What was Heard in the Christmas Story

Introduction

As we transition from the Thanksgiving Holiday unto Christmas, we’re going to begin a series titled ‘Experiencing the Christmas Story’

(Over the next several weeks, we’re going to examine the sights & sounds of the Christmas story.)

What I mean by the ‘Christmas Story’, is everything that transpired on the lead up to a Saviour’s birth in Bethlehem, and the short time afterwards.

Understand that what I’m speaking about and what we typically incorporate into the ‘Christmas story’ takes place over a time period of up to 3 years. From the time of John the Baptist’s announcement and conception, the massacre of 2 yo and under babies in Bethlehem.

In this series we will be looking at Joseph & Mary of course, we’ll examine John the Baptist, his parents Zachariah & Elizabeth, King Herod, the Shepherds & the wise men.

Today, we’re going to examine some of the things that people heard in that day.

With that being said, we’re going to start off with Mary the mother of Jesus, and what Mary heard in that day. Mary heard Words of Blessing

I. Mary Heard Words of Blessing (Luk. 1:26-38)

(She heard)

She was Blessed (v28)

In the introduction by Gabriel, we see that Gabriel communicates three things to Mary:

She heard that she was Loved

‘Highly favoured’ is what Gabriel said. What a wonderful things to hear from them messenger of God!

Church, let me say - you are loved today!

Joh. 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

You’re blessed today! God loves you with an everlasting love!

I like the words of what God said to Jeremiah in Jer. 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

I like them because I know that God drew me unto Him! God spoke unto my heart, revealed unto me the sinner that I was and that He was a Saviour!

Mary heard those words, that She was Loved

She heard that she Wasn’t Alone

‘the LORD is with thee’

Christian let me tell you something today: You are not alone. You are never alone!

When you’re in the valley - He’s there

When your’e in the furnace - He’s there

When you’re in the Lion’s Den - He’s there

When your’e in the Prison - He’s there

When you’re shipwreck - He’s there

No matter what trial - no matter what trouble you’re in, He hath said ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee!’ (Heb. 13:5)

She heard that she was Special

It’s something of a conundrum to know that I am special in God’s eyes, but - isn’t everybody?

You see, God’s Love toward us is collective in the sense that God loved ‘the world’ - all of us enough to send Jesus to die on the Cross for our sins.

But God also loves me in a unique sense as well

In that God knows me intimately - like only God could know me.

God cares about me intimately - to where He knows the very hairs upon my head.

God loves me intimately - to where He laid down His life for me!

Eph. 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Allow me to tell you as Gabriel told Mary:

You are loved

You are not alone

You are special in the Eyes of God!

She heard words of Blessing

She would Bring Forth a Blessing (v30-33)

Because she was Blessed, she would bring forth a blessing to all people

That which was conceived in her, she would bring forth to be a blessing to all people. And church - that’s the way it should be for you and I!

You and I have something conceived within us - when we were what - BORN AGAIN - we were born anew! And that which was conceived within us should come forth and be a blessing to the world!

The Bible says: Col. 2:6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”

Do you know how you ‘walk in Him?’

Love as He loved - God first, others second, Himself last

Serve as He served - Be willing to wash the feet of others

Speak as He Spoke - the Truth in Love - to the edifying and educating of others.

Christians, we’ve been blessed - let’s strive to be a blessing!

Mary Heard Words of Blessings. Next, we see that Joseph heard words for Course Correcting.

II. Joseph Heard Words for a Course Correcting (Mat. 1:18-21)

The Revelation of Joseph (v18)

We see that Joseph found out that Mary was with child - and he knew (because they’d not consummated their relationship) that it wasn’t his.

Now think about how that would make YOU feel. Because up until this point, there’s never been a pregnancy without a consummation.

So this fact is Revealed unto Joseph

The Decision by Joseph (v19)

So Joseph knowing his espoused wife was pregnant with a child of another, was going to end the engagement. But notice a character trait that speaks well of this man:

I would imagine that he felt humiliated & betrayed - and the flesh would want to exact a our ‘pound of flesh’, yet Joseph being ‘a just man’, desired to protect her from humiliation. Joseph may have thought that he was betrayed, but he wasn’t going to betray her. He was going to break things off - and normally, rightfully so, but this situation was anything but normal.

We see the decision by Joseph

The Correction of the Holy Ghost (v20-21)

Joseph was about to make a mistake. He was about to mess up, but the Holy Ghost stepped in to change his direction!

(Ill.) 21 years ago, I was headed the wrong direction. In my ignorance and pride I was heading the wrong direction. But thank God the Holy Ghost stepped in with a ‘COURSE CORRECTION’! Yes I was on my way to a Hell prepared for the devil and his angels - and well deserved I might add. But the Holy Ghost stepped in and spoke unto my heart, showed me the error of my ways and gave me wisdom to change direction. This is just what He did for Joseph.

But understand this - the COURSE CORRECTION ONLY WORKS, IF YOU TAKE THE DIRECTION FROM THE HOLY GHOST! We see that Joseph did that: Mat. 1:24-25 “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

We see the Correction of the Holy Ghost

Mary Heard Words of Blessings. Joseph heard words for Course Correcting. Next, we see that the Shepherds Heard Words of Good Tidings

III. The Shepherds Heard Words of Good Tidings (Luk. 2:8-14)

There was Deliverance for Them (v11)

They were the Recipients (‘unto you…’)

Of a Redeemer (‘…a Saviour)

This is what the angel told them. And this is what I’m preaching unto you today! You are the Recipients of a Redeemer!

The Bible tells us: Joh. 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1Jn. 4:9-10 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The Shepherds heard that there was ‘GOOD NEWS’ for them! God thought enough about poor, lowly shepherds that He would send them Salvation!

Church, I don’t know who you THINK you are, but be not high-minded… You’re a sinner just like everybody else. But thank God Jesus loves us even still! My Bible tells me: Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Shepherds Heard that there was Deliverance for them - but not only that, they were given directions to Him!

They were Given Directions to Him (v12)

It does little good to tell someone about Jesus if you’re not willing to tell them how to GET to Jesus!

And in today’s society, directions to Jesus can be challenging.

There are some who will tell you that in order to get to Jesus:

You got to give up smoking.

You’ve got to wear the right clothes

You got to go to the right church, or be part of the right denomination

Some say you’ve got to pray to Mary to get to Jesus

Or, to get to Jesus, you have to be baptized. Not in a baptistry, nor in a pool - but in a creek with flowing water.

Some say ‘You’ve got to ‘repent of your sins’ - and really mean it’ if you’re going to get to Jesus

So in today’s society, depending on who you ask, you can get some very confusing directions to Jesus and the salvation that He offers, but I’m going to do what the angel did for the Shepherds… I’m going to make it real simple. I’m going to tell you how to get to Jesus today. How to know that your sins have been forgiven and that you have a home in Heaven. I’m going to explain it just as Paul did to the Philippian Jailor. Act. 16:30-31 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Directions to Jesus is simple! BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS! What did Joh. 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Thank God that the angel gave simple directions to the Shepherds on how to get to Jesus

Mary Heard Words of Blessings. Joseph heard words for Course Correcting. Then the Shepherds Heard Words of Good Tidings. Lastly, we see that Herod Heard Words of a Reckoning

IV. Herod Heard Words of a Reckoning (Mat. 2:1-8; 16)

Out of our 4 subjects in what they heard, this is the only one who was not told to ‘fear not’.

Mary was told by Gabriel ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.’ (Luk. 1:30)

Joseph was told by the angel ‘fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife’ (Mat. 1:20)

The Shepherds were told ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy’ (Luk. 2:10)

But Herod on the other hand was troubled… That’s because Herod would face a Reckoning

The Wise Men Proclaimed the Christ (v2;4)

Notice carefully that the wise men were speaking to a king, but Herod wasn’t the King they were looking for. They were looking for the Messiah - AND HEROD KNEW THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE CHRIST! And Herod’s actions amaze me. Consider the following:

He was confident enough in the Scripture that was Prophesying of the Christ to consult it to find the Christ

Yet he was arrogant enough to think that he would have the ability to kill the Christ - God in the flesh - who’s prophesy was from years earlier penned in the Scriptures.

Does that make sense to you?

Herod heard the proclamation that the Christ has been born! But we understand that it’s not simply what you hear - it’s what you DO with what you hear.

When Herod heard the proclamation of the LORD - He rejected the Christ. And the reason that he rejected the Christ is because Herod Preferred His Kingdom to God’s

Herod Preferred his Kingdom to God’s (v16)

Herod thought more of his temporal kingdom on earth than God’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.

Herod chose the ‘pleasures of sin for a season’, rather than submitting to far greater King in Jesus.

This church is not an uncommon problem. Many people would rather be kings of their own little kingdoms rather than submit to the authority of Christ.

They don’t want to give up their little vices.

They don’t want to surrender their time, talents nor treasures.

(Ill.) All too often they are just like Leonardo Decaprio on Titanic when he’s on the bow shouting ‘I’m king of the world’ - not knowing that any moment the ship that you’re on could sink right out from under you.

Church I promise you this: God will let you make whatever choice you want to make. If you want to worship the treasures of this world for a season, you go ahead. God won’t force you to follow Him. You can stand and shout how you’re ‘king of the world’ all you want… But one day there will be a reckoning. One day weather in Herod’s case you just die of old age, or your drown in the Atlantic (holding the hand of the one who says ‘they’ll never let you go’, literally AS they are letting you go…) There will be a reckoning for all those who reject Christ.

The Bible tells us: Heb. 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Herod believed the Scriptures even in his day - he just chose his own kingdom over God’s. The question is: Do you believe the Scripture? You will.

Conclusion