Christmas Hope!
Purpose: To show us that the only sure hope we have in this life is in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
- We Hope in Jesus Because Angels Worshipped Him!
Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 2:8-14
- We Hope in Jesus Because Kings Worshipped Him!
Matthew 2:1-12
Psalm 2:1-12
Phil. 2:9-11 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NASB)
- We Hope in Jesus Because Shepherds Worshipped Him!
Luke 2:15-20
"A man should not teach his son to be . . . a herdsman . . . for their craft is the craft of
robbers." (Mishnah: Kiddushin 4:14)
See Luke 4:18 quoting Isaiah 61
- We Hope in Jesus Because He is the Hope of the Nations!
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Genesis 15:5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
Romans 4:18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become aa father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."
Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."
Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
A Christmas Poem by Christopher Smart:
Where is this stupendous stranger? O the magnitude of weakness,
Prophets, shepherds, kings, advise; If eternal is so young.
Lead me to my Master's manger, God all-bounteous, all creative,
Show me where my Savior lies. Whom no ills from good dissuade,
Is incarnate, and a native
O most mighty, O most holy, Of the very world He made.
Far beyond the seraph's thought,
Art thou then so mean and lowly
As unheeded prophets taught?