Christmas’ Greatest Gift – Isaiah 9.6-7

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. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9.6-7, ESV).[1]

     Two of the greatest holidays are Christmas and Easter, they are connected by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot celebrate one without the other one insight, with this in mind what is the greatest Christmas Gift? To answer this question, we need to remind ourselves what Christmas is really about, why Jesus Christ came into the world, and all the pomp and prestige which came with His birth on that starry morning.
      God laid the foundation for Christ’s coming in Genesis when He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3.15, ESV). God had always planned for Christ to come, to be born of a virgin and save the world from their sins (Is. 7.14).
      Throughout history, others prophesied of the coming Messiah such as the prophet Isaiah, “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, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9.6-7, ASV).[2]
      Micah prophesied where the Messiah would be born; “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times” (Mi. 5.2, CSB)[3]
These are just a few, but it’s all amazing when we stop and think about how loving and merciful God is, to set in motion a plan thousands of years before this wonderful amazing event, the birth of Christ our Savior.
      Over the centuries, traditions have been added to Christmas, however, we find in God’s Holy Word four major events associated with the birth of Christ:

1. His birth—Christ being wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger, because there was no room for Him or His parents in the inn (Luke (2.1-6).
2. The angels announced His birth to the shepherds of all people. They did not go to kings, to politicians, or rich people, but to the lowly shepherds in the fields (Luke 2.8-14).
3. The shepherds went to see the Messiah, and they returned rejoicing telling everyone what they had seen. People wondered about these shepherds, but they kept on telling anyway. They became missionaries that Christmas morning (Luke 2.15-20).
4. The wiseman came from the east, following the Messiah’s star until it stood over the house where He was living. When it stopped, they rejoiced, and entering the house and seeing Christ, they fell down and worshiped Him. Presenting to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt. 2.1-12).

      We must never forget this wonderful day, why Christ came, why God gave us this wonderful gift. As we draw closer to celebrating our Messiah’s birth, we grow a little nicer, a little more generous, a little more polite, even a little jollier.
      As this spirit of Christmas moves over us, let us not forget the greatest Gift of all, the Gift God sent to earth so long ago in His Son Jesus Christ, Salvation. Christ came to be “the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world” (John 1.29). His birth brought to all humanity something we could not do for ourselves; restore our relationship with God.
      Christ’s birth made it possible for us be reconciled with our Heavenly Father, something that without Christ was impossible. Paul writes, “For all have sinned coming short of God’s glory” (Rom. 3.23). ‘But the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6.23). “For by grace you are saved through faith…it is a gift of God” (Eph. 2.8-9).  This Gift of God, “has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not counting our sins against us” (II Cor. 5.18-19, ASV, emphasis added).[4]
      The greatest Christmas Gift is asking Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior. This is why He was born, died, and was Resurrected; He is waiting for you to receive His free Gift this Christmas. Will you accept and ask the Messiah into your life today?
 
Application
 

1. What is the most important thing about Christmas to you? Why is it the most important thing?
2. Name at least four Biblical FACTs about Christmas and give their scriptural references. What makes these facts important in the Christmas story?
3. List one thing you did not know about the Biblical Christmas story and why you did not know it.
4. List something about Christmas that is not true and why it is not true.

 
Prayer
 
      SING to the Lord, ye distant lands, Ye tribes of every tongue; His new discover’d grace demands A new and nobler song. Say to the nations, “Jesus reigns, God’s own Almighty Son; His power the sinking world sustains, And grace surrounds His throne.” Let heaven proclaim the joyful day; Joy through the earth be seen: Let cities shine in bright array, And fields in cheerful green. Behold He comes! He comes to bless The nations as their God; To show the world His righteousness, And send His truth abroad. But when His voice shall raise the dead, And bid the world draw near, How will the guilty nations dread To see their Judge appear![5] My Father and God, how true these words are, how powerfully they speak of Your Son’s birth, and His affect on the world He came into. Lord as He has come into my life, may He affect me in the same way, shining brightly through me for all the world to see. May my joy ring loud and true, and may I rejoice as the shepherds did on the first Christmas morning. So, as they shared the good news of the Savior coming into the world, may I share the good news of His sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and resurrection to save this world from their sins. Give me boldness as I share this message today and everyday until Christ returns. I pray all this in Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 9:6–7). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] American Standard Version. (1995). (Is 9:6–7). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Mic 5:2). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] American Standard Version. (1995). (2 Co 5:18–19). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[5] Spurgeon, C. H. (1883). Our Own Hymn Book: A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Public, Social and Private Worship. London: Passmore & Alabaster.

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