The Greatest Story Ever Told

I’m going to tell you a story today but it’s not the kind of story that is a made-up story. This story is true. I’m going to tell you the Greatest Story Ever Told, today. I’m going to tell it to you right out of the Bible. In fact, the majority of the words that I share with you are direct quotes from scripture – probably eighty to ninety percent of everything I say will be a direct quote from either the New Living Translation or the New International Version of the Bible.

And so, you’re going to hear the Greatest Story Ever Told from the most miraculous book ever written. The story comes primarily from Luke Chapter 2 and Matthew Chapter 2. I want you to hear it, and I really want you to listen carefully, please. Because the story is great, and it’s eternal, and it’s life-changing.

The Christmas story does not actually begin with the birth of Jesus. And the Christmas story certainly doesn’t end with the birth of Jesus. Jesus, the focus of Christmas, was already there when time began. In the beginning, Jesus Christ was with God and Jesus Christ was God. He was there, in the beginning, together with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. And Jesus Christ, the focus of Christmas, was also the source of all Creation. Everything that’s been created, has been created by him, and through him. There’s nothing that’s been made that was made without him. And in him is life.

In Jesus Christ is life. He is the source of life. And that life is the light of the world. And that light came into the world, came into the darkness of the world, and the darkness cannot overcome the light.

This Jesus, this Author of Life, came right into our dark and ugly world. And even though the world was made by him, for the most part, the world refused to recognize him. And Jesus Christ, who has come to give the gift of salvation to our world, still finds the same general response – most of the world refuses to recognize who he is. Yet, to all who did believe, to all who will believe, to all will receive him, he gives us the right, the power, by his name, to become children of God. Not born of flesh. Not born of the will of man. But born of God’s Spirit, born again. Born – a new spiritual birth. Born – to live forever. New eternal life.

So, what we celebrate at Christmas is this. Jesus Christ, the giver of life, took on the form of man. He was God in the Flesh. He was born into our world for a time. He made his home right here among us. He “tabernacled” or “dwelt” among us. And the glory of the only Son of God came into our desperate and into our needy world, full of God’s grace and full of God’s truth. Here’s how it happened.

It all started when the angel, Gabriel, met a young woman in a town called Nazareth, up in the Galilee. It was a young virgin girl named Mary who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant in the line of David. And the angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.”

And young Mary was confused. She was fearful. Both from seeing the angel and from the words that he spoke. And so, the angel said to this young girl, “Fear not! Fear not, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and he 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 Israel forever. His kingdom will never end.”

“How can this be?” Mary asked. “Seeing that I am a virgin.” The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you. This baby will be the Holy One. He will be called the Son of God.”

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

So, Mary responded in faith, but very soon her faith would be seriously tested. She was a young girl who was engaged to be married, which engagement carries the same commitment as our marriage. She was a virgin and now she was pregnant in a small town, a small Jewish town. She knew that those around her were not going to understand. She didn’t understand. How could she expect them to understand? And what about her soon-to-be husband? Her betrothed husband Joseph? How was he ever going to understand when she told him?

The power of God alone had placed the Savior of the world inside a young peasant girl so that Jesus would be born of a woman, so that Jesus would live the same life that you and I live, that he would experience the same trials and the same tribulations that you and I experience – yet without sin. And even if we think we can understand that now, there is no way young Mary could have understood. There’s no way Joseph or the town were going to understand. And so, Mary, trusting God, was hoping for the best from her family, from her small town, and especially from her would-be, or to-be, husband.

Mary’s fiancé Joseph was a good man. And he didn’t want the wrath of the community to fall upon young Mary, which could mean even death by stoning for her to turn up pregnant. And so, Joseph decided to divorce her quietly. To put her away without making a big to-do, to limit the disgrace that she would face in all of this. The problem is that Joseph didn’t have all the information to make that decision. And so, the angel of the Lord visited Joseph to help fill in the blanks of what he didn’t know.

And the angel said, “Joseph. Son of David. Do not be afraid to take Mary 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 his people from their sins.”

Isaiah’s prophecy from seven hundred years earlier was being fulfilled. Isaiah wrote, “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And they shall call his name, Immanuel, which means, God With Us.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had commanded him and he took Mary into his home to be his wife under what we can certainly assume was the judgmental, and critical, and leering eyes of that small Jewish town in Nazareth.

Now, at this time, the Nation of Israel was under the control of Rome. And Caesar Augustus, in those days, issued a decree that a census should be taken of all of the Roman world. All the world that Rome controlled. And the census was so that Rome could be ensured that they receive the taxes from every family under their control, and just to make sure that the people knew who was in charge. And the way it worked was this. Each family would be required to go back to their town of ancestry, the town of their family, to register in the census.

Rome didn’t know, by they were being used by God (as any government in the world can so easily be) because young, pregnant Mary and her fiancé Joseph, had to get to Bethlehem. And so, the entire Roman government was used to get Joseph and Mary to the right place, at the right time.

So, they, with Mary being very pregnant, left Nazareth and headed the eighty miles south to Bethlehem. It was a difficult trip. It was a dangerous trip. They traveled back to Bethlehem because Joseph was in the lineage of David and that was his family town, his town of ancestry. And in the process, the prophecies of God are continuing to be fulfilled in the Christmas story – every single one of them.

The eighty miles probably took a week or more for Joseph and Mary to travel, presumably with Mary on a donkey, but with Joseph walking. It would have been a very, very hard trip. But God needed them in Bethlehem because the Savior was to be born in Bethlehem. And not one prophecy of the birth of the Messiah would be broken. And so, to Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary went.

And when they finally arrived, because of the census, there was no room for them in any of the inns. They were tired. It may have been very late when they arrived. And in a culture that is normally very hospitable, Joseph could not find a place for his pregnant wife, who was about to have a baby. The most miraculous event in all of creation was about to occur. God was about to be born as a man and we might expect the pomp and circumstance of maybe a royal wedding like we’ve seen in England. But see, God was becoming a man to save every man who would believe, and every woman no matter what their estate in society was. And so, God came in the lowest possible estate so that you and I could never say that he doesn’t understand where we’re from or what we’ve been through.

Joseph and Mary could find an inn. Somebody must have pointed to a carved-out cave in the limestone that we call a “manger” but certainly not a barn or a structure (but what we would know as a cave) with a wide opening. And so, the Savior of Mankind, the Savior of the World, God in the Flesh was born where the lowliest of animals gather, with all that that involves. Born in a manger, but certainly not even as grand as the manger scenes we have on our mantles, right now, but a hole in a rock with the animals all around him. And his mother wrapped him in cloths and laid him most probably in a feeding trough. Certainly not a grand entrance for the Creator of the World. But a humble entrance. An entrance that you and I can relate to, no matter where we’ve been or where we come from.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over the flocks. There are a lot of shepherd’s fields around Bethlehem. And as they were out there, the angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them and they also were terrified. And the angel said to them, “Fear not” (the same words he spoke to Mary). “Fear not! I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly a great company of the heavenly hosts appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest! And peace on earth to all those with whom God is pleased.” Our culture has left out that line, but God’s Word says, peace on earth to all those who are rightly related to God.

And after the angelic announcement, when the angels had left and gone back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.” And so, they hurried and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. And when they had seen the baby, they began to spread the word concerning all that the angel had told them. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds had said. But Mary kept all these things in her heart wondering, pondering, what this all might ultimately mean.

Eight days later, after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary brought him to the Temple there in Jerusalem (which Bethlehem is what we would call a suburb of Jerusalem). And so Joseph and Mary brought the child at eight days, after the purification rites, to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord according to the Law of Moses. And there, in Jerusalem, was an old man named Simeon. He was a righteous man and was devout. Devoted to God and he was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and to rescue Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And the Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

And that very day, the Spirit led Simeon to the Temple in Jerusalem so that when Mary and Joseph came to dedicate Jesus, as the law required, Simeon just happened to be right there. And he took the child in his arms and he praised God saying, “Sovereign Lord, your servant may now die in peace for I have seen your Salvation which you have prepared for all your people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations and he is the glory of your people Israel.”

And Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about their child. Then, Simeon blessed them and he said especially to Mary, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall. But you will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And Mary, a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Certainly, referring to Mary being present at the crucifixion.)

Simeon was not the only prophet in the Temple that day. Remember, this is the inter-testament period, the time between prophets, at least from the Word of God standpoint. But Simeon was there and also a prophetess was there named Anna. Anna’s husband had died a long time ago after only seven years of marriage. And Anna had lived as a widow until the age of eighty-four. And Anna was in the Temple constantly. Day and night worshiping God with fasting and prayer. And she came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph.

And she began praising God. And she was the first evangelist. She was the first missionary because Anna left that point and began talking to everyone about this child, everyone who had been expectantly waiting for God to rescue Israel.

And it was not only the two prophets there in Jerusalem that knew that God had sent the world a Savior, but far away in the east, the wise men also knew. They knew that God had sent a King, a Savior to Bethlehem. They had traveled from afar to see this Savior, following the star, and when they reached Jerusalem, they were asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

But, when King Herod, the Roman King of Judea heard this, he was disturbed. And all Jerusalem was in an uproar because of it. And so, King Herod called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he asked them, “Where was the Messiah to be born?”  They replied, “In Bethlehem of Judea. For this is what the prophet wrote. ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel’”

So, Herod called the wise men secretly and found out from them the exact time that they had seen the star. And then he sent them to Bethlehem saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. And as soon as you find him, report it to me, so that I may go and worship him, also.”

And so, the wise men left Herod, and the star they had seen was now over the place where the child lay. And when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. And when they saw the child with his mother, Mary, they bowed down and immediately worshiped him. And then, they opened their treasures and presented to him gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Gold – because this was the King of Kings. Frankincense – because this was our Great High Priest. Myrrh – because of the sacrifice that he came to be for the salvation of the world.

And then, having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, the wise men returned to their home by another route. And when they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. And the angel said, “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother. Stay there until I tell you to return because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So, that night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary and they stayed there until Herod’s death. (Which fulfilled the prophecy that said, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”)

So, when Herod realized he had been outwitted by the wise men, he was furious. And he sent the soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the male children two years old and under based on the first report he got of the star’s appearance over Bethlehem. And Herod’s brutal attack of murdering those children fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “A cry was heard in Ramah – weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”

When Herod finally died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

So, Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and with his mother, Mary. But Herod’s son was now ruling in the area of Bethlehem, and so after being warned again in a dream, Joseph didn’t return to Bethlehem but instead went back to the Galilee. And ended up settling right back in the town of Nazareth with his family. Where again, the prophecy is fulfilled that says, “He will be called a Nazarene.” And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and favor with God and with all the people there in the town of Nazareth.

But, as we said the Christmas story didn’t start with Jesus’ birth, and it doesn’t end as Jesus grows up somewhat in the shadows in the town of Nazareth. The story of Jesus Christ really has no beginning, and it has no end because Jesus IS the Beginning and the End. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega. Jesus Christ is the First and the Last. And if we were to leave the Christmas story here, we would leave out the greatest gift ever given in the midst of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Do you see, it’s not just the birth of Jesus that is the gift to the world?

Thirty-three years after that Christmas morning in Bethlehem, came a dark Friday outside the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus’ birth alone wasn’t the greatest gift, that gift came on Calvary. And we celebrate Bethlehem and his birth at Christmas, but we celebrate Calvary and the consummation of the gift on Easter.

Jesus lived a perfect life. He was born just as you and I were, he lived what you and I lived, he experienced what you and I experienced – yet without sin. He was born and lived a perfect life so that he could become a perfect sacrifice, a spotless, innocent Lamb. So that he could offer you his perfect righteousness in place of your sin. And God confirmed the perfect life of Jesus Christ, and the acceptance of the payment of his perfect sacrifice by raising him from the dead three days later so that he could be the Firstfruits, the first of all those who are given eternal life through faith in him.

Guys, God has made it clear, that whoever would believe, would put their full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and whoever would receive him in their life as their Lord, would be able to share in his perfect life in the full payment for sin and in his eternal life through his resurrection.

Today, we can receive the gift that Jesus Christ came to give. We can receive the benefit of his life, his payment for sin, and his resurrection to eternal life. Jesus came to die. That’s why he really came. He came to die because there was no way that you could be reconciled to God on your own. There’s no way. There’s no way to earn your righteousness, there’s nothing you can do to become “good enough” or “right enough” to be in God’s presence.

God is first and foremost, holy and just. And the judgment for your sin must be meted out. And so, we love the Christmas story, and we love to assume that it is for all – and it is. But the only way for you to appropriate (for you to make your own) the reason that Jesus Christ, God, came to earth, is to receive him personally; is to put your full faith and trust in him personally. To make him your Lord, personally.

The end of the story is not just that Jesus was born for the good of the world. The end of the story is that you can receive him into your life. And that because of his perfect life and his perfect death you can stand “right” before God. You can live in God’s presence for eternity. That’s the greatest gift ever given. It’s really the end of the Greatest Story Ever Told.

It really never ends, because God made us in his image, Genesis Chapter 1 says we are eternal beings. But Jesus Christ came and lived and died on your behalf so that you could live eternally with him in the joy and the peace of heaven.

And so, I want to offer you, today, that salvation. I want to offer you the true gift of Christmas. It’s not right for us to generically acknowledge that the God of Creation became a man in a manger without understanding he did it because of his love for you. His gift was to die in your place, to pay for your sins, to give you the righteousness that you could never have on your own.

And he offers you that gift. Like someone will offer you a gift this Christmas. And you can receive it, or you can reject it. But Jesus Christ offers it freely. That’s what he came to do. And no one is “beyond” his gift. So, I want to give you the chance to receive that gift right now. I want to ask you to put your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. I want you to acknowledge him for who he IS. To confess, “I believe.” And to receive him into your life, to receive the gift of eternal life that he came, at Christmas, to give. You can do that now. The Bible says that it is by God’s grace and it is through our faith that we are saved for eternity.

Pray with me.
 
Heavenly Father, it’s the Greatest Story Ever Told. Jesus, you came, God in the Flesh, because only you could pay the penalty for our sin. And we recognize, Lord, that our sin requires your wrath. And so, Lord, at this Christmas season, we thank you for the greatest gift of all eternity where you offer to pay the penalty that is due for our sin in our place. And, Lord, we pray that we would receive that gift, personally, and individually, right now.
 
If that’s you right now, I just want to give you a chance to do that. To acknowledge in your heart, “Lord I need a Savior. I need this gift. I need the gift of eternal life. I need my sins forgiven. I need to know that I’ve been made right with you and that you have reserved a place in heaven for me.”
If that’s you, if you need to do that right now, do it. Don’t wait. Do it right where you’re sitting. Meet God right where you’re at. Pray a prayer like this:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. And I know I deserve your judgment. Thank you for coming to die for me. Thank you for being born to live a perfect life to die in my place to pay for my sins. I believe. I believe, Lord. I put my faith in you, today. And I receive you into my life. I receive the gift of you being my Savior and my Lord. I receive it just as I am, right where I’m at, without changing anything. I receive you, Lord. I pray that you would take over my life, that you would be my Lord, and that you would give me your Holy Spirit for the power to follow you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for the greatest gift I’ll ever receive. It’s in your own name, Jesus, I pray, amen.”