Luke 2:1-7
I read about a little boy who was in his first
Christmas pageant. He was 5. He was one of the
shepherds–you know, they wear their bathrobes
and their sandals and carry cardboard crooks–not
a lead shepherd, just a common shepherd standing
in the back. But when it came time for the Nativity,
he crowded around to the front so that he could
see. Then, having seen, he stepped to the footlights
and, looking out, cried out to his parents, “Mommy!
Daddy! Mary had her baby, and it’s a boy!”
Over the past few weeks we have looked at Mary’s
response to God’s grace, her song of praise and the
shepherds’ response to the Good News. This morning I
want us to take a look at the birth narrative of Jesus.
Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to pray and ask
God to speak to us through His word and teach us
everything He wants us to know this morning.
Luke 2:1-7
The Christmas story is replete with fulfilled prophecies.
Throughout the OT, God made several promises about the
birth of His Son, our Savior.
In those prophecies we see the:
The Historicity of Christmas
God promised that Jesus would be:
Human – Genesis 3:15
“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.”
Jewish – Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.”
From the tribe of Judah – Genesis 49:10
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Born of a Virgin – Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel.”
Born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.”
All of these prophecies came true at the birth of Jesus.
God said it and then God did it.
God always keeps His word.
The Humility of Christmas
The Difficult Journey
Think of how miserable it must have been for Mary to
have travelled 80 miles while being 9 months pregnant.
We aren’t certain whether or not Joseph was able to
procure an animal for Mary to ride or if they walked the
entire way. At any rate, Mary and Joseph made the long
journey which fulfilled the Scripture.
The Unsterile Delivery
Jesus was not born at Harris Methodist Bethlehem.
In fact, there was no hospital at all. There was not even a
room for them to rent to keep warm and dry.
There is no mention of a midwife or anyone to help with
the labor and delivery. They were on their own.
Mary birthed Jesus outside in an unsterile stable with the
smell of manure and hay, among the animals.
Can you think of a more humble entrance for the Son of
God to come into the world?
But that fits the character of Christ perfectly doesn’t it?
Jesus was always more concerned about others than He
was for His own needs.
Finally, let’s look at:
The Hope of Christmas
Jesus Offers Salvation from our Sins
The hope Jesus brings to earth comes in the fact that He
alone can save us from our sin. These three verses help
remind us of this truth.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved.”
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to
save the lost.”
John 14:6 “ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.’”
Outside of Jesus there is no hope.
Jesus Offers Hope of His future coming
Jesus told His disciples that He would be coming back
and that He was going to prepare a place for them in
heaven.
Titus 2:13 “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”
I Peter 1:13 “Therefore, preparing your minds for action,
and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace
that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.”
These verses speak to the fact that Jesus is coming back
from heaven one day to bring His bride up to heaven with
Him. The trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will rise,
then we who are left will be caught up with Him in the air.
APPLICATION
Remember the History –
The prophets wrote about
Jesus hundreds of years before His coming. We know that
He has come and He has changed the world and given us
hope.
Practice Humility –
Jesus showed us how to be humble
and to put the needs of others before our own. As we
think about His humble birth this Christmas season we
should take an honest look at how we view ourselves.
Humility is not thinking badly of ourselves, it’s thinking of
ourselves less frequently.
Share Hope –
Peter writes that we should always be
ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us.
Jesus is the reason for the hope we have.
Are you willing and able to share your hope this
Christmas season?