Christmas 2024
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Mary & Joseph
Mary & Joseph
This morning as we are getting closer and closer to Christmas day. The day where we will be celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ. I pray that we have really been thinking about the Sunday morning sermons.
I pray that maybe this year will be different in some of our homes where we don’t let the day go by without recognizing and reminding ourselves and our family and friends that Jesus is the reason for the season.
You know it it hard to be the preacher when it comes this time of the year. you may say why is that and I would say because every year at this time I have to figure out how to preach the same message over and over.
Because the fact is this message The Christmas Story don’t change right and thank God it doesn’t and never will.
But we can did a little deeper into some things and this morning that is what we are going to do.
I want us to look at a couple of the main individuals in the Christmas Story.
Now we know that the main person to look at is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we have been really focusing on him the last three weeks in our Sunday morning services.
We learned that Jesus brought a prophetic hope with him, he brought a peace that surpasses all understanding, and and wonderful joy that we can only find in him.
In our sermon this morning we are going to look at that everlasting love that can only be found in Jesus.
But I want us to look at these other two very important individuals in the Christmas story and that is Mary and Joseph.
So let’s start with Mary and I bet IF I asked most of ya’ll her this morning how many sermons you have heard preached on Mary you probably wouldn't think of many.
Now there are some religions that has put Mary up there to be equal with Jesus. SOme who say we should worship Mary.
Some say that we should pray to Mary and use her as a go between between us and God.
Which is 100% false religion. The bible tells us specifically.
Mary is not equal to Jesus and she is not a mediator between us and Jesus.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Mary is not to be worshipped but I also think that many churches have gone to the other extreme and we have ignored Mary.
She shouldn’t be worshipped but Mary is for sure someone that we should be admiring.
Mary is a huge part of this Christmas Story and if it wasn’t for her this story would have never taken place.
What we learn from Mary is many things and one of the things we see is God uses people that make themselves available to him.
Who would God select to be the mother of the savior of the world God had to find somebody who was available.
So we find Mary’s story here beginning in.
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
The angel had to reassure her not to be afraid usually when an angel came it meant some type of judgement was going to take place.
Think about that out of all of the millions of women that God could have choose to be the mother of Jesus why did he choose Mary.
God uses those who make themselves available.
I want us to look at some of the qualities Mary had that I am sure played a huge part in God choosing her.
Mary was pure she was a virgin.
Remember 700 years before Jesus’ birth the prophet Isaiah said this.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
And shall call his name Immanuel.
Now it is 700 years later and God has to choose someone who can fulfill that prophecy.
Not just anybody would do he had to find someone and that someone was Mary.
Now I am sure that Mary was not perfect because none of us are and none was then.
Most say she was about 15 years old living in Nazareth at the time and she was a normal teenager that had all the same hormones and drives that our 15 year olds have here today.
She was also deeply in love with a boy named Joseph and the bible says they were engaged to be married.
The majority of young boys and girls these days would say well we are in love about to get married why not have sex.
If she would have gave into those desires then she would have been disqualified for being the mother of the savior of the world.
When God is looking for someone he can use he looks for someone who is pure.
If God has the option to use someone pure he will always choose the pure over the unpure.
Paul told Timothy this in
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Let me explain this basically Paul is saying here. Let’s use this example.
Say you had been outside this summer weed eating in the 100 degree weather and you decided to come inside to get some water because you was about to thirst to death. Every glass you had was dirty in the sink no bottled water and their was a clean pickle jar sitting on the counter.
What would you use to drink out of I am sure you would use the clean pickle jar to get you some water in. It want matter to you the worth you will care about the cleanliness of the vessel.
Paul is saying the same thing here. When God is looking for someone to use he is not looking for the smartest or the most gifted people in the world, the most talented, the most beautiful.
No he is looking for those that are available to him and the most pure.
Next she was available to God because she believed God’s Word.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Look what Elizabeth said about Mary,
Luke 1:45 (KJV 1900)
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
She didn’t understand how she was going to give birth without having been with Joseph. But she believed what God had said.
Mary was also available to God because she placed the Glory of God above her own reputation.
I am sure Mary knew that by her being used in this way by God she would surley be looked down upon and her reputation ruined.
Who would believe her story that the father of her child was God.
Matter of fact there was a rumor that circulated that Mary’s pregnancy was because she had a one night stand with a Roman solider in Nazareth.
During Jesus’ ministry that is what many Jewish leaders told Jesus that he was illegitimate
Mary didn’t care about those rumors.
Do you know of many teenage girls that don’t care about what other people say about them? Don’t know of many adults that don’t care.
We are all so concerned about what other people think or say but not Mary.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
She was willing to place the glory of God above her own reputation.
Lastly she was available because Mary was willing to sacrifice what was most important to her.
She knew the consequences. The bible said if a woman was unfaithful even to her soon to be husband the sentence was for her to be stoned to death.
She knew Joseph probably wouldn't allow that to be done to her and we know the story and Joseph didn’t he just separated himself from her.
But she knew that she would probably also loose Joseph which was the man she loved and was supposed to Marry.
To be available to God is to sacrifice some things that is most important to you. Are we willing to do that.
Every time you look at Mary in pictures, in these Christmas plays ask yourself.
Am I available to God like Mary was am I doing everything I can to keep myself pure and free from sin.
Do I believe the promises of God, am I willing to place God’s glory above my own reputation.
Am I willing to sacrifice that which is most important to me.
God uses those who are available
