God's Sovereignty in The Christmas Story

          In the midst of the holidays, with all the hustle and bustle,
     and the shopping, decorating, and partying, we sometimes not
     only overlook "the reason for the season," Jesus, but also that
     God sovereignly determined every single detail of "The Christmas
     Story."

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          The story doesn't begin with Mary and Joseph, but actually its
     genesis is from before the creation of the world.  God, the Father,
     and Jesus the Son (yes, Jesus didn't come to be at His birth, but was
     there with the Father from the beginning), knew that Adam would fall,
     causing everyone afterward to be born in sin, and requiring a Savior
     who must be a perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's wrath for disobeying Him.


          Jesus knew only He could meet the Father's requirements, and He
     voluntarily agreed to sacrifice Himself, to be the Savior of everyone who
     believed in Him.

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          The Old Testament sacrificial system was not a failure, requiring God
     to revert to "Plan B," Jesus' dying for the sins of His people.  No, those
     sacrifices of animals foreshadowed the cross, leading the way to Jesus for
     salvation.  The sacrifices served their purpose as God intended from the
     beginning.


          God's plan was seamless, and could not be thwarted by any human action.
     His sovereign plan was for Mary and Joseph to be the earthly parents of
     the Messiah.  He chose them for His sovereign purpose, and only they could
     serve God in this unique way. 

          Mary and Joseph were both descendants of David's, just as the Messiah was
     prophesied to be.
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         * God's sovereignty is evident as the angel, Gabriel, delivers the news to
     Mary, that, even though a virgin, she would deliver the "Son of the Most High"
     through the power of the Holy Spirit.

         * We see God's sovereignty as the angel told Joseph that Mary's baby was
     conceived through the Holy Spirit, and that the baby would be called Jesus,
     because "He will save His people from their sins."

         * An angel appeared also to the shepherds, telling them about Jesus' birth,
     a star led the wise men on a long journey to find the messiah, and an angel
     told Joseph in a dream that Mary and he could safely return with Jesus to
     Israel, because Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus, had died.

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         * Finally, God's sovereignty and foreknowledge are seen in Jesus' death
     (the reason He came - "to save His people"), and His resurrection.


          Peter told the crowd:

                              "This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by
                                God's set purpose and foreknowledge;
                                and you, with the help of wicked men,
                                put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

                                But God raised him from the dead,
                                freeing him from the agony of death,
                                because it was impossible for death to keep
                                its hold on him."
                                                                      Acts 2:23-24



          Peter and John prayed before fellow believers:

                             "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together
                              with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in
                              this city to conspire against your holy servant
                              Jesus, whom you anointed.

                              They did what your power and will had decided
                              beforehand should happen."
                                                                      Acts 4:27-28


          All of these people did what God had decided beforehand should happen.
     These particular people, Herod, Pilate, and Jewish leaders, were destined to
     conspire against Jesus, by God's will.

          God used wicked people to accomplish His purpose to sacrifice Jesus,
     and then raise Him from the dead.  All of this, the birth, life, death, and
     resurrection of Jesus, are evidence of God's sovereignty.

          God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son, worked together, as they always do,
     using ordinary people, to save God's chosen ones, through Jesus' birth, life,
     death, and resurrection.