December 18, 2016, Advent IV

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The birth of Jesus Christ is often referred to as the greatest story ever told. Why would it be the greatest story ever told?

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Here are my three reasons why I think it is the greatest story ever told.

GOD AUTHORED THE STORY
In the time of Ahaz hundreds of years before Jesus birth the living God through the prophet Isaiah says this:

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7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

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Any author who writes a book or tells a story has to know the audience and what will be meaningful to that audience. 

Cast of Characters 
Every good story has characters. The more rich and diverse the characters are the more intriguing the story.  

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Examine for a moment the characters involved in the story of Jesus Birth:

 

• The living God

• A prophet

• Angels

• Shepherds

• Magi from the East

• Innkeeper

• A young virgin woman

• A carpenter

 

Most really good stories have heroes and villains. Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and Magi are the heroes. The villain is Herod.

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PLOT OR STORY LINE
The plot is complex and beautiful. God must save humanity. So God must become human. However, the child must be descended of David and born in Bethlehem.
God weaves the plot beautifully.

First, Mary (of the line of David) is given the news and then Joseph (of the line of David). They need to have the child born in Bethlehem but they are not in Bethlehem. So God uses a Roman census to have Mary and Joseph move to Bethlehem. Here is the twist to the plot. Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem but there is no room anywhere in the town. How will Mary and Joseph survive?  How will the child survive? The innkeeper gives them a place to stay. However, Herod hears of the birth from the Magi and wants to kill the newborn child. How will Mary and Joseph survive? How will the child survive? The Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh are useful commodities, which enable Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus to flee from Herod. Herod has all male babies under the age of two killed. There is much wailing but Jesus survives and returns from Egypt.  

 

For part two you have to wait until Holy Week.

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Take time to consider the story. Take time to find what parts you like but remember this… that no matter what story has ever be written this story is the greatest story ever told.

 

Let us pray