In The Stable

Throughout this December sermon series, Journey to the Manger, we have been

recounting history all the way from the beginning moving closer and closer to the

event of Jesus’ birth. And this is the event that the entire world had been long

awaiting. The arrival of the Messiah who had been prophesied about all those

years ago.

Jesus’ birth into the world was no ordinary circumstance, but one unmistakably

miraculous in nature.

First, we must acknowledge the fact that Jesus’ conception was miraculous.

Luke 1:26-35

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee

named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of

the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and

said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly

troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with

God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall

call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most

High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he

will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no

end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the

power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will

be called holy—the Son of God.The virgin birth is ample proof that Jesus is both fully Human and fully Divine.

The next indication that this was an act of God was the timing. Why not send

Jesus into the world sooner? I alluded to the fact last week, that the Jews were

waiting for many years to receive their promised Messiah and many didn’t live to

see it. God very well could have sent Jesus sooner but He didn’t. One thing we

must grasp is that God’s timing is perfect. There’s a quote out there that I’m not

sure where it came from, but it goes like this. “God may not show up when you

want Him to but he is always on time.”

The shepherds were some of the first to see the newborn king. I’m sure they had

been long anticipating his arrival, but didn’t expect it to be this particular night.

Luke 2:8-20

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch

over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a

baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there

was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one

another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,

which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found

Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they

made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all

who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured

up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told

them.Upon encountering Jesus, not just an acknowledgement that he’s real, but a true

encounter where you feel his presence, your life will never be the same. Upon the

shepherds’ arrival to the manger, they speak the things revealed to them by the

angel. Things that were revealed to her about 9 months prior by Gabriel. She

knew that she would give birth to the Messiah, but I’m sure this affirmation and

reinforcement of the shepherds’ words allowed her to sense the gravity of this

event to an even greater degree. The birth of Jesus was no ordinary birth, and

through this baby boy would come restoration and peace and redemption for all

of humanity for all time. As we prepare to head home today, let us respond as the

shepherds did…praising and glorifying God for the greatest gift, the world has ever

known.