Christmas 2025 WHO IS HE? Who IS he to you?

Christmas sermon 2025

Isaiah 9:2-7    Psalm 96   Titus 2:11-14     Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

 

Two thousand and twenty-five years ago, something happened that radically altered the future of the world.  The year we are in, is 2025, but two thousand and twenty-five years ago isn’t when time began.  So, what is it that happened that was considered so important that the whole of the world came to mark time since that point?

 

It is about two thousand and twenty-five years since the birth of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem.  How far back can you trace your ancestry?  I know my grandmother, her mother and I think one or two generations before that, and pretty similar on by father’s side.  Jesus was born into a family that could trace their linage back to King David – who was the most famous and good King of the Israelites. …  and then he could trace back much further than that. 

 

Just who is this baby Jesus that we hear about?  Did you know that Santa Clause, whose real name is Saint Nicholas actually ended up in a little bother because he slapped someone for claiming something untrue about Jesus?  St. Nicholas was a Bishop, and he attended a meeting in the year 325 AD to talk about the nature of Christ.  A man by the name of Arius said things that were contradictory to what the scriptures tell us about Christ and St. Nicholas got so angry that he slapped him.  St. Nicholas was then thrown in jail for doing so.

 

Who IS Jesus?  Still celebrating his birth 2025 years later, it is clear that something about him is pretty important.  In fact, our eternal life depends on him.

When Jesus was born there appeared a particular star in the sky.  This star was an indication to the wise men, who studied things like this sign in the sky, and the ancient prophecies, that this was the one the prophecies talked about– the true King of the Jews… the descendant of King David… the anointed one – the saviour – the one prophesied by the prophet Daniel. 

 

When Jesus was born, it was such an important event that Angels appeared to some shepherds in the field and told them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David (that is Bethlehem) a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.   This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”   Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”  Can you imagine being there?  Can you imagine being one of the shepherds?

 

The birth of Jesus was significant because of who Jesus is. 

Throughout the many years before the birth of Jesus, there were many prophecies about the Saviour that God would send, and there were many titles given to him, such as, Messiah – meaning anointed one, and this is the same as Christ – Messiah is Hebrew language and Christ is Greek.  Another title is, THE WORD.  But some of my favourite titles are the ones we hear about at Christmas time in our readings from the Prophet Isaiah.  He calls him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”.   He calls Jesus, Prince of Peace – which tells us about Jesus’ role in bringing peace between mankind and God, by his death on the cross, as does some of his other titles, such as, REDEEMER and LAMB OF GOD.  Isaiah also calls him WONDERFUL COUNSELOR – which tells us of the divine wisdom of Jesus.  But my favourite titles that tell us about who Jesus really is, are MIGHTY GOD, and EVERLASTING FATHER.

 

The prophet, Isaiah, lived about 700 years before Jesus was born and this is what he said about him; (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.”

 

Two thousand and twenty-five years ago a baby was born in a stable  - Jesus.  But Jesus was more than an ordinary baby.  Jesus was more than a great man who suffered and died.  Jesus was and is mighty God, everlasting Father.  At Christmas, we celebrate that God did something that we can’t even understand - Out of love for us he became human and was born as a baby in a stable. It’s incomprehensible!

 

There are no words that I can use to portray the magnitude of this event.  But the Holy Spirit says, “God Loves YOU”!!  Only because of the great love of God, would God do this.  As a parent you might imagine what you would do to save your child… well this is the heart of God for us.

 

Two thousand and twenty-five years ago Jesus was born.  It was as though heaven was torn open and for a while a piece of heaven was born in a manger…. But even that image doesn’t do justice to the majesty of the occasion.  Songs try to capture it and they cry, O holy night…  Jesus, Lord at thy birth. 

 

We celebrate an event in history – the birth of Jesus, but today should not be about history and “Ghost of Christmas past” – We celebrate to proclaim that Jesus is LORD.  He is Mighty God and Everlasting Father… He IS these things – it is presence tense.  Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead – he is living forever and so as we recall His birth, what is our response?  Jesus, Lord at thy birth, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Mighty God.  Let him be the King of your heart.  The LORD of your life.  YOU – because he loves you - YOU are the reason that he came.