The Christ of Christmas, Part 1

The Christ of Christmas, that's our study. We're going to look at five of the prophecies each week that are in your book.

If you don't have one, then you're going to kind of be lost as we go through this month, so you need to pick up your copy today. And we're going to do five a week. Now, we're not going to do them in great detail, simply because we've done that in the devotional to some degree, although we can't cover everything that's there. But at the same time, we want to give you an overview and try to sum up the five of them each and every week together for you, so that your Christmas will be one that's focused completely on the arrival of the Messiah.

So we're going to begin our time by looking at a text in the Gospels, where in the Gospel of John, the very first words of Christ in John's Gospel is a question.

And the question he asks is the question we will ask of ourselves today. So if you have your Bible, turn with me to John chapter 1.

John chapter 1. It will begin the narrative in verse number 35, where it says, Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked and said, Behold the Lamb of God. Now, John has already said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's up in verse number 29. But I want you to notice that when John says that, no one asks him what he's talking about.

And it's not that they couldn't ask him, they could, because they did ask him several questions. In fact, if you go back to verse number 19, it says, This is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And they ask him, Are you the Christ? Are you the Messiah? John says, Nope, that's not me. Well then are you Elijah? No, I'm not Elijah either. Are you the prophet? Nope, I'm not the prophet either. So they can ask him questions when they want to know an answer, if they don't know who he is.

But John did tell them, as he would quote from Isaiah 40, verse number 3, that he was the voice crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. So he did tell him that he was the forerunner to the Messiah. And then when Jesus walked by, he said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But the Jews didn't say, What are you talking about, John? What do you mean the Lamb? The Lamb of God? Because they knew. How would they know? That's a great question. Because there's only one reference in the Old Testament that specifically references the Messiah as a Lamb.

That's Isaiah chapter 53. But the nation of Israel translates Isaiah 53 as, They are the suffering servant, not the Messiah. So the only time in the Old Testament where the Messiah is referenced as a Lamb is Isaiah chapter 53. Now, in your study of the book today is Genesis 22, where the Messiah is known as the substitute. You've already seen him as the seed, that's Genesis 3.15, fulfilled in where? Galatians 3.16, for those of you who didn't read. And then on day two, you went from the seed to the safe house, which is the ark, prophesied in Genesis 7 verse number 1, fulfilled in 1 Peter chapter 1 for the two of you who read.

This is very important. You need to understand where it was foretold and when it was fulfilled, especially if you're going to share the gospel with people who need to understand who the Messiah is. Today, day three, is Genesis 22, where the Messiah is known as the substitute. And so there is a type in Genesis 22 where you would see the Messiah as Lamb, for the pre-incarnate Christ would say to Abraham that God will provide for Himself a Lamb. God will provide His Lamb. And the pre-incarnate Christ is speaking to Abraham, the angel of the Lord, signifying the fact that He is that Lamb that will be provided on Mount Moriah one day.

So, the question comes, how did Israel know that the Messiah would be a Lamb? Because when you come to the gospels, there's only two references to Jesus as the Lamb of God. And they are both recorded in John chapter 1 verse number 29 and verse number 36. Only two in the gospels. So, when you come to the epistles, you would think there would be a plethora of references to Jesus as the Lamb. But there's only two, Acts 8 and 1 Peter chapter 1. So what do you have? In the first 65 books of the Bible, you have five references to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

Five specific references to Jesus as the Lamb. Isaiah 53 in the Old Testament, John 1, 29 and 36 in the New Testament, in the gospels, Acts 8 in the epistles, 1 Peter 1 in the epistles, that's it. But when you come to the book of Revelation, the 66th book of the Bible, He's referred to as the Lamb of God 28 times. 28 times in one book. Because the Lamb is His apocalyptic name. That's the name that He will be referenced as all throughout eternity. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive glory and honor and praise.

That phrase is repeated over and over and over and over again by the four living creatures that surround the throne because that's who He is. That's how He will be known throughout all eternity. He will be known as the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world. That's very important. And yet, yet not one Jew asked Him about the Lamb. How can that be? Stay with me. Now it's going to get a little overwhelming for some of you today. That's okay. Just listen.

It will come together for you. I promise. So let's go back to John chapter 1. It says the two disciples heard Him speak and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them the very first words of Jesus in John's Gospel.

What do you seek? That's the question. He didn't ask whom do you seek? He asks what do you seek? Marvelous question. That's a majestic question. You would think He would say who are you looking for? But you see they already know that John's pointed to Him as what? The Lamb of God. And so they began to follow Jesus because they know that the Messiah is the Lamb of God. So Jesus doesn't ask Him whom do you seek? He asks what do you seek? Because man is always looking for something. Is that not true?

I ask you today what do you seek? Why are you here? What are you looking for? What are you longing for? What are you searching for? What are you seeking for? You see man tends to worship in the temple of time. Because in the temple of time you worship in this day and age. You worship the gods of superiority. You worship the gods of popularity. You worship the gods of supremacy. You worship the gods of sensuality. You worship the gods of money. What do you seek? What are you looking for? Because man is always looking to fill the void that's there because of sin.

And man tries to fill that void with all kinds of material things. He tries to fill the emptiness of his soul with everything the world can offer him. But all he finds is emptiness. All he finds is the void growing bigger and larger with each episode, with each endeavor that he seeks. What did Augustine say years ago in his confession when he said these words? You have made us, Lord, for yourself. And our hearts are restless until it rests in thee. So true. If your heart is restless today, it's because you're seeking the wrong things.

What do you seek? Jesus questions their motives. If you believe on the Messiah, what are you looking for? What do you want? Do you want forgiveness of sins? Because if you do, I offer that. Do you want to receive the gift of eternal life? Because if you do, I offer that. Do you want to spend eternity with me? If you do, I offer you that. But if you're looking for something else, I have nothing else to offer you except freedom from your sins if you follow me. So Christ asked, what do you seek? Notice the reply.

John chapter 1, they said to him, Rabbi, which translates, means teacher, where are you staying? Now this question that they ask is not about the physical location of the Messiah. Are you at the Holiday Inn? Are you at the Marriott? Are you at some Airbnb here in Jerusalem? Where are you staying? That's not the question they're asking. It's not about the physical location of where you're going to be. It's about how is it we understand more spiritual instruction that we might understand the greatness of who you are.

That's the question they're asking. For Jesus says to them, come and you will see. Not come and you will see where I'm staying, but come and you will see me. Come and you will understand me. Come and I will tell you about me. What are you looking for? Because what you're looking for, I have to offer down deep in your soul. Because what man needs is a relationship with the living God. That without that, you're empty. Without that, you have no life. Without that, you will always be searching and coming up empty.

You need Jesus Christ. Come and see. From the question comes an invitation to know who? Jesus Christ our Lord. So they came and saw where he was staying. They stayed with him that day. For it was about the tenth hour. One of the two heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, we have found the Messiah.

So evidently, they are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. Now the totality of that was not completely and fully evidenced to them. As you read the Gospels. But all that they heard, all that they saw would tell them without a doubt that the Lamb of God is the Messiah. And so it says these words. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas, which translated as Peter. The next day, he purposed to go into Galilee and he found Philip.

And Jesus said to him, follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote. Okay. So Philip says, we have found him that the Old Testament speaks of. Listen to what he says. Very important. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Now just stop right there for a second.

We have found the Messiah. Do you know who the Messiah is? The Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph. Wait a minute. Is he son of Joseph biologically? Oh no. Is he son of Joseph legally? Yes. He had to be son of Joseph legally. But he could not be son of Joseph biologically. Why? Because he is the promised seed. And the seed was the seed of a woman, not the seed of a man. Only time in the history of mankind has a woman ever had a seed. That's the fulfillment of Genesis 3.15 in Galatians 3.16.

So biologically he could not be a son of Joseph, but because Jews were identified by being the son of a certain father and legally he was a son of Joseph because he was in the line of David to be the king of Israel. But notice what he says.

Jesus of Nazareth. How did he know that the Messiah would be a Nazarene? How did he know that? That's a great question. I'm glad you asked that question this morning. I know you came with a very inquisitive mind today. So turn back with me to the book of Matthew to the second chapter.

Matthew chapter 2. Now you got to stay with me because I don't want to lose you. But hang on to this. This is very important. The Old Testament said very clearly that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Micah 5 verse number 2. Jesus was never known as Jesus of Bethlehem. Jesus was never known as the Bethlehemite. But Micah 5 2 says that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Hosea chapter 11 verse number 1 said the Messiah would come from Egypt. Whoa! Egypt? Yeah. And then when you come to Isaiah 11 verse number 1.

It says the Messiah would come from Nazareth. Or there he's a descendant of Jesse. And there he is called the branch or the shoot or the sprout. Which in Hebrew is the netzer. And there are many will tell you that Nazareth is from the word netzer. Which is called a sprout village. But it's more than that. It's more than that. You know that when Herod was upset that there was a king of the Jews that was born. He decided to kill all the children 2 years and younger. Remember that? So notice what it says in verse number 17 of Matthew chapter 2.

Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled. A voice was heard in Ramah weeping in great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children and she refused to be comforted because they were no more. Wow what a statement. Three times that's in the Bible. Genesis 35, Jeremiah 31, Matthew chapter 2. This is important. Because they were weeping because their children were no more. Way back in the book of Genesis the 35th chapter. 4,000 years ago from the Matthew chapter 2. Rachel was found weeping.

Why? Because she was dying. She had been given a son Joseph which means to add. So she had asked for another son. And God had granted her another son. Remember Leah was having all these children. Rachel had none. She was barren. And she prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed. And finally God gave her a son.

His name was Joseph. She prayed for another son because Joseph's name means to add. So she asked for the Lord to add to her another son. And so God was giving her another son. She was giving birth to him. And she was in great pain. And she was about to die. And she said I want you to name him Ben-Oni the son of my sorrow. And Jacob said no. You're going to name him Ben-Hamin which is the son of my strength. In the birth of Benjamin came the type of Messiah. Why? Because he was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief Isaiah chapter 53.

But he is the man of strength. He is the son of my right hand. That's the Messiah. Read the book of Hebrews chapter 1 verse number 3. In the birth of Benjamin came a type of the Messiah. And there was weeping of Rachel. So in Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah quotes that. It says there was weeping. It says a voice was heard in Ramah. Where was Ramah? That is the northern part of the tribe of Benjamin. In other words, all throughout the district there was great weeping. Not just in one location but all throughout Jerusalem, all throughout Galilee, all throughout Israel there was weeping.

Why? Our children are no more. There is no more hope. Where would the Messiah come from? As Rachel cried, there was no more hope for her that she was going to die and her son might die and therefore name him son of my sorrows. No. There was still hope that was coming. And in the book of Jeremiah there was hope. In fact, turn back with me if you would to Jeremiah. Are you still with me? Turn back to Jeremiah. Here is what Jeremiah quotes in Jeremiah 31 verse number 15. Thus says the Lord. A voice was heard in Ramah.

Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children because they are no more. Israel was about to go into captivity. They were weeping. Why? Because they saw nothing but doom in the end. And Christ gives them hope. Listen to what it says. Thus says the Lord. Restrain your voice from weeping. Verse number 16. And your eyes from tears. For your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord. And they will return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, declares the Lord.

What was their hope? Are you ready for this? Look at verse number 22 of Jeremiah 31. How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth. A woman will encompass a man. This is your hope. Every rabbi taught that this verse defined the Messiah as not having an earthly father. For the Lord has created a new thing. Barah. He's created something out of nothing. He's created something very unique. Something that's unprecedented. What would be unprecedented?

Isaiah 7, verse number 14. What? This will be a sign for you, Israel. What? That a virgin shall conceive and bear a child. His name shall be called Emmanuel. And the word for virgin? Alma. Right? Listen carefully. Used nine times in the Old Testament. Of the nine times it's used, eight of the times the phrase Alma is used specifically for a virgin. But Isaiah 7, verse 14, it's translated young maiden. So eight of the nine times it's translated virgin. One time it's translated young maiden. But in the Greek Septuagint, which is the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek, as quoted by Matthew in Matthew chapter 1, it uses the word Parthenos, which only can be a woman who's never known a man, can only be a virgin.

So it is a virgin birth. To go back to Genesis chapter 3, verse number 15, the seed of the woman shall crush the serpent's head. You still with me? This is very important. So when you come to Jeremiah chapter 31, although there was weeping all in the land of Israel because they're going into Babylonian captivity, there is no longer any hope. Where is the Messiah? The Lord says there is hope. The Messiah is going to come. A woman shall encompass a man because the Lord has created a new thing, something out of nothing, something that's unprecedented.

And the word encompass means either to hold in your arm or to surround in your womb. Notice this. It says a woman will encompass a man, not just an ordinary man. But the word is Geber, which means a mighty man. Same word used in Jeremiah, next chapter, 32nd chapter, in the 18th verse. Look at verse 17.

Ah, Lord God, behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you who shows loving kindness to thousands but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children. After them, oh, great and mighty God. Same word, Geber. You see, Isaiah 9, 6 tells us that a son will be given but the child will be born. Speaking of his humanity and his deity. And that child's name will be El Geber, the mighty God. And so everything in the Old Testament screams virgin birth.

Everything in the Old Testament screams the divinity of the Messiah, that he's divine. In fact, if you go back with me to John chapter 1, I'm not even back to Matthew 2 yet, John chapter 1, John says this. This is he on behalf of whom I said, after me comes a man who is higher rank than I for he, this man, existed before me. So whoever the Messiah is, he existed before me. John is six months older than Jesus. So in other words, Jesus existed before John was conceived in his mother's womb. He speaks of the eternality of the Messiah.

He existed before me. So go back to Matthew chapter 2. I got a lot to say. I got very little time to say it all. This is important. This is so good. I just can't get enough of this. Because the Old Testament says that Jesus comes from Bethlehem. Micah 5 verse number 2. Jesus comes from, the Messiah comes from Egypt. So what happens? Because Herod is killing all the babies, where did Mary and Joseph go? They flee to where? Egypt. Because the Messiah comes from Egypt. And after Herod dies, Archelaus becomes king.

And when the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, tells him to go to where? Nazareth. Listen carefully. So it says, verse 23. Came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets. Not prophet. Prophets, plural. He shall be called the Nazarene. Where? Pray tell where in the Old Testament was Jesus called, the Messiah was called a Nazarene. There is no place recorded in the Old Testament where that is. Well then there must be an error. Oh no, there's no error.

There's no error. Why? Because what did Philip say? Philip said, we have found him whom the prophets have spoken, the law of Moses spoken of. That what? That Jesus, the Nazarene, Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph is the Messiah. How did he know that? Because that's what the prophets said. And just because it wasn't recorded in the Old Testament doesn't mean they didn't say it. Because through the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Matthew records what the prophets said. Just like in the book of Jude, verse 14.

It was about these men that Enoch in the seventh generation from the Lord, from the seventh generation of Adam prophesied saying, behold the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. That's what Enoch prophesied. But you never find that recorded anywhere in the Old Testament. So how do you know that's what he said?

Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Jude records what Enoch prophesied way back, the seventh from Adam, way back in the book of Genesis, the fifth chapter, exactly what he preached about because he preached not about the first coming of the Messiah.

He preached about the second coming of the Messiah where He would judge all the unholy and ungodly people.

You see, this is so important. It speaks to the veracity of Scripture. It speaks to the authority of Scripture. It speaks to the importance of all that the Scripture is saying that although it was not recorded in the Old Testament, Matthew tells us this is what not just one prophet said, but several prophets said that Jesus would be called the Nazarene. And of course, if you read on in John's Gospel, so go back to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. Nathanael said to Him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?

Why? Why would He say that? If the Messiah is from Nazareth, if the Messiah is a Nazarene, why would He say could anything good come out of Nazareth? Because the word Nazarene became known as a word of derision. And so when they went to speak negatively of Jesus, what did they call Him? Jesus the Nazarene. When they went to get Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus said, Whom do you seek? What did He say? Jesus the Nazarene. A term of derision. They despised Jesus. And so Nathanael says, What good thing comes out of Nazareth?

Oh, by the way, the prophecy of Isaiah 53 says He was a man of sorrows equated with grief, right? And that He would be despised and rejected by man. That's why the prophet said, He shall be called the Nazarene. Because He will be despised and rejected by man. So Nathanael says, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Notice this.

Philip said to Him, He said, Come and see. Again, come and see. Jesus said, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said to Him, Behold an Israelite, indeed in whom there is no deceit. Nathanael said to Him, How do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. Wow. So whoever the Lamb is, the Lamb is the Messiah. All from John chapter 1.

Whoever the Messiah is, He's son of Joseph. Legally, not biologically. He is Jesus of Nazareth because that's what the prophet said. And Matthew 1 tells us, or Matthew chapter 2, verse number 23, tells us that's what the prophet said. And whoever the son of Joseph is, and Jesus of Nazarene is, and the Messiah is, and the Lamb of God is, this is the Son of God. This is the King of Israel. So you have the identity of Jesus Christ being fully exposed in John chapter 1 through the ministry of John the Baptist, through the calling of the disciples to Jesus, and Jesus calling disciples to Himself for them to understand the identity of the Messiah.

And Jesus now says to Nathanael, You haven't seen anything yet. The King of Israel? Zephaniah 3, verse number 9. Zechariah 9, verse number 9. Micah 5, verse number 2. The Old Testament through a plethora of verses tell us that the Messiah will be the King of Israel. The Messiah is the Son of God. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of David. He is the Son of Righteousness. All of that located in your book as you go through your devotional to help you understand how that's all recorded in the Old Testament.

But Jesus says to Nathanael, You haven't seen anything yet. You think that you've seen something because Philip said, Come and see? Oh, no. Listen to what he says next. Because I said to you, I saw you in the victory. Do you believe? You will see greater things than these. You think I'm Son of God, King of Israel because of my omniscience? That would be true. That would be true. Because I know what's happening externally as well as internally. That would be true. But you haven't seen anything yet.

You're going to see greater things. Listen to what he says. Truly, truly I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. The fulfillment of Genesis chapter 28, which is your devotional for tomorrow, the stairway. Because in Genesis chapter 28, Jacob has a dream. In that dream, he sees this ladder or in Hebrew, stairway, coming down out of heaven to earth. And what does he see on the stairway? Angels ascending and descending on the stairway.

When he wakes from his dreams, you know what he says? He says, I have seen the gate to heaven. Jesus said, I am the door or translated, I am the gate. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. Did he not? Because every rabbi will tell you that the stairway of Genesis 28 is the only way to get to heaven. But the rabbis can't tell you which way that is. But this rabbi can. Because I know the way. And Jacob said, I know now the way to heaven. He understood that this was the only way to glory.

So Jesus says to Nathaniel, let me tell you something. You haven't seen anything yet because you're going to see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Why? Because the Son of Man is the mediator between God and man. And the only way to get to God the Father is through the mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord, because he's the only way to glory. And then on Tuesday, on Tuesday, you're going to look at the fifth prophecy, which is so rich.

Genesis 49, verse number 10. And so turn there with me in closing, would you please? Genesis 49, verse number 10, which says the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes. Shiloh, a title for the Messiah. Why? Shiloh translated means the one to whom it belongs. To whom what belongs? The scepter. The king. It says the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of all the people.

Now why is this important? Because in Genesis chapter 38, Judah committed immorality. And because of his immorality, he produced illegitimate children. So in the book of Deuteronomy, the 23rd chapter, it says this, no one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the Lord. None of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the Lord. So Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is writing the book of Genesis. He wrote the whole Pentateuch. He's writing the book of Genesis and he recognizes that Judah, Judah, the Messiah will come from Judah.

But Judah's line's been cursed. So Moses knows that there's no way he's going to see the Messiah because he's not going to be alive for ten generations. But guess who was born at the end of the ten generations in the line of Judah? According to Matthew 1 genealogy, a young boy by the name of David, King David. The line had been purged. Once the line had been purged, according to Deuteronomy 23, verse number two, as God had ordained it, the very next generation began and that began with the birth of David, King of Israel.

And the Messiah would be a descendant of the King of David. Everything in the Old Testament points to the coming of the Messiah. Everything. Everything in the Bible is about Jesus. So when Jesus says, what do you seek?

What are you looking for? Because what the Bible offers is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord because he was that promised seed in Genesis 3, verse number 15, virgin born, fulfilled in Galatians 3.16. He is that promised safe house for the judgment coming upon the world and all those who do not know the Messiah. Genesis 7.1, fulfilled in 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 18 to 20. He is the only substitute the only one who will die in your place, who could die in your place. He died on the exact same spot that he would provide himself as a lamb.

Genesis chapter 22, fulfilled 2 Corinthians 5.21. For he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Because he is the only stairway to glory. That's Genesis chapter 28. Because he is the only way to glory John 1.51 tells us when Jesus says to Nathanael you will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man on that one bridge, that one meteor.

The angels did. Angels attended to Jesus all throughout his ministry. At his birth, they announced his birth. Right? They protected him through all that Herod was doing. They ministered to him during his temptation in the wilderness. They ministered to him during his temptation in Gethsemane. The angels attended as they ascended and descended upon the Son of Man all throughout his ministry. Because he is the only way to glory. And then, he is the one to whom it belongs, the scepter. He is the Shiloh, Genesis 49 verse number 10 fulfilled in Hebrews chapter 1 verse number 8.

And that's just five simple prophecies. But very strategically very significantly fulfilled in one person in one person only Jesus the Lamb of God the Messiah the Nazarene the Son of Joseph the Son of God the King of Israel. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today. So much to be said, so little time to say it. But we are so grateful for the Word of God that instructs us and teaches us all that we need to know for your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.