Matthew 1:18-25
The Biggest Miracle of Christmas

What is the biggest miracle of Christmas?   That is a hard one.
Christmas is filled with miracles.

There is the star that lead the wise men to the Baby Jesus.  I have
never figured that one out.  How could a star direct travelers to a
specific location?  Stars have been used for hundreds—perhaps
thousands of years—to help in navigation, but to direct men to a
specific person living in a specific house?  Friend, that is a
miracle of epic proportions.

What about the angels appearances?  How many have longed and desired
to see an angel?  Yet angels appeared to no less than four times—and
maybe more.  If every communication from God to mankind during the
birth of Christ was done by an angel—and some believe it was—there
were more than 20 angelic visits.  Bethlehem would have been the
angelic crossroad of the world!
http://www.biblestudy.org/question/angels-in-new-testament.html

But then, there is the whole miracle message of Christmas itself—
the virgin birth of Jesus, the Messiah into the world.  How would we
begin to top that miracle?

But when we think of the miracles of Christmas, we typically start
around Christmas.  I’m thinking that is a little late.  There are
some pretty BIG miracles that happened both before and after the
birth of Jesus.

This morning, what are biggest miracles of Christmas?

I. One of the biggest miracles is the miracle that God would care.
    A. There is no debating that the virgin birth of the Son of God
        is one of the biggest miracles of Christmas.  Yet, if God had
        not cared, that miracle would have never come to pass.
    B. The Bible is very clear on the condition man’s relationship
        with God sank down to because of sin.

Romans 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we
were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved
by his life.

        1. Paul did not use that word just once.

Colossians 1:21  And you, that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled.

        2. Jesus Himself said of us:

Matt 12:30  He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me scattereth
abroad.

        3. Yet in that state, God not only cares about us, He loves
            us.
    C. Some do not think much of God’s love.
        1. To be honest:
            a. Some think God just created a crisis so that He could
                save us from it.
            b. They think God’s judgment on sin was way too harsh.
        2. I would tell them they are wrong:
            a. God is just argument.  If it were not just, God would
                not have degreed it.
            b. The logical argument.
                (1) When we sin we are rebelling against God.
                (2) We are telling God that we do not want Him.
                (3) So God created a place where He is not, HELL, and
                     sends those who do not want Him there.
                    (a) God is love so love is not there.
                    (b) God is mercy so mercy is not there.
                    (c) God is forgiving so forgiveness is not there.
                    (4) God is kind so kindness is not there.
                (4) Then the rebels criticize God for giving them
                     what they wanted.
        3. Friend, you can’t have it both ways.
            a. You either want God or you don’t.
            b. If you do want God, you must take Him as Lord and
                Master.
            c. If you do not want God, you can’t get His goodness
                either.
            d. Make up your mind, but do it quickly.
    D. However, whether you want God or not, God wants you.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.

    E. Get this: Just like God’s justice may seem extreme so God’s
        love and forgiveness is also extreme.
        1. God’s care is universal.  That means it includes everyone.
        2. God’s care is unconditional.  That means it does not
            matter what you have done so far, God still cares.
        3. God’s care is unending. That means if you accept Jesus
            Christ as your Savior, you will be His forever.

II. One of the biggest miracles is the miracle that Jesus would come.
    A. I am speaking of the biggest miracles of Christmas this
        morning.
    B. Yes, how Jesus got here is a miracle, a big miracle; but
        perhaps an even bigger miracle is that Jesus would come.
    C. I do not mean to confuse you (or myself) but sometimes we
        forget that while the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are
        one, they are not the same.
        1. Each member of the Trinity is "unique."  They are One,
            but they are not the same.
        2. By that we mean:
            a. The Father is not the Son.  They are unique.
            b. The Son is not the Spirit.  They are unique.
            c. The Spirit is not the Father. They are unique.
        3. The Bible makes it clear that the Father, the Son, and the
            Spirit are One.

Deut 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one
LORD:

Isaiah 44:8  …Is there a God beside me? yea,
there is no God; I know not any.

Isaiah 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none
else, there is no God beside me….

        4. But the Bible also makes it clear that each member of the
            Godhead is unique, with different roles to play in man’s
            existence and redemption.

1John 5:7  For there are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one.

Matthew 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water: and, lo,
the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him:
17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

    D. In the plan of God for man’s redemption, the Son had a most
        difficult role.
        1. He was to give up His state (spirit),
            lay aside all of His power,
            be placed into a human body,
            live among sinners as a human,
            be brutally murdered physically,
            be separated from God spiritually,
            and then trust the Father and the Spirit to raise Him in
             a glorified form.
        2. Yet, Jesus came.  And even more, Jesus wanted to come.
            a. Jesus wanted to lay aside who He was.
            b. Jesus wanted to be robed in weak flesh.
            c. Jesus wanted to walk among us.
            d. Jesus wanted to be a like a human.
            e. Jesus wanted to know our weaknesses.
            f. Jesus wanted to feel our pains.
            g. Jesus wanted to take our place.
            h. Jesus wanted to die on that cross.
            i. Jesus wanted to be our sacrifice.
            j. Jesus wanted to die on the cross for us.
            k. Jesus wanted to take our place in hell.
    E. Friend, that is one of the greatest miracles of Christmas!

III. One of the biggest miracles is that Mary and Joseph would obey.
    A. We know the story of Mary.
        1. Mary was just a young lady, a virgin.
        2. Although some have attempted to deify Mary, she was and is
            just a very blessed woman, a woman who chose to obey.
        3. \\#Luke 1:26-38\\ give the account of this young lady
            being visited by the angel, Gabriel.
        4. Gabriel words are familiar to most of us:

Luke 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name JESUS.

        5. As is his explanation as to how this would be
            accomplished.

Luke 1:35 …The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall
be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

        6. But it is Mary’s reply to which I would draw your
            attention:

Luke 1:38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of
the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her.

        7. Did Mary comprehend what she was saying?
            a. Did she understand that those of her day would
                ridicule her and think of her as a loose woman the
                remainder of her life?
            b. Did she realize that her own fiancée would think this
                of her?  Would consider have her "put away" as a
                loose or unfaithful woman?
            c. Did she comprehend at all the sword that would pierce
                her own soul?
            d. I do not know for certain, but I think perhaps she
                did.
            e. Then why do it?  Why put yourself in such a position?
            f. She did it to obey God.
            g. We do not know anything of this woman’s upbringing and
                really very little about her at all, but she made a
                decision in a few minutes to do what most men do not
                decided to do in their entire life.
            h. She decided to obey God.
    B. But let’s not forget Joseph.
        1. He made a similar decision.
        2. We seldom think about it, but who did the people think
            violated Mary?
            a. Was Mary betrothed to another?
            b. No one had ever seen Mary with another man, had they?
            c. And Joseph did not do what a man would do if his
                intended were unfaithful to him, did he?
            d. Would not a man whose intended had "stepped out on
                him" put her away?
            e. He certainly would not marry her and take the Child as
                his own, would he?
         3. The answer to all these questions is NO.
         4. To what conclusion would this conclusion jumping people
             jump to?
             a. They would jump to the conclusion that Mary AND
                 Joseph had been too eager and were both had both
                 behaved badly.
             b. By taking Mary to be his wife, Joseph soiled his own
                 reputation as well.
         5. Then why do it?
             a. Because, like Mary, Joseph made the decision to obey
                 God.
             b. I don’t know if you know it or not, but mankind is
                 not know as a people that obey God.
             c. One of the greatest miracles was that Mary and Joseph
                 obeyed God.

IV. One of the biggest miracles of Christmas is that mankind does not
     care.
    A. I know there are other big miracles and they all need to be
        addressed, but my time is gone so I will jump to this one.
        1. And what a big miracle it is.
        2. That after all God has done, mankind by and large just
            does not care.
            a. Man does not care about his sin.
            b. Man does not care about God.
            c. Man does not care what Jesus did.
            d. And at this point, man does not care about life after
                death.
        3. I made a statement about God a few weeks ago that needs to
            be repeated, "Never has anyone given so much and received
            so little."
    B. Sadly, sometimes we Christians do not care much more than the
        unsaved.
        1. Obviously, we care some.
        2. We were at least selfishly sane enough to care about our
            own sin and salvation, but what about the rest of the
            world?
            a. What about our friends? our family? our own children?
            b. Do we not care enough about what Jesus did for them to
                tell them all at least once?
            c. To make it a habit to invite them to a place where
                they at least hear the good news?
            d. Have we ourselves been pulled so far into the web of
                blindness that we do not care that God cares for them
                too?
    C. No, my friend, I believe one of the biggest miracles of
        Christmas is how little it really affects lives, even the
        lives of the Christians.

I don’t know about you, but that is one miracle I would like to see
stopped.

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