Christmas Sermon 2015
Transcript: As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah- from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past. Micah 5:2 The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you- from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him. This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God:“Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” The Lord then said to me, “What they have said is good. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name. “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. Now if you say to yourselves, ʻHow can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?ʼ - whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him Deuteronomy 18:15-22 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Acts 3:25 For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on Davidʼs throne and over Davidʼs kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The Lordʼs intense devotion to his people will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 So the Lord will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the kingʼs countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel. He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the Lord ʼs strength, by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth. He will give us peace. Should the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, we will send against them seven shepherd- rulers, make that eight commanders. Micah 5:3-5 The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet: ʻ And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. ʼ” Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “ Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “ God with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus. Matthew 1:18-24 Then Herod privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. ʻI see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be a possession, Seir, his enemies, will also be a possession; but Israel will act valiantly. A ruler will be established from Jacob; he will destroy the remains of the city'" -Balaam (Numbers 24:17-19) You are a lionʼs cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He