The arrival

This morning we looked at the arrival of the Messiah through the lens of Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”  God’s sovereign timeline and plan for redemption led to the moment of the birth of the Messiah to the Virgin Mary in a borrowed stable.

The arrival or birth of a baby is a hard thing for man to pinpoint, but not for the God of the universe.  While God knew to the very moment, man looks to the signs of an impending birth and makes arrangements for the location of the birth of a child.  Normally today, moms and dads time the contractions, communicate with their medical professionals and get ready for the “big” event.  Sometimes this happens at home, but usually it is in a labor and delivery room in a hospital.  But there are times when the circumstances lead to birth in the bay of a firehouse, the seat of a police car or even a taxi.  Some of you may have the story of a delivery in an unusual location.

I seriously doubt that as Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register (as they were required for the census), they expected the birth of the Messiah to be in a borrowed stable with animals.  

I doubt that anyone who studied the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah ever considered this Promised One would come via a birth in a stable.  Yet these details of Jesus’ birth gave the shepherds specific directions to find the One the angels declared would bring “peace on earth, good will toward men.” I imagine if you and I lived at that time, we wouldn’t have been checking out the stables for the promised Messiah.  Instead, we would have looked in those areas where the movers, shakers and power people gave birth to their children.  Even if we looked into Bethlehem, we would have probably overlooked any baby cries from a stable thinking, “Nah, that couldn’t be the Messiah.”

Unfortunately, we many times do the same thing today in regard to the will, commands, and work of the Messiah.  Ever read a passage of Scripture and think, there is no way I could do that, even though it is clear that God not only wants to work in and through us but even commands it?  “Those are commands for the preachers, not for people like me.”  

So when we think of the arrival, the birth of the Messiah, let us remember that the work of His Kingdom will move us from our comfort zones; could and usually will challenge the way we think and even the things we used to want — and will cause us to look at people in new ways — with the eyes of Christ.  The arrival of Christ was not just a promise, but was for the purpose of redeeming men which would change mankind into those who would represent God in a world in desperate need of the Savior.  We are to be His best advertisement for new life in Christ.  

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Pressing on…

Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor