Christmas Day - 22

Title: The King has come

Big Idea: Jesus the Son of David came to be born in the City of David: Bethlehem.

God Chooses to visit his people in the midst of poverty and powerlessness, in a manger and among the shepherds. The King enters the world and is found not in a Palace but in a stable. Not in splendor but in obscurity and poverty. This is symbolic of the rejection that he will experience and the people he has come to seek and save Lk 19:10

Text: Luke 2:1-7 “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. 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.”

Title: The King has come

Big Idea: Jesus the Son of David came to be born in the City of David: Bethlehem.

God Chooses to visit his people in the midst of poverty and powerlessness, in a manger and among the shepherds. The King enters the world and is found not in a Palace but in a stable. Not in splendor but in obscurity and poverty. This is symbolic of the rejection that he will experience and the people he has come to seek and save Lk 19:10

Purpose: I want the Soldiers to take comfort in the fact that Jesus came and He is coming again.

Major points:

Jesus actually came Extra biblical references (see Guston-ResponsePaper.dox below) We forget this reality. We become numb to it.

Jesus actually cares Phil 2

Jesus is actually coming again Heb 9:28 Acts 1:11

Jesus actually came:

In this section of scripture there is a beautiful contrast that Luke sets up.

In verse one we see a king selfishly ordering a decree from a remote land for his own good. In verse 7 we see the king of kings selflessly coming to this land for their good. Time keeping in cultures with limited literacy is accomplished not necessarily by reference to a calendar on the wall or a watch on the wrist, but rather by significant events. David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 118. Luke references Cesar Augustus and Quirinius to prove accuracy and show that Jesus actually came Roman peace was simply forced pacification that brought the cessation of war through war. David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 127. Roman peace came through the sward, true peace comes to us through a manger.

Earthly King

Selfishly using power as a king

Heavenly King

Selflessly emptying himself becoming a servant

Earthly King

Forces obedience by the sword

Heavenly King:

Enables obedience by the manger

Earthly King

Clothed in finest clothes

Heavenly King

Wrapped in swaddling cloths

I’ve been in the Army for 17 years and the best leaders that I’ve had rarely yelled. I’ve read multitude of parenting books that point out that yelling does not assert one’s authority, it only reveals his/her’s insecurity. In a way, Cesar’s decrees are a form of yelling.

Go to your home town! All of you! Because I want to count you!

Jesus comes as a whisper. The wonderful counselor, mighty God, eternal father, prince of peace comes, not with trumpets, as the Cesar would have, but in a trough

I like to say, Jesus coming as a baby is the ultimate, come at me bro!

Satan can’t touch him with infection, with birth complications, with a king looking to kill him. If there is any doubt of his power, look

Research notes:

A hard heart is one that doesn’t move. God’s heart was so moved, that He came, HE ACTUALLY CAME!!

One reason sexual abuse can be so confusing is because it is kept silent, and the silence itself is abusive.

Schmutzer, Andrew J.. Naming Our Abuse (p. 5). Kregel Publications. Kindle Edition.

Comparing our God with other gods.

Other gods, you go to them (because they are statues), our God, He pursues you Other gods remain in their palace that we make for them, our God does not hold His godliness but lets it go to come to us in lowest possible conditions, in a world that He made for us While other gods remain stoic while you’re pain, Jesus weeps (John 11) Other gods would be clothed by priests in the finest clothes, Jesus is wrapped in swaddling cloths Other gods have grand stories of how they came to be, Jesus, having no beginning, comes be in a

Candle lighting:

Hopelessness and darkness are often synonymous. We say things like, no light at the end of the tunnel or It was a dark time in my life. Psalm 88, which is often called A prayer in darkness and despair, has multiple references to darkness. “I am counted among those going down to the Pit.” “Lying in the grave” “Lowest part in of the pit, in the darkest places, in the depths.” “Darkness is my only friend.” We light candles at Christmas to symbolize the hope that comes in the midst of darkness. How the light of Christ breaks the darkness and overcomes it. 1 John says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is Light. And there is absolutely no darkness in him.” We light these candles not as ritual. Not simply out of tradition, but because how true the symbolism really is. The light of Christ has come and broken the darkness. His light is shared to you. So now turn to each other and share this light also.