Christmas: The Wonder of It All

Luke chapter 2. Let's go there this morning. Luke chapter 2 we do not have nearly enough time to unpack all the glories and the wonders revealed in this gospel narrative, but we will look at three specific things I've entitled the exposition this morning.

Christmas the wonder of it all, cause us, perhaps in this BC frantic season when goodness were tempted to let our hearts and minds go thousand different directions to stop in contemplate the wonder of it all. Luke chapter 2 read verses one through 11. Now those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken what Quirinius was governor of Syria and everyone was on his way to register for the census to each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house in the family of David in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was with child, and while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped him in cloths and she laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the in in the same region.

There was some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night and an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The wonder of it all. First of all his talk about the wonder of his condescension. How he came down from his throne of glory to dwell among us. The Bible here calls him Jesus Christ the Lord or the Lord Jesus Christ and we remind ourselves that the Lord came to earth. The Bible speaks of him as the Lord who is a Savior that the Savior has come to earth. You see, the Lord did not send a Savior, the Lord came and became our Savior at the stop there for a moment. You just rush past that stop for a moment, the Lord of heaven the King of the ages, the God who holds the universe and check pain to us.

A condescension God came to dwell among us, and how did he come in the wonder of humiliation and condescension. A wonder of all wonders is what we worship.

And that's what we celebrate on Christmas and actually everything about his coming speaks of humility. Notice first the board also point a notice. The place of his coming. The place of his coming. The Bible text says that he was born in Bethlehem Bethlehem of all places, Bethlehem was an insignificant town sparsely populated, surrounded by fertile fields for Dragon olive orchards and vineyards. Actually, that region around Bethlehem is where Jesse live. Jesse was the father David is where David pastored in shepherded his father's sheep. It's the very same region. Remember how the prophet came to Jesse's household many years before this event, and he announced to Jesse that one of your sons is going to be anointed king of Israel and they went through all the prominent upstanding and most prominent boys in the family lives at the most promising at least to the human eye and the prophet kept saying that's not the one that's not the one. And finally they got down told you have anymore injustices while got one little runt son. He just keeps the sheep out there province and bring him in and they are this unpretentious informal ceremony. The prophet anoints David the little boy who just kept the sheet as king of Israel, and he became Israel's greatest king, so it shouldn't shock us that when God comes to earth as the promised Savior Messiah comes to this insignificant placement. God just has a pattern or listen to me a pattern of doing his greatest work through humanly speaking, the most insignificant people and places Bethlehem is speaks of humility. It speaks of his condescension, God chose this sleepy little hamlet surrounded by heels with the fate sound of sheep baying in the atmosphere that night is a place for the birth of Christ. Micah prophesied of this very thing.

And when you read this prophecy out of Mica you can help understand a divine hand, wrote the Scriptures.

Who else could have done this so many many years before Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem and Mary gave birth to Jesus. Micah chapter 5 verse two but as for you, Bethlehem, Africa, too little to be among the clans of Judah were just so insignificant that even mentioned as one of the main clans that makes up the nation of Israel, but from you.

One will go forth for me to be a ruler in Israel, and his goings forth are from long ago, and alignment this no human being. No human mortal is going to or from long ago, even from the days of eternity. That's the prophecy that's being fulfilled here. This place Bethlehem speaks of our Lord. Humility of this condescension to secondly be in our outline the position of his coming. Scripture should simply says there has been born. Mary gave birth. We told ourselves many times you've heard it said many times, but let's say it again.

He comes not as a king. He comes not as a ruler he had no outward Splendora our Majesty about his coming. He did not even have the appearance of strength or might he didn't even come as an adult man. He comes to the world as a baby.

Here he is the Lord of glory needs a baby and everything is essential to life must be provided for him. We know he's the bread of life in the bread of heaven. Yet he must survive by suckling from his mother's breast.

This is one who upholds all things by the word of his power. The varied universe is held together by him. Joseph and Mary must hold him and protect him and care for him 700 years before this event. Isaiah the prophet prophesied of this very thing. Isaiah 714 remind us, behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and we shall call his name Emmanuel well my God discuss things we do not predict or expect this pause for a moment outside of my notes here and challenge you church friend challenge you brothers and sisters in Christ.

Maybe your lot in life is not working like you wanted. Many things are not turning out as you hoped and maybe your heart is broken, but God's not finished.

If you had called the spiritual elitist of the day centered in Jerusalem and said what's the great thing God's going to do next. Last on their list would've been God's going to some great in Bethlehem within the last person are the last place on their list. And certainly they wouldn't sit God's goodness and the baby sounds supposed to be a mighty warrior and a conqueror in the deliverer and us during this era of great peace and tranquility for the people. But here he comes, born of the virgin baby wonder of his condescension not only the place speaks of his humility and condescension are not only the position he comes in a little baby but thirdly the parents the parents to whom he came Joseph and Mary.

There's nothing special about them at all. Joseph and Mary are from the little town of Nazareth, the Joseph, born as a carpenter by his father's trade so he passes on the trade to Jesus and by the way, as a side note here, don't listen to the world's contemplations of Jesus being this mild and weak, effeminate, kind of guy I'm to tell you, Jesus was a man's man, Jesus had rough hands. He had rat wrestled and handled heavy timbers. He knew what a hard day's labor was Jesus was a man's man is probably one of the reasons why the religious authorities of the day had a hard time receiving him as his great promise man from God because they were rather soft men. He was a rugged, hard-working, blue-collar guy they didn't expect God to send a guy like that Joseph and Mary are just unassuming common folks.

Joseph of course, as the Old Testament prophesied was of the line of David. He came from a poor family and of humble means just like Mary.

She also a descendent of David, so that the prophecy would be fulfilled as a further note to the humility of this couple Jewish law. Brother Matt told us this Wednesday night, but Jewish law required that on the 40th day after the firstborn male child.

You had to take into the temple and offer a sacrifice of purification a lamb in the turtledove but there was an exception if you are the poorest of the poor. They would accept just two turtledoves and that's the offering.

Joseph and Mary brought with baby Jesus. When they presented him with the temple because they were that poor. They couldn't afford a lamb and a turtledove the biblical text does show us something though of Joseph and Mary's godly character and humility before the Lord. Remember when Joseph heard about Mary being pregnant. I knew the pregnancy wasn't by himself. He decided that he would put her away privately and again as a side note of application. We are church that strives to exercise biblical accountability and discipline of the church body or something so I don't want to be a part of a church that really practices biblical accountability and discipline what you're saying is you don't to be a part of church if you're in a congregation that has no efforts there. You're just a group of religious people to meet on Sunday. That's not what a church is, but we ought to be like Joseph and that is cover CNS best we can, and deal was seen in the utmost confidentiality unless something just so open and scandalous and brazen that we can deal with it in confidentiality. So Joseph does his very best. He decides I'm not going to shame Mary. She's pregnant out of wedlock not pregnant by myself. I'll just put her away quietly and of course the angel spoke to Joe's so Joseph, she's with child of the Holy Spirit you continue on with your plans. Mary shows her godliness and that when the angel appeared to her and should share with her that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit. She'd quoted Scripture and she praised God and she yielded herself and had a good biblical knowledge of what God was doing. She understood the biblical prophecy. So here we have this King of glory, the Savior of the world who who comes to this Insignificant Lonely Pl., Bethlehem born in an a in a and a livestock shared as such and laid in a feed trough and his mom and dad's is just Joseph and Mary.

There's nothing special about them in any way the pathos of this thing is just overwhelming. Such a humility. Such a condescension. Think on that this Christmas God just does things different than we would thank.

And aren't you glad when the Lord became man that first Christmas he didn't come to a major city again to Bethlehem, he didn't come as a mighty king. He first came as a baby. He didn't come to royalty, just regular blue-collar core folks Joseph and Mary the infinite entered into the finite, the eternal entered into the temporal.

The spiritual took on the physical and the holy one came to dwell among unholiness is what I like to call a condescension beyond comprehension.

The wonder of his condescension. Second, unless notice in our text, the wonder of the culmination of the consummation of the lease term I use more often the consummation, something has come to its Ian, something has come to its final point its culminating point.

First of all, this is a great culmination for the nation of Israel. That's a in our outline. I mean for thousands of years.

Think about it thousands of years elicit the thousands of years, and all the types in all the symbols of the prophets, and the priest and the tabernacle and end of the temple of the ordinances of the rituals.

It all pointed in the prophets clearly proclaimed this coming Messiah is the Hebrew word the Greek word is Christ this coming Savior from Israel and just been building and building, so much so that historians tell us that in ancient Israel. Every time a Jewish woman was pregnant. Her hope was.

Could this be Israel's Messiah cannot be the one that would give birth to the one who be Israel's great champion so the fulfillment is here he is born. Now they knew from their prophecies that this Messiah would come and he would be one of unmatched power and might, but they didn't see that the wisdom of God is greater than the mind of man.

They didn't see the power of God in this humble coming. Most of Israel missed it completely, but it was the fulfillment it was a culmination I couldn't help thinking on this, about how Christmas morning is something of a culmination for children and even for us adults. In a lot of ways. When your child all the anticipation coming weeks before Christmas, you would lose sleep thinking about what Christmas morning would not hold for you and then Christmas Eve night to remember that how many of you sneaked out of your bed in the night and sneaked into my my house. It was the living room and we had a silver Christmas tree with lights on it it it was just a magical setting and you crept in there very carefully and very quiet. I'm not sure who all I was afraid of mom and dad for sure, Santa Claus. Maybe, but I just had to see and I was just so bored. There was boys like you know that the one with his hand in the candy the cookie jar and had got one yet his mom's is what you do and he said I'm fighting the temptation.

Well, that's kind of Christmas Eve. The anticipation and you say there's things therefore you knew my disco touch one hurriedly you got back into bed until finally Christmas morning came and at my house that me. My grandparents would be there about sunrise and they would wake us up. We were Artie wake week at lot. We work as a Ludwig and then we got to run in there and at that moment on Christmas morning. The anticipation transformed over into consummation. That's what happened for Israel this morning there Messiah had come. He was here and so it was for those shepherds as their keeping their flocks out on the hillside. I just have to believe that among those shepherds. It was a remnant of godly true believers and the angels appeared to them so frightened at the first, the moment the angel spoke. They knew what it wants and I know it's all part outfits finish now the waiting is over now the Savior and Lord of Israel has come. But not only was this a consummation or culmination for Israel. It's a culmination for the whole world takes is it a before he's coming for verse 10. All the peoples, all the peeps not given to an ancient Jewish mindset that was a radical thought they could not conceive of the Messiah coming for anyone other than elect Israel with the Bible unfolds in progressive revelation to showing us that God indeed has his elect, but the elector from every people tongue tribe and nation.

Jew and Gentile's are among the people.

God is for all the people.

What this tells us is that he can be found by all men most Jews missed it, but those of us who live in this age of grace. We have found him and we found the favor of God and the favor God was at hand. From this point onward, all the way through to our day it all the way through to he returns the way of peace and pardon before God is now thrown open to all men.

The spiritual darkness that had covered the earth for 4000 years has now been rolled back in the good news. The mighty truth is that God could be just and justify the ungodly through this Savior Jesus Christ. So salvation is no longer seen in sacrifices at the temple. Salvation is no longer pictured as a priest performs a sacrifice on behalf of the people. Salvation is no longer prophesy the Old Testament prophets. Now he's not only spoken about. He can be spoken to. Now he's no longer just look forward to. He can be looked upon consummation the culmination. The first stone. Even the cornerstone of God's true kingdom is now set up.

Indeed, it's good news it's glorious good news of great joy, as the angel said to the ship's save the world. God didn't send a helping hand or an Angel band. He did not send a new teaching our new philosophy. He did not establish a new religion to save man, God sent himself send his son. The angel said for today. The Savior is born because he came in because he died for our sins today.

You can be saved.

I can be saved by him.

Second Corinthians 62 reminds us, behold, now is the acceptable time was now the acceptable time because is gone, they came is not promised to come its dominance finished he grew up he went to the cross. So now is the time if you're hearing this this morning. Now is the time you must beg you, you must turn to Christ say I take you.

Also, as my Savior. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. He the writer of Hebrews Hebrews 47 reminds us today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. What a glorious and wondrous truth. This is Tommy put up my last outline up there. The commission we are told wonder over the commission that he was given in his coming in this list look at some point a he came to us tech services for you is born this day in the city of David for you. He didn't come as an Angel are some spirit being piqued became a man to become one of us and he did this for us.

Notice the very first ones that were aware that he came to them were the shepherds, they were not sovereigns. They were shepherds they were not prophets or priests or presidents. They were just peasant. They were not the popular of the day shepherds were conned the low end of the culture. They were the unpopular, they were not powerful. They were run powerful, but they know he came to us became not just for Jews.

He came for Gentiles also.

He came to man. He came to all men. He came to be Savior of all men yet to wonder why were the shepherds, the one that was revealed to them it isn't because they shepherds need a Savior more than most all absolutely not all have sinned and ball short of the Lord God only the Savior. Perhaps it did because it was because they were more likely to realize their need for Savior. He leaves the throne of heaven to come to us be not only Nice commission did he come to us.

He came to save us. There's been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

In Matthew 121 as Joseph is wrestling with the fact that he's found out Mary was pregnant.

He's deciding that he's got going to shame her public please go to put her away privately. But then the angel speaks to Joseph Mingus as Joseph Mary's pregnant by the Holy Spirit in Matthew 121 he says in the baby Mary will give birth to will save his people from their sins. He came to save us. G. Campbell Morgan says in his commentary.

It was the most stupendous event and all the running decades and centuries and millenniums of the history of man. There is born Savior. He came to us he came to save us. In my do we need saving.

We now walk under the penalty of sin, eternal wrath and judgment. He came to save us from the penalty of sin, we now function under the power of sin. We have to slave on this earth with the ever present loss to disobey and dishonor God, the power sin still deals with us in this unredeemed humanity that we walk-in down here came to save us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and one day you'll take us on the glory to save us from the presence of sin, because were all sinners seen as something we are seeing is something we do consider those things we fail to do.

We are sinners, we do sinful things we fail to do good and righteous things we need a Savior. All are guilty. All are condemned. All are lost. All are wondering man needs Savior now were not like the world. The world takes the Christmas holiday and they take the birth of Jesus and they twisted into whatever form or fashion they want to listen to me. He was born to die to save us.

I was listening to Ben Hayden preach on the radio this morning as I drove to church for most of you were out of bed and Ben Hayden made this little statement. He said I wouldn't walk across the street to celebrate Christmas. If there was not Easter a man he can't save. He stated baby. He can't say if he was just born to be an example, a new beginning part for mankind is the liberals might say. An example of sacrifice or unselfishness know to be the Savior. He was born with his heart set on a little altar that God made outside the gates of Jerusalem called Golgotha.

There he would save his people from their say he came to us he came to save us, and see in our outline.

He came with power and authority to save us the words of he's got what it takes to get the job done to fulfill the commission. This text says he is the Christ. That means the anointed one in the Old Testament Hebrew would be translated Messiah in the New Testament: a Greek it's Christ the anointed one piece God's anointed one God just got a special one that I'm getting a special assignment. He's the only one that's the anointed one is the Christ, but it displays the crises the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord. The word curry office come straight at the great culture of the day and that that he would call a slave to master your Lord, there was a Lord of the harvest. The Bible speaks of a lord of the vineyard. The Emperor was called curiosities the Lord and even God is referred to as curiosity. The Lord, the Holy Spirit of God, took a practical common word in the Greek culture of the day and says there's one who finally and ultimately gives this word's definition is the baby born to Mary in Bethlehem. He is the anointed one, and he is the Lord that means he has the authority and the power to get the commission accomplished to save the children from their sins. So the Christmas message is that the God appointed God empowered one has come to save us all. Just make you sit there for 30 minutes and think about that. The God anointed God empowered one was sent to save us.

Romans 520 says we are seeing increased, grace abounded all the more one. What is this this grace this concept of God's goodness in favor toward those who don't deserve it. Why is it so powerful, why is it so great because Christ is powerful and Christ is great. He is the God anointed and God empowered one by the way he grew up he became a man, and he fulfilled his commission to perfection. You went to the cross listen to me and barely hung on the cross poured upon him, and extinguished in his flash was every single ounce of guilt and condemnation and retribution. The children deserve. He fulfilled his commission perfectly know what's interesting is when the Old Testament prophets prophesied of the coming Messiah, the Christ, the Savior, they would often picture all of it in one piece in the New Testament he gets.

We have what we call progressive rug revelation we progress in deeper understanding of how it unfolds. But to most of the Old Testament prophets. They saw it all as one package.

We see this so powerfully in Isaiah Isaiah chapter 9 verses six and seven. He begins by saying, for a child would be born to us, a son will be given to us. While many jobs to adulthood, and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful Counselor that you could say he's a wonderful counselor. Everyone who goes to him is his kingdom and says, Lord, what about this against the perfect answer every time you walk once he's a wonderful counselor. I still counts with brother Jeff. He's nothing compared to this He is a wonder of a counselor. More than that, these mighty God is the eternal father, he's the Prince of peace. And there'll be no end to the increase of his government or a piece has no in your heart trouble this morning.

I tell you child of God, you're coming into a kingdom where the peace will never end. You'll never wake up unit look one looking for this you'll never wake up in the not worried about some I joined the 330 club a few years ago I would get out of it so bad when you wake up 330 can go back to sleep to about six and the guy get up at 630 anyway.

No EN to his governors piece on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever more. And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this, God's anointed, and empowered one will get it done is going to get it that we contemplate all that were trying to wonder about this Christmas. The wonder of his condescension. The wonder of the consummation is coming in the wonder of his commission to save his children is overwhelmed how this one came in gave up everything did not himself in every way to do what his father's will was cannot charge you family of God this Christmas season. For all of you moms out there that are doing far more than you want to do stressed and burdened for you daddies. Perhaps he spent far more than you should've spent in all the stuff in the stress that, of all things. Some of you have the Christmas dinner with a liberal around the table, but you want to go jump in a lake somewhere there's a stressful stuff around the holiday. Sometimes we cannot charge you.

But don't don't don't fidget too much. You make me nervous cannot charge you before we leave the light. Jesus just so you know it's not about me it's not about me it's about them. It's about my Lord this year. That's the way my Lord celebrating Christmas by coming in the world's is not about me it's about my father's will to save the children. It's about my father's glory and the children's good and should can we all just recommit ourselves this Christmas say it's not about me. I found this little quote going put on the screen. Tommy if you serve to be recognized will eventually become bitter. Don't you serve your family this Christmas with some ulterior expectation in the background note we call it in biblical counseling we call it an idol of unmet expectations you going to this Christmas and you crucify all of those idols use angle serve my family and serve the Lord this year with no expectation for me.

I'm going to be like Jesus. This year, you know how many millions of church members leave the congregation there in because of that right there, they join the church with some expectation to be recognized get something beyond something and whatever.

It didn't work out so that Soquel God leads them away to another congregation with a big big dog that we where were vastly beyond that it grace life, but it's taken us 38 years to get there.

But as we going to Christmas this year.

Let's think about his condescension, his lowliness in his humility and let's forget ourselves and let's enjoy giving ourselves for the blessing of others in the glory of our God. And no, dear friend. If you're here this morning and he's not your Lord and he's not your Savior. Listen to this pastor this morning and I'm to let you go, you must turn to him now in faith, repenting of your sins and sing Christ I take you I claim you I want you as my Savior and asked my Lord I'm telling you he's God's empowered and God's anointed and he will save you. The Bible promises whoever believes in him will not be disappointed in you will not all the wonder Christmas. The wonder of it all