PREACHING OF DECEMBER 22, 2024:

Pastor Antonio Russo

IN THE FULFILLMENT OF TIME, GOD SENT HIS SON

The title of the theme we will address in this worship service is: "In the fullness of time, God sent His Son," taken from the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians.

Galatians 4:4-5; 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

This event is celebrated at Christmas, but many, including Christians, do not understand its true meaning, reducing it to a mere tradition. Tradition, in fact, represents an action devoid of understanding its original purpose. It is therefore important to distinguish what comes from God from what is merely human or cultural, renewing our minds and our way of living in accordance with the Word of God. The Bible does not specify the exact date of Jesus' birth but emphasizes the "fullness of time." Jesus was born at the appointed moment, when the time was ripe and the earth ready, as prophesied in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 7:14; 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Scholars suggest that Jesus may have been born during the period of Jewish festivals between September and October, such as Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Tabernacles, not in December. December 25, a tradition introduced by the Catholic Church without biblical basis, can nonetheless be used by us to celebrate Jesus' birth and testify to the Gospel. A critical aspect of this period is the intrusion of the Antichrist, who seeks to replace or oppose Christ. This spirit manifests in the figure of Santa Claus, diverting attention from the true meaning of Christmas: celebrating Jesus' birth. On television and in the media, Jesus is often ignored, while Santa Claus becomes the central symbol a deception that shifts the focus from Christ and transforms Christmas into a celebration devoid of its true significance. We must reject such deceptions, keeping Jesus as the centerpiece of Christmas. This is why it is important not to mislead our children with figures like Santa Claus, which detract from the importance of honoring Christ. Christmas means "birth," and the focus of this celebration must be Jesus, who not only was born but also gave His life for us. Therefore, celebrating Him should not be limited to a single day but should become an integral part of our daily lives. Even though Jesus was not born on December 25, Christmas remains a precious opportunity given by God to spend time with family, talk about the true reason for the celebration, and share the Gospel message. We must not assume that our loved ones truly understand the profound meaning of Jesus' birth; many know the story but not its substance, which is essential. It is beautiful to pray together as a family, honor God, and thank Jesus for His coming, remembering that He said, "Here am I, send me" (Isaiah 6:8) when the Father sought someone to send for the redemption of humanity. Jesus did not hold back, and we must not let Christmas become centered on Santa Claus or gifts because the greatest gift God has given humanity is Jesus. After this fundamental introduction, we must understand the reason for Jesus' coming into the world because, when we realize that He came for us, it profoundly transforms and enriches our lives. Why did God send His Son? Many would answer, "To save humanity," and while that is true, it is not the only reason, as there are at least three fundamental ones.

The first reason for His coming: “To do the will of the Father.”

John 6:38; 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Now, to fully understand this truth, we must start from the beginning, where nothing was left to chance, because everything was prophesied in Scripture and then fulfilled.

Genesis 3:15; 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies in which God promised that the "seed of the woman" would crush the head of the serpent. This "seed" represents Christ, who removed the authority the devil had usurped from Adam, restoring humanity's opportunity to be reconciled with God. It is not Mary who crushes the serpent's head, but Jesus, the Messiah, who reestablished divine authority on Earth. The devil appropriated the authority God had given to man through deception, sowing doubt in Adam and Eve with the question: “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1), thereby leading them to disobey God. Furthermore, when the devil promised that their eyes would be opened, in reality, they were spiritually closed, and through this deception, he stole divine authority. Reflecting on Jesus’ coming, we find that many wives of God’s chosen men were barren, such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. This is no coincidence but part of a diabolical plan, as the devil knew the Messiah would be born of a woman. By attempting to make the wives of God’s chosen men barren, he sought to prevent the birth of the Messiah. However, God consistently demonstrated His sovereignty: Sarah, despite her advanced age, gave birth to Isaac when her womb was “as good as dead” (Romans 4:19). Even Rebekah and Rachel, despite their barrenness, gave birth to children, demonstrating that no human or diabolical plan can oppose God’s will. The devil continued to resist God’s plan; indeed, Herod, inspired by evil, sought to prevent the coming of the Messiah by ordering the massacre of all the children in Bethlehem. However, this cruel act did not thwart God’s plan: Jesus was already born and protected according to His will. This teaches us that every life, especially those born from impossible situations, has a divine purpose, and we declare in Jesus’ name that our children are destined to fulfill the plan God has prepared for their lives. Even today, we see the devil’s work in promoting abortions, an attack against lives that could be part of God’s plans. But let us remember that the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, crushed the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15), restoring lost authority and proclaiming God’s victory. We celebrate this victory, knowing that our God, the King of kings, accomplishes His work despite all opposition. This battle is fueled by the awareness that among those children who could be born are prophets, apostles, and men who will make a difference. Abortion, legalized at various stages of pregnancy, even up to nine months in some places, is murder. Methods like the morning-after pill or the IUD, which destroy life already conceived, also represent a diabolical plan to eliminate these lives destined to bring glory to God. The devil, as written in the book of Genesis, knew that Jesus would achieve victory, but he did not imagine that God’s plan would be fulfilled on the cross. Blinded by his ignorance, he did not understand the mystery hidden by God.

1°Corinthians 2:8; 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

God's plan of redemption is glorious, and though it may seem like foolishness to men, it represents His wisdom; regarding this, Paul writes:

1°Corinthians 1:21-24; 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The cross, which appears as weakness in the eyes of the world, is power and salvation for those who believe. When we are saved, our eyes are opened, and we see in the cross the source of our healing, miracles, and salvation. Declaring Jesus as Lord of our lives allows us to live in the power and wisdom of God, even if it seems like foolishness to the world.

The second reason for His coming: “To seek and save the lost.”

Luke 19:10; 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. You know, sometimes we use common phrases like "I accepted Jesus," but we must recognize that it wasn’t us who accepted Him; rather, it was Jesus who accepted us. It was Jesus who pursued us. This changes everything, because when we were lost, the Holy Spirit ran after us. But once we are saved, the roles reverse it becomes our responsibility to run after the Holy Spirit. What do we celebrate at Christmas? We celebrate that Jesus sought and saved us, not because we were perfect, but because we were lost. It wasn’t us who sought Him, but He who sought us, as illustrated in Genesis 3, when Adam, after sinning, hid himself, and God searched for him, saying, “Adam, where are you?” This teaches us that even if we hide, we can never escape His gaze, showing that God, in Christ, continues to search for us relentlessly. Many of us can testify that before we came to know Christ, every event in our lives seemed to point to Him: we met people who spoke to us about Jesus, came across an unexpected spiritual message, or even saw a movie that reminded us of Him. Let us remember that salvation is a gift, the result of God’s mercy and grace. We did not convince ourselves; it was the Holy Spirit who convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. God pursued us with His love, just like the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that is lost. This is the heart of God: He never abandons anyone and continues to seek us, desiring that we return to His presence. In the story of Zacchaeus, a man hated and despised for his role as a tax collector, Jesus sought him, called him by name, and entered his home, showing that He knows each of us personally. Zacchaeus, recognizing the salvation he had received, decided to repay what he had taken, demonstrating the heart of someone who surrenders to Jesus a transformed heart that responds to salvation with a changed life. As a Church, we must understand that lost souls are the most precious reality to God because every saved soul represents a victory in His kingdom. When we see people who have not yet experienced the grace of God, we cannot remain indifferent; we must seek them as Jesus sought us.

The third reason for His coming: “To destroy the works of the devil.”

1°John 3:8; 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

This teaches us that Jesus came not only to save us but also to free us from the traps and deceptions of the enemy. We must remember that the enemy’s deception lies in making us believe everything is beautiful and easy, while his true goal is our soul. In modern churches, there is a tendency to deceive people and draw believers away from other communities, but Jesus' mission is to destroy the works of the devil and bring salvation and truth to the lost. Today, the Church is called to continue this mission. You know, most churches today do not represent a real threat to the devil because we are not destroying his works. We are not going out into the world to save the lost, but we are focusing on those already saved, staying in our places of worship, and this is not God's plan. We need to understand, however, that God's mission is not limited to personal salvation; it also includes the destruction of the works of the devil, such as sickness, poverty, division, depression, and disorder. When we heal a sick person and we emphasize “heal” because Jesus never said to pray for the sick, but to heal them we become a threat to the devil. This also happens when we sow into the Kingdom of God, speak about Jesus, or bring someone to faith; God confirms it by saying, “I am calling you to be a threat to the kingdom of darkness.”

Matthew 10:7-8; 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Jesus didn’t tell us to pray for the sick, but to heal them, to deliver, to announce the Kingdom of God, and to do it freely. This is our mandate: to love people in need, to show compassion for them, but at the same time to hate the works of the devil that keep them in bondage. Christmas is not just a celebration of Jesus’ birth, but a reminder that we have been empowered to act against affliction, hatred, bitterness, and all forms of oppression. An inspiring example comes from Pastor Bill Johnson’s church in Texas, which hosts a miracle school where young children learn to partner with God to heal the sick. During one of these meetings, a little girl, led by the Holy Spirit, drew a pair of glasses and gave them to a person with serious vision problems. When the person wore the “paper glasses,” they miraculously regained their sight. With innocent confidence, the little girl responded: “That’s why I made them.” This teaches us that, with faith and obedience, we can be instruments in God’s hands to bring healing, hope, and freedom to the world. God has chosen and empowered us to continue Jesus’ mission: "To do the will of the Father, to seek and save what is lost, to destroy the works of the devil."

So let us go with courage and faith, declaring the Kingdom of God in every place! Amen.