The Day God Became a Baby
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
The 6-year-old kids in their Sunday School class were re-enacting the story of the birth of Jesus. The teacher wanted them to stage it themselves based on their own made-up script, so it was certainly interesting. They had three Marys, two Josephs, six shepherds, two wise guys, and one boy who played the cow. Another boy decided he would be the doctor who would deliver the baby. The teacher consented, so the little doctor went back behind the manger and picked up the doll and carefully wrapped him in a blanket. Then with a big smile on his face, he turned to the Marys and the Josephs and said, “Congratulations, it’s a God!”
That little boy had a better grasp of the incarnation than many people much older. The birth of Jesus was an amazing experience of God taking on a human form. Today, we are going to study “The Day God became a Baby.”
I. The Miracle of Jesus Birth (1-7)
I. The Miracle of Jesus Birth (1-7)
A. Christ’s arrival from heaven
A. Christ’s arrival from heaven
1. He arrives through the womb of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
2. The world belonged to this baby and everything in it
- Isaiah 9:6—incarnation
- Son is given—deity eternal God not able to die
- Child is born—humanity able to die
3. It was made by Him (John 1:10)
4. He was coming to redeem it [boy and the boat]
5. The world he created would reject him
B. The contrasts in His arrival
B. The contrasts in His arrival
1. From the wonders of heaven to the stench of a stable
2. From the praise of heaven to the rejection of the innkeeper – not the villain just another player
3. From the songs of the saints to the cries of the animals
4. From His robes of royalty to swaddling clothes
C. He came to save you
C. He came to save you
(Matt 1:19-21)
- He was born to die
Genesis 3:15 Isaiah 53
II. The miracle in the skies (8-14)
II. The miracle in the skies (8-14)
A. Since the fullness of time angels were busy
A. Since the fullness of time angels were busy
(Gal. 4:4)
1. Gabriel had visited Zacharias and Mary
2. Angel of the Lord visited Joseph in a dream
B. Now they were commissioned to carry a message to the hills of Bethlehem
B. Now they were commissioned to carry a message to the hills of Bethlehem
1. Rachels tomb is there
2. Samuel anointed David to be King there
3. Ruth gleaned from Boaz fields there
4. Temple flocks were kept here 6 miles from Jerusalem
5. Message
a. Fear not
b. Good news
c. Its for you
C. Shepherds were invited to the birth (12)
C. Shepherds were invited to the birth (12)
1. Unclean
2. Imagine with me hold baby look for spots on sacrifice sheep holding the spotless lamb of God
III. The miracle in human hearts (15-20)
III. The miracle in human hearts (15-20)
A. Caesar’s decree
A. Caesar’s decree
- Caesar Augustus – Adopted son of Julius Caesar – Augustus holy revered deity
- Augustus make a decree thinking he is god when he is really a pawn in the hands of the true God
- Brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem
- Prophecy was fulfilled (Micah 5:2)
B. Shepherds responded to the invitation (15-16)
B. Shepherds responded to the invitation (15-16)
- Decision of the heart to respond
- Sheep keep with them or find a watchman? 2x365 plus 300k up for Passover alone
C. Mary ponders (19)
C. Mary ponders (19)
—ponder, study, look into intently,
Conc—
I recently read a story of a missionary team that had been invited to Russia to teach Christianity. It was Christmastime, and as they taught the story of Christ’s birth at an orphanage; everyone listened in amazement. None of the kids or the staff had ever heard it before. One of the missionaries wrote: “We gave the children some materials and instructed them to create the manger scene that they had just heard about. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat; he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. I called for a translator to ask why. Looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib his own ending to the story.
He said, ‘And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mama and no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him forever.’ Putting his hand over his face, Misha’s head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. For the first time in his life, he had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him forever.”
1. Like the shepherds, many will come to Jesus—will you?
2. Like the wise men, many will worship Jesus—will you?
3. What has you fearful—will you give it to Him?