Grace always wins.

1) Grace has always won. (vs. 12-15)  I want to point out something quickly in this passage.  Why was God’s plan effectively accomplished through the wise men and Joseph?  They were both actively listening for God.  God’s grace has always won.  There is a pattern throughout Scripture that God grace has won through men and women were listening for God.  God will speak to you in unexpected ways when you listen expectantly.   

We see a parallel between what happened in the Old Testament and what’s happening with Jesus in the New Testament.  The grace of God in Old Testament is when God saved His people through a miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt.  Now, God’s grace is being shown by bringing the Messiah out of Egypt to again, save His people.  God’s grace has always won.  

When you think back on the birth of Jesus, look at the big picture of God’s grace.  His big plan always works out.  God’s grace has always won.

2) Grace will always win. (vs. 16-18)  Where is the grace in this passage? Where is the hope?  Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31.  This verse in Jeremiah is describing the people of Israel in exile when their families were separated by the Babylonians.  But the prophet Jeremiah let the people if Israel know that their mourning would soon turn to joy.  Evil is hostile to grace, but evil can never defeat grace. Grace always wins.  Look for God’s grace and trust God’s grace.  Even if you can’t see what’s ahead, look for God.  And trust Him when you find His hand because His plan always wins.

3) Grace comes in the times and places you least expect it. (vs. 19-23)   Nazareth was considered not only the outskirts, but the village was looked down upon.  No one expected Jesus – the Messiah – the Savior of the world – to come from a place like Nazareth.  It defied all the cultural odds.  God puts His grace on display from people we don’t expect, from places we never would have guessed, and from timing that doesn’t add up.  Look for God’s grace in your life, but also expect God’s grace to show up in the unexpected.  Looking for God to show up is a way to prepare your heart for when God shows up.  Don’t look for God to show up in a certain way – because you might miss it.  But prepare your heart for the unexpected.  So when God does show up, you can give Him all the glory.

Look for and live in God’s grace in every season.  This life is going to be full of clear skies, storms, turbulence, and everything in between.  If you’re in a season of clear skies, thank God for His grace.  If you’re in a season of turbulence, thank God for His grace.  If you’re in a season of storms, thank God for His grace. 

Because no matter what, we have a beacon guiding us home.  That’s God’s grace.

• That’s the grace that took place on that first Christmas morning.
• It’s the grace that was still there when Mary and Joseph fled.
• Christmas was the birth of grace that would culminate with the final victory over sin and death.
• Live in that grace this Christmas season.

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