I preached a Christmas message this past Sunday, December 21 in Greensburg, Kansas, at the Greensburg Christian Church. Barb and I had a great time. We greatly enjoyed meeting so many outstsanding people who walk with Jesus. It was great to be back in the pulpit. Looking forward to returning there sometime soon.
Tomorrow is Christmas day, a day for celebrating the birth of our Savior. The birth of Jesus in a lowly stable out back behind an inn that had no rooms available was hardly what Mary and Joseph had in mind for a deliverly room. But then who would even consider second-guessing God? They certaiinly would not. The stable was just fine, and the manger worked perfect as a cradle.
The central part of the Christmas story is found in Luke 2:1-20. The first seven verses tell of the birth of Jesus in the stable, while verses 8-20 tell us about the role of the shepherds. They were called upon by God to announce His birth to the world. So let's dig in!
The Christmas story has everything a great story needs. There is amazement, along with conflict and fear as the story begins. There is an upright man who is engaged to be married, but he finds out his wife-to-be is with child. What should he do? How will he handle this delicate situation? Then an angel appears in a dream and tells him of wondrous things he couldn’t even imagine.
There is concern, as well as anticipation as the story continues and a census is required. Joseph and Mary make a long, treacherous journey from Galilee down to Judah, to the city of Bethlehem, the city of their ancestors.
There is drama throughout, from the journey itself, to their arrival in Bethlehem where the streets are crowded with all sorts of people and there are no rooms available in any of the inns. Seeing that Mary was with child, a kind innkeeper allows them to stay in the stable out back, where soon Jesus is born.
Then there is also political intrigue; a government wanting to eliminate anything that might affect the status quo and a king seeking to find and kill this baby, a baby people refer to as a King. Again, danger is in the mix as eventually Joseph, warned in a dream, has to take Mary and baby Jesus and flee for their lives to Egypt.
And yet the Christmas story is really quite simple and straight forward. It begins in an insignificant village, Nazareth, when an angel of God visits Mary and Joseph separately. It ends in another insignificant little town, Bethlehem, when baby Jesus is born in a stable and laid in a manger.
But that is what makes everything about the Christmas story so intriguing! In insignificant places, Nazareth and Bethlehem, God finds and uses insignificant people, a carpenter and his betrothed wife, and through an insignificant event, the birth of a baby, He changes the world!
The 'happening' places of the world at that time were Rome and Syria. The world rulers lived there. No one gave much thought to Palestine, tucked away in a small little pocket of the Roman Lake, also known as the Mediterranean Sea, except God.
When God comes near, everything changes. When God acts, the important places become less important and the insignificant places of the world suddenly become important and are noticed.
The Christmas story focuses on little places, like Nazareth and Bethlehem. When the order was given for the census (Luke 2:1-2), “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child.” (vs. 4-5).
Nathanael once asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). That is how the world viewed these small towns—as insignificant. Yet it was in Nazareth where God found Mary, a faithful woman, and Joseph, a faithful man, and put His work of salvation in motion. Yes Nathanael, something good can come out of Nazareth.
Bethlehem is called “the city of David” because David was born there, but it really was not a city of any noticeable size and it had no great importance as far as the world was concerned. “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).
Who would expect anything great to take place involving a manger in a stable? Yet that is where Jesus was born. And God visited the fields outside of Bethlehem, where the shepherds were watching their sheep, to announce the birth of His Son. “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (vs. 10-12).
When God comes near, common things are no longer common. When God comes near, insignificant places are remembered throughout history. When God comes near, ordinary things are looked upon with favor and even remind us of the great things God has done.
The important people of the world were Caesar Augustus and Quirinius (vs. 1-2). But they weren’t called on by God. He used them in a way, but He didn’t call them to do His work. No, He called on the common folk.
First there is the young poor couple from Nazareth, Joseph and Mary (vs. 4-5). Joseph was but a poor carpenter, albeit a good one, and Mary was just a young teenager. Yet they were chosen by God for a great work; a work that would ultimately change the entire world.
God also chose the shepherds: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (v. 8). Throughout the Bible shepherds had important roles, as we see in this story, but socially they were outcasts. They were considered unreliable, untrustworthy, and larcenous. In the eyes of the world they were insignificant, yet God chose to use them.
“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (vs. 15-16). They never expected to hear such things or see such sights, but they did.
God chose the despised shepherds to carry the announcement of the birth of the Savior to the world. And they did not disappoint. “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (v. 17). “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (v. 20).
Even the lowly innkeeper was chosen by God to see that Mary and Joseph were not left out in the elements that night. The innkeeper is so insignificant a person that he is not even mentioned in the text. There is only a slight reference to his role: “because there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7b). Yet it was this unnamed innkeeper whom God used to protect the baby Jesus and keep Him warm.
God uses common people still today to do His work. He uses towns like the one you live in, churches like the one you attend, and people like you to do His bidding. Simply respond to God as Mary did to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).
The big events of the day would be plastered all across the front page of the morning paper in Bethlehem. You would read all about the census. It may even mention the enormous influx of people and catch everyone up on how the economy is fairing because of the people and all the money being spent in local businesses. But a baby born to a poor carpenter? At best you might find it in the “living section,” somewhere around page 5 in section D. Most people wouldn’t see it as important enough, even though it was unusual, having occurred in a stable.
But that one event, the birth of Christ, would ultimately overshadow everything else that went on there that day. The rest of the news that day is gone. The census that was taken is only known because of the role it played in bringing Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It is but a minor detail in the great event. What everyone remembers is the birth of Jesus, the birth of our Savior. That is the most important event of the day. Why? Because God came near and a Savior was born.
An ordinary event. Yet to the believer, an event that is anything but ordinary. God came near and prophecy was fulfilled. God came near and a virgin was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), conceived, and gave birth to the Savior. God came near and lowly shepherds were visited by angels and brought the good news of the birth of the Savior to the people (Luke 2:17). God came near and wise men from the east saw a star that guided them to the Savior (Matt. 2:1-2, 9-10). God came near and Joseph was warned in a dream about King Herod and fled to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus to keep Him safe (Matt. 2:13-15).
Another event about thirty-three years later would finish what God started that first Christmas morning. That baby grew and though He “knew no sin” He became “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The birth led to the cross, providing forgiveness of sin and salvation.
That is the ultimate truth of the Christmas story. It is God coming near to provide salvation for us. It is about God coming near to us still today. All places, all people, and all events matter to God. You matter to God! We tend to see ourselves as insignificant. In the greater scheme of things in this world we think we are of little importance. But you are just the person God most wants to use to accomplish His purposes. Have a little faith. Let Him have all of you. And let God use you to His glory. Amen.
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