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South Bay SDA Church

The Nativity

Jeremy Arnall

01 The Nativity: Joseph

In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their flying machine off the ground.

Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister, Catherine.

Catherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message.

He glanced at it and said, well how nice, the boys would be home for Christmas.

Some ways, I can't help but wonder if we at times are guilty of the same.

We contemplate with great anticipation, with great care, what we are going to give our loved ones for Christmas perhaps.

We think carefully about who to mail cards to and we plan carefully our schedules and we schedule parties and family get-togethers, but sometimes we fail to give the same attention to the Nativity scene.

The scene that we as Christians celebrate at this festive time of the year.

Yes, I know that Christmas was originally, at least they say, a pagan holiday, but Christians choose to take this time to celebrate love and family and Most of all, Jesus Christ.

We don't have a prescribed instruction as when to celebrate his birth, so we take this time to do just that.

Because God didn't instruct us with regards to the time, this is the time we celebrate, a time when reflection is high and visions are cast.

But amidst the twinkling lights, Amidst the Christmas delights and the Christmas carols and the frosted cookies, amidst the shiny paper and the ribbon and bows, amidst all the gaiety that Christmas creates, we sometimes fail to seriously reflect on the nativity scene itself.

Of course we see the nativity sets there and found in front of churches and homes, sometimes in front of the living room or church foyers, but the story they represent sometimes is only sung about or recited in Christmas plays and programs.

So, you see, it's possible to fool ourselves into thinking we are turning our hearts towards the story that began in Bethlehem when in reality our hearts are far from it.

Sometimes I wonder if we don't talk about the Christmas story much like We do the weather with someone at the post office when we're standing in line.

After all the Christmas rushes over, you see, when the lights are unplugged, the package is unwrapped, are we any closer to the story that changed humanity forever?

Or is it kind of like when you're driving, you've driven several miles down the highway and then you kind of come to your senses and you realize, I don't remember a thing that happened in the last few minutes.

This morning and for the next couple of weeks, or 3 weeks I guess, I want us to carefully pause to reflect, to 0 in on the family of the nativity scene.

And like a child who carefully unwraps a package from under the tree, seek to unwrap the meaning of this 2, 000-year-old story.

As we carefully look at each of the 3 main characters in the manger scene, maybe we will discover that their story, though old, has something fresh for us this Christmas season.

Hence, I've chosen to entitle the message or this series simply, the nativity.

Dear Lord, I pray that your Spirit would guide us, humble us, and help us to approach this story, though familiar, though sung about, though rehearsed, year after year.

May we approach it with open eyes and an open heart.

Through the power and the ministry of your Holy Spirit, we ask that you will work, do your appointed work in our hearts.

That the lessons learned in this small, little, intimate moment will be lessons that will bring change and reformation, and most of all, revival in our lives.

So Lord, please hide me behind your glory.

Veil us that we might, or fill us that we might receive your Holy Spirit and see as we haven't seen before.

Open your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew chapter 1, we're looking at the first character in the nativity scene, the story of Joseph, the story of the Father.

I'm in Matthew chapter 1 and we're going to pick up with verse 18.

Matthew chapter 1 and I want you to notice verse 18.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows, after his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

And she will bring forth a son and you, you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet through the Lord, sorry, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us.

Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name Jesus." We don't actually know for sure the time though it's believed it was likely in the fall of 5 BC.

Originally known as Ephrath, the small town of Bethlehem was located in the hill country of Judah.

Some simply refer to it as the city of David but it's a town rich with heritage, a place where many a story had been made but never had a story come from this town as noteworthy as the 1 that would be recorded that evening.

Joseph was coming home, at least to the home of his ancestors.

Joseph was of the lineage of David and because of the census that was being taken at the time, he had to make his way to file his report and likely list any properties that he owned, which probably wasn't much because you understand Joseph wasn't a wealthy man.

Joseph had in some ways had a rough life.

Though he had been blessed with many children, he didn't have wealth and he was likely, from what we can tell, a widower, with what would have been likely 6 or more kids.

In other words, he already had at least 6 children.

Matthew 13 and I want you to notice verse 55 and 56.

Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas and his sisters?

So Joseph would have had, Jesus would have had sisters which is plural which we would assume would have at least been 2, right?

And he has at least 4 brothers that are recorded here.

So with the 4 brothers and at least 2 sisters, we could say that Joseph at least had 6 children at this point.

And some say, well, then Mary didn't maybe have children.

Well, I mean, when Jesus was on the cross, he gave John the responsibility of caring for his mother.

So we would assume, therefore, that Mary perhaps never had any other children of her own.

Not here to, that's the way we understand it.

We would assume therefore that that these siblings, these children of Joseph, were old enough to take care of themselves or at least someone tended to them as we don't see them taking the journey to Bethlehem with Joseph during the census.

Of course Joseph would fall in love with Mary or at least take her to be his wife.

She was likely younger than he and had never known a man.

She was pure and righteous and from the light of David as well.

So it was that he betrothed himself to her.

You must remember too that This notion of betrothal meant more than today's form of engagement.

It was actually a binding agreement that required a legal divorce if changed.

And while they were legally bound upon betrothal, it still wasn't the same as marriage for it wasn't until the union was consummated that they would become as man and wife.

Thus, you have a little bit of an idea of the context of our story this morning.

Notice again, this time more closely, verses 18 to 20.

Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows, after his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

But while he thought about these things, and I bet he was thinking doing some heavy thinking, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is, No, it's true, Joseph, is of the Holy Spirit.

Mary's been gone for 3 months and when she comes back from supposedly visiting her relative Elizabeth, she informs Joseph that she is pregnant.

Of course, we aren't for certain on that timeline, but it's very probable.

Hold your place in Matthew, go to Luke, chapter 2.

Now we just had the story about John's, you know, Zacharias and the Elizabeth's being with child and so forth.

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.

So it's in the sixth month, the sixth month of what?

The sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy.

So in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel comes to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.

So Mary's betrothed to a man named Joseph, we just saw that, the Virgin's name was Mary.

Then Mary said, Behold the maidservant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her.

Okay, so Luke chapter 1 here is giving you the story of how the angel came and gave Mary this announcement.

Then in verse 39 you see, now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with what?

With haste to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

And she stays with her verse 56 and Mary remained with her about 3 months and returned to her house.

So it appears that she stays with her during the last trimester of her pregnancy and she then goes home.

I mean we understand Mary would have been very young and so when she's told, and we'll study this next time, but when she's told that the Holy Spirit will overshadow you, that you're going to carry the Son of God, you would probably rush to Elizabeth's house too because I understand you have a special child in your womb and so I need to know, I mean she's a virgin, I need to know what's this like?

02 The Nativity

Okay, I want to share with you this statement.

Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Word of God.

In eternity we shall learn that which, if we had received the enlightenment that it was possible for us to obtain here, would have opened our understanding.

And understanding means obedience to all God's commandments.

The plan of God's government would have been understood.

The heavenly would have opened its chambers of grace and glory for exploration.

Human beings would have been altogether different from what they now are in form, in speech, in song, for by exploring the minds of truth, they would have been ennobled.

The mystery of redemption, the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ in His mediatorial character, the what?

The incarnation of Christ, our Redeemer, His atoning sacrifice would not be as they now are, vague in our mind.

They would have been not only better understood, but altogether more appreciated.

This morning I want to talk to you about what is in many ways considered a mystery.

In fact, Martin Luther put it this way in his table talk.

He said, The mystery of God, the mystery of the humanity of Christ that He sunk Himself into our flesh is beyond all human understanding.

The title of the message this morning is, the nativity.

Lord, would you please speak to our hearts that we might understand.

Would you help us to comprehend, And Lord, we see that through disobedience, our understanding has grown weak.

And that in many ways, what we are peering into today is, well, it's not understood as it could have been.

So Lord, we simply ask for your Holy Spirit that we might see that the Holy Spirit might overshadow us.

Open your Bibles to Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1 verse 26 to 38.

Luke chapter 1, we're in the Christmas story.

Last week, I'm sorry, 2 weeks ago, we looked at the story of Joseph.

We're looking at the 3 main characters in the Nativity.

The father, Joseph, the mother, Mary, and the baby, Jesus.

And so as we looked at Joseph, we recognized that there was a great deal there to be learned, that indeed, even though he sometimes gets looked past, that Joseph had the opportunity to demonstrate, to inculcate in the baby Jesus a comprehension, a little vignette of what a father means, what a father looks like, what a solemn responsibility.

Because years later, Jesus would say, this is how you should pray, talking about his father in heaven, our father who art in heaven.

You say, wow, what an awesome responsibility it was.

Today we want to look at the story of Mary.

Now, in the sixth month, The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David.

And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored 1, the Lord is with you.

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

And then the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, 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.

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.

And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom there will be no end.' 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 Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you.

Therefore, also that holy 1 who is to be born will be called the son of God.

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.

For with God, nothing will be impossible.

And then Mary said, behold, the maidservant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her." in Academy, my sweetheart, who's still my sweetheart but my wife now, we went on a mission trip.

And it was quite divinely orchestrated, I believe, that we got to go together.

I don't know how that worked out, but God did it.

And we got to go together on this mission trip to Parnu, Estonia.

This was back in 1992, I believe, and it was right after the, you know, communism had fallen.

It's quite an opportunity and we were elated.

Never been out of the country before, barely been on a plane only once in my life, and so this was a big do.

We went over and of course having, communism having just recently fallen, the exchange rate was amazing.

We had a wonderful campaign there and a wonderful experience with our pastor.

When we were on our, well while we were there, we had some time to shop for souvenirs.

I mean, we had money that drove, I mean, we felt like we were rich compared to the folks there.

And We went into this 1 store, and I remember they had all this pottery.

And I was really feeling generous with my money because it went so far.

And I told Tina, I said, I'll get you the whole set.

Got her a whole set with mugs and a pitcher, but it was pottery and we had to fly from Estonia all the way back to North Carolina.

We packed it up, We were a little naive on how all that worked and put it all in the suitcases as I recall.

And got home and we're all excited to tell our parents about the trip.

And as my wife was at our house that evening just to share in the reveal, if you will, of our trip and she proceeded to pull out all this pottery and as you can imagine the picture was crumbled all up into many pieces.

Cups were, some of them cracked and broken.

Interestingly enough, as a side note, that picture is in our dining room today.

My grandfather glued it all back together.

But I have to wonder, But I have to wonder, no matter how careful you are to put styrofoam or clothing or whatever to try to protect the fragile, take it across the ocean on a plane.

So imagine the dilemma that God the Father had as he faces the need to seek to find a safe place for Jesus.

The father must find a person who is trustworthy enough to carry his precious son for 9 months.

Who could possibly fill such an important role?

Surely they would need to have experience, right?

Someone who had raised many children of their own, who knew how it worked.

Someone who would know what the child needed when they cried and when to leave them alone.

Such a person would need money so as to provide the best schooling, the finest and most nutritious of foods, because we're talking about the Son of God.

They would need to live in a good town where the child would have every opportunity to rub shoulders with the elite and the educated.

And so, God chose Mary, a poor peasant lady who was betrothed to be married to a carpenter, young, very young, believed to be a teen.

And of course, it's not like you unknowingly talk with angels every day.

So Mary was startled a bit when the angel showed up at her place.

The angel started out by saying that how Mary was favored, That is, God is with you and thus grace is upon you.

Immediately, her fears should be laid to rest, but she's still confused, as Scripture indicates.

So the angel repeats the encouraging words that she is favored by God and then relays the news to her.

1 of the most, 1 of those experiences where your mind begins to race in a thousand directions and questions rush in.

The question that then burst forth from her lips is first, how?

How's this going to happen since she's not been around that long, but she knows this much, she's still a virgin?

The angel responds that she's going to become pregnant, become with child by the power of God through His Holy Spirit.

The text gets rather specific by saying, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, verse 35, the power of God will overshadow you.

Don't you know that she must have still had questions as to the how?

03 The Nativity

I'd like to pick up with what modern science tells us with regards to what happens to a little 1 as it develops in the womb.

According to the online informant WebMD, we read that after conception, the first month, a primitive face takes form with large dark circles for eyes.

The mouth, the lower jaw, and the throat are developing.

By the end of the first month, your baby is about a quarter inch long, smaller than a grain of rice.

Your baby's facial features continue to develop.

Each ear begins as a little fold of skin on the side of the head.

Tiny buds that will eventually grow into arms and legs begin to form.

And in about 6 weeks, your baby's heartbeat can usually be detected.

Month 3, by the end of the month, the third month that is, your your baby is fully formed.

Fingerprints and toenails are beginning to develop and the external ears are now developed.

At the end of the third month, your baby is about 3 to 4 inches long, and they weigh about an ounce.

Month 4, your baby's fingers and toes are now well-defined, eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails and hair are formed, teeth and bones become denser, your baby can even suck his or her own thumb, yawn, stretch, and yes, even make faces.

The nervous system is starting to function.

The reproductive organs are now fully developed.

By the end of the fourth month, your baby is about 6 inches long and now weighs 4 ounces.

Month 5, the hair is beginning to grow on your baby's head.

You may begin to feel the baby move since he or she is now developing muscles and exercising them.

Month 6, his skin or her hair is now developing its color and it's wrinkled and veins.

Its skin wrinkled and veins or I'm sorry, Its skin is red and it's wrinkly and you can see the veins through the translucent skin.

The baby's finger and toes now have a print, a unique fingerprint or toe print.

The eyelids are now able to open and the baby can open its eyes.

Your baby may respond to sounds and by moving or increasing their pulse, and you may even notice jerking motions if the baby begins to have hiccups.

At month 7, at the end of the seventh month, fat begins to be deposited on your baby.

Your baby's hearing is fully developed, and he or she changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain, and light.

Month 8, your baby is now about 18 inches long, weighs as much as 5 pounds, will continue to mature and develop reserves of body fat.

You may notice that your baby is kicking more.

The baby's brain is developing rapidly at this time, and he or she can see and hear.

At month 9, the baby continues to grow and mature.

The baby's reflexes are coordinated, so he or she can blink, close the eyes, turn the head, grasp firmly, and respond to sounds, light, and touch.

And Scripture says, a body thou hast prepared for me.

And so they were to call him Jesus, For He would save His people from their sins.

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The Nativity

01 The Nativity: Joseph

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