Coming Home - part 2 — to a controversial story
December 10, 2023
Glenn Garvin
God decided to become a human in such a known and controversial way. He wasn’t trying to keep it a secret! Both Mary and Joseph could be considered common, ordinary, unknown people from a regular town. Last week, we talked about Advent and how it means “the coming,” specifically the coming of Christ. We know why Jesus had to become human…to save humanity. We also know this was foretold thousands of years ago. Joseph and Mary were forced to come home to their ancestral beginning in Bethlehem, and Mary did so while also carrying more than a child… she carried a heavy story covered in controversy.
Virginal conception? There are a lot of stories about “virgin births” that have floated around, most of them coming solely from the 19th century and a newfound hunger for postmodern explanations of Biblical miracles. One of the more recent stories debunked was called “son of a gun,” which came out of the civil war in 1874. Apparently, a medical journal The American Medical Weekly printed the story as a joke on 7 November 1874.
Mary’s virgin birth story is as
Q: Have you heard there a “many” virgin birth stories in history?
The idea of Jesus coming to the earth through a young woman was predicted by Isaiah 7:14,
The news must have been
Why did God do it this way?
Q: What do you think about God choosing this way to rescue us?
Fill in your answer here –>
Jesus could have shown up similar to a
We cannot
God’s justice, His perfection, demands payment for all disobedience, all sin, all choices that lead to death. That
Christ had to be born as fully human and fully God. And this could only come about through a virginal conception!
Let’s focus on the reality of what that looked like for this couple, this husband and wife coming home to their ancient beginnings and carrying a truckload of controversy with them.
Read Luke 1:26-35 NLT
Mary’s Story
Some observations about Mary’s most unusual visit with the most extraordinary news.
• Gabriel greets Mary with a
• Mary was intensely
• Gabriel tells her that God has found (
• Gabriel gives Mary a quick historical and
• Mary politely asks how it is
• The angel tells her how it will happen, but he does not tell her when this will happen.
• The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the miraculous
• All of this will happen to you and through you for this reason: “So this begotten, descendant, the baby to be born will be holy (hagios) set apart, different and not of this world, holy, and he will be called the son (huios), of the same nature as his father, Son of God.”
• This is given to a young woman who carry far more than just the
• How did Mary respond to all this? What did she say to Gabriel in response? “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Luke 1:38 NLT
Q: What do you learn about the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective?
Fill in your answer here –>
Joseph’s Story
Some observations about Joseph’s very different experience. He must have received the news from Mary herself. But when? After she returned from staying with Elizabeth for three months? Was she already showing?
• Matthew covers Joseph’s perspective. All we are told is, “before the marriage took place.”
• The only clue Matthew gives us about Joseph knowing his betrothed was pregnant is found in this one word, “she was (heuriskó)
• Mary, with no shame, because she was the only one that knew the truth, must have told Joseph the story.
• Joseph (enthumeomai) reflected on, he passionately
• Matthew records Joseph’s intentions! He did not want to (deigmatizó) to expose, make a spectacle of her to public disgrace.
• Why did he consider the need to divorce her quietly? Because Joseph was faithful to the law. Joseph wanted to do the right thing, for the right reason.
• Doing the right thing for the right reason does not
• The angel tells Joseph the what and the why right away, “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” And, this child, will “save his people from their sins.”
And Joseph obeyed! Matthew 1:24-25 NLT
Questions for Life Groups
Q: Have you heard there a “many” virgin birth stories in history?
Q: Do you believe that to be true?
Q: What do you think about God choosing this way to rescue us?
Q: What do you learn about the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective?
Q: What sticks out the most about Mary’s interaction with Gabriel?
Q: How about from Joseph’s perspective?
Q: What do think about Joseph’s dream and his response?
Q: Have you come from a controversial story?
Q: What has God done in you to overcome things in your family’s past?
NOTES TO DIG DEEPER