Destination Bethlehem - a Stable

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Luke 2:1-7

Destination Bethlehem–a Stable

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  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.

All history focuses on one singular point as time and eternity meet to commemorate the birth of a child.  It has rightly been said that history is His story.  Were I writing the account of the incarnation of the Son of God, I would no doubt have arranged for the child to be born in a castle, or perhaps in the home of some powerful individual so that the child would have every advantage to promote His agenda.  However, God chose the most humble of circumstances for the advent of His Son.

The text before us introduces us to people living within a conquered nation as His heritage, a disgraced mother as His caregiver and protector, a sheepcote as His castle, and a manger as His royal couch.  Could any more humble situation be imagined for the advent of the King of kings? 

A Conquered People —In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  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. 

Two rulers are in view as we consider the birth of the Son of God.  One stands for the moment as a giant in history, but his significance is quickly eclipsed by the second.  Caesar Augustus must have seemed to those then living as the greatest king ever raised to rule among men.  He spoke, and the entire civilised world was compelled to obey His decree.  Peace reigned throughout the Empire because of him.  The doors to the Temple of Janus had been closed for a decade and would remain closed for an additional thirty years, for all foes had been beaten into submission and no one dared disturb the peace of the Empire.  Caius Octavius had adopted the name Caesar as a courtesy to his great uncle, Julius Caesar.  He had conferred on himself the title Augustus, taken from the word augur, and thus indicating a religious sanction.  The republic had been transformed into an empire and he was at the apex of power.

The other ruler had fists which clenched the fingers of His mother whenever He was unwrapped to nurse.  He was dependent upon a teenage girl for cleanliness and for nourishment and for comfort when His hot tears flowed.  He rested in a bed of straw or hay, tightly wrapped in strips of cloth as the custom was among the poor of that insignificant nation into which He was born.  His cries attracted only His father and mother at this time, occasioning no attention in the world at large.

Two men—one considered great and the other insignificant.  Yet, the one thought to be great at that time was an unwitting agent of the Living God to accomplish the divine will.  The other was the Creator, bridging the gulf between heaven and earth to ensure that all mankind would have opportunity to receive the peace of God.  The one had imposed a sort of peace on the Empire through brute force, but the latter was the Prince of Peace who gives to all who will receive Him eternal peace and hope.

Caesar Augustus issued a decree, and his word was law.  The Roman world was to be counted for taxation purposes.  Jews were exempt from military duty, so we know that this census was for taxation purposes.  Jewish custom was that an individual was required to travel to the ancestral home in order to be counted.  There is so much more here than first meets the eye.

The Apostle, commenting on this singular event, with the advantage of historical perspective, writes: when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons [Galatians 4:4, 5].  Paul begins by noting that these events occurred when the time had fully come.  Consider what is obscured through the passage of time by reciting these words.

The world was then at peace so that a census could be conducted.  There were very few times in Roman history when the doors to the temple of Janus were closed.  This was one of the few and it was the longest period of peace by far.  Roman outposts were situated to the farthest boundaries of the Empire to ensure that peace would continue.  Roman roads had been established throughout the Empire to permit rapid a military response to any threat, with the attendant benefit that people would be able to travel unimpeded throughout the Empire.  Moreover, the lingua franca of the Empire was Greek, so that from the furthest regions of the Empire to the heart of Rome all subjects spoke a common language.  God had worked in human history to bring the world to this point when all things were in place for the advent of His Son.

The two rulers were expressions of two nations—one, powerful, menacing and identified with this fallen world; the other regarded as weak, non-threatening, but identified as belonging to an unseen world.  Caesar was the epitome of might and power as this world counts strength.  The child born in Bethlehem was the epitome of weakness and vulnerability.  Yet, the strength which lay in that vulnerable child was greater than anyone could ever imagine.

Joseph Stalin sneered when advised that the Pope requested a promise of restraint by Soviet armies and he mocked, “How many divisions does the Pope have?”  His successors later found that the might arising from people of faith was far greater than that of those dependent upon tanks and guns could ever imagine.  Might and power were to be revealed through that wee baby boy lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem.

So it continues to this day.  Two cities vie for the affections of the people of this dying world.  One city is that which is of the earth.  It is attractive to the man of this earth, promising power and pleasure and promoting possessions as the greatest good.  Those identified with this fallen world seek to participate in that world through pushing and struggling to succeed by the criteria of the world.  The other city is the City of God, a city which draws its citizens from among those who have died to self that they may be made alive in Christ the Lord.  It is a city in which servants reign and in which the humble are exalted.  It is a city in which those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are filled and in which those who seek peace are blessed.

There was more than mere physical preparation for the advent of God’s Son.  Human hearts were longing for peace.  Human hearts were seeking fulfilment.  Throughout the Empire a veritable explosion of religions had occurred as hearts sought solace from the burden of daily life.  Even among the people of God were those, such as Simeon, who were waiting for the consolation of Israel [see Luke 2:25], and such as Anna who looked forward to the redemption of Jerusalem [see Luke 2:38].  Joseph of Arimathea was also a man waiting for the kingdom of God [see Luke 23:50, 51].  There appears to have been a sense of anticipation as human hearts were prepared through their empty way of life for the advent of this One who would be known as the King of kings.

Who would expect a ruler to come from among the Jews?  They were a weak and conquered people, who though somewhat factitious, were nevertheless willing to surrender their sovereignty for peace.  They were despised, even by their neighbours.  Many among the Jewish people had become thoroughly identified with their former rulers, the Greeks.  Though not everyone was sympathetic with Grecian ideas or Hellenistic ideals, the nation as a whole had been thoroughly compromised so that it was difficult, if not impossible, to imagine that greatness could reside among them.

A Disgraced Family —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.

Separated by time from the events of that historic birth, it is easy to forget the humility which attended the birth of the Son of God.  Ours is a world which increasingly accepts a casual view of marriage.  Politicians debate the definition of marriage and our entertainers promote the idea that single mothers have no handicaps in raising children and we wonder why youth are increasingly confused about morality.  We teach our children how to have safe sex and ensure that they have ready access to condoms, and then we marvel at the spectacle of babies having babies.  Abortion has become the moral eraser of this day, wielded as the means to assure guilt-free sex, yet women continue to suffer excruciating anguish over the death of their children.  All the linguistic terpsichore cannot change the fact that a foetus is a baby, and mothers who are coerced into ridding themselves of the product of conception discover that truth to their horror only too late.

Mary was a teenage girl when she was betrothed to Joseph.  Girls were pledged to be married when they were between twelve and fourteen years of age.  Perhaps no more than twelve years of age, this young girl was called upon to bear the Son of God.  Earlier, in this same Gospel, we read of the angel’s annunciation to Mary, revealing God’s will.  Perhaps we would benefit from reading again the familiar account which Luke provides.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured!  The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.  “May it be to me as you have said.”  Then the angel left her [Luke 1:26-38].

The impact of the words is obscured by their very familiarity to us.  Mary was being called to expose herself to rejection and ridicule.  Immorality was grounds for a death sentence under the Law of Moses, the Law under which ancient Palestine conducted daily life.  At the very least, she would be ostracised and excluded from polite company.  The child she would bear would ever after be identified as a bastard.

Joseph, her intended husband, understood the significance of her condition.  We need to read again the familiar words of Matthew’s Gospel.  This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly [Matthew 1:18, 19].

How it must have stung whenever the Jewish leaders flung in Jesus’ face their sneering remark, We are not illegitimate children [John 8:41].  Throughout His days in the flesh He lived under the opprobrium of an illegitimate birth.  Mary was called to endure the ignominy of being identified as a woman who bore a child out of wedlock.  True, she did not have to wear a scarlet letter, but she did have to endure the knowing glances, the sly comments, and the common knowledge that she was an unmarried woman with child.

Joseph, also, bore the shame of a man marrying a woman with a child not his own.  It was through divine intervention that he was able to accept this, though I doubt not that the disgrace heaped upon him by a thoughtless society was nevertheless painful.  You will no doubt recall that an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

In that same text we read that all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

Manly Joseph did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus [Matthew 1:20-25].

How would you have written the Christmas story?  Would the Son of God be born in disgrace?  Would you choose a teenage girl to bear Him into the world?  Would you risk everything on inexperienced and disgraced children such as Mary and Joseph to ensure that the Son of God would be cared for and protected?  It pleased God to choose that which appears vulnerable and risky to us.

Perhaps there is more in Mary’s words than we imagine.  I am the Lord’s servant…  May it be to me as you have said.  Perhaps we are so focused on the means by which this world operates that we have forgotten that God chooses that which is weak, that which is lowly, and that which is despised, so that no one may boast before Him [1 Corinthians 1:27-29].

Look at what we have.  Two individuals marching under Caesar’s orders.  Though Joseph is of David’s royal lineage, he is not exempt from registering.  He is nevertheless required to go up to his ancestral city that he may be registered, permitting him to be taxed.  Compelled by events to travel the ninety odd miles with him is the young girl betrothed to him, Mary.  Yet, this teenage girl carries in her womb the Son of God.  Think of that!  Her womb has become the tabernacle in which the Son of God prepares Himself to present Himself as the sacrifice for the sin of all mankind!

A Sheepcote — 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.

If we could somehow look down to see matters as God sees them, how different they would look.  The man and woman journeying to be enrolled are not pawns in some Machiavellian play, but they are divinely guided to a destiny with grace.  They are going up to Bethlehem because of the edict issued by Caesar Augustus—an edict which touched everyone and exempted no one.  However, in my Bible I find a prophecy written at least six hundred fifty years before this great event.

Long years before the Son of God was born, the Prophet Micah foretold His birth.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of

Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.

[Micah 5:2]

Perhaps some today might question whether a prophecy such as this is sufficiently specific to identify the place of the birth of the Son of God.  We need to read the account of the visit of the Magi to the Child which was born to discover that this was the ancient understanding of that text.  Turn again to Matthew’s Gospel and the second chapter.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.  “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

[Matthew 2:1-6]

Reading this prophecy, I realise that the One who is to be born is not the insignificant one; the insignificant one is Caesar Augustus.  It is Caesar who is the puppet, acting in ignorance to ensure that the prophecy of God is fulfilled.  The prophecy spoke of the child as being great to the ends of the earth [see Micah 5:4].  This is hegemony.  Caesar August thought he had gained it, but he never had.  This child, however, achieves hegemony by divine decree.

In Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary entered a city filled with pilgrims arriving to be registered.  The town was full.  They found no room in the inn, so the child was born in a sheepcote, perhaps in a cave redolent with the stench of dung from generations of sheep.  Again, the Son of God bypassed palaces and castles to be born in the most humble circumstances imaginable.  Permit me to correct one misperception.

There is no harsh innkeeper.  Where do you find this individual?  He does not exist because the weary travellers did not seek to stay in an inn as we envision an inn.  There are two words commonly translated inn in the Koine Greek of the New Testament.  One of those words is the Greek word pandocei`on [see Luke 10:34].  This would be a place with a host, with apartments and provisions.  It may interest you to discover that this is not the word used in our account, however. 

The word which Doctor Luke employs is katavluma, which is no more than a caravanserai, a mere enclosure where cattle could be driven for the night.  Perhaps there were rooms for herdsmen watching their cattle, but there was no provision for food.  There would be water, but there would have been no host, no food, no entertainment…  In short, it was not an inn or a hostel, but a cattle pen.  For the sake of accuracy, I am compelled to disabuse you of the thought of a heartless innkeeper.  Also, there is no hint of Joseph and Mary’s poverty as the reason they were unable to obtain lodging.  Luke is careful to stress that it was a matter of demand occasioned by the influx of travellers compelled by imperial edict to attend to the business of the Empire.  What is important is that there was no room for Mary to bear her child because of the influx of people.

During the days they were in Bethlehem, her time to deliver her child came.  How simply does the Word of God record the event!  She gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  Since the child was laid in a manger, we might logically draw the inference that He was born in an out building.  Surrounding Bethlehem are many caves used for centuries as shelter for sheep raised in that region.  The caves would provide rude shelter, and with clean straw strewn on the floor there would be a place to rest.  It is a logical assumption that Joseph took Mary to one of these caves where the Son of God would be born.

Without midwife, without physician or nurse, scared and assisted only by her terrified husband, Mary delivered her firstborn.  When Doctor Luke speaks of this child as her firstborn, he tells us much more than we might imagine.  He is called firstborn to indicate that Mary had other children later (cf. Matthew 12:46, 47; Luke 8:19, 20].  Certainly, Luke’s words indicate that this was her eldest child, the first of her children. 

Firstborn does not mean only first in time; it means also first in place, first in order, first in importance.  In the New Testament He is called “Firstborn of creation.”  He is called “Firstborn from the dead.”  He is called “Firstborn among many brethren.”  And there is yet a profounder note.  Who is this child?  The Son of God.  That is what happened in that manger.  There in that little town of Bethlehem Ephrathah, the Son of God in human form had entered the stream of human history.[1]

A Manger —She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Earlier, I noted that there is no account of a hard-hearted innkeeper.  Now I must destroy yet another Christmas myth.  There is no mention of animals.  Yes, the child was laid out in a feed trough, but there is no mention of animals attending the birth of the Son of God.  When the baby was born, His mother bound Him tightly in strips of cloth [literally, she swaddled Him].  This would be one of the identifying marks for those coming to worship as result of the angelic announcement [see Luke 2:12].

The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, is a paradox.  Born in a shelter normally reserved for stabling animals, He was laid in a manger.  The event was insignificant at the time, as two young people compelled by the might of the Roman Empire travelled to Bethlehem where He was born.  It was all a matter of chance, wasn’t it?  It was only a matter of “chance” that the Emperor decreed the census at just this time, wasn’t it?  It was only a matter of “chance” that Mary, feeling ostracised and excluded would make this particular journey with her intended husband, wasn’t it?  Though his family had the right heritage—pious Davidic parents—a stable was Messiah’s first throne room.  What I would have you remember, again, are the humble beginnings of the Messiah.  From just such humble beginnings will emerge the rising sun … from heaven [Luke 1:78].

Applications for Advent — There are several truths which I believe must be stressed if we will benefit fully from the knowledge of how God introduced His Son into the world.  Perhaps you wish to write these thoughts down on your bulletin for consideration later as you review the message.  Perhaps you wish to job yourself a note in your Bible near the text.  In any case, I urge you to take note of the following points for emphasis.

First, we need to know that because God chose humble means to introduce His Son into the world, the most humble among us can find a welcome with Him.  How often have I presented Christ to an individual only to have that person refuse to commit himself or herself to the Saviour because they felt themselves to live in circumstances which were too humble to be received.  They feared that church was no place for someone of such humble means.  They feared that they would be looked down upon by the good people of the church. 

Christ Himself knows what it is to live humbly; therefore, He is able to receive anyone.  Recall an event in the life of the Master when an individual approached Him, saying I will follow you wherever you go.  Jesus’ reply to this man is telling and touching. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head [Luke 9:58]. 

God pity the church which has become so ostentatious or which has become so self-centred that it fails to gladly receive those whom the Saviour loves and to whom He reaches out.  Should such pompous individuals reside among us, may God deflate them, reminding each of us of our humble origins.  As Christians, we need to remember the admonition from James, the brother of our Lord.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  But you have insulted the poor.  Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?  Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court [James 2:1-6]?

Because God chose not to shield His Son from grief and sorrow, He knows our deepest hurts and will give us relief in time of trial.  This is the second truth which can comfort and encourage us at this Christmastide.  Both the mother of Jesus and the Saviour Himself experience ostracism and rejection.  They were ridiculed and marginalised by polite society.  Long years before His birth, the Spirit said to the Son:

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all. 

[Isaiah 53:1-6]

What a description of the Saviour!  How unlike anything we imagined!  Possessing no beauty or majesty, He was unattractive and undesirable in our eyes.  The Son of God was despised and rejected … we esteemed Him not.  The songwriter has written truthfully:

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim!

Hallelujah!  What a Saviour![2]

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need [Hebrews 4:14-16].

Because God prophesied in such minute detail the coming of His Son, we can be confident that He is who He claims to be and assured that He will save us as He promises.  Peter, with benefit of hindsight, is able to write that you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God [1 Peter 1:18-21]

Born of a virgin, as Isaiah prophesied, supported by Jeremiah and the promise of the Creator in the Garden of Eden.  Born in Bethlehem, just as Micah had promised under inspiration of the Spirit of God.  Born to provide a sacrifice for all mankind, as all the prophets agree.  This is the message of Christmas to this day.  To all who will receive Him, He is the Saviour.

Now, if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

Our invitation to you during this Christmas season is to receive the gift of life which is in Christ Jesus as Lord.  To all who will humbly receive Him, come and welcome a thousand times over.  To all who think themselves poor and unable to contribute, come receive the rich gifts which the Father longs to lavish on all who look to His Son.  To all who hurt, come that He may give you peace and restore your soul.  To all who long for life, come that you may live together with Him.  To all who will honour Him, come worship this Christ the Son of God.  Amen.


----

[1] G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Luke (Revell, Old Tappen NJ 1931) 36

[2] Philip P. Bliss, Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!

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