"a Baby Changes Everything"

“A Baby Changes Everything”

Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-24

Perhaps you would agree with the statement made in that song, “A baby changes Everything.” It’s true. We have 4 children. When had been married 6 months when my wife became pregnant and when our first child entered our lives, everything changed. Finances changed. Schedules changed. Suddenly we had a new responsibility that was very important. Along came our 2nd child 4 years later. Then our 3rd, another 4 years later, this big guy and everything changed. When our 3rd child came along I found myself thinking, hey I think we need another parent too. I can walk one of them across the street, my wife can take the other but who’s gonna handle this 3rd one? Then two years later and our 4th arrived. By that time we kinda had it figured out. We just let them take care of themselves. ? With the first I remember when I held our son David my arms were hurting when I put him down the first time because I was holding him so tightly I thought I might drop him. By the time you have the 4th you’re playing games with them like “toss the baby in the air.” Hey, maybe they can do a flip!

Babies do change everything. Early in the scripture in Genesis 3:15 we find these words: (READ). (PPT).

This is considered to be the first prophecy of the baby Jesus who would grow into a man and would crush the head of the serpent, Satan himself. Jesus would grow into a man and would crush the head of the serpent. We then travel all the way through the OT, about 2 thousand years to Malachi 3:1 which says “I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me.” That messenger would be John the Baptist. He would help pave the way for the coming of this baby Jesus---who would change everything. Between Genesis and Malachi, there are over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through his death, burial and resurrection. Before they are fulfilled we come to a time when no scripture was written; no new prophecies were introduced and all mankind could was wait. But then, just as promised, 4 hundred years later, Luke writes the words that were read this morning. The baby Jesus is born and absolutely everything changes.

When the angel visited young Mary, possibly only 14 years old; she was a young girl who had never been with a man; her life is shaken completely when the angel tells her she will give birth to the Son of God. As a young woman of that day she no doubt knew a Messiah was on His way but she would also be aware that it had been hundreds of years since god had spoken through the prophets; she had no way of knowing that now was the time and she had been chosen to carry the very Son of God in her womb.

Matthew tells us that when Joseph learned of the news we find these words “because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” After all, how could she be pregnant if she had not been with another man.

When Joseph goes to sleep an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save people from their sins. Vvs. 22-24

And everything in the lives of Mary and Joseph changed---they were married---she gives birth to the Son of God. And she above anyone else knew this was God’s son---she was a virgin; others may have questioned the fact but not Mary. Joseph obviously questioned it at the outset but because an angel spoke and Joseph believed he chose to believe Mary as well and he married her before the birth. V. 24.

This baby changed everything in their lives. The scripture tells us they had other children after this---Jesus had 4 brothers, James, Joseph and Simon. Mark mentions Jesus had sisters. We do not know how many nor do we know their names but it is plural so we know there were at least two. Now we know that Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine----both at the same time. We don’t really understand that but we accept it through faith. That means that in His divine power at the cross He could have called down 10,000 angels to save him but in his humanity through all the suffering he experienced he chose to remain. Why would He do that? Why, if you have the option to suffer or to be set free would you choose to suffer? Simple. It’s because as a baby who entered this world He --- because of His love for you and me, he made the decision to change everything. Because of His love for you and for me He came down to offer us a way out---because there wasn’t one. That is what the gospel is---the fact that that God sent His Son to do something we could not do for ourselves. Jesus accepted that assignment and it was His love for mankind that kept Him on the cross.