The real story of Christmas abounds with miracles—the star that guided the magi; the angelic appearances; the annunciation by Gabriel to Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist; the announcements of the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph, and to the shepherds; the song of praise by the angelic choir; the magi warned in a dream not to return to Herod; Joseph directed by an angel into the land of Egypt and told to depart from Egypt, the birth of John the Baptist when his parents were advanced in age; the birth of Jesus, who had a human mother but not a human father. All of these things are miraculous events.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 1:18-25 NIV This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Text:
Matthew 1:18 NIV This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Introduction
The real story of Christmas abounds with miracles—the star that guided the magi; the angelic appearances; the annunciation by Gabriel to Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist; the announcements of the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph, and to the shepherds; the song of praise by the angelic choir; the magi warned in a dream not to return to Herod; Joseph directed by an angel into the land of Egypt and told to depart from Egypt, and warned in a dream about Archelaus, Herod’s wicked son and successor; the birth of John the Baptist when his parents were advanced in age; the birth of Jesus, who had a human mother but not a human father. All of these things are miraculous events.
The birth of Jesus Christ is the most meaningful and unique birth in the annals of time. Christ existed from all eternity; he was in the beginning with God as it says in
John 1:1 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He said in
John 8:58-59 NIV “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
The miracles of Christmas are have a message for us. Let us hear what they have to say to us.
We read about in our Scripture reading of Matthew 1:18-25.
The Bible also talks about this miraculous conception at
Genesis 3:15 NIV And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
And
Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Luke 1:26-27, 34-38 NIV In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The angel Gabriel told Mary that “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The picture is that of a cloud. A cloud of glory representing God’s power. The miraculous conception is plainly identified in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. We've read both of them today.
The fact that Luke was a doctor gives added meaning to the miraculous conception of Mary by the Holy Spirit. It is a miracle. It is the power of God acting against natural law. In Luke's account he said "No word from God will ever fail.
In other words, “For with God nothing is impossible.”
Just like it says in:
When God told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child and Sarah laughed because both she and Abraham were old folks.
Genesis 18:13-14 NIV Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Jesus said the same thing about salvation.
Matthew 19:23-26 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The miraculous conception declares Jesus to be God
Matthew 1:23 NIV “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Luke 1:35 NIV The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The miraculous conception declares Jesus to be sinless.
He was born without an earthly father so He did not have the sinful nature passed through Adam.
Romans 5:12 NIV Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned--
Romans 5:12 CEV Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die.
Jesua never sinned.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He declared himself to be sinless
John 8:46 NIV Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
They could not lay one sin to his charge. Not one blunder, not one mistake, not one error did he commit, for he was Sinless.
The definition of incarnation is a person who embodies in the flesh a deity, spirit, or abstract quality. Jesus embodied God in His flesh.
“Matthew 1:23 NIV The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus became flesh and lived among us. He was God in human flesh—the God-man—not God indwelling a man which is what happens at salvation when the Holy Spirit indwells believers, but He was God Himself in human form.
The incarnation of Jesus Christ shows man's capacity for God. We can know God as he reveals himself through Jesus Christ, the God-man.
III. The miracles of Christmas speak of wondrous salvation
Matthew 1:21 NIV She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Luke 2:10-11 NIV But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke 19:10 NIV For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Galatians 4:4-5 NIV But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 NIV This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
Jesus Christ came to save.
He came to save sinners.
Matthew 18:11 NKJV For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
1 Timothy 1:15 NIV Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Jesus Christ came to save by taking our sins and its punishment on Himself.
John 1:29 NIV The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus Christ came to save by his own blood
1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Ephesians 1:7 NIV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
1 John 1:7 NIV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Jesus Christ came to save because no one else can save
Acts 4:12 NIV Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Conclusion
Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus at the Second Coming. On the one hand, we look backwards to Christ's first coming in the manger. On the other, we look forward to the Second Coming and the fullness of our reunion with the Lord.
Let the miracles of Christmas speak to your heart. Let the Christ of Christmas be your Savior and your Lord!