GOOD NEWS FOR ALL PEOPLE

Luke 2:1-20 (Text = Verse 10)

Prayer

Chestnut Hill UMC is a small congregation near Bradford, Tennessee.

Theyíve had a Christmas dinner and program every year for as long as anyone

can remember.

And every year, for as long as anyone can remember, someone has read

Luke 2:1-20.

We call it the Christmas Story.

Itís the good news about the birth of Jesus.

Luke begins the story with a man named Caesar Augustus.

ìAnd it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar

Augustus, that all the world should be taxedî (Verse 1).

Caesar Augustus was a powerful leader;

So powerful he decreed that all the world should be taxed;

All the territory controlled by the Roman Empire including all the Land of Israel.

Luke said, ìthis taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syriaî

(Verse 2).

Caesar Augustus ruled the world and Cyrenius was governor of Syria.

For years, historians said, ìThis canít be true.î

They said, ìCyrenius was governor of Syria from 6-10 A.D.î

ìJesus was born before that.ì

ìWeíve found a mistake in the Bible.î

Guess what?

They were right when they said Cyrenius was governor of Syria from 6-10 A.D.;

Right when they said Jesus was born before that.

But they were wrong when they said, ìWeíve found a mistake in the Bible.î

Historians now know that Cyrenius was governor of Syria twice.

His first term was from 4 B.C.- 1 A.D.

And Jesus was born during his first term not his second.

Beware of those who say, ìWeíve found a mistake in the Bible.î

Itís happened over and over again.

But over and over again, the Bible has turned out to be right.

Luke said, ìAll went to be taxed, every one into his own cityî (Verse 3).

Caesar Augustus ruled the world.

Cyrenius governed Syria.

But God was in control.

Why do I say God was in control?

I say God was in control because the Old Testament prophet Micah said the Christ would be born in Bethlehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2).

Caesar Augustus decreed that all the world should be taxed, every man in his own Ý

city, or his own hometown.

But God put it in his heart to do that.

He did it so the Christ would be born in Bethlehem and His Word would be fulfilled.

ìAnd Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, ÝÝÝÝ

unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;î

ìBecause he was of the house and lineage of Davidî (Verse 4).

Joseph lived in Nazareth.

But God wanted him in Bethlehem.

That was the ancestral home of King David.

And Joseph was a descendant of King David.

Luke said, he went ìTo be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with

childî (Verse 5).

Joseph didnít have to take anyone with him.

He couldíve gone alone.

But Mary was Josephís espoused wife.

They were planning to get married.

She was great with child.

She would have a baby almost any day.

It would be a long, hard trip;

A cold, dangerous trip.

A wise man wouldnít normally take a pregnant woman on a donkey on a trip like ÝÝÝ

that.

But God said the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

He even sent an angel to talk to this couple.

One angel said, ìFear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.î

ìAnd, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt

call his name JESUS.î

ìHe shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:î

ìAnd the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:î

ìAnd he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;î

ìAnd of his kingdom there shall be no endî (Luke 1:30-33).

Another angel said to Joseph, ìthou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary Ý

thy wife:î

ìFor that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.î

ìAnd she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:î

ìFor he shall save his people from their sinsî (Matt. 1:20-21).

So Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because it was Godís will.

I read about a preacher who said, ìMy only son is going to Africa to be a

missionary.î

ìI donít want him to go.î

ìIt will be dangerous;î

ìHard on his wife and children.î

ìI wonít see him for many years.î

ìChristmas will be very lonely.î

ìBut what God is doing through his life fills my heart with pride and joy I cannot express.î

ìI can let him go because itís Godís will.î

Luke said, ìAnd so it was, that, while they were there, the days were

accomplished that she should be deliveredî (Verse 6).

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem.

They were there when the time came for Jesus to be born.

God chose this time before the creation of the world.

Paul said, ìWhen the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made

of a womanî (Gal. 4:4).

So Mary gave birth.

ìAnd she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, ÝÝ

and laid him in a manger;î

ìBecause there was no room for them in the innî (Verse 7).

The inn was full.

Joseph and Mary didnít have friends or relatives to take them in.

They moved into a stable.

Some say a cave where animals were kept.

Jesus was born.

And Mary wrapped strips of linen cloth around Him to protect His arms and legs.

She laid Him in a manger.

Later, John said, ìAnd the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we

beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

and truthî (Jn. 1:14).

The Son of God became flesh.

We are called to deal with this at Christmas.

Itís not a story about colored lights, decorations, malls and packages;

Not a story about Santa Clause and reindeer.

Itís a story about the Son of God coming into this world.

ìAnd there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch Ý

over their flock by nightî (Verse 8).

Most shepherds spent a great deal of time in the field.

They went there to keep watch over their sheep.

Being out in the field with their sheep prevented them from observing the Sabbath;

Offering the required sacrifices;

Keeping the Mosaic Law.

So people looked down on them;

Placed them low on the social scale;

Made them a mistreated class of people.

But there are no second class citizens in Godís kingdom.

ìAnd, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone

round about them: and they were sore afraidî (Verse 9).

Caesar Augustus didnít have a heavenly visitor that night;

Neither did Cyrenius, the governor of Syria;

Or the high priest of Israel.

But these shepherds did.

And the whole sky lit up.

The shepherds had never seen anything like this before.

They were afraid.

What if you went outside at night and the whole sky lit up?

How would you react?

I donít know how I would react.

But I know what several people said when it happened to them.

Daniel said, ìI retained no strengthî (Dan. 10:8).

Isaiah said, ìWoe is me! for I am undoneî (Isa. 6:5).

Job said, ìI abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashesî (Job 42:5-6).

Thereís something about being in the presence of heavenly beings that makes

people realize that God is holy;

That we are sinners;

And He can destroy us.

Luke said, ìAnd the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good

tidings of great joy, which shall be to all peopleî (Verse 10).

The angel calmed the shepherds.

He had good news;

Good news to rejoice about;

Good news for all of us.

ìFor unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the

Lordî (Verse 11).

ìFor unto youî means God has a personal Gift for you.

Notice, three things:

1) A Saviour was born;

A Deliverer, a Redeemer.

Zechariah said, ìBlessed be the Lord God of Israel;î

ìFor he hath visited and redeemed his peopleî (Luke 1:68-69).

The angel told Joseph, ìthou shalt call his name JESUS:î

ìFor he shall save his people from their sinsî (Matt. 1:21).

2) A Christ was born;

The anointed One, the Messiah.

Matthewís genealogy of Jesus reads, ìJacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary,

of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christî (Matt. 1:16).

3) The Saviour, the Christ is the Lord;

The Supreme Authority.

The Judge of all mankind;

The One who will determine where we will spend eternity.

Two women walked by a department store.

There was a manger scene in the window.

One woman said, ìLook at that.î

ìThe Church is trying to horn in on Christmas too.î

The other woman said, ìYou donít understand.î

ìChristmas belongs to the Church.î

Next, the angel said, ìAnd this shall be a sign unto you;î

ìYe shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a mangerî

(Verse 12).

A baby in Bethlehem wouldnít be unusual.

A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes wouldnít be unusual.

But a baby lying in a manger would be.

ìAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising ÝÝÝ

God, and saying,î

ìGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward menî (Verses ÝÝ

13-14).

ìHeavenly hostî is translated ìheavenly armiesî in some verses.

And ìarmies of heavenî in other verses.

Itís a military term.

It refers to the angels that are involved in spiritual warfare (Dan. 10:8-21; Eph. 6:12;

Heb. 1:13-14).

Luke is saying an army of soldier angels appeared.

They praised God.

They said the birth of Jesus will bring glory to God.

And peace to people on earth.

They were saying, ìYou can be at peace with God.î

ìOr you can be at war with God.î

ìJesus is the way to be at peace with God.î

ìAnd it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,î

ìLet us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass,

which the Lord hath made known unto usî (Verse 15).

Predators and thieves made it risky for the shepherds to leave their sheep.

And we donít know that all of them left.

But this was a rare moment in the lives of these men.

At least some left everything.

They went straight to Bethlehem.

They wanted to see Jesus with their own eyes.

ìAnd they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a mangerî (Verse 16).

They rushed.

They found Him.

ìAnd when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told ÝÝÝ

them concerning this childî (Verse 17).

They didnít keep the good news a secret.

They received it from the angels of heaven.

And passed it on.

Christmas is about good news from heaven.

Pass it on.

ìAnd all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherdsî (Verse 18).

ìWonderedî means they were a little curious.

But not sure about what to think.

It occurred to them that this could be really good news.

But they didnít want to get too excited about it.

Thatís how it is today.

Multitudes will see their children and grandchildren in the Christmas story.

ìJanie was a cute little angel.î

ìJohnny looked like a real shepherd.î

ìI loved to hear the kids sing.î

ìThe Church did a good job.î

But most wonít get very excited about the really good news.

ìBut Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heartî (Verse 19).

She remembered all these things;

Reflected on them in her innermost being.

Luke is drawing a contrast between those the shepherds talked to.

And Mary.

Those the shepherds talked to didnít try very hard to grasp the significance of these things.

But Mary remembered and carefully considered them.

Donít let the Christmas story be like the morning cloud and early dew.

Donít let what you hear fade away.

Remember it.

Mull it over.

ìAnd the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they

had heard and seen, as it was told unto themî (Verse 20).

The shepherds werenít satisfied with just telling people what they had heard and ÝÝÝÝ

seen.

They worshiped God.

The good news is more than a story about a little baby in a manger.

Thereís more to it than angels, shepherds and wise men.

Itís a story about a God who loves us so much He went to extremes to do something about our greatest need;

A God who didnít abandon this world.

A God who sent a Saviour.

Do you know this Saviour?

A father told his son to get a board, a hammer and some nails.

His son obeyed.

The father said, ìDrive the nails in the board.î

His son did it.

The father said, ìPull the nails out.î

His son pulled the nails out.

The father said, ìPull the nail holes out.î

His son said, ìI canít pull the nail holes out.î

Our sin is like those nail holes.

We can stop sinning.

We can stop driving the nails in the hands of Jesus.

But we canít do anything about the scars from the sins we have already committed.

God can.

God did.

The story of the cross and the resurrection begins with the birth of Jesus.

Before he died, Clovis Chappell said an old shepherd put his grandson on his lap.

He said, ìI was one of the shepherds who saw the angels that night.î

His grandson asked, ìWhat did you do?î

The old man replied, ìI didnít take time to go and see Jesus.î

ìAnd itís haunted me all my life.î

Christmas didnít just happen.

Itís an opportunity to go and see Jesus.

If you fail to do it, it may haunt you forever.