I want you to first turn with
me this morning to Isaiah chapter 9 and look at verse 6 with me. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6. Very familiar passage of scripture. Isaiah 9 verse 6 says, 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,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. And to us a child is born. to us a son is given. I was speaking
with Brother Paul Mahan yesterday. We were talking about the messages
that we had prepared for this morning. Both had to do with
the birth of Christ. And Paul told me that his opening
statement was going to be, this is not a message against Christmas. I chuckled and I told him that
I was going to borrow that same introduction, so I am. This is
not a message against Christmas. This is a message about Jesus
Christ, who he is, why he came, what he's done, and who he did
it for. Now this is the time of year
that most everyone celebrates the birth of Jesus. I believe
it was Mr. Spurgeon who once said that he
was thankful for at least once a year, one time a year, where
the majority of the world considered the birth of Jesus Christ. And I'm thankful for that too.
The religious message of Christmas is a child is born. We see nativity
scenes everywhere we go, and But you know, little is said
about a son being given. A lot is made mention of a child
is born, but not much about a son that is given. Many celebrate
the birth of Jesus Christ, but never consider why he was born. The world during this holiday
season has included many other things that would deter most
folks from ever wondering or seeking out why Christ came. But this is not a message against
Christmas. The reason for the birth of Christ
is given in the same verse that announces his birth. Turn with
me to Luke chapter two, if you would. Luke chapter two, verse
11. Luke two, verse 11, for unto
you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger, the birthplace. of a Savior in the city of David,
this babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, is
Christ the Lord. First and foremost, He's the
Lord. And this birth shall be a sign unto you. Now that word
sign there in this verse means much more than just a notice
or a signal or proof and evidence. The Greek word for sign here
is semion, and it means a miracle. A miraculous sign. It means a
notable token. It's an expression of love and
mercy and grace. It means a wondrous wonder. Oh, what a wondrous wonder of
how God saves. Now I understand that this sign
was that Christ the Savior, the sign that He'd be born in Bethlehem,
in swaddling clothes. Teresa and I were listening to
Brother Paul's message on the way to church live stream, and
he brought out some wonderful things about these swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger. I encourage you to listen to
that message. But this was much more than just
a sign, more of an amazing sign than just that. Paul told Timothy
that this was a faithful sign. It was a faithful sign. This
was a sign from God in heaven. It's worthy of our acceptance,
Paul told Timothy. And it's not only a sign of love,
mercy, and grace, it's a sign of God's displeasure with sin. The whole world has been given
this sign as the only way that God can justly save sinners,
and that is what makes it a sign of love, mercy, and grace. You know, God could have been
just or remained just in just leaving us all to our sin. That's
what we deserve. People say, well, I want what
I deserve. Well, I don't. No, I don't. Death and eternal condemnation
is what I deserve. Now, what is this miraculous,
wondrous, and notable sign? Paul went on to say that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Oh, if you're a
sinner, that's wonderful news. Yes, a child is born, but unto
us a son is given. And this is the Son of God. This is God the Son. No less
God than God the Father. God in three persons, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the wonderful Counselor,
the mighty God. This is the everlasting Father.
This is the Prince of Peace. And He's coming to this world,
and it'll be a sign unto you. The prophet said, it should be
a sign to all, and it's a sign to some now, but it'll be a sign
to everyone in the judgment, a sign that the Savior, which
is Christ the Lord, came into the world. And what did he come
into the world to do? To save sinners. His coming had
nothing to do with trees, decorations, a man dressed in red with a long
white beard. His coming had nothing to do
with giving gifts one to another. But this is not a message against
Christmas. This coming had and still has
to do with the greatest gift that was ever given. And it's
something that everyone needs, but not everyone wants. And that's
salvation. And they don't want it because
they don't need it. But God gave this gift to some.
Who are these us unto whom this child is born and this son is
given? Well, turn with me to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter
1. Here we're told that an angel
appeared unto Joseph, the espoused husband of Mary, who was a virgin,
and told him a wondrous thing. Look at verse 20. Matthew chapter
one, verse 20. The angel said to Joseph, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Ghost. Now, they hadn't come together
as man and woman, and she's expecting a child. And what a, no doubt,
it's a wondrous, miraculous thing that a virgin can be expecting
a child. But that pales in comparison
to what we read in verse 21. And she, shall bring forth a
son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save
his people from their sin. So this child is born, this son
is given unto sinners who refer to themselves as us, and whom
God refers to as his people. So this isn't a message about
Christmas. This is a message for God's people
on how Christ came into the world to save them, the sinners that
they are. And this is the gospel. It's
the gospel concerning Jesus Christ. Isn't that what Paul said? Paul
in Romans 1 wrote that we, his people, have been separated unto
this gospel. which is called the gospel of
God. It's called the gospel of God because it's God who initiated
it and purposed it. And this gospel, Paul went on
to say, is concerning his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. That's
what this gospel's about. That's what this book is about.
It's about Jesus Christ. which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh. You see, that's why he was born.
And that's why he was given. Now in verse 22, we read, now
all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, that being Isaiah, who in Isaiah chapter
seven, verse 14 said, therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign. What is that sign? He tells us,
verse 23, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall
call his name Emmanuel. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not
a helpless baby lying in a manger. For this child grew, the scripture
says, he walked wax strong in spirit and he was filled with
wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. and His name's called
Jesus. That means Savior. That's the
meaning of the name. It means the salvation of the
Lord. It means the Lord of salvation. That's what His name means. And
salvation is of the Lord. So the first thing that we see
here is this was a name that was divinely ordered. Divinely
given and defined by God the Father. God from heaven said,
thou shall call his name Jesus. You see, the name is like the
one who bears it. This is his name, specifically
and particularly. It's his name given from God
above. And it does mean savior. It means he is the salvation
of the Lord. It means He's the Lord of salvation. And God defines and expounds
His name. He's called Jesus Savior for
one reason. He shall save His people from
their sins. He's not a Savior by our will.
He's not a Savior by our hand. He is Jesus Savior by the will,
purpose, and the hand of God. John said, here in His love,
people talk about the love of God, God loves everybody. Here
in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. How do God's people know that
God loves them? He tells us, because He sent
His Son to be the propitiation, the atonement, the compensation,
the payment for our sins. Again, verse 23, thou shall call
his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is what? God with
us. This is the sign given unto you
and me and all the world. What sign is that? You and I
are sinners. We are sinners. We cannot save
ourselves. So God purposed before time ever
was to save certain sinners. And what is the sign? This is
Jesus Christ. This babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger is Jesus Christ the Lord. He's the
Messiah. He's the Savior of sinners. And
sinners is who He came to save. Secondly, we see that His name
identifies Him with His people. Who are His people? Who are these
us? that He came to save their sinners. He came into the world
to save sinners. He shall save His people from
their sins. I think about the words, without
controversy is the mystery of godliness, and then the writer
said God was manifest in the flesh. That's what we have here.
Not just some baby lying in a manger that never gets out. Not a baby
that's dependent upon Mary. God in the flesh, manifest in
the flesh. Jesus Christ is the manifestation
of God. And God is with His people. Are you one of His? Oh, what
a blessed man or woman you are. God is with you. Well, isn't
He with everyone in the world? Not in a saving way. Because
if He was, all would be saved. He shall save His people. He doesn't want to save. He's
not trying to save. He shall save. This is the language
of Scripture. God never tried to do anything.
God's never wanted to do anything. Our God's in the heavens. He
does whatsoever He will. in the armies of heaven among
the inhabitants of earth. In heaven, earth, and the seas,
all deep places, doesn't matter, God is in control. Is that your
God? Shall He save every sinner, everyone
that has given sight to see that they're sinners? That's who He
saved. Salvation's not universal. Salvation
is particular. And some will say, well, preacher,
you're just splitting hairs when you say things like that. No,
it's the difference between life and death. It really is. I wish everyone could see that.
It's not just a difference in doctrines. It's not just a difference
in opinions. It's a difference in God's. I
say that often, but it's so true. But some say and believe that
God loves everybody, Well, this message is not against Christmas,
but it is against religion. If God loves everybody, now hear
me on this, you've heard me say it before, I'm gonna say it again.
If God loves everybody, and yet some of those whom he loves perishes,
then what does God's love have to do with salvation? Now you
think about that. If God loves everybody, and yet
some are still lost, then the love of God doesn't mean anything. If God's love does not secure
the salvation of its object, then His love is worthless. If Jesus Christ died for everybody,
and yet some of those that He died for are still lost, then
the death of Christ accomplished absolutely nothing. Now there'll be none that perish
for whom Christ died. And this is why it's blasphemy
to say so. If Christ died for all men alike
and yet some are still lost, then Jesus Christ is a complete
failure who cannot save anybody. And men will object and say,
no, no, that doesn't mean that at all. It means that God made
salvation possible. He made it possible to all who
will believe. And such who believe that need to think about what
they're saying. If something or someone is needed
to make God's will and salvation possible, and that someone is
man, by adding his will and his righteousness to the work of
Christ, and salvation is obtained and accomplished by man. If God
can only make it possible, and you and I have to make it certain,
then salvation's not of the Lord, it's of the sinner who makes
a decision and decides to let God save him. But we know that's
not so, because the Scriptures are so clear. Salvation's of
the Lord. If it's not by God's free and
sovereign grace obtained and accomplished and finished in
and by through the work and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, then
none of us ever be saved. That's right. Because you and
I cannot perfectly keep God's law and that's what God requires.
It's gotta be perfect to be accepted. Our offering to God has to be
perfect. We can't provide perfection. And what a sign Christ's birth
is to this great truth. Because if man could have saved
himself, there would have been no reason for the Lord to be
born and the Son given. Isn't that right? Yet He was,
and this is a sign of why He came. He came into the world
to save sinners. He came to save His people from
their sin. No sinner's ever been saved by
someone telling them that God loves them and Christ died for
them. You can tell them that till they're blue in the face,
or you're blue in the face. Well, God loves you and Christ
died for you, that's never saved a soul. No sinner's ever been
saved by someone telling them that. John the Baptist, the forerunner
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to prepare the way of the
Lord, did not come saying, God loves you and has a wonderful
plan for your life. No, that's not what he said at
all. What was John's message? Let me show you. Turn over a
page to Matthew chapter 3 and look at verse 1. John didn't
preach and proclaim to sinners that Jesus died for their sin
and that because of that they needed to make a choice and decide
to give Him their heart. No, sir. What was his message?
Look at verse 1, Matthew 3. In those days came John the Baptist
preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, repent, repent
ye, you repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And what
was the result of his preaching? Well, it's always the same result,
same effect, when God makes his message effectual to the sinner.
Verse five, then went out to him, Jerusalem, and all Judea,
and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of
him in Jordan. Doing what? Confessing their
sin. John's message wasn't God loves
you, it wasn't Christ died for you, it was repent of your sin.
One day as he baptized at the Jordan River, John pointed to
the Lord Jesus Christ. And he said, behold, the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And the world there,
speaking of His people in the world. And then we know that
at the age of 30, the Lord Himself began to preach. What was His
message? Look at Matthew chapter four,
verse 17. From that time, Jesus began to
preach and to say, repent! For the kingdom of heaven is
at hand. In Mark chapter one, his message was repent and believe. In Luke chapter 13, his message
was repent or perish. Now if a sinner doesn't repent
and believe, they will most certainly perish. Since the wages of sin
is death and the soul that sins, it must die. God made a way to
where he can remain just and still justify ungodly sinners
like you and I. And that way is Jesus Christ. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And beloved for that reason only,
we are no more servants, but sons and daughters, heirs of
God through Christ. Proclaiming and preaching the
gospel is not telling men and women that God has set his affection
upon them and making salvation possible. Salvation is knowing
that God so loved his people that he sent his only begotten
son into the world that whosoever believes in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. The name of Jesus is what shows
us for certainty that we're saved. Christ is the only way to be
saved. He said, I am the way. You know,
I found this very interesting. We're told in Acts chapter 11,
verse 26, that the disciples of the Lord were called Christians
first at Antioch. It was the first time that they
had been called Christians. Do you know what they were called
before that? You ever thought about it? You researched it?
They were called the way. That's right. In Acts chapter
24 verse 14, Paul said, But this I confess unto thee, that after
the way, which they call heresy, the gospel, they call that heresy. It's the way. So worship I, the
God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
in the law and in the prophets. Speaking of the lost in Romans
chapter three, verse 12, Paul said, they are all gone out of
the way and unprofitable for there's none that doeth good.
In verse 17, Paul said, and the way of peace. There's only one
way of peace, Jesus Christ who is the way. His peace passes
all understanding and keeps our hearts and our minds through
the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no peace with God apart
from Christ who is the way. The writer of Hebrews said in
chapter five, for every high priest taken from among men is
ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both
gifts and sacrifices for sin. That's what earthly priests did.
And then it goes on to say about that high priest, they could
have compassion on the ignorance and on them that are out of the
way. for that he himself also is compassed
with infirmity. By a new and living way, which
he, Christ, hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say, his flesh. The Lord Jesus himself, as I
said, said, I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. And no man, no woman, nobody
comes to the Father but by me. It's the only way. No other way. Because straight is the gate
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it. Thank God that says few, not
any. There's a few. Some find it. There's only one way, and thou
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sin. There's no doubt about it. It's
certain. He shall. He shall. When God
says he shall, you can write it down. God saves His people
from their sins by laying all their sins on Christ. The Scripture
says, the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all, all being
us, all being His people. This is the only way a sinner
can be saved. And what a wonderful gospel this is. It's not dependent
on you and me. It's dependent on the One who
cannot fail. He shall. save His people from
their sins. Where the sin is laid, the penalty
falls. The chastisement of our peace
was where? Upon Him. He, Jesus Christ, was
made a curse for us. Christ also hath suffered for
us. He died the just for the unjust
to bring us to God. He bore the wrath of God, which
was due me and you. Thirdly, the name of Jesus was
given to him before he'd ever done anything. It's the babe
lying there in the manger in swaddling clothes. His name is
well deserved. He shall save His people from
their sin, and that's exactly what He did. We have the gospel
narratives to prove it. Every miracle that the Lord did
pictured the Lord's healing of the soul of His people. That
impotent man, I think about him often, that lay at the pool of
Bethesda. There was a, I don't know if it was superstition or
if it was so, we're not told, but it was said that an angel
came and stirred the water and the first one to get down into
that water would be healed. But this impotent man who lay
there, he was lame. The Lord, he said, I don't have
any man to put me in the water. He was lame, he couldn't walk.
And the Lord gave that man the ability to walk. He didn't need
to get in that water then. Is that not what He does for
sinners who are lame on both of their feet from a great fall?
Jesus Christ has got to do that for us. If it's ever going to
be accomplished. The man with the
withered hand, he couldn't work. People talking about all they
do for God. We've got withered hands. Our hands, our ability
to do anything is withered. Incapable of doing anything to
help ourselves. But the Lord straightened that
man's withered hand, and the Lord straightens our withered
souls and gives us the ability and the will to come to Him.
Because by nature, no man can come to Christ that they might
have life. And the Lord Himself said, you
will not come to Me that you might have life. God has to give
us the ability, and He's got to make us willing in the day
of His power. What about that that leper. It says he was full of leprosy.
He pictures the fallen sinner's condition. That's you and me. We're eaten up with sin from
the inside out. It starts on the inside and works
its way outward. But the Lord touched him and
made him whole. And that's what the Lord Jesus
does for every sin-diseased sinner that comes to Him. That leper
came to Him. He didn't leave disappointed.
You know why? Because he shall save his people
from their sin. Blind Bartimaeus is a beggar,
begging by the wayside. The Lord asked what he could
do for him. What can I do for you, Bartimaeus? And the blind
beggar said that I might receive my sight. I want to be able to
see. What a picture of the sinner's
blind eyes being given sight that they might see Christ, who
is their life. That was the first thing Barimaeus
saw. The Lord gave him sight, and there's the Lord himself
right before his eyes. And that's the first thing a
sinner sees when God opened their eyes. They see the one who loved
them and gave himself for them. They see Jesus, who shall save
his people from their sin. A woman with an issue of blood
spent all she had and grew worse. No earthly doctor, friends, can
help us with our condition, but the Lord Jesus shall save His
people from their blood disease when they've exhausted all other
means and come in desperation to heal. Are you desperate? Do you need your sin put away?
Then come to Him, because His name is Jesus, and He shall save
His people from their sin. He did for His people what they
couldn't do for themselves. He did for His people everything
that God required of them, and we call Him Jesus. Why? Because that name that is above
every name. He shall save us from our sin. And then lastly, I think of that
dead man at Nain's Gate, or of Lazarus, either one, both were
dead. And one day I heard, I was dead
in trespasses and sin. And one day I heard the Lord
say to me, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead said, His
people were dead in trespasses and sin. Their sin is the cause
of their deadness. But rejoice, because He, Jesus,
shall save His people from their sin. Jesus is His name, Christ
is His title. It was Jesus of Nazareth, King
of the Jews, that was written on His cross, and He hung there
to put away the sins of His people. Jesus of Nazareth. Peter said,
this is Jesus of Nazareth by whom is preached unto you the
remission of sins. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved. Jesus, what a beautiful
name. And dear friends, a child is
born, yes, but a son is given. And His name is Jesus and He's
the Christ and He shall. I can't say it enough. He shall save His people from
their sin. Now in closing, I want you to
turn with me to John chapter 6 and I want to use the words
of the Lord Jesus My closing words, John 6, verse
37, you know these words well. The Lord here speaking, John
6, verse 37. All, all that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which had sent me, that of all
which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. He shall save his
people from their sin. Of all that He's given me, I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone would seeth the Son. How you gonna
see Him if you're blind? He's gotta give you sight. Everyone that believeth on Him,
how you gonna believe? How's a dead man or woman gonna
believe? God gotta give you life. Everyone that seeeth the Son
and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I'll raise
Him up at the last day." He didn't say, I'm going to try to raise
Him up. He didn't say, I want to raise Him up. If He had just
let me. No, He said, I'll raise Him up.
Oh, the believer celebrates Christ's birth every day. And strange
to many, we celebrate His death. You can see we celebrate his
death because he must first die in order to be raised. And he
must be raised. He must be resurrected for us
to know that God accepted his perfect work of righteousness.
That's how we know God raised him from the dead. And because
He resurrected, we have the confidence and we have the assurance, we
have the peace that He has saved His people from their sin. This was not a message against
Christmas. This is the message. This is
the sign. This is the only way to know
that all who trust in Jesus Christ have all, every single one of
their sin put away. Isn't that good news? That's
why we call it the gospel. And we celebrate His birth every
day. A believer does. Because if Christ
hadn't come into the world, this sinner would have never been
saved. No sinner would have ever been saved. In May, during this
holiday season, the Lord enabled us to think on these things.