to start, and then they had to follow the yarn all the way around the house from gift to gift. And I thought to myself, what an unusual and special way to present gifts. You know, God has presented a gift to us in a most unique and special way. I'd like you to open your Bible with me to Luke chapter 2. The long-promised and awaited gift of God was presented to you and to all on the first Christmas. In the first 14 verses of Luke chapter 2, we learn how God presented His gift.
First God presented His gift with an historical context. Notice what Luke says. 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. 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.
And he went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 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. I want you to notice the narrative, the historical narrative that Luke includes as he records to us the presentation of God's gift in His Son.
Many times when we read a book to our children, the book begins by saying, once upon a time, or in a land far, far away. And immediately you know that this story is a fable. It may be a wonderful story, a story children love, but it's a pretend story. It's made up. I think of stories that boys and girls here probably know, like Cinderella and the Seven Dwarfs, or Little Red Bo Peep. Have you heard of those stories? You haven't heard of those stories, huh?
Well those kinds of stories are made up stories, aren't they? But here is a different kind of story. Here we have a story that is tied to history. You see, Luke, who wrote this book, whose name is on it, Luke was a scholar and a researcher. He was a careful historian who gathered his details together, and in these verses we have read there are at least seven details to record God's giving His gift to history, to real life. First of all he says that Caesar Augustus ruled over the Roman Empire.
Now we talked a bit about Caesar Augustus last week, but let's just remind ourselves that a century of crises and war had destroyed the Roman Republic, and then in 31 BC a man by the name of Octavian defeated his rival powers and within four years had consolidated all of these scattered peoples into an empire called the Roman Empire. He took a new name. His name was Augustus because he saw himself as being a very august and royal person. So he was Caesar Augustus.
He ruled until 14 AD, and so as Luke tells us about the birth of Jesus, he says it was during that period of time that Caesar Augustus was alive and ruled the Roman Empire. Finally he tells us that Caesar Augustus ordered a census of his empire. Now the taking of a census in those days was a very complicated procedure. Most recently our government has sent out questionnaires that we returned, and in that way in 1990 a census was taken of the United States, and even that was very complicated.
But imagine in those days when there was not the kind of communication and transportation today. The order went out from Rome that a census should be taken. It actually took years, years for that census to finally be made. It's interesting that Luke, who also wrote the book of Acts in the New Testament, tells us in the book of Acts about another census. He records the words of a man by the name of Gamaliel who was speaking to the Jewish Sanhedrin in the city of Jerusalem.
And Gamaliel talks about a census that was taken in the days of a man who was a Galilean revolutionary, not Jesus of course, but a man who had lived in the early part of that decade, in probably 5 or 6 AD there was a census made by the Roman Empire. That was not the same census that was taken here in Luke chapter 2. The census was taken about every 14 years. And so if we subtract 14 years from 6, let's say 6 or 7 AD, we come backwards to 6 or 7 or 8 BC, depending upon how you calculate it.
If the order went out, let's say in 7 BC, it probably took a couple of years for that census order to arrive in Palestine and to be carried out because there was a particular problem in Palestine and that was the Jews. They did not cooperate very well with the Roman government. And so we believe that the census actually took place in Palestine in 4 or 5 BC. And so we have that period of time when the census was taken as when Jesus was born. Now Luke also gives us another piece of information.
He tells us the name of the governor of Syria. That was that general area. It was called Syria and there was a governor who was appointed by Rome. His name was Quirinius. A secular history tells us that Quirinius in fact was governor of Syria, but it was 6 or 7 AD. But Luke tells us that he was governor of Syria in 4 or 5 BC. And so there are those who have attacked the accuracy of Luke from that standpoint. There are several ways that that can be answered.
The most accurate way to answer it probably is that Quirinius was governor of Syria another time besides the one in 6 and 7 AD. That earlier also he had been appointed as governor in Syria probably to carry out the census because Quirinius was a military man. He had proved his loyalty to Caesar.
He was much rewarded by Caesar for that and because this area of the empire was so rebellious it's likely that Caesar ordered Quirinius to go to Syria, be governor there for a period of time while this census was taken. Then we have a fourth detail of history that Luke records for us. He tells us there was a man named Joseph who left the town of Nazareth to go to Bethlehem and we understand why.
He had to go to the city where his ancestry was so that he could be taxed or the census could be taken. The census by the way was just the first step toward a tax. So taxation is nothing new to the world when it came to America. In those days the census was the first step toward a tax upon the people and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. And then fifth, Luke tells us that his fiancee Mary went with him. Now that wasn't required by the decree from Caesar.
It is unknown exactly why Mary went with him except that we also know that Mary was expecting a baby and it's probably in order to shield her from the talk in Nazareth that he took Mary along with him. That is the sixth detail that he gives us that Mary was expecting a baby. By this time she is at least six months along, probably a little bit closer to full term.
And that may have been another reason why Joseph wanted to take her along although it was a very arduous trip, a very difficult trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And then the seventh detail that Luke tells us is that there was a baby born in Bethlehem who was wrapped in cloth in the traditional way but who was laid in a manger not into a cradle. And so all of these historical details Luke gives to us.
He tells us that what happened on that first Christmas involved real people, real places, and real world events. You say, so what? It means that our faith rests upon solid historical facts, not myths or legends like other religions in the world, all of which have their stories and their legends as to their beginnings and to the people who initiated the religions. But these stories are so outrageous as to be on the face, mythological. Not so with Christianity.
Christianity stands unique among the religions of the world in that it rests solidly upon facts that took place in human history. And so God presented His gift, first of all, with an historical context around it. And Luke records that context. Secondly, God presented His gift with supernatural contrasts. In verse 8 it says, 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 claws and lying in a manger.
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. I want you to notice in these verses the supernatural contrasts that God presented His gift with. There are at least three of them. First of all, we have the humble circumstances of the birth of Jesus. These were circumstances that involved the lowest kinds of events.
We have Him being born not in a safe place but apparently in a stable. He is laid not in a crib or in a special cradle for a baby, but He is laid rather in the feeding manger of the animals. These are not normal circumstances that others enjoyed. We have here humble circumstances in the birth of Jesus, but that is contrasted to the glorious announcement of the angel. It says that the shepherds were terrified. So glorious was this event.
The appearance of the angel was one thing, but it seems that that which really caused them to be terrified was this glory, as it is called, that shone around them. Now remember, these are people living 2,000 years ago. They are not accustomed to light except as that which comes from fire. Undoubtedly the shepherds had a campfire on that hillside outside of Bethlehem. But suddenly there is light all around them. It shines everywhere and it is brilliant. It is brilliant.
It is the shekinah of God, such as was visible on occasion in the Old Testament when God manifested His presence. The brilliance of this light and the glorious announcement that the angel made stands in contrast to what was taking place only a little distance away in the city of Bethlehem where a mother and father laid their baby into a manger. The second contrast that we see is that of a helpless infant as opposed to a powerful angel.
Here we have God Himself incarnate, born into the world and wrapped in those claws that they used in those days so that the baby felt secure and warm. Nothing wrong with these claws. That was typical. But they held Him tight. And there He was in Mary's arms. The mighty God. And yet the mighty God as a helpless infant. In contrast to that we have an angel of the Lord.
We have a being, a creature from the spirit realm who manifests Himself in order to carry out God's assignment to announce the birth. We have a being that is human-like in form but that is from another dimension. A powerful angel appears. Isn't it interesting that that little helpless infant, that it was that one who created that angel. And now this powerful angel comes to announce the birth of this baby who is the mighty God.
There is a third contrast that Luke draws and that is between the lowly shepherds and the heavenly hosts. Shepherds. We romanticize the idea of shepherds. But in that day shepherds were not considered romantic. Shepherds were outcasts. Shepherds were nobodies. If you couldn't get a job you became a shepherd. And the work they did was ceremonially unclean. And here they are living out there in the fields with their sheep in their low estate. And it is to them that the heavenly host appears.
Along with that angel there suddenly came a host of innumerable angels who were all around them. And together they began to sing out glory to God in the highest. I like that Christmas song that I have heard now several times again this season. How should a king come? In the chorus it says, Earth was silent so the heavens rang. Men were dumb so the angels sang. Glory, glory to God. Here we have just plain shepherds who were in their fields doing their work. And this heavenly host appears to them.
What an amazing set of contrasts Luke records here as God presents His gift to the world. And finally God presented His gift with salvational content. For there is a content to that message of the angels. It is made clear from the very first Christmas that this event is not about commercialism, the buying of presents. This first Christmas is not about family gatherings as wonderful as they may be. Christmas is about God coming into the world to save the lost race of Adam.
Christmas is about God fulfilling His promise that the seed of the woman would come to redeem the fallen race. There are really three parts to the good news here. First the good news is for everyone. It is for everybody, not just the shepherds and not just for the Jews. It is for the world that the Savior has been born. Then the fact that the Savior has been born. He's come, it's over. The long awaited promise has been fulfilled. He is here. Third, the Savior is Christ the Lord.
As Luke records what the angels said, there are at least seven terms that Luke then uses over and over again in his gospel. As he goes on to tell the good news of salvation in this book, Luke seems to go back again and again to what the angels said to draw upon them, upon those words. For example, the angels said, I bring good news. There is the word evangelism as we use it in the English. You on Galizomai. It is the speaking out, the telling forth of that which is good news.
That is a concept that Luke weaves throughout his writings. Also talks about joy. Luke mentions joy more times than either Mark or Luke, or Mark and Matthew rather. And in fact, he mentions it more than both of them put together. When he writes the book of Acts, he uses the idea of joy 47 times. So again and again he goes back to talk about joy. To all the people said the angel. This word people, Luke uses 35 times in this gospel. Matthew uses it 14 times. Mark doesn't use it at all.
He talks about this event happening today. That word is used more in Luke than in both the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark. He speaks of the Savior being born. That word is used only by Luke, not by Matthew or Mark. He is Christ the Lord. The title Lord is used in the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 166 times, 95 of those times by Luke. And the idea of glory is distinctive to Luke.
As you see over and over again, Luke comes back to the content of what the angel said as he begins to fill out what salvation is all about. It is marvelous that this salvation message came to those who were considered misfits by society, those who were nothings. And down through the history of the last 2000 years, more often than not, it has been the shepherds of this world.
The nothings, the misfits of this world that have been more open to the gospel than those who were thought to be somebody, to be something. God presented His gift with salvational content. Christmas in 1994 brings us to three timely conclusions. First of all, that God is still at work in history today. History is truly His story.
Just as God was working in history in that day to bring about the first coming of Jesus Christ, He is working in history today to bring about the second coming of Jesus Christ. God is at work in the history of the world today. You know, it's much easier to see it when you're away from it at distance, when you can look back and reflect upon it. It's more difficult to see it when you're living through it.
But let's try to see the fingerprints of God upon the events of our world today, which are surely preparing the scene for the second advent of Jesus Christ. God is at work in history today. Believe it. Trust it. Trust it in your own life that God is at work in your personal history too. Secondly, angels truly exist. The 20th century world has just rediscovered angels, as you probably know if you read anything at all. Our world is fascinated by angels all of a sudden.
The problem is they're discovering angels on the wrong side. They're being deceived by dark side angels. The fact is that angels of God truly do exist and they serve the purposes of God today as they did then. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be the heirs of salvation? Indeed, they are. And angels minister to you and to me every day. Though we're not aware of it, nor should we focus on them.
Our worship is of God and of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But don't ever forget that God has assigned angels to minister to you if you're one of His children. They carry out God's purpose in your life. The third observation I make is that the gift God presented 2,000 years ago is still the only good news in the world for Adam's race. There isn't any other good news. There is no other gospel in all the world but the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, in our world, at Christmas time at least, this gospel seems to get covered up with all kinds of other things. All of the trappings of society, of commercialism, are heaped on top of the whole idea of Christmas and it gets easily lost. In his book, God With Us, John MacArthur tells the story that was recorded in the newspapers a number of years ago about a wealthy Boston family that had a christening party for their new baby.
They invited their friends and relatives to their magnificent home to celebrate the birth of their precious infant. A half hour into the party, when it was time to bring the infant out, the mother made a tragic discovery. The large bed where she had left the baby asleep was piled high with the coats of gas. The baby was lying dead beneath the mound, suffocated by carelessly discarded wraps. Doesn't that pretty well picture what happens to Christmas in our world?
The whole story gets suffocated under the load of the wrappings of the 20th century celebration of Christmas. But let's cast off those wrappings and remember on this Christmas day that it's about God. God presenting his gift of salvation to the world. And the person of his son, Jesus Christ. In this article the question is asked, who was Jesus? So life interviewed eminent thinkers including scholars, historians, theologians, clergy, and an atheist.
Who better to tell you who Jesus was than an atheist, right? It is interesting not one verse of scripture is quoted in the whole article to answer the question who is Jesus. But the last two sentences in the introduction I think summarize the whole deal. Talking about all of these people and their scholarly contributions. Their testimony makes one point clear, says the author, whether he lived or not, died on the cross or not, ascended or not, Jesus is alive in our time.
And then here's the sentence that I think hits the bell. To believers and non-believers alike, Jesus matters. That my friend is true. To believers and non-believers alike, Jesus Christ matters. Let's pray. And he matters because he is the Savior who came. Have you received God's gift into your heart? If not, would you on this Christmas day receive him?
Would you invite him to come into your life as an act of faith and say, oh Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for my sins and rose again from the dead. I ask you to come into my heart and cleanse me of my sin and give me the gift of eternal life. And in that moment, my friend, you will receive the gift that God gave just for you 2,000 years ago. And if we have received that gift, let our hearts be filled with wonder and joy of what God has done at this Christmas time.
Amen. Up in the attic, down on my knees, lifetimes of boxes, timeless to me. Letters and photographs yellowed with years. Some bringing laughter, some bringing tears. Time never changes the memories, the faces of loved ones who bring to me. All that I come from and all that I live for and all that I'm going to be. My precious family is more than an heirloom to me. Wise men and shepherds down on their knees, bringing their treasures to lay at His feet. Who is this wonder, baby, yet King?
Living and dying, He brings life to me. Time never changes the memory, the moment His love first pierced through me. Telling all that I live for and all that I come from and all that I'm going to be. My precious Savior is more than an heirloom to me.