SLIDE: Heaven’s Song- Listen to the Lyrics

SLIDE: The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”  Luke 1:33

Powerful words of the Christmas story.

Altered the lives of those who heard them.

Mary and Joseph

Still transforming lives today

MARY AND JOSEPH

Luke 1:28-38

Luke 1:28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² 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,³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

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

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Matthew 1:20-24

²⁰ But after Joseph had considered this, 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. ²¹ 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.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[g] (which means “God with us”). ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

SLIDE:      Then the angel left her

                  When Joseph woke up

                  Luke 1:36 / Matthew 1:24

Example: My internship.  I found myself sitting on the front porch.

What stayed with Mary… the words.

SLIDE: For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

SLIDE:  The angel went to Mary and said, “The Lord is with you.”

    “they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 

Luke 1:28, Matthew 1:22-23.

Someone read about, a family legend.

With you! With us!

A nearness – a closeness – a personal-ness

SLIDE: “You are to name him, Jesus”

            “Because he will save his people from their sins”

SLIDE: 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Luke 1:32-33

SLIDE: FEET TO YOUR FAITH

SLIDE: Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 

Luke 1:38 / Matthew 1:24