The Unseemly Birth Circumstances of the Messiah

Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2022-12-25
  • This story does have some very odd parts to it when you think about it,
  • but Paul’s call for our response (in Philippians) makes perfect sense and is very motivational.
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Sermon Slides - The Unseemly Birth Circumstances of the Messiah

  • The is the final part— the 5th in a series of 5

Week 1: Prophecies
and Preparations
for Jesus’s Coming

  1. Preparation of the World
  2. Prophecies from Genesis to Malachi
  3. Focus on Isaiah

Week 2: God Takes a Human Body

  1. The Messy Line of Jesus
  2. Historical setting of the world Jesus was born into
  3. The Reason why God took on a human body

Week 3: John’s teaching in 5 Steps

5. Now Jesus sends us!
4. So we need to depend totally on Jesus
3. Jesus totally depended on power “from above”
2. We must be born “from above”
1. Jesus came “from above”

The Christmas Story in the Four Gospels

Matt Mark Luke John Event
✓   ✓ ✓ Intro
✓   ✓   Mary becomes pregnant
    ✓   John the Baptist’s birth
✓   ✓ ✓ Jesus born
    ✓   Shepherds
    ✓   Simeon & Anna at the temple
✓       Wise Men Visit
& Escape to Egypt
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ John baptizes Jesus

Goal for today:

To find the reason for the unusual facts of the story,
and how we are expected to respond to it.

The Unseemly Birth Circumstances of the Messiah

  1. Jesus is born
  2. The Shepherds visit
  3. How should we respond today?

1. Jesus is born

Luke 2: Jesus is Born (CSB)

  1. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.
  2. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
  3. So everyone went to be registered, each to their own town.
  4. Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,
  5. to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
     
  6. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
  7. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no guest room available for them.

2. The Shepherds visit

Luke 2: Angels & Shepherds

  1. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
  2. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
     
  3. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
  4. Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
  5. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”
  6. Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
  7. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people with whom he is pleased!
     
  8. When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
  9. They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.
  10. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
  11. and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
  12. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and pondering them.
  13. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Humble birth

  • Jesus said to Philip: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14:9]
  • Is the Father like this, or just Jesus?
  • He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the LORD require of you
    but to do justice,
    and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God? [Mic 6:8]

3. How should we respond today?

Phil 2:1–11 Song of Jesus

  1. If then therefore there be any encouragement in Christ,
    if any comfort from his love
    if any fellowship in the Spirit
    if any deep affection or compassion
  2. Complete my joy by having the same mind & heart
        having the same love
        united in soul
        in one mind & heart
  3. not from rivalry or conceit
        but in humility counting others
            more important than yourselves.
  4.         Each of you should be concerned
            not only about your own interests,
        but also the interests of others.
     
  5. May this mind & heart be in you that was in Christ Jesus
     
  6. Who, being the form and reality of God
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be grasped
  7.     but poured himself out,
        taking the form and reality of a servant,
        being born in the likeness of men
            and seen with the appearance of a man
  8.         he humbled himself
            becoming obedient to the point of death
    •             even death on a cross
  9.         Therefore God super-exalted him
            and gave him the name
            that is above every name,
  10.     that at the name belonging to Jesus
        every knee will bow
        in heaven, on earth and under the earth
  11. and every tongue confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord
    to the glory of God the Father.

AMF

Updated on 2022-12-25 by Andrew Fountain