Untitled Sermon (2)

Sermon Text

Luke 2:1–21 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. 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. 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. 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. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

INTRODUCTION

How many of you watching have had the experience of having a mother or father…constantly point you

How many of you watching have had the experience of what appeared to be a divine intervention in your life that served our experience

Two moments in this text that I want to draw your attention to…both serve to bolster the supernatural message that a SAVIOR has arrived.

A NATURAL MOMENT FOR A SUPERNATURAL MESSAGE

Luke 2:1–5 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. 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.

We all are probably familiar with the concept of a census especially since we just finished one in 2020. Hopefully, you participated in it. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it’s an official count or survey of a population.

Our census is used to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is used to determine how federal funds are distributed to cities and states. In other words its a pretty big deal for us.

The Ancient Roman Census that we’re reading about here was primarily done for tax purposes. Some say that the reason Joseph and Mary have to go to Bethlehem is because the census required people to return to their place of birth to be counted. Others believe that they return because Joseph has family back in his hometown that he has to account for. Either way, the most important point is that they are back in BETHLEHEM.

Here’s why that is so important…

Before Joseph and Mary, were ever known, it was declared in ancient prophecy that the Savior would come out of Bethlehem.

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.

The Savior was going to be born in Bethlehem. God literally moved nations to fulfill his declaration and confirm his promises of a Savior being born in Bethlehem!

So while we read in verse 1 that Mary and Joseph were brought to Bethlehem as a result of a decree from Caesar Augustus, a political decree order by natural authorities, we know that ultimately they were in Bethlehem as a result of the divine decree of God ordered centuries ago by God.

Caesar Augustus hadn’t ordered them back on his own accord. God ordered Caesar Augustus to order them back.

You see, the politics of the moment appear to be bringing God’s people to Bethlehem but behind it all, God was bringing his people exactly where His will called for them to be.

APPLICATION: Right now in this moment, we see a lot of Christians living and acting as if this is not true of us.

Doesn’t matter what group you talk to, they are of the opinion that if one party gets in office then all hope will be lost for all of us.

Listen saints, we can argue over the policies, we can argue over where one mayor can take a city, where one governor can take a state or even where one president can take a nation. Those things matter. They are important. And as responsible citizens we must weigh how best to use our voice and vote in those things, but what we cannot do is treat those things as ultimate. What man authorizes/decrees cannot thwart what God authorizes and decrees for His people. In the same way that he executed His decree even through the decrees of power hungry wicked men in Rome, He has also done through the entirety of human history.

And that’s where your faith and hope must rest no matter whose in office.

Proverbs 21:1 ESV

1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

The Scope of God’s Use of the Natural for the arrival of His Son doesn’t stop there.

Luke 2:6–7 ESV

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.

Now that they are in Bethlehem - Mary can have the baby that she has been supernaturally given by the Lord. Remember her and Joseph are not married and Mary is still in fact a virgin. This pregnancy is miraculous gift of God. So that’s the supernatural part of the birth, but the natural part happens in the least glamorous way possible.

Three unique indicators usually jump out at you when you read this story. (1) Mary wrapping the child in swaddling cloths (2) The “inn” not having any room and the Baby Jesus being placed in a manager. Let’s take them one at a time.

Though memorable in all of our minds, there is nothing overly significant or unique about Jesus being wrapped. It was a common Jewish practice and to not do it was a sign of a lack of care for a child.

In speaking about Israel’s abandoned state as a people, the prophet Ezekiel said:

Ezekiel 16:4 ESV

4 And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.

So, the swaddling cloths, signified a child who was being taken care of, but it was happening under very lackluster circumstances which leads me to our next memorable element in the story.

2. The “Inn”. When we all envision this “inn” we probably envision some downscale ancient motel but that is not at all what is being described here in this passage. Now, that most likely is the case for one of the other very popular story where you hear about an inn (The Good Samaritan), but not here. What’s Luke is most likely referring to is an actual home. And there was no room in the typical areas where a family might be given to rest for the evening, which leads to the final unique memorable element in the story: The Manager

3. A Manager while it sounds very cute is actually not very cute at all. The Manager is an actual animal feeding box. Nothing fancy about that. And the likely reason for that is because they were left with no other alternative but to lodge in either some neighboring cave or stable next to one of the homes they attempted to sleep in that didn’t have any room.

The following quote sheds some light on the layout that we should envision:

The footprint of a typical first-century Palestine dwelling was a rectangle divided into three spaces: a large central room with a stable for animals on one end and a guest room (katalyma) on the other. All three rooms normally had separate entrances. The katalyma was an attached guest room separated from the central room by a solid wall. The stable was separated from the central room by a half-wall, thus allowing the family to feed animals without going outdoors.

Edwards, J. R. (2015). The Gospel according to Luke. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 73). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

Again, some of the least glamorous circumstances in human history for the most important birth in all of history. From the very beginning of this arrival, God was teaching us something about the very nature of it.

It would be supernatural in its working but oftentimes very ordinary in its natural packaging. We say over and over again. Jesus never came with the backdrop of an earthly king because His Kingdom was and is not of this world. He didn’t come to be laid in the palaces amongst royalty. He placed himself in managers amongst the lowly. Like the journey to Bethlehem, this too was divinely appointed and ordained.

Recall elsewhere in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus was confronted for sitting with the sinners and tax collectors, those typically on the outside of the religious elite, He responded in this way:

Luke 5:31–32 ESV

31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

APPLICATION: From the very beginning, from the outside, from a manger, this message was being communicated. “A Savior Has Arrived and He Will Be One For All People Even Those on the Outside.”

Now as this very common, very natural work with divine orchestration is happening to communicate this supernatural message that a Savior has arrived. There is also a very uncommon, supernatural work taking place to communicate this DIVINE message that a Savior has arrived.

A SUPERNATURAL MOMENT WITH A DIVINE MESSAGE

Luke 2:8–9 ESV

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.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

I find it interesting that the shepherds are visited by the angel at night and he comes with the glory of the Lord shining in the darkness around Him.

It’s very typical for the brightest of lights to break through in the darkest of hours.

Even when you think about the time in which we celebrate the arrival of the Savior to the world. One minister noted how fitting it is that it takes place during the week of the shortest day of the year, December 21st (tomorrow).

During the week where our nights are the longest, it is fitting that we would acknowledged the arrival of the brightest of lights into the world.

Advent doesn’t discount the reality of darkness. Life can sometimes be hard, life can sometimes be lonely…we wrestle with our sin because we were born into sin, we wrestle with relationships because those around us were born into sin as well, we struggle with nature (pandemics, sickness, poverty, hunger, homelessness) because this word has been corrupted by sin.

We don’t discount the darkness but neither do we discount the light because into the longest nights the light has come into the world and that light is bringing eternal life to all those who will trust Him by faith.

So, this angel appears with the glory of the Lord and the shepherds have the type of reaction that one who reads the Bible might have come to expect by now

FEAR OF THE DIVINE

Luke 2:9 ESV

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.

OT Servant of the Lord Daniel describes his encounter with a messenger from God as one that set him to trembling...

This fear of this divine appearance is a very natural one…angels are mighty beings, powerful beings…

The Shepherds I’m sure know that but in this moment they SEE that and FEEL that standing right in front of them...

The fear is present when we stand in the face of something or someone that is bigger than us. We stand in fear when we stand in the presence of something or someone that makes us feel small.

ILLUSTRATION: Me, My Father, and the Texas Giant.

The Angel that appeared before them and the glory of the Lord that shone around them made the shepherds feel small and yet the angel was nothing more than a messenger of the truly great one? If there was fear in the presence of the Angel because they were made to feel small, imagine being in the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD!

But there is another kind of fear here as well. Fear of Judgement.

Another OT Character Gideon was in the presence of an angel but didn’t realize it until the angel left but the moment the angel vanished Gideon panicked and said...

Judges 6:22 ESV

22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”

Translation: “Oh my goodness, I’m about to die!” and to that the Lord said fear not. You’re not about to die.

Angels carried the power to destroy CITIES. You see that in Genesis 19 when the angels ask Lot if he has any more loved ones in Sodom and Gomorrah because the Lord had sent them to destroy the place.

When an Angel shows up on the scene, it could very well mean it’s a wrap for you.

In the presence of the Divine, our sin nature moves into focus...

So before this angel, the shepherds have a fear…a fear of their finiteness but also quite possibly a fear that they were about to die.

But what I love about this passage is what we hear next from the angel. INTO that FEAR the Angel gives us these words…

Luke 2:10–12 ESV

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.”

FEAR NOT for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people…THE ARRIVAL OF A SAVIOR who has burst forth from the DIVINE and entered into our HUMANNESS.

Yes, Shepherds you are right! God has taken on flesh…And where will you find him…not in a palace but in a stable, not in a royal bed with precious linens but in a animal feeding box filled with hay…HE uses the common to establish a sign for a DIVINE ARRIVAL.

FEAR NOT

Though you have every right to fear because of your finiteness compared to His infiniteness, FEAR NOT

Though you have every right to fear because of your sinfulness when compared to His holiness, FEAR NOT

Because we could never reach Him, he has come down to you.

Because we would never be Holy enough to stand in His presence, he has come to cover us in His holiness by taking the punishment we deserved for sin and dying on cross for our sin.

FEAR NOT for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Note that they move from GREAT FEAR to the Angel saying the news I have to share with you will bring GREAT JOY!

Fear comes when we are faced with the reality our death…My Father later told me after our ride on Texas Giant…that was the first time I was on a roller coaster and realized “EJ, you can die on this thing!” Isn’t that most fear when we think about it. Coming face to face with the reality that we can die. Taking it step further. when we think about the reality of eternity then the fear consist not just in the fact that we can die but that after we die we will face JUDGEMENT and that if we are found guilty we will face an ETERNAL DEATH.

But Fear NOT...

Luke 2:10–12 ESV

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.”

A Savior has come to save us from that judgement and that salvation will produce GREAT JOY and that salvation has been made available for ALL PEOPLE and that salvation is only found in the one who we call CHRIST the LORD!!!

When you receive an announcement like this what do we expect to follow:

WORSHIP

RESPONSE

Luke 2:13–14 ESV

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!”

One theologian says its as if the proclaiming angel rolls the curtain back for the big grand finale beg

What happens to someone who has heard the good news of great joy and they actually BELIEVE it!

What happens to someone who begins to understands how small they are because they get a glimpse at how big God is but then hear news about God’s plan to save them through the life of His Son?

THEY draw near to the Son.

THEY quickly draw near to the Son. If, after the announcement has been declared, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”, we are still saying to ourselves, “Well, maybe I consider it sometime down the road or I’ll come later”, it’s because WE DON’T BELIEVE THE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Whatever has paralyzed us from making the commitment to draw near to the Savior is what we have chosen to believe is the true “good news of great joy...”

However, when we come to truly believe that IN CHRIST is there is good news of great joy...good news of ETERNAL JOY...good news of ULTIMATE JOY...WE WILL MAKE HASTE to draw near to the Son as He draws near to us.

But here is the other key to our response… “Which the Lord has made known to us!” Yes of course we know what the shepherds are saying here in this text. This news was announced supernaturally to them. Angels appeared where they were and declared it to them, but this is not at all that far from the same experience that EVERY SINGLE PERSON that responds to this message of good news of great joy...

“The Lord makes His Gospel Known To You.” The Lord sends his messengers to declare His word. (TV, Internet, Family Member, Friend, Parent, Preacher) AND the Lord sends His Spirit to awaken your hearts to hear and respond to the message (No man comes to the Father unless the Spirit draws...)