What is Christmas really about? Join Rob Greene, Site Pastor for the Vintage21 site in Cary, as he digs into Matthew's account of the birth of Christ. He will examine both Mary and Joseph- both who they are and their experience, as well as what God's action means for us today.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
The Effects of the disease of sin
Our foolish hearts are darkened (Rom. 1:21) and our thoughts are continually evil (Gen. 6:5); our minds are clouded by sin and ignorant of the things of God (Eph. 4:17-18), though in our folly we glory in our great knowledge and wisdom. We have exchanged God's truth for a lie (Rom. 1:25), and our minds are 'blinded by the god of this age' (2 Cor. 4:4); All are under sin, none is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God (Rm. 3: 10-11); whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it (Jam. 2:10); and we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive what is due for what he has done in the body (2 Cor. 5:10); all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rm. 3:23) and everyone who sins is a slave to sin (Jn. 8:34); I do not do the thing that I want, but the thing that I hate…for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing…so I find it a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand…I see in my body another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my body. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rm. 7:15, 19, 21-24).
Questions for Reflection
What do you think your greatest need is? Is there one thing that if you had it you would feel like everything was going to be okay? Have you ever considered the fact that your greatest need is for your sin nature to be dealt with?
Have you viewed your sin as an informational problem that could be dealt with through education; or an experiential problem that you could deal with changing relationships or scenery? Or maybe you’ve seen it as a biological problem that could just be fixed with a trip to the doctor?
Celebrate the Christmas season this year by reading the story and bowing your heart in worship to the One who came to save you from your sins.