“The Savior is Born”
[Luke
2:1-20]
December 25, 2016 Second Reformed
Church
The Savior is born.
After Adam and Eve sinned in the
Garden, God made this promise against the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and
you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV).
This verse is considered the first promise of the coming of the Savior; there
will be hatred between the woman and the forces of Satan, and the day would
come when the wicked will hurt her Son, the Savior, but her Son will be
victorious over the forces of darkness.
We celebrate the birth of the Son of
Eve, the Son of Mary, today, on Christmas.
Some two thousand years ago, in Bethlehem of Judea, Jesus was born. And we see:
First, the birth of the Savior is
historical.
“In those days a decree went out
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the
first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be
registered, each to his own town. 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, to be registered
with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the
time came for her to give birth. 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.”
We might ask, “who cares?” about the
historical figures Luke mentions at the beginning of his history. But that is the point: Luke wrote his Gospel with specific reference
to historical people and events to show that the birth of Jesus, the Savior, is
not a mythology – it is a true story that happened in history and can be pinned
down by eyewitness testimony and historical events.
Christianity is the only religion
that stands or falls on its historicity.
If Jesus was not born – God in the flesh – and did not live under God’s
Law sinlessly, die for our sins, and physically rise from the dead – in
reality, in history – not as a myth – not as wishful thinking – not as a
metaphor that we can be inspired by – but honest-to-God, real live history,
then Christianity is a ridiculous waste of time.
Paul writes: “If in Christ we have
hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the
dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20,
ESV).
In other words, if the history of Jesus –
Who He is and what He did – is just a moral tale that we hold to in this life
and affects nothing about the life to come – then we are the most pitiable
people who ever lived.
But, the fact is that God came to earth in
the person of Jesus, lived, died, and physically rose from the dead and
ascended back to His throne. Amen!
So Luke guides us to the truth of
the history of the birth Jesus by placing it in time: During the reign of Caesar Augustus and Herod
the Great. Their overlapping years were
27 B.C. to 4 A.D. During the governorship
of Quirinius, when the first census was called, which seems to have occurred
about 5 B. C. – which is in the period that Augustus and Herod rule, so Jesus
was born about 5 B. C. on our modern time line.
Thus, we have a reasonably sure year of Jesus’ birth and we can look at
historical records around that time and see what they tell us.
Luke tells us that at this time in
history, there was a man named Joseph and a woman named Mary, who lived in
Nazareth of Galilee, and they were betrothed – remember, we talk about
betrothal and how it is a legal engagement that lasted about a year and
required a divorce to get out of. And
Mary was with child – as we know – by God the Holy Spirit.
Joseph had been met by the angel who
explained this to him and told him to name the child, “Jesus,” because He would
save His people. Joseph adopted Jesus as
his son so Jesus would be of the line of David – as Joseph was, so He would
fulfill the prophecy of Jesus being of the line of David.
But by the time they got to
Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn, so they had to stay in the area where
the animals were kept, and while they were there for the census, Mary gave
birth to her firstborn son (which indicates that she had more children – which
we do find in the Gospels), wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and lay him in a
manger – in a feeding troth.
This is not just a story – it is
real history. At the point when two
kings, a governor, and a census meet in time, Mary and Joseph, who were
betrothed, went to Bethlehem, which was mobbed for the census, took lodging in
the place for the animals, and while they were there, she gave birth to her
first Child, the Son of God, Whom Joseph adopted.
With these historical markers, we
increase the believability of the story, right?
If someone tells you a story and can name the dates and times, and
people and places to confirm the story, it becomes all the more believable,
does it not? If this is not true, we
have believed a tragic tale.
And as we saw recently, it is of
absolute necessity that Jesus be born of the Virgin: He had to be born sinless – without a sin
nature – a real human being – and God Himself, to live a life of holiness to
merit our salvation and pay our debt for sin.
If this is not true, return your Christmas presents, we have nothing to
celebrate.
But it is true. The historical evidence is before us. The Savior is born.
Second, the message of the Savior’s birth
was given to common people.
“And in the same region there were
shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped
in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’”
In the same region where Joseph and
Mary were staying for the census, there were shepherds in the field at
night. The sheep would likely have been in
the sheepfold – that structure we have talked about which would have been
higher than the sheep could climb to get out and would have only one entrance/exit
that the shepherd would open to let the sheep in and out.
While the shepherds were making sure
none of the sheep got out and no predator or thief came into the sheepfold, the
Light of the Glory of God shone – brighter than you can imagine – and the shepherds
were terrified. Added to that, there was
an angel in the midst of the Glory.
And the angel told them not to be
afraid, because the angel was giving them the news that the Savior – the Christ
– had been born in the city of David – Bethlehem, just as the prophets foretold.
And we would probably shrug at the
angel telling the shepherds this news – expecting the shepherds to follow up on
it and spread it, but we need to understand the status of shepherds in first
century Israel: “In Christ’s day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the
Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax
collectors and dung sweepers” (http://www.epm.org/resources/2008/Mar/11/shepherds-status/).
They were considered almost as unreliable as women!
If we put it in today’s
terms…what?...used car salesmen?
If you had a message of the greatest
importance, who would you give it to to make sure it gets spread to the whole
world? Perhaps the President, so he
could break through all the radio and TV programs and get the word out?
Why was this earth-shattering
announcement given to the shepherds – people who we outcasts – who were looked
down upon and not believed?
Because Jesus fulfilled this
prophecy: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed
me to bring good news to the poor; he
has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and
the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the
LORD's favor,” (Isaiah 61:1-2a, ESV).
Jesus came for those who need Him
and know they need Him. It is easier for
the poor and the rejected – those who have suffered – to have a realistic look
at themselves and admit that they need to be saved – they need to be saved.
As Paul writes, “For consider your
calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,
not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is
foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to
shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things
that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might
boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who
became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1
Corinthians 1:26-31, ESV).
Jesus is for those who know they are
sick, lost, unable, unworthy…
The shepherds understood – and they
were filled with excitement! The angels
told them the newborn Savior was the Child in swaddling cloths, lying in a
manger in Bethlehem.
And the sky exploded with angels –
from east to west and south and north – an angel choir – before the shepherds –
proclaiming:
Glory to God in the highest! God is worthy to be magnified and known for
all His Attributes – the One True God Who keeps His promises and brings His
Savior to God’s people. In the highest
way possible – tell how great this God is!
And peace among those with whom He
is well-pleased. God is no longer
bearing down His Wrath on all those Who believe savingly in His Savior. We are forgiven! God has sent the Savior to take our
punishment – and He brings peace between us and God. Jesus ends the war between God and all those
who believe in Him by His Incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
John Lennon sings, “A very Merry
Christmas, And a happy new year, Let's hope it's a good one, Without any fear, War
is over, if you want it, War is over now” (http://www.metrolyrics.com/happy-christmas-war-is-over-lyrics-john-lennon.html).
He didn’t mean it this way, but what
he sings is true – it is the message of the angels to the shepherds to all us
common folk: through Jesus Christ, our
war with God is over – if you believe – war is over now.
Third, the birth of the Savior
causes us to glorify and praise God and tell others.
“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.’ And
they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them
concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told
them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and
seen, as it had been told them.”
When the angels went back into
Heaven, the shepherds looked at each other and said, “Let’s go! Let’s go see this historical event. Let’s go see this historical event of good
news for all kinds of people that God revealed to us common people.”
And they ran as fast as they could
and got to the town of Bethlehem and went from house to house, looking for the
Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger, and they found Mary and
joseph, and told them and everyone else who was there what the angels had said.
Did you notice that? Our crèches are too small! The shepherds told all the people who were
there – it wouldn’t say all the people, if it was just Mary and Joseph, a cat,
a dog, a cow, and a donkey! Other people
had been drawn to the birthplace of the Son of God. (And it wasn’t the Magi – they came later.)
And all the people wondered at
it. They didn’t wonder if it was true or
not, they were in a state of wonder, that this good news had come – that after
all these long centuries, the Savior had finally come, that everything was
about to change for the better as far as salvation is concerned. What a wonder – that God would come to earth
as a human Baby to pay the debt owed to God.
But Mary treasured up and pondered
what the shepherds told them. As Mary
had been told by an angel about the Child she bore: “And behold, you will conceive
in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give
to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33, ESV). Mary deeply reflected on all these things.
But the shepherds went back to their
sheepfolds, praising and glorifying God that they were able to see the
historical truth of the birth of the promised Savior. They went back to their sheepfolds, praising
and glorifying God that they were chosen to receive the Good News of great joy
from the angels – and has made ambassadors of God with the message.
And as they went back – they told
everyone. They couldn’t help it. They had to tell everyone. The greatest news that will ever be told had
been given to them, and they couldn’t keep it in: “It’s historical, and we saw
Him. It’s for all peoples – through us –
the ones everyone else ignores and looks down on.”
You and I have been called as
well. We are to be a people who
naturally praise and glorify God as we hear what God has said – especially
about His saving us by Himself through the birth and history of this Baby.
It’s time, beloved, the Savior is
born. There is a historical record that
this is all real. We have a message to
share with the world. And Jesus has told
us to go – go to your family, and your neighbors, and those weird people you
usually try to avoid, and different ones of us – throughout the Creation.
The Savior is born. God has saved everyone who will ever believe.
Merry Christmas. The Savior is born.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, who are we that You
would sent Your Son to earth as a human Baby to save us? Oh, Lord, all we can do is rejoice and
glorify You and tell other people the Good News. Lord, unloose our tongues, free us from our
inhibitions, give us goofy smiles, and joyful hearts that we would tell someone
and then tell again: The Savior is
born. And we pray this in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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