Christ’s Christmas Gifts
Names of Christmas
Perry Duggar
December 24, 2021

I. Introduction: Welcome to Christmas Eve at Brookwood!
A. Tonight we complete a message series called Names of Christmas.

1. In America ,we associate Santa Claus with our celebration of Christmas, but the deliverer of gifts to children has different names in different places.
   
2. In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas, which is Dutch for Saint Nicolas, arrives by boat from Spain on Dec. 5 to leave treats in children’s shoes.
   
3. German children receive gifts on Christmas Eve from Christkind (lit., “Christ child), a tradition begun by Martin Luther, origin of the name “Christ Kringle.”
   
4. In England, the gift-bearer is known as Father Christmas.
   
5. In Latin America, the secular Santa is Papá Noel; for Christians, the giver of gifts on December 24^th is Niño Jesús , or Niño Dios (baby Jesus).

B. The greatest gift received at Christmas is Jesus, the Messiah, our Savior—and He gives the greatest gifts to us all; they are revealed in His names! 

1. A prophecy of Isaiah spoken to King Ahaz of Judah in 735 BC revealed the names of the Messiah who would come from David’s line (about 800 years later).
   
2. Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)—⁶For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His government and its peace will never end. …
   
3. Ahaz, the king to whom Isaiah spoke, likely imagined a mighty ruler of Judah who would establish peace for God’s people by defeating the Assyrians militarily.
   
4. But the prophecy could only be fulfilled by a divine Messiah-king who would establish an invisible, eternal, kingdom.
   
   

C. When we receive Jesus by faith, we receive the gifts His names represent.

1. As Wonderful Counselor, God devised a plan to save the world through the life and death of His Son, then communicated this plan to a young woman named Mary who would be the mother of the Savior by an angel named Gabriel.
   
2. Our Wonderful Counselor gives guidance to each of us because He cares about us so He provides wisdom so we can know how to please Him with our lives.
   
3. As Mighty God, He controls all of His creation; He caused a woman to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and used a star to lead wise men from Eastern lands to worship the newborn king of the Jews.
   
4. Our Mighty God possesses the power to save us and provide the strength we need to overcome every obstacle we face.
   
5. As Everlasting Father, God protected and provided for the young parents who would raise His Son by assuring Joseph that he could marry Mary and warning him of threats against Jesus’ life by murderous rulers.
   
6. Our Everlasting Father confers security to us by accepting us and affirming that we belong to Him, confirming our identity, our value, our worth.
   
7. As Prince of Peace, He would provide peace to all who please God by faith in Jesus, a truth expressed to shepherds and a devout man named Simeon.
   
8. Our Prince of Peace offers reconciliation so we can have peace with God, with others and within ourselves.
   
9. 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT)—Thank God for his Son—a gift too wonderful for words! [APP.: Have you received this wondrous gift? Will you accept Him?]
   
   

II. Candle-lighting: Lighting candles symbolizes the passing of the gospel.

A. Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)—[The prophet said] The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

1. Jesus came to dispel the darkness of fear and despair that descended on people’s lives through oppression and sin.
   
2. Luke 1:78-79 (NLT)—Zechariah: ⁷⁸“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, ⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
   
3. Jesus came as a light—to expose our sins, to illuminate the way to God where we could find forgiveness and experience peace.
   
4. John 1:4-5,9 (NLT)—⁴The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. … ⁹The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. [And now, has come!]
   
5. Many did not recognize that this infant was the Savior of the world—but some did—like a devout old man named Simeon that the Spirit led to the Temple.
   
6. Luke 2:28,30-32 (NLT)—²⁸Simeon… took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, … ³⁰“I have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared for all people. ³²He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
   
7. When we believe the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we enter an intimate relationship with God and receive His light within us!
   
8. John 8:12 (NLT)—Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
   
9. 1 Peter 2:9 (CEV)—But you are God’s chosen and special people. …God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done.
   
10. The message of Christmas includes your call as messengers to carry the light to those who are in still in darkness—by talking about what He has done for you!
    
11. Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)—For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
    
12. Matthew 5:14-16 (TLB)—¹⁴“You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. ^15-16Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”
    
13. Carol: Silent Night, Holy Night
    
14. Blow out the light you have in your hand (leave or return them to where you got them), but let the light shine that you hold in your heart.