
The Unlikely People of Christmas
December 6, 2020
Randy Hageman
We can’t really control what happens at Christmas, but we can focus on what Christmas is really about and work to
At its most basic level Christmas celebrates the
Christmas marks the beginning of Jesus’ mission here on earth to
Jesus: ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.’ —Luke 19:10 (NLT)
The way Christ came into this world was not what anyone was
The eyes of the Jewish world in the First Century were looking for a
God chose another way, an unlikely way, using
We know almost nothing about
Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,… the son of David —Luke 3:23, 31 (ESV)
‘Is not this the carpenter’s son?…’ —Matthew 13:55 (ESV)
In their early marriage years, Joseph’s young family was considered
Matthew tells us about Joseph’s
Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. —Matthew 1:19 (NLT)
When confronted by an angel in a dream who told Joseph that the child was “conceived by the Holy Spirit,” it seems clear that he didn’t hesitate to
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. —Matthew 1:24-25 (NLT)
As was typical in that time and place, Mary was probably a
‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive (by the Holy Spirit) and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!’ —Luke 1:30-33 (NLT)
Mary asks the angel how this will all happen, but we have no record of her asking
Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’… —Luke 1:38 (NLT)
The Roman census required
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger…. —Luke 2:6-7 (ESV)
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. —Luke 2:19 (ESV)
If we’d seen Mary a year or so earlier walking the streets of Nazareth, there probably would have been
It’s interesting the way the
Some of the most
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of 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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’ —Luke 2:8-14 (ESV)
There was a lot of imagery in the Old Testament about
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. —Psalms 23:1-3 (ESV)
The angels didn’t show up in Jerusalem, at the Temple, or to the High Priest or King Herod or even Roman Emperor Augustus – they made their announcement to some
The Christmas story tells us that God’s home is big enough for
The people Jesus hung out with had very little in common, but
Christmas says God values everyone, and He even gives some of the
Next Week: The Impossibility of Christmas