I. Christ’s Birth is not nearly as significant as His Death

(Sept 11 3BC – AD 30)   petragrail.tripod.com/page5.html

1Pt 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

II. Jesus’ Purpose is to Save People from their Sins so we can have a Relationship with God  (note the plural)

Mt 1:20  for that which is onceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21  "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, (Isaiah 7:14) saying: 23  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Luke 2:10  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11  "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

III. Why did Jesus have to die? 

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

Heb 9:25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—26  He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28  so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation

Isaiah 53:3  He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4  Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5  But He was wounded/pierced for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

IV. Jesus was Born not just to Save but also to Shepherd

Mt 2:4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born  5  So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6  ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’"

Micah 5:2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." (Birthplace of David as well) 104

V. Jesus lived and died according to God’s Perfect Plan and against All Odds

Gal 4:4  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Dan 9:24  "Seventy sevens/weeks (490 years cf 9:2) are determined for your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity,  //  To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25  "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem (444BC Neh 2:1 or  458 BC Ezra 7:11-16) Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks (49 yrs) and sixty-two weeks (434 lunar yrs; 476 solar years); The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.  26  "And after the sixty-two weeks (one seven remains cf 9:27) Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…

aboutbibleprophecy.com/weeks.htm   coralridge.org/impact/2003_Dec_Pg5.htm                  

8=1017  /  48=10157 In other words the probability of Jesus Christ fulfilling 48 prophecies is the same as one person being able to pick out one electron out of the entire mass of our universe. Yet some consider there to be  324!!!! raptureready.com/featured/funk/statistics-probability.html

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Does the evidence that Jesus was born at some other time than that which is commonly accepted, or nefariously promoted, make any difference in His historicity or purpose?

2. What has helped you have conversations about Jesus with folks at this time of year?

3. Why do we hesitate to share the Good News about Christ with others? What’s the corrective?

4. How does the fact that God keeps His promises according to a perfect time table influence your thoughts as you wait on Him) (Ps 27:13-14)

5. What would be an appropriate way to bring tidings of great joy (Lk 1:79; 2:10) to those living in darkness this season?