Bigger AND Better

Application

1st-century Jews were looking for a human Messiah who would demonstrate the awesome power of God like Moses and the military cunning of David—they saw Messiah leading them to freedom from Rome and establishing Israel once again as THE world power.
1st-century Jews saw Messiah as being a Jew to deliver Jews physically.
God’s Plan of Salvation of Salvation deals with taking man by faith from the slavery of sin to the freedom in Christ!
Christmas is not the first chapter—it may be the eighth chapter, but it ain’t the last chapter ’cause Good Friday be comin’!
Friday ain’t the last chapter ’cause Sunday be comin!
Resurrection Sunday ain’t the last chapter ’cause Jesus be comin’ back!
Conclusion: Christmas is God’s temporary invasion into human history at exactly the right time and place in order to pay man’s sin-debt through shedding His innocent blood on a Roman cross, being buried in a rich man’s tomb, and rising from the dead—according to Scripture. It’s “Bigger AND Better!” than we understand.

Bible Text

(2) Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.
-Joshua 24:2

(7) You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, And gave him the name Abraham.
-Nehemiah 9:7

(7) The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, (8) but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
-Deuteronomy 7:7-8

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. (16) This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ (17) The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. (18) I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (19) It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.
-Deuteronomy 18:15-19

(12) When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
-2 Samuel 7:12-13

(14) ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (15) In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. (16) In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.
-Jeremiah 33:14-16