The Birth
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· 7 viewsThe incarnation is one of the most praiseworthy and spectacular events in the history of the universe. It is mysterious, yet simple. It is awe inspiring, yet a most basic concept of Christianity. Let's take another look at the birth of Christ.
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Everything about
incarnation is
unfair
borderline offensive
Yet
greatest gift
ever given
to humanity!
The Virgin Conception
The Virgin Conception
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.
Gabriel
greatest angel of heaven
most powerful
created being...
Stands in presence of God
Comes a message to???
Look at this
Bad track record
for a king...
Galilee?
Northern Kingdom???
Nazareth?
“Does anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Joseph and Mary
Older man with kids
Young girl barley marital age
Utterly poor
working class at best
Why do these parents?
Desire of Ages p. 49
Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. — Desire of Ages p. 49
What is God thinking???
King of Kings
Lord of Lords???
If you are
educated Jew
starting all wrong...
To this:
young
uncultured
unlearned
unfavored
woman is said:
Luke 1:28 (ESV)
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
Mary never thought
herself favored...
didn’t know
how to answer...
Gabriel Speaks again:
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.”
Perhaps greatest blessing
ever spoken
to mortal humanity!
To whom?
“the unworthy”
Jesus
Jesus
Greek version of Joshua
Literally means:
"God is salvation"
Name is prophetic:
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Also called
Son of Most High!!
Given a throne???
Doesn’t seem like
kingly story...
Mary is Overwelmed...
takes little vacation to
get thoughts together.
Visits cousin Elizabeth
and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
Again,
supernatural prophecy:
Elizabeth's Prophecy
Elizabeth's Prophecy
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
“Blessed are you among women”
how blessed
mother of Lord???
Not all was
blessing and Joy...
Joseph’s Dream
Joseph’s Dream
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Such great blessing
looked like curse
to unbelieving...
Imagine parents
teenage pregnancy
Imagine onlookers...
gaining weight???
Imagine Joseph...
No, no,
It’s not that...
I’ve been impregnated by the Holy Spirit...
Such a beautiful truth
yet hard to believe
for many...
including...
Joseph
her fiance...
In these days...
death penalty...
Joseph didn’t want scene
break off engagement
quietly...
Suddenly:
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Don’t break engagement!
she’s telling truth
It’s the Messiah...
fulfilment of Isaiah:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
I can imagine thinking...
“It sounds
too good to be truth.”
It does sound too good.
“God with us???”
Even to those
who had been
looking for the Messiah
this sounded
too far fetched....
too crazy
too good!
Desire of Ages p.49
It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin.
Desire of Ages p. 49
God with us??
infinite humiliation
Human to ant..
Continue Story:
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Virgin birth
he did not
“know her”
until Jesus was born
Definitely not Joseph’s son.
The Son of God!!!
The Census
The Census
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.
Prophecy must be fulfilled
Birthplace of Messiah
to be Bethlehem
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
This prophecy
well understood by
priests and scribes
Herod wanted to know
where Messiah born
They quoted
this passage
say:
Bethlehem!
The Birth
The Birth
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Imagine...
long journey for
very pregnant woman.
90 miles
Week of travel.
One way.
By the time,
get to Bethlehem
tired...
labor pain...
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.
One of the saddest
And Most Joyful Text...
Most Sad
Most Sad
Because
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
“wrapped him in swaddling cloths”
those are rags
birth is messy
but royalty not left
in rags
“laid him in a manger”
Manger?
Didn’t know what
manger was
until an adult.
Manger is
feeding trough
Our Lord’s first bed
feeding trough!!!
Not for royalty.
“no place for them in the inn”
Yes, census
Yes, busy
Yes, no room....
For a king???
make room!
Desire of Ages p.48
We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. — Desire of Ages p. 48
Fair?
no
Required?
no
Most Joyful!
Most Joyful!
Best gift of all time!!!
Celebrate That!
Worthy of Holiday!
Christmas History
Christmas History
Christ was not born
in the winter
Shepherds in field
similar latitude
Likely born in fall
Dec 25th
connected to paganism
winter solstice
nativity of the sun
evergreen, holly
Semitic lands
Astarte
Mithra
Unconquered Sun
January 6th
Epiphany
Random date
Egyptian people
12 Days of Christmas
Dec 25
Jan 6th
Both days off
Saint Nicholas
fraction true
mostly myth
mixed with paganism
Should We Celebrate Christmas?
Should We Celebrate Christmas?
Not directly sin
Is connected with pagan traditions.
Time period when
people giving
more receptive
thinking spiritually
We Can and Should
capitalize on this
Speak of Jesus
Teach about Incarnation
Focus on His Gift
Focus on Giving
Is it wrong to:
Give gifts?
Have a party?
No…
Caveat:
Avoid or De-emphasize
Pagan Ideas
Evergreen
Lights
Santa
Selfishness
Consumerism
Financial Waste
Emphasize:
Christ
Incarnation
God’s Gift
Service
Finish Story
The Shepherds
The Shepherds
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.”
Good News of Great Joy
Good News of Great Joy
Best New!
He is born!!!
There is reason
to celebrate!
Lets Party!!!
The angels did!
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!”
All heaven celebrated!
We should too!
Shepherds did too.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Let’s Party Too...
But lets remember
Why we party
And
What is the
true holy-day gift.
Jesus Christ.