The Arrival of the Almighty

The Arrival of the Almighty

Luke 2:1–20

At the end of Luke chapter one, we find that when Zacharias declared that his son’s name would be called John, as God commanded, his mouth was opened and the Bible says he was filled with the Spirit of God. He praised God for the fulfillment of His promises in sending a Savior to redeem God’s people. He also thanked the Lord that his son would be a prophet that would prepare the way for the Messiah by giving the people the knowledge of salvation by the remission of their sins. All we know of John’s childhood and early life was that he grew, waxed strong in the Spirit of God, and lived in the desert until it was his time to come on to the scene in Israel to prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

We now come to chapter two of Luke and find the story behind the arrival of the Almighty or the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. What were the circumstances of Christ’s arrival into the world? What was actually going on in Israel and the Roman empire? This chapter provides some of the answers and will give us understanding of what really took place at His birth.

I. The Decree for a Census 2:1–2

Who was Caesar Augustus? This man was actually Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. The name, “Augustus,” was not part of his real name. It was his title. He was the emperor of Rome from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. He was a very arrogant man. After he came into power, he had the Roman senate bestow the title of Augustus or “exalted one” upon him. The month of August is named after him just as the month of July is named after his grand uncle Julius Caesar.

Under Caesar August, the empire of Rome expanded further than at any other time. It extended from the British Isles all the way to the Tigris River in the East. He ruled most of the known civilized world in his time and was in his early fifties during the time of Christ’s birth.

The purpose of the decree was to take a census of the people. The word “taxed” is from the Greek word apographo {ap-og-raf’-o} which means “to enter in a register or to enter in public records the names of men, their property, and their income.” Such censuses were taken every fourteen years. This census record was then used for taxing purposes later by the Romans.

The Romans taxed their citizens heavily which devastated the economy in the empire. Solomon heavily taxed Israel when he ruled. When Reheboam, his son, promised to increase the taxes, the nation rebelled and Israel was divided. Ten tribes broke off under the leadership of Jereboam. This led to the ruin of the nation and eventual destruction and captivity.

Let me pull over a second and give a civic and economic lesson here. Modest taxation helps to fund the government and the services it provides. The responsibility of the government is to spend that money wisely and keep spending down. When the government loses fiscal responsibility and spends money foolishly or spends money it does not have, then it will either have to cut spending, raise your taxes to engage in more spending, or print more money. If it prints more money, then the currency loses its value and products will cost more to purchase. We call this “inflation.” The money that our President and Congress is spending now is going to lead to higher taxes and the devaluation of the dollar for sure.

The people of a nation do not exist to serve the government. Good government exists to serve and to protect the people it governs by protecting and punishing criminals and enemies that might harm the citizens of the nation. This is one of its main responsibilities. When the government levies heavy taxes on its people, like Rome did on its empire, it does not help the economy or families of that nation, state, or city.

Lowering taxes for all people, rich and poor, motivates people to work harder, start businesses, and hire more people because they get to keep what they rightly earn. They are highly motivated and willing to take the risk in starting a business. As business and employers prosper, they in turn, hire more people as their businesses grow and they spend their profits. More jobs are what energize an economy and cause it to thrive and grow. They also help to increase the revenues for the government through the modest sales tax from purchased products. Wealthy people are not the enemy of our society as portrayed by some politicians.

Beloved, you don’t make poor people rich by making rich people poor and spreading their wealth around. If you do this, eventually they will no longer have the money you can tax. This is a concept from the Communist Handbook. You cannot tax a nation into prosperity. Any politician that preaches this is either ignorant or being deceptive. The nations in the world or the states in America that have lowered their taxes and lessened governmental interference in businesses are thriving economically. Keep this in mind when you vote for politicians.

May we use our vote to put people into office, not because they are a good speaker, not because of their color, age, sex, or beauty, but because they have economic common sense, wisdom in handling foreign affairs and national defense, good moral values that protect precious, unborn babies, support the freedom to publicly worship Jesus Christ, and oppose sexual perversion. I’m Rod Mattoon and I approved this message. Now back to our program.

Luke states that this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. Bible scholars believe that the words “first made” which are from the Greek word protos {pro’-tos} should be translated “before or earlier.” The rendering should be, “this taxing was before Cyrenius was governor of Syria.” The reason they believe this should be this translation is Cyrenius did not become governor until ten years later around 6 A.D.

This decree is very important, because God is going to use it to put His Son in the right place at the right time. God works through our authorities, even when they don’t know the Lord. Caesar Augustus attempted to make himself a god. He wanted to be worshiped. He signed a tax bill which caused a woman and man living in Nazareth, to journey to Bethlehem to enroll in the census. That woman was carrying in her womb the Son of God!

Caesar Augustus tried to make himself God, but nobody today reverences him or pays taxes to him. But that little baby in Mary’s womb—many of us worship Him today and call Him our Savior. God used the authority of a man who thought he was a god to bring upon the scene, the Son of God. The Lord had the last laugh. The Lord can work through your authorities to bring about His will. He works through husbands, parents, pastors, government leaders, employers, teachers, etc. The Lord used those in authority to put Mary in the position and place where she would be used of God to fulfill the prophecy of Micah 5:2 and give birth to the Messiah in Bethlehem.

* Micah 5:2—But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and that is where Mary is heading.

II. The Departure to the City 2:3–5

This decree by Caesar meant that each person had to go to their native town to register for the census. A lot of traveling was taking place on the highways. There were probably lots of donkey delays and wagon jams on the roads. Joseph was living in Nazareth, but needed to travel to Bethlehem of Judea to register with the Roman census because both Mary and Joseph were of the family tree of King David.

Bethlehem was seven miles south-southwest of Jerusalem. This little town was about 2300 feet above sea-level, so this trip would be a 90-mile up-hill journey that would be pretty rough on Mary who was about ready to pop.

There is an important lesson here. It was a difficult journey, but the Lord wanted them in Bethlehem. The lesson is the fact that sometimes being where the Lord wants you to be may require hardship, difficulty, inconvenience, and expense. In my own life, I knew God wanted me to preach, but going to Bible college and seminary was not easy. It was difficult, hard, inconvenient, and expensive. In following His leading, however, I was at the right place at the right time in 1975, and met a young lady named Linda Matthews, whom I married in 1977, and has been at my side ever since. There may be difficulty on God’s path for your life, but there are blessings too.

III. The Delivery of a Divine Baby 2:6–7

Bethlehem was packed. There were people everywhere reporting for the census. Because of the large influx of people, there was no room for them in the inn. What actually was an “inn?” In the New Testament there are two Greek words that were translated “inn.” One word is the word pandocheion which was like a hotel. It had someone who was like a manager and had apartments and provisions. This is where the Good Samaritan put the man that had been beaten on the road (Luke 10:35).

Another word for “inn” was the word kataluma {kat-al’-oo-mah} which is used here. It was an enclosure with walls and a roof into which someone who was traveling might put their livestock for the night or rest for the journey. It was like a hitching post that was provided by the city or town. Sometimes these did have sleeping areas where the travelers could rest, but they could not obtain food. Travelers had to provide their own food and bedding. These places did have water, but there was no host on the site.

Looking at these words, we see then that contrary to the pictures painted by artists, the inn (kataluma) spoken of in this passage was not a place like our motels or hotels which provided for the various needs of guests. This inn did not have a proprietor who took care of registering the guests and supervising the hotel matters. There was no heartless innkeeper who stood at the door telling Joseph and Mary there was no room in his hotel. There is no drama in how this story is told.

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, these public resting places were all filled, so he had to look for another place to rest. He was desperate because Mary’s contractions were already beginning. He ended up finding a stable where animals were fed and sheltered. In the Middle East, these stables were niches or small caves that were carved out of the limestone rocks.

The manger where Jesus was laid was actually a feeding trough for animals. This word can also include the entire surroundings of the stable. This was a filthy, smelly place with flies, urine, and manure droppings on the ground. It was not sanitary at all but Joseph did not have much of a choice. He had to find something quickly. This is where the King of Kings, the Son of God entered this world. His lowly birth was a perfect symbol of the humility that would characterize His life and also what He would face in years to come when His pillow would be a stone.

* Luke 9:58—And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Luke tells us that Mary wrapped her firstborn son Jesus in swaddling clothes. What are swaddling clothes and why was this done? Swaddling clothes were bandages which were tightly wrapped around a new-born child. The rank of the child was indicated by the splendor and costliness of these bands. Children of wealthy parents would wrap the child with white linen and gold bands. They would also use expensive purple cloth, fastened with a broach.

The infant was wrapped firm and tight. It looked like a little mummy. Arms, hands, and feet could not be seen. A band was also wrapped under the baby’s chin and across its forehead. The wrappings protected the baby but also gave it a sense of security. The confinement is similar to what it faced in the womb of its mother.

Even in His birth, we are reminded of Christ’s death. These same types of wrappings were used to wrap the body of those who had died. Beloved, Jesus was born to die for our sins so that we could have eternal life.

The problem of “no room” is symbolic of the problem that man has faced since Jesus was born. Most of mankind, throughout history, has had “no room” for the Lord Jesus Christ. People have no room for Christ because they are full of themselves, full of their own will, full of their own cares, and full of their own sinfulness. They feel they have no time or no need for the Lord. People may deny Christ and scorn Him. Yet, every time they write the date of the year, they are giving a witness to the fact of His birth in Bethlehem. Truly His birth was the most important and famous of all births.

God wants access to us. He wants to come into our heart and fellowship with us through His Spirit.

* Revelation 3:20—Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

The context of this verse in Revelation 3:20 applies to God’s people and their fellowship with the Lord. Yet, there is an application for those who do not know Christ as their Savior. Few people, including some Christians, open the doors of their hearts to walk with God and have daily fellowship with Christ because they are seeking satisfaction in other areas. They are filled with other trivial things. Let me ask, “Have you crowded the Lord out of your life? Do you spend any time with Him? Do you really have a close relationship with Him? Are you accessible to the Lord? This is His plea and challenge to us all through the Bible.

* Proverbs 23:26—My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

* Romans 6:13—Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

* Romans 12:1—I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

* 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 … What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

There were many in the Bible that demonstrated accessibility to the Lord for His service. Here are just a few.

A. Isaiah:

* Isaiah 6:8—Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Do you have this attitude?

B. Amasiah:

* 2 Chronicles 17:16—And next him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour. Have you offered yourself to the Lord?

C. The Macedonian Christians:

* 2 Corinthians 8:5—And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Have you given yourself to the Lord?

D. Hannah:

Hannah was not only available to the Lord, but she promised Him that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord for His service. Her son would be available to God.

* 1 Samuel 1:28—Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

In the Old Testament, those who sought the Lord and lived a godly life enjoyed close fellowship with the Lord.

* 1 Chronicles 28:9—And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

* Psalm 15:1–2.… Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? [2] He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Even though men may not have room for God and be accessible to the Lord, we have access to God Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus came to the earth for us. It was over the issues of reconciliation and access. He made Himself accessible to mankind so that we could see and understand God’s love for us. He also made Himself accessible so that He could pay the price for our sins on the cross. Jesus willingly laid down His life for us. Your faith in Christ gives you access to the Lord in prayer and a home in Heaven when you die. Nothing else will do this for you.

* Romans 5:2—By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

* Ephesians 2:18—For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

* Ephesians 3:12—In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

* John 10:9—I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

* John 14:6—Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

* Hebrews 10:19–20 … Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, [20] By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. Because of this truth, we are never alone. The Lord is always present and accessible to us.

* Psalm 23:3–4 … He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. [4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

* Hebrews 13:5b—.… for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Let me ask, “Has the Almighty arrived in your heart? Have you invited Him into your life or is there no room for Him?”

IV. The Divine Messenger 2:8–10

Luke moves us to the fields around Bethlehem. Shepherds were guarding their flocks during the night. William Barclay states that these were in all likelihood very special shepherds. We have already seen how in the Temple, morning and evening, an unblemished lamb was offered as a sacrifice to God. To see that the supply of perfect offerings was always available, the Temple authorities had their own private sheep. These flocks were pastured near the town of Bethlehem. It is most likely that these shepherds were in charge of the flocks from which the Temple offerings were chosen.

Vincent says, “There was near Bethlehem, on the road to Jerusalem, a tower known as Migdal Eder, or the watch-tower of the flock. Here was the station where shepherds watched the flocks destined for sacrifice in the Temple.” It is a lovely thought that the shepherds who looked after the Temple lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Now in the eyes of many, an angel would never appear to a shepherd. In Jesus’ day, those who were shepherds were socially looked down upon by those who were religious. The Talmud equated them with the heathen, would not allow them to be witnesses in court, and forbade giving charity to them. They were despised because they were unable to attend services and to keep the ceremonial laws of washing and cleansing. Their flocks just kept them too busy. This is why shepherds would seldom be found praising and worshiping God. They were looked upon as anything but worshipers. Their reputation was lowly at best, and religious people snubbed and ignored them.

So the Lord sent the Gospel first to those who were considered simple, lowly, and shunned by religious society. The angel appeared to these men and they were gripped by terrifying fear. We would be afraid too. He tells them to not be afraid for his message was one of good tidings of great joy for all people. The phrase “I bring good tidings” is from the Greek word euaggelizo {yoo-ang-ghel-id’-zo}. It forms our English words evangelistic or evangelize. To evangelize means “to bring good tidings.” The tiding of the birth of Christ was great news for the world.

The angel told them to not be afraid. What a blessing it is to be told to not be afraid. However, the comfort of that news depends upon the source of the person who is making this statement. Men often tell us to not be afraid, when we, in fact, have plenty to fear. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his first inaugural address as President of the United States made the famous statement, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Even today people quote this sentence and think this was a great statement, but it was phony, for at that time in world history we had plenty to fear in the United States.

* In Germany, Adolph Hitler and the Nazis were coming into power.

* In Russia, Joseph Stalin and communism were gaining much power.

* In Japan, Hideki Tojo was moving up the ranks.

* Mussolini had a grip on Italy.

Millions of Americans and people of other nations, would die as a result of these four men, but Roosevelt said that we had nothing to fear but fear itself. So you cannot always trust men when they tell you to not be afraid, but you can trust Heaven.

Heaven told the shepherds they did not have to fear. The message of this angel applies to us today. Don’t be afraid of God’s message for you. Don’t fear the Gospel, don’t fear God’s Word, don’t be afraid to put your faith in Jesus Christ, and don’t fear God’s will for your life. Why would I say this? The answer is the fact that people reject Christ today because they think Christians are crazy and the Bible is a joke. They are afraid of churches and of being brainwashed by some preacher. The excuses are endless and bizarre.

V. The Details of the Angelic Message 2:11–14

The angel gave the shepherds specific information about the birth of the Savior, the Messiah. He tells them the place of the birth, in Bethlehem. He describes the baby as being wrapped in swaddling clothes. The angelic messenger also hints of the place of birth. The baby was lying in a manger.

The angels of Heaven could not contain their joy anymore. What sort of angels were these angels? It may surprise some to know that they were not special choir angels but were a military group. The word translated “host” is “a military term for a band of soldiers common in the ancient Greece” (Robertson). This then was Heaven’s army which filled the place and sang of Christ’s birth. The angelic army of Heaven praise God, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will toward men or with those whom He is pleased.”

Their message is a good model for us to follow. We should be praising God in our life and glorifying the Lord in what we say and do.

* Matthew 5:16—Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

VI. The Deliberations of the Shepherds 2:15–16

The shepherds don’t waste any time in responding to the Lord’s message. Let’s check this out! Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us. With haste, they came to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the manger.

There are several thoughts we will address here. First of all, they did not waste any time in responding to God’s message. What we believe affects how we behave. Doctrine affects our deportment and deeds. The shepherds believed the Divine revelation given to them about Jesus Christ, and they showed their belief in their actions. They demonstrated their faith by going to Bethlehem to see Christ. They did not say, “Let’s go see IF this is true.” No, they said, “Let’s go see that which IS come to pass.” If the shepherds had made no attempt to see the Christ child, we would be justified in questioning their belief in the angel’s message.

Like these shepherds, we too, need to respond swiftly in our obedience to God’s Word. The angel gave this message to the shepherds for a reason. He wanted them to see the baby for themselves. If you are without Christ, let me urge you to check out God’s promise of salvation for you today. His promise is He will give you eternal life if you will put your faith in Him for your salvation.

* John 3:36—He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

A second thought we find is the fact that the opportunity to see what the angel was talking about was now, but if they waited just a few days, they would have missed out on seeing the baby Jesus. Those who are obedient and dedicated do not wait for convenient times because they know that convenience is not always on the same schedule as the opportunity. This reminds us to not waste the opportunities to serve God and enjoy His blessings. If the Lord is speaking to you about being saved, then do it now. You have no guarantee you will be alive tomorrow. If the Lord is leading you to witness to someone who needs Christ, then don’t delay.

* 2 Corinthians 6:2b—… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

* James 4:14—Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

* Proverbs 27:1—Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

The third thought we see in this passage is the fact that God’s Word is true. What He said to the shepherds was true, down to the last detail. His Word is reliable and relevant. Beloved, when the Lord says He is going to do something or something is going to happen, you can count on it. It is going to happen. He will keep His promises. He has promised us eternal life if we will trust in Him. He has promised that He is coming again for us at any time, so be watching, waiting, and ready.

VII. The Declarations of the Shepherds 2:17–20

The shepherds become ambassadors of truth. Notice here that the shepherds did not start proclaiming about Christ until they had come to Christ. They speak out about what the Lord had shown them and what they witnessed in their lives concerning Jesus. Their mouth was filled with praise for the Lord. This is what we are supposed to be doing too. Tell others what Jesus Christ has done for you. We too, are to make known abroad what the Lord has done for all of us.

The three words “made known abroad” in this passage are from one Greek word, diagnorizo {dee-ag-no-rid’-zo}, which means “to publish abroad; to make known thoroughly.” Thus, there is not only a reference here to where the shepherds broadcast the truth, but also to what they said to the people. They broadcasted the truth throughout the area (that’s the where) and they broadcasted the truth thoroughly (that’s the what). They told everyone everything. They told all the people all the truth. We are to do this too. We are sinners. There is a Hell. There is a Heaven and Jesus Christ is the ONLY way you can go there.

Those who heard these men wondered or were amazed at what they heard. Mary kept or treasured what she heard and thought about these things in her heart. Notice that the shepherds returned to their duties as shepherds because they were faithful men. Their encounter with Jesus Christ did not cause them to forsake their duties.

Beloved, the Christian is to be faithful to his legitimate responsibilities of life. The religions that make a person forsake his duties are fake religions. The Christian ought to be the best man on the job in terms of faithfulness, attitude, industry, and integrity. It is a disgrace to the name of Jesus Christ when professing Christians are nothing but dropouts and deadbeats like the “Jesus” hippies of the 1960’s. There is nothing spiritual about being lazy and not working at all. There is nothing spiritual about being undependable and irresponsible.

Your testimony for Christ will be much more valid and effective when you demonstrate a good work ethic on the job than if you are lazy and irresponsible. The great spiritual privileges which the shepherds were given did not decrease their duties nor did they give them promotions in their duties, but it helped them to do their duties better.

Coming to Christ is not intended to get you a better job, but it will help you do a better job in your present task. The arrival of the Almighty in your own life will make you a new person, with a new purpose and new outlook on life. Have you given your life to Christ? Has the Almighty arrived in your heart?

Mattoon, R. (2009). Treasures from Luke (Vol. 1, pp. 90–103). Rod Mattoon.