Again, a good morning and a greeting to each one that is here. It's good to be in God's house. The world hurries and scurries and has no time or little time for the worship of its creator. But we as his people want to give him the room in our lives and in our heart for Him to do in us, and with us, and through us, His perfect will. I've entitled the message this morning, The Real Christmas Story. The Real Christmas Story. Probably if you had asked a number of different people what Christmas, what the meaning is of Christmas, you'd probably get a number of different responses. For a young child that has never been in church and doesn't know anything about the Christmas story, his answer would vary quite a bit from one who has had Christian parents and has been brought up in a church setting and has been taught the real meaning. The answers would vary quite a bit. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 1, and as a text, And as you're turning there, just a few thoughts went through my mind as the youth were up here singing, six of the fellas and seven of the ladies. And Luke tells us that when Jesus was born, there was a serenading going on. The hosts, a multitude of the heavenly hosts. And I thought, as I listened, I heard bass and tenor and alto and soprano coming through. If you would take this group of 13 and multiply it by I don't know what number, What would that have sounded like to the shepherds out there on the hillside? A multitude. What's a multitude? Well, a multitude's a multitude. It's a bunch of people, probably so many you can't even number. And as that heavenly music burst forth and spilled over from the throne room of heaven, and the shepherds were the ones that heard the music. Oh, I was thrilled just hearing these 13. a million, 3,000, 100,000. That'd probably be a multitude. I don't know what heaven's going to be like, but I'm sure looking forward to some glorious singing over there. But in the meantime, we can practice down here. I think there's still slips for chorus members, if I'm not mistaken, for our church chorus. Maybe we can tune our harps down here. In Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 to the end is Matthew's account, in brief, of the birth of Jesus. And I want to read that. And it says there, now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. And then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately. 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 and marry thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Now Luke 2 would also have more details and from another writer's perspective, and I was thinking maybe we would read that together, but often you've probably done that at home already, maybe this morning, maybe yesterday, maybe it's a family tradition, maybe you'll read that account tomorrow, I'm not sure. But as we think of Mary and Joseph, as we think of that eventful occurrence many years ago, It's just, it's anything but the way we would plan it. I don't know what God was thinking, and I'm not questioning that. But the relationship of Mary and Joseph. As I understand it, there are three steps in the Jewish marriage. First, that the two families together agree upon this union of man and woman. Secondly, there's a public announcement made about this a pending relationship. The time to us is known as the engagement time. I think we have a couple here that's in that time period where two have promised to marry each other. And the words in scripture would be betrothed or espoused. And those two words would be equivalent as we understand engagement. And that's where Joseph and Mary are in their relationship journey as the story unfolds. And then thirdly, the couple becomes married and begins living together. Now, according to Jewish law, Joseph could have legally divorced Mary at this stage because of the seemingly infidelity and unfaithfulness that she was manifesting. Even the Jewish elders could have stoned her. But Joseph chose to go through with marrying this woman who was engaged to him even though she was with child. I don't know how you men, us men, would feel about a situation like that. But I often ask myself and tell others, put yourself into the story. If an engaged woman would suddenly show up being pregnant, There would be some questions that would be raised. And this thing followed Jesus all through His ministry. Where He was accused of being, in our equivalent, a bastard. An illegitimate son. some things that Joseph and Mary had to work with and live with, as well as Jesus, this aspect of his birth. So why is the virgin birth so important to the Christian faith? You see, Jesus Christ, God's son, had to be free from the sinful nature that was passed on to all other human beings by Adam. He had to be free of that. And because he was born of a woman, he was a human being. He was a baby just like all of us were, and some that are here still are. That's how he came here. But because he was a son of God, He needed to be born without any trace of sin in his bloodline, in his genetics. So he was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus is both God and man. God, Jesus, took on the limitations of humanity so he could live and die for the salvation of all who believe in him. Now I say that with my mouth, but my mind still tries to grapple with that. How can a person be both fully human and fully divine? It's a mystery. I believe it with my heart and I'm preaching it as gospel. I know it to be true. But I want you to stop and think about that. I thought as I was preparing for this, I wondered, I don't know what a close illustration. Who's the richest man in the world? Can someone give me a name? Who do you think? Should we say Elon Musk? George Soros, someone, a billionaire. Billions to their name. They can basically buy anything they want. And if you were his son, and you would voluntarily say no to that and go to whatever poor country in the world, live in a mud hut, You're not sure what you're gonna eat tomorrow. That would be quite a distance, wouldn't you agree? I've been in mud huts. I've eaten in houses with mud floors. But the distance from heaven to earth, isn't it just that much more distant? And that's what Jesus was willing to do when he agreed to the Father's plan to be born of a Virgin Mary. Our human mind cannot grasp the distance. Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. Jesus came from heaven to be born in a cold, dark stable as a bloody, wet, human baby. They don't look that cute when they're born. I'll tell you, I've been there. I've seen it happen. But Jesus took that upon Him willingly. Another thing I notice in the story of the birth is the celebratory language, the notes of celebration. I think it is right and good to celebrate the season. Maybe not everyone would agree to that. Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced, and catch this, in Christ my Savior, who is not yet born, who is inside of her. I rejoice in Christ my Savior. Zechariah said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. Angels, as they announced the news to the shepherds, they said, good tidings of great joy. And he mulled it to the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. They were celebrating an event. The shepherds, it says, they returned after they had gone and visited the place where the baby lay. I didn't know exactly where that was. We were in the shepherd's field when we were over in Israel. And we were at the place of a cave. And I was talking with Alan Yoder this morning just trying to pick up some background information on what he might know about this. The thought is this, possibly the shepherds vacated the cave in order that Joseph and Mary might use it for this event. We don't know. But it's out in the country. It's on the hillside there. Bethlehem is about five miles south and a bit east of Jerusalem. And there, possibly, baby Jesus was born. But the angels, the shepherds, as they came back from seeing that baby, it says the shepherds returned. And notice the celebratory language. glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had seen and heard. The wise men, when they saw the star, it says they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And so this time of year, this celebration of an event, not the day, I don't agree with the day, but I do agree with the event, Jesus was born. And I would like to think he was born at the time when lambs were born. And what time that is, I'm not sure. But he was born, and that is the real Christmas story. The first Christmas story at the time was a time of celebration, and today is also, I think, a time of celebration. We don't celebrate the day, we celebrate the event. Jesus came as a baby. He was born of a virgin. He was serenaded by the host of angels. He was worshipped by the shepherds and wise men because a savior was born. His mother acknowledged it. The long-awaited Messiah has come. There's three points that I want to look at now as we go on. And I'll give those to you and then we'll come back and spend some time on that. And I'm going to throw in the fourth one as time permits. Actually, I'm going to whether time permits or not, probably, at the end of the message. The first one is the miracle of Christmas. Point number one, the miracle of Christmas. The second point is the meaning of Christmas. And thirdly, the message of Christmas. The miracle of Christmas, the meaning of Christmas, and the message of Christmas. Now, the miracle of Christmas is God like us. God like us. The miracle of Christmas. The meaning of Christmas is God with us. And the message of Christmas is God for us. So let's go back to point number one. The miracle of Christmas. God like us. He was made in the likeness. of men. And I have just a few verses to bring out that point. I don't intend for this to be a long-winded message this morning. But Hebrews 2, 17 and 18. And Brother Paul Mark just plowed some of the same ground I was going to plow. But, you know, maybe it doesn't hurt to plow it twice. Some of the same verses that I have in my notes. So I think God wants us to hear this again. Hebrews chapter 2, and I'll just read these for you. Wherefore in all things, and note this, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. And that's the miracle of Christmas in essence. God like us. He was made that way for this reason, and Scripture tells us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor or to comfort those that are tempted. So it seems that the Hebrew writer, in a nutshell, has captured the essence, the miracle of Christmas, and that is God like us. We tend to like people who are like us. I would venture to say that this group gathered here this morning, we like being together because we share common values and we share common beliefs. You are like me in that respect and I'm like you in that respect. And God, I think, has ordained. There's various places of worship, various churches. Not one church is exactly, quote, right and perfect. But if we all adhere to the primacy of God's Word and live by the Holy Spirit as He leads us, there can be various churches and congregations scattered throughout the whole world that all love the Lord and love each other and are like-minded in the way that they live out the non-conformity and the scripture itself. But here's a man called Jesus who was born and he is like us. The Hebrew writer says, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. 1 Timothy 3.16, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory." God was manifest in the flesh. What does that mean? We, or we didn't see Him, but the disciples, as they saw Jesus, and the people saw Jesus and heard Him, it was just like God from heaven in the form of a human being, and this man is called Jesus, manifest in the flesh. Why? So we could identify. I can't identify with a lion. We're not on the same wavelength. There's a good amount of fear from me towards him. I want to get out of his presence. I don't want to be around him. And neither would you. We're not like. We're not the same. We're both living. We both have a heart. We have muscle and tissue, the lion and I, but there's no commonality there. But Jesus even though he's a lion of Judah, he became like us. John 1, 14, and the word was made flesh. He was made man, he was made human, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. And catch this, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I guess I just continue to, I'm swamped. And you know what that means, a boat out on the water that's being swamped, it has water coming in and it can't, it's gonna sink if it's not gonna bail that water out. But as I meditate on that, God, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Philippians 2, 7 and 8, but made himself of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Those verses bring out this truth. The miracle of Christmas. God like us. Though we don't understand it, doesn't mean we doubt it. He was here. His birth and His death is one of the most verified events in all of the history of men. One of the great reasons to celebrate Christmas is because we have on display the great act of love that God showed to the world. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He what? He gave His only begotten Son. And in that gave, in that giving, is the real Christmas story. God came to earth. The second part, the meaning of Christmas, is God with us. The miracle of Christmas is God like us. The meaning of Christmas is God with us. And I just read the text there that verifies that. The word Immanuel in verse 23, Matthew chapter 1, they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is what? God with us. Not only is He like us, He is with us. He's with us in the form of His precious Son Jesus Christ in the early church, there the disciples saw Him. And He is with us today in the presence or in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. And so Isaiah 7 14 prophesied this. And Our song that we sang this morning, I was blessed as I noted that last, the last phrase in 224. I'll just read that for you. I think I can memorize it, but to get the accurate. Oh, come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel. Our Lord Emmanuel. There it is. And that's the meaning of the name. The meaning of Christmas is God with us. Isaiah, as he prophesied that, and the angel actually references that Old Testament scripture. I'll just read that again here for you. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel." 800 years before the event ever took place. Now the next verse I too, I can't leave it. Butter and honey shall he eat. Rather like that. That he may know how to choose the evil and choose the good. But the prophet Isaiah said, they shall call his name Immanuel. Let's think about it in this way. So this name Immanuel is the fulfillment of prophecy. Would you not agree? Isaiah prophesied it. And here it comes to pass. It says that in verse 20 in Matthew 1, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. And he's telling Joseph these things. And he says, you're to call his name Jesus. And you're also to call his name Emmanuel. Because it says, all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. If you doubt, The inspiration of Scripture. This is one of those, one of many pivotal points. How could a man 800 years before prophesy something that took place to the letter many years later? If the Word of God is not inspired, that is quite coincidental, isn't it? Yeah, it's heavenly coincidental. God had planned it. But I noticed something else here. Normally, parents name their children, right? Our five children all have names that we picked out and gave to them. And yours the same way. I don't think your children got any names that you and your wife didn't agree upon. And some young parents find it hard to agree on names. I see a father of twins sitting back there smiling. It's just the way it is. There's lots of names to choose from. Okay, so if earthly parents get to name their children, what happened here? Did not the heavenly parent choose the name for the heavenly babe? I noticed that. God, heaven said, call him this. Zacharias was told also his name shall be John. Okay, so that's kind of neat, right? But think of it a little further. Who is looking down and observing what's happening on earth? The heavenlies observe and know and see what's happening down here. Sometimes people feel alone. They get discouraged. There is an epidemic of loneliness in our nation. We are more connected than ever and more separated than ever as far as relationships. Believe me, I read about it in the papers and the magazines that I get. Here we have the heavenly hosts looking down on an earthly event. Don't think for a minute that your life and the things that are happening to you are overlooked by the heavenly hosts. They know what's going on. And that's why Jesus says, come unto me. And the invitation is come, come, come. Because, as I read there in Hebrews, that this man Jesus, he is able to succor, he's able to comfort those that are tempted. He's been here, he's done that, he knows what you're going through. He's one that you can go with. Go to with your problems because he is Emmanuel, God with God. us, God with you and you and you and me, all of us together. That's the meaning of Christmas. And when we have God's children, with us and around us, we usually feel comfortable. I feel very safe here this morning. When we go out in the world and maybe go shopping or go to places to eat or other places like that, it's almost like you're just about, you know, almost watching over your shoulder. You're very aware of your surroundings because you don't know what's coming out of the bushes or the side street or whatever. But here this morning, I feel very safe because I'm with you and you're with me and He is with us. Understand? Yes, we feel comfortable because we have those shared values and beliefs. He knows what we're going through. He knows our sorrow. He knows our pain. He understands how difficult Some of those decisions are that you're facing right now. God knows. He knows what I'm going through. He understands how difficult it is to have a right attitude toward those who chose to respond wrongly toward us. He's been there. He's done that. Jesus was God in the flesh. He was literally God among us. Divinity with humanity. The immortal with the mortal. And I think one of the reasons Jesus took on that human flesh and become fully human, so He could feel what pain feels like. He could feel what anger felt like. He could feel what it's like to be grieved, to be rejected, to be all those things. So that when that happens to you and I, He can say, I know how it feels. Come to me. Sometimes we stand by the side of a casket of a loved one who has departed. Sympathy is when I feel sad for your loss. Empathy is when I know what it feels like because I've lost a father and a mother, a brother. not only has sympathy, he has empathy. He knows what it's like. Emmanuel, God with us. The three Hebrew children in the fire. The king said, there's four men walking. And the song that I've heard just recently, I just kind of love it. It's entitled, They Stood True. And the question is, Mama, there was three men put in the fire, and there was four in there, and three came out. Where's the fourth man? And Mama told the son, he's still in the fire. God with us. He's there for us. Daniel in the lion's den. Emmanuel, God with Daniel. 2 Chronicles 32 verse 8, with him is an arm of flesh, but with us the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. Sennacherib the king came against Judah with a host army. And it looked like annihilation was right at hand. Looks like they were all going to get killed and wiped out. But the message to Hezekiah, with him, with the enemy, is an arm of flesh. But with us. I'm harping on that word with. Emmanuel, God, with us. With us is the Lord, our God, to help us. And make no mistake, don't think that was a thousand years ago. Old, dusty old story. Yeah. But our God is timeless. That same God. is still available to us today. And He cares for us. He really does. Peter and Paul and Barnabas, all of these experienced prison time. Peter was miraculously delivered from prison. The gates just opened. Who was with Peter? God with us. Paul and Barnabas in prison. I don't know what song they were singing. But the scripture says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Hang on to those promises. They're for you. They're for us. Emmanuel, God with us. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. Joseph with Potiphar's wife, that temptation there, and when he's in time in prison as well. The Bible in Genesis chapter 39 verse 2 and verse 21 say the same words. So God was with Joseph. Put your name in there. So God was with Philip. Emmanuel, God with us. That's the meaning of Christmas. Joshua, the Lord said unto Joshua, This day I will begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that I, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And if you know anything about the story of Joshua, he went on one holy terror. 31 kings, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And Joshua conquered the land. Why? Emmanuel, God with us. You don't have kings coming against you. You have a king of darkness coming against you. And just like Joshua, one after the other they fell. Why? Where was the secret of the strength? God was with him, and that always makes the difference. But the best, not the best one, another good one is Matthew 28, verse 20, because this comes out of Jesus' own mouth, where he says, go into all the world, preach the gospel, and then he ends, lo, I am, what, huh? with you always. Did you get that? See, we as humans, we tend to get bogged down with our problems and our trials and the decisions that accompany daily life. I've been there, I know, and you know, but those words of Jesus, lo, I am with you That, if there's a cherry on top, that's it. That's our Lord. That's the meaning of Christmas. God with us. Now thirdly, the message of Christmas is God for us. That's another reason to celebrate Christmas is the fact that God is for us. As a born-again believer and as a child of His, we have this confidence that this baby who was born in Bethlehem is today, He's our advocate. He's our intercessor. He's interceding at the right hand of the Father for us. Revelation gives us the picture of Satan as the accuser of the brethren. And if you can picture in your mind's eye, God is sitting there, Jesus on his right hand side, and the devil, the accuser of the brethren, is pointing at Phil Beechy, and the devil is saying, Phil did this, and Phil did this, and Phil did that. He doesn't deserve your salvation or mercy or forgiveness, God. Conrad doesn't either. Put your name in there. The accuser of the brethren is accusing us. And Jesus turns to the Father and said, my blood took care of that. He's our advocate. He's our intercessor. He stands between God and man, pleading our case. That makes my heart just well up with gratitude of what He's done. That is the message of Christmas. God for us. If He continues to accuse us and the devil accuses us, we have no chance. But our Heavenly Father sent Jesus to redeem us. And in that redemption process, He becomes our advocate. He becomes our intercessor. He's our redeemer. And Satan is accusing all of us. He's the accuser of the brethren. Accuses them to God. In front of the throne of God. Or wherever it might be. I'm not sure how the scenery is. Pardon my language, if it's not accurate. But I see Jesus saying, no. That's not true, Father. That's not true, Father. I died for him. He's mine. I am for him. I love that picture, that helps me understand Scripture. That's the message of Christmas, is God for us. He's interceding at the right hand of the Father. He's the one who gives us the victory because He is for us. And God wants us to be victorious over sin, triumphant over temptation, like a father. You as fathers, who have sons and daughters who are grown, We want them to succeed in life. We want them to be all they can be as a man and a woman for God in kingdom work. just in everyday life. That's my ultimate desire as a father, that my children walk in truth and make a difference in the world that they touch. And I'm sure it's yours as well. I am for them in that respect. I stand behind them in prayer and in emotional support and just whatever I can to bring to bear to support the next generation. I am for them. And if my little Father's heart beats that way, how do you think our Heavenly Father's heart beats? For you. He is for you. That's the message of Christmas. He's not against you. Unless... We persist in sin. But I'm talking now about a child of God, one who knows what it's like to be redeemed. He's not against us, he's on our side. He desires our spiritual success. His resources are available to us. Why? Because the message of Christmas is God for us. For us. Jeremiah 29, verse 11. I know the thoughts that I think toward you. thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Now, some of you remember, but I'm just going to say it publicly. Phil preached that message years ago, and I think you ought to get it out, dust it off, polish it up, and preach it again. Our God has plans for us. He is for us. And the King James says, to give us an expected end. Other translations word it just a little bit different. Doesn't nullify that point at all. But to give you a... Do you remember? expected hope or a glorious future or something. See, that's our God. He's for us. He has plans for us. And it's a wise soul. Some people who grew up in abusive homes and have a father who is anything but God-like have a hard time picturing a Heavenly Father who has good plans for their welfare. It's a hurdle to get through, but it's not a stumbling block that can't be overcome. But Isaiah is saying, or Jeremiah, our God, our God has good plans for us. And one other passage here, Romans 8 31. What shall we say then to these things? If God be For us, who can be against us?" That's the essence of it. That's the message of Christmas. God for us. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. And that's my fourth point, bonus point, I'm going to call it. God in us. Colossians 1.27, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. John 4.4, Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. 1 John 4, 12, No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another God dwelleth in us. First John 4, 15, whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him. And so that's the fourth point here, God in us. And it's almost like it wraps up all the other three and puts them in one package. The miracle of Christmas, the meaning of Christmas, and the message of Christmas, God in us. How? He said, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come. He said, I'm going to leave and I'm going to send you a comforter, and that comforter's name is the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, with us. There's another point here. I'm going to wrap this up just briefly and shortly. Jesus came in a very humble way. Jesus came humbly to us. But what does Hebrews 4.16, and it was read this morning. He came humbly, but he asked us to come boldly. Do you come boldly to the throne of grace? Jesus said that we are to come boldly to the throne of grace. He came humbly, but He's asking us to come boldly. I don't understand all that. I think that's why we love the book of Psalms so much. David came boldly to the throne of grace. David poured out his heart to God. Just laid it out. Have you done that? Were you on your knees this morning? Did you pray this morning? Did you pour out your heart to God? Did you come boldly to the throne of grace? The reason we lack power in our life is because we don't spend time in prayer. It's just as simple as that. So in this season, we hear Christmas songs, we see bright lights, we observe people shopping for gifts, we see the hurry and scurry of much of the world around us. I'm quite worried and troubled of how much of that is spilling over onto us. Psalm 4610 is still there. Be still. Be still. Know that I am God. So let us, let us as a congregation, as a people, let us intentionally pause and reflect on the true, real meaning of Christmas and it's in one word. Emmanuel, God with us. Let's kneel and pray. Heavenly Father, we pause and reflect on that event of long ago when you, in your great love, shared your only begotten Son with the world. Jesus was born as a baby. Father, we confess we just don't fully understand how this could happen, and yet we believe it to be true. And even like the disciples of old, Lord, help thou mine unbelief. Help us, Lord, to by faith believe the Christmas story The baby who was born in Bethlehem, who grew up as a son of God, to be the Redeemer and the Savior of the world. And in this time, as we commemorate and celebrate the event, God, help us to realize that Jesus came to live with us so that someday we might go to live with Him forever. Grant us grace, grant us strength. Renew and sharpen our hunger for more of you, Father. Spend time with you in prayer, in the reading of your word, and allow your spirit to just saturate every fiber of our being so that we can exemplify truth and grace and love and peace to a world around us, starting with our own families, God. Bless the preaching of your word. Bless each one here this morning with your peace, your presence, and your power and your protection according to thy will. So let it be in Jesus' name. Amen.