The Christmas Story
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The New Testament begins with the Christmas Story
400 years of silence
waiting for the promised Saviour King
Isaiah 9:
Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah.
Mary and Joseph were betrothed to be married.
Mary and Joseph were betrothed to be married.
a binding contract, to be fulfilled at the wedding ceremony.
It was during this wait that the Angel came to Mary
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.
Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”
The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-
Mary was blessed by God to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God.
She was also about to be at risk
reputation
betrothal
The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
It was discovered that she pregnant, but I highly doubt that the general population trusted her Angel story.
Joseph didn’t believe it. He was going to divorce her secretly.
It was permitted to give a certificate of divorce based on sexual immorality.
the law would have required death, but at this point in history, a quiet divorce was the humane option.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew
This heavenly dream convinced Joseph to proceed with marriage instead of the divorce.
When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her
but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
Matthew 1:
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
Mt 1:
Immanuel = God is with us
Immanuel = God is with us
not “God who is far away”
not “God who doesn’t care”
not “God who can’t be bothered”
God is with us. That is the name that God chose for his Son.
Imagine that out of nowhere, someone who you adm
At this point in history, Israel is under the Rule of Rome.
Luke 2:1
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.
This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
This Census was for the purpose of taxation.
demonstrates the power of Caesar Augustus
God uses this to fulfill his purpose.
Jesus would grow up in Nazareth of Galilee, but would be born in Bethlehem of Judah
Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.
And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,
to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,
to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Luke 2:4-
God had planned to send his son into the world that he created, it’s not the plan that any one expected.
Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.
This was a 150 km journey. It would have taken a week. Lots of hills, pace of 30 km/ day.
But with a pregnant Mary, maybe closer to 15 km/day.
God had planned to send his son into the world that he created, it’s not the plan that any one expected.
Breakfast, dried bread. Lunch Bread with oil. Supper Bread with herbs & oil
Threat of robbers, lions, bears and boars
God had planned to send his son into the world that he created, it’s not the plan that any one expected.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
Luke 2:
The Saviour of the World has come. God is with his people, in the flesh. But not like anyone had expected.
God had planned to send his son into the world that he created, it’s not the plan that any one expected.
Mary didn’t expect to get pregnant before she was married.
Joseph didn’t plan to marry someone who was already pregnant.
They both would never have planned to travel this close to when the baby would be born.
No one would expect for the Saviour of the World to be born in such humble conditions.
But God is not surprised. He is perfect and nothing is outside of his control and his rule.
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
Luke 2:
We are now introduced to Shepherds.
low value, not trustworthy,
God sees people differently than we do. He sees value, no matter what your title, gender or position in life is.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.
This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
Luke 2:
This is the promise that all of Israel had been waiting for. Their Saviour had been born.
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
Luke 2:
We can marvel at what it might have been like to be a shepherd in the field that night, as the sky was lit up by the host of heaven.
But don’t miss the message.
God is extending his favor, his kindness and his love on people who have done nothing to deserve it. God is granting people his peace.
Peace is this sense is not the absense of trouble, difficult life circumstances or pain. Its a peace that comes from knowing that you are right with God. And that peace is made possible by the birth, life, death and ressurection of Jesus Christ.
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.
When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.
After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.
Luke 2:
Immanuel = God is with us
Immanuel = God is with us
ILLUSTRATION - living with me is
Robert Munsch or Andrea Bocelli
Jesus has done this for us. God is with us, among us, teaching us, living for us, so that we can live through him.
But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,