What was Felt in the Christmas Story

Introduction

We are continuing a series that we began last week titled ‘Experiencing the Christmas Story’, where we are examining the sights & sounds of what is known as the Christmas story.

As I mentioned last week, the story that we typically know as the Christmas story takes place over the course of about around 3 years.

The First message: ‘What was Heard in the Christmas Story’

Mary Heard Words of Blessing

Joseph Heard Words of Course Correcting

The Shepherds Heard Words of Good Tidings

Herod Heard Words of a Reckoning

Last week we examined: ‘What was SEEN in the Christmas Story’

The Wise Men saw God’s Providence

The Shepherds saw a Phenomenon

Simeon saw a Promise Fulfilled

The Inn Keeper saw a Problem

Jesus saw His Purpose

Today in keeping with our theme, we’re going to examine ‘What was FELT in the Christmas Story’. And the way that this message developed is likened greatly to the various reactions to what people have when they meet or hear about Jesus.

I. Zacharias Felt Disbelief (Luk. 1:5-20)

The first person we’re going to look at today is a man by the name of Zacharias. Zacharias is not one mentioned much when speaking about the Christmas story, but he’s part of the amazing lead up to the announcement and the birth of Christ.

That God was Able to Answer His Prayer (v18; 20)

Zacharias found himself in the same situation as another patriarch of the faith - a man by the name of Abraham. Now we know that Abraham was 100 years old, we don’t know the exact age of Zacharias & his wife Elizabeth, but we do know that ‘…they both were now well stricken in years.’ (v7). So the Bible is telling us that they were beyond child-bearing age.

Now there’s a couple things that we should point out.

Zacharias was in disbelief when God actually answered his prayer (v20), right?

Zacharias had enough faith to continue praying for a child after it was physically possible (v13)

Zacharias was the priest that was there at the altar burning incense (which is emblematic of prayer) - and the angel appeared right beside the altar.

So he had enough faith to ask the impossible, but couldn’t believe it when God actually answered!

Church, I hope this is a lesson to you - ask the impossible! Don’t ever get the defeated mindset that ‘well, there’s no way God can answer that’ - OUR GOD SPECIALIZES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE! Mat. 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” In fact, the angel said these words unto Mary: Luk. 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Whatever it is that you’re struggling with whatever it is that is besetting you - Faith can move mountains!

Secondly, I thought about how this pertains to the news of Christ.

If you are like me, you don’t have a problem sugar-coating your depravity. There’s many people out there who have a problem recognizing the low-down nature of the flesh that we all inherit, but not me. I know full well the wickedness that I have within my members - thoughts & deeds. I know where I’ve been, and so when I think of Jesus, I consider the sins in which I’ve committed, I stand in almost disbelief that the God of Heaven, knew my depravity - and yet the blood that He shed on Calvary was SUFFICIENT to wash them away! His Grace is SUFFICIENT enough to cleanse me through & through!

Zacharias was in Disbelief that God was Able to Answer His Prayer

The Amazing Way God would Answer His Prayer (v14-16)

God wasn’t just going to give him a taste - but God was going to fill Zacharias’ cup till it overflowed! Look at what the angel of the LORD told him:

His Son would cause Celebration (v14)

The angel tells Zacharias that the child will be a source of joy & gladness unto not only him, but others as well.

This is something that children should consider. (Children, teens) it should be our desire & goal to be a source of joy & gladness to our parents. (Ill.) In my teen years, I was rarely a source of joy & gladness to my parents. I was a source of heartache & embarrassment most of the time as a teen - because I was self-centered.

But the Bible tells us:

Eph. 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

His Son would cause Celebration

His Son would be Consecrated unto the LORD (v15)

Look at the way John is described:

Great in the sight of the LORD

Separated unto the Work of the LORD

Filled with the Holy Spirit of the LORD

If there is anything I could ask for in my children, this would be it. I couldn’t care less how much money they made, what kind of house they had, how popular they were - I want my children to be described this way.

Church let me tell you - if you want your children described this way, it will not happen by accident. It comes through the example you give, the priorities you instill and the prayer that you bathe them in, and finally by the choice THEY make. They may still choose to fall away from God, but the odds of them making the correct choice are far greater the closer you get them to God!

His Son would be Consecrated unto the LORD

His Son would Convert many Lost Souls to Christ (v16)

What a descriptor of John!

Now I want you to pay close attention to something. v16 is there, because v15 come before it.

What I mean by that is that John led many to turn unto the LORD because: He was consecrated unto the LORD

We see the Amazing way that God answered His Prayer.

Zacharias felt Disbelief. Secondly, I want to look at Zacharias’ son John (known as John the Baptist) and see that John felt Delight

II. John Felt Delight (Luk. 1:39-44)

Just for the record, I am speaking about John the Baptist, who at this point in his life he’s been in the womb of his mother for about 6 months - and there’s a few things we want to recognize:

Elizabeth (his mother) though the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (v41) and recorded in the perfect Word of God referred to John as a Baby and not a Fetus.

Secondly, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (v41) and recorded in the perfect Word of God attributed a REACTION to this baby.

I guess God thinks a little more highly of the child inside the womb of it’s mothers then the baby-killing liberals in our society today.

John Rejoiced when Jesus was Presented (v41;44)

So the first thing that we’ll touch on is the FACT that when Jesus was brought into John’s presence, John Rejoiced!

The presence of Jesus made John Glad!

(Ill.) 21 years ago someone presented Jesus unto me, and you know what? It made me glad! I rejoiced when Jesus was brought into my presence!’;

And this is one of the reactions to Jesus. Some people when they hear that:

Jesus loves them, and that He died on the Cross for their sins, and that if they will put their faith in Him & His work of Salvation that they can be forgiven of their sins & have a home in Heaven, SOME people will rejoice!

I know that when I fully understood the gravity of my sins & how if I died in them I’d go to Hell, when I heard about Jesus, I was glad! I got happy! AND THAT HASN’T CHANGED!

Just like John, I rejoiced when Jesus was Presented!

John Reacted when the Messenger Spoke

This is important to understand, so I want to make this very clear.

When Jesus was presented, John ‘leaped’

John ‘leaped’ when Jesus was presented

In other words, John ‘leaped’ BECAUSE Jesus was presented.

When John heard Mary, it caused him to react to it. Now get this: John could have heard Mary and NOT reacted to it, right? Such is the case of many souls today.

I know that multitudes throughout the world - and countless others that I myself have preached to - has had Jesus presented to them - and they have not reacted. What I mean is that is they ‘have heard the joyful sound, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves!’ - yet instead of accepting the free gift of salvation, they sit motionless as the invitation is given.

Church: You can KNOW the plan of Salvation

You can know that you’re a sinner lost and on your way to Hell

You can know that Jesus died for your sins, was buried & three days later conquer death, Hell & the grave in victory

You can know that all it takes is to accept this Gift by Grace

But if that news doesn’t MOVE you to REACT and accept it, then you’ll never enjoy the gift!

(Ill.) Illustrate offering & extending a gift, without it being taken

John REACTED when the Messenger Spoke

Zacharias felt Disbelief. Secondly, John felt Delight. Next we see Mary felt Devotion

III. Mary Felt Devotion (Luk. 1:46-56)

After Mary’s encounter with Elizabeth, we have this praise that she offers up unto the LORD. In this praise, we can see Mary’s Devotion to God and to God’s Plan

Mary Magnified the Lord (v46)

To magnify / make large. This is what Mary desired to do.

Church, let me ask you a question: Did God use Mary in a great & mighty way?

The question is, was Mary’s desire to magnify the LORD the result of God choosing to use her in a mighty way,

or was God’s choosing to use Mary in a mighty way the result of her desire to Magnify God?

You see, God didn’t just arbitrarily pick Mary and then Mary got her heart right with the LORD, Mary’s heart was right with the LORD and therefore God used her in a mighty way.

If you want God to use you, then you need to set your heart on the things of God FIRST, then watch God use you in great ways!

Mary magnified the LORD

Mary Made Much of God’s Grace (v48-49)

That leads to this: Mary was not inherently special.

Think of what our society deems ‘special’

You’re ‘special’ if you have the right looks / body type

You’re ‘special’ if you have talent - sing / dance / play ball

You’re ‘special’ if you have the right last name

You’re ‘special’ if you have the right things (cars / houses)

Might I say that none of this stuff means a hill of beans to God?

There’s nothing that tells us that Mary had any of those things - but let me say this Mary was special in the eyes of God, and it had nothing to do with what Mary had or what she looked like. What made Mary special was the God who adored her, and the Grace that He shows unto you and I.

You and I are what we are, have what we have, have ability to do what we can do ALL BY THE GRACE OF GOD! Paul said: 1Cor. 15:10a “But by the grace of God I am what I am:

So church we should praise God and Magnify God for all the things that we have, are and can do because it came by the Grace of God!

Mary Made Much of God’s Grace

Mary Declared the Might of her God (v51-55)

Lastly, Mary declares just how strong her God is.

So she’s Magnifying Him

She’s Making Much of His Grace

Now she’s speaking of how Mighty her God is!

Now I mentioned at the onset, that in each of these, we can relate these reactions to people when they are introduced to Jesus. What we see in the way Mary felt is what SHOULD be found in every Christian that’s come to know the LORD as their Saviour!

We Christians should Magnify Jesus

We Christians should Make Much of the Grace of God that bought our Salvation

We Christians should brag on the power of the LORD that did such a thing as that!

Mary Declared the Might of her God

Zacharias felt Disbelief. Secondly, John felt Delight. Mary felt Devotion and Lastly, Herod Felt Differently

IV. Herod Felt Differently (Mat. 2:3)

Herod the King felt different from the others we’ve mentioned.

Herod was Disturbed

The Bible tells us that Herod was ‘Troubled’. The reason why Herod was troubled, was because the interjection of Jesus upon the life of Herod challenged him.

It challenged the status-quo.

It challenged his current way of life

It challenged what his thoughts & expectation were of himself

So Herod was disturbed. He didn’t rejoice. He wasn’t devoted unto God by the Grace in which He showed him. He was disturbed.

So is the way for many people when Jesus is introduced to them. They don’t rejoice, they’re not amazed by the Grace of God - they are troubled, because instead of being awe-struck by the knowledge of the Great God of Heaven caring for them & providing Salvation for them, they are only concerned with how it might disrupt their life.

So many people look at Jesus so wrong - just like Herod. People are disturbed by Jesus because they think they have to ‘give up’ things. They don’t want to give up their pet sins. They don’t want to be in church any more than they have to.

But understand this… you will give up some things when you come to Jesus.

You’ll give up an eternity in Hell

You’ll give up being a slave to your sin

You’ll give up having no real meaning and purpose to your life

You’ll give up loneliness

You’ll give up hopelessness

You’ll give up having to bear your own burdens

Yes, you’ll give up some things by coming to Jesus - but never give up anything that was ever worth anything!

Herod was Disturbed

Herod showed Disdain

(def) A feeling of contempt and aversion; the regarding anything as unworthy of or beneath one; scorn.

Herod looked at Jesus with contempt - as though He was beneath them.

Herod showed Disdain, therefore Herod was Defiant

Herod was Defiant

Instead of accepting Jesus when presented unto him, He chose to eradicate Jesus from his life.

Many souls do the same thing. Once Jesus is presented unto them, the thought of Jesus disturbs them, they show disdain and they puff up & get defiant - just as Herod.

Herod felt Differently.

Conclusion

In looking at what people felt in the Christmas Story, we’ve noticed the various ways people react to Jesus - from disbelief, to devotion. Delight to Disdain. My question to you is this: What will you do with Jesus today?