Christmas you know something exciting day I know for the kids and we'll try to keep this a bit short this morning and just try to go through some truth here about again the Lord Jesus Christ and his maybe back in high school you know I remember this back in high school somebody did something incredible you didn't think they could do and you go I am NOT worthy you know or something like that or you might say I'm in the presence of greatness you know something like that you you had no idea for instance back where I'm from we play basketball and maybe you didn't have any idea that that teen guy could actually dunk basketball slam or what you could do. You know, sometimes life could be like that. There might be somebody around you, and I'm down the street to Edinburgh a lot, and you wonder, like, who am I talking to? I mean, it could be true greatness. I mean, we don't know you folks that well. We could be in the presence of greatness and not even know it this morning. You know, and it could just be like that. One of my favorite stories about Queen Elizabeth is when she met some American tourists up at Balmoral. She's walking with the policemen, Those American tourists came up to them and they said, do you live around here? And she said, yes, I do. And they're like, have you ever met the Queen? And she said, well, I haven't, but he has, pointed at the policeman. And they're like, oh, wow, that's really amazing. And she said, would you like to get a picture with him? And they said, yes. And then she took a picture with herself and them as well. And hopefully somebody, when they got back home, looked at the pictures and went, you know who that was that you were talking to? They were in the presence of greatness and didn't even know it. You know, many people in Jesus' day, that's the way it was. And yet they didn't recognize that they were in the presence of greatness. In fact, they struggled to kind of come to that understanding about who Jesus was. John 6, 42, they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? So they looked at him and thought, you know, what is he talking about? They just saw him as a man. Matthew 13, 54, when he was coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue in so much that they were astonished and said, whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And again, they're looking at him and just thinking he's just a man. But others knew that Jesus was incredibly special. You've got the great preacher, John the Baptist, that said when Jesus came to be baptized, Matthew 3.13, as Jesus got there to be baptized of him, John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee. And comest thou to me? And then John 1.27, he it is who cometh after me as preferred before me, whose shoes latch it, I'm not worthy till I lose. John the Baptist knew that, I mean, he wasn't worthy to get down and do a servant's menial task to that person that was in front of him, the Lord Jesus Christ, because John the Baptist actually had a good understanding of who the Messiah was, who Jesus Christ was. The disciples said in Matthew 8, 27, but the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obeyed him. Again, they looked at Jesus, and maybe they were kind of a bit surprised, the power that he possessed, as he stood up in that boat, and he said, peace be still. And there was a perfect calm on that Sea of Galilee. You know, today's Christmas Day. I know you know this, all right? Christmas Day, we celebrate the birthday of a man who lived and died about 2000 years ago. And it's not his actual birthday today. His birthday's probably, they think, in the chronological Bible that I have, they think it might be the first of April, which is interesting to me, because we call that April Fool's Day. But it might have been that day that Jesus Christ was born. We celebrate it today, and we wanna honor him for who he is, but if we're gonna honor him for who he is, then we need to know whose birth we're celebrating. We need to consider of who he is. So I don't want this Christmas to go by without that. And again, I praise God that Christmas Day falls on the Lord's Day. It's a perfect time to really reflect on Jesus and to give him that honor that he deserves. And so Luke chapter two in your Bibles will go to that text. Father, we praise you for the grace that you give. Thank you for the privilege that we have of looking at this study about who the Christ child is. May the spirit of God speak to our hearts. May he help us in our walk with you. And Father, what again, a precious thing on Christmas Day to have the Lord's Day so that we could take this time and just focus on his birth and who he is. So may the spirit of God just open up this truth to us to express the truth of the Word of God, that you give us liberty to hear, and that the children in their class would enjoy it as well. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. All right, there is a kids' class just down the hall, and if he wants to go, he's welcome to go, or he's welcome to come in here. So it's up to you guys if you want him to go in there or not. All right, welcome, glad you're here this morning. All right, Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two, and are we celebrating the birthday of is what we want to consider and so first you celebrate the birthday of the Son of Man okay Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man some scripture about that Matthew chapter 9 verse 6 it says but that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins all right and it goes on to say arises Matthew 10.3, but when they persecute you in this city, flee you into another. For truly I say unto you, you shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man become. Again, that name, Son of Man. We understand that Jesus was born of Mary. Matthew 11 verse 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say behold a man gluttonous and a winebibber they mocked him again not realizing who he was a friend of publicans and sinners but he used that term of himself. Matthew 12 8 for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Again we're talking about who Jesus Christ is I mean they didn't recognize him but he refers to himself again as the Son of Man. Matthew 12 verse 40 for as Jonah nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." And so, 27 more times in the book of Matthew, Jesus Christ son of man, emphasizing his humanity, emphasizing the fact, again, that he took on flesh. And so his mom, Mary, had to be ceremonially purified after giving birth to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that's where we pick up the story in Luke chapter 2 and verse 22. And so it says, and when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. So 40 days after giving birth, the mom would bring that firstborn and she would go through a ceremony of purification, again just pointing out the physical aspects of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. But then himself, that firstborn Jewish son, also had to be dedicated unto the Lord. So verse 23, it says, as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that opened up the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. That child, that firstborn child, was to be dedicated to God just the same as any other child and to be given unto God and then to be bought back for five shekels by the family. His family is poor. In verse 24 it says to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. And his family, if they were well-to-do or But there was a lesser sacrifice that was allowed, and that was either of these two types of birds that they could offer as a sacrifice. that child again to God. And so we see the poverty of Mary Joseph and we see that even in the birth story of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's born in a stable, I understand there was no room in the inn, but it also shows that they couldn't afford maybe anything else that society had. They had to just take what they could get and again Jesus Christ physically was born into this family that was again probably a very not well-to-do family. And so if we look at chapter two and verse five, speaking about the incarnation of Christ, it says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. You know what, if I said I'm equal with God, that's blasphemy, because I am not God. But Jesus Christ looked around and said, it's not bragging for me to say that I am equal with God. but he made himself of no reputation, and he took upon him the form of a servant, and he was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." So Jesus Christ in his humility did not just come down and be born, but Jesus Christ lived a lowly life with somewhat of a lowly family. He himself became a carpenter, and then he would die on the cross a man. Hebrews 4 verse 15 says, For we have not in high praise, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus Christ was, you could say, you could almost say just a man in the sense that he totally took upon him humanity. And so we see that title, son of man. So when you're looking at who Christ is, we recognize him as the son of man. And then secondly, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, you celebrate the consolation of Israel, verse 25. It says, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Sinai. and vowed, waiting for the consolation of Israel, the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And there had been for years these people that were godly people just waiting for that Messiah to come. They knew that when the Messiah came, he would take care of the sin debt, he would take care in the future of the rebellion of the wicked against him, he would establish authority on this earth, and they were looking ahead to that day. come and gone, and Christ had not come. We've got Moses, one of those men, and you think about some of the things that these men went through in their life as they stood for God, they obeyed God, and their generation, it was tough, but they stood for the Lord. Moses himself had a tough ministry as he had some almost two million people that he was responsible for, and a great burden was upon him. Exodus 17, verse two said, Wherefore the people did chide with Moses. And they said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, why chide you with me? Wherefore do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted, therefore water. And the people murmured against Moses. They're in the wilderness journeys, and they wanted water. And so they're murmuring against Moses. And they said, wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, what shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me. Men of God in the past, and we think sometimes it's tough in our day to stand for God, but I mean there have been men in the past, those Jewish men that were standing for God, the Messiah had not yet come, and it hadn't happened yet, and they're trying to be faithful, trying to teach God's people to be faithful, but it was difficult. Numbers 11 verse 11, Moses said unto the Lord, wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? Wherefore have I upon me. Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them that thou shouldest stand to me? Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth a sucking child, unto the land which thou swearest unto their fathers. When should I have flesh to give unto these people? For they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat. I am not alone because it's too heavy for me. If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I breathe out of hand. If I find favor in thy sight, let me not see my wretchedness." And again, I'm just saying there were some tough times for these men of God in the past that were looking for what God would do. They're going through it because they believed in what God would do. Elijah was a man like that as well. Elijah, the great man of God that stood on Mount Carmel against those prophets of Baal, the fire came down from heaven in answer to his prayer. The rains stopped and the rains came in answer to his prayer. But then in 1 Kings 19, he's going through it. Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, that wicked queen, said this, And when he saw that he arose and went for his life, he came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and he left his servant there. But he himself, on a day's journey into the wilderness, he came and sat down under a juniper tree and requested for himself that he might die. And he said, it's enough now, Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's. And he goes to God, he complains to me, he says, I only am left, I am the only one standing for you. And again, in our day, we might feel a bit like that. It's tough to stand for God, and we just feel like, you know, I think maybe how these people felt, and it's like this, even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. We're just waiting for you to come. You know, Elijah and Moses were at the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ as God revealed the glory of who Christ is. We talked about he's the son of man, but we understand he is God in the flesh. And as he, the Shekinah glory of God was revealed through him. There were two men that were there that were from glory. So the Bible tells us about the story. You got some disciples there. Jesus is there and he's got Peter, John, and James, and they're going up to the mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered. His raiment was white and glycerine. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses God, looking ahead to that day when Messiah would come. Now they stand with the Messiah on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Bible says that they appeared in glory with him and spake of his decease, his death, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. They're standing there with the consolation of Israel, that sacrifice that was given by God, that man, Jesus, that would come to die for the sins of the comfort. Praise God that the Savior came, the one that would make everything right. Jeremiah 23 5, Behold the days come, sayeth the Lord, that I'll raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper The promised king came, now he came 2,000 years ago. He didn't come to set up his court, but I say again to us as believers, he is the consolation of Israel, but we look ahead to the coming of the king of kings and lord of lords, he's gonna set up his throne. He's gonna judge perfectly, and all the injustices against God are gonna be righted. But that happened in that day as well, they rejoiced. Simeon looked at that child and saw the consolation. And then you celebrate, third, the birth of Jesus, the Christ child, again, that one that was promised, the Messiah. It says, and it was revealed unto him, Simeon, by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, let us thou thy servant depart in peace. You know, Simeon is a truly a godly man. You see his faith. He believed God's promise. God had said to him, you're not gonna die until you see the constellation of Israel, that Messiah. He believed that. He followed God's leading. He came by the Spirit into the temple. He was a man that was a spiritual man. God directed him, God guided him. The Spirit of God had something he wanted him to see there in the temple was the child, Jesus, that was being dedicated, the Christ child. He understood God's revelation. He knew when he looked at that child, he knew what that child meant, that that child was the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He saw him as the Messiah. You know, I was in Israel back in 2017. There's a valley where you can look across it, and you can see where Jonathan fought against that garrison of the Philistines, and he went up with his armor bearer. It's nothing for God to give the victory, whether with us, just us, or with many, and so let's let this be a sign. They went up, they fought that battle, and so our two of us is there, we're out, we're looking at that, and I looked over, and there's a young Jewish couple that are having a picnic there. And I walked up to them, and I said, have you ever as the Messiah. Because the Bible is so clear about so many things about Christ, that he would come, that he would die, that he would pay the price for their sin. It's just amazing that even today, 2,000 years after that coming, that there's still Jewish men and women that look at Jesus and they don't recognize him for who he is. Simeon saw him as he was the Christ. On the Emmaus Road, as I stood there as well, you can still see the stones from that road from 2,000 years ago. And that's that place where after Jesus Christ had died, and actually the day that he rose from the dead, two days later, there is these men that are walking. They're sad because the Christ that they thought was the Christ had died. They didn't see that in scripture. They didn't understand that Christ had to die. So when he died, they thought he was going to set up his throne. They thought he was going to be victorious. And so when he died, they were brokenhearted. And why did this happen? And Jesus begins to walk with them without them recognizing him. And so the story is in Luke 24, a certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre. They found that even so, as the women had said, but him they saw not, they say this to Jesus. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe, all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ the Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures things concerning himself. And what better teacher to have than Jesus Christ himself to open up the scriptures and say, let me show you about me in the scripture. And then as he later departed from them, they invited him in and he did not stay, but he departed. When he departed, they said this, did not our hearts burn within us while he spoke to us? While he was telling us this truth that why didn't we recognize him? There was that burning heart inside of us. And I, you know, praise God today. There's still that taking place where people can identify Jesus, not just because of what the word of God says, but because they have a burning heart, right? Because the Spirit of God inside of them is explaining it to them, helping them get it so that they're like, wow, their eyes start to be open to recognize Jesus for who He is. And again, we celebrate His birth today. It's to celebrate the Christ, the one promised by God. And then you celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of all people. It says in verse 30, for mine eyes have seen All people can look today, and I praise God, and we stand sometimes now there at prison street and preach the word of God and things like that. I thank God that that message that we proclaim of Christ crucified and risen again is a message that every single person that we're looking at, it's a message for them. It's a message about salvation for them. You remember that story about Abraham and Isaac offering his son there on that altar of sacrifice, a test of his faith, and it gets a picture of Calvary, and God says, Abraham, take your son, your only son, Isaac, get thee up to this mount that I'm gonna tell you about, and the Bible says that Abraham did that and rose up quickly the next day, took his son, and they get there, and they've got everything for the sacrifice except for what Isaac thinks is the most important thing, and so he says to his dad, he says, Dad, I see everything, but, you know, where's the lamb? Where's the lamb? And the story goes on to say, in Genesis 22, verse 10, Abraham stretched forth his hand, he took the knife to slay his son. His son is there, bound on that altar of sacrifice. The angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven. He said, Abraham, Abraham. He said, here am I. He said, lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thy only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh, as it is said this day, and the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And if it wasn't for that other sacrifice that was there, Isaac would have had to die. And it's a wonderful picture of Calvary because Calvary is that God provided a sacrifice for us in our place. And like Isaac, it's kind of like us, we're on the altar. And if we don't have a substitute, then we die. And we die justly because God says that's the punishment for your sin. The punishment for your sin is death. and what God did because of what God did it's like us I said oh man I'm in danger I'm bound I'm on the altar I'm gonna die but I look up and I see God provided a substitute for me so that I don't have to die so that I can be set free praise God again as we look at this we see the Savior of all people my eyes have seen If there was no baby in the manger, there would be no sacrifice for our sin. And so we celebrate that today. And then you celebrate the birth of Jesus who came and he's coming again. And so it says in verse 32, it says, people Israel. And as Simeon is looking at this child, he's in prophecy. A lot of times when you read prophecy in scripture, it has bearing presently, and in the future, and in the future. And so he's making these statements. These statements are present, but there are also future aspects of them. So the first thing he sees, he sees that the gospel is going to go to the Gentiles. That's not something the Jews recognize. It's not something they understood that that light, that illumination, that in all nations. John 8 verse 12, then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 9 verse 5, as long as I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world. Now praise God, as believers that have received Christ, we're the light of the world. You know, the light of the world is Jesus. We got Jesus Christ in our heart. That light is still shining, though Jesus Christ has that light in Christ. But then secondly he saw Jesus Christ in his next coming when he comes again as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the glory of thy people Israel. The glory is that Jesus Christ is going to reign on that throne in Jerusalem. The glory is that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ came, speaking about when he comes in the future, says, I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. That is a future day that is coming, the millennial reign of Christ, the triumphant king reigning in Jerusalem, Isaiah 24, 17. Again, speaking about that future date, fear in the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. And if you want to know what's coming, the tribulation's coming. The judgment of God upon all nations is coming before Christ comes and sets up that earthly kingdom. There's going to be Armageddon taking place here on this earth. For the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage. And the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth, the earth. You know, in our day right now, we've got legislators legislating against God. It's happened this past week in Scotland. They've taken positions that are clearly against the Word of God, saying that sin is not just fine, but sin is commendable, making it easier for people to mess up their lives against God, and yet there's coming a day of reckoning before God. and they that are gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. And the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion." Something's gonna happen with the moon, something's gonna happen with the sun on that day, but Jesus Christ is gonna reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. And so as Simeon picked up that Christ child, He saw the light, that's the mercy of God, the grace of God, but he looked ahead to the glory that would happen when Jesus Christ would set up his kingdom. And so he saw that all in that precious baby, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we celebrate the birth of Jesus who came and is coming again. But then we celebrate the birth of Jesus again, the son of the virgin, Jesus Christ with both God and man. And so verse 33, It says, and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. You know, why does it say, Joseph and his mother? Why does it say, and his father and his mother? The reason it does say that is because Joseph was not the biological father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was born a virgin, Mary, and the scripture is abundantly clear about them. And so even in Luke 1, verse 35, it spoke about that. The angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. This is a miracle of the power of God that a virgin could conceive that God in his power would put the seed into the woman, the seed of Jesus Christ, not creating Christ, but taking Christ from glory, putting Christ into the womb of Mary. Matthew 1 verse 18 says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was his spouse to Joseph. Before they came together, she was bound with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived Satan would love to destroy that doctrine because that is a keystone about who the Christ is that he is not just a man but that he is the God of put him into the womb of Mary. And again, so as we celebrate this, we rejoice today that it's not what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach, it's not what the Mormons teach, it's not what Islam teaches about Jesus. I saw a Muslim scientist this past week, he said, we believe in Jesus. They do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible. They believe in a Jesus that they say was a good man, a Jesus that they say was a prophet, but the Bible very clearly says that Jesus Christ is God. Without him, there's not anything made that was made. He's the creator of God. You can't bow down and worship anybody other than God, but Jesus received worship. And I had somebody say, well, they didn't know what they were doing. Maybe it was just like somebody being healed or something. They didn't really know they weren't supposed to worship him, so they worshiped him. But I'd say to that person, but the disciples worshiped Jesus Christ as he ascended up into glory. Those men that had been taught for three years by Jesus Christ himself knew what to do. They did bow down to the God man. Jesus Christ forgave sin. And so you begin to look at Jesus. You understand he is not just a man, but he's God in flesh. The creator entered into his creation to be our savior, to die for our sin. And so we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of the virgin. we celebrate at the birth of Jesus the sufferer of crucifixion. In Simeon blessed them, and he sent him to Mary his mother. Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. And for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine and he's speaking directly to Mary, and I've said before, I think Joseph passed away before Jesus got to his teaching years. You don't see Joseph at the cross, you don't see Joseph in the earthly ministry years of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no doubt it would have been hard for him as well to look at the cross, but again, I don't think he was there, but this mother, as he speaks to her, Suffering would be unusual. We don't venerate Mary. We don't lift her up higher than she should be lifted up. She's just a godly woman that was favored by God. But as a mother, she would stand. She would see her son mocked. She would see her son crucified. She would see all the abuse that he would receive. She would watch him suffer and die on the cross of Calvary. that Christmas carol that we often sing here in our church, and we might sing it, I think, at the conclusion of this service, but born to die upon Calvary. Jesus suffered my sin to forgive. You know, so you see that story, it's precious, isn't it? We love it, we celebrate this life that he came, but as we celebrate his life, we recognize that from the beginning, when he came, it pointed to his death. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. I mean, these are grave ties, When the wise men came, they brought myrrh. That's an embalming spice. That is something that you'd use to prepare that body for burial. They said, those words of the angel there, unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior. What's it speaking about? It's speaking about his death. Again, we like the ooh and ah of that child, and that's exciting. We like that. We've got to recognize that that precious, innocent lamb, would suffer and die on the cross for our sin. Even as Isaiah 53 says, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes were healed. What you'd look at is a man stripped, a man bloodied and abused. You'd see where the crown of thorns had pierced his brow, where his beard was plucked out. You couldn't recognize him because his face was so bludgeoned by the soldiers as they beat him. His back is lacerated. He is lost. Sadly, the skin off his back, as he's been whipped up to 200 times by a cat of nine tails. His hands have been nailed to the cross, his feet nailed to the cross. The cross has been lifted up and dropped into the ground. He's there between two thieves, and anybody walking by would be like, this is the most wicked man, surely this is the most wicked man on the sinner cross between a thief and murderous people on the outside. That's gotta be a vital man to get that man with sinless. He'd have no sin, became sin for us. And if we stood there, anybody that would say to me, Ben, God doesn't love me, God doesn't care about me, all we gotta do is look at the cross to decide that. while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And that is the most important reality, that Jesus Christ, I mean, he looked at me, he looked at you, he said, I don't want you to go to the cross, I don't love you too much, and so, or to hell and eternal separation from God, the wrath of God, damnation against yourself, so I'll take it for you, and our Savior laid down his life. And again, we already looked at that story where they're on the Mount of Transfiguration, and there at that place, Moses and Elijah are there. What are they speaking about? They're speaking about his decease, which he should accomplish. So anybody that thinks, oh, those Romans overpowered him. He got in over his head and didn't know what was happening. No, no, no. He could have called 10,000 angels. On the cross, I believe if he hadn't said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do, God the Father God doesn't want us to go to hell. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He would have all men to come into the knowledge of the truth. The Spirit of God would plead at the heart of anybody that is considering life and the realities of life. He would plead with them to recognize that what Jesus Christ did when he died, he did for us. that I don't have to be here. I don't have to be separated from God for all eternity. I don't have to be damned because of my sin. The Savior died. He paid the price. I could have been saved. Listen, I really believe this. Anybody that goes to hell has to trip over the dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a stone of offense, a stumbling stone to those that reject him. That stone that they rejected is going to crush them. Praise God for somebody that would humble their heart and say, man, I don't understand why God would love me so much that he died on the cross for my sin, but I believe that and I receive that. God, forgive me my sin. And any of you that would think, man, I want to hold on to my sin, understand this, they're holding on to the gun that killed the Lord Jesus Christ, that sin that they defend, and whether that's immorality, or whether that's lies, or deceit, or embezzlement, or godlessness, and atheism, and wanting the pride, and the pat on the back by their ungodly friends that, hey, you're so cool because you don't believe in God. All those things are meaningless and waste, and those are the things that put Christ on the cross. Look at those things and say how can I hold on to something that so despised? this precious land What a wicked person I must be if I can if I can embrace these things Instead of embracing the Savior I who is innocent. And by the way, sometimes people think that if I do that, my life's going to be miserable. I can't drink, I can't smoke, I can't have immorality, I can't lie, I can't... And they say, I can't do this. Listen, how does it feel to get drunk? And to lose your money? Lose your purity? Lose your family? Lose your health? See, the things that Jesus Christ came to set us free from are the things that are defiling, the things that hurt families, that hurt life. Jesus Christ died to set us free from that. And so many people are like, man, I just want to hold on to this. And I don't care. And they laugh about hell. They mock against hell. But nobody stands outside of the Beltane outside that building, looked at the people burning. They could see them in that place. They were pleading and crying out and saying, rescue us, rescue us. Nobody stood there on that day, mocked them, laughed at them and say, ha ha ha, it's just no big deal to be in a fire. That would be incredibly horrible to do. And I think this, there's a lot of people that laugh about hell. You know what they're doing? They're blaspheming anybody they know that's in eternity and damnation away from God. that that person is suffering eternally, and in their heart, they just, they don't care. And they make it a big joke. But God knows it's real, and that's the whole thing. I mean, if it wasn't for that, why did Christ come? If it wasn't for the fact that the wages of sin is death, that there's eternity in a lake of fire, why did Jesus Christ come? because he had to die, that's why in the garden he cried out, he said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Three times for three hours he prayed. He sweat as it were, grape drops and blood, the capillaries in his face burst as he was in agony there before God. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Why? Because he wasn't just gonna suffer, he was gonna eat the sin of the world. God the Father was gonna turn his back on God the Son. And if it was possible for good people to go to heaven, such thing as a good person. And so we look at that lamb again, we're looking at that child's beautiful. But Simeon saw ahead, he goes, your heart's gonna hurt, Mary. It's gonna be tough. You celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Redeemer. It says in verse 36, there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Newell, of the tribe of Acer. She was of a great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, 84, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she, coming in that instant, she gave thanks likewise unto the Lord. She spake of them to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned unto Galilee to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon it. And she came in, she looked at that child, and she saw that child ask the Redeemer. The Redeemer is the one that binds back. Just like if you're in a hostage situation, we just had a hostage trade that took place with Russia, and they negotiate how it's going to go down, and they redeem the person through the transfer of prisoners, right? And it's got to feel good to get set free. It's gotta feel good when that price has been paid and you're given back your liberty. You can get your life back and get back on with it. And what she saw, she looked at Jesus, she saw the price that God had to pay to redeem us, to buy us back from the slave market of sin where we would die and spend eternity in a lake of fire. God took his son, he goes, I'll pay for that. He took his son, he gave his son. He paid it in full John 19 verse 30 It says when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar. He said it is finished And he bowed his head and he gave up the ghost It is finished means paid in full praise God. It's not anything more to pay. It's not I don't have to say to somebody Hey, you know God paid most of it, but you got to be a good person You got to do this this this this this and if you do this God will accept you know, there's nothing we can pay and Again, as we look at that precious gift that God gave, it's amazing, isn't it? When we really start to unpackage and think about who that Christ child was. He's the son of man. He took on flesh. He became a man just like us. I mean, none of us would do that. If you were God, there's no way in the world that you would look at us and go, now I'm gonna become a man because I've gotta do something. I mean, it's amazing what God did for us. The consolation of Israel. the comfort, the Christ child, that one that was promised by God, just like God said, you can read about it all through the Old Testament, that Christ is coming, he's coming, he's coming, and what is he gonna do when he comes? He's the Savior of all. There's nobody that's gonna go to heaven except by Christ. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. He's the one that came and is coming again. He's the Son of the Virgin, God in flesh, the one who would suffer for our sin. He's the Redeemer. He's the one that paid the price for our sins. Let's go ahead and bow our heads this morning as we meditate just a little bit here on who the Christ is. I just wanna ask a simple question this morning. Nobody's looking around. I'm the only one, I guess, with my eyes open here just now. But I just wanted to ask you a question. Has there ever been a time in your life where you personally received Jesus Christ as your Savior? Where you said to God, God, please forgive me of my sin and save me. If that's you and you know that for sure, would you mind raising your hand this morning, just testifying to that, that you personally received Christ as your Savior? Amen, praise God for that. That's great, amen. Amen, praise the Lord. And one other question, that's this, and maybe you couldn't raise your hand because you haven't received Jesus Christ as your Savior. But if you'd say today, you know, today's the day I'd like to accept Christ as my savior. I see what he did for me, and I recognize that I'm a sinner, that punishment for my sin is hell, but Jesus Christ died for me. I see that, and I wanna receive him as my savior. Would you just testify of that by just raising your hand? Anybody like that this morning? I've never received Christ as my savior, but I'd like to receive him today. Amen, all right, let's pray. Father, I just pray that the spirit of God will touch the hearts here today, Lord, it's good to focus on the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Father, for those that have already accepted that, can I say, praise God, that's glorious. That's the gift that we needed. And there's no other name given amongst men whereby we must be saved. To not have Christ is to not have life. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have been written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have everlasting life. Father, our prayer would be for anybody this morning that listens to the message and thinks, you know, I'm getting that burning in my heart. God's speaking to me. I need to get saved. Father, I pray they wouldn't put it off. I pray they find a place somewhere today where they just get on their knees and confess that they're a sinner, that the punishment for their sin is hell, but that Jesus Christ died for them, that he didn't stay in the grave, and put their faith in what Jesus did. Lord, your word says, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. And Father, we need that. Because hell is real, hell is eternal. Thank you for the gift of life through Christ. It's in Christ that we pray.