Sermon Summary

Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 1:21–23 (ESV)

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).

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…

Colossians 1:15 (ESV) 

15 He is the image of the invisible God…

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…

John 1:1 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

John 1:18 (ESV)

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

This week, Pastor Chris expressed ten points that he appreciates about Jesus and His nature this Christmas season. The birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all speak to the nature of God the Father. Since Jesus is fully God and fully man, we need to look at His character in order to know who our God is. Luke 1:26-38 shows the angel Gabriel appearing before Mary, explaining just who her child would be. 2020 has been a difficult year for many, but the joyous news of Christ’s birth reminds us that God is with us – He came as a baby because He longed to be that close. As we wrap this year up, we all could use reminding of who Immanuel is. 

10 Things I Appreciate About Jesus

  • Jesus is Humble. – The story of Jesus’ birth is wrapped in humility. Jesus was entrusted into a simple, lowly family who lived in a small, no-name town. 
  • Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scripture. – Everything past, present, and future points to Jesus.

Luke 1:28–31 (ESV)

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

  • Jesus is Fully Man. – Jesus needed to be fully man to identify with what we go through. 
  • Jesus is our Savior. – He is the savior of the world. When we realize we are in need of saving, we will be utterly thankful for our personal savior.
  • Jesus is Fully Sovereign.  – He is in control of all things.

Luke 1:32 (ESV)

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

  • Jesus is the King. — We can come to the throne of grace for times of refreshing because Jesus is the king. He welcomes us to His throne.

2 Samuel 7:16 (ESV)

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

  1. Jesus is Eternal. – His reign is forever and He does not change His mind. 

Luke 1:33 (ESV)

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

  1. Jesus is Fully Man and Fully God. – He knows what it is like to walk in our shoes.

Luke 1:34–35 (ESV)

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

  • Jesus was Sinless. – We don’t need to be perfect to come to Jesus. He longs for us to come to Him with all our bumps and bruises and scars. 

Luke 1:35 

therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

  • Jesus is Powerful. – Nothing is impossible with God!

Luke 1:36–38 (ESV)

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Discussion Questions

  1. Which of Chris’ 10 points strikes your heart the most in this season? Why do you think that is?
  2. What do Jesus’ humble beginnings teach us about the kind of king He is? 
  3. Why should the reality of God’s sovereignty ignite joy in our hearts?

Application Questions

  1. Have you unwrapped the gift of Jesus as your personal Savior and received Him fully? Are there any areas where you’ve struggled to receive Him? Identify these and pray over them these this week. 
  2. How would you answer this question: is God for me? This week, write down 5 ways God is for you and thank Him for them.
  3. This week, read the Christmas story during your personal Bible time. Pray for fresh eyes to see the story anew. Prepare your heart for the celebration of Christ’s birth.