The Messiah’s Secret – Christ Born in us

The  Christmas Pudding originated in the 15^th Century The pudding is composed of many dried fruits held together by egg and suet, sometimes moistened by treacle or molasses and flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and other spices.

A plate with different spices on it was passed around in order to taste and guess what the spices were: Ginger from Southern China. Cinnamon from Sir Lanka, Nutmeg from Indonesia etc.

The fruits of God’s creation, the fruits and spices reminds us of Christ’s church with its diversity of people across the world, the egg flour, milk and molasses the many good gifts that God has given to us as we work together in making Christ known.

What is the most important gift?  The most important gift is of Jesus. 

The holly on top of the pudding, symbolising the crown of thorns and the red berries Jesus’ blood shed for the forgiveness of our sin and the gift of eternal life. So we remember what these things mean to us as Christians in the carol, 'The Holly and the Ivy".

“The holly bears a berry as ripe as any blood and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do us poor sinners good.” Mary giving Jesus his humanity and God his Father giving Jesus his divinity. 

 Luke 1: 26-38.  Romans 16: 25-27

If we extend that picture of the pudding to the universe to the millions of stars and planets. The way everything exists and works in the universe can only give emphasise to the existence of the presence of God.  

Space exploration has recently been in the news: the European spacecraft on 12 Nov landed on the Rosetta meteor after 10 years of travelling through space. The scientists had calculated the route, the speed the spaceship required to resist the pull of gravity as it passed close by planets, they knew the laws that govern the Universe, the laws put in place by God.

Just like the Rosetta meteor scientists knew its orbit 10 years before.  God did not chose Mary at random, we can be pretty sure that her life had been prepared by God on a designated path, which was unknown to her.

In our reading Archangel Gabriel came from where he stood in the presence of God to the home of Mary where he made two announcements: the first that Mary would give birth to the Son of God and the other announcement her cousin Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant.  Verse 36  

Archangel Gabriel’s role he was God’s messenger, his greeting “Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!”his greeting  troubled Mary, Gabriel gave her assurance by saying, “Be not afraid, Mary you have found favour with God.”   

Mary perhaps was apprehensive at what being favoured would mean. Gabriel went on to say that she would be the mother of the Christ, she would bear the Son of God.  

Mary up to that moment was a young girl engaged to be married to Joseph. Her immediate reaction was “How can this be, I have no husband.” Mary was given assurance that God would be the Father. Mary gave Jesus his humanity and God his Father gave him his divinity. 

Gabriel a high ranking angel ministered to Mary comforting her saying that God had favoured her from among women and that nothing was impossible for God.  

Many years before Gabriel ministered to Daniel the prophet when he gave him the interpretation of the vision of the last days, he gave Daniel strength, wisdom and understanding of the vision.  

Today that role comes from the Holy Spirit John 14: 16, 17. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever the Spirit of truth. The world can not accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”  

The ministry of the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus

Mary conceived the Son of God by the power of God and we accept this truth by faith. For God is not under any law: the laws of the universe or the laws of nature. Our God is an awesome God. 

 In the discussions on Thursday’s Advent study Mary said ‘Yes’ to bear the Christ-child, Christ was to be formed in her. We too are called to be Christ bearers. To say, ‘Yes’ to him being formed in us.” 

Jesus is formed in us by the power of God through faith in Jesus and, the truth is borne out in our witness that Jesus dwells within us in Spirit, we are born of the Spirit of God.                                                                                                                                     

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians 3: 16-19. “That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through the Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God.” 

 We are strengthened by Jesus’ presence within us, we are rooted in the Spirit of his love, God is love there are no boundaries: the breath, depth, width and height of God’s love, even surpassing knowledge.

The Holy Spirit gives us assurance – my mother was constantly needing assurance concerning the Holy Spirit, she had doubts whether she was filled with the Holy Spirit. I could see and hear the Holy Spirit in my mother and I would say to her  "Ask the Lord to give you assurance" and he did, time and time again. If you dear reader need the Lord's assurance of the Holy Spirit and Jesus' living presence within you, "Simply ask!" "Heavenly Father, please confirm your presence in my life, in Jesus' name." "Come into my heart Lord Jesus there is room in my heart for thee."

We are grounded with the understanding of how to apply the love of God in any situation we are faced with.  Grounded in Jesus’ teachings like the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan applying the love of God, breaking down religious barriers between the Jews and the Samaritans who were hostile to each other and showing compassion on the man beaten by the robbers applying ointment to his wounds and his generosity paying the Inn keeper for looking after him. We also from the parable note the promise of the Samaritan's return to pay any excess to the Inn keeper, which spoke of Jesus' return, his second coming.

Terry last month gave thanks in the service for the way he knew he was being upheld by the presence of the Lord, Terry is rooted in Jesus and the prayers of fellow Christians we applied the Spirit’s love in bringing him to God’s throne of grace in prayer for his situation to be blessed as he underwent surgery.

If we feel we need strength and understanding to face tomorrow or direction in a situation, or for someone else, then expect the Holy Spirit, Christ in us to respond to our need, as God our Father loves us.

Prayer    

Father God, forgive us when we have doubted your presence within us, may we be strengthened with the might of your Holy Spirit and grow in understanding of some of the mysteries that surround Jesus, so that we can enlighten those in darkness., especially those we may come in contact with over Christmas.

In Christ our Saviours name, Amen                                                                                                                                                   

(Angels continue to minister to people today) The Church of England Advent Wreath Course