The Birth of Jesus

Introduction
The day my oldest child, Eric, was born changed my life and the life of my wife dramatically.

All of a sudden we were responsible for another human being other than ourselves, a helpless and vulnerable human being at that.

Now we had to get up in the middle of the night to feed him, even though we were desperate for a good nights sleep.

Now we had to be good role models, even when we didn’t want to be.

Now we had to start planning for him to drive someday, and we had to begin saving for his college education.

My wife and I love him dearly—we love all three of my kids—but the birth of our first child really changed our lives.

This morning we’re going to read about the most important birth in the history of the world. A birth that not only changed the lives of the baby’s parents, but of everyone who has ever lived.

In this article we’re going to read about the day that God came to earth in the form of a human being. We’re going to read about a baby who came to die for the sins of the world. The baby’s name, of course, is Jesus.

If my life and the life of my wife were changed by the birth of my first son, think about what Mary and Joseph had to go through! And more than that—think about all of the lives that have changed over the last 2,000 years! Christ’s birth was so important that the world records its years according to it. B.C. means “before Christ,” and A.D. means “anno domini,” which means “in the year of our Lord.”

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the birth of Jesus Christ has had a bigger impact on the world than anything else in the history of mankind, except for the baby’s death on a cross, only 33 years after He was born.

As we talked about in the previous article, Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season.

We began last time by looking at passages that talked about how unique Jesus’ conception was. According to passages in Luke and Matthew, Jesus’ father was none other than God Himself. We read how the Holy Spirit supernaturally conceived a child in Mary’s womb.

And we also saw that Mary was a virgin—she had never had sexual relations with a man. In other words, what we’re going to read about this time is truly a virgin birth.

Those passages also told us that the baby who would be born was the much-awaited Messiah, or Christ, for the Jewish people. This is the person, a descendant of the line of King David, who Scripture predicted would eventually come.

And finally, we also read about two very obedient, God-loving parents: Joseph and Mary. Mary, as a young teenager who was engaged to be married, would carry the child. And Joseph, even though he wouldn’t be the biological father, would take Mary to be his wife and help raise the baby.

Despite the gossip and scandalous talk that would undoubtedly follow—whispers of adultery, sexual immorality and more—these two people loved God and were willing to do His will. And God’s will was to come to earth in the form of a man, the baby Jesus.

Joseph Goes To Bethlehem With Mary
Let’s find out what the birth was like and what happened.

As a reminder, this isn’t a cute little fictional Christmas story that you read your kids on Christmas Eve along with “Twas the Night Before Christmas”—this is God’s Word. This is history.

Let’s start by looking at verses 1-5.

Luke 2:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

Luke 2:2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

Luke 2:3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

Luke 2:4 So 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.

Luke 2:5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

Verse one tells us that Caesar Augustus, the emperor of Rome, decides “that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” This was a common occurrence in the Roman Empire.

A census was designed to register young men for military service in the Roman army. The information was also used for the levying of poll taxes. While Jewish men didn’t have to serve in the army, they did have to pay taxes. In fact, some versions use the word “registered” or “taxed.” Either word is correct, although the word “census” is probably the best translation because it carries a more general meaning.

Commentators disagree on when this particular census was taken. For the most part, though, it’s safe to say that it was between 6 and 4 BC.

Because Joseph was a descendant of David, he was required to go back to his ancestral home, Bethlehem. That’s where David was born and where Joseph’s genealogical records would have been kept. Registering involved recording each Jewish male’s name, occupation, property and family.

And so Joseph and Mary, who have been living in Nazareth, in the region of Galilee, travel 70 miles south to Bethlehem, which is in the region of Judea.

The journey undoubtedly isn’t an easy one. Mary’s pregnant and they have to go through mountainous terrain.

Somebody might ask why God allows this to happen. Why does Mary, who’s pregnant and vulnerable, have to make this trip?

The answer is God wants it to happen that way. You see, He’s already predicted that this would happen, way back in Micah 5:2.

Micah 5:2 “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. ”

This verse says that the ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem. That means Jesus has to come from there. And so what seems like a decision by the world’s most powerful leader to disrupt Joseph and Mary’s lives is really God providentially calling the shots. God has a plan and you can bet that it’ll get carried out—He’ll even use people like Caesar Augustus to work out the circumstances just the way He wants.

Somebody once said—and rightfully so—that human history is really HIS story.

Verse five says that Mary was “pledged to be married” to Joseph. Does that mean that they aren’t married? No. Remember what Matthew 1:24 says:

Matt. 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Joseph takes Mary home as his wife. That tells me they’re married. However, remember what the next verse, Matthew 1:25, says.

Matt. 1:25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son…

Joseph marries her and takes her home to live with him, but he doesn’t have sexual intercourse with her. She’s still a virgin here in Luke 2, and that’s why I believe verse five says that she’s still “pledged to be married.” They’re married, but Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants to emphasize that the marriage hasn’t been consummated yet. This is a virgin birth.

Mary Gives Birth And Puts Jesus In A Manger
And what happens after they finally got to Bethlehem? Plenty.

Luke 2:6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

Luke 2:7 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.

While there, Mary gives birth. By the way, only the conception of Jesus was miraculous and supernatural. There’s nothing whatsoever to indicate that the birth itself was anything out of the ordinary.

Like most women, Mary probably has lots of pain and contractions until the baby is finally born. She may be in labor for several hours. We don’t know, but we do know that there’s no reason for us to believe that the birth is anything other than what women experience today, except for the superior care and technology that we enjoy.

The circumstances surrounding the birth itself, however, aren’t very typical.

Here they are, a young married couple in a strange town 70 miles away from home. And to top it all off, Mary’s pregnant!

They have to find a place to sleep and eventually have the baby, but the town’s jammed with travelers just like them who have come to register for the census. There’s no place to sleep. All of the rooms in the small town’s inn are apparently taken, and no residents of Bethlehem offer the use of their home to the young couple, obviously in need of shelter.

The two teenagers make the best of it, though, and Mary gives “birth to her firstborn, a son.” Notice the word “firstborn.” This is yet another reminder to readers—especially skeptics—that this is Mary’s first child. She’s a virgin and has never been with a man, and since there weren’t any fertility clinics back then, that means only God Himself could be the father. There’s no other explanation.

While most people assume or believe that the birth took place in a stable—maybe even one next to the inn itself—we don’t know that for sure.

And why do people assume that the birth takes place in a stable? Because the text says that the baby was laid in a manger, and a manger is a feeding trough for animals, and are usually found in stables. While we can’t be sure that a stable is where the birth took place, it seems like a reasonable assumption, though. And while the text also doesn’t say that there were any animals around, that also seems likely.

By the way, if the baby is born in a stable, it was quite likely that it was actually a cave in the side of a hill, since Bethlehem literally sits on the side of a steep slope.

The first thing Mary does after the baby’s born is wrap Him with “cloths.” Your version might say “swaddling cloths.” Wrapping long strips of cloth around a newborn was common during that time—in fact, it’s still the custom in some Eastern cultures. People believed that the strips made the baby’s limbs stronger and was good protection for the infant’s body.

Notice that Jesus, the son of God, is treated just like you and I were as infants. Instead of swaddling clothes, we got diapers and tiny little outfits. This is another reminder to us that while fully God, Jesus was also fully human in His incarnation. He’s born and has to nurse and has to grow up just like all of us do.

Also notice that it looks like Mary and Joseph go through this experience all alone. There’s no mention of a midwife or doctor or anyone else. SHE wraps Him in cloths and SHE places Him in a manger.

Without God’s comforting presence, this can be a very harrowing experience. Doing God’s will isn’t always easy—Mary and Joseph find that out firsthand. But there’s no hint of any panic or anything like that. They do what they have to do. They love God and trust Him to work out the circumstances. And, of course, He does.

Just think about this setting. This is God in human flesh! And where’s the creator of the universe born? Most likely in a stable that reeks of manure and urine. And does He get a beautiful new cradle from Babies R Us? No! His bed’s the bottom of a cereal bowl for pigs and goats!

If any of us had planned for God’s arrival it sure wouldn’t have been like this, would it? When the Pope visited St. Louis recently, the whole city ran around trying to get ready. It was a big event. The Archdiocese, police department, fire department, hospitals, Catholic churches, the Trans World Dome and Kiel Center—not to mention every politician within miles of here—were busy for several months getting ready for the Pope’s arrival.

Needless to say, the Pope was pampered when he finally arrived, and everybody wanted to see him and talk with him and listen to him.

But there’s no hoopla with the birth of Jesus, is there? Nothing out of the ordinary. No red carpet treatment. And yet, this event is infinitely greater than the visit of any Pope or president or foreign dignitary. This is God in human flesh! This is the Messiah! This is almighty God come to earth to live with us!

And here He is, lying in a filthy manger in a dark stable that probably smells to high heaven. No trumpets, no fanfare. Or is there?

An Angel Of The Lord Appears To Some Shepherds
Luke 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

Luke 2:9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Since the people in Bethlehem are apparently oblivious to the significance of this birth, God provides the trumpets and fanfare Himself.

Here are shepherds tending their flocks near Bethlehem and an angel of the Lord shows up. But that’s not all. “The glory of the Lord shone around them!”

Can you imagine what this must have been like?! It’s 2,000 years ago, so there’s little or no glow of city lights, no electricity and no streetlights. Except for the stars and moon, it’s probably pitch dark.

And here are shepherds, miles away from civilization and used to being alone for months at a time, minding their own business, tending their flocks of sheep.

And then, out of the blue comes an angel and then the glory of God! We know from the Old Testament that the glory of God was manifest by bright light. In fact, Exodus 34 tells us that whenever Moses talked with the Lord and saw His glory, his face was literally radiant or glowing. The glory of God to the human eye is bright white light.

A natural question at this point is why does God reveal Himself to shepherds? Why not to the religious leaders of Jerusalem? Why not to anyone else? Why only to these guys?

The easy answer, of course, is that God’s sovereign—that means He can do anything he wants, including being selective to whom He reveals Himself.

We can’t say definitively because the text doesn’t tell us, but we can make a guess, however. God has a habit of choosing the poor and the lowly and the humble over the affluent and socially elite.

Now let’s look at Luke 1:51-53. This is Mary talking.

Luke 1:51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

Luke 1:52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

Shepherds certainly weren’t rich and probably not given to much pride—they were considered outcasts by other Jews, and because of what they did, they were also considered ceremonially unclean.

Listen to what 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says:

1Cor. 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

1Cor. 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1Cor. 1:28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

1Cor. 1:29 so that no one may boast before him.

For whatever reason, God sovereignly chooses to reveal Himself only to these shepherds, “the lowly things of this world and the despised things.” These are just ordinary guys. They’re not royalty or ultra rich or anybody special. They’re just regular guys.

After everything that the shepherds have just seen and heard, it says at the end of verse eight that “they were terrified.” That speaks volumes, because these rugged shepherds regularly fight off wild animals and thieves, and yet they’re scared. Nobody in all of Scripture has ever heard or seen anything like this before!

An Angel Says A Savior — Christ The Lord — Has Been Born
The shepherds haven’t seen anything yet, though!

Luke 2:10 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.

Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

The angel knows that the shepherds are scared out of their wits, so he says “Do not be afraid.” And then he brings them the best news that a Jew at that time could have possibly gotten. A Savior’s been born! Christ, the Greek equivalent of Messiah, has been born! And the baby’s more than just Christ—He’s Christ the LORD, which means that He’s both Messiah and God.

And this is good news for “all the people.”

Rom. 3:29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

The good news of the gospel—salvation through the person of Jesus Christ—is for all people, regardless of race, sex, ancestry or nationality.

Gal. 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Christ is MY Messiah and yours too. Christ is MY Savior and yours too. His birth was good news “for all the people.”

Then the angel adds that if you want to see Him, you’ll find Him in a manger wrapped in cloths.

As a side note, because Bethlehem’s only five miles away from Jerusalem, it’s quite possible that some of the sheep that these shepherds took care of eventually became sacrifices in the temple.

So they’re undoubtedly intimately aware of the consequences of sin and, as Hebrews 9:22 says: “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” And now, an angel of the Lord announces the birth of what Scripture calls the Lamb of God. And the announcement comes to shepherds, who spend virtually every waking minute taking care of sheep, many of which are eventually destined to die as sacrifices in the temple.

By the way, even though the shepherds are busy year-round, some commentators think that it’s unlikely that they would have been in the field with their sheep in December, when it was cold. They say that the shepherds would have most likely had their sheep penned up somewhere near a town and not out in the fields.

It also would have been very difficult for Mary to have made the trip to Bethlehem during winter. As a result, it’s unlikely that Jesus was born in December, much less on December 25.

Whether they’re right or not, one thing’s for sure: there’s no way for us to know exactly what day—or month—Jesus was born. We celebrate it on December 25, but frankly, it’s really an arbitrary date. We don’t know for sure.

But that shouldn’t stop us from remembering what a great day it was, however, whenever it happened.

And how will the shepherds recognize this Savior who’s just been born?

“You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” It’s doubtful that the shepherds have ever seen a baby in a dirty manger before, much less the Messiah!

A Multitude Of Angels Appear And Praise God
After making his big announcement, the angel of the Lord gets a little help from his friends.

Luke 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Now there’s a “great company of the heavenly host”—that’s angels, a ton of angels, everywhere you look! Notice that they say something—they don’t sing something.

I don’t mean to burst your bubble in terms of angels singing at the birth of Jesus, but these angels are praising God and then SPEAK, they don’t sing. I love to sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” but the truth is the angels don’t sing at the birth of Jesus. But that’s okay, because they have something awesome to say.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

It’s important to note right up front that I believe this translation—the NIV’s translation—is more accurate than the one in the King James Version which says “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The latter one’s similar to what the world puts on its Christmas cards:

“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

But the NIV, which again, I believe is the proper translation, says “peace to men ON WHOM HIS FAVOR RESTS.”

In other words, not all men have peace. In fact, Romans 5:1 says this:

Rom. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

In other words, people that haven’t been justified through faith in Jesus Christ are not at peace with God. Most unbelievers don’t understand this truth: the Bible says that they’re at war with God. They’re fighting against God. Until people admit that they’re sinners before a holy God, until people admit that they need a Savior from their sins, Scripture says that they’re at war with God. There is no peace for non-Christians.

Turn to 1 Corinthians 1:18 and let’s find out a little more on this subject of peace with God.

1Cor. 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

To unbelievers, the message of the cross is foolishness. Because of that, because they haven’t believed the message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, God’s favor is not on them. Now turn to 1 Corinthians 2:14.

1Cor. 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To non-Christians, people without the Spirit, the things of God are “foolishness.” So they’re at odds with God. God is not pleased with them.

Isa. 48:22 “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

God’s favor only rests on those who love Him and respond to the gift of eternal life by believing in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

Taking this a step further, non-Christians can never know the peace of that’s talked about in Philippians 4:7.

Phil. 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

That’s the peace that Jesus also talks about in John 14:27.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…

And so verse 14 in Luke 2 takes on a whole different meaning for many of us. Yes, God’s glorified with the spectacular and miraculous virgin birth of His son Jesus. And yes, there’s peace on earth. But the peace comes only to believers, only to Christians, not to all people. The peace that comes from the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life is only available to Christians, not to all mankind.

Imagine what this heavenly visit must have been like for the shepherds. First comes an angel, then the blinding light from the glory of God, and then a multitude of angels, too many to count. And they’re all praising God for what’s just happened.

I think it’s safe to say they’re amazed. This is better than any omnimax, let me tell you!

The Shepherds Hurry To See For Themselves And Share The Good News
And what do the shepherds do next?

Luke 2:15 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.”

Luke 2:16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

The shepherds don’t waste any time. They know that the “town of David” in verse 11 refers to Bethlehem. They know the town well, so they make a beeline to find their Savior, Christ the Lord. One commentator calls this “the first Christmas rush.”

The shepherds find the baby, just as the angel had said, lying in a manger.

Luke 2:17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

Luke 2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

They’re like any of us would be—they’re excited and tell everybody they come across about what the angel said about this being the Messiah, Christ the Lord. They tell Mary, Joseph and anybody and everybody about seeing the glory of God and a multitude of heavenly host.

As a side note, it’s interesting to note that for some reason shepherds aren’t allowed to testify in court n the nation of Israel. And yet here they are, serving as Christ’s very first evangelists!

“And all who heard it were amazed.” Nothing like what they described has ever happened in Bethlehem, then or since. This is headline news: “GOD COMES TO EARTH—IS BORN AS A MAN IN BETHLEHEM!”

And what does Mary do?

She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

I love that! When my son was born, I treasured up a lot of things in my heart. So did my wife. I could see it in her eyes as she sat in a rocking chair nursing him at her breast.

“My first child! A son! A real live human being! I made a real live human being!”

But Mary has a little more than most of us to ponder in her heart. Memories that can top any of ours who have children.

“I just gave birth to the Son of God. I just gave birth to the Messiah. I’m going to raise Christ the Lord as my son!”

And what happens after the shepherds get through talking everybody’s ears off?

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

They glorify and praise God, because everything that He’s told them through the angel is true. The shepherds take over where the angels left off in terms of praising the Lord. I think it’s a pretty safe guess that these shepherds are true Old Testament saints. They love God and are seekers.

And God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him.

Jer. 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God always reveals Himself to those who seek Him. He’s not interested in playing hide and go seek.

Conclusion
What about you? Are you seeking God today? Does the birth of Jesus make more sense to you today? Do the things of God make more sense to you today? If so, that means you’re on the right track. That means you may be on the verge of making peace with God.

If you want the peace that transcends all understanding, if you want the peace that only Jesus can give, here’s what you need to do:

• Tell God you’re a sinner and want to turn away from the way you’ve been living.
• Believe that Jesus is God and that He died on the cross from your sins and rose again.
• Ask Him to forgive your sins.
• Tell Him you’re willing to do anything that He wants, including being immersed in baptism.

If that’s your decision today, you’ve just made peace with God.