1. Lessons From the First Christmas
Sermon
Lessons From the First Christmas
Matt 1:18-2:6
Introduction

2. What is the true message behind God’s gift to us at Christmas
What is the true message behind God’s gift to us at Christmas? We are so sinful that the only thing that can heal us is His grace through the Son God.

3. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

4. and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

5. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, (Matthew 1:1-6 ESV)

6. [18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way
[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19] And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

7. [20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

8. God broke into history to destroy the world’s distinctions.

9. Christmas says, "Jesus, the Son of God became a part of history
Christmas says, "Jesus, the Son of God became a part of history. He happened and you must deal with him.”

10. Being able to step out of time Escaping from death
FANTASY LITERATURE
Being able to step out of time
Escaping from death
Having love relationships that never end
Communication with non humans
Good triumphing over evil

11. THE CHIRSTMAS MESSAGE is about the wall being shattered – Jesus breaks through the wall between fantasy and reality. If Jesus broke through the wall in Bethlehem, then it changes everything.

12. “Let’s not take out Christ, let’s just get rid of some of the stuff that is unessential and hard for us to believe in this day and age. For instance, the virgin birth, the stuff about Jesus being God, his miracles, the resurrection. Get rid of that and we still have a lot.”

13. “We cannot blink at the fact that gentle Jesus, meek and mild, was so stiff in his opinions and so inflammatory in his language that he was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public danger.

14. Whatever his peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference… “ -Dorothy Sayers The baby in the manger can’t be viewed with amiable indifference.

16. The gospel is brokenness which leads to joy
The gospel is brokenness which leads to joy. The brokenness comes from realizing that I am more sinful than I ever dared to imagine. The joy comes from knowing that I am more loved than I have ever dared to hope.

17. God BROKE INTO HISTORY…
God BROKE INTO HISTORY…. TO destroy the world’s distinctions in FAMILY PEDIGREE.

18. No matter what you’ve done, the grace of God can reach you
No matter what you’ve done, the grace of God can reach you. We all need it and can only receive it. We can’t achieve it.

19. Come to Christ and you’ll have a place in God’s family
Come to Christ and you’ll have a place in God’s family . That is THE MESSAGE OF Christmas.