Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1-20

INTRO

Today, we’re kicking off our Christmas season with a message called INVADE. I know that may seem weird but let me illustrate.

[Leader Note: share a story or illustration of an invasion.]

Mockingjay movies – these are so good!

The scene where they invade the Capitol and knock out the power that allows them to launch a secret mission.

When you look at Scripture and read about baby Jesus - we don't normally think of an invasion. Most of you probably think of Ricky Bobby's prayer to sweet little baby Jesus. [YouTube clip is here: https://youtu.be/VQmz5699DPQ]

This ain’t yo grannies Christmas message.

When Jesus came as a baby, I wonder if Satan himself was asked, “Are you kidding me? A baby?” Then he probably roared with a boastful evil cunning laugh, thinking this plan of God would be easily foiled.

I imagine the enemy himself shouting lies and accusations at Mary and Joseph, messing with the chosen parents of the Son of God.

As this Christmas season approaches, we celebrate the moment God invaded human history. We see in Colossians 1 that Jesus has always existed. He is God. He is not a created being but creator of all things.

In order to restore people and reconcile them to Himself, God had to dwell among his broken creation to be their sacrifice, to pay the ransom for their captivity to sin.

What kind of invasion was it?

Surely it was an epic Hunger Games type invasion of the King!

The invasion of such a great King and his Kingdom should surely need incredible force and an entry of great magnitude to announce His arrival and His authority. And yet, this miraculous invasion included the very broken people He came to save.

Who was the woman to bring forth the King? A woman like Katniss Everdeen? A bow and arrow slinging lady warrior? No. Instead, we see a young teenage girl, Mary.

What was the setting for the King’s coming? A quarter quell of majestic wonder? No. An insignificant town. Bethlehem. A stable. A food trough baby bed. It was epic only in its humble surroundings.

But this was God’s plan. It was His chosen cast and setting for the most epic invasion of all time.

Luke 1:26-38 sets the stage for the greatest invasion of all time. “This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough (manger).” (Luke 2:12 HCSB)

In 1 Corinthians 1:27, God’s Word says, "God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame the strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things - the things viewed as nothing - so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence."

A baby in a manger, a seemingly insignificant young girl, a small town Bethlehem? All of these aspects don't make sense to be the recipe for a great invasion.

Tonight, we’ll look at the response of Mary of this announcement of the King coming to earth. Not only was this about God invading human history but God invading the personal lives of people like you and me.

How do you respond when God wants to invade your life and completely change your plans?

What we see from this passage is that God's plan comes when God wants it to happen. It's on His timetable.

1. God's plan to save the world is perfect timing – even when it doesn’t make sense.

Luke 1:26 - "In the 6th month the angel Gabriel was SENT BY GOD."

This declaration was first foretold 900 years earlier to King David.

2 Samuel 7.

For the World:

This invasion reflects upon God’s past grace and points to a future sacrifice that was promised. The coming of a King to save the world had been mentioned in the Old Testament and this was Him. Surely, he would be in a palace with servants and have the best of the best?

For Israelites:

This moment was a long-awaited moment for the people of Israel. It was their King coming to save them! He was not just a physical King who would reign on earth and help them, but a spiritual King that would take away their sin problem and restore them to God.

God gives exact coordinates for this amazing invasion of a King.

Isaiah 7:14

For Joseph and Mary:

This invasion involved totally wrecking Joseph and Mary's plans. They were engaged and looking at which venue to hold the wedding, planning the decorations, selecting the menu, tasting cakes. And God just wrecked their plan. Or, so it would seem.

Some of you know that God is leading you to follow Him. Some of you have never surrendered your life to Jesus and yet you know He is inviting you to follow Him and write a blank check to let Him do whatever He wants with your life. You know what He has done for you and your need for Him. It can seem as though He is invading your space and wrecking plans, but understand that He has the very best plan in mind for you.

Some of you are already following Jesus, but you are scared that your plans and desires and dreams aren’t going to work out if you really follow Jesus with all that you are. I’ve been there.

WE have to trust that God knows more, that God is good, that He will be with us no matter where He leads us or what He calls us to.

Mary was risking her life to go along with this plan. She could be killed for this. Being pregnant before marriage would be grounds for execution.

Joseph planned to divorce her secretly and not cause any shame to her when he found out she was pregnant. Then, an angel came to him and explained. (Matthew 1:18-21)

But the angel explained the plan to save the world. The invasion had a purpose.

Matthew 1:21: “He will save His people from their sins.”

2. God’s plan to save the world involves people.

The amazing reality of this is that Joseph and Mary didn’t deserve to have this happen to them. They were sinners like all other people. Yet they found favor with God.

Luke 1:28 “favored woman”

Luke 1:30 “Do not be afraid Mary – for you have found favor with God.”

Her response?

Luke 1:29: “But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.”

I'm so glad we see this in Scripture: Mary is SO human! Don't we all respond this way when we know God is telling us to go or do something that can wreck our plans? When the human factor is in play, there will be questions and concerns.

She asked a question, but she doesn’t question the plan. We don’t see her say that she can’t do it or that she doesn’t want to. She asks about the process: “how can this happen?”

The angel answered this question with more evidence of God’s power and with a statement:

Luke 1:37 “FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD”.

God’s plan to save the world through Jesus was not impossible. Mary conceiving without sexual contact was not impossible with God in control.

Mary responded:

Luke 1:38 – “I am the Lord’s slave. May it be done according to your word.”

Mary knew the Scriptures and that a King was coming. She was confident that if God said it, that settled it. She exercised faith and trusted God in this incredible plan.

Why this plan of invasion?

If Jesus wasn’t fully God and fully human, the plan would have never worked. But He is fully God – eternally existing – and yet born of a woman and fully human. Jesus’ arrival was through a natural birth, after spending 9 months in Mary’s womb.

In our minds, a King deserves to be born in a palace, but King Jesus got an animal stable.

In our minds, a King deserves the best care, but Jesus had a feeding trough and some simple cloths to be wrapped in.

This provides us with a picture of the humility of our Savior. He didn’t come to be served but to serve.

This plan proves that Jesus is the Son of God and it also signifies His mission of being the perfect sacrifice that would give His life for the sins of the world.

APPLICATION

When you think of Christmas and what it’s about, does it spark a spirit of worship in your soul? If not, perhaps you don’t really know what Christmas is all about.

The traditions and the chaos we know and think of as the “Christmas season” are all distractions from what we are really supposed to celebrate at this time. And we throw in the cantatas and the advent studies, but are we really making an effort to think on and rejoice that King Jesus came from heaven to Earth to set us free?

What we have looked really only involved the announcement of Jesus’ birth. God’s invasion was announced and we have seen some response of the people involved. We have seen a glimpse of the key places and people involved in this incredible moment in human history.

CLOSING

What is your response tonight?

Is God leading you to do some things that seem to be a total wreck of your plans? Are you resisting? Are you willing to say, “I’m your slave mighty King. May it be as you say.”

God chose to invade human history through the life of Jesus Christ.

I believe Mary and Joseph still had struggles and doubts along the journey as they raised the King of Kings. They were probably ridiculed and cursed for all that happened because people didn’t believe anything worth anything would come from Nazareth.

Many people missed out on what was happening. Several Jewish people missed the most amazing invasion they could have ever known. I don’t want you to miss out on Jesus.

If you are at a point in your life and in your heart where you can admit that you know you are a sinner who deserves hell, yet you are willing to put your faith and trust into Jesus, I invite you to surrender to Him tonight.

If you don’t know how to do that, I can help you, you only need to come and tell me you are ready to follow Jesus as we sing in a moment.

Those who belong to Jesus already, don’t miss out on His plans for you. His plan to save the world involves you.

Will you surrender to His leadership tonight?