God With Us: Jesus as Creator
Matthew 1:20-25; Genesis 1:1-3; John 1:1-14
20But after he 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. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All 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” (which means “God with us”). 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God with us:
As Creator
As Sustainer
As Savior
As Lamb of God
Out of nothingness - God created
God put order in the world when ________________ came into the world
Joseph and Mary had some chaos surrounding them
______________________ conception
______________________ to Bethlehem at 9 months
No place to stay - and a child on the way
God provided some ________________ to their ________________
A word from Elizabeth
An unusual place, but a place to have the baby
The affirmation from the shepherds
Ordering our Advent Christmas season -
__________________ Jesus to order Advent/Christmas 2018 - pray over it
Look for the _________________ - or become the __________________
__________________ - please pause - if just for a minute or two each day, to breathe in the presence of Jesus - for He is the reason for the season.
Advent/Christmas will be what it will be - a time of celebration, a time of remembering, a time of pressure - give Jesus some time to create moments of peace on earth and good toward man for you.
Closing Prayer
Come Holy Spirit come - come into the Advent/Christmas season in my life - in my families life - in my neighbors life. Still my racing heart, quiet my ever churning mind, lead me beside the still waters - help me to breathe deeply - light and relight and relight the candle of hope in me this year. Help me to see the miracle and to be the miracle. In Your mighty name Jesus, in Your mighty name. Amen
Next week: Jesus - our Sustainer
John 6:29-40; Psalm 75:3; Hebrews 1:1-4
TODAY’S PREACHER
Randy Reese is Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC