For in subjecting all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not see all the things that are subjected to him. But what we do see is as who was made a little lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. And it was fitting for him for whom are all things and through whom are all things and bringing many sons of glory to perfect the author and the salvation through sufferings. He tells us there what he's going to do again. But notice he's a little bit lower than the angels. But he's going to save the human race.

That's what he says there. He's going to save, offer the salvation for everyone. Now, remember, when the angel told Mary she was going to conceive a child, what did she say? What did the angel say to Mary?

How to name him? You're going to call his name in the English Bible, Jesus. OK, she didn't call him Jesus. I mean, she called him Yeshua. OK, and Yeshua is the beginning is Yahweh. That's the I am who I am God out of Exodus three and the Ua at the end of it is mean saves and it means God saves. You're going to call him God saves.

When the angel spoke to Joseph, what he told Joseph. You're going to name him Yeshua. In other words, what's he here for? He's here to save mankind. Now, it's a little bit different when he spoke to the shepherds in the field, he said, a savior who is Christ, he says, the Lord. So they he adds that he says to the shepherds, the one who is going to be born is going to be notice what he said. He's going to be the savior, but he's also going to be Christ, the Lord.

You've heard me say this many times, and if you haven't, this is the first time for you. His last name is not Christ. OK, just it's not like his mailbox says Jesus Christ. He's part of the Christ family. He's not Christ is his title. He's Messiah.

Christos means Messiah. He is Yeshua, the Messiah. That's who he is. And that's what he tells him.

But notice he is also curious. He's Lord. So we see again this uniqueness. That Jesus Christ has a complete uniqueness. The other question is, where did he come from? You know, and I said earlier, that's an interesting question, because babies always come from.

Mothers, right? That's where your baby comes. We all know where a baby comes from.

But not this one. He said a child is born, a son is given. So look over to verse 14 of Hebrews 2. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood.

That's interesting. One thing you can count on all kids. They're all flesh and blood, right? Doesn't matter. Every person ever born in this on this planet are flesh and blood.

Watch what he says here, though. Therefore, since children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same. And to add that he partook of the same is Jesus truly flesh and blood? Yes.

Yes, he is. He partook of that. It's the uniqueness of Jesus. And he says so that through death, he might render powerless him who had power over death, that that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. He was born to die. Any of you ever had that as your wish for your child? I have one goal for my child.

Just one. He's born to die. Now he will die. That's not why he's born.

And he's going to die young, somewhere between 30 and 33. That's the only reason Jesus came was to die. That's his mission. His mission is to die for mankind.

Now, it's an interesting thing, and it's really for us. Notice what the next verse says. He said, For surely he does not give help to angels.

Jesus didn't come to help the angelic realm. But he gives help to, he said, the descendants of Abraham. And according to Paul and Romans, that's all believers.

That's why he came. God sent these love letters for all this time, telling us he was going to come and solve our problem. The motivation behind it is John 3 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, a son is given.

Result that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. It's as simple as the gospel could be. The question you have a right to ask is, are you sure? You see, are you sure? And if you have a religious bent, oh, boy, makes it worse. That can't be it.

It can't be that. You can't just say Jesus came and died and whosoever believes you're right with God. Yes, I can, because it's the truth. Now, notice what it says in verse 17. Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God. Now watch to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

That's what he did. What's the word propitiation mean? That's a big theological word. You know, it means satisfaction. It means when Jesus died, was God, this holy great God, satisfied?

Yes. He made satisfaction. How do you know he was satisfied and doesn't want more from us? He raised them from the dead. He said he made propitiation. That's why scripture, this scripture in Hebrew says he died what? Once for all.

There's no more you can add to this. He died once and he died for all. He existed in the splendor of light. He goes into the realm of darkness. He's the son of God and he's the son of man.

That's what happened here. I love what David Jeremiah wrote. David Jeremiah writes this. He said, Who is this one that is born? He is Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels. And where did he come from? He came from heaven. And that makes his birth different than any birth in the history of the universe. No wonder we celebrate the mystery of the season. He was the only his was the only birth that was not the beginning of a life.

That's amazing when you think about it. He had life. He had existed long before he was born into humanity. And that is what separates the Christian gospel from every other philosophy or religion you've ever heard. Every religion and philosophy, apart from Christian gospel, is a religion or philosophy, not about God coming down to us, but about us somehow we have to reach up to God. Well, that couldn't be clear because we can't reach up to God and we don't have to because he reached down to us.

There's one last great mystery here, though. And I love what he said in. Verse 16, when he said, For surely he does not give help to angels, but he gives help to the descendants of Abraham. He's not just talking in a past tense or a future tense or a point action like an heiress tense at the cross. He said he's here to give us help, obviously at the cross, but to give us help in every other way.

How do you know? Back to his name in Isaiah seven. His name's Immanuel. His name is God with us.

This becomes so important to you and I. Go with me now to Hebrews 13, Hebrews chapter 13. Verse five and six. He's summing up all things in the book and he says, make sure that your character is free from the love of money.

That'd be a sermon in and of itself, wouldn't it? Just think of that. Think of the people he wrote that to.

They're pretty much impoverished. Just imagine writing that to us. I mean, isn't the American way the love of money? I mean, but he says, look, don't do that. But he goes on then and he says this, being content with what you have. Why?

For he himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you. Now, why can I be content with what I have? Because I have everything.

I have him. When? Always. For how long? Forever. In what circumstances?

All circumstances. I should be content in everything in my life simply because I have him. Now watch what he says. He said, being content in what you have, for he himself said, I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you. So that result that we confidently say, the Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me? So it isn't even just the cross. Hey, I'm pretty happy and hope you are, too, that because of the cross and I believe in Jesus Christ died for my sins that I have heaven in my future and in eternity with God.

That's wonderful. But what about today? You see, what do I have today? I have Emmanuel, God with us.

Notice what he says the result is. The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. Does that describe you? That's an important thing.

What about political upheaval? Are you afraid? Why would I be? The Lord is my helper. What about COVID-19? Are you afraid?

Why would I be afraid? The Lord is my helper. He's never going to leave me or forsake me.

What about a terrible prognosis? Stage four. Oh, you have to hear those two words. The Lord is my helper. He's right here. He's never going to leave me or forsake me. He's right here. What about war?

What about all the crime? Am I afraid? How many times in Jesus' life did he say to his own disciples, fear not? What are you afraid of? The boat's going down. The boat's going down. What are you afraid of?

I told you the boat's going to the other side. What are you afraid of? Fear not. You see, Emmanuel means I don't have to fear.

See, it's not like Jesus died on the sins ascended to heaven and he's up there and I hope someday I'll go be with him. He's right here. God with us. He'll never leave me. He'll never forsake me. The circumstances can't change that.

I don't have to live in fear because of God being with me. That's what he is telling us over and over again. That's why he says the word never. If Jesus tells you never, just believe him.

He means never. He'll never leave you nor forsake you. That's sort of the greatness of the mystery and the miracle of Christmas to me. God is with us. Send his son to die for us, that's wonderful, but he's also with us and he can truly identify with us.

That's what the book of Hebrews is about. He says, look, I know what it's like to be human. I know what it's like to be tempted. I know what it's like to be tired. See, I know what it's like to be hungry. I know what it's like to suffer physically. I know these things. I was one of you. That's wonderful empathy on our part.

Christ is Emmanuel, God with us, but it's also true that he's in us, just as much of a truth, so much to celebrate. But if you don't grab that at all and you don't understand at all, you know what you'll do? You'll put up your lights and hope for Santa and have a good time with your family, and then it'll end. That's one of the things I most hated about Christmas as a kid. They always say, I can't wait for Christmas Day, but about 8.30 in the morning, it was over for me. I had opened everything. That's it.

That's it. It's over, but that shouldn't be for us at all. These truths are truths that are with us every single day. The mysteries and miracles of Christmas make it one of the most unique and wonderful times of the year. God brought all this about to offer mankind the greatest gift that he could ever receive, the gift of salvation. And all because God wanted to demonstrate to man and to you and me just how much he loves us.

That's why this all happened. That's what Christmas is about. Let's pray. Father, we, I know for myself, so often I just sort of forget the unbelievable magnitude of a virgin giving a child, that you give your son from heaven, that it becomes Jesus Christ, that he's born as a baby of flesh and blood, and he lives among us. He lives a perfect life, and he dies as our substitute on the cross, that he is actually God with us. Father, I pray for myself and for these folks as we celebrate this season, let's celebrate the magnitude of it, the mystery of it, the miracles of it, and make this Christmas a Christmas where we focus on the reason for this season. Jesus Christ our Lord.

There's never been anyone like him, and there never will be. In his name we pray. Amen. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called oneplace.com. And you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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That's fbcnola.org. At our website you will find hundreds of Pastor Bill's sermons. You can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series you are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you are looking for, you can listen online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience. And remember, you can do all of this absolutely free of charge. Once again, our website is fbcnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhardt, I'm Jason Gebhardt, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word. .