Jesus, the Deliverer, is Born

Mary trusted God and worshiped Him for His gracious provision of Jesus!

God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them. -John Piper

How have you seen in hindsight that God has worked “10,000 things” behind the scenes of your life to accomplish His good purposes? (give answer to jump-start conversation)

Point 1: Jesus was born to be the promised eternal King.

Luke 1:26–33 ESV

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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.”

Virgin Birth: The virgin birth affirms that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh.

The virgin birth is significant in that it serves as a reminder of Old Testament prophecies (Isa. 7) while also affirming both the deity and humanity of Christ.

What are some reasons Christians must affirm, believe, and defend the supernatural conception and virgin birth of Jesus?

Point 2: Jesus was born to be the promised mighty Savior.

Luke 1:51–55 ESV

He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Though the Christ had not yet been born, Mary sang these statements of faith in God:

–He has shown strength (v. 51).

–He has scattered the proud (v. 51).

–He has brought down the mighty and exalted those of humble estate (v. 52).

–He has filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty (v. 53).

–He has helped Israel (v. 54).

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

When you find yourself in a difficult, unstable season of life, how can the reality of God’s sovereignty and power help you endure faithfully?

“By this all merit and presumption are laid low, and the pure grace and mercy of God are exalted. For God did not accept Israel on account of its merits but because of his own promise. Out of pure grace he made the promise, and out of pure grace he fulfilled it … And so the Mother of God praises and exalts this promise above everything and ascribes this work of the incarnation of God to the divine, gracious, unearned promise alone, which he gave to Abraham.”  –Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Why is our merciful Savior better than just a powerful one?

Point 3: Jesus was born to be the promised humble Servant.

Luke 2:4–7 ESV

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.

“Fix your eye on Bethlehem’s manger. What see you there? A lowly babe lies in the lowly cradle of a lowly town, the offspring of a lowly mother. Look again. That child is the eternal ‘I am.’ He, whose Deity had never birth, is born ‘the Woman’s Seed.’ He, whom no infinitudes can hold, is contained within infant’s age, and infant’s form. He, who never began to be, as God—here begins to be, as man. And can it be, that the great ‘I am that I am’ shrinks into our flesh, and is little upon our earth, as one newborn of yesterday? It is so. The Lord promised it. Prophets foretold it. Types prefigured it. An angel announces it. Heaven rings with rapture at it. Faith sees it. The redeemed rejoice in it.” 4

–Henry Law (1797-1884)

What are some positive examples of condescension that you have witnessed or experienced?

Christ’s Humiliation: Although God the Son was equal with God and worthy of all the glory God receives, He chose to humble Himself by taking on human flesh. He left His glorious state and came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and He experienced a humiliating death on a cross by becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Because we have come to know Jesus as our Savior, we recognize Him as our King and trust God’s plan for our lives.

 How will you honor God the Son’s condescension to this earth to save sinners?

 How can your group follow in the humble footsteps of Christ in your community and beyond?

 To whom will you proclaim your praises of our mighty Savior that they would be humbled and come to Him in faith for salvation from sin?

“The virgin birth is a reminder that our salvation, though it came through humanity, is totally of God.”  –Millard J. Erickson