Surprises - Luke 2:8-20

(With the kids) What kind of presents did you bring with you this morning? (Allow for answers.)  Those are all very nice.  Are they what you were expecting to get/are they what you asked for? (Allow for answers.) Were there any surprises?  Do you like surprises?  I like surprises, most of the time.  A lot of times those good surprises turn out to be far better than what I was expecting.  I remember a couple of years ago, Ms Anita gave me a present to open on Christmas Day.  I was expecting it to be a a pair of dress pants or jeans, I opened it and inside was this amazing jacket.  I was surprised and excited.  You know what, God likes to give surprises to…and they are surprises we should be excited about.  I’m going to let you head back to your seats with your presents while I talk about those surprises.
How many of you like surprises?
I know some people who do, and others who don’t.  I have a dear friend who doesn’t even like to be surprised by how a book or movie ends, and so she will flip to the back and read the ending, or she will go online and look up how a movie ends before going to see it.
Other folks love surprises…I think of couples expecting a child who are determined not to know the baby’s gender before he or she are born…they want to be surprises.
I will admit that sometimes surprises come across as wonderful…other surprises are news that we never wanted to hear or events we never wanted to experience…and yet many of you know my “life-verse” (the verse I let govern my life): “For we know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). God will take those good surprises and those not so desired surprises, and if we seek out His Will, in some way, we will find ourselves blessed.  Why?  Because our God is a God of surprises.
Can you imagine the surprise on the shepherds faces when that angel appeared to them, announcing that the Messiah had been born?  But that wasn’t the first or only surprise from God.
God surprised Noah.  He instructed him to build an ark on which he, his family, and the animals of the earth were saved.
God surprised Abraham.  God chose him, among all those around, to be the one through whom He would bless the world.
God surprised Moses.  God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent him to lead God’s people out of their slavery in Egypt.
God surprised Samuel…by choosing the youngest of Jesse’s boys to become King of all Israel.
God surprised Mary…announcing to her through the angel that she would bear God’s own Son.
God surprised Israel and the rest of the world by coming, not as a warrior riding in on a white steed, but as a baby laid in a manger.
God, in Jesus, continually surprised folks…through his teaching, through his preaching, through his healings, through turning water into wine, through feeding more that 5000 with just a few loaves of bread and fish, through allowing His disciples to gather wheat on the Sabbath, through calling Lazarus back from the dead.
Jesus surprised his disciples by calling them not to defend Him and willingly going to the cross.
God surprised the world by bringing Jesus out of the tomb three days later.
And through all of these surprises, God brought us salvation…the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life everlasting with Him.
Now, that my brothers and sisters is the best surprise gift we could ever receive.  I love surprises, don’t you?
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.