A Christmas Question
Is it so?
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Introduction: Hundreds of years before Mary placed the baby
Jesus into the manger, Isaiah foretold the fact that a child was going to be
born and a son was going to be given. He
farther said that the mother would be a virgin when this occurred. There were a lot of people who had their
normal night interrupted by the strange goings on that night. I would not be surprised that somewhere a
blind man that night dreamed that he could see, a deaf man dreamed he could
hear, a cripple man dreamed that he could walk and perhaps even some old bones
inside a tomb near Jerusalem stirred slightly within the grave.
This same Jesus that caused such a
disturbance over two thousand years ago is still disturbing the hearts of men
and women around the world. I would hope
this morning that he might in some way cause a slight disturbance in your life
and lifestyle that would prompt you to do more for His cause.
My question for today, Is it so? Is no
questioning whether or not Jesus was actually born. As far as I am concerned that is a settled
fact. When you consider that most of the
nations of the world use a calendar that in essence says every time they write
a document and date it, they are dated it—In the Year of our Lord.
Ask a devout Jew today if Jesus, the
Messiah came and he will say no. Ask a
Muslim if he came and he would say, he came but not as a Saviour. The Gnostic's said he came but was all man and
some of them said no he came but he was still all God. Ask the atheist today and he will say he did
not come.
My question for you, Is it so that he was
born unto you. To an unbeliever the
birth of a baby over two thousand years ago in a town so small there was no
hospital and to such insignificant parents that there was no place for them to
have a place for him to be born, except a stable, is completely insignificant. But if the child was born unto you, it
makes a world of difference. The fact
that Jesus was born into an earthly family enables you that by putting your
faith in Him, you can be born into a heavenly family.
The second part of Isaiah’s statement that
deserves us seeking for an answer is that a son is given.. John 3:16 states so eloquently and yet so
simply, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believeth on him shall have everlasting life. Again John said, He came unto his own but his
own received him not, but as many as received him gave he power to become the
sons of God.
Sometimes I think you can expound upon
that verse and translate “his own” in several ways. He came unto his own creation and his own
creation received him not. The creator
was rejected by the creation. He came
unto his own beloved people and his own people received him not. The Messiah is rejected by his own special
people. He also came unto those that he
would choose and they received him not.
You see when there is a giving of gifts
there must be an acceptance of gifts.
The Christmas question is was he given unto you. He was not given unto you unless you have accepted
that gift as being your very one.
