What you gonna call the baby? #3 (13.12.09 - evening)

Christ

Luke 2:1-21

What you gonna call the baby? = Christ!

1. Anointed

O.T - certain individuals anointed:

• Prophet
• Priest
• King

Jesus is all of these! Expand.

1.1 Def

Authorised

Empowered - Holy Spirit - oil = symbol.

Seal of approval - this is the One I trust to do my will!

2. Purpose?

Why was Jesus anointed? What did God empower Him to do?

2.1 Save

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus declared His mission statement:

Lk 4:18-19 ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to

• proclaim good news to the poor.
• He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
• and recovering of sight to the blind,
• to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
• ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.” ^ESV

Expand each point briefly.

How can we sum this up? Jesus came to proclaim the year of God's favour! Not a literal year tho'!

Paul - Corinthians - 20/25 years after this - 2 Co 6:2 For he says, “In a favourable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ^ESV

Now!

Jesus came to reveal and proclaim the favour, the grace & mercy of God in its whole life-encompassing glory!

• Good news!
• Liberty!
• Favour!

Jesus was authorised and empowered by God to do this!

He is able to set people free!

Are you bound by a habit? The Bible says we are slaves to sin - but the good news is that you can be set free because ¹¹For unto you is born… a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. ^ESV

A Saviour! A Christ! One who saves & sets free!

2.2 Heal

Ac 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ^ESV

God anointed Jesus! Literally - God Christed Jesus! Anoint = empowered, authorised.

What was the result? How did this work out in the life of Jesus?

• He went about doing good
• and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
• for God was with him.

Wow!

Look at Jesus life - healing!

Lk 4:38-41 ³⁸And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. ³⁹And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. ⁴⁰Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. ⁴¹And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. ^ESV

Healing! Jesus is still anointed to heal & set free today!

2.3 Fill with Holy Spirit

In Act 10:38 we read that God anointed Jesus with what? = Holy Spirit & power.

Jesus is still the Christ today! He is still able to save, heal & set free - and also anoint and empower us, His church:

Mk 1:7-8 And John preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” ^ESV

Act 1:8

Jesus wants to anoint, authorise & empower you to go and continue His work!

3. Therefore!

So, how do we respond to this?

Three main ways:

3.1 You!

Lk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. ^ESV

Who was the angel speaking to? = group of shepherds.

Yet, what the angel says is this - unto you individually is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

So, I'm not just preaching to a crowd tonight - I'm speaking to you! God so loved you that He gave His one & only Son to be born into this world to come as Saviour & Christ for you.

• He has come and is anointed to save you!
• He has come to set you free!
• He has come to heal you!

3.2 Now!

When?

Jesus said in the synagogue - today!

Paul said now is the time!

Testimony of when I got saved - don't want to press this issue….

3.3 Next!

I want to encourage those of you who read your Bibles.

When the Bible was translated into English, for some reason, the word Christ was never translated. They kept the same Greek word - maybe because it was judged more to be a name? Christ isn't Jesus' last name! It is a job description!

As you read your Bible and come across the word Christ, read it as Anointed One, the One empowered by God. It will set things alive for you!