Joh 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. (NKJV
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1) Jesus was there in the beginning. He is the reason for the season! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him nothing made that was made. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1) Jesus is the reason for the season! For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the church, who is the beginning of all things that He may have the preeminence. (Col. 1) Jesus is the reason for the season!
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (KJV)
In our text (John 3:16) and here in John 1:14 we read that Jesus is the only begotten of the Father yet we know that all those who obey the gospel have the right to become the children of God. Before we can truly understand Jesus and have a good handle on the Christmas season we must understand how Jesus is the only begotten son of the Father.
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (KJV)
The Bible says that Abraham offered up Isaac, his only begotten son. We know that Isaac was not the only son of Abraham. We know that Abraham had Ishmael his oldest son born by Hagar. We know that later Abraham had 6 other sons by Keturah. (I Chron. 1:32) So what does it mean “the only begotten Son”? Some times we see families with many children who sometimes has one child who stands out above the rest one that is different, maybe stronger, kinder, one who seems to love his parents more than all the rest. That is the way it was with Isaac and that is the way it is with Jesus. Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. He is the one when the Fathers says go He goes. When the Father says be born into the family of man and offer Yourself on the cross, He allies Himself to born into the family of man offers Himself on the cross. Jesus is the reason for the season.
Jesus was at the creation of the earth and the heavens. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve. Jesus talked with Abraham when Abraham contended with the Lord about Sodom and Gomorrah concerning Lot. It was Jesus who wrestled with Jacob and changed Jacob’s name to Israel. It was Jesus who told Joshua that, “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” It was Jesus who left the streets of Heaven and allowed Himself to be conceived the womb of a virgin by the name of Mary and be born in a little stable in Bethlehem of Judea. Jesus is the reason for the season!
Jesus has always been and will always be eternal. He was before the earth and He was and always will be the “apple of God’s eye” full of grace and truth. When He allowed Himself to be born into the family of man a host of Heavenly angels declared His birth. A heavenly star seemed to hover over Jesus at least until He was two years old. There was great rejoicing in Heaven and on earth at His physical birth. And know wonder, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Eph. 2:11-29 …once had no hope but now Jesus Christ Himself….
We have just read that before Jesus came there was no hope in the world. But at the birth of Jesus we all have hope. Jesus is our peace maker with God and man. If we all will obey the gospel we can become brothers and sisters in Christ world wide. We at this time in world history have much trouble in the world especially in the Middle East. It is not a war just between the US and the insurgents but it is war between the forces of Good and evil. We are not just battling the Muslims but we are battling all the forces against Christ. The only way that there can be peace in the Middle East is first to have peace with Jesus. If Israel becomes a Christian nation and the Palestinians becomes a Christian nation and Iraq becomes a Christian nation and Afghanistan becomes a Christian nation and all the other Middle East becomes Christian nations then and only then will we have peace in the Middle East. You see Jesus is the reason for the season.
Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; KJV
God gave a promise before the world began. That promise is eternal life. It is Jesus who broke down the wall between man and God. If we believe that God raised Him from the dead, if we have a willingness to change our life in repentance, if we are willing to confess Jesus to people and submit to Christian baptism we too can have that promise of eternal life by being reconciled to our creator through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the reason for the season!
