Jesus Is at The Heart of Christmas – The Heart of Christmas, part 5
During this series, we are looking at how hope, peace, joy and love are at the heart of Christmas. This week we learn how God’s expression of love is witnessed in the birth of Jesus.
This series centers on the story of Jesus’ birth. It’s meant to help you grow in faith and prepare your heart to focus on the real reason for the season: Jesus!
The last four weeks we have focused on the Heart of Christmas. Each Sunday we have seen a different view of the birth of Christ. We considered the hope, peace joy, and love of God. We saw Mary and Joseph’s view of loving and expecting the baby Jesus. The shepherds witnessed the baby Jesus and then go to spread the news of Jesus’ birth. We did not focus on the wise men, but in scripture we know the wise men visit the baby Jesus (the one to be born king of the Jews) and finding him they bowed and worshiped the one born king of the Jews. Each one needed to make a choice of how they would respond to the news of a savior being born.
Our plans in life do not always line up with God’s plans for our lives, because often we want to do things our way and run after the things of the world, and yet, time and again we learn God’s plan is always best. At times in life, we do not see the potholes or bumps in the road of life; however, those bumps and pot holes may be exactly what needs to happen for us to experience and accomplish God’s plan in our lives; and in the lives of others. Sometimes the only way God can get our attention is to allow us to hit those bumps and potholes in such a way that we need to stop and consider just what we are doing and what is God doing.
Those bumps and potholes in the road are very likely divine appointments to get our attention so we would cry out to God. The bumps and potholes may seem inconvenient. They may disrupt your plans. You may experience pain or heartaches at times. You may wonder what is going on. What is God is doing? Why is this happening to me now? This is just my luck; and yet luck it is not.
Mary must have thought, this is not supposed to be happening to me. Why me God? Why now? What will Joseph think? God are you sure you have the right girl? I am from Nazareth. Nothing good comes from Nazareth. The shepherds, the wise men, along with Mary and Joseph will all need to decide how they would respond to God’s prophecy and plan for their lives. They each could have acted differently; they could have refused or ignored the plan of God; however, that would not have altered God’s plan regarding a savior. The hope, peace, joy and love that each one experienced by saying yes to God could very have been despair, dislike, discouragement, discord, hopelessness, fear, frustration and a deep sense of sorrow if they refused and said no to God.
The Heart of God Is Revealed Through the Arrival of Jesus
The message of the birth of Jesus is love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. It is God reaching out to mankind. It is God’s love, piercing through the darkness of mankind’s rebellion and sin, making a way for those who will choose to believe and escape the penalty of past sins. It is God taking the first step in providing a way to rebuild the broken relationship with mankind that was broken back in the garden, not due to any fault of God.
Today we celebrate, and remember, the birth of Jesus the son of God. The Word made flesh. We recall the prophecy of a savior to be born. We rejoice that the prophecy of a savior to be born was fulfilled. We say yes to God. Yes to the savior. Yes to faith and hope in the son of God.
The Christmas story begins with a promise of a savior in the garden back in Genesis 3:15 and is clarified in Isaiah.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, NIV).
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
‘In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1:26-31).
‘So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”’ (Luke 2:4-14).
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route” (Matthew 2:10-12).
Today we sing and rejoice, for on that night long ago the savior was born. God extended his love, peace, and favor to all who would say yes to his gift of love that was wrapped in flesh and placed in a manger. Whose name was Immanuel, God with us.
God’s expression of love is witnessed in the birth of Jesus. It is also seen in Jesus’ life, knowing with every step the cross was before him. Jesus offering his life as a sacrifice; that we might live.
John 3:16 expresses in words the plan of God:
“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” (John 3:16).
That night long ago, the shepherds in fields nearby choose to leave their flocks and go see Jesus the son of God, and they were welcomed. The wise men traveled a great distance and were welcomed. They worshiped and gave precious gifts to Jesus.
Belief In Christ Allows Us to Live Today as Well as For Eternity
Millions upon millions of people down the ages have said yes to Jesus and each of them received God’s love, peace, and favor. No one is ever turned away who truly seeks him. The light of the Gospel has drawn millions upon millions of people back into a right relationship with God and they are now in the presence of God at this moment and for all eternity.
This Christmas will you, like Mary and Joseph along with the shepherds and wise men, rejoice. The savior is born! Choose to celebrate and glorify God and the birth of Jesus. Choose to celebrate and share the good news of Jesus’ birth, every day, with those who need to hear the message of God’s grace and mercy.
You may experience some bumps in life, but you can be sure that as you look to Jesus, some bumps will be avoided; while other bumps will not seem as bad and will help shape you into a blessed man or woman of God.
Rejoice and celebrate Jesus’ birth, year-round so others will know and rejoice.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA.