The Crises of the Crèche: The Crisis of Belief
Luke 1:5-38, 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-12 [ESV]
Faith Fellowship - December 24, 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy
After 400 years of silence, God started showing up in a big way.
• We call it Christmas.
• It is the story of Incarnation and Salvation.
• The Crèche created several Crises– religious, family, celestial, and political.
At the center of each is a Crisis of Belief.
• A Crisis of Belief occurs at that moment when we understand what God is doing and what He wants us to do– and then we decide whether or not we will do it.
• Crisis of Belief is a term coined by Henry Blackaby in the study Experiencing God - Knowing and Doing the Will of God.
• Every encounter we have studied included a Crisis of Belief.
A Crisis of Belief will have four elements:
• It will call you to something bigger than you.
• It will require faith in God.
• It will require action… obedience to His way and His time.
• It will require an adjustment of your plans as you follow God’s plan.
For Zechariah, it was in the Temple when the Angel Gabriel visited. (Luke 1:5-25)
• Your prayers have been answered. Your wife is going to have a baby boy. You are to name him John.
• How can this be, since I am old, and so is my wife? How can I be sure of this?
• Well, you will be sure when you are able to talk again. As of right now, you won’t be able to speak.
• That is the Crisis of Belief.
• Okay, Zach. What are you going to do?
For Elizabeth, it was when Zechariah came home.
• He was unable to talk and wanted to try again to have a baby.
• And that the baby was to be called John.
• She didn’t get an Angel visit, but this was her Crisis of Belief.
• Do I believe Zechariah’s story? Do I participate in this crazy idea?
• Later, her baby leaped within her to greet the baby Jesus inside of Mary.
• She prophesied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For Mary, it came with the visit from the Angel Gabriel. (Luke 1:26-38)
• You are going to have a baby. You are to name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High.
• How can this be, since I am not married and have never been with a man?
• The Holy Spirit will cause this to happen. He will be the Son of God. Nothing is impossible with God.
• That is the Crisis of Belief.
• Now, Mary, what are you going to do?
• She responded: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
For Joseph, it came after he learned that his bride-to-be was pregnant. (Matthew 1:18-25)
• The story she told was unbelievable.
• He reasoned about this and decided to divorce her quietly.
• Then the Angel showed up in a dream to say– Don’t do that. This is a God thing. Don’t be afraid to marry her.
• He woke up from the dream.
• Now, what are you going to do, Joseph?
• Crisis of Belief.
• He took her as his wife.
For Mary and Joseph together, it came with the decree to go to Bethlehem and be counted together as part of the Family of David. (Luke 2:1-7)
• Are we going to believe what the Angel has told us?
• Are we going to trust that everything will be okay?
• All of this is a Crisis of Belief.
• They made the journey, and the baby was born there.
The Shepherds got the biggest Angel visit of all. (Luke 2:8-20)
• The angels announced that a baby was born in the City of David, who is the Savior.
• Then they were gone.
• Shepherds now had their Crisis of Belief.
• Okay, we all saw that, right?
• What are we going to do?
• They go to visit the baby and then to tell the news.
And don’t forget the Wise Men. (Matthew 2:1-12)
• They had received some knowledge that a star would mark the birth of a new King of the Jews.
• Then, the star appeared in the sky.
• Now, what are they going to do?
• They traveled a distance of about 1400 miles.
The biggest Crisis of Belief is the personal one.
• We hear the story of Jesus.
• The story of a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
• Will you Believe?
DISCUSSION
1. Was there something new in this study that you had never thought about?
2. The Christmas story is so familiar that we almost miss it during the season. What do you do to make it real each year?
3. We often “reason through” decisions in a time of crisis. How is the path of faith different?
4. Can you think of a time when you had a Crisis of Belief– a moment when you understood what God was doing and what He wanted you to do– followed by a decision?
How did you respond?
5. Henry Blackaby teaches that a Crisis of Belief will have four elements: It will call you to something bigger than you. It will require faith in God. It will require action… obedience to His way and His time. It will require an adjustment of your plans as you follow God’s plan. Have you ever had a situation like that?
What did you do?
6. Sometimes we think that if an Angel showed up, it would be easy to respond and obey. Is that really true?
7. How can your group be praying for you as the New Year approaches?