Christmas Surprise Candlelight 2018

It is always a struggle to figure out what to do for services like this. It’s such a special night and we want for every aspect of it to be special and it already has been special.

The songs that we sang, the message for the kids, all of it has been just great. It’s so much fun singing these familiar songs and hearing these stories.

I always like it when the story is read to the children. It’s always awesome because, one, being up here I get to see the wide eyes and the wonder of Christmas on the faces of these little ones. It’s a privilege.

The other reason I love that part of the service is you never know what you’re gonna get! There seems to always be a surprise. A kid will say something, do something, you never know and that makes it great.

Growing up, one year in my church for one of these special church programs where the people in the play were dressed up like any person during the first century would dress. Many of them didn’t have shoes. And this year they decided it would be a good idea to bring in live animals for the service.

There was never a more memorable service! I think they brought in some chickens, I know they brought lambs and goats.

While the service was going on the goats and the sheep kept talking to one another. And they were not quiet little animals. Not at all.

Then after the animals would talk to one another they didn’t realize that you aren’t supposed to go to the bathroom on the church rug. Quite the lesson for those putting the program together.

Even better, or worse I should say, was that all those actors and actresses who were walking around with no shoes on found out really quick just what those animals did. For those who were in the program it was disaster, for those of us in the audience watching.... GOLD!

I will never forget the surprises that were found that night, and for the next couple of weeks in my church.

And when we look at what Christmas is all about we could use the word surprise to describe it. The element of surprise runs all throughout this story.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

The angel appears to Mary (who was probably a young teenager.. who could be betrothed or engaged at the age of 12) Scholars believe she was 13-14 years old when this happened.

Surprise! She is going to be the mother of the Christ child. This is humanly impossible as Mary explained to the angel that she has never been with a man, she is pure.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

It’s surprising to me that Mary is so willing to be used this way. She was in for a rough life in the future. The people of her town would remember how she was pregnant without being married. They would have their own ideas.

But Mary goes right along with Gods will.

Interesting couple of things...

Mary had nothing to do with Mary carrying the Christ child. She didn’t do anything to deserve it, she didn’t pray it, God, out of His infinite wisdom chose her to carry his son, Jesus.

And so just as Mary didn’t deserve to carry the son of God, we don’t deserve the salvation Jesus brings with His life. He gives it to us for free, but we didn’t do anything to deserve it,

It’s surprising

Joseph, no doubt is surprised that his soon to be wife is found to be with child. He even has it in his mind to break it off with Mary to avoid the scandel.

Matthew 1:20–24 ESV

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 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). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,

Joseph is surprised by the angel but everything Mary told him turned out to be true and he goes right to her and marries her, yet he doesn’t know her physically till after Jesus would be born.

I think Joseph was relieved to hear the angel’s message. I think he still loved Mary and that he was more than ready to go and take her as his wife.

Joseph plays an important part in this story because God chose him as well as Mary to be the responsible parents for their baby.

Ready for another surprise? They get news that everyone has to take part in a census and since email, or the mail for that matter haven’t been invented yet so they have to physically travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. About 80 miles. While pregnant!

They probably weren’t counting on that. But God knew it all along.

When they get to Bethlehem for Joseph to register it turns out that Mary goes into labor. Uh oh! They try to find a room or some place warm and dry but there is nothing available to them.

So Mary has to have this baby, in a barn. Can you imagine? And she doesn’t have her mom around to help. She doesn’t have her friends around, she doesn’t have the doctor around. She is there, on her own, probably scared and probably wondering if this was part of the plan.

Should I have stayed home maybe she asked herself.

But no, she couldn’t stay home.

And this was not a surprise. As a matter of fact, this was the plan.

About 700-750 years earlier a prophet by the name of Micah prophesied about the savior to come into the world.

Here is that prophecy. God speaking through Micah

Micah 5:2 ESV

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.

Micah the prophet wrote in 700-750 years before!

Micah the prophet wrote in 700-750 years before!

Micah the prophet wrote in 700-750 years before!

Joseph and Mary lived 80 miles away from here and yet when the baby came they were in Bethlehem. That could seem so random but in all actuality this was the original plan. This is how God had it worked out from the beginning.

There was no mistake, this isn’t God fixing a problem, this is God seeing His plan through from the very beginning. No surprises here.

This is so encouraging to me because so much of our lives can seem like utter randomness but God has the whole thing organized for you and for me.

He had His only begotten, His own unique son brought into the world to be able to identify with the creation that He loved so much. He loved us so much that He sent his son so that whoever would believe in Him would never perish but have eternal life.

He was born in a stable. Even though he was a king who by right should have been born in the best palace in the world, there was no room for Him.

He was born among the lowly. The shepherds were the first ones called in to worship this new king, the worst of the worst as far as society goes. They were the worst and yet they were given the privilege of meeting the baby first. That is surprising.

It’s even more surprising to me that God would have hime come in this way.

He came as the most vulnerable creature on the earth. A little baby can do nothing on it’s own. It is completely dependent on others for the first couple of years of life.

That is how God brought the savior into the world. As one who would be tempted just as we are, yet without sin. Who would feel pain just like we do, who feel loss just like we do, who bleed just like we do. That is how much God loves us, to put himself in our place.

This little baby would grow up, would be a teacher, would be a healer, would be a prophet, and finally, would be a sacrifice for you and for me.

So that when we put our trust in Him. When we believe in Jesus as the son of God, that when we believe that he died and rose again from the dead three days later that we have the right, the privilege the gift of a relationship with Him, and the father.

Here is something that should be no surprise. And I want to end with this.

This Jesus thing was not a surprise, it was the plan. It was the plan from the beginning.

In the Garden of Eden Satan deceives the woman and the man and God curses the ground and God curses Satan. And God foretells what will happen as he

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Genesis

The NIV says he will CRUSH your head.

Jesus comes into the world vulnerable, yet protected.

He finishes by defeating Satan and calling us to come along with Him in giving ourselves over to him.

God wants to give you a gift tonight. Maybe you have never given your life to Jesus Christ. Tonight can be that night. The night when it all started making sense. You have that opportunity how.

Jesus, I have wronged you with my past. Forgive me, I believe you are the son of God. I declare that with my mouth and I believe that you rose from the grave and made the way for me to have a relationship with God.

For others....