How God Prepared for Christmas

How God Prepared for Christmas Spring Valley Mennonite; November 27, 2022; Galatians 4:4 There are only 28 more shopping days until Christmas! Scary thought for most of us! I trust you have all had a wonderful time over Thanksgiving with family and friends. I love this time of year and the opening of boxes sealed up since last year. Some of our most precious family memories are recalled as we unpack Christmas treasures hidden away since last year. In our Christmas boxes there is the olive wood nativity figures, given us by a ladies' sewing circle that supported Alice and I when we were with Campus Crusade. In our boxes there is the ceramic snow church, lovingly created for us by a dear Aunt while we were in Seminary. Oh! And there is the ornament which says, "baby's first Christmas: 1979." What we really are doing is unpacking memories right along with the decorations. We have many traditions in our home at Christmas, as I am sure is true with you also. These traditions are part of the way we prepare for Christmas. This Sunday begins the season of Advent. Advent means "the arrival of something important or awaited." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus in His First Advent. The season of Advent is one of preparation and waiting. It offers a great opportunity for spiritual renewal IF we do it right. My goal during these next weeks is to assist you to focus on the matchless and incredible gift that God gave us through His Son. What an incredible demonstration of love--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." My hope is that during these next weeks, your heart will be warmed, and your devotion deepened as we think together of God's gift of the Christ Child. But beware--there is a real Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from us. He offers a substitute brightly wrapped up in tinsel, illuminated by brightly colored flashing lights. It will take concentration to move through these busy days of special get-togethers, pageants, programs, holiday decorations, and shopping while keeping our devotional focus clear. Begin today to purpose that Christ will remain in the center of all your Christmas preparations. If we think about it, God did quite a bit of preparation Himself before that first Christmas in Bethlehem. For a few moments this morning, I would like to examine some of those preparations. God had prepared for thousands of years for the night when Jesus was born. Galatians 4:4 reads: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman." Note "born of a woman" which supports and hints of the virgin birth. What were some of those preparations which God made? Think about how... I. GOD PREPARED THE WORLD PHILOSOPHICALLY It all began at creation when God made man in His image. God made man with a spiritual capacity, a yearning for relationship with His Creator. Remember how God and the first couple walked together with God in the cool of the evening? It was mutually enjoyable as God chose to spend His time that way, and I am certain that man looked forward all day to those moments. Sin did not destroy that spiritual imprint, for every man has a longing inside for His Creator. It has been called a "God-shaped vacuum which can only be filled by Jesus Christ." All men are inherently religious, and many will receive Him as Savior once someone shares with them the good news of the Gospel. When Jesus began His ministry, those whose hearts were open gladly accepted the Lord Jesus and followed Him, and they still do. In the fullness of time Christ came. As we examine the period of history when Jesus was born, we understand how profound that statement is. While the Romans ruled the world with an iron fist, it was the Greeks which provided the philosophical and intellectual basis of first century society. Through the military genius of Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world in the 4th century B.C., Greek culture was established. The Greek philosophers had raised questions such as: 'Why does man behave as he does?', 'What is the proper way to organize society?', 'How should man act toward his fellow man?', and they even raised questions regarding the origin of man. The Greek culture taught the world that they should be thinking about such things. But such thoughts created what might be called "intellectual frustration" because the same Greek philosophers who raised the questions gave no satisfactory answers. One writer has stated it like this: "Greek philosophical tradition had plowed but not planted. Into the fallow fields so prepared, the Christian message fell and took root and yielded much good fruit." God had prepared the world philosophically and intellectually for the good news brought by Jesus Christ. God also had prepared the world with a common language. Greek was spoken everywhere in the Roman Empire, much like English today. Anyone who was educated understood Greek. The New Testament books were written in what is called Koine Greek, or common language Greek. This common language facilitated the rapid spread of the Gospel, for believers did not have to learn new languages before they could share the Good News. If the Bible were to be written today, in the same areas of the world, the New Testament books would be in Farsi, Arabic, Italian, and Hebrew, as well as Greek. Such letters would have had trouble circulating among the early churches. Greek provided this common language. II. GOD HAD ALSO PREPARED THE WORLD POLITICALLY The Roman Empire united the world politically. Nationalism was minimized and the gospel had little hindrance from inbred animosities between nations. There existed what is known as the "Pax Romano" the Peace of Rome, enforced by the military might of the Roman Army. Under the Romans, there was a universal Emperor; when Jesus was born, it was Caesar Augustus. By unifying the world under one universal ruler, the world was also prepared for a universal Savior. Has it ever struck you about the remarkable lack of turmoil between the gentiles in all the different cities and provinces in the early church? Think of the barriers which exist today in that same part of the world! Political unity was enforced by Roman rule. One way which this unity was accomplished was through Roman citizenship. Whatever the province of Rome in which you lived, if was possible for you to become a Roman citizen. Even a slave, once freed, could purchase his citizenship. This paved the way for the Christian concept of universal citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Roman rule had another very practical effect on the spread of the Gospel. Whereas the Greeks were great philosophers, the Romans were great engineers. They created an excellent system of roads throughout the empire which provided for ease of travel for the early Gospel messengers. Caesar Augustus was especially noted or spending vast amounts of money on roads. In addition, the Roman navy had established control over piracy in the Mediterranean Sea. Now, were these things "Just Coincidence?" No! God prepared the world for the Advent of His Son and the spread of the Gospel message. III. GOD HAD PREPARED THE JEWISH NATION In addition to preparing the Gentile world, God had prepared His chosen people Israel for the coming Messiah. Hundreds of details of His birth, life, death and resurrection are found in the Old Testament. God prepared a people who had been given the Mosaic Law as an instructor--a "school master" which established God's standards of righteousness, and which created a standard which no man could keep. The Jews knew the truth "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." They also understood that "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin." The sacrificial system where animals were killed, and their blood poured out created a context in which the Great Sacrifice of Jesus Christ could be understood. But the Jewish religion was ruled from Jerusalem by the Sanhedrin, a mixture of Jewish leaders either mired in legalism (the Pharisees) or political opportunism (the Sadducees and Herodians). The Chief Priest was a Roman appointee. The truly righteous of Judea yearned for something genuine. Political unrest and Roman oppression and heavy taxation gave rise to strong Messianic yearnings. To these oppressed and yearning people, God fulfilled the prophesy of "one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare your hearts for the Lamb of God'" John the Baptist came in the fullness of time, and some of his disciples became followers of Jesus. Jesus perfectly fulfilled over 300 specific prophesies concerning the Messiah. For instance, the religious scholars knew to send the Wise Men to Bethlehem when they came to Jerusalem to inquire about the Birth of the King of the Jews. When His ministry began, Jesus also fulfilled the role of Miracle Worker. On behalf of the Hebrew people and Nation, God had repeatedly stepped into history and worked miracles. These miracles established a standard by which the Messiah would be known. Jesus came as the One who could calm the forces of nature; He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, cleansed the lepers; He brought back the dead to life. God had prepared the Jewish people for the coming of Messiah, establishing a standard by which he could be identified. Sadly, the Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a threat rather than a Savior. IV. GOD HAD PREPARED A FAMILY God also in His sovereignty prepared a young woman, a virgin named Mary and a carpenter named Joseph to provide for the nurture and care of Jesus. If we had been given the task of selecting the parents for God's Son, would we have overlooked this simple maid from a small Galilean town called Nazareth? From a human viewpoint, she had little to commend her, except her family lineage which could be traced back to King David. But on closer examination, we find a pure-hearted and clean-living young girl who said "Yes, God" when called to an impossible task. Mary was a young person who knew God's Word, which really tells us something about her parents. Godly young people seldom grow up in a spiritual vacuum. I would be neglectful if I failed to point out that God's primary method of nurturing and producing strong disciples of Jesus Christ is through a godly family, composed of a father and a mother. Committed followers of Jesus Christ who become parents create the best protective and spiritually nurturing environment for children. This has always been true, and always will remain true. I would add that this perfect environment is often not possible, and God gives special enablement for those single-parent families, and grandparents who find themselves raising children. Mary had the strength of character to withstand the gossip when she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit before she was married. She had the perseverance to endure through those troubled days when her husband-to-be Joseph struggled with the issue of her pregnancy. This was a special young woman whom God had prepared. Then there was Joseph. He is the unsung hero in the story, always in the background, but so wise and protective. Do you realize that Scripture does not record a single word from Joseph? But Joseph listened to God, an ability that does not come about automatically. His immediate responsiveness to God's voice tells us of Joseph's character. As the head of the family, Joseph would have been responsible for teaching his son about God. Do you think that job was easy or was it difficult? How would you as a father deal with a son who never sinned? It would be very humbling to constantly see your own shortcomings in the light of perfection, yet Joseph was up to the task, for God had prepared him. V. LASTLY, GOD CONTINUES TO PREPARE HEARTS TODAY I believe that God desires to prepare our hearts for a fresh glimpse of our Savior during this Advent season. Just as Christ came "in the fullness of time" when the World was perfectly prepared; just as the Jewish nation waited for the Messiah; and just as God prepared Mary and Joseph for their role as parents for Jesus, I believe that each one of us has been brought to the particular point of our lives to hear the voice of God in a special way. I know that is God's desire. He desires to make this the most spiritually uplifting Christmas you have ever experienced. He desires to instill in you a sense of the miraculous and holy as we contemplate the love of God in all its fullness. That first Christmas in Bethlehem many people were so busy they completely missed the birth of the Messiah. In all our holiday preparations we must not forget to prepare our hearts. What a shame that our Christmas preparations should cause us to miss Christmas. What would hinder God's voice coming through to you loud and clear this Advent season? Perhaps your perspective on Christmas needs re-calibrated. Let's begin together this day to open our minds and hearts to a fresh look at God's greatest gift, our Lord Jesus Christ, born on Christmas Day. 2