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Luke 2:1-20 (The birth of Christ)

INTRODUCTION: It’s Christmas Eve! We have been preparing for Christmas all month long by working our way through the opening chapters of Luke, and tonight, we come to chapter two where Luke records for us the birth of Christ.

This is one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture. This is even the passage that Linus reads in the Charlie Brown Christmas special when Charlie Brown asks, “Can anyone tell me the true meaning of Christmas?” Linus says, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you the true meaning of Christmas.” And then he gets up on the stage and recites (from memory!) portions of Luke 2.

It is a wonderful passage: beautiful in its presentation, inspiring in its content, awesome in its message. This is a passage we read at our house every Christmas Eve as a family. As far as I am concerned, it’s just not Christmas unless Luke 2 is in there somewhere. This is what it’s all about. This is the story of the first Christmas. (Read Luke 2:8-12 and pray)

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One of the themes we have been tracing over the past number of weeks is how God himself prepared for that first Christmas. He sent prophets centuries before foretelling the birth of Christ. He gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son in their old age. That child was John the Baptist. John was the forerunner to Christ who would prepare the way before him. God enabled Mary to conceive Jesus without the help of a man, also in fulfillment of prophecy. God also gave Mary a husband, Joseph, a righteous man in the line of David, to protect her and to provide a home for her and the child that he adopted as his own.

I. Bethlehem – The planned place for Christ’s birth (1-7)

God’s careful planning and preparation for that first Christmas continues right into our passage today, for God worked through the circumstances of history to ensure that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which was also promised by the prophets long ago.

Bethlehem was God’s planned place for Christ’s birth. Look at verses 1-3: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.” (Luke 2:1-3)

The Romans required censuses on a regular basis. This was part of the taxation system to keep the empire going. Luke dates this particular census as the first one that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

We don’t know the actual year of this census, although we have some other clues as to the date of Christ’s birth from Scripture. Perhaps the biggest clue we have is that Jesus was born sometime before the death of Herod. We know that Herod died in the year 4 BC, so that would mean Jesus was most likely born in the year 4 or 5 BC, not in the year 0 BC as you might expect.

By the way, that is not the Bible’s fault. You can blame that on a man named Dionysius. Dionysius lived in the sixth century AD, and he was the one who put the whole BC/AD calendar together. Unfortunately, when he put the system in place he goofed, and he missed Jesus’ birth by a couple of years. So, I’ve always thought it was funny that according to our calendar system, Christ was born four or five years BC, “before Christ!”

Anyways, the way the census worked was that everyone had to go to the town of their ancestors to register. And so, we read in verses 4-5: “Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” (Luke 2:4-5)

Joseph lived in Nazareth, but he belonged to the house and line of David. David came from Bethlehem, and so, Joseph was required to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Mary came with him, and that’s how it came to be that Mary was in Bethlehem when the time came for Jesus to be born. Bethlehem was the place God had planned for Jesus’ birth so many centuries before.

Now I want you to think for a minute about all that had to take place in order for this to happen. First of all, Mary had to be pledged in marriage to someone from the house of David. Otherwise she would not have been traveling to Bethlehem at all, especially so close to giving birth to a child.

Secondly, the census had to take place at just the right time. There is some evidence to suggest that Caesar may have even called for this particular census several years earlier, in the year 8 BC, but that Herod delayed the enforcement of the census, and so Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem just as Jesus was ready to be born.

Thirdly, in order for the census even to take place, there had to be a Roman Empire, and an emperor to call for the census. It boggles the mind when you think of all the means God used to bring about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Here you had people scurrying all over the Roman Empire to comply with the census, and all of it was subordinate to one master purpose, that Christ would be born in Bethlehem as prophesied in Scripture.

Moving on to verses 6-7, next Luke tells us the circumstances of Jesus’ birth: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)

Jesus, the Son of God made flesh, was born in the most humble of circumstances. There was no room for him in the inn, but God prepared a place for him. Mary placed him in a manger, which is just a rough, feeding trough for animals. This would have been located wherever the animals were kept, perhaps in a stable attached to a house or even in a cave of some sort.

Think about it. God could have prepared any place for his Son to be born. He could have chosen the most luxurious palace in the most powerful city in the world. But he chose the manger, because Jesus came to live a life of humility and sacrifice. You can draw a straight line through Jesus’ life from the manger in Bethlehem to the cross at Calvary where Jesus made the greatest sacrifice of all. The child in the manger was born into this world for one purpose and one purpose only – to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven and restored to relationship with God. That is the true meaning of Christmas.

II. The Shepherds – God’s chosen witnesses of Christ’s birth (8-18)

And this is the meaning that was communicated to the shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth. The shepherds were God’s chosen witnesses of Christ’s birth. Look at verses 8-12: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:8-12)

Just as God chose the humble manger in Bethlehem as the place for Christ’s birth, so also he chose the lowly shepherds to be the first witnesses of Christ’s birth. God did not choose the political or religious leaders of the day. He did not choose those with power or influence. He chose the shepherds.

The shepherds were not anyone special. They were just common men doing a common job. These particular shepherds were working the night shift. It was a night shift they would never forget. When the angel first appeared with the glory of the Lord shining all around them, they were terrified. But the angel spoke words of comfort and joy to them, good news of great joy for all the people. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Who was born on Christmas Day? The angel said, “A Savior has been born.” Months earlier the angel had spoken to Joseph about this child that Mary was carrying. At that time the angel told Joseph, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Once again the emphasis, even at Jesus’ birth, was that he is the Savior. The manger is but the prelude to the cross. Jesus was born to die, so that we might live forever. That is the good news of great joy that the angel brought to the shepherds that night.

And then we read that a whole host of angels appeared. Look at verses 13-14: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2:13-14) God had sent his Son into the world to be a Savior. And so, the angels sang glory! Glory to God! Glory to God in the highest! And they proclaimed peace – peace on earth to those on whom God’s favor rests.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He brings us peace with God through the forgiveness of our sins, and he brings us the peace of God through the Holy Spirit. One day he will return, and he will rule in peace over his people forever. And then we will all sing God’s glory together.

The shepherds must have marveled at the words of the angels. But the shepherds were not only to be hearers of this good news. They were also chosen to be witnesses. The angel gave them a sign that all these things were true: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger,” and the sign implied that they were to go and see this baby for themselves.

And so we read in verses 15-16: “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:15-16) And so, the shepherds became eyewitnesses of Christ’s birth. They left the fields, and found the baby lying in the manger, just as the angel said.

But the shepherds were more than just eyewitnesses of Christ’s birth. Look at verses 17-18: “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18) The shepherds were not only eyewitnesses. They were also verbal witnesses in the sense that they gave witness to what they had seen and heard.

A silent witness is no witness at all. It is not enough just to see something to be a witness. You need to tell others what you have seen before you are truly a witness. The shepherds spread the word all around about this child and what the angel had said. They were the first to witness Christ at his birth. And they were the first to witness for Christ after his birth!

III. Pondering and praise – Fitting responses to Christ’s birth (19-20)

And then, finally, in verses 19-20, we find two fitting responses to Christ’s birth. They were fitting responses back then, and they are still fitting responses today.

The first response is found in verse 19: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 1:19)

This is the first appropriate response to the Christmas story. To take some time to ponder these things, to think about the mystery of God become flesh, to consider all that God did in and through the Roman empire and census to bring about the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, to marvel at God’s choice of a manger as the birthplace for his Son, to contemplate God’s choice of the shepherds as the first witnesses for Christ, to wonder at God’s amazing grace in sending his Son to be our Savior.

How about you? In all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, have you set aside time just to think about Christmas, about what it truly means? If you are here tonight, then that counts! But how about on your own or with your family?

Each year at Christmas time, Rosi and I like to center our devotions around the themes of Christmas. We read portions of Scripture relating to Christmas or books about the birth of Christ. If you’re looking for some good devotional books about Christmas, I’ve listed some of our favorites on the back of the sermon outline in your bulletin. I encourage you to check some of them out!

So, that’s the first appropriate response to Christ’s birth at Christmas. “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She stored up every precious detail. She held onto every truth she could find. She did not want to miss a single aspect of all that the Christmas story held for her and for her people and indeed for the whole world.

The second response is found in verse 20: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 1:20)

Praise is the second appropriate response to the story of Christmas. Praise goes along with pondering, because as you take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, you will find yourself praising God for what he has done for us through Christ at Christmas.

You can praise God through the many beautiful songs and carols of the season, through Scripture and prayer, through an attitude of thankfulness to God, or like the shepherds through bearing witness to others about Christ. Mary pondered; the shepherds praised; we should do both, for they are both fitting responses to Christ’s birth.

CONCLUSION: Tomorrow is Christmas, so I am assuming that you have made all the physical preparations. But as we close tonight, let me ask you one more time. Have you prepared your heart spiritually for Christmas?

When you go to bed tonight and when you wake up tomorrow morning, will your thoughts be first and foremost on Jesus Christ? When you celebrate Christmas tomorrow, will Jesus be the guest of honor in your home or just a passing stranger? When you exchange gifts with family and friends, will you remember to give Jesus the gift of your worship and your heart?

Jesus is the reason for the season, but sadly for many people he is only an excuse for the season. Don’t miss out on the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t let this Christmas get away.

The words the angel spoke to the shepherds so many years ago proclaim the true message of Christmas for everyone: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

© Ray Fowler

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