Christian teaching

The Christmas story is very familiar to us. So I want us to look at it today from a bit of a different angle. I want us to see what we learn about God from the story of Jesus’ birth.

1. God’s forethought on our behalf

God has had a plan for us from the beginning of time and has worked meticulously to see it through to completion. It wasn’t just thought up as he went along.

In fact, the plan was foretold centuries before. For instance, the prophecy of Micah 5:2 on the coming of Jesus. This is referenced in  Matthew 2:5-6. The wise men ask – “Where is the Christ to be born?” The people of Herod’s court answer – “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’ ” quoting Micah 5:2. God’s plan was in place and foretold in verses like these.

Also, God worked through the ages to make it happen. Think of the genealogy in Matthew chapter one. All the names from Abraham to David, to the Babylonian exile, to Jesus. As Matthew 1:17 says, “So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen.” This was a long time, a lot of history. God was working all through this long history to bring about his plan all of which pointed to and culminated in the coming of Jesus.

2. God’s miraculous power

Lets look at the virgin birth as told in Luke 1:34-37. I don’t think I need to go through the birds and the bees with you this morning to say that this was an act of God’s power.

Gabriel told Mary she was to have a son – “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” In other words, this is an impossible situation.

“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’”

Mary notes the obvious, this is impossible. But the angel says, nothing is impossible for God. A woman in old age can bring forth a child and also a virgin can have a child.

And God did what was impossible – conceiving a child without a man, without sex. This was an amazing display of God miraculous power.

3. God’s humility

Something we learn about God’s character from the Christmas story is God’s humility. God sent his son into human lowliness. This was not below him or his son. We see this in several ways:

• Jesus became a human. The distance between us and God is much more than the distance between us and, I don’t know, a worm, a roach, or a slug. Can you imagine becoming one of these? Yet God sent his son to become human.
• Jesus experienced human birth – Luke 2:7 – “And she gave birth to her firstborn son . . .” God is not above having his son develop in the womb and go through the natural process of birth, just like we all have.
• Jesus was born in lowly circumstances – Luke 2:7 – “she . . . wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” It did not trouble God that his son didn’t have the best accommodations but was rather out with the animals.
• Jesus was slandered because of the “scandal” of his birth – the worldly assumption being that Mary was sexually immoral. In that day, it was a scornful thing for Jesus himself. In an argument once with the Pharisees they responded to him – “We were not born of sexual immorality” – John 8:41. And Jesus was slandered in this way by many, later in history.

God allowed Jesus to enter into and experience the lowliness of human existence, poverty and pain.

4. God works through the lowly

1 Corinthians 1:27-28 says, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.” This is certainly evident in the Christmas story.

First of all we have Mary – most likely 14 years old and a peasant girl. She recognized her lowliness in her praise to God in Luke 1:46-55, called the Mangificat:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

God works through the humble and lowly of circumstances.

Another example of this is the shepherds. We often have a romantic view of the shepherds, but it was a lowly profession. They were often seen as dirty or even rascals. They were off too long in the fields with the animals. Yet they were chosen to go and greet baby Jesus and give the message of God to Mary.

Luke 2:10-12 says, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’” This was certainly a confirmation and encouragement to Mary concerning her son.

Both of these examples show that God loves to work through regular people, common people, people of no account in the world’s eyes – even people like you and me. And we can thank God for that!

A final thing I would like to share concerning we learn about God from Christmas is . . .

5. God’s great love for us

God didn’t stand back, aloof, or wait for us. God took the initiative. God entered into our reality, in the coming of Jesus. Matthew 1:22-23 says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,’ which means, God with us.” God came to be with us in Jesus. He experienced our lowliness, weakness, pain and despair through Jesus.

God came to be with us, to help us in the midst of all this, and to save us. God was willing to take radical measures; God was willing to do whatever it took to save us – an amazing example of his love for us. William Higgins