A Savior, Who Is Christ The Lord Luke 2:1-20

Today’s passage is one that traditionally we’re not used to hearing read or taught any time of year besides the Christmas season. I think, because of that, this passage perhaps loses significance to us. Tradition has a way clouding the significance of things to us. So, my hope today, is that because it’s not the “normal” time of year, that perhaps our eyes, hearts and minds might be a little more focused in on this most important event without all the holiday hustle and bustle overshadowing it.

Our passage opens up telling us that Caesar Augustus was the ruler of the roman empire. The phrase “all the world” refers to the entire Roman empire, which was largely the entire known world.

Allow me to give you a bit of a history lesson regarding Caesar Augustus because it will help us to understand much of the world in which Christ was born and shed much light onto the details Luke chooses to give us in his account.

Ancient history tells us that Caesar Augustus was the great nephew of Julius Caesar and had clawed his way to the throne by defeating Anthony and Cleopatra. His combined cunning and force would give the Roman empire a solidness that would last for centuries.

Augustus was not a name but a title; His name was actually Octavian. He was the first Caesar to be given the title of Augustus by the Roman senate. It means “holy” or “revered” and until he wore the title it was a name only reserved for the “gods.” It was under Augustus rule that the practice of emperor worship (treated as a god) began.

In fact, at the time of Lukes writing, many greek cities in Asia minor had adopted Caesars birthday, Sept. 23, as the first day of the new year, proclaiming Augustus to be “savior”. In fact, one inscription, now in the British museum, declares him to be “savior of the world.” It was after Augustus that all Caesars would be referred to as “saviors.”

Under Augustus, Rome had bludgeoned every foe into submission and Rome was at “peace.” But, it was a dark peace where no one dared say anything negative about Rome or they would be crushed for the sake of the “Pax Romana” (Peace of Rome).

The world was ruled by a false savior and had a false peace when Christ was born. Caesars rule stretched far and wide even to a tine village on the far end of the Mediterranean where Mary and Joseph called home.

To the world, they were insignificant nobodies. Poor, uneducated peasants with no standing in society. Seven hundred years earlier, the prophet Micah had prophesied:

Micah 5:2 NKJV

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

And now this poor couple found themselves forced to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for the tax roles of the Roman empire, all the while setting the stage for the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. While they appeared to be nothing more than pawns caught in the throes of secular history, every move they made was under the divine direction of God; so that, the Christ child would indeed be born in the town of Bethlehem.

The baby Mary was carrying in her womb was not a mere man who would become a god in the eyes of the world, but the one true God who had become man!

The journey to Bethlehem no doubt left Mary weary, by the time she and Joseph made it to Bethlehem, they were exhausted, especially Mary, being 9 months pregnant. By the time they arrive at potential lodging, the contractions likely began.

Luke very simply puts it,

Luke 2:6–7 (NKJV)

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son,...

In Bethlehem the accommodations for travelers were likely very primitive. The word “inn” doesn't exactly mean what we think in our western understanding. The word simply means “lodging place.” If there was a lodging place for travelers and Joseph and Mary weren't going to family members, it likely was very primitive. Typically the kind of lodging places that existed in the eastern world at this time would have been nothing more than a series of stalls on the inside of an enclosure and opening to a common area that was nothing more than a barnyard where animals were kept. All the keeper of the lodging place provided to his guests was fodder for the animals and a fire to cook on. But, when the newly wed, but not yet consummated, couple arrived, there was not even one of these primitive stalls available. So, it was likely in the common courtyard/barnyard, the stable area where the travelers animals would have been tethered where Mary gave birth to Jesus.

If we think of Jesus being born in a freshly swept wood stable, like we see at Christmas time, then we entirely miss the point. His birth, wasn’t pretty, it was scandalous.

The stench of manure and hay would have mixed with the smell of birth. The ground she would have laid upon was cold and hard. It wasn't a skilled midwife that delivered the baby Jesus; but the trembling calloused hands of a carpenter.

The Son of God left the splendor of heaven to be born into a barnyard huddled with animals. Nothing could have been lower.

Luke finishes vs.7 by saying

Luke 2:7 (NKJV)

7 ...she,... wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

They wrapped his tiny body in strips of cloth, like a mummy, and laid him in a feeding trough. There was no one to help and there was no child born that day who would have seemed to have lower prospects in the world. Opposite of Augustus, Jesus wasn't born a prince, he was born a pauper.

The incarnation of Christ, God robing himself in flesh to be born a poor little baby in a barnyard, provides for us a beautiful paradigm for how he works in the lives of his children. He comes to those with a sense of need, a sense of their own insufficiency. Just as he did the night he was birthed into the world.

The wonder of the incarnation is that the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God of the universe the one who spoke everything into existence, became a baby born into a stinking, filthy barnyard.

The incarnation of Christ is one of the great historic doctrines of the faith, and today in the time we have remaining together, we’re going to probe its depths as we examine its meaning and effect from our text.

As a way of bringing to the first point, say, “The meaning of the incarnation can be seen in vs. 8-14 of our text.

1.) The meaning of the incarnation. (v.8-14)

Incarnation- The eternal second person of the Trinity, took upon himself a complete human nature by being born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to die for the sins of humanity and defeat death by the power of his resurrection.

The all powerful, all present, all knowing, God the Son submitted the exercise of these abilities to the Fathers discretion and became a man. He had a real human body, mind and emotions, complete with all of their inherent weaknesses, all while still being the sinless Son of God.

John 1:14 NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 NKJV

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

He didn’t feign or pretend to be a baby, he became an actual baby. The infinite God both became finite man and remained infinite God at the same time. He had to be taught things he didn't know as a human. He had to learn how to roll over, crawl, talk and walk. He had to learn how to be a carpenter from Joseph. God, became man and dwelt among us.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He felt the same temptations we felt, the same struggles that all humans feel, yet he did so without sin. This means, he is sympathetic when we struggle. That's the beauty of the incarnation, God, knows what it is like to be flesh.

The story of Christ’s birth moves very quickly from the barnyard to a field about a mile away where shepherds were tending sheep on the outskirts of town.

Luke 2:8–9 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Picture them keeping themselves warm by the fire when the suddenly an angel appears before them to bring them the news of the Messiah’s birth. Shepherds were despised individuals. the respectable people of the day looked down their noses on shepherds. They were outcasts. The only people in Jewish society viewed lower than shepherds were lepers.

The words the angel spoke to the shepherds promised a savior:

Luke 2:10–12 NKJV

10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Notice, the angel said this “good tidings” or “good news”, its the same word translated as “gospel” in other places, was for “all people”.

This means, by the way, wherever you are, who ever you are, whatever situation you’re in, God, robed himself in flesh and came for you!

As soon as the angel, spoke this good news, the sky exploded, and he was joined with an angelic army. (Multitude- means innumerable)

Luke 2:13–14 NKJV

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Notice their message, their good news to these societal outcasts. A savior has come into the world to bring peace and goodwill to men.

Caesar Augustus claimed to be a savior but he crushed people in order to bring peace. Jesus is the real savior and he lifts up those who are crushed under the weight of their sin and brings them true and lasting peace.

Thats the meaning of the incarnation, that God stepped down from heavens splendor in order that through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ we might have true peace with God.

2.) The effect of the incarnation. (v.15-20)

As soon as the angels left, the shepherds took off running to the place of Christ birth and upon finding him, immediately began telling the “good news” to everyone.

I can picture them stopping everyone they came in contact with about the angels appearing and the birth of Jesus. The messiah had finally come. When the left Bethlehem they continued glorifying and praising God for all they had experienced.

Friends, that’s exactly what were supposed to do when we come in contact with Jesus.

It’s not enough just to hear about Christ and think, oh that’s a nice story.

It’s not enough just to peek into the manger during the holidays and go, “oh thats such a beautiful scene. It gives me such nice feelings.”

If all Christ had done was be born in Bethlehem but not be within you, then you are eternally lost in your sin. The Christ who was born into that trough in Bethlehem must be born in your heart.

Religious sentiment, …, without the living Christ is a yellow brick road to darkness.- R. Kent Hughes

These shepherds are a good pattern for us to follow today. They received by faith the message God had sent them, responded with obedience, and then told everyone they came in contact with of the incarnation of Christ.

God used these outcast, who were not even allowed to testify in court, to be the first human witnesses of fulfilled prophecy and the coming of Messiah.

You know, the angels, who announced to the shepherds, have never experienced God’s grace, so they can’t be the ones to share it with the rest of humanity.

Telling others of Christ is a responsibility God has placed on those he has redeemed. You and I. It is both a great privilege and a solemn obligation to tell others of Christ.

The effect of the incarnation is that Christ coming brings hope of salvation and peace with God. It changes outcast into servants of the most High. When you come into contact with Jesus, nothing is ever the same again.

Conclusion:

Friends, the Holy Spirit, inspired Luke 2:1-20 to be written for a reason. The real savior of the world, was not a man named Caesar Augustus or any other world leader. The savior of the world is Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth born of the virgin Mary, veiled in flesh, and now lives glorified at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

The incarnation is real.

Christ has been revealed to the world.

His identification with human flesh means he can sympathise with your struggles.

That means, as man, he can stand in your place and take the judgement upon sin for you and as Holy God, he can pardon and forgive your sin.

But, that baby, God’s son, the Lord Jesus, demand complete allegiance to him alone.