I know we’ve all heard the Christmas story numerous times. This is the story of God’s redemption of mankind. You might think it is the start of that story. Jesus had to be born for this process to begin, correct?

So when did the story begin?
- Was it when the people cried for deliverance from captivity during the times of the minor prophets?
- Was it when they wanted a King in 1 Samuel?
- Was it when they cried out for deliverance in Egypt?
- Perhaps when Abraham went to sacrifice Issac.
That is a story so reminiscent of the Father laying Jesus on the altar, too.

Go back further than Egypt, Moses, and Abraham.

Perhaps Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
This was the first time blood was spilled to cover mankind.

Still not far enough. You have to go back to before the beginning of the world.

Revelation 13:8
All who dwell on the earth will worship him (the dragon), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Paul buttresses this in Ephesians 1:4-5
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will

If you really want to identify the beginning of God’s plan to save you, it didn’t just happen before you were born. It happened before the universe was born.

God’s plan of grace was plan A, not plan B. YES, before Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit, and YES, before you did the sin that caused you to fall short of glory. God’s grace has always been his plan, and the person he wanted to spend it on was you.

As I looked back through the story of Jesus’ birth, I saw grace like I hadn’t seen it before. Specifically the grace surrounding Jesus.

Let’s look at the story together, starting with Mary.

Luke 1:26-37
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. 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.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Things I noticed about grace while reading the story of Jesus’ birth:

1. Jesus was conceived in grace.
Verse 28 “Greetings oh favored one”
Grace defined is unmerited favor. This is favor you don’t deserve. Much can be presumed about Mary. Her piety maybe, purity, her heart for God, but the Bible doesn’t mention any of this. God’s choice of Mary was not because of what she’d done. It was grace, favor, she didn’t deserve.

The story of Jesus didn’t start with merit. It started with mercy.
That should be a relief to us! Our story with Jesus starts with mercy, not merit!

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God poured out his grace on Mary, and we often think this was just for a birthing. Can you imagine being tasked with raising the Son of God? Every bump and bruise would make you anxious! But it got worse.

We can’t forget that while the start of the Gospel of Luke is joyful and happy and miraculous with the conception and birth of Jesus, yet Mary had to endure the worst thing a mother could endure, like seeing her son suffering under a Roman Crucifixion.

We read verses like 2 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
We take this internally to deal with the issues we are facing, and that is good, but consider Mary. The grace that got Jesus into the world was the same grace that sustained her through the pain of Jesus sacrifice.

What would you do, parents, to keep your kid from suffering?
How far would you go?

Sometimes we forget in the midst of the majesty of the Bible that Mary was also just a mother, a human being. Mary was asked to do a huge job. But she didn’t get the job because of her perfection. It was his grace.

Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

This last phrase in Greek could be translated: “Out of the riches of the Father’s grace, God has graced you.”

Here grace is used as a noun “charis" and a verb “charitoo.” The verb is the same one the angel uses when he says to Mary, “You are highly favored” (Luke 1:28).

Listen to me church…so are you.

You may not have been conceived in grace, but out of the riches of God’s grace, God has graced you through the person of Jesus. It isn’t about your doing. His grace is enough.

What does this mean for you?
His grace is enough! For what you had to deal with yesterday.For what you are dealing with today. For what you will deal with tomorrow.

Mary’s story is evidence that, in the best of times or worst of times, his grace is enough.

Jesus was conceived in grace.

Matthew 1:18-24 NKJV
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

2. Jesus was born into grace.
We talked about how a mom might have felt about Jesus life and death, but what about you fellas?

Imagine this:
- In a town of around 400 residents (archaeologists’ estimate of the time), you find a girl you want to marry.
- She is from a hard working family (and not your own lol) of priestly lineage and most scholars believe she knew the Torah because of her connection with Zechariah, a priest of the sons of Aaron (direct descendant) and Elizabeth, her cousin.
- In the midst of your betrothal, she tells you she has conceived by the Holy Spirit. FYI - never happened before, unless you followed Roman or Greek mythology. So at the worst she’s a liar, and at a close worst second, she is a pagan.
- Even though you have the right to stone her, you choose to put her away quietly so as not to ruin her life, even though you are heartbroken.

Let’s stop right here…
An angel explains everything, leading Joseph to obey what he was told, but we cannot overlook the evidence of this point that Jesus was born into grace.

When did Joseph decide to show mercy and put Mary away quietly?
v19-20
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him

It was before the angel appeared, not after.

Why is this a big deal? Because you need to see that Joseph’s heart towards Mary is the same the Father has towards you. God isn’t after blood. He delights in mercy.

Micah 7:18-20
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

Jesus could have been born into the brokenness of an abandoned single mother, into the chaos of scandal in a small town, but GRACE!!! But MERCY!! GRACE AND MERCY THAT SAVED THE DAY!!

Grace and mercy were flowing in Joseph’s heart for Mary, and the result was that their home was filled with grace and mercy for the arrival of the King of Kings.

You may have been born into the chaos of brokenness, but look at what God’s grace can do! Grace and mercy unlocked the door to love in Joseph’s heart. If grace and mercy can do that for a man, how much so for our heavenly Father?

I realize you may have been born into less than a graceful and merciful situation, but what Joseph’s story teaches us is that if we allow grace and mercy to thrive where vengeance and justice want to grow, we can literally change everything.

If you are having trouble showing grace and mercy, take a moment and ask God to give you a heart like Joseph’s, who, like his father in heaven, delighted in mercy.

Jesus was conceived in grace.
Jesus was born into grace.

Luke 2:39-40, 52
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

3. Jesus lived in grace.
These verses are important, not just so you know that Jesus grew in wisdom and strength, but that the theme of grace, of unmerited favor, was all over his life.

These verses again use the same word the angel spoke over Mary, “charis,” favor.

He, into adulthood, showed grace at every turn as he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.
- Grace with Peter the impetuous fisherman
- With Mary Magdalene filled with evil spirits
- With Matthew the shameful tax agent
- With the adulterous woman at his feet
- With off limits Gentiles like the centurion and the woman who begged for the crumbs from the children’s table
- With the unfaithful Samaritan woman at the well
- With the people who were like sheep without a shepherd who would too soon scream crucify
- With Peter again as he betrayed Jesus
- And let’s not forget, us. He showed grace and mercy to you and me.

John 1:14, 16
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

How was he able to live out that grace so well?
It wasn’t his godhood. We have that though the Holy Spirit. In receiving grace, he was able to give grace. If you are having a hard time giving it, do a better job receiving it.

Jesus was conceived in grace.
Jesus was born into grace.
Jesus lived in grace.

Why?

4. So we can receive his grace.
This is where that plan from before the world was created comes to fruition.

The beauty of the Gospel is not simply sinners saved, but sons and daughters made.

John 3:16-17
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Consider the people at the stable.
- The wealthy wise men and the lowly shepherds.

Consider who is welcome at the cross.
- The sinners and the saints.
- The proud and humble.
- The lost, the wandering, the orphan.
- You. Me.

With all of us, God chooses favor over justice, mercy over vengeance, love over sin.

From my book Walk Around Grace:
Grace. What an amazing concept. Precious. It cost God everything, yet he gives it to us freely. It isn’t just grace for saving, or grace for painful situations. It is grace for our daily lives, grace that helps us walk in God's strength and not try to do everything out of our weakness. It is grace when we need it, grace to smooth the path, to prepare the way, grace in trials, grace in circumstances. Grace that refines are motion so that we can be who God created us to be…Not sinners saved, not the lost finding their way, but sons and daughters made.

CS Lewis can say it better than me:
“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

That is the grace we are talking about today.

Jesus’ life was conceived in grace, became a reality in grace, lived in grace, all for one reason:
So that you will receive his grace.

Are you willing to receive his grace?
Are you going to let his plan for your life work?

Maybe sin has you bound. You need his saving grace.
Maybe life has you anxious. You need his calming grace.
Maybe yesterday has you broken. You need his forgiving grace.
Maybe tomorrow has you hopeless. You need his expectant grace.

Jesus needed the grace to come to this earth and offer himself as a sacrifice. We need his grace to become everything he created us to be.

The truth is this: The Father is here offering grace for every situation through his son Jesus.

The question is this: How are you going to respond?

You RECEIVE IT.
Jesus, I receive your saving grace and confess you as Lord of my life.
Jesus I receive your grace for my sins, for my brokenness.
Jesus I receive your grace to live the life you called me to live.

The very grace, the unmerited favor, that you were conceived in, born into, and lived out, I receive now in your name Jesus. Amen.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?