The Who, How and Why of Christmas

So much of what we see and hear about Christmas is more based on tradition and even imagination rather than reality. For example, there was no innkeeper; The “Wise Men” were not kings and did not show up to see Christ in the manger and Jesus was not born on the same night that Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. However, the true story of Christmas actually adds to rather than takes from its importance.

Examination: (Why?)

1. Who are the main characters

Luke 2:1-5 “1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.”

Caesar Augustus was the first Roman Emperor and reigned from 27 BC until 14 AD. That certainly puts him in the timeline of the birth of Jesus. Quirinius was appointed by Caesar as the “legate” (military governor) of Syria in 6 AD. His first assignment was to call for a census which required every Jew to return to their home town and to pay a poll tax. That means that Luke and Matthew seem to disagree as to the timing of the birth of Jesus, since Matthew placed it “in the days of King Herod” who died in 4 BC. However, archeological discoveries show that Quirinius served twice in Syria. Once as military governor and once as civil governor. Consequently he could have been in power before the death of Herod.

Joseph of course we know from both Matthew and Luke was the husband of Mary, who by faith believed the angel Gabriel and legally married his pregnant fiancee and refrained from sexual relations with her until after the birth of Jesus.

Mary was the teen-aged peasant girl, engaged to be married to Joseph who was faced with a frightening scenario of being pregnant out of wedlock though she had never had sexual contact with any man, including Joseph.

These are the main characters in the story of the birth of Jesus…God in human flesh. His birth, like the rebirth of anyone who receives Him as Messiah is described in John 1:12-13 “12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.”

2. How it happened

Luke 2:6-7 “6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

The first phrase (while they were there) gives insight into the fact that the birth did not happen immediately upon their arrival in Bethlehem. We really don’t know how long they were in Jerusalem before Jesus was born. Also, Luke mentioned that there was no “guest room” available to them. Many translations say “there was no room in the inn”. However, the word that Luke used did not refer to a commercial “hotel”, but rather to a place for a guest to stay. Many of the Palestinian homes of that day included a guest room, often on the roof of the house. Some of these guest rooms were enclosed and furnished. When Jesus sent his disciples to prepare for the Passover, He said in Luke 22: 10-12 “10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there.””

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, although Joseph surely had relatives and friends still living there, (he was of the house and lineage of David) all of the guest rooms had already been taken. These same Palestinian houses I mentioned earlier also had a room at the back of the house, that was a couple of steps down from the house level, with no wall separating it from the main room where the family lived, ate and slept. At night they would bring their livestock into this space for two reasons…to protect them from predators, and to allow the body heat of the animals to help warm the main room. The “mangers” or feeding troughs were dug out of the floor of the main room (thus about 2-3 feet above the floor level of the back room) which enabled the livestock to feed from these troughs during the night. Each morning the livestock was taken back outside and the room was cleaned. Later Jesus referred to such a circumstance when he addressed the scribes and Pharisees when they accused Him of breaking Sabbath rules in Luke 13:15 “15 But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water?”

In v 7 we are told that after the birth Mary “wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger”. Even today newborns are “swaddled”, or wrapped tightly in a blanket, for the same reason that Mary “swaddled” Jesus. John McArthur noted that this wrapping was to keep the baby from injuring his sensitive facial skin and eyes with his own sharp fingernails. The idea of “swaddling” had additional significance to the shepherds who were told of the birth of Jesus. The angel said to them in Luke 2: 11-12 “11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”” Tradition says that these were not ordinary shepherds. They were shepherds caring for the male sheep that would serve as sacrifices in the temple. Because such sheep had to be “without spot or blemish”, when they were born, the shepherds “swaddled” them and set them aside in a feeding trough to keep them from injury or being marred in any way. Instantly they understood the “sign” the angel gave them.

3. Why Jesus Came

Have you ever thought about what Jesus said was the reason He came to earth. The writer of Hebrews gave some insight into this.

Heb 10:1-7 “1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, as he (Jesus) was coming into the world, he said: You did not desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me. 6 You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. 7 Then I said, “See— it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, God.””

Vv 5-6 is a quote from Ps 40:6-8 “6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; you open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering. 7 Then I said, “See, I have come; in the scroll it is written about me. 8 I delight to do your will, my God, and your instruction is deep within me.””

Jesus said that He delighted to do God’s will…and that is why He came to earth. It was/is God’s will that there be a sacrifice for all sin for all time. That sacrifice was Jesus.

When Jesus was 8 days old, He was taken to the temple to be circumcised. There they encountered a man who had waited for years for Messiah to come. Here is what he said about why Jesus came.

Luke 2:25-32 “25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.”

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin and lived a sinless life.

His purpose for coming was to be the sacrifice for the sins of anyone and everyone who would surrender to Him (receive Him)

If you surrender to Jesus, your sin-debt is forever cancelled, and you will spend eternity with Christ in the special place He has prepared for you. Surrender is your only option.

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