The Paradox Of The Present

Introduction

We have trouble appreciating great gifts that appear in a subtle form. Often times the value of the gift is measured by its size, shape, physique, color, weight, brand, or its price tag. For a long time I assumed that gifts that were small were of little value and were therefore less important than the big gifts. As a child I always wanted to open the biggest boxes first because I assumed that the biggest gifts were the best gifts. They sat under the tree and took up the most space. They had all of that pretty wrapping paper and big pretty bows. That was until gift cards became a thing. Suddenly the paradigm shifted. I didn’t look for the biggest gifts. I looked for the smaller boxes. The ones just big enough to hold a 3 3/8” x 2 1/8” gift card. Envelopes with Christmas cards were even better because sometimes they contained money. I learned that the most unassuming gifts were more valuable than the larger more noticeable gifts.

Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus is anything but glamorous. Luke tells the story of the birth of our Savior in the most unassuming manner possible. His conception was immaculate, but his birth was low-profile. seems to lack the kind of details that would make the birth of Jesus match up with the life and legacy of Jesus. That’s until you understand what God had to do orchestrate Jesus’s humble beginnings. Like any gift, we fail to appreciate its value until we understand what the giver had to do to give us the gift. Luke’s account of the nativity scene helps us understand God’s sovereign plan in bringing Jesus to the earth. If we were to pay close attention we would come to appreciate the manner in which Jesus showed up. I pray that this would also help us appreciate the fact that Jesus showed up.

The best gifts are those that satisfy a need that we could afford to satisfy ourselves. When someone affords us something that we couldn’t afford ourselves, those are good gifts. Getting things that we want are nice, but getting things that we need are even better. Receiving items that we need help us to rest easy at night. I’m thankful that God knew exactly what we needed and sent it at the right time. There may be someone here this morning asking themselves the question, “why do we need Jesus”. Let me take a moment to answer that question. We need Jesus because by one man’s sin death entered the world, but through through the righteousness of Jesus Christ we receive life. () We need Jesus because he is the only way to God:

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We need Jesus because he is the only way to heaven:

John 14:1–3 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

John 14:1-

We need Jesus because we can’t do anything in this world without him:

Philippians 4:10–13 ESV

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

God knew that we needed Jesus so he sent his son down through time to fulfill the need only he could fulfill. Allow me to give you some background on story. Jesus was born during what was known as the Pax Romana. This was known as a great time of Peace in Rome. Rome was booming during this era. All of the wars were over and Rome was becoming a great city. Everything seemed to be going well. Ironically, it was during this time of peace and prosperity in Rome that God decided it was time for him to send the prince of peace. Men were at peace with men, but they were not at peace with God. So here comes the lowly Jesus born in a manger. Luke describes the birth in three scenes and I want to do the same.

I. The Decree

The story begins:

Luke 2:1–3 ESV

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.

Luke 2:1-

This account of the birth of Christ does not begin with the mention of Jesus but with the mention of Caesar Augustus. This was a sign of the times in which Jesus was born. Caesar Augustus had become a central figure and many viewed him as a the political savior that they needed. His name was changed to match his reputation among men. His real name was Octavian but he took on the name Caesar from his uncle Julius Caesar who was a historic figure in Rome. Augustus isn’t really a name, rather it is a title given to Caesar to signify the reverence that the people had for him. Luke begins the story with a man who at the time was the most powerful man in Rome. There are two things that are significant about the way begins this story.

Number one, Jesus came to be to the world what many believed Caesar to be in Rome. Caesar had solved some basic political issues but he could not solve the greatest issue. Men were not at peace with God. We can sometimes get distracted by men or women who seem to be helping us with some basic needs and neglect the one who can fulfill all of our needs. There are many people in the world who have put down the Church and have started to look to the government to solve the world’s problems. The answer to the country’s problems is not more government. The answer is more Jesus. Some of us, in an effort to find more love have put down Jesus, and picked up everything off the side of the road. But if you’re looking for love don’t have to look any further than Jesus. “Greater love hath no man than this that he would lay down his life for his friends”. I find it interesting that Luke begins the story talking about Caesar who was just a sampling of what Jesus would be as a Savior.

Number two, the mention of Caesar is significant because it is through this man that God shows his sovereignty. I want you to understand that no matter how you vote, republican or democrat. God has a way of taking the most powerful men in the world, and making them pawns in his plans. In those days Caesar was the man, as evidenced by him making a decree that he expected all the world to follow. Caesar’s expectations show us what Caesar thought of himself. Anybody know any government officials who are full of themselves? What Caesar didn’t know however, was that his decree was going to fulfill a divine purpose. It would be his decree that would bring Jesus to the place where the prophets had predicted his birth. God shows us that he can use devilish men as divine instruments. The birth of Jesus teaches us not to become discouraged or distracted by what’s going on in the world, because God is working in the background to make good on his word.

II. The Journey

After the decree was made the focus of the story shifts from the politician to Jesus earthly parents.

Luke 2:4–6 ESV

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.

Because of the decree Joseph had to leave Nazareth and return to his home estate and Bethlehem to be registered for the census. Now what is interesting about this journey is that Mary went with him. I want you to understand that typically for a census, women did not have to be present in order to be registered. Joseph could have easily went to Bethlehem and registered Mary while she stayed in Nazareth. There isn’t any definitive evidence that tells us the exact reason Mary decided to make this journey. Some scholars assume that it could have been to escape the shame of being pregnant. Other’s suggest that during a census for a poll tax women in Syria were required to be present at registration. No one can definitively point to a circumstance outside of Mary that would have caused her to pick up and travel with Joseph while she was pregnant. But we can point to a circumstance inside of Mary that made it necessary for her to be in Bethlehem when it came time for her to give birth to Jesus.

Micah 5:2 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.

It was necessary for Mary to make the journey in order for the Old Testament prophecy to be fulfilled. This odd journey was another means of God using the inexplicable to accomplish something indescribable. You do understand that God works in ways that sometimes don’t make any sense in our eyes right? Nothing about this trip made sense. Logistically it is a nightmare. Think about traveling 80-90 miles on foot with a pregnant woman. The journey involved a lot of climbing because Nazareth was only about 1,800 feet above sea level but Bethlehem was around 2,500 feet above sea level. Even though Bethlehem was south of Nazareth, they traveled up to Bethlehem so that the Christ would be born in the proper place.

If you are casually reading the Bible this journey may seem like a minor detail in the story, but this journey has great significance. Again, God is moving all of the pieces into place to accomplish his Sovereign will. This involves taking people and putting them in less than ideal situations to fulfill his promises. There is comfort in knowing that God has sent others up the mountains, and placed others in tough situations, and even in the midst of these less than ideal times in our lives he is working to bring about some element of good. Notice the words in verse 6:

Luke 2:6 ESV

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

While they were in Bethlehem, to be more specific. It was after she left where she was and gotten to the place that God had designed for her to be, that God did through her what the angel Gabriel had told her what he was going to do. This story is about the birth of Jesus but the over arching theme in the way Luke narrates this story is to show how the hand of God works in the lives of men to accomplish the will of God. If you’ve been waiting to see God work through you in your life, it might be time to ask yourself am I where God wants me to be? Am I doing what God wants me to do?

III. The Manger

The last scene in the story is probably one of the more popular scenes in the Bible especially around this time of year. If you want to talk about an unassuming way to be born, think about being born in a feed trough. The King of Kings was not born in a palace like a King. He was not born with the fan fare of a King. The Paradox of The Present teaches us that the value of a gift is not about its prestige, it’s about its power. You can place a worthless gift anywhere under a tree, put any type of wrapping paper on it. You can put the biggest bow you want to put on it. But at the end of the day if it’s a worthless gift before you wrap it, it’s going to be a worthless gift when you open it. The manger scene shows us that we have to be careful not to get caught up in the glitz and glamour does not equal a good gift. Jesus was and is the greatest gift known to man, but he was born and lived in the most humble way. Many stray away from following Jesus because it lacks the romance and the razzle-dazzle of other lifestyles. But you have to remember you’re talking about following a man who was born in a manger. Following Jesus isn’t about glamour, it’s about grace.

How did he end up in a manger?

From a logistical perspective the stable was the only place available for Mary and Joseph to lodge. When the text says that there was no room for them in the inn. It does not mean that there weren’t any rooms available at the Holiday Inn. It means that most houses during that time were divided into three sections. There were the living quarters, the stable for the animals, and the guest room for visiting family or travelers. The inn was really a guest room, and it was likely since there were so many people in Bethlehem for the census that even if Joseph and Mary were staying with relatives their guest room would have already been full so they pitched their pallets in the stable which also would have been connected to the house. It is ironic that even then the people failed to make room for Jesus. Distracted by everything else we fail to make room for Jesus. We make room for Happy Hour, but we can’t make room for Jesus. We make room for Alabama football, but we can’t make room for Jesus. We make room for basketball practice, but we can’t make room for Jesus. It seems that we can make room for everything but Jesus. How did Jesus end up in a food trough? The same way he ended up on the cross. William Barclay argues that:

Luke 1. Joseph and Mary Come to Bethlehem; Jesus Is Born (4–7)

“That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus. The only place where there was room for him was on a cross.” (Barclay)

There is a contrast between the presentation of a gift and the value of that gift.

Conclusion

Christmas is about the Christ. The Paradox of Christ is about looking into a manger and seeing a King. The Paradox of the Present is about appreciating the gift and the giver. To appreciate the gift you need to understand why he came, how he came. But more than that you need to thank God that he came. I am so thankful that he came.