Preached at Straightway Bible Church on December 23th, 2012.  Below you will find the study notes I handed out. It is a message about  Christmas and the Baby Jesus – everything that He represented at His birth giving us the full meaning of the Christmas celebration.

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Here are the study notes:

The Baby Jesus 

(Brent Riggs| brent@brentriggs.com | www.seriousfaith.com )

Gabriel Announces Christ’s Birth

Luke 1:26–33 (NKJV)  … 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

The Baby Jesus

Have you ever imagined yourself looking down at the little baby, contemplating who that tiny infant really was?

1. He was the fulfillment of prophecy  – God told Satan after tempting Eve that Jesus would be his downfall:  Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)  …  He shall bruise your head,  And you shall bruise His heel.   (see Romans 16:20)
2. He was to be the sacrifice for our sins – Hebrews 2:9  But we see Jesus, … that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (the Baby would live a perfect life becoming the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins)
3. He would reconcile man to God  – 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, To provide the believer with a high priest  (the Baby would defend us before God)
4. He would destroy the devil and his works – 1 John 3:8  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
   (The Baby was born to destroy Satan and his works: rebellion, temptation, worldliness, false teaching, death)
5. He would save us from the sin curse – Romans 5:12–15  …For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
   (through the Baby God’s grace would come to many just as the sin of one man, Adam, had affected many)
6. He would heal the brokenhearted and set free those in bondage– Luke 4:18–21   …To preach the gospel to the poor;  He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,  To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
   (the Baby was the complete fulfillment of these promises)
7. He would bring abundant life – John 10:10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
   (in contrast to Satan who represents death, the Baby was to bring abundant life both now and eternally)
8. He would bring ultimate glory to the Father – John 17:1–5  … I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself…
   (the Baby’s life would be lived out with only one purpose: to glorify God)
9. The Baby is God  – John 1:1–5(NKJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him…
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Challenge: What Gifts Do You Bring?

Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) ^… and fell down and worshiped Him…  they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Much of Christianity today: “What is Jesus going to do for me? What do I get out of church?“  Do you come to Jesus bearing gifts or only wanting things from Him that improve your life? Seeing the Baby Jesus for who He really is, what gifts do you plan to bring to Him on Christmas? What gifts do you have for him this coming New Year? What kind of gifts is this Baby worthy of?