Good News of Great Joy

Introduction-

Scripture Reading

Prayer

His Humble Birth

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 (k-why rheen yus) 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.

Today we start off with the birth story of Jesus. We’re in Luke because John actually skips this part. Matthew contains a lot of details that Luke doesn’t and vice versa. The whole Christmas story is shared between them. Luke sets the story in the middle of a political landscape. In 63 B.C., the Roman General Pompey captured Jerusalem years earlier. They set up client Kings, the Herods. There are six different Herods who reign throughout the course of the NT. Luke sets his story in a real historical background. Matthew tells us about the visit of the Magi, and Herod’s attempt to kill Jesus by the murder of those under two in Bethlehem.

As we look at all the events that lead up to this, we find incredible coincidences. Micah 5:2 “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.”

If Caesar hadn’t ordered a tax census, Mary would have had Jesus in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. If the Magi hadn’t come, Isaiah 60:3 (the nations bringing gold and frankincense) wouldn’t have been fulfilled. Without their seeking Jesus, Herod wouldn’t have known there king to be born. If he hadn’t ordered the killing of Jesus, Mary and Joseph wouldn’t have fled to Egypt, fulfilling Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I called my son”

The lesson scripture gives us- God is in control! Do you remind yourself that God is in control? God is the great redeemer of evil. . He subverts the wisdom of man and uses it to serve His own good purpose.

All throughout the bible we find desperately awful circumstances that God uses perfectly. We find our life to be a pile of broken glass and rubble. But stand back and watch the Lord work. If you are in Christ, every piece will be used, placed in the right spot to create the mosaic of your testimony.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

[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.

Here is the most joyous occasion, the son of God, the son of man is going to be born. Yet, where would they go?

The language we’re used to is the word “inn”. Except scripture probably isn’t referring to a hotel. Bethlehem is a small agricultural town on the outskirts of the big city. It would have had a couple of family homes. That means Joseph would likely have been knocking on the doors of relatives, looking for a room in their home. I

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Jesus would have been in the courtyard or lower room of someone’s home. It is even possible that Jesus was born in a poor home where residents shared the same room as the animals. This is a humble birth. Leon Morris wrote “That Mary wrapped the child herself points to a lonely birth.” Had Jesus been born in Nazareth, we know Elizabeth and a host of other women would have served as midwives, but no this young couple did this alone.

Why was it important the Jesus be born so humbly?

This is the condescension of Christ. Philippians 2:7 “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Jesus really lived the whole human experience- not just knowing but feeling what we felt.

"Jesus traded the riches of Heaven for a manger. He took on our lowliness so we could share in His glory.

Jesus experienced our brokenness to give us great joy"

The Innocent Prisoner:

The reception of Jesus is like an innocent man being made a prisoner, who finds all the accommodations delightful. They take his clothes and he says “I needed some new ones”. They throw him alone and he admits he needed some time to think. They give him scraps and he thanks them for the feast.

Jesus’ entire life was humble and lowly, being given no special treatment but never demanding better. He takes our neglect and turns it into glory. We gave him a bed of hay, and he rested on it. We gave Him a crown of thorns and bore it as our King.

But see this- Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...”

Our Great Joy

[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. [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.

This is the great joy- the birth of Jesus!

The people who say Christianity isn’t true usually aren’t doing so based upon the facts of the case. Yes people doubt the resurrection and miracles of Jesus, but that’s usually not the real reason people don’t believe in Jesus. Typically it’s because Christianity sounds too good to be true. How convenient- all you need to do is repent and be saved. Oh sure, Jesus is offering me eternal life. We must be naive to believe that. Obviously they say, nothing is free in life. No way is God that kind, no way is it that easy.

Christmas is a thorn in the side of those people though. There’s a reason Ebenezer Scrooge hated Christmas- because on this day the world didn’t run the way he expected.

Christmas, the birth of Christ is the day the cynics were all proven wrong. They tell you life is unfair, God is unkind and no one is coming to save you.

But when God sent His son, born of a virgin, the innocent lamb of God, He proved them all wrong. That phrase “good news of great joy”- good news means gospel.

This is the gospel of great joy!

We talk all the time about how we can be sure of our salvation- whether we obey enough. Yet here is maybe a more direct question. Do you have any joy?

If not- you don’t know the Gospel as well as you should.

*LORD

“This is the only time in the Gospels this phrase is used. It’s the only time we see all the titles of Jesus brought together—Savior, Messiah, Lord.

[12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

How would the shepherds know which baby was Jesus?

[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!”

The angels are saying that God will bring peace ‘for men on whom his favour rests”.

[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.

Jesus’ humble birth allowed Him to do something unexpected- to show honor and dignity to these shepherds. Again, the Messiah King deserved to be born in a palace, laid in a soft bed and attended to by dozens of servants. But the shepherds wouldn’t have been able to see Him. Jesus was born and lived among regular people, had followers who were regular people and ministered to regular people.

SHEPHERDS they were considered unreliable and could not give testimony in the law courts. They were a despised class of people.

BUT On that night “an angel of the Lord stood before them” and they were shown dignity.

Charles Spurgeon was a famous pastor in London, England. He wrote 150 books, 3600 sermons. and his church the metropolitan tabernacle seated 5000 people in a time before microphones. He also founded a college for pastors, called the Pastor’s College. In the American south, he was not well loved since he was an abolitionist, and slavery supporters would gather book burnings.

Thomas Johnson was an African American slave freed during the emancipation proclamation. He lived an incredibly hard life, but became a pastor and was well loved by his congregation. They enjoyed his preaching so much they pooled their money together to send him to the Pastor’s College in London.

Spurgeon and Johnson became close friends. Thomas was a great encouragement to Spurgeon who was prone to depression, and Spurgeon’s college equipped Thomas for his future life as a missionary in America.

Spurgeon saw what I hope you see- that in Jesus all men have dignity and worth. Here is what he writes concerning the birth of Jesus:

“When I think of the Prince of glory and the Lord of angels, stooping so low as this, that a poor woman bears Him in her arms and calls Him her baby, surely, there must be salvation for the lowest, the poorest and the most sunken. When the all-glorious Lord, in order to be incarnate, is born a baby, born of a poor woman and publicly acknowledged as a poor woman’s child, we feel sure that He will receive the poorest and most despised when they seek His face. Yes Jesus, the son of the carpenter, means salvation to carpenters and all others of lowly rank.”

Through His humility, we are exalted.

James 4:10: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

[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. [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.

Everyone takes the news of Jesus differently in the story here. Herod in Matthew 2 issues out a decree that this rival would-be king should be killed. The shepherds experience the glory of God and their own exaltation. Yet, Mary treasures this news in her heart. ‘

The fact of history is that Jesus was born. The great question is: what will you do with Jesus?

Today we are going to Baptize Carol Vallo.