Audio: Sunday evening, July 12, 2009
[audio:2009-07-12]
Notes: July 12, 2009
“Christmas UFO”
Imagine yourself 2000 years ago out in the fields, at night, watching sheep with your friends. There are no street lights, no vehicular or industrial noise. Then suddenly a bright light appears in the sky. What is it?
Luke 2:8-20
- The light is the glory of the Lord (v. 9). Everyone who has ever seen the brightness of His glory has bowed before Him. Why? Is it because they acknowledge their sin and His holiness? Is it because they see their insignificance when before the great Almighty?
- An angel speaks to allay their fears (v. 10). He announces that he bears great and joyous news not only for the shepherds, but also for all people (v. 10).
- What is that news? It is a baby announcement (v. 11). But not just any baby. This is the Savior, Christ the Lord!
- Assuming that the shepherds will want to go see the baby, the angel tells them how to identify the child (v. 12). Surely there won’t be too many babies wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
- And now there’s not just one angel, but a whole choir of angels. And they’re praising God (v. 13-14).
- As they appeared, so they departed (v. 15), leaving the shepherds agreeing amongst themselves to check out the angel’s announcement.
- Quickly they went into the town, and they found Mary, Joseph and the babe-as the angel has told them (v. 16).
- I don’t suppose you would have kept this all to yourself. The shepherds told everyone they met about the angel, the angels and the Christ child (v. 17, 20). More than mere impassionate and disinterested reporters of the news, the shepherds personalized the event and glorified and praised God for all that they had heard and seen.
- Mary meditated (v. 19). Who could comprehend it all at once? Who could ever comprehend it all?
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Notes: July 11, 2009
Christmas in July
A liturgical calendar might place reading about the birth of Christ in the month of December. But God isn’t tied to our man-made devices, and we’ll study the incarnation as opportunity presents itself. (As an aside, maybe it will help us to endure the summer’s heat a bit more.)
Luke 2:1-7
- Federal census/tax registration and the birth of Christ (v. 1). Think back. How often has an almost insignificant event had a profound influence on the direction of your life? Were it not for the mandated journey to be counted in the hometown of his ancient family, Joseph would not have traveled to Bethlehem (v. 4) and Jesus would have been born in Nazareth. But Micah 5:2 said that the savior would be born in Bethlehem, and God used the Roman emperor to make it happen.
- And Joseph took his pregnant wife on the trip (v. 5). What other options did he have? She, too, was of Davidic descent.
- Although they tried to find lodging in the inn (v. 7), there was no room for them. So they retired to a space reserved for animals. In lieu of a baby bed, they used a manger for the newborn babe.
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Notes: July 10, 2009
“My bride-to-be is pregnant, and I’m not the father.”
What would you do in this situation? In today’s lesson we learn how one man struggled with the decision, the advice he received, and the solution that he chose.
Matthew 1:18-25
- That Mary was pregnant before she and Joseph ever had sex together is the major point of this conflict (v. 18).
- We know, further, that her pregnancy was not because she’d had sex with another man (v. 18), but rather because God had miraculously placed life within her (v. 18).
- Joseph and Mary were engaged at the time; and Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant (v. 18-19). How he learned and when he learned are unknown to us. If you had been Mary, would you have told Joseph. Would you have told him before or after you went to visit your cousin Elizabeth for 3 months?
- Joseph’s option of choice was to break off the engagement quietly so as not to make Mary a public example (v. 19). It’s possible that she had not spoken to him herself, or that he did not believe her story. Or why this confusion?
- An angel advised Joseph to continue the relationship and to finalize the marriage (v. 20).
- Like the announcement to Zacharias, the sex of the child is declared, the name of the child is declared, and the future renown of the child is declared (v. 21).
- Did the Angel quote Isaiah 7:14 (v.23), or is this Matthew’s comment?
- Joseph obeyed and married Mary (v. 24).
- Did Joseph ever enjoy the pleasures of a husband (v. 25), or was Mary a virgin until the day she died?
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