Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Explores the birth of Jesus Christ, emphasizing His roles as a source of joy, a justifier of the righteous, and a guiding light in life.
Good morning, dear family of faith. It's a beautiful day that the Lord has made and we are here to rejoice and be glad in it. We are gathered here, not as strangers or mere acquaintances, but as a family bound by the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It's a joy to see each one of you, and it's my prayer that God's grace will touch every heart and every life in a profound way today.
We are about to embark on a spiritual adventure, a trek through the beautiful landscape of God's Word. We are not merely spectators of the divine, but active participants in God's grand narrative. In the words of the great Charles Spurgeon, "Visit many good books, but live in the Bible." So, let us live in the Bible today, let us make our home in its passages, let us find our sustenance in its words.
In the heart of the Gospel, we find a story of a birth like no other. A birth that was not just an event, but a divine intervention. A birth that brought forth not just a child, but a Savior. And this Savior, Jesus, is not just a figure of reverence, but a source of unending joy.
What is joy?: Think about it. Joy is not just a feeling, it's a state of being. It's not just about being happy when things are going well, it's about finding hope when things are not. It's about finding peace in the midst of chaos, strength in the midst of weakness, and light in the midst of darkness. And that's what Jesus brings into our lives - joy, in its purest form.
The circumstances of Jesus' birth: Mary, a young woman, pledged to be married to Joseph, finds herself pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Imagine the turmoil, the confusion, the fear. Yet, in the midst of it all, there's a sense of divine purpose, a sense of joy. Why? Because Mary knew that the child she was carrying was not just any child, but the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Joseph: A man who was faithful to the law, yet did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace. He had in mind to leave her quietly. But then, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and revealed the divine plan. And Joseph, in his obedience and faith, found joy. He found joy in being a part of God's plan, joy in being the earthly father of the Savior, joy in knowing that his life was part of a bigger story.
The birth of Jesus was a proclamation: A proclamation of joy to a world in desperate need of it. The angel declared to Joseph in his dream, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." The name Jesus means 'the Lord saves'. And that's exactly what Jesus came to do - to save us, to bring us joy.
The joy that Jesus brings is not dependent on our circumstances: It’s dependent on His presence in our lives. It's not about what we have or don't have, it's about who we have. And when we have Jesus, we have everything we need. We have joy.
The birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy: The prophet Isaiah had foretold, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means 'God with us'). Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Not a distant, detached deity, but a God who is with us, in our joys and our sorrows, our victories and our defeats, our strengths and our weaknesses. A God who brings us joy, not just for a moment, but for eternity.
He is not just a figure of reverence, but a source of unending joy: A joy that is not dependent on our circumstances, but on His presence in our lives. A joy that is not fleeting, but eternal. A joy that is not just a feeling, but a state of being. A joy that is not just for us, but for the world.
As we continue to reflect on the life of Jesus, we find ourselves drawn to another facet of His divine character ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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