AM sermon preached at Central Christian Church December 23, 2012
Take the Christmas Journey: meet God at every turn sermon series
The Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem Luke 2:1-7
We’ve been looking at journeys made that first Christmas in our current sermon series and today we’re going to look at what is probably the most familiar journey of the Christmas season---the journey Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The reason I think this journey is so familiar to us is because it is the one most often acted out in plays and musicals and because our nativity sets portray how we envision the trip ending at a stable. Here’s how the Bible describes that journey in Luke 2....
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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 guest room available for them.
It’s interesting when you think about it---how the Bible never mentions Mary riding a donkey, although we usually imagine her doing so. The Bible never mentions an inn keeper although there’s almost always one present in our children’s plays. The Bible doesn’t say anything about a stable or about animals being present. But we have those things in our nativity sets. I could go on in detail and explain things like why it’s more likely Jesus’ birth took place in a cave or even an underground room than a stable or barn but that’s not what I want to do with my message this morning. Rather than get bogged down with pointing out the differences between what the Bible says happened and what tradition has us thinking happened, I want to share some truths that that Bethlehem journey reminds us of or points to.
First, I see in Mary & Joseph’s travelling from Nazareth to Bethlehem a reminder that Jesus never promised His faithful followers an easy journey through life, rather He promised them a safe arrival in heaven. There are at least five reasons tough stuff happens as we journey through life. To begin---there’s us. I mean if we’re honest with ourselves we’ll have to admit that sometimes things get tough because we’ve made them tough through our own actions and choices. For example, maybe we began a bad habit only to have it come back and bite us. Or maybe we overspent and now have trouble keeping up with the bills. Or maybe we dropped out of school and now find it difficult to get a good paying job. Or maybe we let our gas tank get too low and we went through a lot of unnecessary anxiety worrying about our car running out of gas in the middle of rush hour traffic on the MLK bridge. Let’s just say, I was recently guilty of that last one. Without a doubt, we encounter problems and hardships and life is tough on us sometimes because we made it that way. On the other hand life is sometimes tough on us because others have made it that way. The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem which Joseph and Mary made was not something they would have chosen for themselves, especially with Mary being so far along in her pregnancy. After all, we’re talking about a 70 or 80 mile trip---mostly over dusty, gravel roads. And we’re not talking about making it in some climate controlled luxury SUV in an hour or so. We’re talking about a trip that would take between four and seven days---and we’re talking about a woman who is about to give birth walking those 70 or 80 miles, or possibly riding them on a donkey or on the back of some wagon. No matter how you look at it, it wasn’t an easy trip for Mary and Joseph to make. It wasn’t a road they would have chosen for themselves, yet because of Caesar’s decree it was one they travelled. Sometimes we face tough stuff in our lives because of other people.
And listen, when it comes to facing hardships, tragedies and other tough stuff in our lives, let’s not forget folks that there is a spiritual battle going on. What that means is that sometimes things can get tough in our lives as the direct result of our being under spiritual attack by Satan and the forces of darkness. The Old Testament book of Job makes that possibility very clear. In that book we read how Job was the most upright man living in his generation---and yet he had to face life’s worst nightmares head on. Not only were all of His children killed, but his personal health and his vast wealth were ripped away from him as well. And according to the scriptures, the culprit acting behind the scenes who did those terrible things to Job was Satan. Satan did what he did in hopes of ruining the close relationship Job had with God.
Now while Satan may throw some tough stuff into our lives in an attempt to destroy our relationship with God---we need to understand that God may also throw some tough stuff into our lives for the exact opposite reason. When God injects hard things into our lives He doesn’t do it to destroy our relationship with Him---He does it in hope that it prompt us to improve our relationship with Him. That’s what you find God up to in the book of Acts when He causes a temporary blindness to humble the proud Saul. God used Saul’s blindness to help jumpstart a turnaround in Saul’s life so that the guy went from being a persecutor of Christians to a preacher of the gospel. Ourselves, others, Satan, God they can all be at the root of tough thing we’re dealing with in life...And if you’re taking notes mark this down---so can the fact that we’re living in a cursed world. Tough stuff sometimes happens simply because this world’s under a curse. In case you forgot, it has been that way since Adam and Eve committed mankind’s first sins. Now for all the above reasons, Jesus told His disciples---“in this world you will have trouble.... but...” He went on to say “take heart for I have overcome the world.” Or in other words, stick with me during your life on earth and even though we won’t avoid all the tough stuff, we will get through it and in the end we live in heaven together forever.
As I look back on and think about that first Christmas and the journey that landed Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, I realize that the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem serves as a reminder to us that...God keeps His word.
In my preteen years the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” became a blockbuster movie. 40 years later I still remember the words Judas sang near the end of it. He sang---Every time I look at you I don't understand Why you let the things you did get so out of hand. You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned. Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land? If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.
What Judas asked in that song---people have asked throughout the years about Jesus’ first coming---of all times, why then? Of all places, why there? Some people believe that if Jesus had come today instead of back in the first century that He would have reached more people more effectively. After all they say, today we have TV and radio and cell phones and the internet. Just think how rapidly the news of His coming could be shared. Just think how people around the world could see Him healing people and performing miracles in real time. There’s a flaw though in their thinking----because while it’s true if Jesus had come today, the news of His coming could be spread around the world almost instantly--- it’s also true that we’ve become so used to special effects and camera tricks that even if Jesus had died on a cross this past Friday and He rose from the dead this morning and it was all shown in real time around the world---few if any of us would believe it. The fact of the matter is, the Judas character in Jesus Christ Superstar had it all wrong in assuming Jesus’ arrival wasn’t planned. The details of Jesus’ arrival, when in time and where in space His birth took place, were all planned by God.
Bible historians will agree that the time in which Jesus was born was unique in its opportunities. If asked why it was an ideal time for the coming of Christ they would tell you about how the shipping trade and the network of Roman roads opened the doors to worldwide travel. They would talk about the Pax Romana, that is the Roman peace that lasted for nearly 200 years---which allowed religious freedom. They’d no doubt mention the common language, Greek, which was pretty much spoken around the world. And then they would tell you how all of those things worked together to make it easy to quickly share new religious ideas and practices with people around the world. And as far as the city of Bethlehem goes and if asked why would Jesus be born there, Bible historians would tell you the very name of the city means “house of bread.” Then they’d probably go on to answer your question with one of their own--- What other city could be more appropriate than Bethlehem for Jesus, the One who would call Himself ‘the bread of life’ to be born in? They’d no doubt then answer the question they’d just raised by saying---None, especially since God had prophesied that that would be the place where the Messiah would be born.
Here’s something to think about too--- in regards to Caesar’s census---we don’t know if he issued it to avoid a fiscal cliff, but it is obvious that God knew long before Caesar issued it that the decree was coming. Nearly 700 years before Jesus was born through the prophet Micah God had said “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” Not only did God know way before the census was ordered by Caesar that it was coming, God made use of that knowledge by making sure that Mary conceived months before she and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem as a result of that census so that she would deliver while they were in Bethlehem---not before and not after. Galatians 4:4-5 tell us “4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” That expression “the set time had fully come” is a translation of a Greek word used to express the moment fruit reached perfect ripeness. And what it all means is that Bethlehem wasn’t a mistake---it was part of God’s plan, His exact plan so that in keeping with His character, His words would prove to be true. And here’s why God went to all of that trouble of making prophecies and seeing that they were fulfilled----He wants us to trust Him. God wants us to know that He always keeps His word so we will trust Him with our lives and our futures because He loves us and wants to do life with us now and forever.
The opportunities to share our lives with God now and forever came at a high price and this is something the manger reminds us of---the manger in Bethlehem reminds us...that Jesus became poor so we could become rich. If you were to visit the Holy Land today and go to Bethlehem you’d find that there’s a church building built over the place where it is believed Jesus was born. Now maybe they got it right and maybe not. The truth is, the place where Jesus was born was so unassuming we’re not sure of its exact whereabouts. What we do know is that after Jesus was born He was wrapped in strips of cloth, a common practice of that time, and then He was laid in a manger---a manger, so you know, that’s not a fancy foreign name for a crib, what we’re talking about is a feeding trough for animals.
Jesus didn’t come just so we could have a festive celebration in December. Jesus came so we could be reconciled to God. Jesus loved us so much that He emptied Himself of His power and His glory so we could be filled with them. Jesus became a human baby and was born in a place where animals were kept and His first bed was a feeding trough all so He could go on and grow up to become a man who would die on a cross so we could be forgiven of our sins, so we could become God’s forever friends and so we could live in the Kingdom of heaven. The Apostle Paul put it like this in 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Don’t miss that word might in that verse---Jesus did what He did so that you through his poverty might become rich. Might doesn’t express certainty---it expresses possibility. What we’re talking about is this--- the spiritual riches Jesus wants to give us and the future in heaven He wants all of us to enjoy, those things while available for every person aren’t automatically given to every person. This is something the lack of room in Bethlehem points to. The lack of room Joseph and Mary encountered at the end of their journey reminds us...that God doesn’t force His way into our hearts. It seems rather strange to us, I think, that no one was willing to give up their room for Joseph and Mary, especially considering Mary’s condition. It just doesn’t add up. I mean Bethlehem was a small village and generally speaking we think of small town people as being very friendly and welcoming. And then on top of that in their Jewish culture people prided themselves in being hospitable. So what was up with their being no guest room available to them?...or as some older translations read “no room in the inn?” Well I’m guessing it goes back to a matter of sheer numbers.
Nearly 1000 years separated the time when David sat on the throne of Israel and the time of the census. And the way I understand the text, Joseph and Mary had to register in Bethlehem, the city of David, not because that was necessarily the town where they were born but because they were descendents of David. Now David had several wives and concubines and he had children by many of them. We’re not sure how many. At least 20 are mentioned in the Bible. Now if in the next generation each of them had say 2 kids that would mean in one generation the family would go from 20 to sixty in size. Now if that first generation died off but each person in that second generation also had two kids the family would number 120. If we made it so a new generation came along every 40 years---we’d repeat the process 22 more times to get to Joseph’s generation and you’d be looking at over 160 million descendents of David! I seriously doubt that that’s how many descendents there were since the entire world’s population in the first century is estimated at around 200 million. But you get the idea---David no doubt had a lot of descendents and by law it appears they were being required to go to Bethlehem and register in the census.
And so my guess is that the small village of Bethlehem was all but overrun by the enormous number of people who converged on it. I’m guessing that every available room was packed tight with people. I’m guessing that in spite of the way Christmas plays make the people in Bethlehem appear so unwelcoming and inconsiderate that in reality there were lots of people who willingly gave up space they had been given for people they thought needed it more than they did. I imagine young men giving up their space for the elderly. I suppose there were families with teens who slept out under the open sky after giving up their indoor accommodations to families with toddlers. Some of you in fact may be doing something like that this week in your own home. Maybe you’ll give up your bed to a family of visiting relatives. Your guest rooms and couches may be so full you end up sleeping on an air mattress or out in the backseat of your car in your garage. I suppose it’s on those nights when some third cousin is sleeping in your bed and you’re wrapped up in blanket on the floor you can understand why George Burns said, “Every one of us should have a close knit loving family that lives 12 hours away.” Seriously now, getting back to the Christmas story, the fact remains that on the night of Jesus’ birth, there wasn’t a normal guest room to be found anywhere in Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph. And so they went and stayed at a place where room was available. Now think about it---if God can mobilize a star to invite wise men from the East, surely He could have arranged for there to be a humble room available in Bethlehem where His Son could be born. But God didn’t do it and in my opinion here’s why---God wanted to send us a powerful message through the no room available reception Bethlehem gave Jesus---and that message is that Jesus will only come and live in hearts where He is welcomed and where room has been made for him.
It’s really sad but true that for many, many people this Christmas will come and go and they’ll miss the most important part about it because they’ll get so caught up in the holiday’s celebrations and activities and family gatherings and parties that they’ll fill their lives and calendars with so much other stuff that there won’t be any room left for Jesus. Please don’t let that be you. I know Christmas is only two days away but I really want to encourage you----if you haven’t already carved out some time for you to spend a few minutes thinking about the gift God gave us in Jesus, to do just that---consider it a gift you give to God and to yourself. I’m not saying you need to block our hours of your time, I’m just encouraging you to block out a few minutes, to give God a little space, a little room in your holiday. I’m confident if you do, He’ll take it and He’ll meet you in it.
When it comes to this whole no room thing in Bethlehem, here’s the thought though that I want to leave you with. While Jesus isn’t welcomed in many hearts and homes, He will welcome into His heavenly home all who humbly come to Him---and while lots of people will crowd Jesus out of their lives and leave no room for Him, Jesus is always willing to make room for us...because that’s the kind of God He is.
Let’s stand for our time of invitation....
NOTE TO THOSE WHO READ AND OR CHOOSE TO MAKE USE OF ANY OR ALL OF THIS SERMON: I am sharing this sermon with the hopes it will be an encouragement to others. I apologize for any blatant typing errors! If you find any I’d appreciate hearing from you so I can correct them. I try to give credit where credit is due, noting writers and or sources to the best of my ability. I have for years been drawing from a wealth of sources including this website. I recognize that my mind and writing processes are fallible. I may occasionally fail to properly identify a source. Please do not take offense if you see anything of this nature. I never intend to plagiarize. Having said that I want you to feel free to draw from my message. When appropriate I hope you will give credit as I do. But most of all I hope Christ will be lifted up and God will receive the glory in all things.
