Lessons About the Birth of Christ

Lessons About The Birth of Christ
Galatians 4:4 & Luke 2:1-20
(c) 2008 Don Detrick

MAIN THOUGHT: The Christmas story offers hope to all people, in all places, for all time.

1. God’s purposes are always redemptive.

As much as it pains me to have to say it, a woman was responsible for bringing about the fall of mankind. It was Eve who first ate the forbidden fruit and then shared it with her husband Adam (1 Timothy 2:13-14). Through the disobedience of our original parents, sin was passed down to all of us (Romans 5:12).

Of course the serpent, Satan, was responsible for tempting the woman in the first place (Genesis 3:1-8). The consequences of sin were both immediate and delayed. Genesis 3:14-15 says “So the LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you will be punished. You are singled out from all the domestic and wild animals of the whole earth to be cursed. You will grovel in the dust as long as you live, crawling along on your belly. From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

In theological terms, this is called the protoevangelium[1], literally “the first gospel, or good news.” Symbolically, it alludes to the future coming of Jesus Christ as the One who would “crush the serpent’s head” – a fatal blow, while at the same time having “His heel” bruised, or struck by the serpent. Though Jesus died on the cross, the resurrection was the fatal blow to Satan’s domination of the human race, and through the passion of Christ, God made possible redemption of the human race.

God has always had a plan, and His plans are always redemptive. In essence, that which was lost through the original sin of Eve was rescued, restored and redeemed through the work of the Savior. So it is significant that just as a woman was responsible for bringing about the fall of man, God used a woman, Mary (Galatians 4:4), to bring redemption to mankind through the birth of the second Adam, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22-45).

Mary was convinced of God's mighty power. Her faith led her to believe that He was able to do anything. And because of her faith, she was a willing participant in God's plan for eternal salvation. In response to the angel's message (Luke 1:37 NKJV) "For with God nothing shall be impossible,” Mary replied (Luke 1:38 NKJV) "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

For us, redemption often means rescue, or something good coming from something potentially bad. Mary had been invited to a wedding in Cana, along with Jesus and His disciples. Probably the worst thing that could happen at such an event was for the host to run out of food or drink. When the host came to Mary with the news that he had run out of wine, the stage was set for Jesus to perform His first miracle. And it happened because of Mary’s admonition: "Whatever He (Jesus) says to you, do it." (John 2:5) Because of her faith in His Word, the first of many redemptive miracles occurred in the ministry of Jesus.

Mary understood the concept of redemption. After all, she was chosen by God to play a key role in His plan of redemption. She must have marveled as she listened to the words of the prophet Isaiah, and realized that he was speaking about her: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” As she stood at the foot of the cross, watching her Son's tortured death, she knew that He was dying for her sins, as well as the sins of the whole world. No doubt Isaiah’s prophecy gave her solace in her hour of grief:

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked; But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:3-11 NKJV)

2. God can use little, insignificant things for significant purposes.

A digit in a telephone number isn’t big, but what a big difference one digit can make when trying to reach a specific party. Little things like spark plugs, batteries, valves, and seals are seldom thought about until one malfunctions and your automotive wheels of progress grind to a halt. Little snowflakes create huge avalanches and little viruses can cause major diseases. I once heard Paul Harvey say that two cats and their offspring can produce a total of 17 million cats within nine years! A person who pays attention to the little details will avoid a lot of major problems in life.

On the other hand, most people don’t pay a lot of attention to the little details of life. And it is for this very reason that many people feel they are just another face in a crowd. Not worthless, but not significant either - just average, without much expectation of grandeur.

It’s not that average people don’t think they could become heroes or successful. It’s just that their talents haven’t been discovered yet, or other people get all the breaks, or they are never in the right place at the right time, or they just don’t have the right connections, and on and on the list goes. This tension between reality and what we dream about must have led Thoreau to write that the “mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”[2]

When I was in the 6th grade, I was enthralled with The Monkees (a ‘60’s rock group) and my little sister and I never missed their television show if we could help it. Their theme song contained these lyrics “Hey, hey we’re the Monkees, you never know where we’ll be found. So you better get ready, we might be coming to your town.”

That last line always bothered me. I saw it as kind of a cruel joke. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see them in person. I wore a stocking cap like Michael Nesmith and wanted to play a 12-string guitar like he did. But when they sang, “we might be coming to your town,” I was always profoundly disappointed. Even though I was young, I was smart enough to know that a popular group like The Monkees weren’t ever coming to my town. Nobody important ever came to a backwater town like Newberg, Oregon. The Monkees only went to places like New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Even if they came to Portland or Seattle, it was a sure bet my parents wouldn’t take me there for that purpose. Though I now cherish my rural upbringing, I resented it then. It seemed to me like nothing exciting ever happened in my hometown.

One of the most significant Bible prophecies about the birth of Christ is about a small town. Micah 5:2 (written about 700 B.C.) states that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. "But you, Bethlehem, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2 NKJV) Have you ever felt insignificant, like a small number in a world full of billions of numbers, “little among the thousands?” The birth of Christ in Bethlehem illustrates the fact that God can use little, insignificant things for significant purposes.

The Old Testament book of Ruth is set in the region of Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1-2,19,22; 2:4; 4:11). Ruth chronicles how Bethlehem became the hometown of David and the place where he was anointed. (1 Sam. 16:1-13; 17:12,15). Perhaps you’ve never thought of some of the little details about Bethlehem that had significant consequences in biblical history. Here are a couple to think about:

Little words can leave lasting impressions: Ruth’s words to her mother-in-law Naomi may not have seemed significant at the time, but they have been remembered throughout history: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:16 NKJV)

Little choices can have dramatic consequences: Ruth chose to go to Bethlehem with Naomi, and because she did, a drama ensued that reached from her day to ours. In Bethlehem, she met her husband Boaz. Their son was named Obed, and he became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. As a result of her little choice to accompany her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, she became the great-grandmother of King David, and her name is included in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

Bethlehem, meaning “house of bread,” was a small village in the days of Ruth. It is not a large city today, lying approximately five miles southwest of Jerusalem. While it once had a significant Christian population, the town is now controlled by the Palestinian Authority and has an Islamic mayor. Poverty and war fill Bethlehem this December.

Because of the conflict in the region, no large crowds of pilgrims will arrive to celebrate Christmas 2008. In recent years, the few Christmas trees decorating the town have not contained lights or ornaments, but pictures of martyrs in the Islamic jihad[4].

Since Herod killed the children in the area around Bethlehem, the town has seen a lot of trouble. Over the centuries Bethlehem has been ruled by dozens of different governments and leaders, yet this small town’s significance is forever established in history: From here was born the One who would rule the world and reign over the universe forever and ever. All of which leads me to my final point:

3. God is always in control, even if it doesn’t seem like it to us.

We have an old adage, "the only things that are certain are death and taxes." That saying was true in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. An emperor's taxes caused Him to be born there, and an earthly king's decree ordered all babies to be killed. Through Divine intervention, He escaped. God was in control, even when it seemed like someone else was calling the shots.

When Jesus was born Augustus had been ruler of the Roman Empire for twenty-five years. He was the grandnephew of Julius Caesar and the first true emperor of the entire Roman Empire. After the death of Julius Caesar he defeated Brutus and Cassius in a battle at Philippi in 42 B.C. He defeated Antony & Cleopatra in 31 B.C. at the Battle of Actium, thus gaining control of the entire Empire at the age of 35. The Roman Senate changed his name from Octavian to Augustus (literally "Reverend" - an honorary title to indicate his power and dominion).

Augustus was influential in establishing the system of Roman roads - many of which exist to this day. He was responsible for establishing the concept of the Pax Romana - the Roman Peace. This emperor was able to do what no one had done for at least 200 years before him - brought peace. He reigned as Caesar for 41 years. Two words characterized his life and influence: glory and peace. Writer N.T. Wright says about him:

This man, this king, this absolute monarch, lifts his little finger in Rome, and about fifteen hundred miles away, in an obscure province, a young couple undertakes a hazardous journey, resulting in the birth of a child in a little town that just happens to be the one mentioned in the ancient Hebrew prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. And it is at this birth that the angels sing of glory and peace. Which is the reality, and which is the parody? [5]

Many Bible scholars speculate that Joseph still owned property in Bethlehem, therefore he was required to travel there for the census. The Bible Background Commentary says it was quite possible that Mary was also originally from Bethlehem and needed to return to that town. "Although tax laws in most of the empire required only the head of the household to appear, the province of Syria (then including Palestine) also taxed women."[6]

Herod (73 B.C.- 4 B.C.) had built a massive fortified palace nearby. In fact, it was the largest in the world at the time. The Herodium, like Masada, was one link in a chain of desert fortresses King Herod built during his reign, and was located 5 miles east of Bethlehem.

The circular protective wall had four circular watchtowers with 200 marble steps leading to the summit where there were rich royal apartments, providing Herod with security and beauty. Within the wall below were enclosed a palace, hot and cold Roman baths, a synagogue, and a banquet hall as big as a football stadium, all 2600 feet above sea level and 980 feet above the desert floor.

In addition to the mountaintop fortress, the Herodium complex, which covered more than 50 acres, originally included a large monumental palace and a huge football-field sized swimming pool surrounded by a luxuriant royal garden, both fed from distant aqueducts built at great expense. Distinct remains of a thousand-foot long hippodrome, or horse race track may be seen even today.

While Herod lived in unbelievable opulence, splendor and security, the real King, Jesus Christ, was born in a stable nearby. When I did or said something foolish as a youngster, I might be asked, “Were you born in a barn?” How ironic that the One who formed the universe, and breathed into man the breath of life, was willing to come to earth and literally be born in a barn!

Appearances can be very deceiving. Don’t despair. Even when things seem most chaotic, most confusing, and most difficult – God is still in control. He can be trusted, because He has a plan (Romans 8:28). He knows the end from the beginning and the beginning to the end because He is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13).

The birth of the King - Jesus Christ - was not announced to King Herod, but to shepherds and wise men. Though He was only a baby, Herod feared him. He knew Jesus was the One who would be greater than all earthly kings. Thus, he ordered all male babies under the age of two in the region around Bethlehem to be slaughtered. This infanticide was only one of a multitude of atrocities committed by the tyrannical Herod.

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Herod died in Jericho. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus describes Herod's funeral procession from Jericho to the Herodium where he was buried:

After this they betook themselves to prepare for the king's funeral; and Archelaus omitted nothing of magnificence therein, but brought out all the royal ornaments to augment the pomp of the deceased. There was a bier all of gold, embroidered with precious stones, and a purple bed of various contexture with the dead body upon it, covered with purple; and a diadem was put upon his head, and a crown of gold above it, and a sceptre in his right hand; and near to the bier were Herod's sons, and a multitude of his kindred; next to whom came his guards, and the regiment of the Thracians, the Germans also and Gauls, all outfitted as if they were going to war; but the rest of the army went foremost, armed and following their captains and officers in a regular manner; after whom, five hundred of his domestic servants and freedmen followed, with sweet spices in their hands; and the body was carried two hundred furlongs to Herodium, where he had given order to be buried. And this shall suffice for the conclusion of the life of Herod.[7]

With all his pomp, power, and splendor, Herod is dead and forgotten by most, but Jesus Christ still lives on. We celebrate His birth this December, not just as the Bethlehem baby, but also as the Ruler of the universe. His power is greater than any politician. His compassion is stronger than the hatred, evil, and bigotry of Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. His wisdom transcends every philosophy known to man. His Gospel is more powerful than any religion. His forgiveness covers every sin known to mankind. And His love reaches out to every person on planet earth, including you and me.

APPLICATION :

· Even if your circumstances right now are difficult, how can God help you to make them redemptive?
· Thank God for the little blessings that come to your life this week.
· Jesus is the real gift of Christmas. If you have never accepted His gift of eternal life, why not do so today? (John 1:12; 3:16)


[1] http://www.bibleteachingnotes.com/ot/gen/gen03.asp
[2] Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) quoted from Walden, “Economy” (1854).
[3] http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/12/03/LatestNews/LatestNews.39273.html
[4] “Palestinians say Israel steals holiday joy” Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Nov 26, 2001; Reuters;
[5]"The Most Dangerous Baby" by N.T. Wright. Christianity Today, December 9, 1996, p. 35.
[6]Keener, Craig "The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament." Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1993, p. 193.
[7]Josephus, Antiquities Volume XVII, Chapter 6, p. 1-8; Wars I. Chapter 33, p.1-9.