These are my sermon notes for December 20, 2020. I know this is s long post but since I am now preaching every week and teaching a Revelation study every week, I don’t have time for the daily verse studies that I used to post. All my sermon notes on the Matthew series as well as the YouTube videos of the messages are available by clicking on “Matthew” in the top menu. Similarly, notes and videos of the Revelation studies are available by clicking on “Revelation” in the top menu.

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For Christians, Christmas means celebrating the birth of Jesus. And while we focus on the manger in Bethlehem, the world is more focused on St. Nicolas, or more accurately his jolly old elf caricature and the commercialized version of this blessed holiday. As I was driving to the store the other day I observed, and counted, the number of houses that were decorated with a theme of commercialized Christmas versus those that were decorated with a Christ theme. On one street alone, I counted 20 houses that had decorations more than just lights hung on trees or on the house. Of those 20, how many do you think had Christ centered decorations? One, one in twenty!

The world has drifted away from the real “Reason for the Season.” But, this is not surprising given the effort our adversary is constantly putting into distraction and disinformation regarding the birth of our Savior. Even the church has been misinformed and misled. Let me explain. Every year at our house we decorate the inside with Christmas and other winter decorations. We always set up the nativity scene in a conspicuous place. It’s a way of helping people focus on the birth of Christ, not the gift giving of Santa Claus. Over the past 15 years I have frequently done blog posts on Christmas. As I have, I’ve become less and less inspired by the typical nativity scene. Let me explain.

Most nativity scenes portray Mary sitting down, with Joseph standing by her, in a makeshift shelter constructed of wood, covered by a thatched roof. Before them is the baby Jesus wrapped in a blanket lying in an animal’s feeding trough surrounded by various animals lying down peacefully. With them are some shepherds (always with shepherd’s crooks so we know who they are.) In addition to the shepherds we usually see kings; always three, never more and never less. The kings have small treasure chests opened as they present gifts to the child. Frequently, there is an angel standing by and occasionally, there is a star above the scene shining down on them. In our house, we used to also have Santa standing by the kings with his gift for Jesus. Unfortunately, Santa has fallen and is broken. How appropriate is that!

So how much of this nativity scene is historically accurate? A couple of months ago in our study of the book of Matthew we discovered that the three kings were not kings, but Magi (wise men from the East). We also don’t really know how many of them there were. We assume it was three because there were three kinds of gifts given (gold, frankincense, and myrrh). We also learned that they did not come to the manger, they came to a house when baby Jesus was a year or two old. So scratch the “three kings.” They had been guided by the star, which did not appear over the manger, it came and stood over the house. Scratch the star. The angel appeared to the shepherds out in the field at night, not at the manger and, the angel went up into heaven after delivering his message. Scratch the angel. We’ve also been told that Jesus was actually born in a cave that had been used as a barn. Scratch the shelter. That leaves Mary, Joseph, Jesus, a few shepherds and some animals in a cave. But – even this is not entirely correct, but we’ll get to that.

Let’s look at this scene based on Luke’s account of the events of that night.

A Census

Luke 2:1-3

¹In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

Notes:

Caesar Augustus – He was born Caius Octavius in 63 B.C. In 29 B.C. the Roman senate declared him Rome’s first emperor (Caesar). Two years later, they honored him with the title “Augustus” (“exalted one” – a term indicating religious veneration) and required all Romans to worship him.

Registered – This is from the Greek word apographō, which literally means “to write off.” Initially, this was not for taxation purposes. The registration was for census purposes in order to compile a list of all the people in the Roman world. This census was to be performed every 14 years and later it was used to levy taxes on the people.

All the world – From the Greek word oikoumenē. This word was originally used by the Greeks to indicate the entire area conquered by Alexander the Great. Later, after Rome defeated the Greeks, it was used to indicate the entire Roman world.

A Timely Birth

Luke 2:4-7

⁴And 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, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And 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.

Notes:

Bethlehem – These registrations required everyone to return to their family hometown to be put on the list. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, they had to go to Bethlehem. (Actually, both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David.) The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 90 miles and may have taken them anywhere from six to ten days.

Looking back at this event from our side of the cross, we know that Bethlehem was where the Christ, the Messiah was born. Back then, they only had prophecies to go by. There are two of Micah’s prophecies about where the Messiah was to be born. The first is:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being little among the clans of Judah, out of you He shall come forth to Me to become ruler in Israel; and His comings forth have been from of old, from the days of antiquity. (Micah 5:2)

The other is:

And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. (Micah 4:8)

The words translated “tower of the flock” in Micah 4:8 are the Hebrew words migdol eder. This is a specific location just outside of Bethlehem. These two scriptures are why, when Herod inquired of the scribes and Pharisees where the king would be born, he was told, “in Bethlehem of Judah.”

Betrothed – This is from the Greek verb mnēsteuō which is from a root that means “to remember.” The betrothal (engagement) was usually sealed by a contract and a gift of jewelry was given to the bride by the groom. By Jewish law, the engagement was considered binding and could only be broken by issuing a decree of divorcement. The marriage ceremony would later take place just before the consummation, which was as much as a year after the engagement. Until then, the couple continued to live with their parents. However, this was not a requirement and the engaged couple could live together without upsetting any rules of ethical morality.

Manger – This is from phatnē, which refers to a manger or crib at which animals are fed. However, it could also refer to the “stall” where the animals were kept.

Inn – From the Greek word kataluma. This word is made up of kata, meaning “down” and luō, meaning “to loosen.” It was typically an upper room, or guest room, at a place where the guest was able to “unload” their animal and rest for the night.

Since, according to Luke, this was the first registration and everyone was to return to the town of their family for this registration, it is not surprising that there were no guest rooms available as all the descendants of David came to Bethlehem.

Wrapped him in swaddling cloths – These words are translated from the verb sparganoō, which means “to swaddle,” that is, “to wrap in strips of cloth” or in a blanket.

The Shepherds out in the field at night

Luke 2:8-9

⁸And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

Notes:

Let’s learn a little bit about these shepherds. Shepherds did not spend all of their time out in the fields with their flocks; they only did this during birthing season. The primary birthing season for lambs was in the spring (March, April, May), but there were also shorter birthing seasons during the winter and late summer. And, because of being out in the field all day and night, they were not able to keep the religious ordinances and ceremonial responsibilities that were required of everyone by the religious leaders. As a result, these same religious leaders considered shepherds little better than the heathen Gentiles. They were even banned from entering the Temple.

However, rabbinical writings indicate that any lamb that was born between Bethlehem and Jerusalem was considered sacred and was to be used only for the temple sacrifices. The male sheep were used for sin offerings and the female sheep were used for thanksgiving offerings. And, the shepherds who raised these sheep were specially trained by the rabbis in how to care for newborn sheep.

Out in the field – This is a huge clue as to what time of year Jesus was born. As we said above, shepherds only spent the nights out in the field during the birthing seasons. Since the shepherds were out in the field, Jesus must have been born during a birthing season. If Jesus was born during the short winter birthing season, Joseph and Mary would have had to travel during the rainiest part of the year. If he was born during the summer birthing season, Joseph and Mary would have had to travel during the hottest part of the year. It is most likely, therefore, that they travelled in the Spring.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them – A literal translation would be “an angel of the Lord stood over them.” The words “stood over” are from ephistemi, which is made up of epi, meaning “above,” “over,” or “on” and histemi meaning “to stand.” This word is frequently translated “stood by” but it could also be translated as “stood over.” For instance, in Luke 4:39 when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, it is translated as “stood over.”

And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. (Luke 4:39)

So, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that the angel of the Lord did not just stand before or beside the shepherds, he stood OVER them. We know that because then next phrase is, “and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear” Anyone would be filled with fear if an angel suddenly appeared to them, but do you see what it says? “The glory of the Lord shone around them.” The word translated “shone around” is perilampō. This is made up of peri, meaning “all the way around (think of the English word perimeter), and lampō, which means “to radiate brilliance.” If the angel was standing before or beside the shepherds, their glorious brilliance would not shine all around them, there would be lots of shadows. The light could only shine all around them if the angel of the Lord stood OVER them. And, it doesn’t simply say that they were afraid, it says that the shepherds “were filled with fear.” A literal translation of the Greek says “they feared with great fear,” Well, duh! Wouldn’t you be afraid if an angel suddenly appeared directly overhead and his brilliance lit up the entire area?

The Birth Announcement

Luke 2:10-14

¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Notes:

Luke just told us that when the shepherds saw the angel they were very much afraid. So, in typical God-like fashion, the first words out of the angel’s mouth were “don’t be afraid.”

Good news – From the Greek word euaggellidzō, meaning “to proclaim good news.” In other words, the angel said, “I bring you the gospel.” The angel said that this gospel would give great joy to all the people.

Unto you is born this day – This literally reads, “A savior was born to you today.” When the angel made the announcement to the shepherds, Jesus had already been born. In Greek, word order is very important, the most important word appearing first, and that word was “a Savior.”

Who is Christ – The word “Christ” is christos, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah), meaning “anointed one.” Now, think about this. Of course the shepherds would want to go see the Messiah. But, how would they find him? They couldn’t just go asking around, because nobody knew that he had been born yet! They wouldn’t go knocking on every door, it was nighttime!

This will be a sign – The angel told the shepherds what to look for. But, this was also a huge hint to them about where He was, “you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Why does that tell the shepherds where to look? Remember what we learned earlier from Micah’s prophecy about migdol eder? It was the tower of the flock. This was most likely a stone tower build with interior stairs that led up to a platform at the top. Towers like this had a room at the bottom used for various purposes. We also learned that the sheep raised there were dedicated to be sacrificial lambs for the temple sacrifices? We don’t know whether or not these particular shepherds, the ones who the angel appeared to, were the ones raising the sacrificial sheep, but all the shepherds in the area would be familiar with how new born sacrificial lambs were cared for. When a shepherd from the tower of the flock saw a ewe going into labor, he called for the other shepherds and they immediately brought her into the room on the first floor of the tower. In that room they cared for the mother while she gave birth. As soon as the new lamb was born, they inspected it to ensure that it was healthy and without blemish. Then, according to the rabbinical teaching, they swaddled the lamb and laid it in a feeding trough (phatnē) where they kept a close watch to ensure that it survived.

Do you see that?! The angel told the shepherds that their Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, was born at migdol eder and that he had already been treated like a sacrificial lamb! Remember the prophecy of Micah?

And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. (Micah 4:8)

But that’s not all. It gets even better!

Singing Angels

Luke 2:13-14

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Notes:

Suddenly – This is from the Greek word exaiphenēs, which means “suddenly and unexpectedly.”

Multitude – The Greek word is plethos, meaning “to be full”

Host – This is translated from stratia, which means “an army.”

Heavenly host – This was not an earthly army, but a heavenly army. These angels were in the heaven (the sky) and they were “with” the original angel. This is more evidence that the first angel stood over them.

While the shepherds were still reeling from having a brightly shining angel appear over them, and still processing the message that the Messiah had been born nearby at migdol eder, suddenly the sky was filled with an army of angels proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth for those on whom his favor rests.”

Away in a Manger

Luke 2:15-20

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Notes:

Let’s put ourselves in the shepherds’ sandals for a minute. They were out in the field while their sheep slept peacefully on an early spring night, when suddenly there was an intensely bright light from the sky. As they looked up they realized it was an angel of God. Surely, they had heard of angels, but never before had they actually seen one. Then this angel spoke to them and told them that the Messiah had been born and was lying in a manger at migdol eder. Then, just as suddenly, the sky was filled with angels proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest!” Can you say, “Struck with awe?” When the angelic chorus was finished, the angels all disappeared up into heaven and there was stillness in the night. The only sound the shepherds could hear was the wild beating of their hearts.

As soon as they recovered their senses, they ran to the tower of the flock and found Mary and Joseph with the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Not in a makeshift shelter, not in a cave, and no other animals lying on the ground. Scratch the other animals from the nativity scene.

We also are told by Luke that once they had seen Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, “they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.” This makes it sound like they went out and told everyone about the child, but that’s not what Luke said. The Greek literally reads, “and having seen, they made known concerning the statement spoken to them about this child.” They shared their experience with everyone in the room.

Then Luke tells us, “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” We have to ask ourselves who the “all” refers to. It didn’t include Mary, because we are told that she “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” So, other than the shepherds who heard the message from the angel, and Mary, who was left? If it was just Joseph, why did Luke say “all who heard it wondered.” It must have included the other shepherds, the ones who normally cared for the sheep at migdol eder. Now, we have to add a few more shepherds to our nativity scene.

I wonder how long the shepherds stayed. I suspect they stayed the rest of the night watching the baby in awestruck wonder to ensure that the Messiah, the perfectly sinless Lamb of God, was safe and healthy.

Remember, all the male lambs born at migdol eder were destined to die as a sacrifice for sin. I wonder whether it occurred to any of those shepherds that this baby, their Messiah, would also be offered as a sacrifice for sins?

So What?

I don’t expect any of you to go home and remove part of your nativity scene. That’s not the point of this message. The point is that what we celebrate on Christmas Day is not so much the birth of a baby, but Emmanuel, our God. who is now with us; our Savior who has forever taken on human form so that He could offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Not only that – after offering Himself for our sins, He didn’t stay dead. He rose from the grave and now reigns in heaven, making intercession for us in the heavenly courtroom. After freely offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, He rose from the dead. He is risen!

Christmas is not about commercialized selfishness, it’s about submissive self-less-ness. He gave us the supreme example. Are we willing to follow His example? Are we willing to take up our cross, take His yoke upon us, forsake worldliness, humble ourselves before Him, and follow Him, seeking His will, not our own?

This Christmas, instead of standing tall, pleased with all the gifts we received, let’s fall on our knees in humble adoration and thank God for the gift of eternal life!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Will

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.