 Introduction The mystery of God’s incarnation through Jesus is vital to our understanding of redemption because we are saved only through the acts of Christ’s life and death. In the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel, we see God’s perfect plan of redemption comes through the incarnation of the Son. We also see Mary, the one whom God chose, who submitted to God and became an active member of the Kingdom of God. She was the recipient of God’s grace as she was told that she would give birth to the savior of the world. Because of Mary’s response, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” humanity can rejoice in knowing that our Lord has come to redeem us, to dwell in us, and so that we may know that we can live in the anticipation that he will come again to rule and reign as King, Lord, and Almighty God. Mary and the Angel Vs. 26: “In the sixth month”- This is the sixth month of Elizabeth’s (Mary’s cousin or aunt) pregnancy. “The angel Gabriel was sent by God…” The name Gabriel in Hebrew means “Man of God”. According to the Bible, he is the angel who brings revelation or messages. In Jewish noncanonical writings (Enoch), he is called one of four chief angels (Raphael, Uriel, and Michael). In these writings, he is described as an intercessor, destroyer of the wicked, one who is set over all powers, and sits at the left hand of God. According to Luke 1:19, He is the angel who stands in the presence of God. Michael and Gabriel are the only two angels mentioned in the Bible, and it is believed Gabriel is God’s messenger who executes His will on earth. We also know him as the angel who appears to Daniel when the LORD instructs him to give Daniel clarity to the message he received. He appears first to Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, to tell him that Elizabeth is pregnant with a son. Six months later, he comes to Mary to give her the great news that she will give birth to the long-awaited Messiah. Mary and her fiancé lived in a small town called Nazareth. It was about 70 miles north of Jerusalem. The town was surrounded by three hills making it a town located in a valley. There would be trade routes that would pass near the town but never through it. The town was small and insignificant in many ways, so it was not a city that was viewed favorably. Nazareth is the town where Jesus grew up. Vs. 28: “Greetings, favored woman!!” These are powerful words. God has chosen this young virgin named Mary specifically to be the mother of the Savior of the world. The word favored means to show kindness to someone, with the implication of graciousness on the part of the one showing such kindness— ‘to show kindness, to manifest graciousness toward, kindness, graciousness, grace.’[1] She is the direct recipient of God’s grace. There is nothing that we read in the Bible that indicates there was anything uniquely special about Mary. Thus, we see her as a recipient of God’s grace in its full effect. God chooses or favors her directly from grace. What we do know about Mary is she is an ordinary young girl, and that is it. God simply chose her because that is who He chose. However, we should note, she is a model saint as she receives the grace. “The Lord is with you!” – Some translations add, “blessed are you among women.” The angel spoke this to her because, as we will see, Mary is frightened by this encounter with the angel. Vs 29: “But she was deeply troubled… wondering what kind of greeting this could be.” This is strange because it does not say that she was troubled or afraid because an angel appeared before her (which would have been understandable) but it says she was troubled with the kind of greeting it was. Vs 30: “Do not be afraid” – The angel assures her that there is no need to be afraid. God is with her, and he has chosen her to be the recipient of God’s grace; thus, he has chosen her to be the vessel through whom he works to bring about His will of redemption through the Messiah. Vs 31: “Listen” – The Angel tells her why she is highly favored. His wording is remarkably like the prophetic “virgin” passage found in Isaiah 7:14. Mary will conceive a child, a boy, and his name will be Jesus. This was a common name in the OT and remained popular throughout the first century. Matthew 1:21… The angel tells us the meaning of his name and indicates that he will save people from their sins. His name in Hebrew is Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves” (Yahweh is typically rendered as “LORD” in the OT). Vs 32 – 33: The angel declares the destiny or purpose of the coming Messiah. He will be called the son of the Most High, In fact, He will be called the Son of God. He will be a King, like David, over the house of Jacob, pointing to his relationship with Israel. He will reign as King forever because his Kingdom is eternal and will remain forever. These expressions point to Jesus being the long-awaited Messiah, even though the angel does not say this directly. Vs. 34: Some think Mary’s response, “How can this be?” is a bit puzzling because Mary was obviously betrothed to be engaged, and having a child after marriage is certainly not out of the question. All Mary knew so far was she would have a child someday. Until now, the angel did not specify how or when the pregnancy would happen. So, some have suggested, and I agree, that Mary saw this encounter and promise as an immediate conception. This was not something, obviously, that was not going to happen a year or two down the road; it was going to happen soon. Vs. 35: Mary questions the angel, and he indicates that this will not be an average pregnancy and birth. First, she will not conceive by natural means. This is a divine act of the Holy Spirit. She will conceive supernaturally by God. “The Most High will overshadow you.” The word for “overshadow” carries the sense of the holy, powerful presence of God, as in the description of the cloud that “covered” (“settled upon”) the Tabernacle when the tent was filled with the glory of God. Vs 37: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Reading this does not make logical sense, but God works beyond our logic. He does not need to be logical because He works outside our realm. Isaiah 55:8 – 9 reads, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God does not do things conventionally. He works and moves on His terms, not ours, so when we do not fully understand how something so illogical or incredibly impossible to some is, we must be reminded of Isaiah 55:8 – 9 and that nothing is impossible with God. Vs 38: We see Mary’s true heart and character in this verse. We see that which, I believe, makes her special and unique. She replies, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” In her response, she acknowledges her position as a servant to God and then proclaims her faith as she submits her will and life to God. She understood what was going on. She knew her fiancé could potentially divorce her, her reputation would be marred, her son would be ridiculed and ostracized, and she knew the potential and the consequences of being accused of adultery in this Jewish society. Yet she accepted the call and submitted to God. Conclusion As we conclude this morning, may we be reminded that in this Christmas season, God showed His love to humanity by becoming a human. Let us consider Philippians 2:5 – 11. Through his incarnation, the Son gave up his “divine privileges” to become human and dwell among us. In the incarnation, he became completely dependent on His human mother as an infant and child. He was subject to death at the hands of humanity so that he may be crowned with glory and honor, and at his name, every knee shall bow in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father. Amen. [1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 748.
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 Introduction
Angels play an important role in the Christmas story… God doesn’t send one but a multitude of angels to proclaim the birth of the Savior of the world. Their proclamation that the Savior of the world had come was something the angels had anticipated since the beginning of time. As humble of a setting that the birth of Jesus was, God sent his angels to come and proclaim that the Lord had indeed come. There are hundreds of passages in the Bible that mention angels. In fact, 34 out of 66 books reference them, and yet we still don’t know much about them. The word Angel translated n both Hebrew and Greek means “messenger”. Angels are created beings who are sent to minister to God’s people in various ways, but they are specifically sent to serve God’s people for his purposes. What Do Angels Do? If Angels had a job description, what would it look like??
Angels in the Bible We do not know the number of angels in heaven and on eart, we only know there are a lot. In fact, Jesus mentions in the Gospels to having access to thousands of Angels to rescue him at his call.
What Do Angels Look Like? Some seem to have human qualities about them but distinct in their appearance. Many times, people would be talking to angels and would not realizie they were talking to an angel. Oher angels have a unique appearance and were frightening. Some portray themselves as angels of light. Some are described as grotesquely glorious creatures. Examples Matthew 28:3: Appearance of lightning and raiment of white Isaiah 6: Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Ezekiel 10: And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. Daniel 10:5, 6 - a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. Conclusion What Do the Angels Teach Us About Christmas?
When the shepherds encountered the infant Jesus, they left changed men. They met the little Lord Jesus and departed praising God for what they heard and saw. We see this throughout the life of Jesus. Whenever anyone had an encounter with Jesus they left changed in some way. This should be true for us today. If you have encountered Jesus how are you changed? When you came to saving faith in Christ did you receive a new heart and become a new creation in Jesus? If Jesus hasn’t impacted your life in some way, then maybe he hasn’t impacted your life at all.  Introduction
Early church father Saint John Chrysostom said this about the nativity: “The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He who sits upon the sublime and heavenly throne now lies in a manger. And he who cannot be touched, who is without complexity, incorporeal, now lies subject to human hands. He who has broken the bonds of sinners is now bound by an infant’s bands. But he has decrees that the ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory and abject humiliation the measure of his goodness. For this he assumed my body, that I may become capable of this word; taking my flesh, he give me his spirit; and so he bestowing and I receiving, he prepares for me the treasure of life.” The Incarnation The miracle of birth is just that… a miracle and the birth of Jesus Christ (the incarnation) is the greatest miracle of all. The incarnation is a mystery that has not been solved for millennia but has always ended up attributed to God’s miraculous and mysterious work. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “The incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write.” This is an amazing statement because Tolkien had one of the most creative minds when it came to writing fantasy stories. I believe Tolkien may have implied that the reality that Jesus became a human so that he may identify with us, including what Psychologist call the most painful event in life – birth and this is something that even in his vast and wild imagination could ever conceive or write about. The incarnation is not just a great mystery because it is about a baby being born. The mystery is in God becoming human and dwelling among us. The mystery continues in the way he came into the world through a young, unmarried virgin mother named Mary. The great reformer Martin Luther wrote, “The virgin birth is a mere trifle for God; that God should become man is a greater miracle; but most amazing of all is that the maiden should credit the announcement that she, rather than some other virgin, had been chosen by God.” Matthew 1:18 – 25 The account of Jesus’ birth is a miracle in itself. As I mentioned in a previous sermon this life of Jesus began and ended in humility, but the humility is encapsuled in a miracle. The miracle begins with a young virgin receiving the news and promise of giving birth to the Messiah (savior) through unusual means. The Greek word for virgin is Parthenos which means an unmarried female of marriageable age. Both Matthew and Luke state that the young girl was a virgin at the conception of Jesus and remained a virgin through full term. “She became pregnant…” Let’s go back 2000 years…imagine a young unmarried girl, at the age of 15 getting pregnant, this would not have been widely accepted in society. There were harsh laws and punishments for young women who gave birth out of wedlock. This pregnancy was unusual because Mary was a virgin. We are told that she became pregnant “through the power of the Holy Spirit.” The mystery deepens…We do not know how this happens. We are not given the details. All we know is that this is a work of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a divine mystery and an essential mystery because it is through the divine conception that Jesus will be called holy – The son of God (Luke 1:35) Mary was engaged to Joseph. We do not know much about him, but we do know he was considered a righteous man. At first, he determines to break the engagement quietly because he didn’t want to embarrass his fiancé publicly. Upon this consideration the angel of the Lord visits Joseph and encourages him to not be afraid, and that he should Marry Mary. Why? Because God is moving and doing a great thing, the Holy Spirit was at work, and he needed to stick this out, because what was happening is way beyond his understanding. The angel also instructs him … “You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew tells us what is happening so that the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 would be fulfilled. All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). They will call him Immanuel – “God with us”, or “with us is God”. This is the Prophetic Messianic name or title of Christ. This is the great mystery revealed. God will come and dwell with his people. John 1:14 - 18 Vs 14- 18: The Word became flesh: The incarnation. The eternal God, Creator of all, and the light of the world took on the form of a man and dwelt among humanity. He came to bring the light of salvation to all who believe. He came to dispel the darkness and bring life. John was an eyewitness as he walked, talked, and touched the living God in human flesh. John himself bore witness to Jesus’ glory. The word glory means “the most exalted state or kingly majesty”, so that all humanity may see the light of the World is the true light of all. The word dwelt literally means tabernacled or “pitched a tent among us.” To better understand this meaning, we need to understand what the tabernacle was and what it represents. The tabernacle was the precursor to the temple. It was literally a portable worship space that the Israelites would set up and take down as they wandered through the desert until they reached the Promised Land. The tabernacle contained the Ark of the Covenant and was the meeting place between God and Israel. The Tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s presence among the people. The tabernacle essentially has no meaning apart from Jesus Christ. The purpose of the tabernacle was to point to the coming Messiah. To show that one day God himself will dwell among his people. God established the tabernacle thousands of years before Jesus came to show that one day the Messiah would be the tabernacle for us. So, when it is said, Jesus dwelt or tabernacled among us, we can see Jesus as the fulfillment of the tabernacle and the temple. How so? The Tabernacle and Jesus The tabernacle was the place where people would meet with God. Jesus is the way to God. John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” The tabernacle was the center of Israel’s camp and the gathering or meeting place of God’s people. Likewise, Jesus is the center of Christianity, and all humanity is drawn by Him and to Him. John 12:32: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The tabernacle was where people offered sacrifices for their sins. Jesus is the one true, perfect sacrifice for forgiveness of sins to all who believe. Hebrews 10:12: “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor under God’s right hand.” The tabernacle was a place of worship. The church, or the body of Christ, is where we gather to worship today. Conclusion The incarnation is the fulfilment of God’s plan and prophecy to save the world. God at an appointed time sent Jesus, born of a woman, to set humanity free from those who are slaves under the law and adopted us as His children. Galatians 4:4 – 5: “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” D.A. Horton writes, “Through the incarnation, God the Son entered into our fallen world in order to place Himself under the law of Moses.” Hebrews 2:9: “What we see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” Through the incarnation we see not only the importance of the life of the savior who dwelt among us, but also in his death that he died. Though the incarnation Jesus dwelt among us and he was subject to death by the hands of humanity so that we may be crowned with glory and honor.  Introduction
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and we will talk about the birth of Jesus Christ and look at the historical and biblical significance of his birth and his life as He came to earth in the flesh. Mostly, we will look at the meaning behind the Nativity Story, a story of humility. Believe it or not, Jesus’ birthday is not December 25, 0 A.D. He was most likely not born in a barn, He most likely did not have a halo around his head, there were not necessarily three wise men, and there was no little drummer boy we know of. In fact, his birth was less glamorous. It is commonly held that Jesus was born in September or October in Bethlehem (but some scholars argue it was in Nazareth), but the precise date and location are debatable. Contrary to popular thought, history has shown he may have been born in a cave or a room in a house. The Bible also does not disclose how many Magi (or wise men) were present it only states there were the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Unfortunately, tradition has painted a picture of the scene of Jesus’ birth, and it is most likely incorrect. According to theologian D.A. Carson, It is probably true Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem during this time because the Romans reorganized their administration in several parts of the empire and were carrying out fresh censuses for the purpose of taxation. The execution of such an imperial decree in Syria (with which the area of Judea was associated) brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, which was prophesied long ago as the Messiah’s place of birth (according to Micah 5:2). There was no room for them in the inn, but as I stated tradition also holds that Jesus may have been born in a cave or room in a house near the inn and most likely not a stable. There are more misconceptions about the Christmas story that I could talk about, but I do not want to focus on them. Instead, I want to talk about humility as it relates to the Christmas story and the life of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. I am floored when I think about the creator of all things coming to this earth in the flesh of humanity. One would think everything about his entrance into this world would be spectacular, and his birth would be heralded among all the nations. However, everything about our Savior, including his birth, points to humility and service to others. Luke 2:1 - 20 Jesus’ life began and ended in humility. We see this in his birth, his life, and his death. One would think the purpose of God coming to this earth would have been to straighten humanity out and set things on the right course, but it was much more than that. Jesus had a destiny. Looking back at Luke 2:1 - 20, you can see his destiny. The angel proclaims that Jesus will be great and called the Son of the Most High, He will receive the throne of David and reign over all of Israel, and there shall be no end to His kingdom. However, before we can recognize Him as the King of Kings and Prince of Peace, we need to grasp the humility of our God in the flesh. While on earth, He was God in the flesh living a life of humility, showing others the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. We see the humility of Jesus in His birth. There is nothing spectacular about his entrance into this world. It all begins with our God coming into the world in the form of a baby… a weak, helpless, and needy baby. Not a strong warrior or mighty king, but a baby. We read that He was born in a little town called Bethlehem, and this is significant because Micah 5:2 prophesies this, but the town is so insignificant that it is not even listed in the list of Judah’s towns in Joshua 15. Not only was he born a weak little baby in an insignificant town, but he was born to a simple carpenter and a young mother. Then to top it off, the angels do not proclaim the birth of the savior of the world to the masses. Instead, they proclaimed the Savior’s entrance into this world to a group of Shepherds. Yes, smelly, stinky, and insignificant shepherds! Don’t you think Jesus could have had better PR than that? Wouldn’t it have been better to announce the birth of the Savior of the world to the city of Jerusalem? Or maybe they would send a wire to the Jerusalem Times that the long-awaited Messiah had come, and now He would start the process of setting up His eternal Kingdom? Maybe they could have called JNN Jerusalem News Network and had an anchor come and report on this event for the world to see. No, God chooses shepherds. We have in the Biblical account… The Savior of the world came to the earth in the form of a weak, helpless baby, born in a small insignificant town to a young mother and a Jewish carpenter father (who wasn’t his biological father). Angels heralded his birth to a group of stinky, smelly shepherds who were tending to their sheep, and eventually (probably one or two years after his birth), some wise guys came along and gave Jesus some sweet gifts. There is certainly no glamour in all of this! Jesus had a rather humble beginning to life; certainly, things will get better as he gets older, right? Wrong! When we glance at Jesus’ life, we will see the opposite is true. First, Jesus was tempted by Satan as an average ordinary man. You can read the account in Matthew 4. Why was he tempted? Isn’t He God? Couldn’t He have just told Satan to take a hike and got on with his life? Hebrews 4 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." He was tempted so he could sympathize with our weaknesses and yet show us that we do not need to give in to temptation. Why would a king allow this to happen if He didn’t truly love and care for his people? Secondly, Jesus was a carpenter from an average family. Mark 6:3 says the people questioned Jesus’ wisdom by asking, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. The leader's question implied, “He is a common laborer, not a King, and most certainly, not the Savior.” His immediate family—mother, brothers, and sisters—were known to the townspeople as ordinary people. Thirdly, we see Jesus’ humility in the fact that He didn’t even have a home. In Matthew 8:20, a Scribe told Jesus He would do whatever it took to follow Jesus, "And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” As Lord of the universe, He could have lived in mansions created for glory or even a semi-decent house, but the Bible tells us He had no home. Fourthly, Jesus did have a moment where He accepted worship as a King. However, it wasn’t as a valiant knight on a white steed parading into town as a victorious warrior. Instead, He came into town on a colt, a simple work colt. Fifth, he refers to himself as a servant, and a servant King is what He was. Philippians 2:5 – 7 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." This tells us a lot about Jesus Christ. He made himself nothing and became a servant. How many leaders or kings do you hear who believe that’s their calling in life? Lastly, we see the humility of Christ in the way He died. He did not die of old age or die during battle as a warrior. No, He was crucified and died an excruciating, painful, and dishonorable death. That He gave himself over to death is an act of humility. He has the power to defeat death, yet he becomes subservient to it. Yet He did this because this was the plan from the beginning, and He needed to make a way for man to receive salvation. Conclusion What’s the point I am trying to make? Jesus was born in humility and lived a life of humility as a servant, who, tempted to sin, did not give in. He had no home; he was eventually hailed as the Messiah but on the back of a donkey and was killed a week later as He hung on a cross. We can see and understand that our Lord lived a life of humility on this earth. Of course, today, He is seated at the Father's right hand and will someday return as a triumphant King. But for now, we wait and anticipate and look to him as our example of how we should live our lives here. Our Lord lived as a humble servant. He served the needs of those who had needs, He became subject to earthly leaders, and He didn’t put His own needs before the needs of others. What does this show us today? As we enter the Christmas season, let us humbly serve one another. Yet, not just our own families or church but truly seek ways that we can serve others in the name of Jesus Christ. I am not sure how you will do it, but it could be as simple as assisting someone less fortunate, buying a gift for a child whose parent(s) are incarcerated, dropping off some cookies to a neighbor, or inviting someone to worship with us this Christmas season. Be creative, think outside yourself and your family, and seek ways to serve others in humility in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. |
Jeff has been in full-time ministry for thirty years. He currently serves as Executive Director at Anchor House Ministry at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto, FL and he is a part-time Campus Pastor at West Bradenton Southside in Bradenton, Florida.
Jeff Has authored A Lent Devotional (A Spiritual Journey to Lent) an Advent Devotional (The Advent of Jesus) and a devotional on the book of James (James: Where Faith and Life Meet). All three are available on Amazon. He is married to Carrie and they have four children, Micaiah, Gabe, Simon, and Berea. Preview or purchase Jeff's Books
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