Today we look at Luke 2:1-20, which shares the birth of Jesus, our Lord. It is appropriate to spend this week of Christmas thinking about these events and the meaning they have for our lives today.
It would be easy to discount all that the Bible tells us under the heading of “pure myth.” However, if you really are a Truth-seeker, you know that it would be an intellectually dishonest thing. The Bible is not a collection of myths, but a recollection of what God did in the lives of real people. These things were written down within the life spans of people who could prove or disprove the veracity of the documents. Also these things were often written down by people who had no gain in writing such things. In fact, they were often killed for their “views.” Let’s look at the story.
In these first seven verses we see something that is evident throughout all of the Bible and it is this. God often works in ways that are not obvious to us as humans. Much like the story of Esther, we can go through life and think that God isn’t involved at all and yet He is. Part of the problem is that when we imagine what we would do if we were God, we think of all kinds of fantastic things we would do. Yet, in the Bible we see a God who can do the fantastic thing, but most of what He does is invisible to those who don’t know what to look for. Just remember this, the unseen hand of God is always at work, whether we recognize it or not.
These verses give us the timing of the birth of Jesus. Galatians 4:4 says, “when the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son.” So from God’s perspective this was the perfect timing. When it mentions Caesar Augustus it gives us a historical reference point. It was the right time because Rome is the 4th Beast-Kingdom prophesied by Daniel and it has just entered its imperial stage. Next to this was the fact that there was a relative, military peace that would open the door for the gospel to be preached and spread throughout the then known world. It was also a time in which Israel had great need for a deliverer and yet very little hope in those promises that God had given her.
God’s hand is also shown to be at work through the prophecies that are fulfilled here. It is in Micah 5:2 that we are told the messiah would come out of Bethlehem Ephrathah. Yet, this happens, seemingly, at the whim of an earthly emperor. Yes, the home town of Jesus would be Nazareth, but the birth place would be Bethlehem. These are things Jesus could not have plotted to accomplish. Also recognize that the name of Bethlehem itself promises to be a place of bread. So there is a further enrichment of the prophecy in the fact that the Messiah would be the bread from heaven as symbolized by the manna in the desert. Another interesting fact is that there are two cities of David. Bethlehem is the City of David because it is where he was born. But the other City of David is a reference to the initial beginning of Jerusalem. David took the stronghold of Jebus and it became the City of David. Thus the place and timing of the birth point to the prophetic significance of his first coming. He comes to be a sustainer of life and yet he is also destined for conquest. All of these things are coming to past at a time when it looks like God is doing nothing.
The details that point to the lowly circumstances of the birth of Jesus help us to see why God’s activity often goes unrecognized by most. God loves to work through the lowly things of this world. When Paul says, “When I am weak then I am strong,” he does so after pointing out that God’s strength comes into our lives through our weaknesses. So when he says, “I am strong,” he is literally saying that God is strong through me. Could it be that the Greatest Being of all the Universe would have a penchant to showing His strength through those who would be weak in the world’s eyes? This is the contention of the apostles. The King of Israel and the Lord of all the Earth is born away from his home, in a stable, under the tyranny of an Emporer, and under threat of death from a power-hungry king. Can you imagine King David seeing such a condition? He who had conquered all the kingdoms around him and amassed all the wealth needed for his son to build the temple, would have moved heaven and earth to give the ultimate Son of David a better birth. Yet, David would have understood because he too had learned that God’s strength was perfected in our weaknesses. Of all people, David would understand that God was at work especially at the times that we think He is not.
Verses 8-14 move to a scene in the outskirts of Bethlehem. For over a thousand years God had been pointing to the birth of the Christ and Savior through his prophets and angels. So it continues as the child is born that prophets and angels are very busy in this account. Yet, this story is strange in that it is lowly shepherds who receive the revelation of the birth of Messiah. Why to shepherds? I am sure that many received their news with wonder in Bethlehem, but what about other places? This would be the equivalent of a group of loggers from Idaho saying that angels had told them who the next president of the United States should be. That may be received in the logging towns of Idaho. But Washington D.C. would be another matter. Why didn’t the angels tell the great princes of the land or a contingent of priests? Most likely because both of these groups had proven to be cutthroats to God: Herod, Annas, and Caiaphus. Now we must recognize that false prophecies and false angel sightings are not new things. Just because someone says they heard from an angel doesn’t mean you blindly believe everything they say. However, do you blindly resist everything they say? The Bible warns us to not let the false prophecies cause us to despise true prophecy. This is a real tension within man. We tend to be gullible or cynical because it takes too much work to test everything against Scripture and wait upon the Lord for better understanding. Truth will always prevail in the end and God did not do these things in secret. He announced them and did them in the open.
The angels also announced that this was a day of Great Joy! Not all of God’s messages are about good things. But it was this day. “Don’t fear.” This message to the shepherds is the comfort that they are not there for judgment, but rather, for a message of grace and mercy. All mankind should be quaking in its boots before a holy, and righteous God. It is not to our credit that we “ho-hum” when He is mentioned. Yet, His ultimate desire is not for a relationship of fear, but one of joy and love.
A savior has been born today in the city of David! This word savior sounds like a Christian term. But it actually ties back to the Judges of old. Before Israel had kings God would raise up deliverers who would save Israel from tyranny. The term translated as deliverer is literally “savior Lord” or “saving Lord.” Thus at a time when Israel, once again, was without a Jewish King and were under the tyranny of foreign lords, God raised up from among Israel a “saving Lord,” a deliverer. The terms used of him are more not just titles, but also descriptive of what He was and would do. He is Messiah the one anointed by God to deliver Israel. He would have God’s Spirit and blessing. He is Lord, the king and sovereign of Israel and, in fact, all creation.
God often gives signs to confirm that the prophecy was really from Him. Now the angels would be a pretty strong sign already. But we are warned against deceiving angels in Scripture. So a sign is given to the shepherds that they would find a baby laying in an animal’s feed trough. A baby in Bethlehem would be no great wonder. But one being in a manger on that very same night would be one chance in a million.
Now consider this sign because the Scripture also warns against false signs and wonders in the last days. The angel’s message that day of peace and great joy is a message that false prophets love to preach. They did so in Jeremiah’s day and they will do so in the end of times. But the sign is one that is done in God’s signature style, humility. Now I know that even humility can be faked. But in the end Satan is not humble. God chooses to work through the lowly. Satan only works through the lowly when he is forced to do so. Thus be careful that you are not wowed by great promises and amazing, powerful signs. God is often working in the hidden, humble, unseen ways to the power hungry hearts of mankind.
In verses 15-20 the shepherds are invited to be a part of the Messiah’s welcoming committee. How fitting for one who is the Son of David to be welcomed by shepherds. The shepherds become the ones who verify the details of what God was doing. They witness these things with their eyes and then they tell others.
Yet, they are also encouraging Mary and Joseph who were also witnesses to what God had said and done. That night must have been a unique moment as Joseph and Mary share stories with the shepherds in wonder. Their faith must have been enormously strengthened at that time. Now, no matter how much we want to be the one who hears, sees, and verifies, the truth is that no one gets everything. We all have to take some things on faith. And, to all who had ears to hear that day, it was quite believable that the Messiah had come in the person of this little baby.
Let me close by reminding us that this call to come and see is still happening today. This is a hallmark of God that He loves to show us. He rewards faith with the joy of discovery. Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” Today we do not see these angels or shepherds because God is not doing that right now. But He is working all over this world and it can be seen for those with eyes to see. Today He is calling you to come to His Word (the Bible) and hear the Truth that has been hidden from you. “Come and see My Wisdom,” He says. Today He is calling for us to come to His Son by faith and find release from the guilt of our sins. “Come and see My salvation.” Today He calls us to come to His people and create an environment of loving help within His Church. “Come and see (be) My people.” Yes, you may want God to do something more spectacular, but that is only because you define spectacular by the world’s standards. I challenge you to read this Gospel and let God change your standards of what is spectacular.