## Signs of Christmas

## Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7

The title of my message this morning is the "Signs of Christmas". Now this can mean different things to different people. To the retail store manager the signs of Christmas are put up shortly after Halloween and Thanksgiving. Others may look at all the lights and various decorations and see them as the signs of Christmas. School teachers look at the faces of excited boys and girls as the time of vacation draws nearer and see the signs of Christmas. The Salvation Army bell- ringers, Christmas tree lots, and a host of other things may seem to some as the signs of Christmas. But this morning, I want us to consider the Biblical signs of Christmas, and it has nothing to do with reindeer and sleighs!

The greatest sign of Christmas was given over 700 years before the birth of Christ. In our text this morning we read of the sign that God gave to announce the arrival of His only begotten Son into this world!

I. The Importance of the Sign.

A. Signs are given to announce important events.

1. They are a means of spreading information about such events.

2. On any given day you can find multitudes of signs announcing events from ballgames to yard sales.

3. They are around so that people can be made aware of the specific event that is being announced.

B. Signs are given to help with our direction.

1. What a mess we would be in as we travel if it weren't for road signs along the way.

2. Signs are important to us because, if we follow them, they will keep us from getting off track.

3. They also provide the needed direction as we travel toward our destination.

C. Signs are also used to provide identification.

1. Consider the many groups and organizations that are identified with no more than a sign.

2. The Red Cross, the Olympics, McDonalds, etc.

3. All of these and many others can be readily identified by a simple sign without explanation.

D. "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign..."

1. This sign announced the greatest event of all of history!

a. God would send His only begotten Son into the world to save His people from their sins. cf. Mt. 1:21

b. God had no desire to keep this event a secret! The angels announced, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." cf. Lk. 2:14

2. This sign gave direction to men who would seek Him.

a. There would be in a given night, many Hebrew children born.

b. But there had never been, nor would there ever be another birth like this one!

c. The Virgin Birth!

1) to some it is unimpor- tant and insignificant.

2) but without it He could not have been the Son of God!

3) He could not have atoned for our sins if He weren't born of a virgin

4) Our faith would be in vain and Calvary would be meaningless if Christ was not virgin-born!

d. The directions were clear:

1) Virgin born... Is. 7:14

2) Born in Bethlehem Ephratah... Mi. 5:2

3) Wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger... Lk. 2:12

4) God wanted no misunder- standings concerning this birth!

3. This sign from God provided the identification necessary.

a. Immanuel: God with us!

b. Not just another Hebrew child born in poverty...

c. This was God in flesh!

d. John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."

Oh. How important was the sign that announced the birth of the Savior, provided direction to those who seek Him, and identifies Him as the Son of God.

II. The Tragedy of Missing the Sign.

A. What if the shepherds had disregarded the sign given to them by God?

1. If they had ignored the star that was given to guide them?

2. The message of His birth was spread abroad by these shepherds.

3. What a tragedy it would have been for them to turn aside and refuse to follow the star that would lead them to the Savior.

B. No greater than the tragedy of people today who disregard the light of the Bright and Morning Star and follow some other sign.

1. Are you following His star?

2. The shepherds and the wise men followed His star and it led them to the Savior.

3. The lost and dying world around us see many signs of Christmas, but they lead them in the wrong direction.

4. In this day and age of godlessness who will lift up the sign of the cross that others might come to Christ?

5. This world must see that it isn't faith in Christ in the stable that will save them, but it is faith in the crucified Savior!

III. What to do with a sign.

A. Read and heed.

1. An intelligent person will consider a sign and then act upon the information gleaned from it

2. The shepherds came to offer praise and worship to Christ.

3. The wise men came to offer gifts of worship to the newborn King of Kings.

B. How will you react to the sign that God has given us?

1. That Jesus was born of a virgin...

2. That He came to save us from sin...

3. That He suffered and died for us on the cross...

C. The choice is ours today!

Conclusion: There are many signs in the Scripture to point us to Christ. But perhaps this is the most significant of all...Christmas. Don't lock Jesus away in a stable for another year. Invite Him into your heart and life today and be saved! Christians realize that signs are given to keep us from going astray. Don't get sidetracked by the world! Let's keep our focus upon Christ this Christmas!