Luke 2:1-20
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1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 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.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Point # 1
Point # 1
The Birth of Christ was a Historic Event that Fulfilled Prophecy
3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
vs 1-2 A formal decree went out from Caesar Augustus… while Quirinius was governor of Syria
vs 4 Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem the town of David
The account of the shepherds
The Old Testament prophesied this Savior would be:
born of the seed of Abraham (, )
of the tribe of Judah ()
and in the lineage of David ()
said that He would be born in Bethlehem
that He’d come while the temple was still standing ()
that He would be born of a virgin ()
This is just a tiny sampling of the prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus’s life. The Old Testament (completed 400 years before Jesus’ birth) contains more than 300 references to the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus’ life. Calculations using the science of probability on just 8 of these prophecies, have shown that the chance someone could have fulfilled even just 8 of these prophecies is:
1 in 1017 Or put another way, that is… 1 in 100 Quadrillion!
1 in 100 Quadrillion!
Application
Our faith in Christ is rooted in real historic events. We can hold onto these things with certainty.
Point # 2
Point # 2
The Birth of Christ took place under very normal circumstances (maybe stressful circumstances)
The so called “inn” is better translated “guest chamber”. “Peasant homes normally consisted of two rooms, with one used exclusively for guests. The family cooked, ate slept and lived in the main room, and any animals were also brought in for the night and kept at the lower level of the living room, where the feeding trough would be.”
A manger is more properly translated “feeding trough”
Some of the mythical aspects of this story include
Mary and Joseph arriving to a crowded town in the middle of the night
An inhospitable inn keeper
Mary’s Song refers to God’s interaction with the lowly:
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
The revelation of God come into the world is announced to shepherds. …not dignitaries, the local government officials, the affluent or influential. The message of glory is proclaimed to shepherds.
Application
Don’t downplay or underestimate what God can do in the midst of your very normal life.
Point #3
Point #3
A savior has been born to you… A rescuer has come
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Human history is a history of people who need saving…
People need to be rescued from life’s circumstances
God rescued us from sin
Final Encouragement
Final Encouragement
May we be a people who walk humbly and trust God from one life event to the next. And may the great rescuer of our soul — Jesus Christ — be magnified in our lives this coming year.