Sermon – “God Stepped into Humanity”

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

You know. The great commission what is a great commission. Jesus told disciples go into all the world and preach the gospel. And what is the gospel. It’s Christmas. It is God stepped into humanity. That is the gospel message. Whether it’s the Sembler and we’re celebrating Christmas or whether it’s all good some are out evangelizing What is the message. God stepped into manatee. That is the good the message that God did for us what we could not do that he became one of us. God stepped into humanity. How do you thank you father. Thank you our scripture the small comes from Luke chapter one vs twenty six through thirty eight. And also Chapter two verses for through seven. Hear the word of the Lord. Now in the six month. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee Nazareth. To a virgin. Be true to a man whose name was Joseph. Of the House of David. The virgins name was Mary. And having come in the angel said to her. Rejoice highly favored one. The Lord is with you. Less that are you among women. But when she saw him. She was troubled that is saying and considered the manner of his greeting. The manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her. Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God. There’s other cases where the angels appear to know when he appeared to Zacharias. He said Do not be afraid do not fear. He always comforted. Is Sure them. Do not be afraid for you have found favor with God and behold. You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua Woods. Which means the Lord say as. He will be great. And we called the Son of the highest. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And up his kingdom there will be no end a man. Then Mary said to the Angel. How can this be. Since I do not know a man. And the angel answered and said to her. The Holy Spirt will come upon you and the power the highest whatever shall do you. Therefore also that Holy One who is to be born. Will be called the Son of God. Now indeed. Elizabeth your relative has also can see the sun in her old age. And is now in the six month for her for her who was called barren for God. With God Nothing will be impossible. Then Mary said Behold. The maid servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word and the angel departed from her. I want to pause before I go to the next reading howler Louis appraisal Lord that Mary said. Let it be to me according to your word here is Mary a young virgin. Be true to a man named Joseph. Married knew that if this was to happen. There goes her reputation. There goes her reputation. Because Joseph was known that it was not he. And he was not the father of this child. So she could have been stoned according to the Lall he could have put her away who could have sent her away. Her reputation completely destroyed in ruined. She knew that going into this. But she was well in the say. Lord not my will but your will be done. She completely gave up her will surrender her will the hopes that see that she had that you know. She’s going to birth a child with Joseph. She completely gave that up to a big God’s will and God’s plan. She was faithful to God are we willing to surrender our will completely. For what God wants us to do. Or we will miss a. Let it be to me Lord according to your will. According to your plans for my life. Then in chapter two versus four three seven. Joseph also went up from Galilee. Out of the city of Nazareth into Judea. To the City of David which is called Bethleham. Because he was of the house and then each of David. To be registered with Mary his betroth wife who was with child. So it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son. Wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Because there was no room for them in the end how of the. God stepped into humanity. You know sometimes think as pastors we think get it Christmas time we need to come up with some new twist or some new angle to approach the Christmas message. Thinking that the congregation might be getting tired of hair net Samal Christmas Story. But you know what we don’t need to come up with something new we don’t need to stress over coming up with some new twist because a miracle Christmas never grows old a man that never grows old. I don’t think I know it’s never grown old with my wife. She’s like a kid a Christmas. But it never grows old it shouldn’t grow old for any of us. Because that is the basic simple truth. It is still the greatest event that ever happened the history of the entire universe. It changed the course of history. The world has never been the same. Since the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. It is never been and never will be the same. Because it brought hope for there was no hope. Before Christ there was no hope of eternal life. But now there is hope of the eternal life. Well after the first sin. There might have been hope of eternal life for a short time. But as soon as Adam and Eve sin. The hope of eternal life was lost. So when Christ came we regain that hope. There’s been restoration. He brought light into a world that was filled with darkness. Jesus said I am the light of the world. Yes there still a lot of darkness in the world. But those who are in Christ and Christ in them are not bound by that darkness. We are unaffected by the darkness when we stand in his strength and in His light. We can walk in the light. Because Greater is He was in me then he was in the world. In John chapter one vs three for three through five. It says. All things were made through Him and without him nothing was made. That was made in Him was life. And the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. And here’s why it never ever grows old. Because the birth of Christ God incarnate. God incarnate taking on the flesh is the foundational truth of which the church is built upon. Without it there would be no church. Without God incarnate we would not be here. We would not be here celebrating Christmas. We would not be here gathered together as a congregation. Because we believe in God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is our joy it is our blessed peace. It is our hope a man. God incarnate. That is what the birth of Christ is. Those are still amazed anybody there is still major that God created the universe would humble himself in step into humanity. The word incarnate does not appear in the Bible. But it is derived from the Latin word in and Karo in Karo means flesh so it means in flesh meaning clothed in the flesh. The act of assuming Fletch God is speared. But got assumed Fletch. God did not raise up a man from among men. Jesus is not a child just born of the seed a man. He was actually God assuming human flesh. He homeward unself to the lowliest of circumstances. That one song the praise song we sang. He humbled himself and became aware he had to be nursed by his mother. He had to put be depended upon humans to care for him to protect him to think about that Mary. Cradling the creator of the universe. The God of the universe in her arms. Nestled in her in her arms. Feeding him. It’s kind of hard to fathom isn’t it. But it’s true. It’s a fact it’s been recorded in history. And we believe it. By faith. Believe that it actually happen. The way it’s recorded in our Bible. I believe it. Do you believe it that God humbled unself he left his throne in glory and came down and took on human flesh. The apostle Paul wrote in without controversy great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. It’s a great mystery even a possible poll says that first time at the threes. Sixteen. Probably the passage of Scripture that anyone has read the Bible. Knows by heart. Describes what God did or why God did what he did more than any other passage John three sixteen and verse seventeen. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. That sums it up. That’s the answer that’s the reason why. Because God so loved. He so loved you. He so loved you. He so loved Jews. He’s so loved the world is a reason why. He gave His Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. There is that hope that we long for that is our hope that is are a joy for God did not send a son into the world to condemn the world. But that the world through him. Might be say to. If we know. No other scripture. But that we know the message we know why God did what he did we know what Christmas is all about. From this passage right here. God even loves that one it’s sitting out there net prison cell. For whatever crimes they may have committed. God even loves that drunkard to comes home and beats his wife. God even laws that nasty contrary all grumpy neighbor you might have got even love that person that goes out and takes drugs and does terrible things to their body. He may not love what they’re doing. But he loves them on telling you he loves them more than we can understand how do I know this because I know he loved me I wasn’t worthy. But that’s what his love is all about. We aren’t worthy. But he still loves us. He sent a sudden to the world to save the world not to condemn it. So let us not condemn them but lets us love them and tell them what Christmas is all about that god stepped into humanity and saved us. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is outside the range of our human understanding. It can only be understood by the revelation of scriptures. And the Holy Spirit revealing it to us. It’s only through the Holy Spirit that we can comprehend. The incarnation of God for of Jesus Christ was not born of the Virgin. Then he was not God in the flesh. And he was therefore only man. Jesus would have possessed the same sinful nature is any other man. If he was not God incarnate. John one fourteen says in the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only be gotten of the Father full of grace and truth. But John one fourteen cannot be fully appreciated. Apart from verse one of the same chapter in the beginning was the word. And the Word was WITH God. That means Jesus was with God in the very beginning. And the Word was God. And the Word became flesh. He was. He was one with the father. From all eternity became man taking upon him a human body. He was with God. He became flesh. He dwelt among us from the infinite position of eternal God head. Godhood to the infinite limitations of manhood. It’s unthinkable. But yet it is true. It is true. That is our hope. Paul gives another significant passage of on the incarnation in his goal ation epistle. But when the fullness of time was come. God sent forth His Son made of the woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Collations for four and five. In these verses Paul status is the. The fact of the Incarnation. You know I found a story to share Christmas time that I had shared. Probably a few times before and it hurt before. That’s OK. But it really describes what God has done and in a more modern sense to help us understand the story is told about a man. That was a a good man he was a very kind man. He was decent. He was very generous to his family he was upright. And all of his dealings with other men. But he just did not believe all of that incarnation stuff. Which the Church proclaims at Christmas time. It just did not make sense to this man. It was just. And he was just too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story about God coming to or. As a man. So he told his wife he says I’m truly sorry to distress you you says but I am not going to church with you this Christmas Eve. He said he just didn’t feel like being a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home. But that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service. But shortly after the family had left. They drove away in a car. Snow began to fall and it’s. And it snowed very hard. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier. And then he went back. By the fire. Set nice chair. And I began to read his newspaper and a few moments later that he was startled by a thought in sound. Then another and then another sort of a thump and a thud. And at first he thought the someone must be throwing snowballs. Against these big window. So I went to investigate. And he found a flock of birds. Huddled miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the storm. And they were desperate search for shelter. So we try. So they tried to fly through his window to find shelter. Well he thought the self I just couldn’t couldn’t that these poor creatures lay out their freeze he said so he remembered the Boer murders children kept the pony. So that would be a nice warm shelter for these birds to go into. So the man goes out in the opens up the doors and goes back in and watches drives to get the birds to go into the barn. But they wouldn’t go so it all well I’m going to go into the house and I’ll get some bread. So good then they get some bread. And he sprinkles a trail of bread to the barn doors and had a light on the barm. But that still didn’t work the birds just kept flopping around over there by the window and Snow said all well go now try to shoo the birds in he goes and he tried to shoo the birds into the barn. And that didn’t work. And he just kept trying to various things. And all of sudden the man thought to yourself. He thought if I could just become a bird. Just for a short time that I could talk with them that I could comfort them. And I could lead them into that barn and about the time the man thought about that the church bells rang. And all the sudden it dawned on him. What God had done. And he sung to his knees and receive the Lord him wanting to save those birds he realize that God had done just exactly that same thing for us. You know I don’t know if that’s a true story or not but it speaks the truth. It really brings it home. What God did for us. He he wanted to say those birds. Well. God did save mankind. When he stepped into humanity he became one of us. He lived the perfect sinless life. He found out what it was like what we went through what we walked through that lived that perfect life. He lived his life in the shadow of the cross as we celebrate Christmas we have to realize that he lived that life in the shadow of the cross knowing that some day he was going to sacrifice that life for us to bridge that gap. To reconcile man to him self. God had to become one of us they meant that is what Christmas is all about doing for man what he could not do for him self. That is a story that we need to pass on to our neighbors to our children to our grandchildren. To the next generation as we were talking about Generation down and Sabbath school. We must continue to share that wonderful news. That there is hope for a lost and dine world that hope is Jesus. Amen. God bless and Merry Christmas.