SUNNY THOUGHTS FROM SUNSET by Rev. Vance Drum 12-28

Merry Christmas!  We hope yours was blessed and full of joy.

Sunday’s message, “Advent Means Jesus,” came from Matthew 1:18-25:  “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Advent means Jesus!  Heaven invaded the earth, and the earth has never been the same.  God came down to become a man, so that humanity may be lifted up to God.

The pastor made two points:  (1) Three Actors; (2) One Reason.

(1) Three Actors

(a) The first actor in our text is Joseph.  Joseph was (v19) “a righteous man.”  He was a good and kind man who was living for God. 

Joseph was pledged, in a binding contract, to be married to Mary.  To get out of a First Century engagement to be married, one had to have a divorce. 

The engagement lasted for about a year, during which time the betrothed couple, Joseph and Mary, did not have sexual relations.

Something happened, however, which made Joseph doubt the integrity of his betrothed Mary.  Mary turned up expecting a child! 

Joseph knew that he was not the father, so it had to be someone else.  Joseph was in a dilemma.  This good man, not wanting to put Mary through the public disgrace of expecting a child when he was not the father, decided to divorce her quietly. 

(b) The Angel.  V20:  “After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son….”

The angel put Joseph’s mind at ease:  “Do not be afraid….”  God’s angels are all around us.  Hebrews 1:14:  “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” 

The angels are sometimes sent as messengers for God, and sometimes, protectors of God’s people.  In our text, the angel was sent to give an explanation to Joseph of what was happening.

(c) Mary.  Mary is the great example of faith and obedience for all of us.  When the angel Gabriel came to her (Luke 1), she was “greatly troubled when the angel said, ‘You will be with child and give birth to a son.’” 

 She asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”  The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God, for nothing is impossible with God.” 

Mary responded, “May it be to me as you have said.”  She didn’t understand the angel, but she knew it was a message from God, and she received it. 

May we have such a faithful and obedient spirit!

(2) One Reason.  Jesus is the Reason for the Season, so how did this happen? 

Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah in v23 (Isaiah 7:14):  “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son….” The Bible says that the Son of God came down from heaven as the greatest gift of God.  John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son….” 

Jesus came down at Christmas to lift us out of the deep miry clay of our sin, and to bring us up to God.  V21, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

Jesus means Deliverer or Savior.  By his holy living, and dying for us, he paid our sin debt, provides for our forgiveness, and brings us to God.  

And, v23, “They will call him Immanuel — which means, ‘God with us.’”  Jesus is always with his people. He will never leave you nor forsake you.  

How great is God’s love for you!

Our Sunset Music Director Jerry Hinson on Sunday sang the beautiful solo, “O Holy Night.”  Thank you Jerry.

 May the holy Child born on Christmas abide in your heart all through the new year — our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.

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