The Christ of Christmas

We’ve been on a journey…a journey to Bethlehem. We have been progressing through the Christmas story, revisiting the events that brought Christ into the world. Over the course of about a year, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist, announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, Mary visited Elizabeth, and the angel revealed the truth to Joseph. It is only fitting on this Christmas day that we end our celebration of the season with the birth of Christ.

Luke 2:1–7 NASB95

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The nation of Israel was under Roman authority. King Herod was a good friend of Caesar Augustus, but likely added the requirement to register for the census in one’s ancestral town. As both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David, they made the roughly 90 mile trip in what appears to be the third trimester of Mary’s pregnancy. This travel requirement presents a bit of a problem. Not only would it be difficult to travel so far on foot with a pregnant woman, but the town of Bethlehem is about to see a massive spike in population. When they arrive, the place they had planned on staying in was full. It would seem there was no place for them at all. Scholars suggest that the young couple found their way to a cave where a manger was, and whether it was a cave or a barn of some kind is difficult to know with certainty, but it is certainly a place made for animals, not for people.

Meanwhile, somewhere outside of Bethlehem, there is a final angelic appearance.

Luke 2:8–14 NASB95

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

This angel may have been the same angel Gabriel who appeared to Zacharias and Mary, but just like the appearance to Joseph, the angel is not named. The angel announces to these shepherds that today there is born a baby in Bethlehem, the city of David, who is Christ the Lord. The word Christ means anointed one. It refers to the the fulfiller of Israel’s expectation of a deliverer. For all of their existence, Israel has been promised a deliverer who would come not only to rule in righteousness, but to save them from their oppressors and their sins. This child, born on Christmas day, was revealed to Mary as the king who would take David’s throne, whose rule would have no end. To Joseph it was revealed this child would save the people from their sins. Christ is a title helping us understand who Jesus is. He is no ordinary human being. He is God wrapped in human flesh, born to give hope not just to the Jew, but to the whole earth.

But have you ever wondered why God chose shepherds to be the first people to hear the good news and see the baby Jesus. The shepherds were lower class citizens. It was a dirty job, an undesirable profession. Shepherds were like lepers in that nobody wanted anything to do with them. They were outcasts, yet their job was vital. Shepherding was a very lonely profession. A shepherd’s company was sheep, which don’t make great conversationalists. They were regarded as ceremonially unclean until they went before a priest and went through ritual cleansing. If anybody was longing for change, a shepherd would certainly be one of them.

Luke 2:10 (NASB95)

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”

The good news is that the Savior of the world had finally come. The wait is over! The longing for something better, for something more, freedom from sin, has finally come! Humanity’s greatest need finally arrived in the form of a baby boy. Hope had been realized. A hope that all would be right in the world, that we could be led by a perfect leader, that we would find true identity as children of God, that we would find freedom from sin.

Because Jesus is the Christ, cling to the hope he brings.

The sign of this message would be that they would find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger. The shepherds were all too familiar with feeding troughs. After all, nobody does this. It’s not like people have a habit of putting their newborn babies in the same place animals eat out of. How would they know which baby was the Christ? He’s the only one lying in a manger.

Luke 2:15–20 NASB95

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

The shepherds found exactly what the angel had said. The shepherds were the first to see the baby Jesus. They believed Jesus was the Christ and they got the opportunity to see him personally.

There is a progression to these events that presents a model for us if we are looking closely. Let’s look at the shepherds a little closer.

The shepherds were doing their jobs. They were living their lives doing what they needed to do, but it would seem that somewhere within them there was a longing for something more. They were longing for something different. You see, God puts in the heart of every person a longing for something that only he can satisfy. We were made to be in relationship with him. Before we come to him, we try to satisfy this longing through any means. Every human being is on a journey in search of the missing piece in their lives. The shepherds probably heard their whole lives about the deliverer who would come. It is in this longing that God speaks trying to show you that your deepest longing is him.

The shepherds heard the word of the angel. They chose to believe the message. Their belief is seen in action as they made the choice to go to Bethlehem and find this baby boy. When they did find him, they began to share everything they had seen and heard. They were the first evangelists! Evangelism is the church word that simply means sharing the good news. We are sharing Jesus to the world. We are sharing what we have seen and heard. The shepherds told everybody.

The shepherds:

Believed the word of God through his angel. (faith/trust)

Shared what they had seen & heard. (witnesses)

Returned to work as new men. (new creation)

When you are excited about something, don’t you want to tell everybody about it? We do this when we find a new restaurant, see a great movie, or go on a cool vacation. If finding Jesus is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you, should you not do the same? The greatest news in all the world is that Jesus Christ is born!

Sing Go Tell it on the Mountain.

On this Christmas day, the good news still brings us great joy, for Christ has come and shall come again. We who have experienced the gift of salvation must tell everyone what we have seen and heard. For new life is found in Christ who is our Maker and our Redeemer. He brings peace to the weary soul searching for answers. I have lived 6,205 days knowing ultimately where I came from, why I exist, and where to look for everlasting satisfaction for my soul.