Four Miracles of Christmas
Part Three: The Miracle of Salvation
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The past two Sunday Mornings we have studied two miracles:
1. The Miracle of Incarnation
2. The Miracle of Reconciliation
This morning we continue our Christmas journey by reading a portion of the traditional Christmas story looking for the third miracle of Christmas:
The Miracle of Salvation
Luke 1 NKJV
26 ¶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of
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; blessed are you among women!"
29 But 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 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 is the perfect example for us. She showed the whole world how to be saved.
Verse 38 simply told God’s messenger: (NLT)
"I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever
He wants. May everything you have said come true."
This is every person’s proper response to what God wants.
What does God want? All people to be saved! (1 Timothy 2:4)
John 3 NKJV
16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Ephesians 2 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
Romans 10 NKJV
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10 NKJV
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Will you follow Mary’s example today and everyday?
