Luke 2:1-7 "The Birth of Christ"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Well, let’s open our Bibles to Luke 2. Luke 2:1-7 today.

Thus far in Luke, we have observed the narrative looking at the miraculous accounts of how Gabriel appeared…

First to Zacharias to announce the miraculous pregnancy of his wife Elizabeth, who was barren, and they would have a son named John.

We know him as John the Baptist… who would be the forerunner to Christ.

Then, Gabriel went to Mary of Nazareth to announce her miraculous pregnancy being that she was a virgin, and she would bear Jesus… the Messiah of the world.

Last time, we looked at the birth of John… and the moving account of how Elizabeth, Mary and Zacharias… all filled with the Holy Spirit burst forth into song…

… praising God… and singing of His faithfulness to them and for fulfilling prophecies of old.

And, I have to acknowledge… that my brain has struggled a bit… the last couple of weeks… particularly in getting names right.

Two weeks ago I said “John was pregnant”… last week I said, “Zacharias was deaf.”

I really mixed up the names in John’s family, but good news… the parents are only mentioned in Chapter 1… so hopefully I can pull it together as we move forward.

And, thank you to you Bereans out there who were so kind to inform me that “John was NOT pregnant.”

That was very helpful indeed… good job on being Bereans.

Well… let’s see what kind of blunders may come out of my mouth today…

As we enter Chapter 2 looking at “The Birth of Christ” our message title today.

Which is an account unique to the Gospel of Luke.

Let’s take a look at this account now… and in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 2:1–7 “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quir-in-ius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child. 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, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Praise God for His word! Please be seated.

The verses we read today are quite familiar… this is, in part, the Christmas Story…

Read each December… except for us… it’s October…

Christmas has arrived a little early this year.

And while we call this the “Christmas Story” if you notice in verses 1-3… we do NOT read “once upon a time”… as this is no fictional story…

This is the true account of the birth of Christ that happened around 6-4 B.C.

And, today… we are going to dig in to some of the details that we may just skim over at a Christmas Service… to better understand what is happening in this scene.

What Luke does in verses 1-2, is he names a couple Roman leaders… who you find in secular history books.… and these details provide us a historical timestamp as to when the events of Christ’s birth would unfold.

And, I want to give you advance notice that we will camp out in V1 for a while, but fear not we will get through our verses today… and end on time… hopefully walking away with some meaningful applications.

Now verses 1-2 could easily be skimmed over with no real profit to our understanding, but if we take a moment to turn over the rock of who these men were… we find a rich story…

Somewhat about them… moreso about God.… and HOW He would accomplish His sovereign will.

It was the will of God… that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem according to Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Eph-rath-ah, 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.”

It was foretold by Micah around 700 B.C.… that the Messiah would be born in an insignificant town… Bethlehem of Judah about 6 miles south of Jerusalem…

… not to be confused with Bethlehem of Zebulan northwest of Nazareth… which is why the Mic 5:2 was specific to note “Bethlehem Eph-rath-ah.”

To predict the specific city where a future person would be born 700 years later is an impossibility.

We could just close the book right here and declare, “It’s a miracle that Jesus… the Messiah… was born in this exact city of Bethlehem… which was predicted 700 years prior.”

But, the Bible doesn’t stop with Bible Prophecy… it testifies of so much more to reach our souls… prompting us to believe in the One who came to die for our sins, and rose again proving His sacrifice was accepted, and in believing in Him we are justified before God.

So, we don’t close the book… we read on… and read again… and chew on the meat of the word that sanctifies us by it’s truth.

For Jews… especially amongst the Religious Leaders who studied the Tanakh (what we call the OT)… they knew the Messiah was foretold to be born in Bethlehem of Judea.

In Matthew 2… when Jesus was a “young child” around 1-2 years old… wise men came to Jerusalem to worship Him…

They did not come not when He was a babe in a manger.

So, what I do at Christmas time when I set up my manger scene… is I take the wise men and put them several feet away from the manger… indicating they are still back in the East at the time of the Christ’s birth.

I won’t judge you if you’re wise men remain there at the manger scene, but if I visit your house and find wise men in your manger… I may quietly move them a few feet away…

And, chuckle at the thought of you finding them some time later…

But, now that I’ve outed myself… you’ll know the culprit… and now I’ll get no Christmas invites.

When the Wise Men came to Jerusalem… they first went before wicked Herod the Great… and he asked the priests and scribes “where the Christ was to be born.”

We read in Matthew 2:5-6 “So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:”

And then they specifically quote Mic 5:2.

But what we don’t read there is that they walked the short 5-6 miles to investigate.… we don’t read they were excited that Messiah had come.

Rather they come across as indifferent towards Messiah… and about 30 years later… they were threatened by Him, and cried out “Crucify Him.”

It’s a sad state when one knows the depths of the word of God… but they are too caught up in religious routine… especially too comfortable in self-righteousness…

And, that was the issue with the religious leaders… they thought they were justified before God… because they kept the law… said long prayers… were precise on their tithes… because they were descendants of Abraham, and so forth.

All of which were works… or based on nationalism… neither of which save.

Thus, to a Jewish nation… what were opening words of both John and Jesus’ ministry?

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt 3:2; 4:17)

Repent means… “to change one’ mind”…

To all the Jews who were trying to earn salvation by works of keeping the law… they needed to repent or change their mind about how they were saved… more precisely how they were justified before God.

No one can save themselves from sin… they need to believe in Jesus Christ who died for the sin of the world… and rose again.

The gospel is a gift… and it’s received faith alone in Christ alone.

It’s not earned… it’s grace (undeserved favor).

Hey… and we could look at those religious leaders and see the error of their ways…

But, do not people think similar thoughts today? That somehow their works… or home or personal belief saves?

Some think… “I’m saved because I grew up in a Christian household… or because I’m ‘Merican.”

No you’re not… you need to repent… change your mind that you inherit salvation.

Gal 3:7 says, “… only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham...”

Some think… “I’m saved because I’m a good person.”

No you’re not… Ask your wife… look in the mirror… compare your life to the Sermon on the Mount…

Perhaps by worldly standards you’re a great guy or girl… I love you, but you’re not good enough to save yourself.

You fall short of heavenly perfection.

You need to repent… change your mind about the notion that your good character awards you salvation.

Rom 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one...”

Some think… “I don’t believe I need a Savior.”

Kind of an “all dogs go to heaven” mindset.

You need to repent… change your mind about this fabricated thought that everyone automatically goes to heaven.

John 3:18 states, “… he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The presentation today may be different… but the heart is the same as the religious leaders of Jesus’ day…

They were so comfortable earning salvation through works… that the Gospel was veiled to their blind eyes.

And when the signs of His coming appeared… like the wise men… they didn’t take the short walk to Bethlehem.

If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ… is it because of self-righteousness… or indifference… or being comfortable in religion… absent of a reality of complete trust in Jesus Christ?

Perhaps the next time wise men come to you…

Be open and investigate the claim… take the 6 mile walk to Bethlehem… and worship Him as the Wise Men did.

Well… back in our account in Luke… I mentioned in V1 we get a picture of how God would accomplish His sovereign will for Mic 5:2 to be fulfilled…

Again… it was foretold that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judah… BUT… a dilemma… Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth… and Mary was in her third trimester…

… so making a roughly 90 mile journey by donkey and foot… from Nazareth to Bethlehem…

… WAS NOT… on the top of Mary’s list of “things to do in the third trimester.”

No loving husband would expect this of his wife…

Now… for sure the male head of the household would be required to register their family for a tax census.

But it’s a bit unclear to me if the wife was required to travel or not per Roman Law.

Some scholars (and AI) say women were not required… other scholars suggest every adult had to appear.

One scholar cited how a poll (or head) tax was levied on women as well as on men.

If you dig through some ancient Roman law books and find something conclusive… let me know.

But if Mary was NOT required to travel… why would she being as pregnant as she was? What would motivate Mary to go?

One possibility was Joseph and Mary did not want to be separated at the end of her pregnancy… especially knowing it was a controversial pregnancy… and the subject of gossip.

And… it’s quite possible that Joseph and Mary had talked about Messiah being born in Bethlehem.

We read the Magnificat last week… and it was evident that Mary knew scripture…

Did she and Joseph have had some idea that Messiah was foretold to be born in Bethlehem from the prophet Micah?

Regardless… to get Joseph and Mary moving… to ensure Mic 5:2 was fulfilled…

I believe, God stirs the heart of the most powerful man of that time… Caesar Augustus… to conduct a registration… a census… a headcount primarily for taxation and military conscription purposes.

I’ll back this up in a moment with scripture, but first… some history on Caesar Augustus…

Augustus was originally named Gaius Octavius. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar…

And when Octavius came into power… he became known as…

Caesar (the title for the Roman Emperor)

Augustus (an honorary title meaning “revered” signifying his supreme authority and revered status as Rome's first emperor… upon the end of the Roman Republic).

Augustus began to rise to power in 44 B.C. following the assassination of Julius Caesar…

He and Marc Anthony avenged the death of Julius Caesar… defeating the armies of Brutus and Cassius… key conspirators in Julius Caesars’ assassination.

Then a power struggle led to a fallout and Civil War in Rome leading Mark Anthony to take league with Cleopatra of Egypt… only to be defeated at the Naval Battle of Actium… in 31 B.C.

Which ended the Roman Republic… and established the Roman Empire… With Octavian as the sole ruler… who took the title Caesar Augustus… until his death of natural causes in 14 A.D.

He was extremely powerful… and one of the most successful Emperors ever to lead Rome.

He was even worshipped as a false god and was called “the divine savior who has brought peace to the world.”

And, while scripture is silent… I believe… that when we read in V1 that he issued a decree for a census to be taken of all Roman citizens…

I believe God stirred his heart to do so…

I believe Caesar was nothing more than a pawn… for God’s Sovereign will to unfold… for Messiah to be born in Bethlehem…

… because there was no other reason for Joseph and Mary to travel 90 miles to Bethlehem… so late in her pregnancy… except that it was required by Caesar.

Whom you did not cross.

In Biblical history… God has used many pagan kings… to accomplish His will…

Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon… 3x in scripture is called “My Servant” (Jer 25:9, 27:6, 43:10) … for executing God’s judgment on Judah.

Cyrus, King of Persia in Isa 44:28 was referred to as "My shepherd"… also in Isa 45:1 as "His anointed"

Cyrus’ heart was stirred to free the Jewish exiles to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:1-2 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.”

And, then he instructed for his people to provide funds to those going to rebuild the temple.

We read in 1 Chronicles 5:26 “the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria…” to come against the Northern tribes of Israel.

We read in 2 Chronicles 21:16 “… the Lord stirred up against Je-hor-am the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians...”

We read in Jeremiah 51:11 “The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple."

For various reasons… God used pagan kings to execute judgment… and this shows the sovereign hand of God behind the events of natural history.

Proverbs 21:1 declares “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

So, did Caesar just order everyone back to their hometowns for a census for tax purposes?

Or, was this the hand of God… stirring the heart of Caesar… as God has done many times before?

And, let me say… this reality that God is Sovereignly in control… stirring the hearts of leaders… I believe it still applies to our day.

World Leaders are still God’s servants… and this gives me great comfort.

When we witness turmoil in the world… it can be quite unsettling… especially IF you do not have a grasp on Biblical prophecy.

But when you know signs of the times you can recognize God’s sovereign hand in play…

For ex. if you know the prophecy in Ezk 38 & 39… and they you read about a formal military alliance of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan… with eyes on invading Israel.

While that would be unsettling… you would know such a military invasion of Israel was foretold in Ezk 38 & 39…

Which we hopefully won’t see… because that invasion should take place in the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation.

And, I’m banking on the rapture.

Regardless… be comforted… God is Sovereign… He is in control.

We need not panic… for wars and rumors of wars have been foretold.… God remains on the throne.

And, in our account in Luke… in just the very first verse… it seems abundantly clear… that God’s hand was all over fulfilling Mic 5:2… and moving on the heart of Caesar Augustus.

Thus, per the decree… Joseph and Mary head to Bethlehem to be registered… and to deliver the Messiah where it was foretold.

Now V2… “This census first took place while Quir-in-ius was governing Syria.”

If you know history… you know this has proved a problem verse…

And I’ll just spend 2 minutes explaining this problem… so don’t check out… I won’t nerd out long.

Quir-in-ius was one of the most powerful men in Rome. He was a long standing soldier and was friends with Tiberius (who became Caesar after Augustus died).

Quirinius accepted the role as Governor of Syria… north of Israel from the years 6-7 A.D. …

… and the problem is… this date (6-7 A.D.) is too late for the timeline of when Christ was born.

In Matt 2… Herod the Great was still alive when Caesar Augustus issued a decree for everyone to be registered in their hometowns…

… and Herod died in 4 B.C. so Christ had to be born in Bethlehem prior to Herod’s death in 4 B.C.

Thus it’s accepted Jesus was born around 6-4 B.C.

About 10 years prior to Quir-in-ius becoming Governor in Syria.

Still with me?

So… some historians have suggested that Luke didn’t have his facts straight.

Others have suggested the Quirinius served two terms… with his earlier term being 3-2 B.C. … and took two censuses… but there is no record of earlier term… and even if their were… it was still after Herod died… so that doesn’t work.

The solution seems to be in the meaning of Luke’s words in V2 “This census “first took place”…

The word first (Gk protos) can be rendered as “before” meaning prior…

And with that rendering… Luke then means “this was the census that took place before Quir-in-ius was governor of Syria (i.e. before 6 A.D).

I know that problem verse was really eating at about 8% of you.

And, I care about you 8%. I don’t want you to lose sleep over apparent problem verses.

There’s always a solution… the Bible is NOT in contradiction.

For the other 92% of you… you’ll be happy to hear these words… “moving on!”

vv 3-5 “So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child ”

Joseph, as husband… would need to travel to his ancestral city.

And Joseph was “of the house and lineage of David.”

In Matthew 1 is Joseph’s genealogy… and indeed his lineage traces back to David… of the Tribe of Judah.

In 1 Sam 16, we read that David’s family was from Bethlehem in Judea… a city nicknamed the “City of David.”

I was searching for a relevant example in our day and age…

… as to what Joseph and Mary must have felt upon getting the news they would have to travel 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem… because of this Government census decree.

And, the first thing that came to mind was walking to one’s mailbox… and finding a letter from the IRS requesting a tax audit.

I think we would all agree that NO ONE wants to undergo an IRS Tax Audit.

Even if you crossed all your T’s and dotted all your I’s and are in full compliance…

Who in their right mind wants to undergo a Tax audit?

Do NOT raise your hand.

Scripture says, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise.” (Pro 17:28)

No one wants an audit. It’s just extra work and time… it’s inconvenient… and stirs up feelings of frustration… even anxiety.

And… I don’t think that… even in that example… that it truly compares to what Joseph and Mary must have felt upon discovering the census news… that a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was on the near horizon.

Again, Mary… was in her third trimester… not exactly the ideal time to travel…

What if her water broke? What about bandits on the road? What about the long distance?

It’s uncertain if it was even an option, but what if she didn’t go, and the baby came while Joseph was away?

What if she didn’t go and gossips in Nazareth became nasty? Should she navigate that without Joseph?

Lot’s of considerations… but what we read is they go.

And they didn’t have much of a choice… Roman rule was not sensitive to it’s subjects.

The Emperor, Caesar Augustus wielded immense power… near-absolute control… (of course as only given from above… as Jesus said to Pilate in John 19)…

So, Joseph and Mary “his betrothed wife” leave for Bethlehem.

We spoke in length about betrothal a couple weeks ago…

As a reminder to be “betrothed” in Jewish culture was legally binding, so they were essentially married…

On our tax code we would say they were “married filing jointly.”

I was wondering… if it was required to Mary to register… if they could have requested an exemption to travel due to the pregnancy…

Probably not… it seems that exemptions were not commonly granted under Roman census laws.

Navigating Roman bureaucracy to get approved for an exemption… was highly unlikely… especially not for a humble Jewish couple, who weren’t even Roman Citizens…

We don’t even read that an exemption was on their mind.

We just read they made the journey to Bethlehem.

And, the only solace I can think of… as Joseph and Mary considered how dangerous and inconvenient a trip to Bethlehem was…

Would be if they reflected upon Mic 5:2… reading the Scripture that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

You can imagine a conversation between Joseph and Mary… Joseph saying, “This is ridiculous! You’re about to give birth… we can’t travel to Bethlehem!”

And, Mary saying, “But Joseph, the prophet Micah wrote that the Ruler in Israel from everlasting would come from Bethlehem.”

“Yes… you’re right. We must go. It is written. It must be. We must trust the word of the prophet.”

Sometimes… there are situations that don’t make sense in life, but there’s solace in the Scriptures.

And friends… how important is it for us to know scriptures and to hide them in our hearts?

When affiliation, distress, or persecution comes in our life… and it does… Rom 5:3-4 tells us “… we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

No one likes it, but trials and tribulations produce a measure of Christ-like character in us… that we would not have without the crucibles of life.

And there are many other verses… for us to know that serve us… and comfort us… like refreshing spring rain… for our souls.

Psalm 119:25 “My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.”

Psalm 119:28 “My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.”

Psalm 119:81 “My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.”

Be dedicated to the word… it revives us… and strengthens us… and gives us hope.

Well in vv 6-7… Joseph and Mary now have arrived in Bethlehem and we again read, “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. [Mary is now full-term and about to enter into labor] 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Upon arrival in Bethlehem… the end of V7 states “there was no room for them in the inn.”

So… at this time the city had swelled… likely from the census… and there was no where for Joseph and Mary to stay.

Some early church fathers wrote in 150 A.D. and after that Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem.

Another thought is since the word “inn” in V7… could be rendered “guest room”… and there is a different Greek word for an “inn for travelers.”

It may have been that they attempted to stay with family or friends, but the guest room was already occupied.

But, many First Century Israelite homes had two levels… housing on the top level… and the lower level for the household animals.

So, possibly on the lower level… Mary delivered Jesus… with no mention of a midwife to assist…

… and wrapped Him in “swaddling cloths” which was not a Pottery Barn blanket… but lit. “strips of cloth”… as in torn strips of cloth wrapped around Jesus.

And Jesus, God incarnate, was laid in a manger (a “crib for fodder”… a “feeding trough” for animals).

And some think this humble beginning was symbolic for what would happen Jesus.

One scholar put it this way, “He began in a manger, and ended on the cross, and along the way had not where to lay His head.”

As Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matt 8:20)

I remember, as a child… each Christmas the manger scene would be set up in my home, and my mom would point out the various people and animals in the scene.

And, there would be this moment when she said, “And, look… there’s Jesus in the manger.”

And, my mom never said the manger was great. Thus there was this impression on my young heart that Jesus was kind of camping out.

But, it was also kind of glamorous because… three kings were right there in the manger bringing Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

But, there were no kings… and there was nothing glamorous about the birth of our Lord.

It was a hard birth… it was a trial… many people today would think God forsook them if they lived through those circumstances… they might even question His promises.

And after the birth, Shepherds come… a most interesting first group of visitors…

“The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” is first visited by Shepherds.

And, we read in Lk 2:19 “Mary kept [or treasured] all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

She reflects or meditates upon the moment… taking it all in…

But, we don’t read that Joseph or Mary questioned God… we don’t read that they felt forsaken by God… we don’t read that they doubted.

What an attitude for us to emulate… instead of doubting… Mary treasured all that was happening and meditated on them. Amazing.

We read at the beginning of V7 that Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son”… but NOT her ONLY Son.

I grew up Catholic… and I love my Catholic family, but I don’t agree with certain teachings.

And, when I read this verse, I’m reminded of a particular teaching by the Catholic church called the “Perpetual Virginity of Mary” which holds that Jesus’ mother Mary remained a virgin for her entire life.

And it’s an unbiblical teaching… giving the wrong impression of Mary… and it makes marital relations seem as if they are sinful… which they are not.

Mary would NOT have defiled herself by sharing the marital bed with Joseph her husband.

And, they did… after Joseph took Mary as wife… Matthew 1:25 reads he “… did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”

Know in Gk… ginosko… is sometimes used as a Jewish idiom of intimate knowledge… as that of a husband and wife.

And, Joseph and Mary were a normal couple… and they had other sons and daughters who were technically Jesus 1/2 brothers and sisters.

Same mom… different Dad.

Matthew 12:46 “While He [Jesus] was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.”

Catholics will say that “brothers” refers to kin… as in cousins.

But the Gk word for “brothers” adelphos… with delphos lit. meaning “womb.”

Adelphos appears 345x in the NT. 156x translated as “brothers”… 189x translated as “brethren.”

“Brethren” typically refers to Jewish brethren… and only 7x do we find “brethren” in the Gospels.

In contrast, the word “brother” or “brothers” appears at least 84x in the Gospels… talking in context about siblings.

So it’s clear that Jesus’ brothers are indeed siblings.

Matthew 13:55–56 also names the brothers… “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us?”

Jesus had four 1/2 brothers… and at least 2 sisters.… they had names…

James and Judas even authored a book each in the New Testament.

Scripture seems pretty clear that after Jesus was born, she did not remain a virgin.

I looked on a Catholic website to see how Catholics defend the perpetual virginity of Mary…

And, one way… which I had never heard… is they use the prophecy of the “closed gate” in Ezk 44:2 as a type for Mary’s womb.

Ezekiel 44:2 “And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.”

This was news to me. All this time… I thought this was the East Gate of the Jewish Temple!

That same Catholic website also said that the “untouchable Ark of the Covenant”… also a type for Mary… because she was untouchable…

This is a flimsy typology, but if you abuse a text enough, you can get it to say anything.

Truly, It saddens me when people get so caught up in tradition… and just go along with denominational ways… instead of yielding to the truth and authority of scripture.

Well… one final observation to close out… and this is just about vv 6-7 in general.

For the majesty of what this scene entails… the birth of the Savior… Luke approaches the narrative with very simple language…

With no fanciful speech he describes Mary as full-term… and delivers her first-born Son… in a most humble location.

But what is actually happening is the Savior of mankind… God incarnate… was being born into His creation.

He who the Prophets of old pointed to… and foretold of… He had come.

The one who would die on the cross for the sin of the world… to redeem mankind… to bring all who believe in Him back into a relationship with the Father…

A relationship severed all the way back in Eden… when Adam and Eve first listened to the serpent and not to God… and bit the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

All the types and shadows of old that have been lived out through the ages… were coming into realization…

The Last Adam had arrived…

Christ had arrived… who was after the order of Melchizedek… an eternal priesthood.

The One who would become the Passover Lamb was born.

Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac pointed to Christ’s sacrificial death… a beloved Son offered up… though God provided a ram for Abraham…

… prefiguring Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

In the life of Joseph… he was rejected, suffered, and rose to power to save many… picturing the Christ who was rejected, suffered, and is exalted as Savior.

We can go on and on… manna from heaven… the bronze serpent… the tabernacle and the temple… the High Priest… promises in the Covenants… The Day of Atonement… The Rock at Horeb… The Branch…

Moses as mediator… Boaz as Kinsmen-Redeemer… David as shepherd and king… Jonah’s three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish…

Messianic Psalms… Prophetic writings…

The redemptive plan was unfolding… but we simply read Luke’s modest words “… the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son...”

Such a great event… yet described so simply.

An event that went mostly unnoticed to Israel and the world…

But certainly recognized in the spiritual realm… even in the near verses ahead… an angel of the Lord visits the Shepherds… and shares that Christ the Lord was born…

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

What a contrast… a large assembly of heavenly angels praising God… and a Savior praising God for He who was born a babe lying in a manger.

And, the angels came proclaiming a message of Good news and peace.

And, man does the world need that quality of peace.

I’m grateful to read that President Trump is brokering peace for Israel, but there is a greater peace found not in any man-made deal…

But through faith in the Prince of Peace.

Guzik wrote, “Even the pagans of the first century world sensed this need for peace and a savior.

Epic-tet-us, a first century [Greek stoic philosopher], a pagan, expressed this: “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy; he cannot give peace of heart, for which man yearn for more than even outward peace.”

And still to this day… finding peace from anything or anyone in the world remains an elusive impossibility.

There is but one means to peace…

Seen in… Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”

And, that was the peace on earth brought by the babe lying in a manger.

If you’re here… and you’ve never trusted in Jesus as Savior… and you want to do that today… as we close out the service today…

We’ll have people on the sides, and I’ll be in the back to talk with you and pray with you.

You can leave here today being born again of the Spirit… and inherit eternal life.

Receive the free gift today.

Let’s Pray!

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’

God bless you as you enter the week ahead!