This message was preached by Colin D'cruz at Word of Grace Church on December 4th, 2016. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here
We know the 25th of December we celebrate the
Chrismas. What is the significance of Christmas? Where was Christmas first mentioned in the Bible? The Birth of
Jesus is mentioned way back in Genesis 3.
But before that, Genesis 1 and 2 is the account of the
creation of the earth and everything in the world. The Bible begins with the assumption that there is God. It doesn’t explain God. Then God said-
the Father, Son and Spirit working together, and the earth was birthed. Only
man and woman were created in the image of God. they are a special creation.
Animals are not in the same plane as men and women. We have the ability to imagine, create and improve, and an inborn
desire to worship. People, even from even the most primitive tribes have
this desire, to worship a creator much bigger than them.
God’s order- God,
man, and rest of the created world. The plan of God is for man to rule and
subdue the earth. Work is not bad. God’s eternal purpose for us is to work. The
sad thing today is, people want to work hard so they can retire and enjoy. God has called us to work and not to
retire. There has to be a balance in life. And God gave them just one
command.
In Gen 3:1-2- “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of
the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really
say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?””When the devil wants to lead us away, he puts a doubt on what God has
done. Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness, used the word of God to fight
the devil.
In Gen 3: 6- “When the woman saw that the fruit of the
tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining
wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was
with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings
for themselves.”
This is the background. Then in Gen 3: 9- 10 ”Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was
walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God
among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are
you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was
naked; so I hid.””
Then Adam has the classic man response, blaming it on eve.
In verse 15 is the first mention of Christmas- “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Now offspring could be one or many. But we know it is
referring to one particular offspring because it says in the next verse, he
will crush your head. God was working out the salvation of mankind already
because now man was going to die. The
authority and Dominion has been taken away form them and passed on to satan.
This offspring is going to save the people from eternal
death and give it back to God.
Q. What is the significance
of Christmas?
He is going to save each human being and give us back our
right over God’s creation.
Isaiah 9: 6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This is the prophetic voice.
Gal 4: 4- 7 “But when the set time had fully come, God
sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the
law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God
sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,
Father.” So you are no longer a slave,
but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”
Q. What is when the
time had fully come?
1.
There was pax romana- There was peace because of the strong armies of rome there was
peace.
2.
There was
language that was common to a lot of regions because of the roman empire.
3.
Romans
built roads for the armies. But the roads made it easier for the people to
travel as well.
Jesus had to be born of a human being. Adam and Eve did not keep the one command. Then Israelites were given
more commands. We can’t keep the law. That’s our sinful nature. In any
religion, no one has always obeyed what the religion teaches. God sent his son,
born under law to redeem those under law. He
was not born under man. Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit.
Q. What is it to
redeem?
Imagine a small boy with a boat and one day it goes missing.
He sees it in a store, with his name on it. He asks for it back since it
belongs to him. But he is told that he has to pay for it. So he gathers the
money and gives it to the shopkeeper to get it back legally.
Because of Adam and
Eve sinned, we are in debt. Jesus came and bought us back. He died for our sins
and purchased us back.
I thought earlier that God would see my good deeds and bad
deeds and you go to heaven or hell depending on what is higher. But your good deeds cannot cancel your bad
deeds. But if you believe in Jesus, we are saved. He gives us sonship and
inheritance. God has so much in store for us. He says, one day we will judge
angels! What does that look like?
Christmas is about
putting right the wrong that was committed in the garden of Eden. He has an
inheritance for us on earth and in heaven. It requires for me to obey what God
has said. In Revelation, God says, he’s
coming with his reward. What he wants for us is to joyfully obey him.
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