This is the reason for the season…
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The Messanger – The Chosen
(movie starts at 2:21 minutes in)
Luke 2:1-20
Contemporary English Version
The Birth of Jesus
(Matthew 1.18-25)
1 About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books
2 These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed.
4 So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea.
Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
5 Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem.
She was soon going to have a baby,
6 and while they were there, 7 she gave birth to her first-born son.
She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds
8 That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep.
9 All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them.
The shepherds were frightened.
10 But the angel said,
“Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy.
11 This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you.
He is Christ the Lord.
12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”
13 Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
14 “Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone
who pleases God.”
15 After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.
17 When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him.
18 Everyone listened and was surprised.
19 But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.
20 As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him.
Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.
____
Luke in chapter 2 ties the earthly and the heavenly natures and missions of Jesus closely together while continuing His theme of God using earth’s lowest to do God’s highest.
Heaven’s angels join earth’s shepherds to announce the birth of the One who would change history for Jew and Gentile alike.
The young lad knew his place in his Father’s house and in his father’s home.
He grew in earthly wisdom and heavenly grace.
The Romans ruled the civilized world at this time.
By contrast, Joseph controlled very little.
Against his better judgment and political convictions, he complied with the Roman order to make a long trip just to pay his taxes.
His fiancée, who had to go with him, was about to give birth.
The Romans maintained control by exerting military and economic power. But the Romans did not recognize the limits of their power.
In reality, God controls the world.
In all times and places, He works out His will.
As a result of the decree of Emperor Augustus, Jesus was born in the very town prophesied for his birth (Micah 5:2), even though His parents did not live there.
Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David.
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies that the Messiah would be born in David’s royal line (see, for example, Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 33:15; Ezekiel 37:24; Hosea 3:5).
Rome made this decree just as God intended.
Luke is the only Gospel writer to relate the events he recorded to world history.
His account was addressed to a predominantly Greek-speaking audience who would have been interested in and familiar with the political situation.
Palestine was under the rule of the Roman Empire with Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in charge.
The Roman rulers, considered to be like gods, stood in contrast to the tiny baby in a manger who was truly God in the flesh.
Sometimes we can think, I’m being obedient to God, so why aren’t things going better?
We face discomfort or inconvenience and immediately think either that we have misread God’s will or that God has made a mistake.
But watch this quiet couple as they head toward Bethlehem.
God did not soften Joseph’s bumpy road but strengthened him.
God did not provide a luxurious inn for Joseph and Mary but brought His Son into the world in humble surroundings.
When we do God’s will, we are not guaranteed comfortable lives; however, we are promised that even our discomfort and inconvenience have meaning in God’s plan.
He will guide you and provide all you need.
Like Joseph, live each day by faith, trusting that God is in charge.
In verse 7, Luke 2:7, this mention of the manger is the basis for the traditional belief that Jesus was born in a stable.
Stables were usually caves with stone feeding troughs (mangers) carved into the rock walls.
Despite popular Christmas card pictures, the surroundings were dingy, dark, and dirty.
This was not the atmosphere the Jews expected as the birthplace of the Messiah-King.
They thought their promised Messiah would be born in royal surroundings.
We should not limit God by our expectations.
He is at work wherever He is needed in our sin-darkened and dirty world.
Although our first picture of Jesus is as a baby in a manger, it must not be our last.
The Christ child in the manger is the subject of a beautiful Christmas scene, but we must not leave him there.
This tiny, helpless baby lived an amazing life, died for us, ascended into heaven, and will return to earth as King of kings.
Jesus Christ will rule the world and judge all people according to their decisions about Him.
Do you still picture Jesus as a baby in a manger—or is He your Lord?
Make sure you don’t underestimate Jesus. Let Him grow up in your life.
What a birth announcement! The shepherds were terrified, but their fear turned to joy as the angels announced the Messiah’s birth.
First the shepherds ran to see the baby; then they spread the word.
Jesus is your Messiah, your Savior.
Do you look forward to meeting Him in prayer and in His Word?
Have you discovered a Lord so wonderful that you can’t help sharing your joy with your friends?
God continued to reveal the news about His Son, but not to those we might expect.
Luke records that Jesus’ birth was first announced to shepherds in the fields.
These may have been the same shepherds who supplied the lambs for the Temple sacrifices that were performed for the forgiveness of sin.
Here the angels invited these shepherds to greet the Lamb of God (John 1:36), who would take away the sins of the world forever.
The greatest event in history had just happened!
The Messiah had been born!
For ages the Jews had waited for this, and when it finally occurred, the announcement came to humble shepherds.
The Good News is that Jesus comes to all, including the plain and the ordinary.
He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him.
Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your life.
Don’t think you need extraordinary qualifications—He accepts you as you are.
Don’t put off another day what you know you should have done yesterday…
Isaiah put it this way:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
(Isaiah 55:1-3)
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I love this song…
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