You’ve probably heard the words in this sermons title often enough that they sound somewhat normal; The Savior’s Birth. Actually, there is nothing normal about it. The idea that mankind, including you, needed a Savior at all, is more than some people want to contemplate. Most people in the US (90%) believe in some view of a Supreme Being.

In the complex world of creation we live in its not too hard to imagine a Supreme Designer. But when you start talking about that Designer coming into this world to save us from our sins a sizable chunk of that 90% fall away.

Now you’ve lost a large piece of that 90% who say they believe in a God. Even in churches, this morning, on the Sunday before Christmas. there are Pastors who are presenting the idea of child born in a manger without presenting, or even believing that we as sinners must come to this Savior with repentance and belief in his atoning sacrifice.

We have been talking for the last six weeks about Determining our Spiritual Destiny;

We have been discussing the awesome role that prayer plays in the life of the believer but not just any, “now I lay me down to sleep” prayers. We looked at many scripture in the Bible that describe the enemy of our salvation, satan, the devil who along with his evil hosts sets out to stop you from believing and growing as a believer. We discovered that this life we live is really part of a larger spiritual battle, in fact:

(Ephesians 6:12) For we are not fighting (wrestling) against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies, the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings, and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. (TLB)

We looked an example in the book of Daniel of a fierce battle going on in the heavenlies, Daniel prayed and a titanic clash took place in the heavenlies between the forces of God and good and the forces of satan and evil before good triumphed and Daniels prayer was answered.

I began to look at this whole “birth of Jesus” story from that perspective and I like to leave you, for the next six days, at least, with that picture in your mind,

Most of you, perhaps all of you have grown up surrounded by the idea that a Savior came from heaven to pay for the sins of the world. That’s a very comforting thought to sinners like us. Even if you are sitting here today and have not accepted the free gift of salvation provided for you by Jesus birth death and resurrection….It’s still comforting to know that the price has already been paid for your sins. (That knowledge won’t actually get you to Heaven, but it’s still comforting.

Now imagine, what it would be like to live in a world where no Savior had come. In Old Testament times many believed in God. When they sinned they brought animal after animal, in an endless procession, hoping the ending of the animals life would atone for their sins. They all looked forward to a Messiah, a Savior. They didn’t quite make the connection that the Savior would/could actually take away the guilt of their sins. They didn’t quite understand that this Sent One, this Anointed One, sent from God would actually be God himself in human form. Their prophets would every once in a while open their mouths and out would come a predictions that left them all with their heads spinning.

Year after year goes by and nothing happens. In fact, for four hundred years after Malachi’s last prophesy, there is no word from heaven to mankind at all…. nothing but dead sky! None of the prayers of God followers for a deliverer are being answered…none of the prophesies of a coming Savior are coming to pass.

Now if you were satan, and your task was to stop the God of the universe from redeeming his creation from their fall into sin, what would be the most pressing thing on your agenda?___________________________________________________________

I imagine in satan’s staff meetings and annual conferences the first item of importance

was:

Even God’s angels didn’t know what was getting ready to happen. Scripture says they would love to grasp the depths of salvation but they cannot quite understand. I imagine they frequently asked God, “Why don’t you respond to the human prayers, they are asking for a Savior…. They have been promised a Savior….You haven’t even sent us with a message to mankind for 400 years..

Perhaps God said: “You’ll see… wait, be patient… you’ll see!

I’ve been trying to imagine this week what it must have been like when God gathered Gabriel and whoever else in the Throne room of Heaven and made the announcement of the ages.

It’s time… the fullness of time has arrived. I’m ready to reveal the mystery of the ages…. What’s getting ready to happen is the purpose for which I created the world in the beginning. This is the Mystery of all time that has been hidden since the foundations of the world. Gabriel, your going to be the initial messenger… and then I’m going to need all the hosts of heaven to help in announcing the fulfillment of this great Mystery to the world.

This is what I’ve been trying to get my mind around. I can see all the millions of angels in heaven moving into alert mode. I can sense the increasing level of excitement coming from heavenly beings who are brilliant by design, and yet are getting ready to participate in something too vast for their comprehension.

Somehow God is getting ready to solve the sin problem created by Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden. For years, God had been temporarily covering the sins of mankind by the atoning sacrifice of animals but He had always stated that a cure was on the way.

Isaiah hadn’t exactly left them clueless:

(Isaiah 9:6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NIV)

4) Although human He will answer to titles like Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Something big going on here)

While were at it we can throw in:

Gabriel is given a very unusual assignment. He is to deliver a message to a very specific person. A girl, freshly in love, recently engaged. She hears an commanding unearthly voice behind her calling her by name. Mary:

She turned to find herself staring at someone/something unlike anyone she had ever seen before. She is shocked unable to respond, waiting in fascination for what the next words from this unearthly creature will be.

(Luke 1:28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord (himself) is with you." (NIV)

Mary is scared, Mary is dumbfounded: (Luke 1:29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (NIV)

Mary You do not need to be afraid, of all the women who have lived on this planet you are the most favored. God is blessing you with great favor, allowing you to accomplish what no one before you or after you will ever accomplish:

(Luke 1:31-33) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (NIV)

Mary stammers: I do not understand, I am a virgin. I have never touched a man, nor has any man ever touched me. And it will be a long time before I wed my beloved Joseph.

What Gabriel was going to say next was going to be a shock to Mary, but I going to suggest that it was just as startling to Gabriel. Remember he is delivering a message that he has no real comprehension of before this day. There was probably a bit of awe in Gabriel’s voice as he said softly to the young virgin:

(Luke 1:35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (NIV)

I can just see the host of heaven gathered by the millions at the doorway to earth watching this drama unfold. I don’t think that’s all that were watching… I’ll get to that in a moment:

In his book, The Birth, Gene Edward describes what comes next like this: (modified)

There came an almost imperceptible change in the light that lights heaven. Some of the angels turned in the direction of the throne of heaven. What they saw was indescribable. In a moment all the hosts of heaven turned their eyes in the same direction. The throne of God and the doorway to earth had come together like never before. The very light of the life of God was enfolding itself into one very brilliant area in front of the doorway to earth.

The angelic hosts watched in fascination as the light grew more intense. The concentration of light became so intense that angels who were able to look into the very face of God stood blinded by the brilliance.

The entire angelic host intuitively moved toward the door to earth. Could it be that the very essence of God was about to pass into the earthly realm. At that very instant the dazzling concentration of light plunged through the open door and the

DNA of the Creator of the Universe joined with the DNA of Mary to form God in the Flesh. A single celled embryo housing the Spirit of the Living God in all his fullness.

Why in the world did God do it this way. Surely he had lots of other options…didn’t he??

No… not really. God had created man in the very image of himself and invested the dominion of the earth in him. When mankind rebelled against God he gave away the dominion of the earth to satan. The only way for that dominion to be regained was through a human…. Yet all humanity was now lost in their sins. So if the dominion of the earth has to be regained by a human being and all human being are under bondage to satan how can God retrieve man’s created state? By becoming a man himself; Taking the sins of all of humanity on himself, dying in the place of you and me and everyone in the world, then defeating death, and hell, and sin, and satan and rising from the dead victorious over sin and satan….. That’s what he did and that’s why he did it!!!

Who stood to lose the most if this plan of the ages didn’t happen as planned? If satan knew all the prophets had predicted, and heard the word’s of Gabriel to Mary, I am struck with what must have come next:. I think there is a major part of biblical history that is not recorded and we would find out about until we get to heaven.

If the titanic struggle between good and evil in Daniel took place in order to keep one man’s prayer from being answered, what must satan’s response have been to try to stop the coming of God incarnate in human from? If God has to send three angels just to protected you as you drive down US1...imagine the massive confrontation in the heavenlies that must have taken place to protect God’s DNA in Mary. Imagine how desperately the evil one must have tried to stop what was unfolding before his eyes. I’m guessing he commissioned every evil demon in hell to try to stop God’s seed from reaching Mary’s birth canal but whatever he did…it wasn’t enough!!!

At that vast doorway between heaven and earth I can picture 1000 million angels straining to see what is happening. At the portal from the earth side comes Michael… the Archangel.

He pauses; every created being waits in anticipation:

The Child is Born!

At some point the tension is too much for the billion angels. They swarm through the door between heaven and earth. The show up on a hillside just outside Bethlehem; First just one… then a hundred, then a thousand, then a million , then million upon million as far as the shepherds eyes can see, They are bubbling over with their new found eternal truth:

That’s the real story of Christmas, Mo Santa Claus, no reindeer, no need for political correctness.