Christmas P’s
Luke 2:1-20
Introduction: Last week we looked Christmas from somewhat of a non-traditional viewpoint by seeing the Christmas isn’t “A” word it is “THE WORD” Jesus Christ. Today I want us to look at the Christmas story as told in the Gospel of Luke, and after we read it together I want to offer some practical applications that I hope will help us reconnect to a story we may have become “too” familiar with. What I mean by that is that we may be so used to hearing the words that we don’t notice some of the powerful images that are contained in this timeless story.
Text: Luke 2:1-20
I have given today’s message the title: “Christmas P’s.” I’m not thinking of the round green vegetable, but rather the letter. There are five words that all begin with the letter “P” that I want to use in our study together. Here’s the first…
I. PROBLEMS (2:1-7)
Joseph and Mary had some serious PROBLEMS as they became the Christmas story. Mary was pregnant—that was a problem because the child wasn’t Joseph’s—it was God’s! Try explaining that to your family and friends. But Joseph and Mary were both obedient to God’s will—both of them were willing to do their part in God’s plan to send His Son to earth. But I want you to notice a very important truth: being obedient doesn’t take away your problems.
Wouldn’t it be great if when we became a Christian if all our problems went away? Wouldn’t it be great if when Christians said “yes” to God on a day-to-day basis it would insulate us from having problems? Both of those prospects may sound great but neither one of them are true. I’ve always said that being a believer doesn’t eliminate your problems it just means you don’t have to face them alone.
Let me give you three obvious problems that Joseph and Mary faced and see if they don’t sound like something you and I might face.
1. Taxes
2. Travel
3. Too Many People
The whole point in having to register was so that the Romans could accurately calculate how much tax they were going to levy against the Jews. The financial burden of Roman occupation was already a reality, especially for a young couple. And now that tax burden was probably going to be increased. On top of that, the Emperor was forcing everyone to travel to their family’s hometown for the census.
The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles. It would have taken most of a week to make the journey. Joseph and Mary would have most likely hooked up with a caravan of other travelers who were heading south for the census. They would have traveled through Jerusalem, the capital city, and there certainly would have been many people who would be going to there.
So we have a financial burden, coupled with the burden of a long, and dangerous journey, and then on top of that the mass of people that were all in the same situation. We don’t know exactly where Jesus was born, we only know two things: there wasn’t any room in the “inn” whatever the “inn” was, and that He was laid in a “manager” which was a feed box for the animals. Regardless of the specific details, there were lots of problems involved in the birth of the Messiah.
Guess what? We still face lots of problems today. You may be facing some similar ones that confronted Joseph and Mary. You may have financial problems, you may have journeys to make that you aren’t ready for, you may feel like everything and everyone are pressing in on you and that the weight is too heavy. I don’t know about you, but I have some problems. Let me tell you what I’m going to do—I’m going let Jesus help me shoulder the weight. He may not take them all away, but I know for certain that He will be there to help me bear the burden.
Well we need to move on, that is only one “P” and I have four more that I wanted to share with you today. We’ll move through the others quicker. Here’s the second…
II. PROMISE (2:8-14)
When God sent angels to announce the birth of His Son He didn’t seem them to the Religious Leaders, or the elite of society. He sent angels to shepherds. Shepherds were on the bottom of the totem pole in Jewish society. While we think of King David as once being a shepherd boy who slew the giant Goliath, that is about as glorious as the imagery of a shepherd gets. In Jesus’ day shepherds were considered unclean, and if it wasn’t for the fact that everyone needed the sheep, for food, wool, and sacrifice, nobody would have any use for shepherd.
And yet, God chose these unlikely recipients to hear His message of promise. What is the two-fold message that the angels brought that night?
1. God Has Come!
2. God Will Save!
All of the Jews had been awaiting the coming Messiah. They all had different ideas on who the Messiah would be, and what the Messiah would do, but in the very least they believed He would set them free from the hands of Rome and restore the Kingdom of Israel to its own people.
The angels spoke words of promise to the shepherds—the Messiah would be a “Savior” and His salvation would be for “all” people. Jesus didn’t come to resurrect an old kingdom, He came to establish a new one, one where He would reign in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls, who were willing to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
That promise is still available today. I’m know angel, but I am here to tell you that God has come and that God will save if you put your trust in His Son. Jesus was born to bring God’s salvation to earth, His “peace” to those He “favors.” Jesus lived, died on the cross, and then rose again to make that promise a reality. God is still in the saving business and if you haven’t claimed His promise then today is the day to do so.
Ok, that’s two “P’s” down, three to go. Our next one is…
III. PROCLAIM (2:15-18)
What did the shepherds do after they had heard the message of God’s promise? They took off for Bethlehem to see it for themselves. Here’s my two word description of the shepherds response:
1. Run
2. Report
They didn’t wait around. They didn’t have a committee meeting to discuss it. They didn’t vote. They simply got up and went “straight” to Bethlehem. On top of that it says that they “hurried” there. What did they find? Exactly what the angels has told them. What did they do? They began proclaiming the birth of the Messiah to everyone who would listen. They “reported” what they had been told, and what they had seen.
Isn’t what the shepherd did exactly what we are called to do today? To share with others what we have seen and heard about Jesus Christ. Are we “running” to “report” the story of Jesus to everyone we meet? Wouldn’t it be “amazing” if we were as faithful to proclaiming the message of Jesus as those shepherds were the night He was born.
While we are talking about shepherds I want to give you another “P” it is…
IV. PRAISE (2:20)
Not only did the shepherd not keep the information to themselves, they didn’t try to hide their joy. The fact that they had been with Jesus was written all over their faces, and it was revealed in their voices. I see their praise as both:
1. Personal
2. Public
They praised God because of what “they” had seen and heard. They personalized the gift…they glorified God because they believed He had sent His Son for “them.” And He had! Can you offer that same praise today? Is God’s gift of His Son “personal” to you?
I want you to also notice that they didn’t keep their praise to themselves, they were very “public” in their praise. They had a powerful influence on those they met because of their praise. What kind of influence do you have in your world? Is it being shaped by how much you praise and glorify God and a daily basis? Is it possible that we could make a bigger impact for Christ in our world if we spent a little less time griping and complaining and a lot more time praising Jesus!
I think we all know the answer to that one! Well, here we are, one “P” left. It’s really a little thing, but it is one of the most important things in the whole story…
V. PONDER (2:19)
In quiet contemplation Mary took all these events in and pondered what they all could mean. A young Jewish girl couldn’t possibly have comprehended everything that was happening, no one could have. But in faith she said “yes” and in faith she pondered on how God would use someone like her, someone like Joseph, someone like the baby she held in her arms to change the world.
I have two more words to describe Mary’s response to God’s gift:
1. Wonder
2. Worship
That’s the image I want to leave you with today—a sense of “wonder” at how God chose to come to earth to save people like you and me. A sense of “wonder” that He would allow His Son to become one of us so that He could offer salvation to all of us. But there is one sense of “wonder” that I don’t want you to experience. I don’t want anybody to “wonder” whether they are saved.
You don’t have to! If you believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, that He died on the cross for your sins, that He rose again to give you the hope of eternal life, and if you are willing to repent of your sins, and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you don’t have to “wonder” anymore! That’s when you get to “worship” Him!
