Parents' First Christmas

1. Parents’ First Christmas
Stand for the reading of God’s word

2. Key concept
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

3. Parenting
It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure

4. The right parents are crucial
Mary and Joseph

5. Think
God chose both

6. For all of us
* Children are a gift from God
* Kids, your parents have a God given responsibility for you.
* Grandparents those grandbabies are God’s reward for not killing your kids during their teenage years

7. Historically
first Christmas parents
The first Christmas parents

8. Right names
Yowceph Miriam

9. Home sweet home
Nazareth 120-150 inhabitants Most were related
Related to royalty

10. Economics
Peasant class
As an artisan Joseph made less than farmers
Mary would have worked 10-12-hour days

11. Family life

12. Courtship
Arranged marriage

13. Right Lineage
Both from the line of King David
Mary through David’s son Nathan (Luke)
Joseph through David’s son Solomon (Matthew)

14. Dad
Stepfather

15. What was he like?
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.


16. Right before God
Righteous by the old covenant
Keep the commandments
Followed the Law
Heart was right before God

17. To his wife
Considerate to Mary

Didn’t want embarrass
Gave up his rights

18. To his government
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

19. Submissive to authority
Not an Essene
Not a Zealot

20. Good to his “son”
And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Gave him his name

21. Good to his “son”
Is not this the carpenter’s son?

Taught him a trade

22. Man of faith
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

23. Man of faith
All because of a dream
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

24. Not just once
• Mary’s pregnancy
• Warning about Herod
• When to come home
• Where to settle

25. Mom
Miriam mother of Yeshua

26. A regular woman
Not sinless
But Righteous
Not perfect
But Pure

She was an ordinary Jewish woman of Nazareth, and she was impregnated by God in a sinless way.

27. First word about her
Angel Gabriel
“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”


28. Her reaction
Upset
Confused
Normal!

29. Think about it
God chose her because she was right for His plan.

30. Faith
“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

31. The Magnificat (mag·ni·fuh·kaat)
Most stained-glass moment
My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever



32. What this tells us
Poetic
Knowledgeable of scripture
Yielded to the Holy Spirit

33. Faithful
Mary would be there from the cradle to the cross

34. Our take-away
God chooses
God develops
You fit into God’s plan
We are to be yielded


35. Parenting
Let us pray



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