Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. How do we know where to find answers to the toughest
questions in life? While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search
and how do we discover this truth? Today, in this teaching podcast, John Meador, lead
pastor of Cross City Church, takes a specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth
for the life we're searching for. So brothers, you're with us this morning. If you have your
Bibles, I want you to take them and turn to the Gospel of Luke again. Each week we've
been on the Gospel of Luke and our series is called The Characters of Christmas and
we'll carry this on right on through Christmas Eve and all of our services today. Characters
on the World's Biggest Stage. And by the way, before we read our text today, let me just
share a couple of things with you about the days ahead. I want to encourage you to walk
with us in something we're called Welcoming and Wise. Welcoming and Wise. That is, that's
what we want to be in our worship services, Welcoming and Wise. And one of the things
that we are seeing is increased numbers of people who are visiting our church and checking
Cross City out for the first time. And one of the best things that we can do is be in
the room early enough to meet those folks before the service begins. Often guests may
come in and they may be the only ones in the room and we're out there enjoying a good cup
of coffee probably, but grab that coffee and then come on in and find your place and be
able to meet and greet the people that come in who are looking not only for a church,
but they're looking for great friends as well. So I want to encourage you to be Welcoming
and Wise. And the second part of that is once the message begins, which is about now in
our service, I want to encourage you to keep distractions to a minimum in the sense of
getting out and going out or coming back in. It's kind of easy just to stay there. I rarely
ever preach two hours. Now you know I never do that. It's always about 30 minutes, 35
minutes, and so we want you to try to keep distractions to a minimum by staying for the
message and not going out and coming back in. So just those couple of feelings will
help us to be Welcoming and Wise. And with that, please take your Bibles and turn to
Luke 2 and let's stand together. Luke chapter 2, I'm going to read the shortest part of
what we'll be looking at today. First of all, Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Now
we all know this as the classical Christmas story, the traditional story that we always
read. Luke chapter 2. Today I'm going to read the first seven verses for just a few moments.
Now in those days the decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the census be taken of
all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor
of Syria. And everyone was on the way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph
also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, which
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. In order to register
along with Mary, he was engaged to him and was with child. While they were there, the
days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and
she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them
in the inn. Great story, isn't it? Father, in Jesus' name I pray that you will speak
to us through the characters of this Christmas story. Show us how you're at work in our lives
and in the lives of all those around us as well as all those in this story. You're always
at work. You're always accomplishing your purpose. And help us to be a part of that,
Father. We thank you that you accomplished that through your son Jesus Christ. We ask
this in Jesus' name. And all God's people said amen. Please be seated if you would.
I know you'd be never able to guess it, but when I was growing up I was quite the playwright.
In the seventh grade I was in a play in my hometown school. Every year they had a play.
They had a production they called it. And one year, I don't remember the name of the
play, but I remember I was asked to play a caveman in that play. I was perfectly cast
as a caveman. And I wore something that looked a lot like Fred Flintstone's garb in that
cartoon. And I had two words that I had to repeat over and over. They were glub and uck.
Those were the two words. I still remember those. I'm great at memorization and I nailed
it. I want you to know I nailed it. My big scene was where I had a paper mache club and
I clubbed a female version of a caveman over the head and then dragged her off the stage
into my cave, I guess. They probably wouldn't let us do that today. It probably wouldn't
be politically correct. But that was my history as a playwright. Now there were only 75 people
in the room. Thanks the Lord there were only 75 people in the room. None of them were talent
scouts or movie makers and so consequently instead of great Broadway talent, instead
of a movie star, I'm a preacher today and that's how I got here. It was on a very small
stage in a very remote part of America and Oklahoma. But I still remember it. But I want
to talk to you about the biggest stage on the world. The global stage. Where you have
a Mary and a Joseph and a baby. You have shepherd wise men. You have a governor, Corineus. You
have a Caesar Augustus and all these somehow work together. Somehow God moves all these
pieces in place in the right way in order to bring about the message of love and forgiveness
and redemption. It's the biggest stage of the world because everyone, just about everyone
knows the story of Jesus' birth. In fact the biggest challenge pastors have year in
and year out is how do I tell this same story again after having told it over and over for
40 years and sometimes it feels kind of challenging to do that. But what a joy I've had of walking
through the characters of Christmas. We started with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were the
parents of John the Baptist. Part of biblical prophecy and the fact that the angel appeared
to this man named Zechariah and he was struck mute because he didn't believe God and Elizabeth
of course was overjoyed because she was older and barren and all of a sudden they are with
child and this child is going to be John the Baptist. It's an amazing story. And then
last week we looked at all the angels that announced the news to the wise men or rather
to the shepherds in the fields. And we looked at really a history of who angels were, how
they were created, where they've been all along. And we looked at the power of angels
and the wisdom of angels and everything about angels and they are much bigger creatures,
much more powerful creatures than we really think about them being. And all that helps
us set the scene for two angelic encounters that Joseph and Mary have in this little text
right here that we've read and how important they are. I want you to know some characters
first of all of history. The characters in history that this text points out are two
political leaders believe it or not who somehow find themselves in this Christmas story. Read
verse one and two where it says, in those days the decree went out from Caesar Augustus.
That's the first political figure that we look at. And a census is being commanded and
then the first census while Quirinius was governor of Syria is the second reference.
So you've got a couple of people here. Caesar Augustus, which is not his real name of course,
his real name is a different name. It is Gaius Octavius. But Caesar Augustus was the title
given to him by the Roman Senate once he was approved to be the leading emperor. Literally
this word means majestic one. And this was a political figure that entered in what we
know as the Pax Romana. That is the peace of Rome. It was Rome's greatest season, greatest
era for peace, prosperity and power. Roads that were built during Pax Romana are still
in existence today. You can still walk on those same roads. Now Quirinius was the other,
he was the governor during that period of time and he literally instituted the census
that was commanded by Caesar Augustus. Now it took him between two and four years to
actually respond to what was said by Caesar Augustus. And all this means that there's
a march of time going on until the actual census and the actual movement of Mary and
Joseph to this place called Bethlehem. But through these two political leaders, Mary
and Joseph end up in this city called Bethlehem and fulfill biblical prophecy because of
the movements of these political leaders. One of the great prophecies in the Bible is
the specific place, Bethlehem. In Micah chapter five verse two we find this written, but as
for you Bethlehem, Ephphara, too little to be among the clans of Judah. From you one
will go forth from me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago from the
days of eternity. Such a small place, such a big prophecy about this very, very small
place. How do you get a Mary and Joseph to that place at that time in the fullness of
time? Well, if you're God, you use these political leaders like pawns on a chessboard,
moving them in each place. They need to be moved for this command to have gone out. Now
I don't think it seems very smart to talk about politics during the Christmas season,
but I don't think it's smart to talk about politics in any season, but nonetheless. I
want to talk about politics for just a moment. I want to talk about the fact that the God
of the universe uses all kinds of people, all kinds of systems to point out the need
of and the source of salvation. I mean God actually used these two pagan godless rulers
to bring about the movement that brought these two simple people, Joseph and Mary, to this
place called Bethlehem. Just want to remind you, every part in this story has a role to
play. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 4, the Lord has made everything for
his own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. I don't like talking about the wicked
for the day of evil either, but I do like talking about the God who has made everything
for his own purpose. I like the fact that God causes all things to work together for
good. That's Romans 8, 28. That verse tells us that we know God causes all things to work
together for good. For those who love God, for those who are called according to his
purpose. I use this illustration all the time because I believe it's accurate and I think
it's biblically correct, but I use the illustration of a chess master and a chess board. I've
always loved the game of chess. I love the strategy behind it. I don't play much anymore,
but as a boy I grew up playing chess. It was so challenging to find the ways, the different
ways to move and the different ways to capture the enemy and so forth. As I grew older, I
realized that life is kind of like that game of chess. I have no idea the strategy involved
that the chess master has in mind as he moves me on the board from piece to piece and place
to place and square to square in certain scenarios, certain confrontations, certain situations.
You don't know either, but we have trust and confidence that there is a great chess
master and his name is Almighty God who moves us where we need to be, when we need to be
in order to fulfill his plan for our life. That's exactly what happened to Joseph and
Mary. There's some people that are grateful for that in the room right now and I am too.
A great chess master and these characters in history remind us of that. God continues
to do that by the way. It continues to work in that powerful way by what we call the sovereign
realm. Secondly, I want you to notice the characters of his story, not just history,
but the story of Jesus. It says in verses four and five, Joseph also went up from Galilee
to the city of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because
he was of the house and family of David. We have some hints as to why they're there and
who they're supposed to be staying with. They're supposed to be staying with Joseph's family.
It says in order to register along with Mary, so there we go, the purpose for which they're
going, which was instituted by Quirinius and Caesar Augustus. He was there along with Mary
and then it says he was engaged to him and was with child. We sometimes read those first
two names. Caesar Augustus, Quirinius and Caesar. You know, they're just minor players here,
but the major players are really Joseph and Mary, aren't they? We know that God is using
them in supernatural, amazing ways. Like most, they had plans for their lives. They had an
idea of what the future would involve and it didn't really go in that direction, did
it for Joseph and Mary. Most of us know the story well enough to realize that God took
their lives, whatever direction they were heading in and turned them, moved them into
spots where they could play a significant role in human history. These ordinary people
were asked by an extraordinary God to have a significant role in the coming of the Messiah.
It's the biggest news that could possibly have taken place and these very ordinary people
are used by this extraordinary God and it's ushered in by angelic visitations. So you
know the stories. Mary encounters the angel Gabriel and then later on Joseph needs to
have an encounter with an angel. First of all, I want you to go back to Luke chapter
one. We won't put this on the screen, but I want to read a significant section of scripture
and if you will take your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter one, verse 26. I'm going to
read this part of the Christmas story from verse 20, 60, verse 38 and in it I want to
warn you some of the greatest words in history are on this page. The greatest explanation
in the world as to how this woman could be with child while a virgin is on this page
in one single verse. This is a significant, amazing set of scriptures. Look at what it
says in verse 26 of Luke one. Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph
of the descendants of David and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her,
greetings, favorite one, the Lord is with you. But she was very perplexed at this statement
and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, do not be
afraid Mary for you have found favor with God. I'm going to pause for just a moment
here and I want to remind you that the presence of angels while not unheard of is somewhat
rare and the last time Gabriel has spoken before Zacharias was told that he was going
to have a little boy was 500 years prior. For 500 years no one has heard from that angel
or any angel. Daniel and the lions den was the previous time an encounter of Gabriel
speaking up and it saved Daniel from the lions of course. There was a minor prophet Malachi
that spoke 400 years before this moment but between 400 and 500 years the intertestamental
period is what we call it, is a time of silence and all of a sudden the silence is broken
by these angelic announcements to Zacharias and now to Mary. So this powerful, brilliant
angel is speaking to her in the middle of the night and the first thing he says is what
all angels say, don't be afraid. Why? Because the angel's presence is so powerful, so brilliant,
so illuminating, so different from any other encounter Mary will have in her lifetime that
he has to say don't be afraid. He goes on and says in verse 31, and behold you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and
be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father
David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no
end. All this fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah. Mary said to the angel how can this
be since I am a virgin? The best question in the world is that one right there and the
best answer in the world is coming. The angel answered and said to her the Holy Spirit will
come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you and for that reason the
holy child shall be called the son of God. And behold even your relative Elizabeth has
also conceived a son in her old age and she was called barren and is now in her sixth
month for nothing will be impossible with God. Now notice what Mary says in spite of
the shock and awe, in spite of this amazing explanation which probably is overwhelming
to her in that moment. Mary said behold the bond slave of the Lord may it be done to me
according to your word and the angel departed from her. Both amazing and intimidating. Can
you imagine? Think about this for a moment. How many mothers are in the room? Would you
raise your hand if you were a mom? Think about before you had a child. If you were Mary's
age you would have been fifteen years of age or younger. You are engaged to a man that
is of high reputation. You realize that at some point in the month, maybe years ahead
you are going to have a wedding after the house is built and all the preparations are
made that you are going to come take you as his bride. But until then you are chased.
You are going to follow the Lord. You are going to trust the Lord. You have got plans
though. You probably know how many kids you want to have if you are a young woman in that
situation. You probably know where you want to live. You probably know a little bit about
how you are going to raise those kids and you are thinking of all this. You are thinking
of marriage. You are thinking of the wedding itself. You are thinking of where you are
going to live. You are thinking of all the plans that you have for the future and all
of a sudden in the middle of the night an angel comes to you and all of those plans
all of a sudden are gone because the angel says, no you are going to be pregnant starting
now and without your husband. The Holy Spirit is going to overshadow you and the one who
is in you is going to be called the Holy Child. Can you imagine the next conversation that
she has to have? The conversation she has to have with Joseph? The conversation she
has to have with her mother and her dad? The conversation she has to have with all of her
friends and telling the news of what she has seen in the night and yet she realizes that
something has truly happened to her. Who would believe her? What would she say? Because she
just pointed to the fact that she had some angelic visitation and that would be it. No
one has heard from an angel in 500 years. You are out of your mind Mary. You expect
us to believe this. This crisis of faith that is going on inside her mind had to be huge.
She had to be asking all the questions, will I be accepted or will I be rejected? What
will my extended family say? What will my reputation look like? And yet she says, be
to it as it may. I am the bond-servant of the Lord. Whatever you say, I will do. Can
you imagine that level of faith that Mary exercised in that moment where she said yes
to the angel? I don't know if you have a choice when the angel says something like
that. I don't think it's a yes or no question. It's more like how am I going to respond
to this? How am I going to believe this? How am I going to move forward? Then there is
Joseph. Joseph who now hears the news of Mary's situation. She is now with child by the Holy
Spirit. She is met with an angel. Isn't this just like God to meet with Joseph when Joseph
most needs it after he has already met with Mary? Mary is heard and now it's Joseph's
turn. The reality is that before the angel speaks to Joseph, Joseph is considering an
exit plan. He is trying to figure out what do I do with her? What do I do with me? What
do I do with our future? What do I do with our family? In just the right moment the angel
comes and has a conversation with him. Now I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew
chapter 1, Matthew chapter 1 and beginning in verse 18. Matthew chapter 1. Now the birth
of Jesus Christ was as followed when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they
came together. She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Notice that every account
gives validity to the virgin birth. Isaiah the prophet does, Luke the doctor does, Matthew,
the scribe does, all attest to the fact that this was a woman who was chaste, who was a
virgin who had not known her husband at all. He said before they came together he was found
to be with child by the Holy Spirit and Joseph her husband being a righteous man and not
wanting to disgrace her planned to send her away secretly. So that's his first response.
But when he had considered this behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
saying Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child who
has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call his
name Jesus for he will save his people from their sin. Now all this took place to fulfill
what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Behold the virgin shall be with child and
shall bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which translated means God with us.
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took
Mary as his wife but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a son and he called his
name Jesus. So here is Joseph all of a sudden in spite of his initial reaction which is
often our initial reaction how do I get out of this interruption in my life even if it
is God it seems like such an abrupt interruption into my future, into my plans and everything
else I thought would be normal. The angel comes and says this is your new normal this
is what life is going to be like for you because I am taking you just ordinary people I am
going to do extraordinary things in your life. These are interruptions in their life that
they never would have chosen on their own and so disruptive so unsettling that one imagines
how they could even survive them. And when I think about the Christmas story I think
about the interruptions that God often allows to happen in every life. And then the great
example of a Joseph in Mirra who said we will let those interruptions take place as long
as we know they are from you. And as long as we know you have a plan and a purpose and
as long as we know what our part is in this plan and this purpose. Let me just tell you
something I don't think God is going to ask you to do what he asked Mary to do and I don't
think he is going to ask you to do what he asked Joseph to do. But if he asks you to
do something big he will clearly let you know what he is asking. And he will clearly give
you the opportunity to respond in faith the way Joseph and Mary responded in faith. I
guess the question I have when I look at Joseph and Mary is are we willing to be stretched
the way they were? Are we willing to be challenged to believe God when he speaks into our lives
and says that he is going to use us in bigger ways than we can possibly imagine? Part of
faith is trusting the God who leads these two in his leading of us. Those are the characters
of his story. And then I want you to know some characters of our story. Because this
text brings us face to face with a couple of incidents that I think are important for
us in our walk of faith. Look at verse 7 it says, she gave birth to her first born son
and she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for
him in the inn. So here is a verse that shows a manger scene and a stable that we often
associate with Christmas. I have had an artist do some renditions that are in caricature
form and we have one I want you to look at for just a moment. This is the scene that
is classically, technically thought of when we think of that line, there is no room for
them in the inn. If you will place that up on the screen and we will be able to see that.
I want you to look at the innkeeper for just a few moments. That is a person that we write
into the story. Notice the text doesn't say that there is an innkeeper. It simply says
there is no room for them in the inn. We will explain that in just a few moments. We classically
have an innkeeper with his hand up saying no. Then you have got Joseph who is looking
hopeful and Mary who is clearly pregnant riding on this donkey and then the line below
there is no room for them at the inn. Can you imagine traveling for a great distance
while being fully pregnant, nine months pregnant about and looking for a place to stay. Can
you imagine being Joseph and Mary who are both obedient to the Lord but now things are
not working out quite like they wanted in the sense of these doors are not open. This
journey is not easy. This is not something as fun as we had hoped it might be. Saying
yes to Jesus is not always easy, right? It is not always so easy to say yes but it is
also not always easy to keep saying yes after you have said yes for the first time and their
journey was a challenging, challenging journey. That is the picture we put up there so that
you might see what that looks like and then the line there because there was no room for
them in the inn. Let me just give you a little history to this word and I think you are going
to appreciate it even though at first it sounds a little disappointing. There is no real inn
in the sense of a motel or a hostel. This is not like a businessman standing up and
saying no room for you but the reality is far more troubling and far more brutal. The
word for inn is most often translated guest house. So Joseph's family, the house of David,
a guest house there in Bethlehem and while others in his family have already come and
already arrived because they are there for the consensus, the same reason everybody is
in town is for that, this house is full. Most houses at that time had a primary floor for
the attendants or the people that owned the hall and the homeowners. Then you had a guest
room that would be the upper room and whenever you had company over, the family members that
came they were in that upper room and then beneath the main floor of the house was sort
of a dugout kind of arrangement for the animals because they always kept their animals near.
There were the donkeys and there were the cows, there were the sheep and so forth. You
always kept them close because of theft, because of all the animals that would ravage them.
So this is what a home would normally look like and at a time of great visitation when
many people were in town all your family would come and be up in the guest house which is
the second floor of the house and the primary floor was occupied by the family that owned
the home. And according to this Joseph and Mary came to the inn or the guest house and
there was no room for them. That's one thing for Motel 6 to be full. It's another thing
for your family to say we've got no room for you. It's the beginning picture of our awareness
that even his family rejected and rebelled Joseph and Mary and ultimately Jesus. You
don't have to look far in the gospels to see that rejection, it was very real. That's
what we're looking at here in this scene is not just a cartoon image and the kind of an
endearing guy, an innkeeper that's somewhat apologetic, I'm sorry we just don't have
room. But actually probably a family member that says no, I mean it doesn't make sense,
you two have seen angels but nobody else has. You two have this story but we're not sure
about that story. Of course you're looking for a place to stay. It may be a family member
that says you're just getting what you basically deserve which is nothing. There's room down
here where we keep the animals and you can put the baby in that place where we feed the
animals. I look at that picture and I think he did suffer rejection from early on. A couple
of things I want you to carry away first of all. His first bed reminds us that he can
identify with us all in some way. He was laid in a manger, that part's very real. And it
reminds us that he can identify in every way with us, at our best or at our worst. Now
some of you know that I'm a new grandfather. I really didn't do anything except just be,
just exist. And all of a sudden I have a son and his wife and they have a baby so now I'm
a grandfather and I'm enjoying my grandfather life. Four months old our grandbaby is. Yes
you can clap for them and for me. And as soon as we knew this was taking place in typical
fashion my wife decided okay we got a bedroom upstairs we're not using and that's going
to be the baby's room. And so this was an opportunity for us to redecorate that room
and set it up for whenever our granddaughter would come over which she hasn't done overnight
yet. We're hoping it will happen soon but nonetheless we've got a bed theater, we've
got toys theater, we've got all those things and she's going to get the best of the best
when she gets to our house I promise you that. In the meantime our in-laws have done the
same thing with their home. All the consumer reports have been read, all the beds have
been purchased, all the toys that are safe and yet stimulating or they're ready for the
baby to play with when and if she spends the night at their house or at our house. And
I think about what we do whenever we have family and whenever we have a granddaughter
the way we have and it's filled with joy this time it's filled with joy, it's filled with
anticipation we can't wait to be around them, we can't wait to get to hold her. But what
I can't imagine is them coming to our home and me saying we have no room for you. That's
what I can't imagine but that's what happened. And that's where Joseph and Mary end up putting
Jesus in a manger because there was no room for him in the guest house. And there he is
identifying with us fully, basically homeless. Joseph hasn't had a chance to build a house
and prepare it and come back to take her as his bride because she became a child before
they ever were able to do that. So basically they're homeless in the sense of their hometown,
they're homeless in the sense of Bethlehem, now they have no place to stay just this stable.
And I think about that when I think about what Jesus left in order to come be born and
placed in that stable. Paul said it like this in Philippians chapter 2, he said he according
to Christ, he's speaking about Christ, although he existed in the form of God did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped but he emptied himself. Jesus in his high priestly
prayer in John chapter 17 said this, he said, Father, now glorify me together with yourself
with the glory which I have with you before the world was. In other words, I had all the
glory of the Father before I left heaven to be born of this virgin and laid in this manger.
I read in the book of Hebrews in chapter 2 verse 17 the reason for all this. The Bible
says therefore he had to be made like his brethren in all things so that he might become
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God so he could identify with
us and make propitiation for the sins of the people. Jesus left glory to be born in a manger
and laid in a manger so that he could identify fully with you. And that's why Hebrews 4
and 15 also says, for we do not have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses
but one who is tested in all ways as we are yet without sin. Identified with us at the
greatest time of our life, identified with us in the worst time of our life. Because
of this Hebrews goes on and says, therefore we can draw near with confidence to the throne
of grace so that we should receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Listen,
he came to be with us, to identify with us so that he could also be for us in all things.
That's why he left glory. That's why the manger. That's why the rejection. Because
every time you have nothing you have a Savior who can identify with you when you have nothing.
And every time you are rejected you have a Savior that can identify with you when you
have been rejected because He has been rejected. His verse reminds us He can identify with
us in some way, all of us. When you're at your deepest, darkest moment in life, when
you think nobody cares, nobody knows, when you think that there's no answer to your problem,
you just remember Jesus emptied Himself completely to come live your life in your shoes so that
when you come and pray to Him and call upon Him and lean on Him, He is there with you
no matter how dark the day, no matter how deep the pain, He is there with you. Emmanuel
God with us. I want you to see one more thing though. His first rejection reminds us that
people still have no room for Jesus. I mean Jesus is being rejected right and left in
this story, just this piece of it. It's very clear that the family rejected Him. As the
child grew His family increasingly rejected Him. In fact there are several passages to
talk about His half-brothers trying to get Him to go up to Jerusalem before it's time
and they want Him to be put to death. They want Him to die. So this is the rejection
that Jesus is suffering. In fact John opens his gospel by saying He came to His own and
His own did not receive Him. So often you think about the word His own as being the
Jewish people and while that is true there's a more intimate setting for that as well.
It's not just the Jewish people that were His own, it was His own family that He was
born into. So many know what that pain feels like. He came to His own, His own did not
receive Him. The gospels tell us that Jesus had no place to lay His head during His earthly
ministry. That He was rejected by the chief priests. He was rejected by men as a whole.
He was rejected by this generation Mark tells us. When He cast demons out of the demoniac,
the people of the city, the whole village came out because their business was disrupted.
He cast the demons into the herd of swine if you remember that and they were so angry
that they entreated Him to leave. Please leave us alone they said to Jesus who later died
on the cross for them. Everybody missed it when it came to Jesus. The Jews were offended
at Him. Cities were offended at Him and ran Him out of town. The Pharisees and the Sadducees
and the Gentiles and the Samaritans and the Romans and the Jews alike all missed it when
it came to knowing who the Messiah is. Nearly every single one missed it. And I don't want
you to miss it. It's so possible for you to know the Christmas story and yet also possible
that you have not put your hope and trust and faith in this one who is born. To identify
with you later on to die on the cross for you and pay for your sins. It's possible that
you know about Jesus in caricature form and you know the cartoon figures of the innkeeper
saying no the Joseph and the Mary on the donkey and no room at the inn but you don't know
the one who is the center of that story Jesus. The same verse, same passage that says He
came to His own and His own did not receive Him goes on and says but as many as did receive
Him to them He gave the right to become the children of God even to those who believe
in His name. It's possible to not accept Him but then it's possible to change your mind
and to accept Him. As many as believed Him, as many as accepted Him to them He gave the
right to be called the children of God. Dear friend today I want to tell you that you don't
want to miss Jesus the way so many have. You don't want to sing the songs and read the
story and see the caricatures and the pictures and all the things that remind you of the
nostalgia and the good feelings and everything else that a great carol will do for you. You
don't want to walk away with feelings and without faith in Jesus. You want to make sure
your faith is in Him and you want to make sure that you've accepted the gift of eternal
life that He came to bring you. In just a few moments I'm going to close in prayer and
as I do we have our decision stations open and I want to invite you to stop and talk
with someone about this most significant decision of your life to push your faith and trust
and hope in Jesus Christ. Would you stand with me for a word of prayer? Before I pray
three invitations to give you stop by the decision station and have that life with me
and have that life changing conversation number one. Number two I want to encourage you to
come to the guest reception room if you are visiting today I'd love to meet you and tell
you some things about our church. Number three I want you to invite people to come back with
you tonight for the search for baby Jesus. It's an incredible event and also invite them
back next week as we continue to walk through loop one and two. Father in Jesus name we
are so grateful to you for loving us enough to send your son and Lord today we want to
celebrate that and we want to rejoice in that but we also want to place our faith and trust
and confidence in Jesus Christ fully the way Mary did the way Joseph did and Lord I thank
you for their examples of faith help us follow those examples and believe I ask this in Jesus
name amen.