on Earth

Intro: Excitement Around Christmas

Some people, maybe it you, get so excited for the Christmas season. Some of you would put up lights, a tree, and blast Christmas music from October through February if it was socially acceptable. Some of you do that even though it’s not socially acceptable.

I love the decorations and the music, but only after Thanksgiving! I also love Christmas because it seems like people are nicer and their friendlier the closer we get to Christmas. I also love Christmas because at least this year, my brother who is in the military will get to come home.

Because of all of this: the vibe, the weather, the music, the decorations, the family, I begin to look forward to Christmas every year.

Advent: A Season of Preparation and Expectation

As it turns out thats exactly how we’re supposed to feel at Christmas. Every single year we are wired to feel a ramp up in excitement and energy as we get closer to Christmas.

Maybe you’ve heard the word Advent around Christmas, but you might not know what it means. Advent is a season in the church calendar and it started last Sunday. We don’t generally follow the church calendar here at Grace, but I think understanding the season of advent is incredibly important.

Advent means a new beginning. It’s a season of preparation and expectation. But we’re not supposed to prepare for and expect the gifts, and the decorations, and the music. We’re supposed to prepare and look forward in expectation towards the birth of Jesus. Every single year, we look forward again to the birth of Jesus.

The hard part is, Christmas seems the same every year. You’ve probably heard the Christmas story read out of every year at the Christmas Eve service. It can be hard to see it in a fresh way each year.

But that’s what I want to try and do for the next couple weeks. I want to try and look at Christmas from a couple different perspectives. This week, I want to look at what is happening on Earth when Jesus was born, and then next week, we’ll look at what happened in Heaven when Jesus was born.

Luke 2:1–20 ESV

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 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, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Who were the people expecting?:

The Story:

God created. (Adam and Eve)

Humanity falls.

Prophecy of the Snake Crusher:

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.”

God chooses a people. (Abraham and Judah)

Prophecy of the King:

Genesis 49:10 ESV

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

The line of Kings. (David…)

The Kingdom destroyed. All hope seems lost. The OT ends.

So then after 400 years the New Testament begins. The Roman Empire has conquered most of the world, including Israel. and the hope of God sending a Snake Crushing King is still there...but who knows when it will happen.

The people are expecting a warrior, a king, someone to overthrow the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel.

The people are expecting a warrior, a king, someone to overthrow the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel.

[Read

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The people are expecting a might warrior, a military general who can wage war on Rome and overthrow the Empire.

But we don’t get a warrior, we don’t get a powerful wealthy king, we get a baby in a manger. They expected a warrior. They expected a king. They wanted the messiah, to be one who would overthrow Roman oppression and reestablish David’s throne over Israel. They wanted political and military revolution.

The people are expecting a wealthy and powerful king, someone to rule a kingdom as mighty and grand as David’s kingdom.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

But what they got was a baby in a manger. They got a carpenter born into a poor family. But Jesus is all those things the Jews were expecting, he’s always been all those things, but not yet.

Jesus came to establish a new kingdom not an old one.

He came preaching love not violent revolution.

So, let’s answer the question. What is happening on Earth when Jesus is born?

He came for us. He lived the life that you and I could never live. A life of perfect obedience to God. And he died a sacrificial death.  Death you and I deserved. But he didn’t stay dead. He rose from the grave conquering sin and death forever. 

So this Christmas season. This Advent season. As we look at what what happened on earth, we see that the Snake Crushing King came to complete the story that God began when he created the world. Christmas is all about the Messiah being born.

Finally. After thousands of years, the Messiah. God’s chosen one, the Snake Crusher, the King, came to complete the story God began when he created the world.

He didn’t look the way people thought he would.

We don’t get a mighty warrior, we don’t get a powerful wealthy king.

They wanted the messiah to be one who would overthrow Roman oppression and reestablish David’s throne over Israel. They wanted political and military revolution.

But what they got was a baby in a manger. They got a carpenter born into a poor family. But what they didn’t realize is that Jesus is all those things they were expecting, he’s always been all those things, but not yet.

Jesus came to establish a new kingdom not an old one.

He came preaching love not violent revolution.

He came for us. He lived the life that you and I could never live. A life of perfect obedience to God. And he died a sacrificial death. Death you and I deserved. But he didn’t stay dead. He rose from the grave conquering sin and death forever.

So this Christmas season. This Advent season. As we look at what happened on earth, we see that the Snake Crushing King came to complete the story that God began when he created the world. Christmas is all about the Messiah being born.

So what?

So what does this mean for you and for me?

Do you know The Story?

Can you see what God has been doing this whole time? Since the beginning of the World, God has been weaving a story that culminates in Jesus. And you and I fit into it. We’re not the main characters of the story, we’re the ones that the Snake Crushing King came to save. The Story is our story. And we have to know how our story fits into The Story.

2. Do you believe The Story?

It’s one thing to know The Story. It’s another thing entirely to believe The Story and live like you believe The Story.

If you believe The Story, then the only thing to do is join the side of the Snake Crushing King. The only thing to do is to follow Jesus.

So I’ll ask: if you’re in this room and you’ve never decided to start following Jesus, what are you waiting for? What better time than Christmas to make the decision to follow him. You might have been coming to church for a really long time and never made the decision that you would follow Jesus.

This might be your very first time here, it doesn’t matter. It’s time to plant your flag with Jesus.

And if you’ve got questions about what I talked about tonight, or about what it looks like to follow Jesus, don’t leave here without asking them! I’d love to talk with you, the leaders in here would love to talk to you, your friends in here would love to talk to you, don’t leave without asking!