The Provisions Of Christmas
Contributed by Bios Baptist Church
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
Tags: Reflection, Gods, plan
Denomination: Baptist
Sunday, December 2, 2018

Introduction
The account was read to you this morning of the angel Gabriel's appearance before a young, Jewish peasant girl at 14 years of age. He announced to this girl that she was going to be the mother of the Son of God. But that was God's problem, as far as this exemplary young woman was concerned. {26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [c]blessed are you among women!” 29 But [d]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [e]do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.} Mary did not resist the news that she would birth Jesus; as God?s servant, she was solely concerned with doing what he wished. Why did God choose Mary? Because of her receptivity. Because of her humility. Because she was a servant.
I God Provides Grace
A God's grace was shown to Zacharias and Elizabeth.
B God's grace was shown to Mary.
C God orchestrated Jesus' birth to bring grace to us.
D We have great reason to praise God for sending us his son.
E When the Bible talks about Christmas, it talks about one who not only was born in a manger, but owned the ground on which the manger laid; one who knew nothing but yet in the manger knew everything; one who was powerless because he was an infant, yet powerful, because he has the power of life and death in his infant hands. Christmas is about Christ.
F Something is out of joint in the body of Christ because our madness is unlike Christ. Although he always held to the truth, he did it with grace. 
II God Provides Peace And Joy
A If we are patient, if we keep learning from others and working away at our craft, our time will come. 
B Respond to God's dream with faith and obedience
A We have great reason to praise God for sending us his son.
III God Provides Compassion
A Christians feel and exhibit anger toward the world around them.
B His life and ministry were marked not by consternation but by compassion.
C Christ exemplified moving to the core of the crowd.                                                                                     D Christ does not condone the sin of the crowd.                                                                                    F Christ demonstrated the value of the sinner in the Father's eyes.                                                            G God calls us to be the middleman in his compassion transactions.                                                     H  Publicly we are perceived to be long on madness and short on mercy, to be more committed to our consternation than we are to compassion.                                                                  Closing                                                                                                                                          Nothing is impossible Not only would a pregnancy have to be effected, but they were going to have to deal with the grave problem of how Joseph was going to react to the announcement that his fiance was pregnant. Their explanation is that it's because of the Holy Spirit.