The Christmas Gift Nobody Wants

The Christmas Gift Nobody Wants - Disruption

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: The Christmas Gift Nobody Wants - Disruption--------- Date: 12/22/1999
Keywords: "attention" "disruption" "inconvenience"

Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

From December 21-26, the eXXit 3minute Bible studies will examine the biblical Christmas story from Luke, chapters 1 and 2. In these studies, we will discover keys to finding help in resisting temptation AND we will discover the sufficiency of Christ to help us when tempted.

Passage: Luke 1:26-38*

26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,

27. to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28. And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

29. But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.

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 name Him Jesus.

32. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

33. and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."

34. And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

35. And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.

36. "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

37. "For nothing will be impossible with God."

38. And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Questions

Think about the Christmas event from Mary’s perspective.

1. The Bible says that she was a “virgin” (v. 27). What would a virgin think when told that she was going to conceive a child?

2. What would her pregnancy mean for her reputation in the conservative, Jewish community of Nazareth? Do you think that her neighbors would believe that she was still sexually pure?

3. What would her fiancée, Joseph, think?

4. What changes would have to be made in her life plans with the reception of this news?

5. What was her response to the disruption God brought in to her life? (v.38)

Practical help

Mary might have been tempted to complain about the “favor” that God was going to do for her (making her the mother of Jesus), but she didn’t. She accepted her role in God’s plan AND the disruption that went along with it with grace. Her response to an event that would bring joy and glory AND traumatic life-transformation was to verbally and willingly submit
to God.

Many men (and women, too) who struggle with dangerous and compulsive habits, like pornography, respond to life stress with a click on the mouse. That is a short cut to a dead end. Learn from Mary. When stressful events hit (whether announced by an angel or not!), express your submission to the Lord as she did. Rather than seek stress relief through porn, turn to God instead. Tell Him, “My life is in Your hands, Lord. Do with me whatever You wish.”

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLEŽ, Š Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."