Sermon Notes (12.24.21)
The Courage of Christmas
Matthew 1:18-25
18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
The Courage of Joseph
Scorn. Self. Sin.
Imagine
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife…”
Notice what the angel calls him, “the son of David.” Joseph was a humble man, a carpenter. He was not a great land magnate, or a great merchant. He was not a famed man in his community. He did not hold public office. He was not some sort of nobility; yet the angels says, “Joseph, remember who you are. You are the son of David.” Before God calls us to obey, before he calls us to a great task, he reminds us who we are in him. – J. Ligon Duncan III
Scorn. Self. Sin.
…you shall call his name Jesus
When you come to Christ, you must drop your conditions. What does that mean? It means you have to give up the right to say, “I will obey you if . . . I will do this if . . .” As soon as you say, “I will obey you if,” that is not obedience at all. You are saying: “You are my adviser, not my Lord. I will be happy to take your recommendations. And I might even do some of them.” No. If you want Jesus with you, you have to give up the right to self-determination. Self-denial is an act of rebellion against our late-modern culture of self-assertion. But that is what we are called to. Nothing less. – Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas
Scorn. Self. Sin.
“…you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Will you allow Christmas to confront you?
How will you get the strength to be courageous like that? By looking at Jesus himself. Because if you think it takes courage to be with him, consider that it took infinitely more courage for him to be with you. Only Christianity says one of the attributes of God is courage. No other religion has a God who needed courage. – Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas
The Courage of Jesus
…and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
Scorn. Self. Sin.
Psalm 22:6–8 – But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Scorn. Self. Sin.
Matthew 26:39 – And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Scorn. Self. Sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What uncertainty are you facing?
Forgive me for my shortsighted look at this world
Where you keep proving that you know what you’re doing
If I could see like you do with your perspective view
The fires I’m walking through would look much different
I’d see those difficult days for who they made me become
And I would count them among
All the good things
All the good things
All the good things You’ve done for me
-Jill Phillips, All the Good Things
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
Confess.
Celebrate.
Be Courageous.
A Prayer for Salvation
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”