Covenant Sermon: Mistake or Meticulously Planned? 12/8/2024 by Nate Williamson

Jesus birth is really unique. Most people don’t know where they are conceived or the circumstances surrounding it. If you are going to read someone’s biography, their story starts at their birth. And usually not much is written surrounding those circumstances. Most people begin to put value on someone else’s “life story” when they are at an age where they can make a difference to society. But Jesus is unique in that even his birth was of extreme historical significance. Why? Because an infinite, immortal God became human.

But Jesus’ conception and birth is not entirely unique for Scripture puts value

on one’s conception and birth multiple times. Look at Genesis for example. Isaac’s

conception and birth is the major focus of Abraham’s life as God promises an old

man with no land, no future, and no legacy that he will make him the father of many

nations. And so at the age of 90, Isaac’s mother conceives and gives birth to Isaac: a

miraculous birth of an infant and the birth of a nation that would be called God’s

people. Then Isaac’s wife Rebekah is unable to conceive until God opens her womb

answering their prayers to give her twin sons: Jacob and Esau. Then Jacob’s wife

Rachel cannot have children until God opens her womb at the right time to give

birth to Joseph: the eleventh of twelve children.

Moses was conceived and born at the worst of times. The descendents of Isaac were living as slaves in Egypt and in order to control the population of slaves, the ruler of Egypt declared that any baby boys born to the Hebrew people were to be killed: sacrificed to the god of the Nile River. And Moses’ parents found themselves to be with child. And when he was born they noticed that he was “special” and defied Egypt’s decree and kept their baby boy alive. And that infant survived and became the deliverer of God’s people and the one

in whom God gave the instruction in how to live in relationship with Him.

A couple hundred years later, another woman found herself barren and unable to have children. The descendents of Jacob have now become the nation of Israel living in the Promised Land. They had become complacent and sinful. Even their religious leaders were falling deeply into sin. And so this barren woman promised to give her son back to God if he would but let her have a child. And God answered her promise and gave Hannah Samuel who would become a great priest and the last Judge of Israel helping to turn the hearts of the people back to God.

So often in Scripture we see that a person’s legacy is not measured solely by

their impact and accomplishments as an adult, but the hand of God at work even

before their birth. You may say, “Well there is nothing exceptional about my birth or

the family I was born into.” Some of you have been conceived and born into less

than ideal situations: a single parent home, poverty, to abusive or negligent parents

and you think, “how was a beginning like that part of God’s plan?”

Looking at the start of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Samuel’s life we see a

pattern showing up. None of them came in the normal time or ideal circumstances.

But each one came in a way that helped to shape the rest of their lives and God’s call

and plan for them.

I have told you before that my wife and I tried for five years to have Emma,

our first child. We went to see doctors and fertility clinics, prayed, cried, and fought

with each other over why she wasn’t coming. And then when we finally did get pregnant, we suffered a miscarriage. Those of you who have had miscarriages understand the grief of knowing that a life had begun, but never made it out of the womb before being ushered into the arms of Jesus.

Emma was a rainbow baby meaning that she was conceived within the time the first baby would still be growing in Leah’s womb. God taught me that the timing for Emma’s life was on his timetable as she was born on August 8 of 2008 at 8:08 PM. Your timing is perfect too. No matter when or how you were conceived, it is God that opens and shuts the womb. No one is a mistake. And every life is precious and valuable.

Two of my children are born naturally to my wife and I while the majority have been adopted. All of my adopted children have had difficult circumstances in which they

were conceived and born: some to underage mothers. Others were born to addicts.

Some were to homeless parents. Their conception, birth and even their birth

parents do not define the worth and value of their life. Each one of them is a miracle

arriving in the place and time that God had determined and meticulously planned.

Some of them, I knew of their arrival by God’s promises to my wife and I.

Others were a complete surprise. And so I, personally, love the fact that Jesus’ story

on earth did not begin with his ministry but his conception and birth. Luke 1 tells us that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit to a girl who was still a virgin. This was no natural birth! Completely unexpected and a surprise to his mother as Mary tells the angel who had delivered the news, “But how can this be. I am a virgin?” I can imagine her thinking, “I don’t know a lot about this stuff yet, but I have had this talk with my parents and I know there has to be a man involved in this process.”

We have to have this information because Jesus was unique in all of

human creation. He was both fully man and fully God. Mary was not asked but told. A drastic change to the entirety of her life’s plans. She could have said to the angel, “No, my body my choice.” But instead her response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” What bravery exemplified in the life of this young woman.

New life is never an invader or a parasite in a woman’s body, but a gift from God. And no matter how life begins, that life is precious, made with a purpose, and designed in the image of God. Jesus’ birth not only affirms our birth (sometimes to the most unlikely people

chosen to be parents). Trust me, I couldn’t understand how some people were

allowed to have children when Leah and I struggled to have one. Jesus’ birth also

connects with us that were born into less than ideal circumstance.

Let’s look at Luke 2:1-7:

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  2  (This was the first census taken when

Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  3  All returned to their own ancestral towns to

register for this census.  4  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he

had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the

village of Nazareth in Galilee.  5  He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged,

who was now expecting a child.

6  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  7  She gave birth

to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a

manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

I love Jesus’ birth story because there is no one on this earth that shouldn’t

feel valued about the timing of his first breaths and cries. His parents were forced to

take a difficult trip as she is ripe to give birth and forced to have her baby away from

the comforts of home, family and friends and deliver in an unsanitary barn.

God is now found in the body of a baby and most, not realizing the gravity of

the moment, would either feel sorry for his parents or automatically think, “That kid

ain’t going to amount to nothing. He was born in a barn!” How wrong they would be!

What about the baby born to hundred year old parents? Or the parents who

had to keep their baby alive in secret so he wouldn’t be killed? Or the mother who

promised to give her son up for adoption to the priesthood if she could only have a

son? Oh, pity those parents and that child. No! Praise God for those situations!

Jesus came for everyone and proved by his own birth that every life has

value. If you are new to our church, let me inform you that we are very much a pro-

life church. We are for life from conception to the grave for we believe all life has

eternal value. We value the life of the unborn, mothers, fathers, children, youth,

grandparents, the elderly, native, foreign, every race, creed, and color.

All life has equal value in the eyes of God and is made in his image. We do not judge or belittle anyone based on what the world measures them on. Jesus came as that infant baby

so the whole world could know and experience his love and spend an eternity with Him. Isn’t that what John 3:16 relates? “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This Gospel truth is the same for everyone no matter their social status,

wealth, power, position, or pedigree. I believe Philippians 2:3-11 shows us most

clearly the character of our God and the attitude that we should have to one another.

3  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better

than yourselves.  4  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in

others, too.

5  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6  Though he was God, [ a ]

    he did not think of equality with God

    as something to cling to.

7  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges [ b ] ;

    he took the humble position of a slave [c]

    and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, [ d ]

8      he humbled himself in obedience to God

    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

    and gave him the name above all other names,

10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11  and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus could have come as a king, a conqueror, rich, powerful, famous,

beautiful and in the most perfect way by the world’s standards. Instead, he came in

the way that is true to his character and most clearly reveals his love for us.

So today, I want you to pause and look at your life. Are you undervaluing it by

comparing it to the life and stories of others? Have you considered your entrance

into this world or your upbringing as a detriment to what God can do with you

rather than seeing it as part of his perfect plan to show the world his love through

you? Do you realize today that you weren’t alone in those difficult times or years,

but that Jesus was there with you? He loves to make the ordinary extraordinary. He

loves to reveal a mess to be a beautiful designed pattern. Bad timing can truly be God’s perfect timing.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says

9  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So

now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work

through me.  10  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults,

hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak,

then I am strong.

Maybe you have considered your conception, birth or upbringing to be a

blockage to God’s will in your life. Jesus’ divine entrance into the world says the

opposite. Let God get the glory for your life and feel loved in a special way as we

celebrate God come to humanity in the body of a young virgin, born in a barn, who

would change the entire world for eternity.