The Greatest Birth Story Ever Shared

 The Greatest Birth Story Ever Shared

Luke 2:1-20

 

Illus. Birth Stories.

 

In the weeks leading up to this, we looked at some of the promises given surrounding the birth story of our Savior. Certain Scriptures in the Old Testament began to tell the story of Jesus’ birth long before He was born…

Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.         

Isaiah 9:2, The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.

Isaiah 9:6, For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

700 years prior to the birth of Jesus Christ, the Lord, through the prophets had given a “picture” of the Child the coming, the circumstances that would surround His arrival. And this morning we will study the arrival of the Child who Isaiah declared would be born to us, the Son given to us.

We know from Isaiah 7:14 that the Savior was going to be born of a virgin, that she would give birth to a son, and the Son would be Immanuel, God with us. This child was going to serve as a sign from God. In Luke 1 the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, to let her know that she was the virgin who would bear and birth Immanuel. In Matthew one, the angel comes to Joseph, who was engaged to Mary. After he found out that she was pregnant, he did not know what to make of it and was going to end the engagement…That is when the angel came to Joseph and told him that Mary was pregnant with Immanuel, God with us, that this was a work of the Holy Spirit, the Child’s name would be Jesus, and He would save people from their sins! It is there that the angel quoted Isaiah 7:14 to Joseph, and so Joseph agrees to take Mary as his wife, and in Luke 2, we see the journey continue as Mary gives birth to Jesus, the Savior! As we review the greatest birth story ever shared this morning, I want to center the rest of our time looking at four details shared in Luke 2, that show how the greatest birth story ever shared was not just great at its time, but it is the greatest birth story that could ever be shared with you and I. Specifically, we will look at the Savior, the setting, your status, and your story!

1. Make Room for the Savior in Every Setting

 

Luke 2:1, Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

 

• Through a Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. The order was sent out for all in the land to take part in a census, the purpose for the census was twofold…

 

• The first, was to make sure everyone was being taxed. They needed to find out how many people were there to levy a tax to fund the government well.

 

• Taxes are a reality in our day, and they most certainly were in those days. There were several types of taxes, cattle tax, land tax, sales tax, wealth taxes, head taxes, and more.

 

• The other reason for the census was to shoe greatness of the Roman world under the rule of Caesar. The amount of people, and military men available was all a part of this.

 

• Caesar Augustus was the name of the king who issued the decree. His name, “Augustus,” means “exalted,” “sacred,” or “honored” one.

 

• It was a name given to him by the Roman Senate on January 16, in the year 27 BC. His real name was Gaius Octavius, or Octavian.

 

• Upon becoming ruler, he was given and took on the name August, “Exalted One.”

 

• In addition to the name, the Roman Senate gave him a title, “the savior of the world.”

 

• The Roman Senate encouraged worship of Augustus, and he encouraged worship of himself. He put his picture on the coins with this sentence underneath his picture, “Son of God.”

 

• What we know, is that through this order, the way was being prepared for Jesus, the Savior, to be born in the way the Scriptures declared, to the virgin (Is. 7:14), which Luke shared in chapter 1, was a young woman named Mary.

 

Luke 2:3-6, And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

 

• Scholars note that it was not typically a Roman requirement for people to register in your own city, or city of origin. They wanted people to register, be counted and pay taxes, it wasn’t of great concern where people paid their taxes, as long as they paid them.

 

• Going to one’s own city is believed to be a Jewish requirement. There was a great deal of attention put on genealogy and family lineage, particularly, the tribal association in Israel.

 

• Joseph was of the tribe of Judah; his city was Bethlehem.

 

• When the census was ordered, Mary and Joseph were in Nazareth, so they responded to it by journeying 80 to 90-miles from the town of Nazareth to the little town of Bethlehem…

 

• This journey would make the way for them to register properly in the census, but also and more importantly, for the One true Son of God to be born in the place that prophesied or foretold in the Scriptures 700 years prior…

 

Micah 5:2, But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

• Bethlehem was a little town, “too little to be among the clans of Judah,” as noted in Micah 5. Estimates are that at the time of Jesus’ birth, less than 1,000 people lived there.

 

• The suggestion is of tribal counts. When tribes were counted, there were divided into thousands when counted. At less than 1,000, not much counting was going on.

 

• We also know that when allotments of land were given out in Joshua chapter 15, Judah was given the layout of the land given to his tribe. Though Bethlehem was given to him, it was not a city mentioned by name in the allotment….Why? It was too little to be among the thousands in Judah.

 

• That is the setting Jesus was born in. A small town, about 5 miles from Jerusalem.

 

Luke 2:7, And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

• After Jesus was born, He was placed in a manger, which was a feeding trough for animals.

 

• When you think of a manger, most likely you think of a little wooden crib like we see in most nativity scenes.

 

• Interestingly, a manger was a piece of stone. It was about 3 feet high, and 3 to 5 feet wide. It was used for animal food or hay. A stone feeding trough.

 

• As we set the scene, we also can consider the room they were potentially in. We know there was no room at the inn, so many suggest since there was a manger, Jesus was born in a stable. Others suggest he was born in a cave.

 

• Three times in this chapter Luke mentions that Jesus was laid in a manger. Where He was laid then, seems important, and uncommon.

 

• The shepherds will be able to find him based upon the fact that He was lying in a manger.

 

• We do not know with certainty every key detail; however, we know that the accommodations were not ideal. Not a place Mary and Joseph would want to place their newborn son.

 

• That said, it was where Jesus was laid upon His entry into the world in human flesh because there was no room for Him in a more proper place.

 

Illus. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-29, For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no human may boast before God. 

 

• What became true of that little town once Jesus was born there, is important for us to see. That God takes the small and weak things and makes them great, but also our opportunity to make room for what He can do, no matter our current setting.

 

• There was no room for them at the inn. Jesus was and is God’s gift to the world, yet upon the arrival of that gift which had been given… there was no room, no availability.

 

John 1:11, He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

 

Illus. Can I come in?

 

1. See That the Good News Is Not Subject to Your Status

 

Luke 2:8-9, In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”

 

• After Jesus is born, the news of His arrival, the good news of great joy is shared with a most unlikely group of people. God send an angel of the Lord to Shepherds.

 

• They were an unlikely group due their social status in that day.

 

Illus. Why unlikely?

 

• The angel of the Lord appeared to them in the dark of night. The angel came suddenly and stood near then, with the glory of the Lord shining around them…and they were terribly frightened.

 

• The angel told them to not be afraid, and then “for behold…” We have looked at these two words, “for,” and “behold,” the last couple weeks, and they are worth again noting.

 

• We looked at the words in Hebrew, but here, in NT Greek, the angel says, “for behold.”

 

• The word for is a word of contrast…Like saying “because.” Behold is to look, see, or recognize something.

 

• “Be aware,” why? “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”

 

Luke 2:11-12, For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 

• The substance of this good news is that the Savior, Christ the Lord has been born, and the angel makes it specific by saying, the Savior, Christ the Lord has been born for you.

 

• This great joy is written about in 1 Peter 1:8, it is the joy found in Jesus, inexpressible, full of glory, and sure for those who have been forgiven through faith in Him.

 

John 10:10, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

• The angel makes it clear to the shepherds, Jesus is good news of great joy for all people, and He was born for you.

 

• The angel continued by telling the shepherds exactly how to find Him. They would find a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.

 

• The angel understood that these shepherds would go looking for this child, therefore, the way to find Him is given…

 

• For us as well, the way to Jesus has been given. The sign has been given, the very Word of God, and the way to Him is displayed throughout Scripture.

 

• This Child is the Savior! Savior of what? You might ask.

 

• In Matthew 1:21, we read that this Child, would save His people from their sins.

 

John 1:12-13, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

 

• At first, just one angel shows up and speaks to the shepherds. Then came the announcement, and how they could find the Savior.

 

Luke 2:13-14, And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

 

• Here we go from one angel to a multitude of the heavenly army of angels.

 

• How big was this heavenly army? The exact number is not known; however, we see in Revelation 5 a description of the multitude of angels John sees. It reads there, “myriads of myriads” or 10,000’s or 10,000’s.

 

• Glory to God in the highest they declared and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.

 

Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (NIV)

 

• Upon whom does His favor rest? Those who are in Christ, those who receive Him (In 1:5-6, the same word the angel declared to Mary “favored” is declared to those in Christ: Highly favored, greatly blessed, freely given, by His grace).

 

• The good news was given to the lowly shepherds. It was not subject to their status in society, or something extraordinary or amazing they were doing.

 

• It was good news given, for all people.

 

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

The good news of great joy…The Savior of the world was given for all people…For you…For the whoever’s,

 

Given freely, not subject to status or exclusivity…

 

For whoever believes in Him…

 

Illus. Address.

 

III.  Give God Glory When You Share Your Story

 

Luke 2:15, When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Finding Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they began sharing the story of the angels’ announcement regarding Jesus’ birth.

 

• The room was filled with amazement and confirmation of the calling the Lord placed on Mary to birth and bear Jesus. A confirmation for Joseph who chose the Lord’s path in choosing to remain with Mary and be the earthly father to Jesus.

 

• In the shepherds’ brief encounter, they brought confirmation of Christ’s divinity, and while all was calm, Jesus perhaps sleeping in heavenly peace…These shepherds told the story of the loud praise going on in heaven.

 

• The shepherds did not stop talking about this after leaving Mary and Joseph.

Luke 2:17-18, When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (NIV)

• These lowly shepherds thus became the first human witnesses of the good news of Jesus.

Luke 2:19-20, But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

• The shepherds continued glorifying and praising the Lord for all they had heard and seen.

 

• They followed a form that is found in many who put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1. They heard the news that the Savior has come,
2. They believed it,
3. Came to find Him, and
4. Went out to tell the world what they had heard, seen, and been told!

 

• What if when the angels left, the shepherds turned to one another and said, “that was really cool!” But decided to stay out in the fields?

 

• Who would have heard about Jesus? How would the story be different? Certainly, our manger scenes would be quite different, but after hearing from God’s messengers, they went out and shared what they heard.

 

• Bringing that same good news of great joy to all who heard!

 

Mark 16:15, And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

 

• Gospel means “good news” …Go into all the world and tell them the good news and great joy, that the Savior has come and you found Him!

 

Romans 10:13-14, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

 

• To whom do you need to recount what you’ve heard from God’s messengers? To whom do you need to tell the story of Jesus’ birth in this world and in your life?

 

Luke 2:1-20