Before the Manger: Advent with the People Who Lived It

This four week Advent sermon series explores the beloved characters of the nativity in the time before Jesus was born, when God’s extraordinary promises mingled with human worries and concerns. Whether they had months to ponder or minutes to decide, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, and the Magi all found a way to trust in what God was doing.

Week 1: “Mary”
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
We know almost nothing about Mary before the angel Gabriel came to visit, but we know a lot about what she did before she placed Jesus in that Bethlehem manger. Her initial reaction to the angel’s presence is to be troubled, and surely she must have had her concerns about this unexpected and nearly inexplicable pregnancy, but she presents herself courageously to God, using the same formula as many prophets before her – “Here I am.” Later, during her visit to Elizabeth, she sings God’s praises, trusting that the God who had been with her people for generations would do great things again. Mary may not have known the shape her son’s life would take, but she trusted that in God, it would be good.

Week 2: “Joseph”
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Scripture tells us two biographical facts about Joseph: that he was a descendant of King David, and that he was a carpenter. It tells us a great deal more about his character. Joseph is righteous – an important term across both testaments. To be righteous is to be in step with God. Despite Joseph’s fears, anger, and betrayal, he manages to listen to the angel, and believe that God is active in his life. Even before Jesus is born, Joseph rearranges his whole life to keep in step with God, no matter how odd his actions look to the outside observer.

Week 3: “Shepherds”
Scripture: Luke 2:8-20
Unlike Mary and Joseph, who had months to wrap their heads around the coming of the Christ child, the shepherds are given only minutes. It is an astonishing scene all around. While the Old Testament may wax poetic about shepherds from time to time, most actual shepherds were lower-class hired hands without prestige or reputation. Yet the angels come to stand on level ground with them, and give them the news of a lifetime. These shepherds choose to leave their post (a decision that might well have come with economic consequences) and seek their Savior. In the time between their decision and their arrival at the manger, they demonstrate a full-hearted, reckless kind of faith.

Week 4: “Magi”
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
Because of what happens in these verses, Christian tradition has surrounded the magi with a warm glow, calling them kings and wise men. But at the time, “magi” was a sort of slur, a word borrowed by Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures to describe shadowy, foreign, evil powers. Every other place magi appear in scriptures, they are frauds at best and dangerous at worst (the word is often translated as “sorcerer”). They hail from countries that have attacked, exiled, and oppressed the Jewish people. Before their appearance at the manger, they would have been viewed with suspicion and dread. Yet it is these dangerous foreigners who go on a two or three year journey to meet the new king, who worship him with joy, who show generosity, and who protect him by their choices. It is an early glimpse of the expansive programme of Matthew, who will repeatedly show how Jesus came, not just for one people, but for the whole world.

Ministry Resources

Before the Manger Liturgy 

• Advent Wreath Candlelighting Liturgies
• Weekly Call to Worship
• Weekly Confessional Prayer
• Spontaneous Christmas Pageant

Before the Manger Graphics (editable Canva templates)

• Series Graphics (Banner)
• Weekly Social Media Graphics (Square)