Bible Text: Matthew 1:18-25 | Preacher: Pastor Andrew Okai

Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit

And Pastor Andrew T. Okai

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2016

 

Sermon text:Matthew 1:18–25

Sermon theme: Name, the Name Above All Names

 

Introduction

Grace, mercy, and peace…

 

One of my most favorite old time hymns that I love to sing is the song Oh, How I Love Jesus—(because this song exalts that name that is above all names)

 

Names in our day do not mean much. Parents pick out names for their children for many reasons… (Some are different, others are weird, come are chosen to honor someone they think of as their hero; or sometimes a child is named after a family member. But most of the time there is no special significance behind the choice of a name…)

 

In Bible times, things were different names were given for reasons. Names meant something and people often lived up to their names: JACOB—trickster, DAVID—Beloved, ABRAHAM—Father of a multitude, MOSES—Drawn out…

 

Today for a brief moment we want to consider the name mentioned in verse 21 of our gospel text…

Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

 

Permit me to present to you this day Jesus,the name above all names…

 

The name Jesus declares his identity

The name Jesus means, “Jehovah is salvation” it was a very common name in that society…

Jesus may have had a common name, but he was no common baby…(his birth was normal, but his conception was anything but normal, Luke 1:26-38)…

But this Jesus baby carries the full name Jesus the Christ…

 

 

 

 

The name Jesus declares intention

The name means “Jehovah is salvation” The word “salvation” tells us what Jesus came into this world to accomplish—Verse 21 to save his people from their sins…

Tonight as we celebrate his birth, let us also be reminded that we also celebrate the most precious gift that this world has ever had…

We can never enjoy this celebration without knowing the meaning behind all of this…

We are celebrating His birth because He came and saved us from eternal destruction

 

Becky you can change this for a better image….

 

The name Jesus declares his individuality

As I said, there were many children in that time named Jesus but only one would grow up to be the savior of the world…

 

After all these years, Jesus still stands alone as the only one who can save a lost soul John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

Even though some claim today that there are many pathways to heaven, but I beg to differ this evening…

The atheists say, there is no pathway
The skeptics ask, what proof do you have that there is a way?
The religionists say, there are many other ways to heaven…

But, folks, when I see the incarnation, humiliation, crucifixion, resurrection, glorification, and salvation of this one man named Jesus, I just can’t help but sing…

O how I love Jesus…