Seven Signs Of Jesus Birth

Luke 2.1-14

 [The Poinsettias]

[This plant blooms at Christmas in Mexico, were it is known by its native name, "flower of the holy night".  In the progressive course of its flowering bloom we find the redemptive story of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  As it grows its blooms display a green liveliness, reminding us of the incarnation and life of our Savior.  Its blooms then turn white displaying the purity of our sacrificial Lamb.  Finally, its blooms turn a brilliant red clearly declaring the propitiatory payment rendered for our salvation, His precious shed blood.  Today the Poinsettia is the most popular of Christmas plants, for in the flaming star of its red bracts we see the star of Bethlehem, and remember that our Savior came to take away our sins.] 

[As you celebrate Christmas you have probably incorporated many signs into your holiday season.  For instance at our house we have:] 

·     [The Evergreen Tree that represents Everlasting life.]

·     [The lights upon our tree that represent that Jesus is the Light of life.]

·     [The red in our season reveals the precious shed blood of our Savior.]

·     [The silver in our season is indicative of the redemption He provides.]

·     [The green presents our desire to grow in Him.]

·     [The gold reminds us that He is the King of King's.]

·     [The stars declare that He is the morning star and the bright hope of eternity to come.] 

[Throughout history God has told of the coming of the Messiah; the Christ that would deliver the world from its wickedness and sin.  He provided many infallible proofs that were intended to provide irrefutable evidence of the arrival of the Lord of Lord's and King of King's.  There could be no mistaking the manifestation of the sinless Lamb of God that was sent to take away the sins of the world.] 

["All of Israel should have been reading of these signs,
 but they were spiritually dead;  as the church is today."] 

[Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ] 

Seven signs of Jesus birth. [A sign is an indication.] 

A.     A Sign in the Seed (Gen 3.15; 1 Cor 15.55-57) [- the Son in the Seed.  Born of a woman.] 

[Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. ] 

1.      [The seed of the Woman (Gen 3.15a) – “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; . . .”] 

a.       [Jesus was fully human, but He was a man unlike any other man.  The Chemistry Of The Blood by M.R. Dehaan.] 

[Our blood is Adam's blood.  Jesus blood is God's blood.] 

b.      [The Unique Blood - The Unique Nature of Christ, the only begotten (John 3.16; Isa 7.14).] 

2.      [The seed of our Warfare (vs 15b; 1 Cor 15.55-57) – “. . . it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”] 

a.       [Jesus heel - Satan hurt Jesus when he forced Him to be crucified for our sins.] 

b.      [Satan's head - Jesus conquered Satan when He rose from the grave and gave us victory over death.] 

[1 Cor. 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ] 

B.     A Sign in the Scriptures (John 5.39; Isa 7.14; Mal 3.1; Isa 40.3-5) [- The Son Prophesied.] 

[John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. ] 

[The Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ:] 

1.      [The Virgin-Birth (Isa 7.14) - A virgin shall conceive .] 

[Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ] 

2.      [The Forerunner (Mal 3.1; Isa 40.3-5) - John the Baptist preparing the way.] 

[Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. ] 

[Isaiah 40:3-5 ³ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴ Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: ⁵ And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. ]

3.      [The time of His birth (Dan 9.25) - The seventy weeks prophecy indicates the specific time of the triumphal entry we know as Good Friday.] 

[Daniel 9:25 ²⁵ Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.]

a.       [Many Scholars have examined the seventy weeks of Daniels prophecy and the conculsions point undeniably to the exact fulfillment for this ancient prophecy in our Lord Jesus Christ.^[1]]

4.      [The slaughter of the innocents (Jer 31.15)] 

[Jeremiah 31:15 Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. ] 

5.      [The flight into Egypt (Hosea 11.1)] 

[Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. ] 

6.      [He would suffer and die for our sins (Isa 53.5,12)] 

[Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.]  

[Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.]  

[Note: There are 70 major prophecies and 270 ramifications concerning the birth and life of Jesus Christ recorded in the Old Testament.] 

["The Sign of the Scripture speaks of the Authority and Truth of God's Word."] 

C.     A Sign in Sleep (Matt 1.18-25) [- The Son in Joseph's dream.] 

1.      [The purpose for Joseph's dream (vs 22) -  “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,” - This is the Work of God, A Miracle.] 

a.       [Joseph needed to hear from God so that he could allow God to fulfill His purposes through him.] 

2.      [The Message delivered to Joseph.] 

a.       [The child is Divine (Matt 1.20) – “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” - Conceived of God.] 

b.      [The child brings Deliverance (vs 21) – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” - will save his people from their sins.] 

D.    A Sign in the Stable  (Luke 2.1-7, 4; Micah 5.2) [- The Son and His birth.] 

[Luke 2:1-7 ¹ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) ³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) ⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. ⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.]

[Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. ] 

1.      [This child must be born in Bethlehem - God providentially brought Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Bethlehem.] 

a.       [Providence is God's hand working in the affairs of mankind.] 

2.      [This child must be born in poverty - Jesus didn't come for the rich and noble.  He came for sinners.] 

E.     A Sign in the Shepherds (Luke 2.8-12) [- The Son revealed.] 

1.      [The Savior is born.] 

2.      [How could they find Him?  He would be wrapped in swaddling clothes.] 

[Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ] 

3.      [Ye shall find - He is accessible.  He can be found.] 

F.      A Sign in the Sky (Matt 2.2; Rev 22.16) [- The Son is the Morning Star.] 

[Matthew 2:2 ² Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. ]

1.      [He that is born king of the Jews.] 

2.      [We have seen His star (Num 24.17; Isa 60.1-3)] 

[Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. ] 

[Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. ] 

3.      [He is the bright and morning star (Rev 22.16).] 

[Rev. 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. ] 

G.    A Sign by Sin (Luke 2.34) [- The son in the Spirit.] 

[Luke 2:34 ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;]

1.      [The declaration of the prophet -Simeon.] 

2.      [He was spoken against.  Rejected and condemned.] 

3.      [The thoughts of hearts are revealed.  Revelation comes by the illuminating presence of the Holy Spirit.]

CrossRoads Baptist Church, Dec 16, 2007