Why Christmas?
John 8:44 – You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Genesis 3:4-5 – 4Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
I. The Consequence of the Lie – Shame, Fear, and Hiding
Genesis 3:8-10 – 8And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was AFRAID because I was NAKED; and I HID MYSELF.”
• God’s presence did not change; Man’s condition did.
• The Two Shackles of the Fall – They direct and determine our thinking and life.
- Shame – “Something is wrong with me, I am unaccepted.”
- Fear – “I am no longer safe.”
II. Only Truth Exposes the Lie; Only Christ can heal the damage the lie created.
Luke 2:8-11 – 8Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were GREATLY AFRAID. 10Then 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. 11For there is born to you this day in the city of David A SAVIOR, who is Christ the Lord.
III. The Message of Christmas
• DO NOT BE AFRAID – The angel did not say, “You have nothing to fear.” Because fear is not rooted in our circumstances, it comes from our CONDITION.
• CONFRONT THE LIE - “For there is born to you this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
IV. How the World Tries to Remove Shame
• The World Tries to Cover Shame
• The World Tries to Redefine Shame
• The World Tries to Normalize Shame
• The World Tries to Numb Shame
• The World Tries to Perform Its Way Out of Shame
• The World Tries to Project Shame onto Others
• The World Tries to Erase Truth
V. How Jesus Removed Our Shame
Hebrews 9:22 – And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
• The Great Exchange – He came to stand in our place, absorb our guilt, and remove our condemnation.
• Shame loses its power when the relationship is restored.
Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
• What else does Jesus need to do for you?”
- He took the punishment for our peace.
Isaiah 53:5 – But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement FOR OUR PEACE was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
- The guilt we earned fell on Him.
Isaiah 53:6 – 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.
- He became sin in our place.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- He bore the curse meant for us.
Galatians 3:13 – Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)
- He carried our sin in His own body.
1 Peter 2:24 – Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
“I KNOW YOU FULLY — AND I STILL CAME!”
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.