Luke 2_8-12 A Sign From God

Luke 2: 8-12“A sign from God”

An angel appears in the sky announces in vs. 10, “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” We are told what this good news is all about in vs. 11. “for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” There is something unique in vs. 11 that you do not want to miss. Now where else in all of the Bible will you find the three words Savior, Christ, and Lord together in one verse. This is the only time in all of Scripture where these three words are brought together.

But we forget how completely unprepared the shepherds were to hear these words. It started out as just another night on the job like any other night. But surprisingly, angels appeared to announce that the long-awaited for Messiah had come!

That’s where vs. 12 comes in. The angels speak of “a sign.” The Greek word is semeion It’s a word that refers to a supernatural miraculous wonder from God that no one could miss. A sign like the Red Sea parting or the walls of Jericho tumbling down. That was a “sign” that the God of the universe had intervened in human history.

And thats why vs. 12 has always sounded a little strange to my ears. “This will be a sign.” And I expect the next sentence to read, “The moon will turn to blood and the stars will spell out the name Jesus across the sky.” Or something sensational like that. But that’s not the sign. The sign that God the Savior of the world has come is this: “You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.”

Why did God choose to enter the Human race like this? The sign teaches us at least three things:

The ways of God

Think of all the problems of this world. We feel national problems and international problems. You have family problems and personal problems. There is street violence and global warfare. There is abuse and injustice. There is lust and greed and prejudism. How does God choose to address the problem? What is God’s answer to everything that is wrong in this world? A Babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Who except for God, would have ever thought that the answer to all that is wrong with the world, and all of the heartaches of your soul, would be a new-born baby?

The year was 1809. Do you know what the world was engrossed with in 1809? The whole world was engrossed with Napoleon Bonaparte. He was conquering one nation after another as he conquered all of Europe. Do you know what else happened in 1809? Of course not! All the pages of history are covered up with the conquest of the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.

But, something else was happening. In the wilderness of Hodgenville Kentucky. It was the dead of winter and the whole horizon was covered in snow. Beside a split rail fence, there’s an old pioneer and he has a long flint lock rifle over his shoulder. And just to right of him is another old pioneer with his coonskin cap. One said to the other “Any news from town, Ezry?” And Ezry said, “Well, Madison has been sworn in as president. And this Napoleon Bonaparte has now captured Spain. What’s new out here in the country neighbor? And the old pioneer replies, “Nothing, except for a new baby born down at Tom and Nancy’s cabin. Nothing ever out here; nope, nothing ever happens around here.”

In 1809, in a little cabin about the size of this stage – and I’m not exaggerating; if you’ve ever been to Hodgenville to that historical site, you’d see the cabin is about the size of this stage. And inside that little cabin lived a man named Tom Lincoln. He had a wife named Nancy Hanks Lincoln. And they had a little boy named Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809.

The whole world was caught up in the news of the conquest of Napoleon Bonaparte. But, God was giving to the whole world and to America a little baby boy, born in the pioneer wilderness, born in a log cabin, born in the cold of winter. THAT’S GOD’S WAY. And if you will look at 1809 when Napoleon Bonaparte was storming up and down the continent of Europe, in the same year William Gladstone was born, who would become the greatest Prime Minister of England. And, it that same year, 1809, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Massachusetts. God was doing great things in 1809, but nobody noticed because the world was engrossed in the military conquest of Napoleon Bonaparte. But that’s God’s ways, a baby’s birth can change the world.

The Poverty of God2 Cor. 8:9

How poor did He become? “You will find a Babe,” in a cute little onesy? Didn’t have a cute onesy. An infant gown? Didn’t have an infant gown. Little baby shoes? Didn’t have any little baby shoes. Cute little embroidered outfit. “ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes” [Luke 2:12]; just some strips of rags piece-mealed together. “You will find the Babe wrapped in rags,” lying in a king’s palace? No, “lying in a manger.”

Did you ever wonder about that? And the answer is very plain to me. Had Jesus been born in the Palace of King Herod, had He been born in the imperial palace of Caesar Augustus, many would have been hesitant to knock on the door of that great intimidating palace and say. “We’ve come to see Him who is born Savior of the world.” But who would be hesitant to come to a stable and who would be made to feel that they’re not dressed appropriately, or they’re not learned in all the amenities of life, or trained in the social graces to stand in the presence of kings and lords of the earth? But, anybdy would feel that they could enter a stable.

And here is the Lord of glory, and who are His companions as His birth? A rooster, a donkey, a goat, a sheep, a cow. A Babe so poor they wrapped Him in rags, and laid Him in a feeding trough.

Isn’t that an amazing thing? Jesus’ birth is a stinging rebuke to those who love pomp, showmanship, and outward glory. God is so unimpressed with all the proud as a peacock preachers, all of the celebrities with their bling and swag, all of the athletes strutting in the end zone, all of the smooth-talking politicians, all of the so-called great ones of earth. God is unimpressed. But you find the love and presence of God among the poor, and outcast, and the downtrodden, and the broken of earth.

Allow me to illustrate this. Outside of a busy department store, was a husband sitting in his car, waiting for his wife who was inside Christmas shopping. And while he was sitting in the car, a homeless man came walking down the street. It began to snow, and the old man reached in his ragged, old pockets, and pulled out a pair of worn, thread bare gloves. And as he was feebly trying to put those gloves on, a passersby knocked them out of his hands, and a gust of wind blew them under the car where the husband was seated. The husband quickly got out, reached under his car, and picked up those old gloves. Then he secretly slipped a twenty dollar bill into one of the gloves. He gave them back to the homeless man who thanked him and walked on down the street. And when the homeless man put the gloves on his hands, he found that twenty dollar bill; looked at it, and with a tear in his eye, turned around to walk back toward the man in the car to say thank you. But just at that time, the man’s wife came out of the department store, and said, “Husband, how long are you going to stay out here?” Come into the store. It’ll put you in the Christmas spirit. You’ll not get into the Christmas spirit out here. Come inside and see all these beautiful things.”

What is the Christmas spirit? Not all the stuff that we buy and buy and buy for one another. The Christmas spirit is an Old Homeless man with tears in his eyes because he was given an unsolicited gift in Jesus’ name!

The simplicity of God

“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall rest upon His shoulder” [Is. 9:6]

This Child is our Savior from sin. This Child is our Lord and Master. This Child is our King. This Child is God made flesh, coming into this world for me.

Charles Hadden Spurgeon preached a fine sermon on this text. I’d like end this message by paraphrasing his closing words.

The scene at Bethlehem is one of simplicity: a mother, a father, and a baby. What God does is simple. And the message to us is also so a simple message. Those who come in simple faith to the Lord Jesus Christ will find salvation. We need once again to preach the simple gospel.

Spurgeon then urged his hearers to come in simple faith to the Babe of Bethlehem who came to die for the sins of the world. Spurgeon said “little children come because Jesus himself was once a little child.” Young women should come because Mary was a young woman who was God’s instrument for bringing Christ into the world. Young men should come because Joseph was a young man with great faith in God. Old women should come because Anna was an old woman who looked for the coming of the Lord. Old men should come because Simeon was an old man waiting for the consolation of Israel. The hard working men and women should come because the shepherds represent all those who work with their hands to eek out a living. Finally, the highly educated of the world should come for the Wise Men came baring gifts. They too bowed and worshipped the King.

This is Spurgeon’s closing appeal “For my own part, the incarnate God is all my hope and trust. Jesus, Master, I take Thee to be mine forever! May all in this house be led to do the same, and may they all be thine, great Son of God.”

And I say the same thing: Jesus, Master, I take thee to be mine forever. And I pray that everyone who hears this message may be led by the Spirit to do the same.