Christmas Is All About Miracles! Matthew 1:18-25:
“18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 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.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But
he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.”
A Miracle is “an event that is impossible to explain by natural laws and so is regarded as supernatural in origin or an act of God, something that stirs admiration, awe, or wonder”. Everything about Christmas is, “impossible to explain by natural laws”, and so we, “regard it as supernatural in origin, an act of God”. Christmas “stirs admiration, awe, and wonder”! Christmas Is All About Miracles!
7 Miracles of Christmas…
1. The Miracle Of A Surprise Birth: God Works In
Luke 1:5-80 - The Miracle Of Christmas Is That God Works In Barrenness:
In Barren
In Barren
In A Barren Nation > 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jonah.
2. The Miracle Of A Virgin Birth: God Rewards
Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, God with us.” God Rewards 3 Things Consistently:
1. God Rewards
2. God Rewards Persistence > Hebrews 6:12; Galatians 6:7-9
3. God Rewards
3. The Miracle Of Restored Relationships: God Mends
Matthew 1:18-25 - The Miracle Of Christmas Is That God Mends Fractures. He mends the fractures that tear us apart and brings us back together. After all, He is the “Prince of Peace”. Jesus tears down every dividing wall and brings people together. He knits us together – Ephesians 2:14-18; Colossians 3:12-15: I Peter 3:8-12.
4. The Miracle Of The Incarnation: God
Matthew 1:18-25. God became man and so He understands what we go through – Hebrews 2:17-28; Hebrews 4:14-16; John 1:15. He sympathizes with our weaknesses because He was tempted in every way, just like us:
He Faced Temptation – Hebrews 2:14-18 - So, He Can Us…
He Faced Weakness – Hebrews 4:14-16 - So, He Can Us…
He Faced Loss - John 11 - So, He Can Us…
He Faced Suffering – Hebrews 5:8 - So, He Can Us…
He Faced Disappointment - Mark 6:1-6 - So, He Can Lift Us…
5. The Miracle Of Fulfilled Prophecy: God Keeps His Word
Matthew 1:18-25. The Coming of Christ to the world was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that had been given hundreds of years before Jesus came – v.22,23. In the O.T. there are 60 major prophecies concerning the Messiah. Here are some:
Bethlehem named as the place of Jesus’ birth - Matt.2:5-6
The virgin birth - Isaiah 7:14; Matt.1,2
That Jesus & family would flee to Egypt - Matt.2:14-15
That Herod would kill the babies - Matt.2:16-18
That Jesus would be Immanuel - God With Us - Matt.1
The Miracle Of Christmas Is That God Keeps His Word! What are you believing God for? You can trust Him!
6. The Miracle Of Forgiveness: God Meets Our Deepest Need
Matt.1:18-25. v.21 - “…you are to give Him the Name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus paid for our sin so we could be forgiven – Colossians 1:19-23. Our deepest need is forgiveness…
Our Deepest Needs:
o Forgiveness From God – Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 1:40-42
o Forgiveness From Ourselves – Romans 8:1; I John 1:9; I John 3:18-24
o Forgiveness For Others – Matthew 18:21-35; Matthew 6:14-15
I John 4:8-10 says, “…God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His One and Only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Jesus paid the price so we could be forgiven.
7. The Miracle Of The New Birth: God Makes Us His Children
John 1:10-13: “10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” When we put our faith in Christ Jesus, we are born again as His children! Becoming a child of God is as easy as putting our faith in Christ. Jesus is THE way to God > John 14:6 > He is the way, the truth and the life!
Ann Voskamp: “So God throws open the door of this world—and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you. What religion ever had a god that wanted such intimacy with us that He came with such vulnerability to us? What God ever came so tender we could touch Him? So fragile that we could break Him? So vulnerable that His bare, beating heart could be hurt? Only the One who loves you to death.”