The Wonder of His Plan

Bible Passage: Luke 2:8-12

Introduction

When it comes to buying Christmas gifts are you a planner or do you still have a few weeks left to figure something out? I’m stuck somewhere in the middle. A few years ago I made a Christmas list on my phone and I started trying to fill it out whenever I heard Pam mention something she’d like to have. By the time November rolled around I had a decent list to pick from … however, many of the things on the list, she’d either found for herself, changed her mind (Or at least stopped talking about it) or I’d already given them to her well before it was time to start wrapping. In the end though it was helpful. It helped me to pay attention when she was talking to me. It also helped me to realize half the stuff she talked about wasn’t really things I was going to give for Christmas. This year, she asked me to get a new Vacuum cleaner. We have a love / hate … mostly hate relationship with Dyson. Most of the time she finds them impossible to use because we have mostly rugs and not carpet, so it just sucks the rug up off the floor and makes the vacuum impossible to push. I’ve taken the dumb things apart often enough I feel like a soldier and his M16. They teach you to tear it a part and put it back together blindfolded … with a time limit. Another useful task I learned in med school. So if my M-16 ever jams (I don’t own an M-16), I could tear it down and clear it in under a minute with my eyes closed (28 years ago). This year I’m actually already done. We have one more thing coming in the mail for her / both of us. Not a vacuum cleaner, I refused. Mr. Fazzalore used to tell us he was buying a lawn mower for his wife for Christmas. The fact he came back from the Christmas break alive, leads me to believe he didn’t do it. Word to the wise, if you’re not done already, your late. Finish tomorrow, you’ll thank me.

How about God? As we’ll see today, God planned thousands of years in advance for the greatest Christmas gift ever given. He not only planned it out long in advance, He told people what to look for and how to know when the Messiah had actually arrived. Most of Israel heard what they wanted to hear and so completely misinterpreted God’s plan and thus missed out on it when it finally happened. You don’t want to miss Christmas traditions. You want to be prepared well in advance. I’m probably just about the worst person ever to deliver this message, because it took decades to train me to think ahead. I’ve spent many Christmas Eve’s at the mall and running around town. Even when I knew well ahead of time what I was going to do. We don’t live in a location where that’s a good idea. We don’t have lots of places to shop and you could end up empty handed or getting a horrible substitute for the thing you were planning to get. I remember standing in line outside the Toys-R-Us in Melbourne, Florida one year to get the Volcano Blowout (Matchbox race track) that was the hit of the season. I could have slept in and gotten it weeks later without the Black Friday crowds and foolishness or I could have skipped it altogether and just picked up some cardboard boxes on recycling day. They were played with far more than that silly toy. Turns out the well timed jumps and smooth landings back on the track were just good camera work. Matchbox cars are not self-propelled and the stupid spring-loaded launchers they put in their toys are worthless.

1. Abraham’s Offspring to Bless the World

Genesis 12:1–3 “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

Galatians 3:8–9 “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

Abram Told to Move

God spoke to Abram

Told him to Go

Told him He Would Reveal Destination

Abram Promised to Bless the World

Make a Great Nation from You

You will be a blessing

Bless those who bless you

God’s Blessing Revealed

Foreseeing God’s justification by faith

Preached the Gospel to Abraham

All nations blessed in you

Matthew 1:17 tells us that 42 generations passed from the time of the promise to Abraham until the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus. Hebrews tells us that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Him as righteousness. If you go read Matthew it will tell you 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to Babylonian exile and 14 generations from the exile to Jesus. That’s a lot of generations. How many generations old would you guess the United States is? It sort of depends on where you start. If you start with the settlement in Jamestown, then we’re getting close to 13 generations, but if you start from 1776, it’s more like 10 generations. So this responsive promise from God wouldn’t occur in the history of the US for another 500 years or more. And that doesn’t go back to the very first promise God made to Adam.

2. David’s Throne Established Forever

2 Samuel 7:12–13 “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” , 2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”” , 2 Samuel 7:25–26 “And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.”

Luke 1:32–33 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.””

David’s Throne and the Temple Built

After you die

I will raise your offspring

Establish your kingdom

Kingdom Ensured Forever

Your house made sure

Your kingdom established

Reign forever

The Promised Messiah Arrived

He is indeed great

Rules from David’s throne

His Kingdom is Forever

The promise to David was an eternal throne. He clearly wasn’t talking about Solomon. For the throne to be eternal the occupant had to be as well. Scripture clearly demonstrates Jesus’ came from the line of David. It also clearly demonstrates that Jesus conquered death. In coming up from the grave and ascending straight to heaven, Jesus demonstrates that His reign is without end. We have plenty to do in the short span of our lives, but primarily we’re getting ready for eternity.

3. Savior Born in Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Matthew 2:1 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,” Luke 2:4 “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,” Luke 2:10–11 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Ruler to Come out of Bethlehem

Little Town of Bethlehem

Too small to be included in Judah

Ruler coming from Me

Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Clearly established birthplace

Born Because he descended from David

Born as Ruler of Israel

Savior Announced to Shepherds

Shepherding near Bethlehem

Went to Witness Birth of the Messiah

Sent by Angels to Verify and Proclaim

God left nothing to chance. He wasn’t dependent on Mary and Joseph to testify to the birth of the Messiah. God sent angels to mobilize some shepherds. Shepherds were sent to verify He was indeed born and to testify to His arrival in the world. Shepherds had no reason to lie about it. They were not connected to Mary and Joseph. They weren’t influencers who could go to Instagram and post some selfies with #MessiahArrived in their LuluLemon shepherds garb. They were just some workers working with no time for # or influencing.

4. Virgin Born Savior

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

Matthew 1:22–23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

Sign from the Lord

God Intervened

Unique birth

From Holy Spirit to Mary

Only Virgin Born Son

Once in History

Testimony of Angels

Acceptance by Mary and Joseph

Happen as Prophet Foretold

Would have been about 14 generations old

Mary conceived as a Virgin

Jesus born and named Immanuel

Scholars mostly agree there are approximately 300 prophecies that were fulfilled when Jesus was born. We only looked at four. But that last one, was undeniably the most difficult to believe and nearly impossible to verify. Joseph clearly believed and was not ashamed to tell the story. Mary probably wouldn’t have been that reliable as a witness. She was a woman of great importance in a time when women weren’t largely regarded as valuable sources of testimony. She had a lot to lose if it were not true. In all likelihood amongst most that happened anyway. Doubtful anyone beyond Joseph would have believed her. It was likely well into Jesus ministry before people finally started to believe her. But God foretold this eventuality more than 300 times. He is the ultimate planner. He knows both the plan and the result of it before the first human was born. So why does this matter to us? There are many more prophecies in the Bible and many of them have yet to be fulfilled. God’s track record is impeccable though, so we can trust Him. Are you willing to trust Him with your life?