Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20051218.htm

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS INTERLUDE
Gaining God's Christmas "Peace On Earth"
Part III: Gaining God's "Peace On Earth" Over Health Concerns
(Luke 2:4-7, 14, et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

This Christmas Season, health is an issue of concern for many:

(1) We recently received word that the monthly premiums for the health insurance coverage for my wife and me will rise again in January, 2006. This news reflects a much broader, national concern that the rising cost of health care has put this kind of coverage out of the reach of an increasing number of Americans.

(2) Illness has been a concern for many in our Church body: the last two Sundays, I have counted 8 requests we fielded from the congregation regarding specific health needs. Several dealt with people who were having surgery, or who faced life altering diseases!

(3) This subject of illness has come into sharp focus with my own extended family. When I telephoned my 82 year old mother in California Tuesday evening, December 6th, she did not answer! That was unusual, for she plans to be home then as she knows I plan to call her on Tuesday evenings. The next day she called to leave a brief message on our answering machine while we were at work, so I called her home phone again on Wednesday and still had no response.

Concerned about her welfare, I called the cell phone of my brother who lives near her to ask if she was all right, and he responded, "Well, not really! You see, Don, she is at a clinic right now filling out paperwork for testing since the doctor thinks she might have cancer!"

My brother told Mom about my call, so she finally contacted me on Thursday, December 8th. Since she has known Christ as her personal Savior for over 65 years and served Him for 40 years as a missionary in Nigeria West Africa, she told me her only concern was that she might "be at peace about the test results"!



So, in view of the concerns many of us may have this Christmas on the matter, HOW can we have God's "Peace On Earth" regarding HEALTH issues that affect us?!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "With the many challenges that exist to the contrary, how are we to gain God's peace on earth' regarding our health needs?!"
  1. Mary was vulnerable to suffering health problems since she was a sinner in contrast to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church:
    1. Though the 12/8/1854 ex cathedra decree by Pope Pius IX claimed Mary was sinless for originating by an "immaculate" conception, the 11/1/1950 ex cathedra decree of Pope Pius XII acknowledges that she died, cf. Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, 1978, p. 158, 162.
    2. Well, both Roman Catholic and Protestant Bible translations reveal Mary's death occurred since she was a sinner like the rest of us:
      1. Mark 3:20-31 in the 1986 Catholic New American Bible and in the Protestant New International Version show Mary sinned by trying to take Jesus into custody for faithlessly thinking He was insane!
      2. According to Romans 5:12-14 and Genesis 3:1-19, this sin meant Mary was subject to health problems and would one day die.
  2. Scripture thus shows Mary faced great health risks at Jesus' birth:
    1. Mary gave birth right after taking a health threatening trip, Lk. 2:4-7:
      1. Matthew 2:11 shows Mary was in a house when the Magi arrived, but they came after she had delivered Jesus in a stable (Luke 2:7), for she used the stable since she had found no room in the inn as a recent traveler, Edersheim, Sketches of Jew. Soc. Life, 74, p. 49.
      2. Now, Mary's trip had involved a 70 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem of Judaea, Lk. 2:4; Macmillan Bib. Atlas, 1968, p. 142.
      3. Thus, Mary delivered Jesus right after taking an arduous, 70 mile trip by donkey or by cart without a modern suspension system!
    2. Mary gave birth in a stable that was full of infectious bacteria, Lk. 2:7.
    3. Mary gave birth without the magi's costly, beneficial medications:
      1. The frankincense and myrrh given by the magi were expensive herbals with highly antibacterial and anti toxic properties, cf. Anne McIntyre, The Complete Woman's Herbal , 1995, p. 42, 150.
      2. Yet, from Luke 2:21-24, we know that Mary did not possess these medicines from the magi in time to aid her health at Jesus' birth:
        1. Mary waited 40 days after delivering Jesus before going to the temple to offer sacrifices to heed Leviticus 12:1-6 in the Law, L uke 2:21-24; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. at Luke 2:22.
        2. Now, her sacrifice was composed of birds, not a lamb, so Mary was poor at the time, not possessing the costly gifts given by the magi with which she could have afforded a lamb, Luke 2:24 with Leviticus 12:8 NIV; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Matt. 2:11.
      3. Thus, Mary delivered Jesus at least 5 weeks before the magi came to provide her with their expensive, beneficial herbal medications.
    4. Mary gave birth in an high risk era of no hospitals or health insurance!
  3. Yet, Scripture reveals Mary was free of complications resulting from her delivery of Jesus (as follows):
    1. Leviticus 15:25-30, 31 reveals the presence of an abnormal discharge by an infection or injury from a woman's reproductive system made her ceremonially unclean and unable to enter God's temple.
    2. Yet, Luke 2:21-24 with Lev. 12:1-8 shows Mary entered the temple 40 days after Jesus' birth, ample time for complications arising from the delivery to become evident; thus, there were no delivery problems.
  4. The REASON Mary STAYED HEALTHY was due to BLESSING for OBEDIENCE to God so she could do His will in her FUTURE:
    1. Mary lived under the rule of the Mosaic Law when good health was God's reward for obeying His Law, cf. Deuteronomy 7:12, 15.
    2. Though all men sin (Rom. 3:23), Mary was a godly believer, Lk. 1:45, so God honored His promise to give her good health under the Law.
    3. However, to fulfill prophecy regarding Jesus, God arranged for Mary to have her health put at risk, but with no resulting harm:
      1. God wanted Jesus to grow up in Nazareth to fulfill Isaiah 9:1-2.
      2. However, God also wanted Jesus to be born IN Bethlehem to fulfill Micah 5:2 re: the town OUT OF which He was to come!
      3. Now, the inn Mary first planned to use was NOT IN Bethlehem's city limits, but OUTSIDE the town, Ibid., Edersheim, p. 49.
      4. Thus, God let there be no room in the inn so Mary would deliver Jesus in an infectious stable IN Bethlehem as an "outsider" who would return to Galilee to fulfill prophecy, but without harming Mary's health so she could KEEP caring for the infant, Jesus!
Application: If concerned about health issues, may we heed God by (1) trusting in Christ as Savior from sin, Acts 17:30; John 3:16. (2) Then, though not under the Law's "health guarantee" coverage like Mary was [Phil. 2:27-30], may we (a) heed God's Word (b) and see Him supply the health to DO His will in life!

Lesson: For obeying Scripture, God rewarded Mary, giving her and her infant, Jesus good health regardless of threats to the contrary, and all so God might fulfill His will regarding the earthly lives of Mary and Jesus!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 The SECOND trip Mary took, the one from Jerusalem down to Egypt in Matthew 2:13-15 was three times as long as her journey from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem of Judaea: that second trip was over 210 miles, Ibid., The Macmillan Bible Atlas, p. 137, map 217!

For that second, LONGER and hurried trip into Egypt with her newborn infant that demanded her constant care, God provided the frankincense and myrrh by way of the magi, and this supply fit for a king would have helped her and her child in many ways (as follows):

(1) Frankincense was used by ancient peoples as a massage, as a warm bath, or even ignited to produce an odor with health benefits. Respiratory infections, congestion of the lungs or head, laryngitis, asthma, fevers, urinary tract infections, sores and wounds all benefited ancient people from the application of frankincense, Ibid., McIntyre, The Complete Woman's Herbal, 1995, p. 42.

(2) Then, myrrh was used by ancient peoples both as an antiseptic and as a detoxifying agent. Myrrh shrinks swollen membranes, clears congestion, relieves colic, heals wounds, acts as an expectorant to relieve stuffed heads or lungs, and rejuvenates when used as a tonic. It is an antibacterial, anti viral and anti fungal agent. Taken internally in appropriate ways, myrrh stimulates the body's immune system, it can improve digestion, it rouses the appetite and it helps to clear parasites from the intestinal tract, Ibid., p. 150.



For heeding God, Mary was equipped with the ADDED medicinal properties of the gifts from the magi to make ANOTHER much LONGER and MORE ARDUOUS trip of 210 miles on the back of a donkey or in a wooden cart without suspension systems down into Egypt. That way, even ANOTHER Scripture prophecy could be fulfilled, that of Hosea 11:1 that God would call His Son out of Egypt, cf. Matthew 2:13-15!



May we commit ourselves to OBEY Scripture in our lives and find God's provisions for all the health care we need to FULFILL His plan IN our lives!