December 7, 2025 Service - "The Characters of Christmas" Week 2

Devotional

Day 1: God chooses the lowly to bear His salvation

Look with the eyes of the story: God arrives in a forgotten town and calls an ordinary young woman to carry the Redeemer. Mary’s quiet yes shows how the kingdom often comes through humble hands rather than through fame or power. Bring your own smallness before God and remember that the Savior was entrusted to those who had nothing to prove. [26:45]

Luke 1:26–38 (ESV)

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 kind 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.

Reflection: What area of your life feels most unqualified or overlooked, and how might you intentionally offer that smallness to God this week?

Day 2: Heaven proclaims glory and peace to the humble

The heavenly chorus bursts into the ordinary night, celebrating a newborn Savior born for all people, especially those who live on the margins of power. The angels declare glory and invite the humble to receive peace; Advent’s good news arrives not in kingly pomp but in a manger’s quiet. Let the proclamation stir you to listen for God’s peace in the simple, everyday places of life. [03:44]

Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Reflection: When has the truth of Christ’s coming felt like background noise in your life, and what one specific practice will you adopt this week to hear the angels’ proclamation afresh?

Day 3: The coming child is God with us

The names given the child—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—announce a God who draws near to dwell among us. Advent is the reality that God does not remain distant but takes on our weakness to bring wise counsel, strength, and peace directly into human life. Receive each name as a present comfort for the places where you need help and rest. [18:25]

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Reflection: Which one of these names—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—do you need to claim most today, and what practical step will you take to invite that name into your week?

Day 4: God exalts the weak to nullify boasting

Scripture shows that God delights in lifting up what the world discards so that human pride is silenced and glory belongs to him alone. The Advent story reinforces that the powerful are often bypassed and the humble are chosen, not by accident but by divine design. Let this overturn your instincts to prove yourself and instead cultivate a posture of dependence and gratitude. [44:06]

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (ESV)

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Reflection: Where in your life are you most prone to boast or rely on status, and what is one concrete way you can practice humility this week so God’s glory is clearer than your own?

Day 5: Bring your poverty and say “Yes” to God

Advent invites those who sense a lack—poverty of spirit, unmet longings, weary hearts—to bring that need to Jesus and to answer God’s call with a simple, surrendered yes. Mary and Joseph had no credentials, yet their availability and obedience opened the door for redemption; your small yes can likewise become a doorway for God’s work. Offer what you are—broken, hopeful, needy—and be ready to obey in whatever small step you can take. [52:51]

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Reflection: What single tenderness or lack in your life will you bring to Jesus this week, and what specific, immediate “yes” will you speak or act on in obedience to him?

Sermon Summary

On this second Sunday of Advent, we lifted our voices with the angels who sang over Bethlehem and turned our hearts to Luke 1:26-38. I asked a simple question: How does God like to get things done? Scripture answers by pointing us to the weak, the humble, and the obedient. God sends Gabriel not to a palace but to Nazareth—a forgotten place—and he chooses Mary and Joseph—poor, ordinary, unimpressive by worldly standards. Advent is not an announcement to the powerful first; it is God’s arrival among the lowly and the poor. The story begins on the margins because God delights to begin his finest work there.

But Advent doesn’t only come to the lowly; it comes through them. Mary and Joseph don’t just receive the news; they bear it for the world. They become the doorway through which the Redeemer enters history. That is the upside-down kingdom on display. We prize size, status, and strength; God chooses smallness, surrender, and faithfulness so that no one can boast but in the Lord.

Mary’s response is the heartbeat: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” No negotiations. No hedging. Just a willing yes. Joseph, facing whispers and cost, also says yes. Advent moves through open hands, not clenched fists—through availability more than ability. That is why this story isn’t just something to admire—it’s an invitation to enter.

So I invited us to bring our poverty to Jesus. Not only material poverty, but the poverty of the soul—restlessness, disappointment, unmet longings, the places we feel small or broken. Advent is not God helping those who help themselves; it is God drawing near to those who cannot help themselves. And I invited us to offer our yes—perhaps to forgive, to serve, to obey a quiet nudge, or to surrender the reins of life to Christ. God works in small yeses. At the Table we remember that the One who became poor for us comes close again to feed and steady us. Come lowly, come needy, come willing—and find that the bread of heaven satisfies.

Key Takeaways

1. Advent begins among the overlooked. God chooses Nazareth and entrusts the incarnation to a couple with no status and little means. This tells us that obscurity is not an obstacle to God’s work; it may be His chosen stage. Do not despise small places or unnoticed faithfulness—God loves to start there. [33:58]
2. God advances His kingdom through surrender. Mary’s “Let it be to me” is not passive; it is courageous consent to God’s initiative. Ability didn’t qualify her; availability did. When we release control, the Spirit overshadows our limits with God’s sufficiency. [48:30]
3. Advent flips our cultural script. We celebrate the loud and the strong; God crowns the humble and the weak so that our boast is in Him. The kingdom moves on a different axis—downward into humility, outward toward the margins, and forward through obedience. Learn to value what heaven values. [44:06]
4. Bring your poverty to Jesus today. Spiritual poverty is not a barrier; it’s an open door. Advent declares that God draws near to those who cannot fix themselves. Name your restlessness and lack—and let His nearness become your wealth. [52:51]
5. Small yeses open large doors. Obedience rarely feels dramatic in the moment, but God threads simple faithfulness into history-shaping outcomes. Like Joseph and Mary, offer the next yes in front of you. Over time, those yeses become a path where Christ is made known. [55:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:44] - Opening Prayer of Adoration
[19:09] - Children’s Blessing and Dismissal
[21:09] - How Does God Get Things Done?
[21:35] - Joni Eareckson Tada Illustration
[24:01] - Reading: Luke 1:26–38
[27:43] - Advent for the Lowly and Poor
[30:07] - Nazareth: The Forgotten Place
[35:14] - Advent Through the Lowly and Poor
[42:33] - The Upside-Down Kingdom
[45:08] - Radical Obedience in Real Life
[48:30] - Mary’s Yes: “I Am the Lord’s Servant”
[52:51] - Bring Your Poverty to Jesus
[58:11] - Communion: God Who Came Close
[65:38] - Closing Prayer and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 1:26–38
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.

Observation questions

Where did Gabriel go, who did he speak to, and what three core truths did he announce about the child to be born? [24:01]
What details in the text show Mary’s social and economic position (place, family status, and actions after the birth)? How do those details help explain why Nazareth and this couple were “lowly and poor”? [33:58]
How does Mary respond to Gabriel’s announcement in verse 38? What words does she use to express that response, and what immediate tone do those words set for the story? [48:30]
What role does the Holy Spirit play in the angel’s explanation (verses 35–37)? How does that explanation address Mary’s question, “How will this be?” [25:24]

Interpretation questions

What might be the theological significance of God sending the angel to Nazareth—a forgotten, low-status town—rather than to a palace or to someone famous? How does this choice shape the meaning of the incarnation? [30:07]
Why would God typically choose “the weak, the humble, and the obedient” as vessels for his work (compare the pattern described here to the broader biblical witness)? What does that suggest about God’s purposes for power and glory? [44:06]
In what ways is Mary’s “Let it be to me according to your word” an example of surrender rather than passive resignation? What elements in the scene show courage, risk, or cost in her yes? [48:30]
How does the promise “nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37) frame the tension between human limitation and divine action in this passage? How should that tension shape expectations for ordinary people called to bear God’s work? [25:24]

Application questions

Advent began among the overlooked in Nazareth. Where in your life or community are the “Nazareths”—places or people that feel forgotten or low-status—and how might God be wanting to begin something there? [33:58]
The invitation is to bring spiritual poverty to Jesus (unmet longings, restlessness, brokenness). What specific spiritual need or empty place do you need to bring to Christ this week? How will you bring it—through prayer, a conversation, or a specific act? [52:51]
God advances his kingdom through surrender and availability more than ability. What is one small, concrete “yes” you sense before you (to forgive, to serve, to obey a quiet nudge, to step into a relationship)? What practical next step will you take to say yes? [55:38]
Mary’s yes involved cost, risk, and public scrutiny. Is there a decision you’re avoiding because it feels risky or will draw criticism? What would it look like to name that fear and still say yes to God’s leading in a concrete way? [48:30]
Small, faithful actions become doors for God’s work. What ordinary habit, service, or relationship could you commit to faithfully for the next month as a place for God to work through you? How will you measure commitment (time, accountability partner, calendar)? [55:38]
The gospel flips the cultural script by honoring weakness and humility. Where do you find yourself trusting status, reputation, or self-sufficiency instead of God? What one practice could help reorient your heart toward humility and dependence on Christ? [44:06]

Use these questions to guide your group’s time together. Begin by reading Luke 1:26–38 aloud, allow silent reflection, then move through observation → interpretation → application. Keep the conversation personal, pastoral, and focused on next steps.

Sermon Clips

So how does God like to work how does God tend to usher in the kingdom of heaven this is what we observe this morning is that God uses the weak he uses the humble and he uses the obedient to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth God has this habit of working with the weak the humble and the obedient to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth and so how does this flesh out as we are in thissecond Sunday of Advent as we consider these characters I think we first find this truth this morning that Advent is for the lowly and the poor [00:27:43] (45 seconds) #KingdomThroughWeakness

there was nothing glamorous about these this young couplebut isn't that exactly the pointthat God chose those of no reputation those who have nothing to prove to anyone that God would see a couple of lowly and poor people and that he would choose to do some incredible work for them and through them you see the characters of Christmas Mary and Joseph show us something profound about Advent andit's that Advent is not for the powerful firstbut it is for the humble [00:34:22] (44 seconds) #AdventForTheHumble

I mean if it was me I'm finding someone that's got some great influence I'm finding someone who's got a social media following you know of the thousands the millions to get the word out with one typing it in on the phone right and everyone's going to knowI'm looking for someone of good reputation trustworthy peopleand what does God do he goes and finds a couple of poor lowly people from nowhere Nazareth and he says hey there's good news for you the redemption of your soul and hey I'm going to use you to bear it to the world Adventis ushered in through the lowly and through the poor [00:36:55] (47 seconds) #ChosenAmongTheHumble

that is working into my ears and processing through my brain and I begin to pause and listen in this restaurant full of people as we're all eating I'm hearing a Christmas carol that is telling of the birth of Jesus and I'mthinking as I'm eating this burger in this restaurant with all these peoplethe story of the world's redemption is being played over a loud speaker and no one is in awe or in wonder of this story we're just chowing away getting ready to pay the bill to move on to the next thing [00:40:25] (43 seconds) #AweOverRoutine

you see the story of adventis so known to us we sing it we hear it as we're shopping in the stores as we're chowing down on our food and we're not moved by it it's like our souls are calloused because yeah we know it it's a cool story bro and then we wait for the next Sunday of advent and then we wait for Christmas eve and then Christmas day and then Christmas meal and then we move on to the new year and we go onwith our lives what ifwhat if the story of advent began to capture our souls again [00:41:09] (42 seconds) #RediscoverAdvent

that God chose to come for the poor and for the lonely that not only did God choose to come for the poor and the lonely but that God chose that he chose to bring the kingdom of heaven to our world through the lowly and the poorthat God doesn't disqualify anyone because of their social status because of their reputation because of what side of the tracks they grew up on or are livingthat God has come for and God has come through the lowly and the poor [00:41:53] (49 seconds) #GodForTheLowly

but here's the part of the storythat challenges me the most God didn't just choose the lowly and the poor but he chose the lowly and the poor people who were willing to say yesyou see Advent didn't just come through them because they were small it came through them because they were surrenderedand Mary wasn't just humble but she was obedient Joseph wasn't just ordinary he was faithful he was a person of integrity and the gift of Jesus came into the world through everyday ordinary people who offered to God a simple yes [00:44:20] (42 seconds) #SayYesToGod

``it's not dramatic obedience it's not comfortable obedience it's not convenient obedience but it is a radical obedience to the will and to the words of God and this is what Advent teaches us that Advent joy comes to the poor it comes to the weak and to the unexpected and God uses the humble the willing and the obedient to bring his kingdom near [00:51:08] (31 seconds) #RadicalObedience

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