The Christmas Experience – Week Four
Experiencing God’s Plan & Purpose
Luke 2:1-7 - Victory Fellowship
December 24, 2023 – Fourth Sunday of Advent
11 AM HEALING SERVICE
Dominant Thought: The humble birth of Jesus is more than the story of Christmas, it is the purpose of Christmas.
Introduction
• Christmas is full of pictures, memories, and stories that make it a picturesque scene in our minds. If we’re not careful, the stable, the animals, and the manger become a stylistic afterthought or unfortunate set of circumstances.
• In reality, though, the humble beginnings of Jesus have a much larger role to play in the Christmas story.
Joseph, not Caesar (Luke 2:1)
• Caesar issues this decree, and Mary and Joseph have to make the long journey to their home town. It makes it painfully obvious that Jesus was not born into comfort, power, or authority. Jesus did not inherit power from his family, He was given power by God.
• And the difficult beginning of his life—the long journey for his parents—reminds us that Jesus’ Kingship is completely different than any earthly ruler’s.
• Tell a story about family heritage and how it can be helpful or harmful, depending on the family. (Crestwood – related to Starchers. Funeral – Juliann Holzapfel family knew Jaime)
Bethlehem, not Rome (Luke 2:4-5)
• Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem. This would not have been a wealthy town, not a particularly exciting town, and not a town of influence. All the powerful, influential, socially significant people were Roman—not from Bethlehem. But our king was not born into social prominence or exceptional wealth. His influence came from His words, not his earthly home.
A Manger, not a Throne (Luke 2:6-7)
• Jesus’ first crib was a manger, not a throne. He was not royal by birth, not powerful as a baby.
• He was born humbly, in a lowly way, in a stable outdoors. This Jesus is a king, make no mistake, but the kind of king He is stands out in the manger—because he never really left the manger.
• When he died on the cross, the same humble beginnings come back to mind as we realize that this king is willing to die for His subjects.
• Jesus was not a king like any earthly king. Jesus was born in a manger to show God’s plan and purpose—to save through sacrificial love. By His stripes we are healed.
Conclusion
• God’s plan and purpose were clearly on display at the first Christmas. Jesus’ birth stands in stark opposition to the power, position, and manipulation of Caesar.
• Jesus was born into poverty, not privilege. He was born into humility, not power. He was born into obscurity, not prominence. And that was on purpose.
• Jesus’ humble beginnings aren’t just for the sake of a beautiful story, they serve notice to everyone on Earth that Jesus’ way of doing things is completely different than anything they had seen before. God’s plan and purpose were on full display in the Christmas story—every detail of it.
(Sermon Bumper clip) When we trust God’s plan and purpose we can experience the full joy of Christmas. God heals us or gives us grace to walk in suffering as a witness to His glory and power.
ANOINTING & HEALING PRAYER
SONG: Hope for Everyone (Matt Maher)
Luke 1:2-7 NASB
2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
