The Christmas Prophecy

real life presents the Jack Kibs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. We'll look all around the world and everything is lit up, everything is sparkly, everything's Christmas. But you know why? What's the true meaning to Christmas? Stay tuned, we're gonna find out. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to JackKibs.com slash podcast. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Kibs. Well listen, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas first of all, but I'll tell you what, as we get into this program today, taking the opportunity to address really the world. As all around the world, there are decorations that have gone up, there are people that have gathered together. You know, it's quite interesting to find out to discover that of all the holidays in the world annually. There is one where more money is spent, where more family gatherings take place. Listen to this. In more countries, than any other religious holiday in the entire world, including countries where Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus of Christmas is not exactly believed in. There's something about what we would call the spirit of Christmas. You know, it's interesting because there's a tendency for people to become more generous at Christmas time. I grew up in an era and at a time when companies gave Christmas bonuses. Do you remember that? Maybe that's still happening to you or for you or maybe you're one of the jolly givers of that Christmas bonus. What does this happen? And what's with the whole scene anyway about identifying one day to recognize a nativity scene? Because you'll see it in Egypt. You'll see it in Indonesia, South America. Nativity scenes in Brazil, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Southern California, where I'm at. You'll see nativity scenes all around the world. Why? The Bible is very clear as to why it is the ultimate important holiday that we should consider. And so in our time together this day, I want to take this moment to give you some things to think about at what we're calling Christmas. Now, first of all, let's set this out right now that technically the birth of Jesus Christ, Christ mass, the gathering around Christ wasn't in some cathedral. It wasn't in some fancy church or some remarkable location with all of the architecture and all of the amazing setup and get up that we can imagine today. No, not at all. In fact, frankly, it's very much the opposite. The fact of the matter is that the actual Christmas scene, as recorded in the Bible, didn't take place on December 25. It didn't happen at some grand polacious location. But it happened exactly how it was supposed to happen. You heard me right, that the coming of God into the world, that is what Christmas is all about. It's the advent of God into this world. And you've never heard that before. You need to hear it now. The reason why it is a holy day that people need to pay close attention to is because it's our opportunity to celebrate what might be the greatest revelation that man has ever known. Now, I hesitate for a moment because there's no doubt about it that the day that God, according to the Bible, took on human flesh and was born into this world. We call it Christmas. There's no doubt about it. It is absolutely great. I hesitate because I would argue with you today that that day of his birth that we look to right now at the season spoke about a different season, a season that would come that the Bible says that Jesus Christ was born into the world because he had an appointment with the cross at Mount Calvary in Israel in Jerusalem that the baby born in Bethlehem was the Christ that would die in the cross on Resurrection Week or what is known as Easter. I want you to think about this right now. It's not about the gifts. Those gifts, by the way, traditionally are all wrapped up in the token offering that a gift was given by God to us. And so the Christmas act of giving gifts is just us mimicking what God did for us. It's not about the gifts under the tree. It's about the gift who went to the tree, the cross. But let's talk about that so that we might have a more meaningful Christmas. Number one, the Bible tells us, and I read right now, in Galatians chapter four, verse four, the Bible says, but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law. And I want to pause right there, that at just the right time, God sent forth his son. What does that mean? Did you know that the Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus of Christmas, the Messiah, Jesus Christ? Did you know that according to the Bible, the Old Testament prophets, that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem? Did you know that? 500 years written in the Hebrew Scriptures before Jesus Christ was born, Micah, the prophet, chapter five, verse two, announced that the Messiah of Israel, the Messiah of the world would be born into the world in Bethlehem. That's why you have a nativity scene. That's why there's a donkey and a camel and a horse and a straw gathering scene, barn shaped setting as a nativity. Listen, the Messiah of God, according to the Bible, had to be born in Bethlehem. Question, was he born in Bethlehem? The next thing that we consider, the Bible tells us that when the fullness of time had come, according to God, Jesus Christ was born at exactly the right time. Now, when we dig deep theologically, what are we talking about? When we get into the Bible, this is what we wind up discovering. It doesn't mean that Jesus had to be born in December 25th. No, not at all. It doesn't mean that Jesus was probably most accurately born in the early spring of that year, but that's not important either. Listen, what's not important is the fact that it was a certain year or at a certain particular time of politics or government or whatever it might be, not at all. Listen to this. The very first, can I say, Christmas announcement was made in Genesis chapter 3, verse 15. Let me explain. In Genesis 3, 15, Adam and Eve had just sinned. They took our humanity where we came from. Our original mom and dad crashed humanity as they knew it, and all of these millennia later, it's you and I now, children of Adam and Eve, we have grown up in a culture that and in a world that is a world of sin. That's why there's war, line, cheating, stealing, violence, death. None of these things got invented. We invented those things. And the Bible says that we did that by disobeying God. And so God's answer to that disobedience that was first rooted in Adam and Eve, God announced in Genesis 3, 15, I'm going to do something about it. I'm paraphrasing. I'm going to do something about what you guys just did. I am going to send a Savior, a Messiah that's going to deliver you from this tyranny. In Genesis 3, 15, the Bible gives the answer that from a descendant of Adam would come a woman and from her would come the Messiah. Genesis chapter 3, verse 15, one verse, by the way, it's the first prophecy verse given in the Bible. The first prophetic verse of the Bible is about salvation. It's not about the end of the world and it's not about the rapture of the church or the second coming of Christ or this nation about to conquer the other nation. Those things are important. They're in the Bible. But the most important prophecy of all is the Christmas prophecy of Genesis 3, 15. That Messiah would come through a woman. So I want to ask you this question. And right now we're thinking kind of cynically, right? Maybe we're home right now. We've got our shoulders back and we've got our arms crossed and we're saying, I don't believe in Christmas. Listen, I get it. I get where you're coming from, all the materialism and the commercialism. Can I say God's not into that either. He's not into all this stuff that you and I have been buying and paying attention to. He's into this. Do you know who and why there's a Christmas? Who is Christmas? It's not Santa Claus. It's not you and me. And why is there a Christmas? What's that all about? Some very grumpy person somewhere might say, who invented this incredibly expensive ridiculous day? We did technically. God gave us the opportunity though to know the truth. And the truth is this, that at the fullness of time, the word means at just the right time of human existence, God is announcing, I am going to send you the answer. So from Adam and Eve, all the way through the Old Testament, you think right now, you and I are living right now in this 21st century. So all of the Old Testament era, all of those thousands of years passed. And from the birth of Jesus, the thousands of years forward. Here we are now 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus. What are we to be doing? Why is Christmas important? Christ, Christ, Messiah, Mass, to gather or to look upon, to pay attention to? It's not a church service. It's not a midnight Mass or it's not an early Sunday morning service. It's that from the days of Adam and Eve to the days when God culminates the end, we are to be looking to the key central moment of human history. And what is it? It is the birth of Jesus Christ into this world. We'll talk about the purpose in a moment and what it means to you. But the birth of Christ, listen to this, listen to this. You and I know that the world is older than 2,000 years. You know the world is older than that, don't you? And oh, by the way, all around the world, even though the world is older than that, why is it that every real legal document's got to be signed in the year of the coming of Jesus Christ? What happened back then 2,000 years ago that changed the course where the world would go by that birthday to mark time? At just the right time, God gave or sent forth his son. The Bible says that God has a son. Did you know that? Now listen, I don't want to upset anybody. I'm not saying this to to deride or to speak disparaging to anyone. But my Jewish brothers and sisters, they tell me God doesn't have a son. God doesn't have a son. It's not possible. My Muslim friends tell me God doesn't have a son. In fact, all around the dome of the rock mosque in Jerusalem is in Arabic, the declaration, God is not begotten, nor does God have a son. Written all the way around the dome of the rock mosque. But the same will be stated by my Jewish friends. God doesn't have a son. That's a Christian concoction. And I want to announce to you, it is not. It is not because listen. The Old Testament says that God has a son. The Hebrew prophets announced that God has a son. For example, the Bible tells us that in Psalm 2 of the Hebrew scriptures that we are to kiss the son of God less, he become angry with us. Interesting. The Bible tells us that in Proverbs 30 verse 4, that who is this, who holds the wind and the water and his hands and his fist and binds them up in the folds of the robe of his garment? He says, what is my name? And what is my son's name? If you can tell me, Proverbs 30 verse 4. David said in Psalm 22 that regarding God's son, that they would pierce his hands and his feet at his crucifixion, David said that 1,000 years before Jesus Christ was born. Zechariah, the famous Hebrew prophet announced that the son of God, the Messiah of the world, would write into Jerusalem on the back of a little donkey that no one's ever ridden upon before. And we call that Palm Sunday because that's exactly what Jesus did. Oh, in Isaiah, chapter 7 verse 14, the great prophet Isaiah, 750 years before Jesus Christ was born, said that a virgin shall conceive. The word implies in the Hebrew, a virgin will conceive and she will still be a virgin until she gives birth. A virgin will conceive and bring forth a son. Isaiah 9 chapter 6 tells us that he will be God. Jesus Christ, according to the Old Testament, is God born into this world to fulfill all of the Old Testament scriptures. He came at exactly the right time that we call Christmas to go to the cross. You see, that's the real tree. That's the real gift. The New Testament often refers to the cross as a tree. It's not really a tree like you and I think of. It's a cross. That's how he received his crucifying wounds, the spear pierced in his side and the nails driven through his hands and his feet. The Bible says that God would go there in Isaiah chapter 53 and that he would die for the iniquities, the sins of the world, the sins of you and I, our sins. Jesus did this. That's why it's a Merry Christmas, my friend. It's not about the gifts, it's not about the economy, it's not about your wealth, it's not about your loss, it's not about the decorations, it's not about the season, it's about the moment that God sent his son into this world. He said that whosoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. And so the scripture says there in Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 that God sent forth his son born of a woman. Isn't that an amazing God sent his son born of a human being, a woman born under the law. I love this. Jesus Christ was born under the tyranny and occupation of the Roman Empire over the land of Israel at that time. Jesus not only came at that time but he came at a time when so many traditions had taken precedence over the word of God that the Jewish people in Israel and for that matter around the world were paying more attention to what rabbis were saying instead of what their scriptures had already said. Keep your eye on Jerusalem, your king is coming the Bible said. Keep your eye on Bethlehem, the Messiah will be born there. Israel was told that the one who would come would be born under a scandalous rumor of a virgin birth. That's what the Bible says. And we have all of these things recorded in the New Testament exactly as the Old Testament promised them that they would be fulfilled. The answer was given in advance. It's an open book question or quiz, right? What's the answer to you finding forgiveness? What's the answer to you having your slate cleaned, your conscience cleared and you getting out of religion and into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? It's Christmas. It's you deciding to gather around Jesus yourself. You may be all alone no matter where you're watching this program. You could be somewhere in the world and you might say, Jack, I'm all alone. How can I gather around? There's nobody here with me. Hallelujah, my friend. You don't need anybody else because listen, no one's going to hold your hand into the kingdom of God. Nobody's going to hold your hand. You're not going to go to heaven because your parents are going to go to heaven. You're not going to go there because your grandpa was a famous preacher or maybe your friends were very religious, highly respected tribal leaders in your country or your whole lineage is from some religious line of great preachers or great Baptist or Lutherans or Catholics or whatever. My friend, do you not realize that God cares nothing about those things? Zero. Zero. Jesus came born under the law. What does that mean? It means when Jesus by the time he makes it 33 years later to the cross by appointment, he fulfills all the demands of the law. Jesus was perfect. The Son of God fulfilled the demands of the law so that God is satisfied. The law is appeased. God receives a holy, holy, perfect human, but Jesus was not just a perfect human. He was God in human skin. And that's why he went to the cross. God died in our place on the cross. That's what Christmas is all about. Christmas shouts that he's going to go to the cross when he comes to the end of his ministry. The Bible announces this, but that's not all. The greatest joy about Christmas is actually what we celebrate at Easter. Resurrection week pass over. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He is alive. Jesus lives. This is not religion. It's a fact. And the question for you today is, do you know this? So let me ask you the question this way. Let me read to you the verse in closing this way. But when the fullness of time had come, are you ready to accept Christ? Is now the time for you? Are you finally ready to stop with religion and get a relationship with God that he sent forth his Son? Will you open up your heart and mind to consider the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world? And that he was born under the law that you can never be good enough. I can never be good enough. All of your morality in mind means nothing to God. Because Jesus Christ is perfect, your morality would have to be perfect. And it's not. Every single one of us, and I start with me, our sinners. And we need his saving grace. We need the free gift that comes from Jesus Christ. This is my friend. Maybe you're somewhere in the world and there's a Christmas tree in your living room or at the office, or I don't know where you're at. The best thing for you to do is take a running, flying leap and dive under that tree and say, Jesus, I'm giving you my life broken bruised pieces of my life. I give you my life. You can say that to him right now. Lord Jesus, receive me. I want to know and I want to live the reality of the true Christmas. I invite you, Lord, unpack my life. Take off the wrappings of my facade, of my insecurities and my sins. Lord, cleanse me of my sins. Put your Holy Spirit in me and make me a follower of yours. Well, if that's your prayer, God bless you, my friend and marry Christmas to you. I hope whatever you do at this Christmas season. You focus on Jesus, you let your friends and family know that it is all about him and use the fact of a tree and of gifts as really illustrations to point them to Jesus Christ. Listen, if you'd like to know more as usual, my friends, you can always find out more by going to jackibs.com. Always jackibs.com where you'll find out more about this Christmas Christ that saves in Jesus' name. Amen. So God bless you guys. Have a great Christmas. This jackibs podcast as well as all the broadcasts out reach opportunities are listed or supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? Go to jackibs.com to learn more and stay connected.