The Road to Christmas:
Jesus' Journey to & Birth in Bethlehem
Luke 2:1-7 | December 22, 2019
Good morning! If you would, turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 2. We are going to pause from our study in John and the Upper Room to take a moment to reflect on the birth of our Lord. As we approach Christmas Day, it is good for us to reflect on the birth of our Lord and remember the good news of God’s presence in this world.
This morning we’re going to be looking at the first 7 verses of chapter 2, which details that familiar story of Jesus being born in Bethlehem and the fact that there was no room for them in the Inn. It’s a wonderful passage and I invite you to give your attention to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Let's pray...Amen.
Well, if you feel a little tired after reading this portion of Scripture, there is a reason for that. I don’t know if you realized it or not, but in those 7 verses you traveled almost 3,000 miles. This passage, you may say, covers the Journey to Bethlehem.
It is interesting too what we find here. For over in chapter 1, we read about how the angel appeared to Mary and first announced that she was going to bear an extraordinary child. He would be the Son of the Most High and he would sit on the throne of his father David. And Mary responded to that by saying, “May it be to me as you have said, I am the Lord’s servant.”
Now, if that had happened to you, I wonder if this is how you would have thought things were going to work out. Here in the later part of her pregnancy she’s making an arduous trek to Bethlehem. I would bet that on this trip she leaned over to Joseph and said, “I thought it was going to be a lot different being the bearer of God’s Son. I was thinking that this whole deal was going to have some perks.”
But here we are, on the journey to Judea. And I want to take a few moments today to walk through this passage. We’re going to do things a little differently today. I usually have a very set way of looking at a passage. But today I want to mix it up a little.
I want to simply walk through our passage and made some observations on the text. I want to highlight a few things that I believe are worthy of comment and point out some of the neat features of the passage. After we look at those things, I want to come back and draw out a few practical lessons. So we’re going to look at the observations first, and then we’ll conclude with some applications.
I. Caesar Augustus
First, let’s think about Caesar Augustus, who is mentioned in the first verse. This chapter opens with a mention of the imperial governor and the census that he decreed to take. Of course, we know Dr. Luke loves to include details of historical note. His purpose in writing is to set forth an orderly account. And he gives a time stamp on the birth of Jesus by mentioning these historical details.
But it is interesting that we begin with Caesar and we end with the baby Jesus. We have the pomp of the Roman Empire, contrasted with the lowly and humble beginnings of the Son of God.
What’s really interesting is that one son of the gods is juxtaposed to the Son of God. Let me give you some interesting facts about Mr. Augustus. This Caesar is an interesting character. His given name was Octavius. And he was the adopted son of the famed Julius Caesar (Et tu Brute?).
Octavius was a military genius. He was the fellow who brought about the Pax Romana (i.e. the Peace of Rome). Due to his military and administrative prowess, the Roman Empire came to have a relative peace that lasted for about 2 centuries. There were 200 years where they were free from major conflicts and warring. So great was the peace that people were able to travel all over the empire without fear of falling into major trouble.
But before he became the Roman Emperor, he wanted to show his support for Julius, his adopted father. And one of the ways he did so was by taking the name Divi Filius, which is Latin for “the Son of the Divine.” He was recognizing that his father was a god. But he’s ultimately calling himself, the son of that God.
So it is really interesting that it is during this historical moment, when the Divi Filius was sitting upon the throne that there was one somewhere hundreds of miles away, in some far off Jewish land, being born who would be recognized as the true Son of God.
But we don’t usually call Octavius by that name. Luke uses the name that is more common for our dear little Octavius. He’s typically called Caesar Augustus. And he’s the guy the month of August is named for. Now, again, you have to remember that Augustus wasn’t his given name. It was a name that the Roman Senate officially attributed to him. And they did it because of his military victories. He defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra and consolidated the Roman Empire into its united form. And the Senate gave him this name, “Augustus,” which means “Venerable.” We may say that a man is rather august. It is recognizing that he is a powerful man who deserves a lot of respect. This title then is a way of saying that he is god like. He’s venerable, he deserves your respect, your worship, your highest honor and allegiance.
And so, what a time for the little baby Jesus to be born! In the midst of the glorification of man and in the middle of all the associated humanistic pomp and power, God comes down.
II. The Progression of the Text
The second thing I want you to note from our passage is the progression of the text. Luke is not just a doctor by trade, I believe he is a literary genius. He is a magnificent writer and you see something of that here in this text. Luke writes this in such a way as to show movement. You can basically trace a road from the prestigious city of Rome all the way down to Bethlehem and the manger, and (I’d perhaps even say) out to nowhere.
Take a look again at how things develop and move along. Where do we start? In verse 1, we start in Rome. We are right there in Caesar’s throne room hearing his decree to take a census.
Then in verse two, we move across the Mediterranean Sea to the region of Syria where Quirinius is governing. And we find out that this is the first census taken after he comes to power as a governor.
We make our way through the crowds of people moving around in verse 3 to pick up with Joseph in verse 4. And we find ourselves in Galilee, which is the northern part of Israel. And then we join up with Joseph and his caravan as they make their way south to the town of Bethlehem. Now, notice that we’re getting smaller and smaller. We had the Great City of Rome, the Center of the Empire, then we came to the smaller region of Syria. Then it was narrowed down to the smaller area of Galilee, and now we are in a wee little town (maybe a village).
But you’ll notice that our text doesn’t stop there. We proceed further on and we find that Jesus is born and laid in a manger. We’ve gotten even smaller and more insignificant. And, I would even go so far to say that we don’t stop there. Luke adds the fact that there was no room for them in the inn. It’s almost like Luke is throwing us into complete obscurity. You thought you were in Nowheresville when you entered Bethlehem. But now you are really in no where. There’s no room in the Inn. It’s almost like you’re left dangling out in space somewhere.
It’s funny because so many people make a big deal out of the stable. You see stables on Christmas cards; you will hear scholars talk about what the stable might actually have looked like. Was it a shed? Was it more of a cave? Was it a courtyard area where the animals may have been kept?
Well, if you really want to be biblical, there isn’t a stable. Now there may have been one. I don’t think it is bad to fill in that gap. But I do find it interesting that Luke never mentions a stable. What he does say is that Mary and Joseph are left out. There’s no room.
Caesar has his great city and grand empire; but what does Jesus have? He has nothing.
III. No Donkey
Now there is a third thing I want you to see in the text. Well, I take that back. There is something I want you not to see in the text. There’s something missing in this passage. Did you notice it?
Take a second and think of every Christmas card you’ve ever beheld that depicts this scene. You have Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and what else is usually in that picture. Mary is almost always shown to be riding on a donkey, right? Did you see a donkey in our passage? There’s no mention of one is there?
If you think about it, a donkey was a pretty expensive commodity. It was like owning a tractor. And tractors are not cheap. Knowing that Joseph and Mary couldn’t even afford a significant offering for purification, but had to offer two doves (the poor man’s offering), do you think they were able to afford a donkey?
What’s the point I’m trying to make? I don’t know that Mary had the luxury of riding to Bethlehem. I think that Mary probably waddled the whole way.
Imagine having to walk to downtown Columbus, OH while pregnant. I’m not sure that would have been fun for Mary, and I doubt it was all that great for Jesus either. Even in the womb, I bet that was kind of tough on him.
IV. No Room In the Inn
Okay, so the last thing I want you to notice is the fact that there was no room in the inn. Keep in mind where we are. We are in Bethlehem, which is the city of David. And Joseph is of the house and line of David. So basically, Joseph is back in his own land. He’s among family here. Bethlehem would have been where his aunts and uncles and grandparents were living. He would have had some extended family here.
I recognize that there was probably an overflow of people due to the census. But Joseph is among his own kin and he’s got a pregnant wife. You’d think that there’d be some courtesy shown him. Someone would give them a break and maybe, at the very least, let Mary have some accommodations.
If you’re on the bus and it is jam packed and a pregnant lady or an older person gets on, what are you supposed to do? You’re supposed to give that person your seat. That’s the kind and courteous thing to do. It is a way of showing honor to those who deserve honor.
But no one gives Joseph and Mary a break. They are really given the cold shoulder here. I think they are probably treated with a bit of contempt.
Well, those are some of the observations of the text. It is an interesting passage when you think about its details. But let’s bring it all together. What can we take away from the passage? What lessons does it teach us for our lives?
1. God is in complete control
This text reminds us that God is in complete control over all the events of this world. We are reminded that no matter how great man is, God is greater. Caesar Augustus was really worthy of the name. he was an August person. But when we think of what’s going on in this passage, we understand that God is ultimately greater.
You see, God needed Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. But Joseph and Mary were almost 100 miles away in Galilee. And they no doubt had a comfy life and were nicely ensconced in that territory. They were probably not making any plans to honeymoon in Judea. So how was prophetic history going to be fulfilled?
I’ll tell you how: by Caesar Augustus. God was using the Roman Emperor to do his bidding. Caesar may have been a brilliant tactician and an amazing administrator, but he was ultimately a pawn in the hands of God; a taxi driver, so to speak, who would transport Joseph and Mary to their proper destination.
We are hearing a lot about world leaders today. You turn on the television and you have the next story about the impeachment process just in time for Christmas. And this politician is saying that and that politician is saying this; this nation is invading that nation and this tyrant is now doing that.
In the midst of all that goes on around us, let’s remember this: all these men are but tools that God is using to bring about his purposes in this world. And there is nothing that happens that is not happening for the greater growth and establishment of God’s kingdom in this world.
2. God usually works in small, indiscernible ways
The contrast we have from the beginning of this passage to the end is quite significant, isn’t it? We have a contrast between the great Emperor Caesar Augustus and the little baby Jesus. You have one who has all kinds of pomp and notoriety, and then you have another who is born in complete obscurity. One has immense power; the other is a poor Jewish infant who doesn’t even have a proper bed.
One of the great themes of the gospel of Luke is God’s love for the least and the lowly. And you find that theme emphasized right here in the birth of our Savior. And it is noteworthy that Jesus isn’t born in Rome or even in Jerusalem. He isn’t found in the temple or the main gates of the market square. He’s born in a place where he is basically a foreigner and no one cares about him.
Yet that is the way God likes to act. He is always working in the things that are small and obscure. We always think that bigger is better. We like things that are flashy and have a little more flare. We like to try and get the shazam effect and we believe in whatever has some pomp and glamour.
We want to make a big splash and have everything marketed in the biggest and best way. But that’s not typically how God does things.
He’s happy to take a couple thousand years to grow his kingdom. He’s happy to work with a handful of fisherman and tax collectors and zealots. He doesn’t mind taking the foolish things of the world and working with them.
He’s even happy to have a handful of families (like Hopewell) who are not making a lot of notoriety or noise. They’re just ordinary people who are tending to their daily work, doing their jobs, discipling their kids, meeting together on a weekly basis, and he’s delighted to work within those parameters to do his thing.
So as Zechariah says, “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.” Don’t poo-poo something just because it seems insignificant. God uses babies in mangers. He uses crosses in Jerusalem. He uses people in Lucas and Lakeville. He loves the small and the lowly, he uses the foolish and insignificant, he works through the tiny, indiscernible things that don’t seem to mean much in the day to day.
3. God is rejected by sinners and scorned by His own
That’s something that comes out in our passage. There’s Joseph right there in his home town and yet no one is going to welcome him in. Anywhere he goes there’s a no vacancy sign.
It just reminds us that Jesus, from his very conception, was not welcome here in this world. He was despised and rejected of men from the moment he came into this world. While even still in the womb, people did not want anything to do with him.
You know, they say that Christmas is all about family. Christmas is a time for sharing and for giving. That’s the Hallmark version. But you know what? Christmas is really a time for telling God that you don’t want anything to do with him.
Which leads us to the last thing I want to emphasize:
4. Jesus suffered for sinners
Christmas is about the humiliation of our Savior. You know why there was no room for him in the inn? It was because he was beginning to bear the wrath and curse of God. He was the sin bearer. And he did not have a lot of the comforts of life. He didn’t get to partake of many of the things that maybe should have been afforded to him because he was undergoing the wrath of God.
You see, when he came to earth, he was entering hell. The favor of God was being removed from him and his atoning work was manifested in that he was to be stripped of the good things of life.
As he stepped out of heaven, he stepped into the dark abyss of nothing, all things were being taken from him because he had become the sin bearer.
The accommodations that make life enjoyable, were not supposed to be his. His life was one of suffering. From the lack of housing, to the crudeness of a crib, even to the long, trying walk down to Bethlehem, Jesus was living as the Man of Sorrows. From his very infancy he was acquainted with grief.
And that’s what Christmas is really all about. How the True Son of God (the Divi Filius) would not rise to power, but would undergo all the miseries of this life. He would not be the August One who would be venerated, he would be the afflicted one who would be despised and rejected.
You see, he is dying, even from birth. He is dying in your place. For you are the one who should not have the comforts of life afforded to you. As a sinner, you deserve not one good thing. You deserve to have your bed ripped out from under you. You deserve to be cast to the outer darkness far from the comforts of your own home. But he took this punishment on your behalf. And in so doing he has become the Savior you most desperately need.
This Christmas we may remember that we have a Savior. We have one who has stood in our place; one who has become our substitute; one who has rescued us from the dark pains of hell.
This morning we’re going to be looking at the first 7 verses of chapter 2, which details that familiar story of Jesus being born in Bethlehem and the fact that there was no room for them in the Inn. It’s a wonderful passage and I invite you to give your attention to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Let's pray...Amen.
Well, if you feel a little tired after reading this portion of Scripture, there is a reason for that. I don’t know if you realized it or not, but in those 7 verses you traveled almost 3,000 miles. This passage, you may say, covers the Journey to Bethlehem.
It is interesting too what we find here. For over in chapter 1, we read about how the angel appeared to Mary and first announced that she was going to bear an extraordinary child. He would be the Son of the Most High and he would sit on the throne of his father David. And Mary responded to that by saying, “May it be to me as you have said, I am the Lord’s servant.”
Now, if that had happened to you, I wonder if this is how you would have thought things were going to work out. Here in the later part of her pregnancy she’s making an arduous trek to Bethlehem. I would bet that on this trip she leaned over to Joseph and said, “I thought it was going to be a lot different being the bearer of God’s Son. I was thinking that this whole deal was going to have some perks.”
But here we are, on the journey to Judea. And I want to take a few moments today to walk through this passage. We’re going to do things a little differently today. I usually have a very set way of looking at a passage. But today I want to mix it up a little.
I want to simply walk through our passage and made some observations on the text. I want to highlight a few things that I believe are worthy of comment and point out some of the neat features of the passage. After we look at those things, I want to come back and draw out a few practical lessons. So we’re going to look at the observations first, and then we’ll conclude with some applications.
I. Caesar Augustus
First, let’s think about Caesar Augustus, who is mentioned in the first verse. This chapter opens with a mention of the imperial governor and the census that he decreed to take. Of course, we know Dr. Luke loves to include details of historical note. His purpose in writing is to set forth an orderly account. And he gives a time stamp on the birth of Jesus by mentioning these historical details.
But it is interesting that we begin with Caesar and we end with the baby Jesus. We have the pomp of the Roman Empire, contrasted with the lowly and humble beginnings of the Son of God.
What’s really interesting is that one son of the gods is juxtaposed to the Son of God. Let me give you some interesting facts about Mr. Augustus. This Caesar is an interesting character. His given name was Octavius. And he was the adopted son of the famed Julius Caesar (Et tu Brute?).
Octavius was a military genius. He was the fellow who brought about the Pax Romana (i.e. the Peace of Rome). Due to his military and administrative prowess, the Roman Empire came to have a relative peace that lasted for about 2 centuries. There were 200 years where they were free from major conflicts and warring. So great was the peace that people were able to travel all over the empire without fear of falling into major trouble.
But before he became the Roman Emperor, he wanted to show his support for Julius, his adopted father. And one of the ways he did so was by taking the name Divi Filius, which is Latin for “the Son of the Divine.” He was recognizing that his father was a god. But he’s ultimately calling himself, the son of that God.
So it is really interesting that it is during this historical moment, when the Divi Filius was sitting upon the throne that there was one somewhere hundreds of miles away, in some far off Jewish land, being born who would be recognized as the true Son of God.
But we don’t usually call Octavius by that name. Luke uses the name that is more common for our dear little Octavius. He’s typically called Caesar Augustus. And he’s the guy the month of August is named for. Now, again, you have to remember that Augustus wasn’t his given name. It was a name that the Roman Senate officially attributed to him. And they did it because of his military victories. He defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra and consolidated the Roman Empire into its united form. And the Senate gave him this name, “Augustus,” which means “Venerable.” We may say that a man is rather august. It is recognizing that he is a powerful man who deserves a lot of respect. This title then is a way of saying that he is god like. He’s venerable, he deserves your respect, your worship, your highest honor and allegiance.
And so, what a time for the little baby Jesus to be born! In the midst of the glorification of man and in the middle of all the associated humanistic pomp and power, God comes down.
II. The Progression of the Text
The second thing I want you to note from our passage is the progression of the text. Luke is not just a doctor by trade, I believe he is a literary genius. He is a magnificent writer and you see something of that here in this text. Luke writes this in such a way as to show movement. You can basically trace a road from the prestigious city of Rome all the way down to Bethlehem and the manger, and (I’d perhaps even say) out to nowhere.
Take a look again at how things develop and move along. Where do we start? In verse 1, we start in Rome. We are right there in Caesar’s throne room hearing his decree to take a census.
Then in verse two, we move across the Mediterranean Sea to the region of Syria where Quirinius is governing. And we find out that this is the first census taken after he comes to power as a governor.
We make our way through the crowds of people moving around in verse 3 to pick up with Joseph in verse 4. And we find ourselves in Galilee, which is the northern part of Israel. And then we join up with Joseph and his caravan as they make their way south to the town of Bethlehem. Now, notice that we’re getting smaller and smaller. We had the Great City of Rome, the Center of the Empire, then we came to the smaller region of Syria. Then it was narrowed down to the smaller area of Galilee, and now we are in a wee little town (maybe a village).
But you’ll notice that our text doesn’t stop there. We proceed further on and we find that Jesus is born and laid in a manger. We’ve gotten even smaller and more insignificant. And, I would even go so far to say that we don’t stop there. Luke adds the fact that there was no room for them in the inn. It’s almost like Luke is throwing us into complete obscurity. You thought you were in Nowheresville when you entered Bethlehem. But now you are really in no where. There’s no room in the Inn. It’s almost like you’re left dangling out in space somewhere.
It’s funny because so many people make a big deal out of the stable. You see stables on Christmas cards; you will hear scholars talk about what the stable might actually have looked like. Was it a shed? Was it more of a cave? Was it a courtyard area where the animals may have been kept?
Well, if you really want to be biblical, there isn’t a stable. Now there may have been one. I don’t think it is bad to fill in that gap. But I do find it interesting that Luke never mentions a stable. What he does say is that Mary and Joseph are left out. There’s no room.
Caesar has his great city and grand empire; but what does Jesus have? He has nothing.
III. No Donkey
Now there is a third thing I want you to see in the text. Well, I take that back. There is something I want you not to see in the text. There’s something missing in this passage. Did you notice it?
Take a second and think of every Christmas card you’ve ever beheld that depicts this scene. You have Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem and what else is usually in that picture. Mary is almost always shown to be riding on a donkey, right? Did you see a donkey in our passage? There’s no mention of one is there?
If you think about it, a donkey was a pretty expensive commodity. It was like owning a tractor. And tractors are not cheap. Knowing that Joseph and Mary couldn’t even afford a significant offering for purification, but had to offer two doves (the poor man’s offering), do you think they were able to afford a donkey?
What’s the point I’m trying to make? I don’t know that Mary had the luxury of riding to Bethlehem. I think that Mary probably waddled the whole way.
Imagine having to walk to downtown Columbus, OH while pregnant. I’m not sure that would have been fun for Mary, and I doubt it was all that great for Jesus either. Even in the womb, I bet that was kind of tough on him.
IV. No Room In the Inn
Okay, so the last thing I want you to notice is the fact that there was no room in the inn. Keep in mind where we are. We are in Bethlehem, which is the city of David. And Joseph is of the house and line of David. So basically, Joseph is back in his own land. He’s among family here. Bethlehem would have been where his aunts and uncles and grandparents were living. He would have had some extended family here.
I recognize that there was probably an overflow of people due to the census. But Joseph is among his own kin and he’s got a pregnant wife. You’d think that there’d be some courtesy shown him. Someone would give them a break and maybe, at the very least, let Mary have some accommodations.
If you’re on the bus and it is jam packed and a pregnant lady or an older person gets on, what are you supposed to do? You’re supposed to give that person your seat. That’s the kind and courteous thing to do. It is a way of showing honor to those who deserve honor.
But no one gives Joseph and Mary a break. They are really given the cold shoulder here. I think they are probably treated with a bit of contempt.
Well, those are some of the observations of the text. It is an interesting passage when you think about its details. But let’s bring it all together. What can we take away from the passage? What lessons does it teach us for our lives?
1. God is in complete control
This text reminds us that God is in complete control over all the events of this world. We are reminded that no matter how great man is, God is greater. Caesar Augustus was really worthy of the name. he was an August person. But when we think of what’s going on in this passage, we understand that God is ultimately greater.
You see, God needed Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. But Joseph and Mary were almost 100 miles away in Galilee. And they no doubt had a comfy life and were nicely ensconced in that territory. They were probably not making any plans to honeymoon in Judea. So how was prophetic history going to be fulfilled?
I’ll tell you how: by Caesar Augustus. God was using the Roman Emperor to do his bidding. Caesar may have been a brilliant tactician and an amazing administrator, but he was ultimately a pawn in the hands of God; a taxi driver, so to speak, who would transport Joseph and Mary to their proper destination.
We are hearing a lot about world leaders today. You turn on the television and you have the next story about the impeachment process just in time for Christmas. And this politician is saying that and that politician is saying this; this nation is invading that nation and this tyrant is now doing that.
In the midst of all that goes on around us, let’s remember this: all these men are but tools that God is using to bring about his purposes in this world. And there is nothing that happens that is not happening for the greater growth and establishment of God’s kingdom in this world.
2. God usually works in small, indiscernible ways
The contrast we have from the beginning of this passage to the end is quite significant, isn’t it? We have a contrast between the great Emperor Caesar Augustus and the little baby Jesus. You have one who has all kinds of pomp and notoriety, and then you have another who is born in complete obscurity. One has immense power; the other is a poor Jewish infant who doesn’t even have a proper bed.
One of the great themes of the gospel of Luke is God’s love for the least and the lowly. And you find that theme emphasized right here in the birth of our Savior. And it is noteworthy that Jesus isn’t born in Rome or even in Jerusalem. He isn’t found in the temple or the main gates of the market square. He’s born in a place where he is basically a foreigner and no one cares about him.
Yet that is the way God likes to act. He is always working in the things that are small and obscure. We always think that bigger is better. We like things that are flashy and have a little more flare. We like to try and get the shazam effect and we believe in whatever has some pomp and glamour.
We want to make a big splash and have everything marketed in the biggest and best way. But that’s not typically how God does things.
He’s happy to take a couple thousand years to grow his kingdom. He’s happy to work with a handful of fisherman and tax collectors and zealots. He doesn’t mind taking the foolish things of the world and working with them.
He’s even happy to have a handful of families (like Hopewell) who are not making a lot of notoriety or noise. They’re just ordinary people who are tending to their daily work, doing their jobs, discipling their kids, meeting together on a weekly basis, and he’s delighted to work within those parameters to do his thing.
So as Zechariah says, “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.” Don’t poo-poo something just because it seems insignificant. God uses babies in mangers. He uses crosses in Jerusalem. He uses people in Lucas and Lakeville. He loves the small and the lowly, he uses the foolish and insignificant, he works through the tiny, indiscernible things that don’t seem to mean much in the day to day.
3. God is rejected by sinners and scorned by His own
That’s something that comes out in our passage. There’s Joseph right there in his home town and yet no one is going to welcome him in. Anywhere he goes there’s a no vacancy sign.
It just reminds us that Jesus, from his very conception, was not welcome here in this world. He was despised and rejected of men from the moment he came into this world. While even still in the womb, people did not want anything to do with him.
You know, they say that Christmas is all about family. Christmas is a time for sharing and for giving. That’s the Hallmark version. But you know what? Christmas is really a time for telling God that you don’t want anything to do with him.
Which leads us to the last thing I want to emphasize:
4. Jesus suffered for sinners
Christmas is about the humiliation of our Savior. You know why there was no room for him in the inn? It was because he was beginning to bear the wrath and curse of God. He was the sin bearer. And he did not have a lot of the comforts of life. He didn’t get to partake of many of the things that maybe should have been afforded to him because he was undergoing the wrath of God.
You see, when he came to earth, he was entering hell. The favor of God was being removed from him and his atoning work was manifested in that he was to be stripped of the good things of life.
As he stepped out of heaven, he stepped into the dark abyss of nothing, all things were being taken from him because he had become the sin bearer.
The accommodations that make life enjoyable, were not supposed to be his. His life was one of suffering. From the lack of housing, to the crudeness of a crib, even to the long, trying walk down to Bethlehem, Jesus was living as the Man of Sorrows. From his very infancy he was acquainted with grief.
And that’s what Christmas is really all about. How the True Son of God (the Divi Filius) would not rise to power, but would undergo all the miseries of this life. He would not be the August One who would be venerated, he would be the afflicted one who would be despised and rejected.
You see, he is dying, even from birth. He is dying in your place. For you are the one who should not have the comforts of life afforded to you. As a sinner, you deserve not one good thing. You deserve to have your bed ripped out from under you. You deserve to be cast to the outer darkness far from the comforts of your own home. But he took this punishment on your behalf. And in so doing he has become the Savior you most desperately need.
This Christmas we may remember that we have a Savior. We have one who has stood in our place; one who has become our substitute; one who has rescued us from the dark pains of hell.