History's Greatest Happening

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Turn, please, in God's word to the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 9.

In a moment we're going to look at verses 6. And the seven? And I want to remind you before we read this scripture. that it was written 700 years. Before the birth.

of Jesus Christ. Isaiah the prophet dipped his pen into golden glory, and prophesied The coming of the Messiah.

Some years ago, An American astronaut Climb down a ladder. and put his feet On the surface of the moon. And the President of the United States of America said, The greatest event in human history. History. is when man put his feet First.

Upon the moon. In all due respect. to that president. The greatest event in human history was not when man first put his feet upon the moon. But when Almighty God came down, and work.

and walked. upon this. Earth. That, my dear friend, is the greatest event in human history when God. stepped out of heaven and walked on earth.

We call that the incarnation. We call that Christmas Morning. Isaiah prophesied. Look, if you will. Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6.

For unto us a child is born. Unto us A son is given. and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful. Counselor.

The mighty Yeah. The everlasting Father. the Prince of Peace. of the increase of his government and of and peace. There shall be no end.

upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it. And to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth. Even forever. the zeal of the Lord of hosts. shall perform this.

That is Almighty God. has put all of his divine energy in seeing that this is done. The zeal of the Lord of hosts. shall perform. this.

Now, my friend, history's Greatest Happening, and that's the title of our message. Histories. greatest happening was when God came to earth. in the form of a baby boy. Name Jesus.

And may I say with all due respect to all of the learned people of this world. And all of those who worship at the shrine of their computers, And uh Are involved with their cyclotrons and their musty, dusty tomes of history. If you do not understand this event, You don't have the golden key of all history. You do not have the key to knowledge. How sad to know biology, the study of life.

and not know Jesus Christ. the giver of life. How sad to know astronomy. to study the stars. and see how the heavens go.

and not to know Jesus Christ the bright and morning star. And how? to go to heaven. How sad to know geology. And the strata of the rocks.

And all of the geological ages. And not know Jesus Christ? The rock of ages, and to be able to say on Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. How sad I say it would be to know botany.

And the study of flowers. And not to know Jesus. Sharon's sweetest rose, Who can perfume? Any life? How sad it would be for a person to claim to be educated.

And to know history. From beginning and end, and miss the central event in history, which is the story of Jesus. Here's Story I want to say that a wise man is ignorant. A rich man is poor. And the strong man is weak.

Until he knows. The Lord Jesus Christ, until he knows what Isaiah spoke of right here in Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6, 700 to 800 years before Jesus Christ. was even Born. when he said unto us, A child is born. Unto us a Son is given.

And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful. Counselor. the mighty God, the everlasting Father? And The Prince of peace.

The three major thoughts. In that brief passage that I want us to look at. And all of them cohes around the Lord Jesus Christ that we've been talking about. this morning. All of them are the story of Jesus.

And I don't know about you, but I never get tired of thinking about Christmas. I never get tired of preaching or hearing about the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to say with the songwriter, tell me the story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word, Tell me the story. Most precious.

Sweetest. That ever was heard. Chapter one in that story is what I want to call his. Supernatural. Nature.

Look at it. Look at verse 6. And you see his supernatural nature. Do you see it? Unto us a child is born.

And then unto us, A son is given.

Now that's not just Uh repeat. Of the same thought, there are two thoughts there. Unduas A child is born. That speaks. of the humanity of Jesus.

Unto us a Son is given. That speaks of the deity. of Jesus. Heaven's Son given to earth. And there you have his supernatural Nature.

When God sent his Christmas gift to this earth, What was God's Christmas gift? It was the gift of himself It was deity. wrapped in humanity. That was the first Christmas gift. Deity.

God of very God. A son given. Wrapped. in humanity A child. Born.

Now My dear friend, Jesus Christ did not have his beginning in Bethlehem.

Now take your Bibles and put your bookmark there in Isaiah chapter 9, then turn over to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. And let's think for a moment. about uh the majesty. of his deity.

John chapter 1 and beginning in verse 1. The Apostle John says, in the beginning, Was the word. Do you see that word? Word? W O R D in the beginning was the word.

Underscore that. Or you say, what does that mean?

Well, it's a translation of the Greek word lagos. In the beginning was the Lagos. The word. And the Lagos The word was with God. And the word?

Was God.

Now wait a minute. Was he with God or was he God? The answer is yes. Yes, he was with God, and he was God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.

And the word was God. The same was in the beginning. With God. Back before Uh history was. Just simply call the beginning.

He was with God. All things were made by him. By whom? By the word? And without him was not anything made that was made.

Everything that you see has this stamp, made by the Word. The word. The Lagos. Mal. What does John mean when he says in the beginning?

Was The word.

Well, the word A word is an expression of a thought. The expression of an idea. Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. Because he is the Expression of God. Jesus Christ articulates God.

And therefore he is called the word of God, the expression. of God. as my words are expressing my ideas and thoughts and concepts. Jesus Christ Coming in the flesh. is the word who articulates God.

Now learn this about Jesus Christ. And if you don't hear anything else that I say today, I want to say what I've said, I guess, thousands of times since I've been preaching. I want to say it one more time: Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is God. He is Fully God.

Remember that John the Apostle now is writing as an older man. He has 50 or 60 years to think it over. He has an ingrained Horror against blasphemy. And yet the Apostle John writes down the word was God. Everything that God is, Jesus is.

Everything that God has, Jesus has. Everything that God does, Jesus does. The Word was with God, and the Word is God. The word Jesus was the one who spoke the world into existence. Look in verse 3, all things were made by Him, by the Word, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

Now let me just give you a few more verses to put in your margin there, just to show beyond the shadow of any doubt that Jesus Christ is God, a very God. My friend, that is the cornerstone of Orthodox Christianity. And if any cult peddler comes to your door and does not believe that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God, not only the Son of God, but God the Son. You just say, there's the sidewalk, my friend. You can get on it as far as teaching your heresy here at my house.

You will not be able to do it. Here's some scriptures. Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 8. But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Unto the Son, he saith.

Thy throne, O God. is forever and ever. The Son is God. Titus chapter 2 and verse 13, the Bible says we're to be looking for Jesus to come again and it says, looking for the glorious appearing. of the great God.

and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our Savior is the great God. who is coming again. When Thomas saw him after the resurrection and realized that he'd been raised from the dead. John chapter 20 and verse 28, Thomas fell before him and said, My Lord And my God.

Now when uh The Apostle John says, in the beginning was the word. He's not talking about a start. He's talking about a state. That is, He always has been God, He always will be God. A billion, billion years from now, the Word will be God.

When Jesus Christ that was born at Bethlehem, that was not his start. When he was born, he was as old as his father and older than his mother. There never was a time when Jesus was not. The Bible says he was God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.

That's in the imperfect tense. It means it's just a continuous state. Jesus did not begin with the manger. He did not begin with Mary. He has his existence in eternity.

And so you have, dear friend, what I want to call the majesty of his deity. A son is given. but also I want you to see the mystery of his humanity. A child is born. Go back to Isaiah 9, 6.

A child is born. A son is Uh given. That's his deity. A child is born. That is his humanity.

Now you see. The word Was translated into a language we could understand. Have you ever been to a foreign country and heard people speak languages you couldn't understand?

Well, you see, God exists. in a realm that we can't understand.

So God translated Himself into a word that we could understand. And the name of that word is Jesus. And so God took deity. and translated deity into humanity. And I love what Dr.

John Phillips has to say about that. He said the great mystery of the manger is that God should be able to translate deity into humanity. Without either discarding the deity or distorting the humanity. Isn't that a beautiful statement? Listen to it again.

The great mystery of the manger is that God should be able to translate deity into humanity. without either discarding the deity are distorting the humanity. And so that little baby laid in a manger. Wrapped in swaddling clothes, is the great God who created the universe. The little baby of Loop 2.

is the great God of Genesis 1. And the little toddler growing up in Joseph's carpenter shop, who was playing with those shavings that came down from Joseph's carpentry, is the eternal God who created. The world. My dear friend, Uh got became flesh. You say, I don't think I understand that.

Well, I'd be ashamed of you if you said you did understand it. None of us understand it. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. Paul says, and without controversy, Great. is the mystery of godliness.

God was manifest in the flesh. No argument about that, friend. We're talking here about a great mystery. This is what God has done. You see The miracle of the ages.

Is the virgin conception of the Lord Jesus Christ? Isaiah 9, 6 tells about his coming. But Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14 tells about his conception. You remember that? Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign.

Behold, a virgin. shall conceive. and be with child.

Well, you say, how can a virgin conceive? That's an impossibility.

Well, that's exactly what Mary said when the angel came to her. And Mary said, this is going to happen to you. And Mary said, how can this be? And the angel said in Luke 1 verse 37, with God nothing shall be impossible. Say amen.

Friend. Don't tell me you have difficulty with a virgin birth. When you tell me that you have difficulty believing the virgin birth, do you know what you're really telling me? You have difficulty believing in God. That's it.

I mean, why do you have difficulty believing that God Could cause a woman to conceive in her womb a child. and still be a virgin. How do you have why do you have difficulty believing? That a man-child could come into this world. Without an earthly father.

When God made the first Wallman. And the first man out of nothing. Out of nothing. I mean, why do you have difficulty believing that as far? Listen, if you can get past Genesis 1:1, you don't have any difficulty with any miracle.

In the beginning, God. Created the heavens and the earth. When you believe in that, then you're not going to have any difficulty believing in the rest of the miracles, my dear friend. Don't tell me it's a biological impossibility. And if you doubt the virgin birth, Or if you discard the virgin birth, My dear friend, you are taking the cornerstone out of all of our faith.

I'm telling you, the greatest event in human history was when God, through a virgin, through the portals of a virgin's womb, came into this world. And if you doubt the virgin birth, the humanity of Jesus, and the deity of Jesus, let me tell you the difficulty you have. First of all, you have difficulty with the character of the Word of God because the Word of God plainly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin. Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14. But not only do you have problems with the character of the word, You have problems with the character of Mary.

Because if Jesus was not born of a virgin, Mary was a harlot. And she conceived. outside wedlock. But not only will you have difficulty with the character of Mary, You're going to have difficulty with the character of Jesus. Because if Jesus was not born of a virgin, Jesus was a descendant of Adam, just like you are, and just like I am, and in Adam all die.

Jesus was a sinner by nature and a sinner by practice if he was not born of a virgin. But I'll tell you, not only do you have difficulty with the character of the Word, the character of Mary, and the character of Jesus, but if you don't believe in the virgin birth, I've got difficulty with your character. With your character. Because, my dear friend, he that believeth not God hath made him a liar. And there is no hope of heaven apart from the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because, my dear friend, the deity of Christ is wrapped up in His virgin birth. A child is born, a son is given. You see Jesus came as he did, virgin born. to be what he was. Sendless.

He was what he was, sinless. to do what he did. die for our sins as a sinless substitute. He did what He did that we might be what we are.

Sons and daughters of God by faith in what He did upon the cross. You see, my dear friend, There no virgin birth. No sinless Christ. No sinless Christ, no atonement. No atonement.

No forgiveness. No forgiveness, no hope of heaven. No hope of heaven, my dear friend, you die and go to hell. Thank God for the virgin birth. Thank God for the virgin birth.

You see, you take away the virgin birth and the whole house of Christianity collapses like a house of cards. Unto us, unto us a child is born, but unto us a son is given. What do we have here? We have his supernatural nature. Thank God for such a dear, wonderful Savior.

But now, here's the second thing I want you to see. not only his supernatural nature, But I want you to see his sovereign nobility. Look at it. Verse 6, and the government. shall be upon his shoulder.

He's also a noble. He is the ruler. He is the sovereign. He came not only to redeem. He has come to reign.

He was born. A king. The government will be upon his shoulder. Look in verse 7. and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.

upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it. and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts. shall perform this. That, my dear friend, is his sovereign nobility.

Now he came the first time to Uh redeem us. He's coming the second time to rule and to reign over us, and His second coming is just as certain as His first coming. He came the first time according to prophecy, and he's coming the second time according to prophecy. He came the first time in the fullness of time. He's coming the second time in the fullness of time.

But when he comes the second time, he's coming not as a little baby. but as a mighty monarch. and the government will be upon his shoulder. Every now and then, some preacher will be preaching and stretch out his hands to the congregation and say, Will you make him? Lord.

Now, I know what they mean by that, and I've said that myself, but in the strictest sense, you can't make him Lord. You're too late for that. He is already Lord. He's already Lord. The only thing you can do, my dear friend, is recognize His Lordship and bow before His Lordship.

You see, The cradle, the cross, and the crown are inseparably, inextricably woven together.

Now any people can dance, a giddy crowd can dance around a manger and love a little baby, but my dear friend, we're not just called to be giddy about a little baby, but to bow before him and to crown him Lord of lords and king of kings because the government shall be upon his shoulder.

Now here's a third thing and final thing I want you to notice. not only his supernatural nature. Not only his sovereign Nobility, but I want you to notice his saving name. His saving name. Look again in verse 6.

And his name. shall be called Wonderful.

Well, what's so wonderful about his name?

Well, what is his name? Matthew chapter 1. And verse 21. He was named by God the Father. The angel came to Mary and said, Mary, You're going to have a baby.

And this is His wonderful name. Are you ready for that name? The angel said, and thou shalt call his name what? Thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins.

Thou shalt call his name. Jesus.

Now Mary didn't think up the name. The name was given to Mary. And what does the name Jesus mean? This wonderful name. It is a saving name.

It is a saving name. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. It is a compound name. And it literally means, are you ready for this? Jehovah Saves.

That's what the name Jesus means. Jehovah saves.

Now Jehovah is the most sacred name for God that the Old Testament Jews knew. And it means the great I am. Never was a time when I was not. Never will be a time when I will not be. Not I was, not I shall be, but I am.

That's the name Jehovah. Jehovah the Great I Am. And now Jesus takes that name. I am. I am.

Jehovah saves.

Jesus said to his detractors, and Critics before Abraham was, I. And It's then they took up stones to stone him. They didn't like him calling himself the great I am. the Jehovah who saves. I was in my yard working one day, and a person came up.

They were carrying a satchel. They wanted to talk about the Bible and religion.

Well, I was happy to do that. We talked a little bit and I said, by the way, I said, Tell me a little bit about yourself. I said, Where do you worship? Oh, he said, Well, we meet thus and such a place. I said, Well, tell me.

Why do you call yourself? He said, Well, we just want to study the Bible. I said, No, I said, Don't beat around the bush. Said tell me. Of course, I already knew, but I said, tell me.

Who are you? What are you?

Well, he said, I'm a Jehovah's Witness. Does that make any difference? I said, No, so am I. He said, what? You're Jehovah's Witness?

I said, I surely am. And I said, you know, I'm going to tell you something else. I believe that Jesus is Jehovah. And Jesus said, Ye shall be witnesses unto me. And I said, I get no greater joy than to witness about Jesus, our Jehovah.

Now my dear friend, that's what I'm talking about. A son is given. He was the son of God and God the Son, as much God as if he were not man at all, as much man as if he were not God at all. The name Jehovah means that Jesus saves and that's the reason the prophet Isaiah said, his name shall be called wonderful. What wonder, what awe.

that this baby would be called Jesus, Jehovah saves. In his birth, He was wonderful. In his life, he was wonderful. In His works, He was wonderful. In His words, He was wonderful.

In His death, He was wonderful. In His resurrection, He is wonderful. In His ascension, He is wonderful. In His intercession, He is wonderful. And when He comes again, wonder of wonders, He is coming again.

And so, first of all, my dear friend, His name is wonderful, and there is wonder in that name. But also his name is Counselor. Do you see it? Look at it. Thou shalt call his name wonderful.

and then counselor. And not only is there wonder in that name, but there's wisdom in that name. You see, he's the counselor. He's the one who gives you wisdom. How are you supposed to live?

How are you supposed to learn? What are you supposed to do? It's all wrapped up in Jesus. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 3, the Bible says, In Jesus are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. There's wonder in his name.

There is wisdom in his name. What do you say? We don't need him. Oh, we don't? Will you tell me then what 6,000 years of human history have brought about with man's wisdom?

Where have we gotten? Where we're now passing out condoms in high schools, and where we're ravaged with plagues called AIDS and other things, and we don't know what to do. I'll tell you what to do, just live according to this book. Live according to this book. Oh, we don't want that.

Oh, no, of course you don't want that. Because, my dear friend, you have rejected. the wisdom of God, and you have become a foolish nation. You see, my dear friend, There is wonder in this name. My dear friend, there is wisdom in this name, but further he's called the mighty God.

Look at it. Jesus, this child is called the mighty God. And may I tell you, there's wealth in this name. He is the mighty God. It all belongs to him.

Jesus has been given all power on heaven and in earth. Jesus is the one who made it all, as the mighty God who created everything, and billions of suns came from his hand, and oceans dripped from his fingers. Think of all of this universe. I was reading some time ago that if you were to take the molecules in just one drop of water. and change every molecule.

to a grain of sand. You could make a highway. One half mile wide. One foot thick. From New York.

to San Francisco. Just the molecules in one drop of water. If they became grains of sand. How infinitesimally small. And yet how magnificently Inconceivably wide is God's mighty universe.

And it all came from the hand of Jesus Christ. He, my friend, is the mighty God. I am telling you, friend, there is wonder in that name. I am telling you, there is wisdom in that name. I am telling you, there is wealth in that name.

He is the mighty God. I am telling you, there is worship in that name, for he is the everlasting Father. He is the everlasting Father. He is the one who can say, I and my Father are one. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.

Suppose you said Adrian I'd like to see The President of the United States, can you show him to me? And I just said, Well, you're looking at him. You'd say get the butterfly net. They said, Show us the Father. He said.

Philip? Have I been with you this long? You've not known me? This little maybe is the everlasting First there. Everlasting Father.

And because of that, we worship him. My dear friend, you listen to me. If Jesus is not God, you have no business worshiping him at all. Because that is idolatry. If you worship more than one God, I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other God before me.

There is wonder in that name. There is wisdom in that name. There is wealth in that name. My dear friend, there is worship in that name. And oh, he's the Prince of Peace.

There's welcome in that name. He's saying, come unto me. All ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you peace.

Well you say, didn't the Bible say peace on earth? There's no peace on earth. Not yet. There will be. There will be when Jesus comes again.

I heard of a. Man who died and is Widow bought a beautiful tombstone with all of her money for him, a gravestone. She put these words. Rest in peace. Then she read the will and found out he didn't leave her anything.

She went back and had these words added, till I come. Friend, this world will know no peace till he comes. Till he comes, there'll be no peace. But when he comes, he will bring peace. We rejected the prince of peace, and that's the reason there'll be no peace till there's peace in Jerusalem, and there'll be no peace in Jerusalem until Jerusalem crowns her king, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But oh, my dear friend, there can be that personal peace, that peace with God, peace like a river, Isaiah called it. A river comes from a higher source. It's beautiful. It overflows. It just keeps on coming.

I've got peace like a river. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is my friend. Welcome in that name. Wonderful name.

I'm speaking to some today. Oh, you're wondering, what is it all about? Let me just sum it up. Oh, listen to me, please. Let me just tell you what Christmas is all about.

It is this. Unto us a child is born, a son is given. That is his supernatural nature. God. came to this earth.

To live, breathe. Work. laugh, cry, weep, and teach. then carry our sins to the cross. and die.

his supernatural nature. He is sovereign nobility. He is Lord. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. and his saving name.

Thou shalt call his name Jesus. for he shall save his people from their sins. Pastor? Would Jesus save me? Oh, he will.

He will if you'll trust him. If you'll trust him, If you'll say, come into my heart, Forgive my sins. Save me, Lord Jesus. I promise you, on the authority of the Word of God, if you will trust Him, if you will repent of your sin, And trust Christ. He'll save you.

If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.