December 10, 2023 / Characters on the World's Biggest Stage

Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. How do we know where to find answers to the toughest

questions in life? While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search

and how do we discover this truth? Today, in this teaching podcast, John Meador, lead

pastor of Cross City Church, takes a specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth

for the life we're searching for. So brothers, you're with us this morning. If you have your

Bibles, I want you to take them and turn to the Gospel of Luke again. Each week we've

been on the Gospel of Luke and our series is called The Characters of Christmas and

we'll carry this on right on through Christmas Eve and all of our services today. Characters

on the World's Biggest Stage. And by the way, before we read our text today, let me just

share a couple of things with you about the days ahead. I want to encourage you to walk

with us in something we're called Welcoming and Wise. Welcoming and Wise. That is, that's

what we want to be in our worship services, Welcoming and Wise. And one of the things

that we are seeing is increased numbers of people who are visiting our church and checking

Cross City out for the first time. And one of the best things that we can do is be in

the room early enough to meet those folks before the service begins. Often guests may

come in and they may be the only ones in the room and we're out there enjoying a good cup

of coffee probably, but grab that coffee and then come on in and find your place and be

able to meet and greet the people that come in who are looking not only for a church,

but they're looking for great friends as well. So I want to encourage you to be Welcoming

and Wise. And the second part of that is once the message begins, which is about now in

our service, I want to encourage you to keep distractions to a minimum in the sense of

getting out and going out or coming back in. It's kind of easy just to stay there. I rarely

ever preach two hours. Now you know I never do that. It's always about 30 minutes, 35

minutes, and so we want you to try to keep distractions to a minimum by staying for the

message and not going out and coming back in. So just those couple of feelings will

help us to be Welcoming and Wise. And with that, please take your Bibles and turn to

Luke 2 and let's stand together. Luke chapter 2, I'm going to read the shortest part of

Luke 2 · chapter mention

what we'll be looking at today. First of all, Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Now

Luke 2 · chapter mention

we all know this as the classical Christmas story, the traditional story that we always

read. Luke chapter 2. Today I'm going to read the first seven verses for just a few moments.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Now in those days the decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the census be taken of

all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor

of Syria. And everyone was on the way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph

also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, which

is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. In order to register

along with Mary, he was engaged to him and was with child. While they were there, the

days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and

she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them

in the inn. Great story, isn't it? Father, in Jesus' name I pray that you will speak

to us through the characters of this Christmas story. Show us how you're at work in our lives

and in the lives of all those around us as well as all those in this story. You're always

at work. You're always accomplishing your purpose. And help us to be a part of that,

Father. We thank you that you accomplished that through your son Jesus Christ. We ask

this in Jesus' name. And all God's people said amen. Please be seated if you would.

I know you'd be never able to guess it, but when I was growing up I was quite the playwright.

In the seventh grade I was in a play in my hometown school. Every year they had a play.

They had a production they called it. And one year, I don't remember the name of the

play, but I remember I was asked to play a caveman in that play. I was perfectly cast

as a caveman. And I wore something that looked a lot like Fred Flintstone's garb in that

cartoon. And I had two words that I had to repeat over and over. They were glub and uck.

Those were the two words. I still remember those. I'm great at memorization and I nailed

it. I want you to know I nailed it. My big scene was where I had a paper mache club and

I clubbed a female version of a caveman over the head and then dragged her off the stage

into my cave, I guess. They probably wouldn't let us do that today. It probably wouldn't

be politically correct. But that was my history as a playwright. Now there were only 75 people

in the room. Thanks the Lord there were only 75 people in the room. None of them were talent

scouts or movie makers and so consequently instead of great Broadway talent, instead

of a movie star, I'm a preacher today and that's how I got here. It was on a very small

stage in a very remote part of America and Oklahoma. But I still remember it. But I want

to talk to you about the biggest stage on the world. The global stage. Where you have

a Mary and a Joseph and a baby. You have shepherd wise men. You have a governor, Corineus. You

have a Caesar Augustus and all these somehow work together. Somehow God moves all these

pieces in place in the right way in order to bring about the message of love and forgiveness

and redemption. It's the biggest stage of the world because everyone, just about everyone

knows the story of Jesus' birth. In fact the biggest challenge pastors have year in

and year out is how do I tell this same story again after having told it over and over for

40 years and sometimes it feels kind of challenging to do that. But what a joy I've had of walking

through the characters of Christmas. We started with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were the

parents of John the Baptist. Part of biblical prophecy and the fact that the angel appeared

to this man named Zechariah and he was struck mute because he didn't believe God and Elizabeth

of course was overjoyed because she was older and barren and all of a sudden they are with

child and this child is going to be John the Baptist. It's an amazing story. And then

last week we looked at all the angels that announced the news to the wise men or rather

to the shepherds in the fields. And we looked at really a history of who angels were, how

they were created, where they've been all along. And we looked at the power of angels

and the wisdom of angels and everything about angels and they are much bigger creatures,

much more powerful creatures than we really think about them being. And all that helps

us set the scene for two angelic encounters that Joseph and Mary have in this little text

right here that we've read and how important they are. I want you to know some characters

first of all of history. The characters in history that this text points out are two

political leaders believe it or not who somehow find themselves in this Christmas story. Read

verse one and two where it says, in those days the decree went out from Caesar Augustus.

That's the first political figure that we look at. And a census is being commanded and

then the first census while Quirinius was governor of Syria is the second reference.

So you've got a couple of people here. Caesar Augustus, which is not his real name of course,

his real name is a different name. It is Gaius Octavius. But Caesar Augustus was the title

given to him by the Roman Senate once he was approved to be the leading emperor. Literally

this word means majestic one. And this was a political figure that entered in what we

know as the Pax Romana. That is the peace of Rome. It was Rome's greatest season, greatest

era for peace, prosperity and power. Roads that were built during Pax Romana are still

in existence today. You can still walk on those same roads. Now Quirinius was the other,

he was the governor during that period of time and he literally instituted the census

that was commanded by Caesar Augustus. Now it took him between two and four years to

actually respond to what was said by Caesar Augustus. And all this means that there's

a march of time going on until the actual census and the actual movement of Mary and

Joseph to this place called Bethlehem. But through these two political leaders, Mary

and Joseph end up in this city called Bethlehem and fulfill biblical prophecy because of

the movements of these political leaders. One of the great prophecies in the Bible is

the specific place, Bethlehem. In Micah chapter five verse two we find this written, but as

for you Bethlehem, Ephphara, too little to be among the clans of Judah. From you one

will go forth from me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago from the

days of eternity. Such a small place, such a big prophecy about this very, very small

place. How do you get a Mary and Joseph to that place at that time in the fullness of

time? Well, if you're God, you use these political leaders like pawns on a chessboard,

moving them in each place. They need to be moved for this command to have gone out. Now

I don't think it seems very smart to talk about politics during the Christmas season,

but I don't think it's smart to talk about politics in any season, but nonetheless. I

want to talk about politics for just a moment. I want to talk about the fact that the God

of the universe uses all kinds of people, all kinds of systems to point out the need

of and the source of salvation. I mean God actually used these two pagan godless rulers

to bring about the movement that brought these two simple people, Joseph and Mary, to this

place called Bethlehem. Just want to remind you, every part in this story has a role to

play. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 4, the Lord has made everything for

Proverbs 16:4

his own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. I don't like talking about the wicked

for the day of evil either, but I do like talking about the God who has made everything

for his own purpose. I like the fact that God causes all things to work together for

good. That's Romans 8, 28. That verse tells us that we know God causes all things to work

together for good. For those who love God, for those who are called according to his

purpose. I use this illustration all the time because I believe it's accurate and I think

it's biblically correct, but I use the illustration of a chess master and a chess board. I've

always loved the game of chess. I love the strategy behind it. I don't play much anymore,

but as a boy I grew up playing chess. It was so challenging to find the ways, the different

ways to move and the different ways to capture the enemy and so forth. As I grew older, I

realized that life is kind of like that game of chess. I have no idea the strategy involved

that the chess master has in mind as he moves me on the board from piece to piece and place

to place and square to square in certain scenarios, certain confrontations, certain situations.

You don't know either, but we have trust and confidence that there is a great chess

master and his name is Almighty God who moves us where we need to be, when we need to be

in order to fulfill his plan for our life. That's exactly what happened to Joseph and

Mary. There's some people that are grateful for that in the room right now and I am too.

A great chess master and these characters in history remind us of that. God continues

to do that by the way. It continues to work in that powerful way by what we call the sovereign

realm. Secondly, I want you to notice the characters of his story, not just history,

but the story of Jesus. It says in verses four and five, Joseph also went up from Galilee

to the city of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because

he was of the house and family of David. We have some hints as to why they're there and

who they're supposed to be staying with. They're supposed to be staying with Joseph's family.

It says in order to register along with Mary, so there we go, the purpose for which they're

going, which was instituted by Quirinius and Caesar Augustus. He was there along with Mary

and then it says he was engaged to him and was with child. We sometimes read those first

two names. Caesar Augustus, Quirinius and Caesar. You know, they're just minor players here,

but the major players are really Joseph and Mary, aren't they? We know that God is using

them in supernatural, amazing ways. Like most, they had plans for their lives. They had an

idea of what the future would involve and it didn't really go in that direction, did

it for Joseph and Mary. Most of us know the story well enough to realize that God took

their lives, whatever direction they were heading in and turned them, moved them into

spots where they could play a significant role in human history. These ordinary people

were asked by an extraordinary God to have a significant role in the coming of the Messiah.

It's the biggest news that could possibly have taken place and these very ordinary people

are used by this extraordinary God and it's ushered in by angelic visitations. So you

know the stories. Mary encounters the angel Gabriel and then later on Joseph needs to

have an encounter with an angel. First of all, I want you to go back to Luke chapter

one. We won't put this on the screen, but I want to read a significant section of scripture

and if you will take your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter one, verse 26. I'm going to

read this part of the Christmas story from verse 20, 60, verse 38 and in it I want to

warn you some of the greatest words in history are on this page. The greatest explanation

in the world as to how this woman could be with child while a virgin is on this page

in one single verse. This is a significant, amazing set of scriptures. Look at what it

says in verse 26 of Luke one. Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph

of the descendants of David and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her,

greetings, favorite one, the Lord is with you. But she was very perplexed at this statement

and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, do not be

afraid Mary for you have found favor with God. I'm going to pause for just a moment

here and I want to remind you that the presence of angels while not unheard of is somewhat

rare and the last time Gabriel has spoken before Zacharias was told that he was going

to have a little boy was 500 years prior. For 500 years no one has heard from that angel

or any angel. Daniel and the lions den was the previous time an encounter of Gabriel

speaking up and it saved Daniel from the lions of course. There was a minor prophet Malachi

that spoke 400 years before this moment but between 400 and 500 years the intertestamental

period is what we call it, is a time of silence and all of a sudden the silence is broken

by these angelic announcements to Zacharias and now to Mary. So this powerful, brilliant

angel is speaking to her in the middle of the night and the first thing he says is what

all angels say, don't be afraid. Why? Because the angel's presence is so powerful, so brilliant,

so illuminating, so different from any other encounter Mary will have in her lifetime that

he has to say don't be afraid. He goes on and says in verse 31, and behold you will

conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and

be called the son of the most high 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 will have no

end. All this fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah. Mary said to the angel how can this

be since I am a virgin? The best question in the world is that one right there and the

best answer in the world is coming. The angel answered and said to her the Holy Spirit will

come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you and for that reason the

holy child shall be called the son of God. And behold even your relative Elizabeth has

also conceived a son in her old age and she was called barren and is now in her sixth

month for nothing will be impossible with God. Now notice what Mary says in spite of

the shock and awe, in spite of this amazing explanation which probably is overwhelming

to her in that moment. Mary said behold the bond slave of the Lord may it be done to me

according to your word and the angel departed from her. Both amazing and intimidating. Can

you imagine? Think about this for a moment. How many mothers are in the room? Would you

raise your hand if you were a mom? Think about before you had a child. If you were Mary's

age you would have been fifteen years of age or younger. You are engaged to a man that

is of high reputation. You realize that at some point in the month, maybe years ahead

you are going to have a wedding after the house is built and all the preparations are

made that you are going to come take you as his bride. But until then you are chased.

You are going to follow the Lord. You are going to trust the Lord. You have got plans

though. You probably know how many kids you want to have if you are a young woman in that

situation. You probably know where you want to live. You probably know a little bit about

how you are going to raise those kids and you are thinking of all this. You are thinking

of marriage. You are thinking of the wedding itself. You are thinking of where you are

going to live. You are thinking of all the plans that you have for the future and all

of a sudden in the middle of the night an angel comes to you and all of those plans

all of a sudden are gone because the angel says, no you are going to be pregnant starting

now and without your husband. The Holy Spirit is going to overshadow you and the one who

is in you is going to be called the Holy Child. Can you imagine the next conversation that

she has to have? The conversation she has to have with Joseph? The conversation she

has to have with her mother and her dad? The conversation she has to have with all of her

friends and telling the news of what she has seen in the night and yet she realizes that

something has truly happened to her. Who would believe her? What would she say? Because she

just pointed to the fact that she had some angelic visitation and that would be it. No

one has heard from an angel in 500 years. You are out of your mind Mary. You expect

us to believe this. This crisis of faith that is going on inside her mind had to be huge.

She had to be asking all the questions, will I be accepted or will I be rejected? What

will my extended family say? What will my reputation look like? And yet she says, be

to it as it may. I am the bond-servant of the Lord. Whatever you say, I will do. Can

you imagine that level of faith that Mary exercised in that moment where she said yes

to the angel? I don't know if you have a choice when the angel says something like

that. I don't think it's a yes or no question. It's more like how am I going to respond

to this? How am I going to believe this? How am I going to move forward? Then there is

Joseph. Joseph who now hears the news of Mary's situation. She is now with child by the Holy

Spirit. She is met with an angel. Isn't this just like God to meet with Joseph when Joseph

most needs it after he has already met with Mary? Mary is heard and now it's Joseph's

turn. The reality is that before the angel speaks to Joseph, Joseph is considering an

exit plan. He is trying to figure out what do I do with her? What do I do with me? What

do I do with our future? What do I do with our family? In just the right moment the angel

comes and has a conversation with him. Now I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, Matthew chapter 1 and beginning in verse 18. Matthew chapter 1. Now the birth

Matthew 1 · chapter mention Matthew 1 · chapter mention

of Jesus Christ was as followed when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they

came together. She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Notice that every account

gives validity to the virgin birth. Isaiah the prophet does, Luke the doctor does, Matthew,

the scribe does, all attest to the fact that this was a woman who was chaste, who was a

virgin who had not known her husband at all. He said before they came together he was found

to be with child by the Holy Spirit and Joseph her husband being a righteous man and not

wanting to disgrace her planned to send her away secretly. So that's his first response.

But when he had considered this behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream

saying Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child who

has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call his

name Jesus for he will save his people from their sin. Now all this took place to fulfill

what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Behold the virgin shall be with child and

shall bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which translated means God with us.

And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took

Mary as his wife but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a son and he called his

name Jesus. So here is Joseph all of a sudden in spite of his initial reaction which is

often our initial reaction how do I get out of this interruption in my life even if it

is God it seems like such an abrupt interruption into my future, into my plans and everything

else I thought would be normal. The angel comes and says this is your new normal this

is what life is going to be like for you because I am taking you just ordinary people I am

going to do extraordinary things in your life. These are interruptions in their life that

they never would have chosen on their own and so disruptive so unsettling that one imagines

how they could even survive them. And when I think about the Christmas story I think

about the interruptions that God often allows to happen in every life. And then the great

example of a Joseph in Mirra who said we will let those interruptions take place as long

as we know they are from you. And as long as we know you have a plan and a purpose and

as long as we know what our part is in this plan and this purpose. Let me just tell you

something I don't think God is going to ask you to do what he asked Mary to do and I don't

think he is going to ask you to do what he asked Joseph to do. But if he asks you to

do something big he will clearly let you know what he is asking. And he will clearly give

you the opportunity to respond in faith the way Joseph and Mary responded in faith. I

guess the question I have when I look at Joseph and Mary is are we willing to be stretched

the way they were? Are we willing to be challenged to believe God when he speaks into our lives

and says that he is going to use us in bigger ways than we can possibly imagine? Part of

faith is trusting the God who leads these two in his leading of us. Those are the characters

of his story. And then I want you to know some characters of our story. Because this

text brings us face to face with a couple of incidents that I think are important for

us in our walk of faith. Look at verse 7 it says, she gave birth to her first born son

and she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for

him in the inn. So here is a verse that shows a manger scene and a stable that we often

associate with Christmas. I have had an artist do some renditions that are in caricature

form and we have one I want you to look at for just a moment. This is the scene that

is classically, technically thought of when we think of that line, there is no room for

them in the inn. If you will place that up on the screen and we will be able to see that.

I want you to look at the innkeeper for just a few moments. That is a person that we write

into the story. Notice the text doesn't say that there is an innkeeper. It simply says

there is no room for them in the inn. We will explain that in just a few moments. We classically

have an innkeeper with his hand up saying no. Then you have got Joseph who is looking

hopeful and Mary who is clearly pregnant riding on this donkey and then the line below

there is no room for them at the inn. Can you imagine traveling for a great distance

while being fully pregnant, nine months pregnant about and looking for a place to stay. Can

you imagine being Joseph and Mary who are both obedient to the Lord but now things are

not working out quite like they wanted in the sense of these doors are not open. This

journey is not easy. This is not something as fun as we had hoped it might be. Saying

yes to Jesus is not always easy, right? It is not always so easy to say yes but it is

also not always easy to keep saying yes after you have said yes for the first time and their

journey was a challenging, challenging journey. That is the picture we put up there so that

you might see what that looks like and then the line there because there was no room for

them in the inn. Let me just give you a little history to this word and I think you are going

to appreciate it even though at first it sounds a little disappointing. There is no real inn

in the sense of a motel or a hostel. This is not like a businessman standing up and

saying no room for you but the reality is far more troubling and far more brutal. The

word for inn is most often translated guest house. So Joseph's family, the house of David,

a guest house there in Bethlehem and while others in his family have already come and

already arrived because they are there for the consensus, the same reason everybody is

in town is for that, this house is full. Most houses at that time had a primary floor for

the attendants or the people that owned the hall and the homeowners. Then you had a guest

room that would be the upper room and whenever you had company over, the family members that

came they were in that upper room and then beneath the main floor of the house was sort

of a dugout kind of arrangement for the animals because they always kept their animals near.

There were the donkeys and there were the cows, there were the sheep and so forth. You

always kept them close because of theft, because of all the animals that would ravage them.

So this is what a home would normally look like and at a time of great visitation when

many people were in town all your family would come and be up in the guest house which is

the second floor of the house and the primary floor was occupied by the family that owned

the home. And according to this Joseph and Mary came to the inn or the guest house and

there was no room for them. That's one thing for Motel 6 to be full. It's another thing

for your family to say we've got no room for you. It's the beginning picture of our awareness

that even his family rejected and rebelled Joseph and Mary and ultimately Jesus. You

don't have to look far in the gospels to see that rejection, it was very real. That's

what we're looking at here in this scene is not just a cartoon image and the kind of an

endearing guy, an innkeeper that's somewhat apologetic, I'm sorry we just don't have

room. But actually probably a family member that says no, I mean it doesn't make sense,

you two have seen angels but nobody else has. You two have this story but we're not sure

about that story. Of course you're looking for a place to stay. It may be a family member

that says you're just getting what you basically deserve which is nothing. There's room down

here where we keep the animals and you can put the baby in that place where we feed the

animals. I look at that picture and I think he did suffer rejection from early on. A couple

of things I want you to carry away first of all. His first bed reminds us that he can

identify with us all in some way. He was laid in a manger, that part's very real. And it

reminds us that he can identify in every way with us, at our best or at our worst. Now

some of you know that I'm a new grandfather. I really didn't do anything except just be,

just exist. And all of a sudden I have a son and his wife and they have a baby so now I'm

a grandfather and I'm enjoying my grandfather life. Four months old our grandbaby is. Yes

you can clap for them and for me. And as soon as we knew this was taking place in typical

fashion my wife decided okay we got a bedroom upstairs we're not using and that's going

to be the baby's room. And so this was an opportunity for us to redecorate that room

and set it up for whenever our granddaughter would come over which she hasn't done overnight

yet. We're hoping it will happen soon but nonetheless we've got a bed theater, we've

got toys theater, we've got all those things and she's going to get the best of the best

when she gets to our house I promise you that. In the meantime our in-laws have done the

same thing with their home. All the consumer reports have been read, all the beds have

been purchased, all the toys that are safe and yet stimulating or they're ready for the

baby to play with when and if she spends the night at their house or at our house. And

I think about what we do whenever we have family and whenever we have a granddaughter

the way we have and it's filled with joy this time it's filled with joy, it's filled with

anticipation we can't wait to be around them, we can't wait to get to hold her. But what

I can't imagine is them coming to our home and me saying we have no room for you. That's

what I can't imagine but that's what happened. And that's where Joseph and Mary end up putting

Jesus in a manger because there was no room for him in the guest house. And there he is

identifying with us fully, basically homeless. Joseph hasn't had a chance to build a house

and prepare it and come back to take her as his bride because she became a child before

they ever were able to do that. So basically they're homeless in the sense of their hometown,

they're homeless in the sense of Bethlehem, now they have no place to stay just this stable.

And I think about that when I think about what Jesus left in order to come be born and

placed in that stable. Paul said it like this in Philippians chapter 2, he said he according

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

to Christ, he's speaking about Christ, although he existed in the form of God did not regard

equality with God a thing to be grasped but he emptied himself. Jesus in his high priestly

prayer in John chapter 17 said this, he said, Father, now glorify me together with yourself

John 17 · chapter mention

with the glory which I have with you before the world was. In other words, I had all the

glory of the Father before I left heaven to be born of this virgin and laid in this manger.

I read in the book of Hebrews in chapter 2 verse 17 the reason for all this. The Bible

says therefore he had to be made like his brethren in all things so that he might become

a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God so he could identify with

us and make propitiation for the sins of the people. Jesus left glory to be born in a manger

and laid in a manger so that he could identify fully with you. And that's why Hebrews 4

and 15 also says, for we do not have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses

but one who is tested in all ways as we are yet without sin. Identified with us at the

greatest time of our life, identified with us in the worst time of our life. Because

of this Hebrews goes on and says, therefore we can draw near with confidence to the throne

of grace so that we should receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Listen,

he came to be with us, to identify with us so that he could also be for us in all things.

That's why he left glory. That's why the manger. That's why the rejection. Because

every time you have nothing you have a Savior who can identify with you when you have nothing.

And every time you are rejected you have a Savior that can identify with you when you

have been rejected because He has been rejected. His verse reminds us He can identify with

us in some way, all of us. When you're at your deepest, darkest moment in life, when

you think nobody cares, nobody knows, when you think that there's no answer to your problem,

you just remember Jesus emptied Himself completely to come live your life in your shoes so that

when you come and pray to Him and call upon Him and lean on Him, He is there with you

no matter how dark the day, no matter how deep the pain, He is there with you. Emmanuel

God with us. I want you to see one more thing though. His first rejection reminds us that

people still have no room for Jesus. I mean Jesus is being rejected right and left in

this story, just this piece of it. It's very clear that the family rejected Him. As the

child grew His family increasingly rejected Him. In fact there are several passages to

talk about His half-brothers trying to get Him to go up to Jerusalem before it's time

and they want Him to be put to death. They want Him to die. So this is the rejection

that Jesus is suffering. In fact John opens his gospel by saying He came to His own and

His own did not receive Him. So often you think about the word His own as being the

Jewish people and while that is true there's a more intimate setting for that as well.

It's not just the Jewish people that were His own, it was His own family that He was

born into. So many know what that pain feels like. He came to His own, His own did not

receive Him. The gospels tell us that Jesus had no place to lay His head during His earthly

ministry. That He was rejected by the chief priests. He was rejected by men as a whole.

He was rejected by this generation Mark tells us. When He cast demons out of the demoniac,

the people of the city, the whole village came out because their business was disrupted.

He cast the demons into the herd of swine if you remember that and they were so angry

that they entreated Him to leave. Please leave us alone they said to Jesus who later died

on the cross for them. Everybody missed it when it came to Jesus. The Jews were offended

at Him. Cities were offended at Him and ran Him out of town. The Pharisees and the Sadducees

and the Gentiles and the Samaritans and the Romans and the Jews alike all missed it when

it came to knowing who the Messiah is. Nearly every single one missed it. And I don't want

you to miss it. It's so possible for you to know the Christmas story and yet also possible

that you have not put your hope and trust and faith in this one who is born. To identify

with you later on to die on the cross for you and pay for your sins. It's possible that

you know about Jesus in caricature form and you know the cartoon figures of the innkeeper

saying no the Joseph and the Mary on the donkey and no room at the inn but you don't know

the one who is the center of that story Jesus. The same verse, same passage that says He

came to His own and His own did not receive Him goes on and says but as many as did receive

Him to them He gave the right to become the children of God even to those who believe

in His name. It's possible to not accept Him but then it's possible to change your mind

and to accept Him. As many as believed Him, as many as accepted Him to them He gave the

right to be called the children of God. Dear friend today I want to tell you that you don't

want to miss Jesus the way so many have. You don't want to sing the songs and read the

story and see the caricatures and the pictures and all the things that remind you of the

nostalgia and the good feelings and everything else that a great carol will do for you. You

don't want to walk away with feelings and without faith in Jesus. You want to make sure

your faith is in Him and you want to make sure that you've accepted the gift of eternal

life that He came to bring you. In just a few moments I'm going to close in prayer and

as I do we have our decision stations open and I want to invite you to stop and talk

with someone about this most significant decision of your life to push your faith and trust

and hope in Jesus Christ. Would you stand with me for a word of prayer? Before I pray

three invitations to give you stop by the decision station and have that life with me

and have that life changing conversation number one. Number two I want to encourage you to

come to the guest reception room if you are visiting today I'd love to meet you and tell

you some things about our church. Number three I want you to invite people to come back with

you tonight for the search for baby Jesus. It's an incredible event and also invite them

back next week as we continue to walk through loop one and two. Father in Jesus name we

are so grateful to you for loving us enough to send your son and Lord today we want to

celebrate that and we want to rejoice in that but we also want to place our faith and trust

and confidence in Jesus Christ fully the way Mary did the way Joseph did and Lord I thank

you for their examples of faith help us follow those examples and believe I ask this in Jesus

name amen.