Bustling Bethlehem

Luke 2:1–21 “1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

Luke 2:10–21 “10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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 among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Luke 2:19–20 “19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

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Pray

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“Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the Incarnation. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. - JI Packer.

What Luke does here is not just tell a story. This isn’t a myth or a clever story…He records history.

He records for us - for everyone who would ever gt the privilege of hearing this… what is the greatest birth announcement of all birth announcements and if you didn’t study it closely you would have completely missed it.

He begins with what seems like a pretty insignificant deal “in those days a decree went out from Ceaser Augustus….. which is a huge deal because of what this means, but also the means by which this birth comes to us.

Luke announces a birth.. but at the very same time he announces the way in which the Lord works: which is this:

1.God chooses ordinary people

I don’t know who the innkeeper was. Probably a very ordinary person

I dont know who the shepherds were… Probablyt a certainty to say they were very ordinary people

isnt it incredible that the ones that would be the carriers of the BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT… wouldnt be Ceaser Augustus, or a Roman political figure or a high priest….

But a few lowly shepherds out in a field?

I mean - You talk about a risky way to get news delivered!!!

one thing you do know about shpeherds is that they are ordinary people. Its a verifable fact that shepherds were

Unreliable

dishonest

unclean

and on the fringes of society

The last to be counted on to do anything except know where the sheep were at:

They couldn’t be counted on. They weren’t often times the most honest socially. They were a kind of random member of society and if you like werent the ones who would show up to church, or be consistent in any kind of way… they were shepherds. Wayward if you like.

They couldnt and often wouldnt wash in the ceremonial way that people would. They couldnt keep any kind of standards at all. They were forgotten about

But i want you to think about something.

God uses the most unlikely people… to bring about the most incredible of things: His purposes:

Think about the shepherds for a minute:

Angels visited them (how many angels have visited you like this?)

The glory of the Lord shone around them

(Apart from Mary and Joseph, )They were the first to hear that this was the christ, The Lord

The birth announcement came via these guys?

… this one will get you:

These lowly noBody’s…..They got to see Jesus

The lowly, forgotten about shpeherd’s…. God used, this is Luke telling us and showing us that this is how God works. Do you feel like sometimes your left out least of the group unlikely to be chosen?

…..it was those earthly shepherds… who would now get the chance to peer over into the stall and see in the manger a little child, who an angel had just revealed to them…. Was none other than “christ the lord” (not emperor lord, but the lord of lords)…, they went and looked at the one who would later declare that he himself was not just any shepherd: but the good shepherd.

John 10:11 “11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10:14 “14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,”

There is purpose in everything that the Lord does and his purpose in the ordinary things of our lives sometimes so much greater than we could ever think or imagine

So he chooses ordinary people

2.In Ordinary Places

bethlelem didn’t have much going for it at that time. it had real significance for Jewish people because it was davids hometown. David the warrior king.

But it was a little old place….. it just seems a little small, doesn’t it? You have a wondered What was the significance of bethlehem?

You would think that God would use the new york city of the day - Rome - or if you to go the fully religious route then you would think Jerusalem itself. the spiritual mecca

But why somewhere ordinary like this? this was a dusty old country town… of all the places? to suher in the central event of history?

first of all it was prophesied that would be the place

Micah 5 (ESV)

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days.

But it was a place that God has loved and used for a long time. an ordinary place to men, but a special place to God

This is where Jesse fathered David.. but if you go back even further, this is a place that God had already used to stir up the world …. This is a place where Naomi would bring Ruth.

But this wasn’t the first time Bethlehem was use by God… talked about, stirred up.

Ruth 1:19 “19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?””

Ruth 1:22 “22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”

And this is where we see a town stirred by the arrival of Ruth & Naomi

in a place called bethelem

And a place that would be stirred all over again with some lowly shepherds coming into bethlehem looking for the sign

This place was an ordinary place to anyone with a natural eye.. but the supernatural eye can see that God picks ordinary people… and selects ordinary places

3.To achieve extraordinary things

namely, His will.

God takes ordinary things… and make extraordinary things happen

God takes the lowly and the humble and exalts them and lifts them up

Micah 5:4–5 “4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace…..

God has used the very ordinary to achieve the most extraordinary

To show what He’s willing to do… to reach you

ALTAR CALL.