The Coming of the Christ

TITLE: The Coming of the Christ
TEXT: Lk 2:1- 20
INTRODUCTION:

This morning we are really continuing the theme of God being the God of the Impossible. It is the Christmas story in May. We looked previously at God doing the impossible with the conception of children through a woman well beyond child bearing years and a young virgin. This morning we look at another impossibility and that is the coming of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and God the Son into the world.

There are three parts to the narrative of chapter 2 we want to look at this morning. The first is the historical setting of Christ’s coming into the world which Luke is careful to give us in verses 1-5.

Luke mentions two historical figures Caesar Augustus, who was emperor in Rome from 30 B. C. To A. D. 14, and Quirinius whom Luke says was governor of Syria. Luke is not precise in his dating other than in those days. There is a lot of controversy about the translation of v. 2 because there are no extrebiblical or secular sources to confirm Luke’s account of a census, which he refers to as the first, and the dating of this census so that it would coincide with the probably birth year of Jesus believed to be somewhere between 6 and 4 B. C.

But, we know two things for certain about this narrative. One Luke is writing under this inspiration of the Holy Spirit and, two he said he researched the things he was writing. So whether there are outside sources available now or in the future or whether we understand precisely the nature and time of Quirinius’ as ruler of Syria, and we do know historically that he was governor and also ruled as a military governor at different times or whether we understand the exact nature of this census we can reasonably believe the accuracy of Luke’s statements. Additionally, we know Luke was aware of the more well known census that took place later in A. D. 6 and caused an uprising among the Jews because he mentions it in Acts 5:37. Acts and Luke are two parts of the same narrative so it’s not like Luke made a mistake or was confused about the time frame.

The important thing is to understand God uses the events of history good and bad for his purpose. The prophet Micah who prophesied from approximately 750 – 687 B. C. wrote about 700 years before the birth Jesus in Mic 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” NASB

How did Mary and Joseph the couple from Nazareth come to be in Bethlehem that this prophecy could be fulfilled? The Roman government arranged for it to be so. God doesn’t have to manipulate history for His purpose he can simply use history to accomplish it. We see here the supernatural hand of God at work in the events of history. This is obviously not something Jesus could have staged to make Himself appear to be the Christ, and while today we may not totally understand all the details of what Luke wrote this is another one of those things that could have been easily discredited early on if it were not true. In all of this we must remember Luke’s point for writing these things he researched 1:4 so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. NASB

The second portion of this chapter is the birth narrative. Paul wrote in Gal 4:4, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Luke gives us the only account in the Bible of the Inn or the manger and that is almost after the fact kind of statement. We know the story well, probably better than any story in the Bible, yet there are only two verses about it in all of Scripture. Luke 2:6-7 And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. NASB

Again no embellishment, no attempt to make this more believable, or more awe inspiring or worshipful or anything we might think of that would mark the coming of God into the world. Nothing to make this event look great in the eyes of men. Just a matter of fact statement.

Mary and Joseph made the 90 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem which probably took 3 days in Mary’s condition maybe longer, and Luke wrote while they were there she had her baby. Luke doesn’t tell us how long they might have been there before Jesus was born just that while they were there the time came for her to have the child. We don’t know where they might have stayed until this time. We don’t know if they might have stayed outside as they likely did traveling to Bethlehem and then when they saw it was time to have the baby sought a place to have the child or if they had gone immediately to the Inn and had been staying there a few days or if this happened right after they arrived in Bethlehem. There are no details at all about the greatest birth in human history. Mary simply, or maybe not so simply, gave birth Luke says to her first born son and wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room in the Inn and apparently no where else Bethlehem either for her to have her child.

The third part of the narrative is the announcement of His birth to the shepherds 2:8-20. I won’t go into great detail here. At Christmas time we talk and sing and preach about the angels and the shepherds and their coming to manger. Certainly there was something special and wonderful and miraculous going on here. What does this tell us about Jesus?

Lincoln native William Jennings Bryan said of Jesus, “Reared in the home of a carpenter, never having access to the wisdom of the past, never coming in contact with the sages of other lands, and yet, when only thirty years of age He gave to the world a code of morality the like of which the world has never seen.” Thomas Jefferson, said Jesus gave us, “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has been offered to man.”
Psychiatrist J. T. Fisher and coauthor L. S. Hawley in their book A Few Buttons Missing wrote: If you were to take the sum total of all authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene — if you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out the excess verbiage — if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summation of the sermon on the mount. And it would suffer immeasurably through comparison.. . .Here. . .rest the blueprints for successful human life with optimum mental health and contentment. (WITBHNBW, p. 12)

Very commendable statements about Jesus all of which are true. Jesus was a great moralist and apparently a great psychologist and psychiatrist as well. Today people still write and talk about Jesus with speculation, wonder and animosity and today there are many different Jesus’. The Mormon, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, various cult groups as well as Islam all talk about Jesus.

There are volumes written which verify the many positive influences in the world that have come about because of His birth. Every area of life has been affected by what He taught and what He revealed to men about God. From feeding the poor, to orphanages to city missions and the majority of efforts in the area of world hunger relief today the influence of Christ has been and continues to be the driving force behind most of these charitable endeavors. In an 1855 article the “New York Observer” said Infidelity makes a great outcry about its philanthropy, but religion does the work.”

The value of life itself was given importance by Christ. In the centuries before his birth human cultures exhibited a thoughtlessness and complete disregard for human life. Life was cheap. The spilling of human blood thrilled the masses in Rome. Men fought to the death for the pleasure of the people. Today we see this same kind of thoughtlessness and disregard for human life in cultures where Christianity has a lessened influence and unfortunately today we see that same thing happening in places where Christian influence is beginning to weaken as well as a decline in moral values as well. Jesus was a great moral teacher and a great religious philosopher and prophet and all those kinds of things. But He is much more.

The truth about Jesus as more than moral teacher, philosopher and psychologist as is summed up in the angel’s words in Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. NASB He was God in the flesh entering into human history.

Here Word mean and context are important. Jesus is Savior or deliverer. The word is related to the word salvation. Jesus was the one who would deliver His people not from the Roman oppression but from their sin. Matt wrote in 1:21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” NASB That’s God’s position and authority.

The name Jesus is the English spelling and pronunciation of the Greek word which is the translation of the Hebrew Yeshua which means Yahweh is salvation. The angels were probably speaking Aramaic to the shepherds which, was the common language of the day. In referring to Him as Savior the angels called attention to the Old Testament. Particularly we look at:

Isa 43:11-12 “I, even I, am the Lord; And there is no savior besides Me.
12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God. NASB

Isa 45:21 “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. NASB

God affirms there is no other savior beside Him and there is no other God besides Him. The one who is born is Savior which means then He is God. That is reinforced through the phrase Christ the Lord Christ meaning Messiah, God’s anointed, who is Lord or the Master. How can this be? The Bible says His thoughts and His ways are too great for us to understand(Isa 55:9); He is spirit (Jn 4:24) and no man has seen Him at any time (Jn 1:18). Paul refers to Him as eternal, immortal and invisible (1 Tim 1:17). Again God is the God of the impossible.

We see Him through His creation which is a form of general revelation that reveals to us God exists. We have the special revelation of His written word which at that time was only the Old Testament scrolls and those were not available to everyone. Mankind needed a greater form of special revelation that we might know God, not just that He exists and that salvation might be made available to us. So in the fullness of time or when the time was right God Himself became flesh and Dwelt among us (Jn 1:14). Paul summed it up in Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, [That’s through Jesus sacrifice and resurrection] 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,. That’s His message. That’s what He taught. But Paul then adds not only are we to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age but in Titus 2:13 Paul wrote we should be “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;” NASB

Paul was talking there about the return of our God and Savior, Christ Jesus. This morning as always we ask the question do you know Him as God and Savior? That’s the question every person must ask and answer in this life. God give life in this world meaning and purpose and your destination in eternity depends on your answer to that question. And for those who know Him as God and Savior we anxiously look forward to His glorious return. This morning we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and Paul wrote 1 Cor 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. NASB It is an enacted proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ by believers. That’s why we always give an invitation before we celebrate so that if there is anyone who doesn’t know Christ as Lord and Savior they might have the opportunity to make that decision. Without Him we are lost in sin as the song says like a ship without a sail, but with Him thank God I’m saved. Are you with Him this morning or without Him? As we sing this hymn of invitation this morning you decide and then we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.