Revealing Christmas

Revealing Christmas

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is,and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hell.”

Revelation 1:18

The preaching that I prepared for December 11 and 18 was on the theme of ‘Revealing Christmas’ and was an attempt to highlight the Christmas story with certain texts in the Book of Revelation. (The end of Chapter 11 and the beginning of Chapter 12)

The good people at Thompson UMC and the angels who listen in the rafters would be the judges as to whether I acheived my goal or not. (They are both very charitable audiences)

The texts in chapter one, quoted above, also touch on the reality and ministry of Christ that the Christmas texts of Matthew one and Luke two reveal.

Jesus speaks in verse 8 and reveals himself as the Lord God. “Who was and who is, and who is to come, THE ALMIGHTY.” But verse 18 also claims the whole reality of the incarnation “ I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore” There has to be a taking up of the life of man to achieve this death. God humbles himself indeed to become the one who died. He, in fact, has to become the one who was born, Emptying Himself of all but love and living sourced entirely by the Spirit. The manger is the beginning of the journey to the cross.

Praise be to God for His unimaginable Grace!

Pastor Harley Wheeler 12/23/2008