TEACHING NOTES Introduction Today we begin our Christmas series for this year. Every year it can be easy to think we already know the Christmas story inside and out. We may even think there is nothing new to discover because we are so familiar with the story. However, in this series we’re going explore the Old Testament connections that are often missed. These connections and patterns will help us see the Christmas story in a deeper way. ‌ What We Know: Jesus is the Son of God born of the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. ‌ What We Often Miss: The birth of Jesus is not the first miraculous birth. ‌ Miraculous Births in the Old Testament: ‌- Sarah was barren (Isaac) ‌- Rebecca was barren (Jacob) ‌- Rachel was barren (Joseph) ‌- Manoah’s wife was barren (Samson) ‌- Hannah was barren (Samuel) ‌ In the Bible, a miraculous birth is a sign that God is up to something big. ‌ Note: In the Bible, a sign is not the main point but only something pointing to the main point. It’s like a modern road sign indicating a bridge ahead. The sign is not the bridge itself, but is only an indicator. The sign is seen first to let us know ahead of time that something is ahead. The same is true of biblical signs. The sign is never the point, but is pointing us to the point. ‌ Genesis 15:1–3 1 After these things the Word of the LORD appeared to Abram saying: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” ‌ Genesis 15:4–6 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. ‌ Genesis 17:15–16 15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” ‌ Genesis 17:17–18 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” ‌ Genesis 17:19–21 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” ‌ Genesis 18:1–2 1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth ‌ Genesis 18:9–11 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ‌ Genesis 18:12–14 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too miraculous for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ‌ Why does this miraculous birth matter? The birth of Isaac prepares the way for a new people of God. Isaac fathers Jacob who is renamed Israel and fathers 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of the people of Israel. Isaac prepared the way for Jacob who has 12 sons who became a multitude. ‌ Isaac — prepares the way Jacob — Israel (God calls them “my son”) 12 Sons — becomes 12 tribes Multitude — called “the congregation of God” ‌ The miraculous birth of Isaac was the sign that God is creating a people for Himself. ‌ Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” ‌ Isaiah 9:6–7 “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” ‌ The Old Testament ends in waiting for another sign of a miraculous birth. ‌ Luke 1:5–7 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. ‌ Zechariah = In Heb. Zekaryah means “Yahweh remembers” or “Yahweh reveals” ‌ Division of Abijah = The eighth division of priests (see 1 Chr. 24:1-10). Each division of priests served in the temple twice annually, with each session lasting one week. Interestingly, according to 1 Chr. 24:11 the ninth division of priests was called “the division of Yeshua”. ‌ Elizabeth = Heb. Elisheva - El means “God” and Sheva means “seven, complete, fulfilment” so this name means “God is my promise” or “My God is faithful”. ‌ Righteous before God = The same is said of Abraham (Gen. 15:6). ‌Barren and advanced in years = Exactly like Abraham and Sarah. ‌ Luke 1:8–10 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. ‌ Chosen to enter the temple and burn incense = This was actually a rare honor that a priest would only get to do once in his lifetime if at all. This would have prepared Zechariah for another once in a lifetime experience. ‌ Luke 1:11–13 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” ‌ An angel of the Lord appeared = A human-like representative of Yahweh (later identified as Gabriel) appears to a childless old man to tell him that he will have a son. Zechariah is afraid for many reasons, but perhaps most important is the fact that the presence of Yahweh had not been in the temple for centuries. This experience would have signaled to Zechariah that Yahweh has returned. ‌ Call his name John = In Heb. Yohanan means “Yahweh is gracious”. ‌ Luke 1:14–15 “14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” ‌ Luke 1:16–17 “16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” ‌ Luke 1:18–20 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ‌ Luke 1:26–29 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ‌ Luke 1:30–33 30 And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.” ‌ Isaac — Prepares the Way — John the Baptist Jacob/Israel — God’s Son — Jesus 12 Sons — Leaders of Groups — 12 Disciples Multitude — Congregation — Multitude ‌ Galatians 4:4–7 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. ‌ The miraculous birth of Christ prepared the way for our miraculous rebirth into the family of God. ‌ How to Respond ‌Prayer: Ask God to reveal what needs to change. Repentance: Agree with God and repent of sin. Worship: Thank God for what He is doing in you. Communion: Take Christ in and renew faithfulness. ‌