[0:00] What a privilege to preach on Christmas morning.
[0:15] ! Merry Christmas.
[0:32] Pray that this day is a joy for you. My aim this morning is not to give you any new information, not to teach you, but to kind of continue through just the celebration of who Christ is, of why we gather, why we meet together, why we love one another the way we do, why we're united, and all that is because of Christ.
[0:57] So my goal is this morning just to kind of lead us, as Wes has led us in singing, kind of lead us through some more celebration of who Christ is.
[1:08] And I can think of no better way to celebrate Christmas morning than by doing just that together in our gathering. So let's pray together, and then we'll get started.
[1:20] Father, we, first of all, we're in awe of the love that you have shown us.
[1:30] Father, this day we celebrate, whether it was this month, last month, it doesn't matter. The day we celebrate today, Christmas Day, you sending your Son here on earth to live a sinless, perfect life, to be 100% man, be 100% God, to be here on this earth for us.
[1:57] To then, 33 years later, to die a horrible, wretched death for our sins, to take our sins upon His shoulders.
[2:15] So we thank You for Christ. We thank You for this day. This day is the beginning. This day is the beginning of life change. This day is the beginning of the world being changed.
[2:29] Pray, God, that You are honored and pleased this morning by Your preached Word. I pray that what is spoken will be words from You, not my opinions, not what I think or what I've learned, but be Your words this morning to all of us.
[2:49] I pray that we hear them. We hear them with obedience. We hear them with celebration. We hear them with conviction that we leave here different because Your Spirit has moved.
[3:03] You have spoken to us clearly and we have received Your Word this morning. Pray, God, and we thank You for this opportunity to celebrate Jesus.
[3:14] We thank You that we can gather and celebrate this morning. In Jesus' name, Amen. The Bible uses names quite different than we do.
[3:28] Although, probably very few of us really think about the meaning of a name and name a child because of the meaning. We might, you know, I have four kids and each child I made sure that the meaning wasn't something obscene or something silly, something that they couldn't get made fun of.
[3:45] But I didn't really care more or less what the meaning of the name was. And I would imagine most of us are probably that same kind of mentality.
[3:55] And I could be wrong. The Bible uses names in quite a different way. The Bible is almost, when you look at a name of a person, it's almost as if God says, these are the things I want you to know about this person.
[4:10] So, for example, Solomon's name is also Jedidiah. And Jedidiah means beloved by God. And we know from reading Scripture that Solomon or Jedidiah was known to be loved by God.
[4:25] Jacob's name, son of Isaac. Jacob's name is he takes by the heel or he cheats. And if you know the story, he grabbed his brother's heel while being pulled out of the womb.
[4:41] And he also cheated his brother out of the inheritance. Isaac's name means he laughs. We know that both Abraham fell on the floor laughing.
[4:52] Sarah laughed at God because they were too old to bear children. They couldn't believe what God was telling them. So names kind of give us a glimpse into who the person is.
[5:05] And it's no different for Jesus. Jesus Christ. Jesus means God is salvation. Jesus means God is salvation.
[5:16] Christ means anointed one by God. Anointed one by God to be the Messiah who delivers. God's people. So his name tells us who Jesus is and why he came.
[5:29] There are four names written 740 years before Jesus came that I want to look at this morning. So turn your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 9. Isaiah chapter 9.
[5:43] We're going to look at one verse this morning. Kind of pick through it. Walk through it. And then we'll be finished. Isaiah chapter 9.
[5:55] One verse. And our verse is verse 6. Now this is written 740 plus years before Jesus' birth.
[6:07] Isaiah writes, verse 6. For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
[6:19] And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. So what I want to do is kind of walk through this verse this morning.
[6:33] And again, I'll repeat it. This book, the book of Isaiah was written 740 years before Jesus. And as we read, we notice that the tense is a little off.
[6:47] Knowing that. It says, for to us a child is born. To us a son is given. It's almost as if Isaiah knew what was going to happen.
[6:58] Isaiah is proclaiming what is going to come. As if it has already happened. Reminds me of, as we've gone through Romans chapter 4, verse 21. Where it says that Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
[7:13] So Isaiah knew in his writing that Jesus would come. And so he could pronounce it as if he had already come. For to us a child is born.
[7:26] It's an announcement. For to us a child is born. Now this us, of course, has a general meaning. Population, humanity. A child is born into the world.
[7:37] But for there is a more specific meaning that is way more important. The us here is sinners who need a Savior. Which is, I know, a general.
[7:47] Sinners who will place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. So for to us, a child is born. An announcement.
[7:59] A child is born. God becoming human for us. Who becomes fully man and stays fully God. This is this child.
[8:09] Philippians chapter 2, verse 6 and 7 says, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
[8:28] A child is born. Jesus came to earth, not for a parade, not for a kingly entrance, but as a servant to save sinners from their sins.
[8:42] Jesus came as a child, laying in the straw that the animals relieved themselves in. Laying in the straw that the animals kept warm in. This is the throne that Jesus came in.
[8:56] Praise God that that throne will change. Praise God that our view of a poor choice of a king. Now, you know, if we would have done it, we probably would have been like the religious leaders saying, Come with this giant parade and this gold throne room and sit.
[9:15] But God had other plans. As we know from Scripture, as we know from our own lives, God does not make mistakes. God was not surprised by the innkeeper.
[9:26] Who said, No, God was not surprised by the overpopulation in Bethlehem. God chose for his son to make his appearance this way.
[9:37] An announcement. A child is born. Continue reading. To us, a son is given. Now, a son is very important. It shows us the royal lineage.
[9:50] So, from God to Jesus. Jesus holds the inheritance of a king. Not just a king, but the king.
[10:00] A son is given. Now, this is probably the biggest overstatement I'll say from up here.
[10:11] And I've said a few before. But this world is pretty messed up. It's pretty messed up. And since the fall, the world has been messed up because of sin.
[10:22] And we have tried for centuries to fix this world. We have tried religion. We have tried war. We have tried survival of the fittest or even the smartest.
[10:36] We have tried revolutions. Modern revolutions. Theology revolutions. We have tried many different things. We have tried technology. But nothing can fix the problem of this world.
[10:51] We've even tried to replace God. We've even tried to put ourselves as God. And we know that that doesn't work. The only solution for this world was God coming down to earth.
[11:05] Was God giving us his son to save sinners. A son is given. So the only hope for this world. The only hope that we have is God giving his son for us.
[11:22] And of course, as we've gone through Romans, we know we cannot earn it. We cannot achieve it. It is God giving us Jesus. God gave his son for sinners.
[11:34] And the government shall be upon his shoulders. Jesus will bear the full burden of ruling.
[11:46] Full burden of being king. And unlike any other king. Unlike any other ruler. He will not fail. He will not stumble. He will not give into sin.
[11:58] As a good king does. He will save his people from the enemy. He will protect his people forever. And he will rule justly. And the government shall be upon his shoulders.
[12:09] And the people shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called. In other ways, his name is called. This is who he is. This is who Jesus is.
[12:20] His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. So, this word wonderful. It's a word that only is used to describe God.
[12:33] So, when we say we went to a concert and it was wonderful. Or we went to a football game and it was wonderful. It's not the same word. This word here in Hebrew is supernatural.
[12:46] He's the supernatural counselor. Or supernatural wisdom. It's a wonderful counselor. You cannot call him Wonderful Counselor unless you embrace his wisdom.
[12:59] We cannot call him Wonderful Counselor. Wonderful, supernatural counselor. Or supernatural wisdom unless we embrace his wisdom and his truth.
[13:11] God is wisdom. He's the author of wisdom. And we must embrace his wisdom before we can call him Wonderful Counselor. So, does your life embrace his wisdom?
[13:24] Here's what I mean by embrace. Now, I'll say I need to exercise. True statement. Healthy. Good idea. I need to exercise. But that's not embracing exercise.
[13:37] That's just stating I need to exercise. So, I'll go out and buy some exercise equipment. Once again, that's not embracing the fact that I need to exercise.
[13:48] That's just buying some exercise equipment. I'll exercise once a month. Again, that's not embracing the fact that I need to exercise.
[14:00] That's just... I don't know what that is, actually. Embracing something. Embracing exercise means it becomes my lifestyle.
[14:12] It becomes what I do. My life is shaped by exercise. I eat healthy. I exercise repeatedly. My life is a lifestyle of exercise.
[14:25] Likewise, just because you say, Hey, I need to live a certain way for God, doesn't mean you embrace his wisdom. Just because we read Scripture once a month or once a week, doesn't mean that we've embraced his wisdom.
[14:44] It becomes a lifestyle. So, do you embrace his wisdom? Do you follow his Word? Do you love the things God loves and hate what he hates?
[14:58] Do you run from temptation? Do you cherish God-given things? Godly things? Embracing God's wisdom is a lifestyle.
[15:10] And only then can you call him Wonderful Counselor. The next name is Mighty God. A God-like hero. Jesus is the Mighty God.
[15:24] Let us not forget that He is God. He came down from heaven as God to be man and God. His miracles, His power, His obedience, His sinless life are all proof of Jesus being Mighty God.
[15:42] A God-like hero. The next name, Everlasting Father. Everlasting. A King who will never die. Who will never lose His throne.
[15:53] A King who will rule forever. Now, this title of Father kind of confuses some. And it confused me when I was looking at it. It's not talking about the Father part of the Trinity.
[16:05] It's not talking about that Father. It's talking about His benevolent protector. The title of Father. He's looking to the wellness of His people. He's fathering.
[16:19] Illustrating His concern, care, and discipline of His people. This is who Jesus is. The next name, Prince of Peace.
[16:31] Prince. He's one with God and one with man. And He's administering peace for us, to us. Romans 5.1 says that, That therefore, since we have been justified by faith, Since we have been justified by faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[16:53] Peace with God. So those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, Have peace with God. Isaiah tells us that this peace to come is by calling Him Prince of Peace.
[17:08] That He's going to be the deliverer of peace to His children. As Romans 5.1 says, We have peace with God. But I wonder if all of us in this room have peace of God, Or the peace of Christ, as Colossians 3 talks about.
[17:27] In fact, Colossians 3.15 says, And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, To which indeed you were called in one body. See, it's one thing to have peace with God, As our eternal standing with God.
[17:43] We have peace with God. We're no longer enemies with God, But we're now adopted children of God. That's one thing. But it's a whole other thing to have the peace of Christ, The peace of God in our lives.
[17:54] Knowing that no matter what happens, No matter what struggle or difficulty, No matter what comes our way, We have peace. Because our faith is in the Prince of Peace.
[18:06] And not in our abilities. Not in our circumstances. Not in our citizenship. But in the name that is above every name, And that is Jesus. We have the peace of Christ When our lives are focused on Christ alone.
[18:22] When we treasure Christ and when we worship Him. He is the Prince of Peace And He gives peace to those who have faith in Him. This word peace is shalom.
[18:36] You guys have probably heard this word before. One meaning of this word is completeness. Jesus completes us. And not like the Jerry Maguire line.
[18:48] Jesus completes us. He completes what God started As the foundation of the world. Jesus is the one who completes and perfects this world. He is the one who will set the captives free.
[18:59] Not us. He is the one who makes the lame to walk. He is the one that makes the blind see. He is the one that makes the dead alive. See, in Christ, because of Jesus, We become or can become image bearers of God.
[19:16] As we were created to be. But because of sin, we no longer can. In Christ, we can become those image bearers. We can reflect God's glory to the world.
[19:29] We can be the light of the world To those around us. Because of Christ. He is worthy of all praise. Worthy of all worship.
[19:40] And worth laying everything down for Him. In Acts chapter 2, it says that At the name of Jesus, sin is forgiven. The Holy Spirit is received. And lives are forever changed.
[19:52] In Acts chapter 3, At the name of Jesus, The lame walk. The blind see. The sick are healed. The dead are made alive.
[20:03] All at the name of Jesus. At the name of Jesus. In Acts 5, it says that suffering is rejoiced in. Persecution is reveled in. For the name of Jesus.
[20:14] In Acts 4, it says only at the name of Jesus does salvation come. Only at the name of Jesus. There is no other name but the name of Jesus.
[20:27] Philippians chapter 2, quoted there earlier. Continue reading in verse 9-11. It says, Therefore, God has highly exalted Him, Him being Jesus, And bestowed on Him the name that is above every name.
[20:42] So that at the name of Jesus, Every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. To the glory of God the Father.
[20:55] This is our Savior. This is our Jesus whom we celebrate this morning. This is the promise revealed 740 plus years before His birth.
[21:08] This is God's plan. God's plan A, not plan D. As I said earlier, God was not surprised. God's plan A was Jesus to come and redeem for Himself a people who He calls His own.
[21:25] This is our Jesus. The King of kings. The Lord of lords. Mighty God. Wonderful Counselor. Prince of Peace. Everlasting Father. Other names in Scripture for Jesus.
[21:39] He is the Alpha and Omega. The Ancient of Days. He is the Anointed One. The Bread of Life. The Bride Groom. The Bright and Morning Star.
[21:51] He is the Brightness of His Glory. He is the Christ. He is the Day Star to Arise. He is Emmanuel. He is the I Am. He is Jesus.
[22:01] He is the Lamb of God. The Lily of the Valley. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the Light. The Morning Star. Holy One of Israel.
[22:12] The Good Shepherd. The Resurrection and the Life. The Rose of Sharon. He is the Shepherd. The Son of Man. The Son of God. The Son of Righteousness. Worthy.
[22:23] He is the Kinsman Redeemer. Our High Priest. The Grace of God. Our Coming King. Our Mediator. Our Advocate. That He is Jesus. And He is worthy of all praise.
[22:36] Acts 4.12 says, There is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Let us pray together.
[22:54] Gracious, holy God. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the love that you have shown us through Him.
[23:08] Thank you for the life we have because of Him. Thank you for the continued grace and mercy you show us through Him.
[23:19] Thank you for the victory of sin that we can have in our lives because of Him. Thank you for the unity that we have.
[23:32] The love that we have for one another because of Him. Jesus is supreme. Jesus is greater than anything this world has to offer.
[23:45] And God, I pray that as these words come out of my mouth, that they're not just words. That all of us would believe these words with life, with obedience.
[24:00] And live and embrace your wisdom and embrace Jesus this morning. Thank you for loving us.
[24:15] Thank you for this morning. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Well guys, we get to...