The Savior Is Born

Luke 2:1-20 - Riley Boggs

The story of Jesus is birth is one of, if not the, most popular stories in the whole Bible. Christians and non-Christians alike know the story. Around Christmas time each year everyone puts up a little nativity scene in their home and they sing Christmas songs about the Savior being born. And what interesting about that is how many of those same people live their lives as if Jesus was just another man. The story is fun to tell and celebrate because it brings back all these nostalgic memories, but what the actual story means, there’s no time for that.

There’s one glaring and obvious issue with this. If you read or hear this story, but see it as merely a story that has no bearing on your life, you’ve missed the whole point of the story. It’s a bit like reading the expiration date on a gallon of milk, seeing that it expired 4 months ago, and preceding to drink from the jug. A person who does this might have “read” the expiration date, but they have no understanding. Because, if they understood, they would know that the whole point of that little date is to inform whether or not you should drink the milk, and yet they’ve acted like it means nothing. 

So it is with the story of Jesus’s birth. If you read this story and all you leave with is, “that’s a cute story”, you’ve missed it. This story is theologically rich. There is a lot going on here, a lot to learn about how God works, who Jesus is, who God uses, and even further, it demands a response from us. My encouragement to you this morning isn’t to disregard everything you know about this story in an attempt to try and see it with new eyes. Rather, I would encourage you to consider how this well-known story should impact your theology, your life, your trust in God, or how you currently living.

With that being said, let’s dive into the story. The first thing we read, in verses 1-2, is this. “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.” What this means is that the Roman emperor has declared that a census be taken of the entire Roman empire. And so likely what would happen is everyone would have to travel back to their hometown to registered at the appropriate time. And that’s what happens in our story this morning, and since Jospeh was from Bethlehem, that is where he has to go. So Joseph and Mary, who is very pregnant, begin their journey to Bethlehem so that they might be registered according to the decree put out.

Then, as you might have guessed, once they get there, Mary goes into labor and has her firstborn son, Jesus. 

Now before we go any further in the story, I want to bring out our first point for this morning.

1.) God’s sovereignty is on display in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth

For our middle Scripture reading this morning, we heard Micah 5:1-6 read. Does anyone know why? There’s a very specific reason and it’s important that you see it. Turn with me there briefly and let’s read it again. Starting in verse 1, “Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 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. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; 6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.”

Do see the reason now? It was prophesied here in this Old Testament text that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Now, fast-forward to our text today, where is Jesus born? Bethlehem. Think about the circumstances that led Jospeh and Mary to be where they are at the time that she would give birth. We can call them the just-so-happens. The Roman Emperor just-so-happened to send out a decree at the right time and even more specifically those from Bethlehem just-so-happened to be called to come back at the right time. Joseph just-so-happened to be from Bethlehem, and he just-so-happened to be betrothed to Mary who came with him. And Mary just-so-happened to be the right amount along in her pregnancy that should gave birth when they traveled there. All these just-so-happened things had to be lined up perfectly in order for this prophecy about the Messiah being born in Bethlehem to be true of Jesus.

But as those who know who God is, we should know that none of this is happenstance. Rather, God, by His sovereign hand, orchestrated every single detail so that this would be so. There are not just-so-happens here. Luke puts all these details in here for 2 reasons. First, so we can see that this is a real historical event. We can get dates and places and confirmations about all of this, by knowing who the leaders are and what they are doing. But more importantly, Luke wants us to see God’s complete and total sovereignty displayed in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. 

Nothing in our world is happenstance. Nothing in our world happens by mere chance. God is sovereign over it all. When you read this story, rather than linking it to all these “just-so-happens”, what you should do is root it in the sovereignty of God. Here’s what I mean. We say that God brought Joseph’s parents together and had them give birth to him in Bethlehem. He then brought Jospeh to Mary, and they became betrothed. Then God placed Jesus in Mary’s womb and had the emperor decree a census to take place so that when Jospeh and Mary were visiting there, God would cause her to go into labor, and have Jesus in Bethlehem. All according to the prophecy that God Himself gave us in Micah 5.

Do you see the difference? When the story is told in “happenstance”, you’re left thinking, “Isn’t that crazy? I can’t believe that happened!” However, when the story is framed by God’s sovereignty, you’re left marveling at the sovereignty and goodness of God. You’re moved to thankfulness and praise.

In our own lives, I think we could greatly benefit from thinking in these ways. Whenever you bump into a childhood friend that you haven’t seen in years, consider the fact that God caused that to be, and take advantage of that opportunity. Whenever you stumble upon an amazing sale at a store, don’t think, “Well that’s awesome that I decided to come here today”. Instead say, “Thank you Lord for bringing me here and providing for me in this small way.” God is sovereign over every detail of your lives, and He always does what it best for you and what brings Himself the most glory. I think that’s what Luke wants us to see in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth.

There’s something else we can learn from the circumstances of Jesus’ birth.

2.) Jesus’ life begins as one of humble and lowly estate

In verse 7 we read that after Mary gave birth to Jesus, she wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, which is like a feeding trough for animals. And right when you ask the question of why she would do this, Luke tells us that it is because there was no place for them in the inn. Now, if you have an ESV, or maybe a handful of other translations, you’ll see a footnote there on the word “inn”, that says “guestroom”. That’s because that word “inn” might render to us a bit incorrectly, because the idea is more like a guestroom. Here’s what I mean. It isn’t as if Jospeh and Mary show up to place like a hotel in Bethlehem and get turned away at the door because they are all full. Rather, what likely happened is that Joseph had reached out to family or friends who still lived in Bethlehem and asked if they could stay with them.

But then, when they get there, all of their guestrooms are full because so many people are doing the very thing that Jospeh and Mary are doing, traveling back to their hometown, Bethlehem, to be registered. So rather than them being in a typical guestroom, they stay in a room set off to the side of the house where people might store their animals for the night when visiting. And it’s there that Mary gives birth to Jesus, wraps him in swaddling cloths, and lays him in a manger.

Now, considering what we saw with the first point this morning, can we say this is happenstance? Of course not. If God caused the emperor to decree a census, He certainly caused all the rooms to be full so Jesus would be born exactly where He was born and then laid in a feeding trough. Why? Why would God do this? I think it is so that we might see, even in the very circumstances of His birth, who Jesus is and what His life will be marked by; humility and lowliness.

  The Israelites were expecting a triumphant King to burst on the scene as the Messiah. He would be born, rise up, and become this mighty political and military leader. He would overthrow those who came against them and establish the kingdom they read out in the Scriptures, the Old Testament. And yet, even in the very small details of His birth, we see that Jesus isn’t coming in this manner. He is not coming to conquer nations and establish a final earthly kingdom. No, He is coming to bring forgiveness and redemption. He is coming as one who is gentle and lowly in heart, bringing peace.

Now, if Israel had read their Scriptures well, they would have seen this. They would have read texts like Isaiah 53 and seen that the Messiah was going to have to die. They would have seen kind of person He would be. And they would have realized the final victory where He triumphs over all His enemies is a promise that will be kept not in His first coming, but His second. 

And so while it might seem like an insignificant detail to add that Jesus was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn, Luke adds it with intentionality. God is already beginning to reveal to us who Jesus is and what His life will be like.

We also learn something important by considering who God first reveals the good news of the Messiah to.

3.) God uses the outcasts of the world to accomplish His work

Starting in verse 8, we read, “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 people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” And then, the angel tells them how they will know that this is true, saying that they will find Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. 

  Again, we might not think much of the detail here that God first told the shepherds that the Savior is here. We might think, “Well, that’s fitting. God is the great shepherd, David was a shepherd, pastors are called shepherds. I mean, that makes sense.” But, that’s only because you’re approaching this story with a Biblical understanding of shepherds, not a societal one. Shepherds, in this time, were of the lowliest class of all people. They were outcasts. They were looked past and were not significant by societal standards. Even more than that, because of the shepherds generally considered ceremonially unclean because their job made it difficult to uphold purity laws. And yet, God chose to reveal this news to them first.

And this isn’t a one-off event. We see this all throughout the Bible. God uses the outcasts all the time. Elizabeth was barren and looked down upon, God chose to use her. Mary was of no importance; God chose to use her. Paul was an enemy to the church, killing Christians, God chose to use Him. Shepherds were seen as the lowest of lows and unclean, God chose us to them. This is simply how God works. He takes the far off and ignored, brings them in, and uses them to accomplish His work on this Earth. Time and time again we see this. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you have to put together a team of some sorts? Let’s use basketball for example. You are a team captain and it’s your job to pick people to be on your team. And let’s say there are some people there who are very good, but they are incredibly arrogant and prideful. Their unkind to everyone. And then, there are some people there who aren’t very good, but they aren’t arrogant, but instead their a little insecure. And they are kind to everyone there. If you’re in the position to pick a team, you kind of have to go against what you want in your heart, if you want to win. As great as it sounds to pick the kind humble people, if you want to win, you’re going to have to pick the arrogant jerks.

The Lord doesn’t operate like this. He doesn’t need those who are at the top of their game. He doesn’t need the overly confident, the important, the wealthy, the whatever. He doesn’t need them, why? Because God isn’t just choosing the outcasts of the world and leaving them to be. No, He chooses to use them and then He equips them, strengthens them, and provides for them every step of the way. The victory is sure not because of the ability or notoriety of the person, but because God is the one who is working in and through them.

Now that isn’t to say that we should all seek to be bad at our jobs and try to find ourselves in lowly positions so that God would use us. That’s not the point. God uses whomever He desires, no matter their status and position. The point is that you should never be discouraged or disheartened in thinking that God would use you because you aren’t enough. It’s never been about being enough. No matter your position in life, the Lord will use you to accomplish His work. If you don’t believe me, ask Him. Pray and ask that the Lord would use you and watch what happens. There is no person here who is too entrenched in their sin, too unclean, to be used by God. If you repent of your sin, you will be forgiven, and God will use you. There is no person here who doesn’t have enough skills to be used by God. There is no person here who is too insignificant, too far off, to despised, too whatever, to be used by God. 

I don’t love to use clever one-liners, but sometimes they are too good not to use. This one has always stuck in my mind. God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. That is so true, and I think here in this story we see God doing this very thing by first revealing this glorious truth, that Christ, the Lord and Savior, is here, to lowly shepherds while they are in the field watching their flock at night. 

And now, once this truth is known, look at how everyone begins to respond. The response is praise, which is our final point this morning.

4.) Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and deserves our praise

Right after telling the shepherds how they might identify who the Savior is, Luke writes, in verse 13, “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 other words, there is this amazing event where heavenly beings being to praise God for what is happening, right there with the shepherds. 

Then, the angels go away, and the shepherds set off to go see the Savior who has been born. And just like the angel had said, they find Mary and Jospeh, and find Jesus lying in a manger. Then, verse 17 tells us that the shepherds begin to share what they had been told about this baby, and everyone who was there began to wonder, or marvel, at what they had been told. And the text says that Mary treasured up these things, pondering them up in her heart. We saw this language last week with those who were there at John’s birth and we will see it again when Mary finds Jesus in the temple. It’s this idea of trying to store it up what has happened in your heart so that you might never forget. Something amazing has happened, something worth remembering. Then, Luke says that the shepherds left, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told. 

I want you to take note of where the praise and worship begins. It begins once it is made known who Jesus is. If He were just another baby born, there’s no reason to respond like this. But, because He is the Savior, born in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord, there is no other proper response other than worship. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the one who can set people free from their sin, and verse 14, is coming to bring peace to us, is here. The response has to be praise.

And so, that’s the response we see. We see it with the heavenly hosts and angels, with those who hear the good news from the shepherds, we see it with Mary, and we see it with the shepherds themselves as they leave. They understand what this means, they understand who is here, and so they respond by in praise.

Some of you, especially if you’re a football fan, might remember something called the “Kick Six” that happened in 2013. For those of you who don’t know, it was a college football game between Alabama and Auburn. The score was tied, there was 1 second left, and Alabama was attempting a field goal to win the game. It was a long field goal and so it came up just short, and Auburn had placed somewhere just short of the goal post to receive it just in case. And so he does, he catches the short field goal and goes on to run it all the way back, 109 yards, for a touchdown, to win the game. It was awesome.

And I remember over the next few days videos began to surface of people’s response to watching the same. Videos of Auburn fans standing there, almost certain that they were going to lose. You start to see them realize that there is a small glimmer of hope and then all of a sudden, they start going crazy, jumping and screaming and running around. Tons of them surfaced and you can go watch compilations of them now. 

I like to think this is what is happening here. There doesn’t seem to be much hope on the horizon. Spirits are low. And then, maybe some people hear about this story about this baby named John. Ears kind of perk up. People think, “Surely not, right?” Then, a baby is born in Bethlehem, the word is delivered to the shepherds that this is not just another baby, but that this is the Messiah. And then boom, celebration ensues. As the message goes, celebration follows. Celebration not in the form jumping and screaming and running, but of praise directed at the one who they know is doing this. It is their God who promised to do this very thing.

This story should cause that in us. Even though it is very familiar, it is amazing. Our Lord and Savior is born. The one who has set us free from our sins, who has brought us peace with God. Not by overlooking our sin and unrighteousness, but by bearing our sin on the cross and imputing His righteousness to us. People who were enemies to God, brought near to Him by the atoning work of Jesus, born in Bethlehem, and laid in a manger. Our King, our Savior, our Lord.

From this passage, we see God’s sovereignty on display in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth. We see Jesus’ life beginning as one of humble and lowly estate. We see that God uses the outcasts of the world to accomplish His work. And finally, we see that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and deserves our praise. Consider what this means for your life. For each of us there might be different step of obedience to take, and I would encourage you to take it. But for all of us, our response ought to be a praise and thanksgiving that our Savior came for us. Thanks be to God!