Merry Christmas! It’s a wonderful time of the year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Jesus was not just another baby, He was God come to earth to live among us. Christmas is about one of the most incredible miracles that has ever happened. A virgin birth, where Jesus was born of a human mother and the Holy Spirit.
Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
So Christmas is about good news, it is about great joy for everyone. Because the baby that was born was destined to become our Savior, Christ the Lord. For you see the baby that was born did not remain a baby. He grew up and fulfilled every aspect of the plan that God had destined for His life. In fact, the baby that was born on Christmas 2000 years ago was destined to teach us about God as none other had ever done. The baby born on Christmas was destined to do many mighty miracles, to die on a cross and rise from the dead.
Let’s think a little more deeply about the baby Jesus that was born. Although He looked like any other baby, He was much more. The eternal Son of God had been born into our temporal world. Jesus had forever existed in heaven before coming to this earth. He existed outside of time and now He broke into our time bound world bringing eternity with Him. For you see, Jesus was born to rise from the dead. He was born to be the first human to enter into a resurrected life that would never end. And the good news of great joy is that He offers this eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.
Philippians 3:10a (NIV) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection …
God wants us to know Christ and experience the power of His resurrection in this life. Christmas is about Jesus bringing eternity to this earth. So, today, my message is entitled “Jesus Our Eternity.” We’re going to be talking about another of Jesus’ I am statements, where He claims to be God and bring eternal life to those who believe. Within the heart of every human being is the desire to live forever. That’s why we fear death and fight against it with everything we can. Jesus came to satisfy our desire for immortality and allow us to live forever with our creator.
John 11:25-26 (NIV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Today, my prayer is that this Christmas 2013, everyone within the sound of my voice, both here in St Louis and across the world through the reach of the internet, will believe Jesus’ words and experience resurrection power in their own lives. This morning, we’re going to look at the story behind Jesus’ statement “I am the resurrection and the life.” We’re going to learn some practical principles that I believe will help everyone of us this Christmas season and into the New Year.