Why Christmas?

GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN FOR MAN = TO LIVE FOREVER

What is God’s original plan for man?

• Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

• Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

What is God’s original plan for man?

• Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

• Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good

What is God’s original plan for man?

• Genesis 2: 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed

• Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it

• Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die

GodCreation and man

God, man, creationFellowship forever

GOD

THE PROBLEM = SIN

The disobedience (= fall, sin)

• Genesis 3:7-8 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

• 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden

The curse of sin

• Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

• Genesis 3:23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken

After sin to whom does the earth belong?

• Luke 4:6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to

• Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned

GodCreation and man

God, man, creationFellowship forever

Sin

Authority on creation + man

usurped by Satan

First Death

GOD

CONSEQUENCE OF SIN

Consequence of sin

• Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death• Genesis 6:7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe

from the face of the earth the human race I have created (water = the flood)

• 2 Peter 3:7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly (fire = final judgment)

Outcome of the Fall

• Genesis 3: 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel

STRIKE THE HEEL

“strike the heel”

• Exodus 1:16 When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live

• Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi

“strike the heel”

• Mark 14:36 Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will

• Mark 14:64 You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death

• Mark 14:71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about

“strike the heel”

• Mark 15:15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified

• Mark 15:17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him

• Mark 15:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him

“strike the heel”

• Mark 15:25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him

• Luke 23:44-46 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last

CRUSH THE HEAD

“crush the head”

• Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into thelake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

• Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death

“crush the head”

• Revelation 20:15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire

GodCreation and man

God, man, creationFellowship forever

Sin

Authority on creation + man

usurped by Satan

First Death

Satan and his angels + men without Christ“crush satan’s

head

Second Death / Second Resurrection

GOD

GOD’S LOVE = JESUS

God’s love = Jesus

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

• Roman’s 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

God’s only way to salvation

• John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

• John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die

• John 15:5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”

God’s love = Jesus

• Revelation 21:7-8 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN

Which equation will you choose?

• The right equation:(+) Jesus → Death = Heaven

• The avoided equation:(-) Jesus → Death = Eternal Regret

WHY CHRISTMAS?

The birth of Jesus

• Luke 2: 8 shepherds, night• Luke 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to

them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

• Luke 8:10-11 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

The birth of Jesus

• Luke 2:13-14 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

• Luke 2:17-18 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them

WHY ARE THE ANGELS HAPPY?

GodCreation and man

God, man, creationFellowship forever

Sin

Authority on creation + man

usurped by Satan

Jesus assumed penalty of sin“strike heel”

First Death

Satan and his angels + men without Christ“crush satan’s

head

Second Death / Second Resurrection

First Resurrection

GOD

HOW CAN OUR NAMES BE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?

Salvation on and from the cross

• Luke 23:43Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

• These words are for all men to hear that is why it was recorded in the gospel of Luke 23: 39-43.

• The first person to experience paradise with Jesus was a criminal and he did not even have a chance to do restitution for the bad things he had done

A prayer of faith

• “Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross and saving us from the fires of hell and painful torment forever. I don’t want them for me. Thank you for giving us eternal life. I want you to be the Lord and Savior of my life. I CONFESS MY SINS AND ACCEPT YOU AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR FROM NOW ON. Do with me according to what your plan for my life. Amen.”

GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!