12/25/22 Go to Bethlehem and See
“Go to Bethlehem and See”
Luke 2:1-21
Have you ever been told by someone, or maybe you read online, that you absolutely MUST go and see something?
Maybe it’s some kind of tourist attraction, or a city, or a natural landmark of some kind. So after thinking it over you say to yourself “I must go see this thing.” So you gas up the old truckster, pack your bags, and head out to see what the hype is all about.
However, when you arrive at your destination, you realize that whatever was supposed to be so wonderful….well, it really wasn’t. (Wall Drug, anyone?) You come to the disappointing realization that the destination was overhyped – that the only thing truly impressive was the marketing strategy that convinced you to take a week off from work and travel countless miles to spend hard-earned money at a less-than-impressive destination. It reminds me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and her companions learn that the wizard is just an ordinary man from Omaha – nothing more. The reality of the situation did not match the marketing hype.
Last year, my family and I had one of these experiences while vacationing out on the East coast. We were hiking and sightseeing in Acadia National Park (Which is a beautiful park, by the way) and we kept seeing advertisements for the famous “Thunder Hole” located near Bar Harbor (Or pronounced bah-hahbah by the natives)
Wherever we went, it was Thunder hole this and Thunder hole that – so naturally we said to ourselves “We must go see this amazing Thunder Hole”
“Thunder Hole” is basically a geographical rock formation located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. During high tide, the waves break against it and are said to produce a deep, echoing sound that simulates loud thunder during a storm. So we did our homework and we arrived at the exact time of day when Thunder Hole was to be at its most impressive.
We made our way over to a lookout where there was a decent view of what was sure to be a life-changing event. We waited with childlike giddiness for the next wave to arrive. And there it was, off in the distance. A mighty wave of biblical proportion heading directly for Thunder Hole. We, along with about 100 other people, had our phones out ready to record what was sure to be the crowning event of our entire trip. Closer and closer the massive wave came, and larger and larger it appeared…it would be Wave vs. Thunder Hole.
This earth vs sea event was going to be epic - better than David vs Goliath, Tyson vs Holyfield, Godzilla vs Mothra, Coyote vs Roadrunner!
Finally, the massive wave arrived with all its fury, crashing into Thunder Hole with the anger and rage of woman who just peeled off a 15% Kohls discount rather than the highly desired 30% discount…it was a massive explosion of water into the sky.
…and then we eagerly waited for Thunder Hole’s deafening reply. The brochure said it would take about 8 seconds for Thunder Hole to counter punch by spewing water back to the ocean from its cavernous underbelly with the sound of 10,000 tubas….3,2,1….blurp.
That was it?!?!?! Thunder Hole sounded more like Uncle Bill’s indigestion following Christmas dinner than the sound of 10,000 blaring tubas.
Thunder Hole, to say the least, was very disappointing.
But isn’t that the world we live in?
Doesn’t it seem as though the actual destination or experience very seldom lives up to the hype.
Our text for this morning is perhaps the most recognized passage in the Bible – some people even have all 21 verses memorized.
The passage for today also deals with a destination, along with an unprecedented amount of hype concerning that destination. However, in this case, the actual event more than lived up to the hype.
In fact, the angelic announcement (As awesome as it was) paled in comparison to the magnitude and importance of what would be happening a few miles away in the small Judean town of Bethlehem.
In an old, dirty feeding trough (That’s actually what a manger was) amidst no fanfare of any kind lay the savior of the world – Jesus, the Messiah.
What was used to feed animals now held the bread of life for all mankind.
A stable that undoubtedly had very little light – out of it would come the light of the world.
The miraculous child of an ordinary teenage girl pledged to be married to a poor carpenter would bring the extraordinary riches of God’s grace and mercy to a fallen world lost in hopelessness and sin.
The birth of Jesus Christ is chapter one of God’s redemptive story for mankind.
In fact, the life of Jesus represents the pinnacle of human history.
Let’s take a look at our passage for today.
Verse 1 begins by mentioning the Roman ruler, Ceasar Augustas. “Ceasar Augustas” really wasn’t his name, but rather, his title.
“Ceasar” means emperor, while “Augustus” means ‘revered’, ‘honored’, ‘esteemed’
Ceasar Augustus’ real name was Gaius Octavius, and he was born in 63 B.C. He was a relative of Julius Ceasar and when Julius was assassinated in 44 B.C., Octavius made a shrewd move to assume the throne where he took on the name ‘Gaius Julius Caeser Octavianus’, usually shortened to Octavian.
Mark Antony and his wife Cleopatra made an attempt to usurp the throne of Octavian in 31B.C. but they were defeated leaving Octavian the undisputed ruler of the Roman Empire when Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C.
Octavian died in A.D. 14 and was succeeded by his stepson, Tiberius, who would have been the emperor during the ministry of Jesus.
(There’s your Roman history lesson for the day 😊)
Verse 1 tells us that Ceasar Augustus (Octavian) “issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.”
Verse 3 informs us that everyone would need to go to their ‘hometown’, so to speak, to register. Since Joseph and Mary were both from the line of David, they traveled to David’s hometown of Bethlehem to register for the census.
Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem would also fulfill OT prophecy concerning the birthplace of the Messiah.
Micah 5:2 says “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
When Micah speaks of a ruler whose origins are from “old”, or “Ancient times” he was basically saying that although this King would someday be born in Bethlehem, he would also be a ruler who has always been, and always will be….remind you of anyone?
This must have sounded crazy to Micah’s audience in his day, however after the life of Jesus, this prophecy would completely make sense as, while in the flesh, Jesus was both God and man.
Take a look at the first 9 words of Verse 7 “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” These words are so straightforward and simple, yet they describe one of the most difficult and amazing realities in all of history. This child was both 100% God and 100% man.
Jesus was the only person in all of history to ever have had 2 fully distinct natures. Theologians call this the ‘hypostatic union’ and simply put: we have no idea how God was able to accomplish this in the person of Jesus. It is the greatest mystery of all time. It is one of God’s most astounding and amazing miracles!
Paul attempts to describe the person of Jesus this way in Philippians 2:6-8 “”Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.”
The second person of the Trinity had stepped from eternity into time and space, and he had taken on flesh. There was no fanfare, no angels appeared around the stable, no trumpets, no voice from Heaven – just a young mother with her betrothed husband – in a dark, smelly, stable surrounded by animals. The King of the universe arrived in the humblest of conditions!!
Verses 8-15 take us a few miles out of town to where some shepherds are watching their sheep. In the dark sky above them, the shepherds see an angel (Possibly Gabriel) appear with “The Glory of the Lord” (Verse 9) and a message of “Good News that will cause great joy for all people.” (Verse 10)
First of all, let’s make sure not to gloss over the phrase “Glory of the Lord.” This is very significant – why? Because if you recall, God’s glory, or ‘presence’, has been described as occurring throughout the Old Testament, such as in the Garden of Eden, in the wilderness (while the Israelites were journeying out of Egypt) and inside the tabernacle/temple. However, because of Israel’s continued disobedience, God removed them from their land through the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. During this time of the exile (Around 500 years before the time of Christ) God also removed His presence from Israel….until this night.
God’s glory, His presence, His light, had returned - and it returned in the form of a small baby in Bethlehem.
Now, 1st century shepherds were fairly low on the socio-economic ladder of the day, yet it was to this group of individuals that God decided to announce the most wonderful news the world would ever hear. It wasn’t proclaimed to the educated and affluent of society – It wasn’t even announced to the religious leaders of the day.
Rather, The arrival of the Messiah was announced to shepherds. Today’s equivalent would be a minimally skilled blue-collar worker. Maybe someone who works on a line in a factory, or a waitress, something of that nature.
Think about that, if you were in charge of marketing in Heaven and God gave you the task of announcing the birth of Jesus to mankind, what people group would you choose to reveal the news?
I believe God chose shepherds to be the first people to hear the good news of Christ because a shepherd’s relatively low social position would tend to mean they were genuinely humble people. Scripture is full of passages reminding us of how much God detests the proud but has a great deal of compassion for the humble.
Humble people understand that they need God just to survive from day to day. Humble people understand that material items cannot bring true joy - and that they often lead to idolatry. Lastly, humble people love others. This naturally stems from their appreciation of God’s love for them.
Scripture also says that, many times, God will exalt the humble. It is certainly possible to be in a position of authority/ leadership and still be a humble individual. Look at Moses and David. God allowed both of these former shepherds to rise to great, prestigious heights – but only after they learned humility in the lowest of positions.
In verse 15, the shepherds decide to obey the angel and “Go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.”
The obedience of the shepherds in their decision to go to Bethlehem in verse 15 is very important because it correlates with a believer’s response to hearing the gospel message and choosing to follow Christ. The shepherds heard the revelation from God that the savior had come AND they believed that revelation.
This is exactly what happens when someone today comes to Jesus.
First, they hear the message of the gospel.
Secondly, they choose to believe that message.
Next, the choice to believe in Jesus will always result in action. Like the shepherds did when they immediately went to Bethlehem, the new Christian will move away from their old way of life and begin a new life of obedience to God’s Word and His will.
Lastly, In verse 17 we see the shepherds “Spread the Word” about Jesus and when they had returned home in verse 20, Luke describes them as “Glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen….”
Part of active obedience to God is also letting other people know about the life-changing power of the gospel message.
Like the shepherds after they saw the Christ child, they simply couldn’t stay quiet about it – and this should describe you and me as well!
We should always be not only willing but wanting to talk to others about what Jesus has done in our life and what he can do for theirs. The message of the gospel is, after all, the greatest message ever delivered to man. It is a message that has eternal consequences. Therefore, it is a message that must be told!
Jesus is the only way for you to escape the condemnation of sin that you inherited the moment you were conceived.
John 14:6 says: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
The bible also makes it clear that there is absolutely nothing you can do in your own strength to work your way into a right relationship with God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Trusting in Jesus as Lord of your life is the only way to be seen as righteous and holy before the Father – and this is absolutely essential to your salvation. You must be made righteous in order to gain entry into Heaven when you die.
Contrary to popular opinion, you won’t be chatting with St. Peter at the pearly gates talking about how your good deeds and bad deeds measure up – It’s not about works, it’s about your relationship with Jesus.
Perhaps some of you haven’t yet made Jesus Lord of your life.
What an incredible opportunity for you this morning on Christmas Day to turn your life over to the one who has the power to redeem your soul for all eternity!
You see, that little baby in a manger didn’t stay a baby. He grew to be an adult and lived 33 years on this earth. He taught others about God and His Kingdom of righteousness. He performed miracles. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind. He calmed angry seas and stormy skies with the slightest wave of his hand.
Most importantly, he offered himself up as a sacrifice for you and me.
Jesus led a perfect and sinless life. This made him eligible to take our sins upon himself at the cross. By trusting in Him as your Lord and Savior, through his shed blood, he is giving you the opportunity to be seen as completely sinless and righteous before the Father when you come before Him someday.
When the Father looks upon you in that moment, He will actually be seeing the righteousness and holiness of His son – imputed to you.
For the believer, the cross was the sight of an eternal exchange. Jesus took upon himself every sin that you have ever, and ever will, commit. In exchange for those sins, Jesus gave you His purity, his righteousness, his holiness – things you will need to someday be welcomed into the presence of God and live with Him for eternity.
If you die without making this eternal exchange with Jesus, you will not be welcomed into God’s presence for eternity. The only other destination described in scripture for such an individual is a place called Hell. Some people don’t believe in Hell, they’ll just say that the unfaithful are annihilated when they appear before God. I wish that were true because annihilation would be a better outcome than Hell. If you read scripture literally, however, you will quickly see that Hell is a real place and it will be filled with real people. The Bible describes it as a horrible place of non-stop pain, suffering, despair, agony, grief, and frustration…please don’t make this place your final destination.
Faith in Jesus not only affects your eternal destiny, but it also brings peace and joy to your life right now – a kind of supernatural peace and joy that simply cannot be obtained through any other means.
That deep, aching, restlessness in your soul? Fill that with Jesus and I guarantee you will never regret it.
If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please see me or one of the Deacons after the service today.
What a fantastic opportunity to give your life to the Lord on Christmas Day!
Let’s Pray.