Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:58

I would like to remind us this Christmas that Jesus is the reason for the season. We're going to look at how Jesus was revealed the first Christmas from the Bible. Then we're going to pray together at the end of my talk. Let me share two passages from the Bible that tell us the names or titles that are attributed to Jesus Christ. These describe who He is and what we can experience in our relationship with Him. The first is found in Matthew chapter 1, verse 21 to 23. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. In verse 21, we see that Jesus will save people from their sins. What a wonderful thing to know that your sins are forgiven when you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He saves us from our sin, its penalty, and consequences, but he also saves us to righteousness or a right relationship with God. In verse 23, we saw that his name will be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, God took on human flesh. We can experience God with us today, this Christmas. As someone once put it, the Son of God became a Son of Man, so that sons of men can become sons of God. This Christmas may we experience his presence. Jesus is with us. He is our Emmanuel. Jesus promised he would be with us always, and that he would never leave us or forsake us. The second verse I would like to read is found in Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6. Listen to how Jesus is introduced to us. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We see that the child who was born on that first Christmas was in fact the Son of God being given for us. Jesus is the greatest gift. And as we unwrap this verse today, we see that through a relationship with Jesus, we can experience four things in our lives. Jesus is our wonderful counselor. Do you need wisdom and guidance today? Come to Jesus, the wonderful counselor. Do you need to see the hand of the mighty God move in your life or in the life of your loved ones? Come to Jesus, who is our mighty God. Do you need to experience the love of the everlasting Father? Come to Jesus who reveals God the Father to us. Do you need peace? Peace is a wonderful gift, and you can have peace with God and experience the peace of God as you come to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season. Jesus is the greatest gift that you can receive this Christmas. I invite you to pray with me now. Let's pray together. Father God, thank you that you came to save us from our sins and bring us into a right relationship with you. Thank you that you are Emmanuel, God with us, and you want us to experience you this Christmas as our wonderful counselor. You want us to experience you as our mighty God, as our everlasting Father and our Prince of Peace. We thank you that you are with us now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for letting me share some thoughts with you this Christmas. And as I close, I would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year. Don't forget, the best is yet to come.