CHRISTMAS EVE 2010
“A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN”
Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The Shepherds and the Angels And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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It’s a simple story, isn’t it? Yet, we hear this story year after year and it can become a very familiar story in our thinking. We think…..okay…..I’ve heard it before and there’s no need to listen to it again. And when you think that, you just tune it out. But as you saw in the video……………it only began with the Christ baby being born, but it’s much, much more than that. I want to encourage all of you this evening to listen and see it again with all your heart and with all your mind.
FIRST THERE ARE ELEMENTS TO THE STORY
First Element Is The Story Begins Before The Beginning Of Time
The Bible says that even before the foundation of the world was laid, God planned that His Son would be slain for the sins of mankind. In the third chapter of Genesis, and all the way through the O.T., prophecy after prophecy proclaimed that the Messiah would come, He would be born and live among us, and He would be the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. Then there is a silence of 400 years when no prophet from God speaks. But finally the silence is broken, the angels speak, and Jesus is born. Mary and Joseph had been handpicked by God - Mary, to be the mother of God’s Son, and Joseph to be the one commissioned to take care of them.
Second Element As The Story Unfolds Is That There Were Complications
Rumor and gossip flow through the streets of Nazareth because Mary is expecting a child even before she and Joseph have fully become husband and wife. Then there is the complication of Caesar Augustus’s decree that every family must return to their home town for a world-wide census. So even though the baby is due at any time, Mary and Joseph must make the journey all the way to Bethlehem from Nazareth. Nazareth is up in Galilee, and Bethlehem is in Judea, and that trip is about 80 miles long. Many who have visited Israel have taken bus rides along this route and have seen the rugged countryside and wondered, “How in the world were Mary and Joseph able to go that long distance, walking or riding a donkey, or whatever?”
They made that journey with no Motel 6’s at night, no clean sheets to sleep between, no TV sets to entertain them. Slowly they traveled, sleeping out underneath the stars, with all the complications of travel compounded by Mary’s condition. And once they arrive in Bethlehem there is the complication of finding lodging. There is no room for them in the inn. Zig Ziglar tells about his brother who was traveling and came to a hotel and asked for a room for the night. The manager told him that they were fully booked and there were no rooms available. Ziglar’s brother said, "Now be honest with me. If the President of the United States walked through that door just now and requested a room, would you have a place for Him to stay?" The manager replied, "Well, if the President needed a room, we’d find one for him." Ziglar’s brother said, "That’s great. I know for a fact that he’s not coming, so I’ll take his room." Perhaps, if Mary and Joseph had been more important people, they would have had a room. But they were common people, laboring folks and had no place to stay. Because os the tenacity of Joseph and a compassionate innkeeper, they were offered a stable for shelter for night.
Third Element As The Story Unfolds Is There Was Celebration
Now when babies are born there is celebration, right? It doesn’t make much difference what the circumstances are, even though they may be filled with embarrassment or shame. When a baby is born, there is celebration. On the night Jesus was born, it was a private celebration at first - just Mary & Joseph. They knew something no one else knew. They knew that this baby was God’s own Son, and that His birth was a miracle. Soon the celebration spreads. Angels spoke to shepherds and announced that a Savior had been born, who is Christ the Lord. So they came rushing to see the new baby. Maybe some people from the inn even came out and peeked through cracks in the wall to see what was going on, and then joined in the celebration. They’re not mentioned in the story. Christmas should be a celebration. But more important is that Jesus has been born in your heart. For Christ came to live among us.
Fourth Element As The Story Unfolds Is That There Was Compassion
The compassion of Mary as she wraps the child in strips of cloth and lays Him in a manger. There is a play out that asks the question, "What did Joseph do the day after Christ was born?" It is an interesting question. The day when Jesus was born, of course, he helped with Mary and the baby. He did everything he could to make things as comfortable for them as possible. But what about the day afterward? The play imagines that since Joseph is a carpenter, that he begins making a crib for Jesus. And as he does, he remembers the celebration it and thinks, "If they treated Him like this when He is just a baby, how will they treat Him when they find out He is the Son of God?" At about that time in the play, the lights suddenly go off, and all you can hear is the hammer hitting against the wood. How would they treat Him when they found out He was the Son of God? They would nail Him to a cross, as He gives His life for your sins and for mine. Well, those are the elements of the story. And it seems to me that this year, maybe more than before, there has been an avoidance of the name of Christ during the holiday season. It seems that the more common greeting this season has been, "Have a good holiday," or "Happy holidays" - nice, politically correct greetings that will suit whatever holiday you wish to celebrate at this season of the year. But it is not just a holiday, people. It’s Christmas. It’s the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we celebrate His coming into the world - God in the flesh, Emmanuel, "God with us."
SECOND THERE ARE RESPONSES TO THE STORY
Now, in addition to considering the elements of the Christmas story, I want you to see the responses to it. There are five responses, and as we note them, I think you’ll realize that you fit into at least one of them. Maybe you’ll fit into more.
First Response Is That Of The Innkeeper
Do you know how many times he is mentioned in the Bible? That is a trick question because he is never mentioned. We don’t even know for sure that there was an innkeeper. But because there was an inn, we assume there must have been an innkeeper. But who was he, and what was he like? Down through the centuries, people have pictured him either as a villain or as a hero. Either he is a mean-spirited, grumpy old man who slams the door in the face of Mary and Joseph, or a kind-hearted, gentle man who is a victim of circumstances beyond his control.
I’m not sure whether he is a hero or a villain. I know that his response was the response of preoccupation. He was a busy guy. Never had his inn been so full. There were demands put on him, and also a time to make money. That is close to what happens today, isn’t it? In many of our cities the malls open up at 8:00 in the morning and have closed late at night for what purpose. To make money, because Christmas is such a busy time. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of the innkeeper and make God last placed in our lives. I challenge you tonight to refocus, and put first things first in your life.
Second Response Is That Of The Shepherds
Shepherds were part of the lower class in Israel. They were often the rejects of society. Their job was a dirty one, and for weeks they were away from home, living out in the wilderness, living with sheep. And yet, God reaches across all the barriers of society and tells the shepherds, "I want you to be the first to know that in the city of David, a Savior has been born." They were privileged people, indeed. God told the shepherds, "You’re first. You get the first opportunity to see and worship Him." Now if we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we’re privileged people, too. We’re not here this evening because we’re so smart that we figured out the prophecies. We’re here because we were born in the right country, at the right time, and were privileged to hear the gospel preached. Or because parents or friends reached out to us. We are like shepherds.
Third Response Is That Of Herod
His is a response of fear. In fact, history says that Herod was so fearful he would lose his throne that he killed his favorite wife and three of his sons. So when wise men came asking, "Where is the new born king?" Herod immediately summoned the religious leaders and asked, "Do you know anything about a new king?" They answered, "The prophets say that He is to be born in Bethlehem." So Herod tells the wise men what he has been told, and as they leave for Bethlehem, he says, "When you find him, come back and tell me where he is so that I might worship him, too." Herod’s response is paranoia and intimidation. He is afraid of a new king, afraid that he will lose the power and authority which he has come to love.
We too can be intimidated by Jesus. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives, if we really put Him first, what kind of difference would that make in your life, and mine? It would make a great difference. For when God comes in, He changes the way we think, and respond to one another. There may be some fear there. You might think, “If I become a Christian, God might so change my life that I couldn’t enjoy all the things I do now. I wouldn’t be able to party as much as I do now. Or He might change my view towards possessions. He would want me to be more generous, or He might expect me to serve Him in the church, and do things for other people. I’m not sure I’m ready for those changes." So sometimes we respond like Herod.
Fourth Response Is That Of The Religious Leaders, The Scribes And Pharisees-Pride
It has always interested me that when Herod asks them, "Have you heard anything about a new king?" that they instantly answer and say, "Yes. One is going to be born in Bethlehem. The prophets have said that for years." Well, they knew the right answer, but it has always amazed me that they didn’t go to Bethlehem. Why not? Why didn’t they say to the wise men, "We’ll travel with you. We want to find the new king, too"? I’ll tell you why. I think that it was because of pride. If they had gone with the wise men, they would have had to admit that the wise men knew more about their Messiah than they did. At the same time, they would have had to confess that God didn’t reveal the news to them, but to someone else. And they had such spiritual pride that they honestly believed that if anything new was going to happen, they would be among the first to know. Sometimes Christmas is hard today because we’re such proud people, and we have so much. It’s hard for us to admit that we need God for anything. We’re handling it pretty well on our own, aren’t we? I mean, we have food to eat, a house in which to live, and money in the bank. It is pretty hard for us to admit that we need God to take care of us. But the Bible warns us again and again that pride goes before a fall. As long as we stand up here in our pride and think that we can handle all the events of life, we’ll never know the miracle of Christmas. It is only when we come, willing to be filled with God’s love, that we find out what Christmas is really all about.
Final Response Is That Of The Wise Men-Perception
Theirs is a response of perception. They lived hundreds of miles away. So they didn’t receive a visit from an angel. But they studied the stars. They were astronomers, not astrologers. There is a great difference between the two. They didn’t belong to the psychic network, but they did study the stars. And when they saw this new star, this special star, they reasoned that a new world ruler had been born. So they started their long journey to find Him. And once they found Mary and Joseph and the baby, the Bible says that they worshiped Him, and gave Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. More than any of the responses, that ought to be our response - to weigh the evidence, to listen to what God has said, to see what He has revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. And once we have reached the conclusion that, indeed, this is the Son of God, that this is God in the flesh, we worship Him, giving Him gifts, expressing our adoration, our love and our thankfulness for what God has done. Can you perceive what God has done? Can you weigh all the evidence and realize how much God loves you, and how much of His love is communicated through the birth of a baby in Bethlehem? "Behold, a Savior has been born, and He is Christ, the Lord."
Molly Brown says, "Christmas is love tugging men’s hearts back to God with the powerful grip of a tiny hand reaching out from a bed of straw." Have you ever placed your finger inside the hand of a little baby and felt its grip? And when they grip your finger, they also tug at your heart. Well, at Christmas, Jesus reaches out with the tiny hand of an infant to grab hold of our hearts, and pull us back to God. If you’re here this evening and not a Christian we extend to you the invitation of Jesus Christ. Maybe you have a decision on your heart that you would like to make this evening. I couldn’t think of a more greater time to come to Him than this evening…….the night we celebrate His birth. Don’t wait…………….do it tonight.
