The Christmas Story

The Christmas story is a special story. That God would send His darling Son Jesus into this world to die for sinners on a cruel cross is a blessing beyond description.  

That He would love us to that level is amazing, beyond the power of words.

Until you receive Jesus, the Lamb of God, as your personal Savior and until you know the power of His salvation—you will never really understand Christmas and the wonder of what God did when He provided His Lamb for the sins of the world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Jesus came to earth die. 

If you don’t know Him, seek Him with all your heart. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission. 

O Holy Night

There has never been a message quite like the one the angel gloriously delivered to the shepherds that Holy Night. It’s a message of hope, life and salvation to all who will believe it. 

Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

When this angel finished his speech, the heaven’s burst forth with a multitude of the heavenly host, praising and exalting their Creator, who was being born among men.

Thirty-three years later, the shepherds would see this same person die on a cross for the very people He was born to save. 

In 1847 John S. Dwight and Adolphe Adam wrote a powerful Christmas Carol—my favorite. 

—“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

—Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

—A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

—Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;

—Oh night divine, Oh night, oh night divine.”

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission. 

The Shepherds

At best this ragtag band of shepherds are common, ordinary men.  At worst they are vile, dirty men, who are, for the most part, social and religious outcasts.

Another boring night with the sheep suddenly shatters as the sky lights up, and an angel clothed with light  descends from Heaven. They are terrified!

Luke 2:9,10. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

The sign to find the Christ child in the good tidings message is a baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem. 

The shepherds ran that night, ever so fast. When they met Jesus it changed their lives forever. In their excitement, they tell everyone they met.  

Have you met Jesus? Have you believed in Him? It’s a life and death matter. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission

The Message

When the shepherds met the Shepherd of the Soul, their lives changed forever. Imagine being who they were and seeing what they saw.

Luke 2:9-11,13-14  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

It’s amazing when you consider that the heavenly host stretched from horizon to horizon to witness the most amazing event in the history of the universe.

It’s amazing when you consider this little baby in Bethlehem spoke the universe into existence and controls the paths of the planets.

To think that Almighty God would humble Himself and come to this world as a helpless child with the most important message ever—that we might be saved through His death on the cross. That’s Amazing!

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission. 

The Mission

The mission of Jesus was conceived in Heaven and carried out on earth. He was born in Bethlehem as an infant, but He has been around for all eternity. 

He is the great "I AM" and the agent behind creation, Col. 1:15-17. This was a plan born in the heart of God, born in His love for you and me.  

The time was right:

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Jesus came to this world for one purpose—to die for the sins of humanity. This was His mission and the sole passion of His life, Luke 19:10; John 18:37. 

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The prophet Isaiah saw that this would be the ministry of the Messiah, Isa. 53:1-12. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission. 

The Star

The Wise Men had spent the last two years following a star; leaving country, home

and family behind. 

Matthew 2:9-10 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy

It wasn't what they expected, but the King of Kings is in the home of a peasant, and the Wise Men came to worship and worship is what they did. They saw God in that shack. They saw God in Jesus. 

When your star leads to a shack - look for God, He will be there. 

Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

These wise men received far more than the gifts they gave. That’s always the way it is with God. 

No man can ever out give Him. Not very many try, but those who do find Him to be over abundant in His supply.

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission. 

The Creator As A Helpless Infant

When Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was born on earth He instantly became dependent upon His mother for His very life.

The Bread of Life needed the milk of His mother so He could live. 

The One who made the sun and caused its light to heat the earth needed His mother to wrap His body in swaddling cloths so that He might be warm.

The One who’s heart was so full of love for humanity that He left Heaven to come and die for sinners—needed to feel His mothers arms wrapped around Him for comfort.

The One who made it all, controls it all and owns it all laid it all aside and became a helpless infant because He loved us so much.

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich,”  2 Cor. 8:9. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their expressed permission.