All right, well good morning everyone. Merry Christmas. It's that time of year. You know, those of us who speak, it's sometimes, it's hard to actually think about what your topic is gonna be and how you come to deciding on what you're gonna talk about.
So I'm gonna tell you a quick story. So yesterday I was going around doing my chores and doing a bunch of stuff and I was walking through Home Depot and I just was singing that song, Jesus Messiah. And I was just worshiping the Lord thinking about that. And I believe, maybe that's the way that the Holy Spirit connects with my soul and shares with me something that I've been really enjoying.
And so today I wanna talk to you about the Messiah. You know, it's almost Christmas. And at Christmas we really celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. And so my message today I've entitled it, Is He the Messiah?
And really what I wanna do is explore the evidence from the Word of God that really shows us that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Is it rational to think that Jesus of Nazareth is the coming Christ who came into the world and died for our sins? Is it rational? Is it factual?
Did it really happen? Is there any evidence? And I say to you there is. There is overwhelming evidence.
And so I wanna look at that today. I'm gonna invite you to open your Bible and turn to the Gospel of Luke and chapter one. Luke chapter one, and we're gonna read at verse 30. Gospel of Luke chapter one and verse 30.
Just imagine what it must have been like for Mary, likely a teenage girl from a peasant family in a despised village of Nazareth and the angel visits her and this is what's happening. Chapter one and verse 30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary for you have found favor with God. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a son.
And you shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob, over Israel, forever and of his kingdom, there shall be no end. Amazing and profound words that the angel said to Mary.
And so from this passage, the angel told Mary, his name will be called Jesus, his name. We're focused on his name, his greatness. He is going to be exceedingly great, his deity. He is called the son of the most high and that his kingdom is an eternal kingdom.
It will never end. And I wonder what Mary thought when that announcement was made to her. You know, you can visit the town of Nazareth today and there's all kinds of churches there and there's places that really focus on that event that happened when the angel spoke to Mary. I wonder if Mary's mind went all the way back to the dawn of creation when the promise was made that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head.
And this statement that was made to her actually brings us forward to the prophetic plan of God, the plan of the ages where it shows us a promise that Jesus Christ will reign forever. Let's look at chapter two, Luke chapter two and verse 11. Actually in verse 10, and the angel said unto them, fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord, a savior who is Christ the Lord.
And so as we look at these two passages, I wanna explore today some deep questions. And the first question that comes to mind is is he really the Messiah? Is Jesus Christ the Messiah? And then I thought about this, did he fulfill Old Testament scriptures?
Is there any evidence in the word of God that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament scriptures? How about this question? Is he alive today? Is Jesus Christ alive today?
Did he rise from the dead? And then my last question that I got for all of you today is, is he worthy of your trust? Is he really worthy of your trust? I wanna say at the beginning of my message that there is overwhelming evidence that he is the Christ.
That term Christ literally means the anointed one of God, the chosen of God, the one who was sent to earth to die for our sins. The one and only savior of the world, overwhelming evidence. You know scripture makes it very clear, it's very interesting as you open your New Testament. Right at the very first verse in your New Testament, scripture makes this point, he is the son of Abraham, he is the son of David.
Why does it begin with that? Because most of you will know there was an incredible promise made to Abraham, that through his seed, all the families of the earth would be blessed. There was an incredible promise made to David. David, you will have a son, a greater son, that will sit on your throne and will reign forever and ever and ever.
What an incredible promise. And so the New Testament opens, making this very strong point that Jesus Christ in his lineage is of Abraham and of David. You know in Micah chapter five, the prophet prophesied that he would be born in Bethlehem. And not just Bethlehem, Bethlehem Judea, because there was two Bethlehem's.
Isaiah made it clear that he would be born of a virgin, literally humanly speaking an impossible fact. But yet, this would be evidence that he is the Christ who would be born of a virgin. And in Genesis chapter three and verse 15, it was prophesied right at the beginning of time that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, would destroy Satan. It doesn't say the seed of the man.
It says the seed of the woman. Why? Because wherefore has by one man sin entered into the world and death came by sin. And so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the only person ever born without the sin principle. He had no sin in him, there was no sin. He wasn't born in the way by natural generation that every one of us have that inherit the sin nature from our federal head Adam. Jesus Christ was born of the virgin.
He was without sin. He was not tainted by the sinful nature that is naturally passed on to every one of us. You know in Genesis chapter, or in Galatians chapter four, it says that at the appointed time, God sent forth his son. And then it says born of a woman under the law to redeem those who were under the curse of the law.
Why? So that we might receive the adoption of sons and daughters into the family of God. Scripture makes it so clear that the Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. And I wanna point some of these out to you today because it's absolutely magnificent.
You know, we meet a lot of people that will say, well, is there really any evidence that Jesus Christ ever existed? And why would you say he's the savior? And why can't you say that we'll support that? When you really look into the scriptures, there is an incredible, overwhelming evidence that he is the Messiah.
What do the scriptures say about Messiah that would come into the world? You know, if we were to begin in Isaiah 53, it says that he would be despised and rejected of men. Hated, not esteemed, and that men would actually plot his death and his murder. Did that happen?
Absolutely it happened. When Jesus came and was born of that virgin in Matthew chapter two and verse 16, King Herod passed a decree, slaughter all the male children in Bethlehem. You can read it in Matthew two and 16, kill all the male children that are two years old and under, destroy him. That's what King Herod said.
In Luke chapter two and verse seven, when her time was come for Mary to have this child, they went to the little village of Bethlehem and there was no room in the inn. There was no room for him. You know, it was prophesied that men would reject and despise him, he'd be given an outside place. You know, we used to sing a lot, a beautiful hymn, have you any room for Jesus?
He who bore your load of sin, any room that he can enter in the heart for which he died. You know what we have? Room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified, not a place that he can enter in the heart for which he died. Could I just stop at the beginning of my message today and ask every one of you?
Is there room in your heart for the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know him? Do you love him? Do you worship him?
And this is the perfect time of year to stop and think about the Lord Jesus Christ. He was given an outside place. How does John begin his gospel? He says this, he was in the world.
The world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own people, the nation of Israel. His chosen people, his own things, and they received him not. The nation of Israel largely rejected him.
The religious authorities tried to discredit him. We heard this morning in our worship that these people who studied the scriptures needed to be corrected because they missed the fact that Messiah was in their very midst. Could I ask you today at Christmas time? Don't miss the meaning of Christmas.
It is Jesus Christ. He's right here. He's alive. He is in our midst.
He is the Savior of the world. He is God's only son who came into this world to die for our sins. Don't miss him. In John chapter 15, when Jesus was about to go to the cross, he looked back over his three and a half years of public ministry.
And do you know what he said? John 15 and 25, it says, they hated me without a cause. As a fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures. In Psalm 69, it says about the Messiah, a messianic psalm, the day that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head.
Yes, he fulfilled Old Testament scripture. In Matthew 21 and verse 42, Jesus said to the religious leaders that were actually plotting his death. He said this. He said the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
This is marvelous in our eyes. This is God's doing. Psalm 118, it is a direct reference to that prophecy that Jesus would be rejected. And yet God made him the head of the corner on which the entire church is built.
Jesus Christ, our Lord, rejected of Ben. Do you remember the day that Jesus walked into the synagogue in Nazareth? As you visit Nazareth today, there's a replica of that synagogue. It's beautiful.
And on my visits to Israel, I just love to sit there and just read that scripture in Luke chapter four and imagine what was it like for the Lord Jesus? In the village and town that he was raised, to stand up that day on the Sabbath, open the scroll, and read Isaiah 61. And he said these words, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing. The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
He's anointed me to preach the gospel, deliverance to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind. And he said, this day is this scripture being fulfilled. What was he saying? He's saying, I am the Messiah.
He's saying, I am the Christ. He's saying, I have come. The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven, Jesus Messiah. Name above all names, no greater name.
God's own son presented to his hometown. And they joyfully received him, right? No, the eyes of the people were fastened on him. And they grabbed him and they pushed him out the door and carried him to the brow of the hill and wanted to throw him over.
Have you any room for Jesus? He who bore your Lord of sin. We live in a world, folks, that people don't stop to consider. God visited this earth in a person of Jesus Christ.
And he came to rescue us from our sins, to save us, to show us all that God is. And he died on the cross for our sins. And he is able, ready and willing, to save every person who will receive him. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savior?
You know what Peter says, unto you therefore who believe he is precious. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, he is precious to your heart. You'd be willing today to bow the knee and acknowledge that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He was rejected in this world that we live in.
And 2,000 years later, he's still rejected. We know this. We see it every Friday night. He's rejected.
And yet he came to save you from your sins, to heal you from your brokenness, to give you righteousness, to give you life, to adopt you into the family of God, he is the Messiah. In Gethsemane, there was a really strange event that occurred. Peter was ready to stand for his Lord. And these multitudes of people come, and they have sticks and chains, and they're going to arrest Jesus.
And the servant of the high priest is there. And Peter whips out his sword. He slices off Melchus's ear. And what does Jesus say?
Jesus says, Peter, put your sword away. Put your sword away. Do you not realize that at this very moment, I could call 12 legions of angels. And then he says, but how then should the scriptures be fulfilled?
Did he fulfill the Old Testament scripture? I say he did. And he came as a Messiah to die, to be crucified, to shed his blood, and to pay for the sin of the world. All this was done, Jesus said, that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
I'd like to consider today some of the fulfillment of scripture directly specific to and related to his death and resurrection. Do you know that there was one person that walked with Jesus for three and a half years? And nobody discovered that he was a phony. His name was Judas Iscariot.
There are people today that say they walk with Jesus. But in their heart, he doesn't reign. He's really not Messiah. And there was this man that was a follower of Jesus called Judas Iscariot.
And there was things written about him in the scripture in the Old Testament. And Jesus said about this, that the scripture might be fulfilled. The one who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. That the scripture might be fulfilled.
Now if he is Messiah, he is pointing out every single step along the way that the Old Testament scriptures are being fulfilled in his life as he moves to the cross. Jesus lifts up his eyes into heaven in John 17. And he says this, father, of all these ones that you have given me, have I lost none? Except the son of tradition, except the son of destruction.
That's the word so that the scriptures might be fulfilled. How about John chapter 19? This is the picture where Jesus is on the cross. Now catch this, did he fulfill Old Testament scripture?
If he did, he is the Messiah. John chapter 19, the soldiers that were Roman, they didn't read the Old Testament. I'm sure of it. They weren't Jewish, they were Roman.
And Jesus is being crucified. And he has this garment that's probably a beautiful garment and it's without steam. It is woven throughout. And the soldiers are grappling at the bottom of the cross.
Let's rip it. And someone says, no, don't care it. Let's gamble on it. Let's cast lots.
Who's might take this home of this peasant criminal that's dying on this cross? And so in John chapter 19 and verse 24, it says that the soldiers cast lots for his garments that the scriptures might be fulfilled, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. They cast lots for my garments. At the end of those three agonizing hours on the cross, Jesus has been crucified from 9 a.m.
And his hands and his feet are pierced. Fulfillment of Psalm 22. It says in John chapter 19 and verse 28, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. He says, I thirst.
A fulfillment of Old Testament scripture, John chapter 20 and verse 34. Jesus has breathed his last. With a loud voice, he says, father, into my hands, I commend my spirit. It is finished and he dies.
And John is there at the cross. And his mother, Mary, who we read about in Luke chapter two. And John is watching. I'm sure he's heartbroken.
He loves the Lord Jesus. And a soldier comes with a spear. He looks at him. He's dead already.
Normally they'd break his legs. So then he would expire. He's dead. Let's just be sure.
And the soldier who hasn't read the Old Testament takes a spear and he plunges it into the side of the Lord Jesus. And immediately there comes out blood and water. And John saw it. What does he say?
He says he that saw it bore record. And his record is true. They shall look on him, whom they pierced, that the scripture might be fulfilled. They break not his bones.
No bone of him was broken. That perfect Paschal lamb. This is incredible detailed evidence that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He fulfilled all the Old Testament scriptures.
How about in John chapter 20? This is remarkable. So Jesus has told his disciples several times. We're going up to Jerusalem.
The Son of Man will be rejected and will be crucified and he will die. And the third day he will rise from the dead. Right over their head. They didn't hear it.
They didn't get it. They were afraid to ask any questions. And Jesus is crucified. And three days later, Mary Magdalene is at the Sepulcher.
And she's weeping. And she looks and the stone is rolled away. And they found out the body of Jesus. And somebody tells John and Peter.
And Peter gave up and they ran to the Sepulcher. And John comes to the Sepulcher. And Peter comes to the Sepulcher and they stoop in and they go in. And they see the body of Christ is not there.
Mary is weeping. And they think that this person who's mysterious in the garden is the gardener. John, Mary and Peter are witnesses at the tomb. Jesus has risen early the first day of the week.
And you know what it says in John 20 and verse nine? I'm amazed at this. It says, as yet they knew not the scripture that said, he must rise from the dead. Okay.
If Jesus Christ is a Messiah, he died on the cross for our sins. He fulfilled all testament scripture. And he rose again. Is there any evidence?
Overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. He fulfilled all the Old Testament scriptures. Matthew chapter 26 and verse 56. You can read this verse, it's really interesting.
It says this, all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled concerning him. Jesus Christ fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies concerning himself. What happened in Luke 24? What a beautiful scene.
Two are on the road to Emmaus. I don't know if these two are a couple. I don't know if they're a husband and wife. I don't know if they're two disciples of Christ, but they're broken, they're weary, they've lost hope.
Jesus is dead and a stranger. Seemingly a stranger draws alongside of them and goes with them. And he says, why are you so sad? What are you talking about?
And they look at him and said, are you just a stranger in Jerusalem? Do you not know what has happened these days? And they said, he said, what things? They said concerning Jesus, who we had hoped was going to deliver Israel.
You know this story, I know you know this story. And they looked at him and he says, all foolish ones, slow all of heart to believe. All that the prophets had written concerning him. I love this.
And beginning at Moses and through all the prophets, he expounded unto them the things concerning himself. Wow, they are overwhelmed and the light goes on and they get it and he's walking down the road and they say, come here and have dinner with us. And he made as though he would go further and they constrained him, abide with us in his toward evening. And so he went in to teary with them, the King James says.
And he breaks the bread and he makes known to them all the things about Jesus Christ. Did not our heart burn within us as he expounded unto us in all the scriptures? The things concerning himself. Let me ask you a question.
Do you think there was any doubt in their mind that he was the Messiah? No doubt at all. You know, sometimes our knowledge of Jesus Christ is surface. Sometimes it's intellectual.
Sometimes it's theoretical. I want you to consider Jesus today at a very deep spiritual personal level and understand. He's your savior. He's the God of the universe.
He is the Almighty One of eternity. And he came as the savior of the world and he stepped into time. And he took upon himself humanity. That he might go to the cross and be crucified for our sins and shed his blood and pay the debt so that we can be made righteous in the sight of God.
Look at 1st Timothy chapter one and verse 15. Here's what it says. This is a faithful saying. It's faithful.
It is trustworthy. It is deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Jesus Messiah, name above all names. The ransom from heaven, the rescue for sinners.
He is God's one and only son that came to save sinners. He is the Messiah, the one who came into the world so that we might be saved. Did he fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures? He did.
They're all listed there. Old Testament Scriptures concerning his death and resurrection. He fulfilled every single one of them. There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus Christ is Messiah.
There's overwhelming evidence that he has fulfilled all the Old Testament Scriptures. I wanna tell you today there is historical, biblical and outside of the Bible, scientific, infallible evidence that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, bodily. He is alive today. He is the Almighty God.
He is the savior of the world. He is alive. Now here's my impact statement. This is where I wanna get to today.
Let me ask every one of you. Is he worthy of your trust? Could you commit the keeping of your soul to Jesus Christ? What if this was your last day today?
You know, this past week we had a pretty difficult dramatic experience. A young man that lived with us for three years took his own life and left a dear mother and three young children and it was heartbreaking to think of the challenges in his life and what he faced and the decision that he made. And you know, as I stood there in that funeral home this past week, I asked myself this question, what if this was me? What if, what if I died?
What if today was my last day? Do I have 100% confidence and assurance that Jesus Christ died from me? That I am secure in him? That I'm going to heaven?
That on my last day, I can breathe my last with confidence knowing that I'm going out to meet my savior. Do you have that confidence today? If you don't, you need to stop everything that you're doing. You need to shut your world down.
You need to get along with God and examine your soul. Are your sins forgiven? Are you right with God? Do you have a true deep spiritual personal relationship with Jesus Christ or is it intellectual?
Is it religious? Is it surface? You know, Jesus says in Revelation chapter three, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, knock. If any man hear my voice will open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.
Now I know that in the context, that is written to Christians. But I would say this, God's desire is to have room in every human heart. You are made in the image of God. You are accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He died on the cross for your sins. He offers you salvation and he invites you to put your faith and trust in him. It is critical that you have a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that you know on your last day, my soul is saved, I'm going to heaven. You can have that confidence today because he is worthy of your trust.
You know, a lot of people will say in our public ministry that we stand out on the streets and preach Christ. People as they pass by the mock, and you know they'll say this, they'll say, where's Jesus Christ today? Who is this one that you believe in? He's dead, he's dead.
No, no, he's not dead. He is not dead. I want to invite everyone to turn to Revelation chapter one. Let me show you who the Messiah is today, where he is today and what it looks like.
Revelation chapter one, this was written by the very person who stood at the cross that day. The very same person who watched as that sphere pierced aside and heard as he cried, it is finished. Revelation chapter one, this is what John said. Verse 12, and I turned to see the voice that spoke unto me.
And being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the son of man, clothed in a garment, down to the foot, girded about with a breastplate, golden girdle, his head and his hair were like wool, white as snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. Verse 16, he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth, went a sharp two edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shining in its strength. We heard about the light today.
This is a visual of who Jesus Christ is today. His countenance was as the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me and said unto me, fear not, who is he? Is he alive?
Listen to what he says. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. I am he that liveth and was dead.
And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of death and hell. The Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of your trust.
He is the Almighty God. He has conquered sin. He is the Messiah. He has come to save the world, and you need to believe on him.
If you don't believe on him, you will bow the knee in eternity and your face will flee away because he is coming in righteousness to take judgment on this world. And every single person needs to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 2 and 11 says this, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation, came as a man, took upon himself the form of a man, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And then it says, wherefore God also has highly exalted him and given him a name, which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every initial bow, and every tongue shall confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
That's my future. That's your future. We are hastening on to glory, bow the knee, and acknowledge him as the great I am of the ages. We're going to sing a beautiful song after I pray.
And I love it. It's one of my favorite songs. It is the hymn of the ages. And it's a beautiful song of worship.
And so you know, as you have a Christmas season, I just invite you and your family. Take some time out over Christmas, and really deeply consider who he is. He's the Messiah. He fulfilled all the scriptures.
He is alive, and he's worthy of your trust. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We thank you that he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and every one of us that believe in him.
We gratefully and willfully bow our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We thank you Lord that he came. We thank you that he is the Messiah. He is God with us.
He is the rescue for sinners and the ransom from heaven. We love him. And we look forward to that day when throughout the ages of eternity to come, we'll sing unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins and his own blood. And so today we give thanks and ask you Lord to help us as we sing this song to raise our hearts together in worship.
And we pray for your blessing upon this congregation in the name of the Lord Jesus, amen.