Michael Koelling: Most epic story ever told

Epic-a long story generally centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is told: heroic; majestic; impressively great.

1. This week we are gonna talk about the most epic story ever told.

• We’ve sanitized, Santa-fied and commercialized our image of the Holy Night into an ordinary night.

• I assure you this was no ordinary night.

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)ï

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, [27] to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. [28] Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" [29] Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. [30] "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! [31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. [32] He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. [33] And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" [34] Mary asked the angel, "But how can this happen? I am a virgin." [35] The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. [36] What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's now in her sixth month. [37] For nothing is impossible with God." [38] Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her."

• Jesus Christ born of a virgin in a town called Bethlehem.

• Luke 1 God interrupted a genealogy to birth His son to save the world.

• Through the genealogy of Joseph, Christ was born.

• God put His Son in line for Kingship.

• When Jesus was born hope was born, life was born, healing was born, eternal life was born, prophecies were fulfilled through so many historians both secular and Christian.

Luke 2:11 (NLT) "The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"

• He was just a child but still called a Savior.

• A Savior-not One who shall be a Savior, but "born a Savior."

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

• He was called all these things and declared all things before he had ever even done anything.

• That's prophecy the foretelling of future events.

• You can't celebrate Christmas without a mention of the Son of God.

• You can't sing a Christmas song or hear a Christmas phrase that was not built around Him.

• You can't even write the date on anything without paying homage to His birth, death, burial, and resurrection.

• BC-Before Christ, a fixed date used in dating years prior to the estimated birth of Jesus.

• AD-The term Anno Domini is Medieval Latin, translated as In the year of the Lord, and as in the year of our Lord. It is sometimes specified more fully as Anno Domini Nostri Iesu ("In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ.")

• 4000 BC: Adam and Eve receive the prophecy that the Messiah (Jesus) would be born of a woman.

• Promise: Genesis 3:15

• Fulfillment: Galatians 4:4

• 700 BC: Isaiah prophesies that Jesus’ mother would be a virgin who conceived by a miracle and that Jesus would be God who became a man.

• Promise: Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) "All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

• Fulfillment: Matthew 1:18–23 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”

• 700 BC: Micah prophesies that Jesus would be born in the town of Bethlehem.

• Promise: Micah 5:2

• Fulfillment: Luke 2:1–7

• 400 BC: Malachi prophesies that Jesus would enter the temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD, meaning the Messiah had to come before then.

• Promise: Malachi 3:1

• Fulfillment: Luke 2:25–27

• Jesus had to overcome ridicule, murder, unbelief, anger, disappointment, frustration, and fear, all to save mankind.

Illustrate here: Nativity Music Video by Bebo Norman Come and Worship