Title: The Right Perspective

Theme: The Purpose of Christ’s birth

Text: Luke 19:10

Introduction:

Good morning to each and every one of you! Before we begin today, Let us have a moment of
prayer… First of all, we know that the world is very busy again this month. Many people are frantically
buying things, buying food, and putting out decorations, for some who cannot buy, they resort to
stealing and crime. For what? This is for what the world has come to accept as Christmas. We know
what this has now become: an agent of commercialism and materialism. Then again some people say
that we should get back to the true nature of Christmas: the only problem with that is that we know that
even in the first place, it was bought about by pagan customs and traditions entering into the church, as
we have heard it last week. Many people say that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but really, what
do they do? And in reality, we find that they still just go along with the pace of the world, albeit an
“edited” one. But still I got to thinking, as Christians, what should we think about the birth of Christ?

Things we must consider about the birth of Jesus Christ

1. It already happened; it won’t happen again

2. It is important to know the “how”; but the main thing is the “why”

3. Having knowledge about it is not enough

Interrogative: What then is the purpose of Jesus Christ birth?

Transitional: Allow me to give you three main reasons of why Christ was born

I. He was born to save us – Luke 19:10

Ang Anak ng Tao ay naparito upang hanapin at iligtas ang naligaw.

God did not come to earth without any purpose. This is the main thing about the incarnation of
Jesus Christ. As much as His birth is very important, because without it, none of these would be possible,
it is much more important to look at what Jesus Christ had to accomplish in His life here on earth. That is
why even in the bible itself, we find that the birth of Christ was only narrated by Matthew and Luke.
Matthew dedicates the first two chapters for the birth of Jesus, whereas Luke gives us the whole of
chapter two. And one thing that all of us know is that the bible is silent when it comes to the childhood
and youth of Jesus, aside from the account of Him visiting the temple. We can see that even the biblical
authors give a greater importance on the life of Jesus, when his ministry started, and ultimately His
mission of being incarnated. The question then would be why? Why did we need saving?
 A. We are all sinful – Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23

Sapagkat ang lahat ay nagkasala, at walang sinumang nakaabot sa kaluwalhatian ng Diyos.

Sapagkat kamatayan ang kabayaran ng kasalanan, ngunit ang libreng kaloob ng Diyos ay buhay na
walang hanggan, sa pamamagitan ni Cristo Jesus na ating Panginoon.

The first reason should come of no surprise to us. It is because we are all sinful. We fall
short of the glory of God, and to put it more simply, we failed to meet God’s standards. Because
of this, we were all destined to eternal punishment, and that is the plain truth. None of us are
exempted from this reality. It is embedded in our nature. That is why it is so natural for humans
to do wrong. (narinig nyo na yung kasabihan na “sino ba nagturo niyan sayo?”) that is the point.
We don’t need someone to teach us what is wrong. It is in our being. We needed to be saved
because of the punishment of sin. The penalty of sin is death. And that is the payment we have
to give because of our sinful ways. Another question would then be, why?

B. We could never save ourselves – Eph. 2:8-9

Sapagkat dahil sa kagandahang-loob ng Diyos kayo ay naligtas sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya; at

ang kaligtasang ito'y kaloob ng Diyos at hindi sa pamamagitan ng inyong sarili; 9 hindi ito bunga ng
inyong mga gawa kaya't walang dapat ipagmalaki ang sinuman.

This is the answer. Because we cannot save ourselves. When we want to pay for
something, what do we usually do? Well the right answer is that we work. We work to get paid,
to buy the things that we need, and so on. So man had an idea that because he had to pay for
the penalty of sin, maybe he could also pay for it by working. Again we can find out that this is
not true. The bible says very clearly that the way to being saved is not by works. We could do
everything and still not be able to save even a part of ourselves from the punishment. It is sad
because many people today believe that a life of charity and of piety can be their passport to
heaven.

Illustration:

This is what many people try to do. (The murderer and the judge) but many think that “my sins
aren’t all that bad, I haven’t killed anyone yet.” But even the bible already has a ready answer for that:
hatred is equal to murder, and adultery in the mind is equal to sexual immorality. This is what the Lord
had in mind when He came to earth. Jesus Christ did not come to the world for nothing, He had a
specific purpose. It was His own voluntary will that He came down from heaven, and lived as a human
being. When we think about Jesus Christ today, we are not so fixated on the manger and the baby, even
though it is very important. Without the cross, the birth would not be important. If the tomb was not
empty, then the manger would be meaningless. How then did Christ save us? By dying on the cross. He
was the perfect sacrifice for us, and He took our place. Instead of us being punished, He was the one
who took the blame.

Application:
 What then does this mean for us? Well, for me, it is very simple. The truth is Christ died on the
cross for us sinners. He did not die because He himself was sinful, but because of our sin, and of all the
world. That is why the whole life of Jesus Christ should be our own reality from day to day as Christians!
We are confined to this truth not just because of the worldly season today, but this became our reality
on the day we heard the good news and accepted it. We bring with us in our hearts and our whole being
the message of God’s love. That He being God, became a sacrifice for our sins. Every single day we
should be reminded of that wonderful truth.

II. He was born to identify with us

One of the very important aspects of Christ’s birth is that He is God. Let that sink in for a
moment. This is a being who is limitless, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, who is very much
separated from His creation. He who had no physical body, not bound to time, and maker of heaven and
earth, suddenly became a human being. We have no idea how. But God did it. He created us, but He
himself lowered His glory, and became man. What is the nature of this identification then?

A. He was human in every way – Luke 2:52

Patuloy na lumaki si Jesus; lumawak ang kanyang karunungan at lalong naging kalugud-lugod sa Diyos at
sa mga tao.

When God became man, He also did not take any shortcuts. He was an actual, living and
breathing human. By the miracle of the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived, without knowing any man,
and thus from the infinite, God became finite. He did not come down from heaven and took on
a form of a man, God really became a man. He started as an embryo, until the day Mary gave
birth. He was an infant, crying, needing care, just like any other newborn. And He passed
through the stages of childhood, and eventually adulthood. He studied like any other Jew of His
time. He even became a carpenter, because that was the trade of His father. Realize this is still
the same God. He experienced what you and I have experienced. He is 100% human, but still, He
was 100% God.

B. Yet He was without sin – 2 Cor. 5:21

Hindi nagkasala si Cristo, ngunit dahil sa atin, siya'y itinuring na makasalanan upang sa pamamagitan
niya ay maging matuwid tayo sa harap ng Diyos.

But Jesus Christ was different in that He did not ever sin. He experienced all there is to
being a human being, but He was never even once tarnished by sin. It shows us the power of
God over the world and of sin itself. Not only did Jesus serve as the perfect example and model
to follow, He was without sin so that He could take away the sin of the world. If Jesus was sinful,
or had sinned in anyway, He would have no right and no power to save us from our
transgressions.

Illustration:
 Have any of you become frustrated with someone because they couldn’t understand what you
were saying? How about not understanding what you were feeling? (Hindi mo naman kasi alam ang
nararamdaman ko) sometimes, people would say they understand, even though we know in reality they
really don’t. This is one great gift we have received from God. God is not aloof. He does know what we
are feeling. He knows and understands what we are going through. Because He himself had experienced
it.

Pain: He experienced physical and mental and even emotional pain(lazazrus).

Temptation: He was tempted with food when He was very hungry, and was even tempted by power.

Rejection: He was rejected by His hometown and eventually by all the Jews.

Abandonment: by the time Jesus got arrested, all his followers, those he had healed, even his disciples,
had scattered and left Him.

So God does not just know what we are going through, he himself had experienced it.

Application:

What is so important about this? The importance of this is that when we draw near to God, He
understands us. He knows what each and every one of us is going through. No problem is too much or
too complicated that God would not know and understand it. He has related with us like no other. When
you think and when you feel that you are all alone, do not be dismayed. God is there. And He
understands you. If other people don’t understand, don’t worry, because God knows and understands
us. We have this great comfort coming from God.

III. He was born to give us new life – John 10:10b

Naparito ako upang ang mga tupa ay magkaroon ng buhay, ng isang buhay na masagana at ganap.

We should not only look at what Jesus did on the cross as saving us from hell, but in reality, He
did so much more for us. He gave us a new life and a new purpose. What then is the nature of this life?

A. We have new life in the body

What does this mean? In terms of our life here in the physical realm, this can be divided
further into two aspects:

1. A life of Sanctity – Gal. 2:20

Hindi na ako ang nabubuhay ngayon kundi si Cristo na ang nabubuhay sa akin. At habang ako'y
nabubuhay pa sa katawang-lupa, mamumuhay ako sa pananalig sa Anak ng Diyos na umibig sa akin at
naghandog ng kanyang buhay para sa akin.

When Jesus died for us, we no longer were held bound by the sin that enslaved us
before. Now we can live a life that is pleasing to God, and a life that is being continually
 changed by Him. Before, we can’t help but do evil and malicious things in the sight of
God, but now, He has set us free and we no longer are slaves to our former nature.

2. A life of Service – Rom. 12:1-2

Kaya nga, mga kapatid, alang-alang sa masaganang habag ng Diyos sa atin, ako'y nakikiusap na ialay
ninyo ang inyong sarili bilang isang handog na buhay, banal at kalugud-lugod sa Diyos. Ito ang karapat-
dapat na pagsamba ninyo sa Diyos. 2 Huwag kayong makiayon sa takbo ng mundong ito. Mag-iba kayo
sa pamamagitan ng pagbabago ng inyong pag-iisip upang maunawaan ninyo ang kalooban ng Diyos;
kung ano ang mabuti, kalugud-lugod at ganap na kalooban niya.

Because of this, we are also inducted into a life of service. Before, we had no purpose,
but now, our only purpose is to give glory to our God, and do our best to do what is
pleasing to him. When we were sinful, we also tried to serve God, but in reality, we
were only insulting him, but now, we can truly do what is pleasing to Him.

B. We have new life in the spirit - 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 21:3-4

Sa araw na iyon kasabay ng malakas na utos, ng tinig ng arkanghel, at ng tunog ng trumpeta ng Diyos,
bababa ang Panginoon mula sa langit. Ang mga namatay na sumasampalataya kay Cristo ay bubuhayin
muna. 17 Pagkatapos, tayo namang mga buhay pa at natitira ay titipunin sa alapaap kasama ng mga
binuhay upang salubungin ang Panginoon sa himpapawid. Sa gayon, makakapiling natin siya
magpakailanman.

Narinig ko ang isang malakas na tinig mula sa trono, "Tingnan ninyo, ang tahanan ng Diyos ay nasa piling
na ng mga tao! Maninirahan siyang kasama nila, at sila'y magiging bayan niya. Makakapiling nilang palagi
ang Diyos at siya ang magiging Diyos nila. 4 At papahirin niya ang bawat luha sa kanilang mga mata.
Wala nang kamatayan, dalamhati, pag- tangis, at paghihirap sapagkat lumipas na ang dating mga
bagay."

Finally, we have a new life in the spirit. What does this mean? God did not just save us
to give us an abundant life here on earth, but the reality of life is far, far greater. He saved us so
that one day we can have fellowship with Him forever! From a life that was wasted that was just
going to hell, to a life of purpose that is destined to one day be with the Lord! This is what God
has given us. And this is a life that is truly remarkable, and a life that will know no end.

Illustration:

This was and is the purpose of God sending His son into our world, that we not only be saved
from the punishment of sin, but now we are given new birth, new life, and a new purpose. So being
saved does not just mean passiveness. It means a life of action and a life of responding to the
magnificent grace of God. It is not just sitting down and saying to yourself “I’m okay because I am
already saved” but it is going out and proclaiming “I have been saved by God, and you should be as
well!”
Application:

Christ did not save us for us to just go back to our old and sinful ways. This is the beauty of His
wonderful love, that we are given the chance to serve Him and even be considered as His ambassadors.
Do not forget that. We as Christians, are the acting representative of Jesus Christ until He returns! So we
should never forget that salvation entails a new life for the believer.

Conclusion:

For my conclusion, Let us remember from this moment on, what God had done more than 2000
years ago now. He came to earth, He became man, and we rejected Him. But this did not stop Him from
being victorious in what He really came here to do. And that is to give us life by dying on the cross. It
shows us the magnificent and amazing love God showed for us, though we are not worthy. He did it
freely; He was not obligated to do so, but He still did, because of His great love for us. He knows each of
us by name, and He knows what we are going through in each of our lives. So what then would be the
right perspective? I believe that we are not confined to a season yet alone a single day. From the
moment we became united with Christ, we never stop celebrating who He is and what He has done for
us!

Things we must consider about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

1. It already happened; it won’t happen again

2. It is important to know the “how”; but the main thing is the “why”

3. Having knowledge about it is not enough

Let me leave you with this question: Gaano mo kadalas ipinagdiriwang ang ginawa at ginagawa ni Hesus
sa buhay mo?
III. He was born so that we could be born again

Lastly, now that we know the main purpose of God coming to earth, let us go down to the
personal level. So what? He was crucified and raised on the third day, what does that have to do with
me? Well, let me tell you, Christ did that for the very reason of saving you and me from eternal
punishment. Not only that we are saved, we are also given a purpose now that we belong to Him. What
are the implications now that we can be born again?

A. We have a responsibility

Because of what Christ has done, each one of us now has a responsibility to this
message. We cannot ignore it. Before Jesus Christ, we were all condemned to hell for
punishment. And we could not do anything about it. We were sinners who would be rightly
punished because of our transgressions. But now that the message of salvation has been given
to us, now that the truth is made apparent, we have to make a response.

B. We have a reward

This is the greatest thing that happened in our lives. Because of Jesus birth, it gives us
hope. Hope that we are not condemned anymore. Hope that tells us there is a way to be saved
from eternal punishment, and that is none other than Jesus Christ. Not only that, God gave in us
a new purpose, a purpose of serving Him and enjoying fellowship with Him. This was what God
originally intended when God made man, this was what sin had destroyed and cut off, and this
was what Jesus restored by His atoning sacrifice. What a great reward from our almighty God!