The Nativity of our Lord – Surprised by God

Posted on January 6, 2013 by george

January 6, 2012

Rev. George Sinclair

Scripture text: Matthew 2:1-12

Download 2013-01-06 sermon or click below to play it.

Sermon outline and Growing in Grace

Posted in the birth of the Messiah | Tagged: matthew, sermon

A Chronology

Posted on September 30, 2012 by george

Dear friends,

There are four accounts of Jesus’ life that are based on eyewitness testimony and were written very close to the events. Today we know of these accounts as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John (each eyewitnesses themselves) and Luke. The following is the possible chronology of the birth of Jesus which fits with the eye witness records.

Mary and Joseph are betrothed and live in Nazareth of Galilee. An angel appears to Mary and asks her if God can work a miracle in her womb. Mary says ‘Yes’ to God’s request, and God creates a zygote in the womb of Mary. She is now pregnant with the Messiah and she has never sexually known a man.

Shortly after Mary’s pregnancy begins, she leaves Nazareth to visit her cousin Elizabeth for three months. God has worked in Elizabeth’s life and works in her life again so that she knows of Mary’s pregnancy and believes Mary’s account. Mary returns home to Nazareth and her pregnancy is discovered. Joseph does not believe Mary and he is going to quietly dissolve the betrothal. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him what God has done in Mary. Joseph believes the angel and goes ahead with the betrothal.

In response to an imperial edict, Joseph and Mary travel to Joseph’s ancestral home of Bethlehem. Shortly after arriving, Mary gives birth to Jesus in a cave or stable outside of an inn. Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus find accommodation and stay in Bethlehem for a short time.

While the shepherds had visited them in the stable, the Magi visit the family in their accommodation. The Magi had accidentally told Herod of the birth. After the magi leave, Joseph is warned by an angel to flee Bethlehem because Herod is about to seek Jesus to kill Him. The family flees to Egypt where they live for a short time. When it is time to return to Judea, Joseph decides that Bethlehem might be dangerous, so the family returns to Nazareth of Galilee. This is where they settle and Jesus is raised there until His public ministry begins about thirty years later. Because He lived in Nazareth for so long during His public ministry He is considered to be a ‘Nazarene’ ‘from Nazareth’.

To God alone the glory,
George+

Posted in pastor's blog | Tagged: bible, luke, matthew