Luke 2:6-16 12/24/23 a.m. Who was there?
Last week I mentioned that one Christmas song that I really dislike is “Little Drummer Boy”. And it’s not that it’s extremely repetitive and boring, it’s not that the song is kind of silly, let’s face it, there’s a lot of silly Christmas songs, but the reason that I really despise the song is that’s it’s NOT BIBLICALLY ACCURATE. I know it’s hard to take but there was no LITTLE DRUMMER BOY there to visit Jesus at His birth.
Can I just say this? The story of the Birth of Jesus is SO AMAZING, SO STUPENDOUS, SO WONDERFUL, we don’t need to ADD ANYTHING TO IT!!! The fact that GOD would come down to this Earth in the form of HUMANITY, just blows my mind.
Also, the WISEMEN weren’t at the BIRTH of JESUS. I know a lot of your Nativity Scenes show THREE WISE MEN there, but they weren’t. By the time the Wise Men arrived, Mary and Jesus were in a house.
And the Bible never tells us that there were three. The reason you see THREE WISE MEN is because the MAGI from the EAST BROUGHT THREE GIFTS. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. It’s likely that they came as a LARGE CARAVAN of people. And some believe they came from as far away as Babylon which would be a 900 mile trip. And that’s why when you look at Matthew 2:11, Mary and Jesus are in a house and Jesus is a YOUNG CHILD and not a baby.
I know I brought a message last week out of Luke 2, but I’d like to go back there this morning. Luke 2, Verses 6-16.
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”
So, if the Little Drummer Boy wasn’t there. Now there may have been an OX and a LAMB there to keep time, “Pa rum pum pum pum” JUST KIDDING!!! Anyway, the Little Drummer Boy wasn’t there. The WISEMEN weren’t there. So who was there that day? Who attended the BIRTH of Jesus? But before we get into that, let’s go to the Lord in Prayer.
Brother _____, would you lead us?
So who was there that day?
I. Well, first of all, we know that Mary was there.
So who was she? Well, first of all, and we talked about this last week, she was a VIRGIN. She had not yet given herself to a man. She had kept herself pure until the time that she would MARRY. It was important back then and folks, it may be a RARITY, but it’s still important today. It’s just one of many reasons, that God was able to use her for HIS PURPOSE.
She was very likely YOUNG. Looking at historical documents, young ladies often became ESPOUSED or you might say PROMISED, to a man at a young age and them MARRY HIM later. We know that Mary was ESPOUSED to Joseph but they had not yet married. Many believe Mary may have been as young as 16.
Of course, we know that she was Jewish. Most likely she was from the Tribe of Judah on her father’s side and from the Tribe of Levi on her mother’s side.
And the last thing I want to point out about Mary, in Luke 1:28 it tells us that she was HIGHLY FAVORED and BLESSED.
When the Bible talks about her being HIGHLY FAVORED, I don’t think it has anything to do with how she looked. All of the MADE UP pictures of Mary show a BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY. And she probably was pretty. Most young ladies are pretty. But being HIGHLY FAVORED of GOD doesn’t mean that He made her extremely beautiful. It means that God BLESSED HER. He gave her CHOICES and she made the RIGHT ONES. When you think about how hard this must have been, but yet Mary not only PERSEVERED, she SHINED. It’s been thousands of years since that wonderful day when Jesus was born, yet she is still honored today. The Bible never tells us that she was SINLESS. In fact, it tells us that ALL HAVE SINNED. But yet she was a YOUNG LADY who had kept herself pure and made herself AVAILABLE to God.
Listen young ladies, God will never ask you to carry His Son in your womb. That’s already been done.
He will never ask you to travel to Bethlehem and give birth to a child in a MANGER. Once was enough.
He will never ask you to be the Earthly Mother of the Son of God.
But He does ask you to make yourself AVAILABLE to HIM. He does ask you to ALLOW HIM into HEART and your LIFE.
He does ask you to remain PURE so that He can use you in WHATEVER WAY He needs to.
He DOES GIVE YOU choices to make. He does BLESS YOU and give you the opportunity to SHINE.
Listen, there is no greater JOB in this world than to be a mother. NO ONE has more influence over children than mothers.
And whether you’re a BIRTH MOTHER, a BONUS MOM, or someone who NURTURES CHILDREN, God will use you.
Of course, Mary was there in Bethlehem.
II. The second person that was there that day was Joseph.
So we know that Mary was BETROTHED to Joseph. He was also from the Tribe of Judah. As far as we know, at the point of BIRTH, as MARY LABORED to bring Jesus into the world, the only other person that was there, right at that time, was Joseph. We don’t know a lot about him but what we do know about him is good.
First of all, I believe Joseph was a KIND MAN. When he finds out in Matthew 1, that Mary was going to have a BABY that wasn’t his, he decides to handle it DISCREETLY. Look at Matthew 1:19, “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.”
He wasn’t going to SHAME HER, just quietly call off the wedding. But then an Angel shows up and clears everything up.
Secondly, Joseph was a PROTECTOR of his family. Shortly after Jesus was born, wicked King Herod ordered all of the babies who were born in Bethlehem to be killed. Joseph escaped to Egypt with Mary and Jesus.
Also, Joseph was an example for his family. It seems that as Jesus matured and grew, Joseph was there. Luke 2:41 tells us that he took his family to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.
We know that he was a man who took care of his family. In Matthew 13:55, Jesus is referred to as “The Carpenter’s Son”. He was NO DOUBT a hard working dude who financially provided for his family.
Joseph was a MENTOR. In Mark 6:3 Jesus himself is called a CARPENTER. Evidently Joseph taught him his trade.
So as Joseph was there at the Birth of Jesus, he probably had no idea what the future held. But yet he stayed there and supported Mary. He stayed there to help raise the Son of God. He was JUST WHAT GOD INTENDED HIM TO BE.
The last time we hear about Joseph was when he takes his family to Jerusalem. Jesus is 12 at the time. Joseph probably died sometime between then and when Jesus began His ministry. He may have lived a RELATIVELY short life but yet it was a LIFE that, I BELIEVE, was pleasing to God.
Men, I want to talk to you for a few minutes. First of all, I want to talk to myself but also to the Young boys, Teenage boys, Young men and even the Older fellows.
If there’s one thing missing in this world today it’s MASCULINE MEN. There’s a word that is thrown around today that is supposed to be something absolutely horrible. I TREMBLE to even say the words. TOXIC MASCULINITY!!!
Folks, can I tell you something. God made MEN and WOMEN different. And I’m not just talking about ANATOMY. God made us emotionally different. He put within us a PROTECTIVE SPIRIT. He gave us the NEED to take care of the family that’s been entrusted to us. He gave us the WILL to FIGHT against those who would harm our family. And when you SQUASH THAT, it’s not a GOOD THING. HYPER FEMINISTS have destroyed MASCULINITY.
Let me tell you something folks. Women are NOT EQUAL with me. They are FAR SUPERIOR to me in so many different ways. That’s the way God intended it. And there are some ways that I am superior to my wife. I am PHYSICALLY STRONGER than her. Why? Because God made me that way.
Listen guys, we need to PROTECT our FAMILIES. Do whatever it takes, UP to the POINT of KILLING anyone who would harm them. YES I SAID IT!!!
We also need to financially care for our FAMILIES. WORK HARD. Do whatever it takes to PROVIDE.
Paul speaking in 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us,
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
And we need to PASS ON what we have learned. Pass on our LOVE for GOD. Pass on our FAITHFULNESS to GOD and to HIS CHURCH.
Listen, it doesn’t have to be your KID. It might be a NIECE or NEPHEW. A STEP SON or DAUGHTER. A GRANDCHILD. Or just SOME KID that needs help. Jesus wasn’t the Biological child of Joseph. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Ghost. But that didn’t make any difference to Joseph. He MENTORED, He PROTECTED, He PROVIDED, and I don’t know if I can prove this BIBLICALLY, but I believe he did it all with KINDNESS. I think Joseph was a GOOD, KIND MAN. I think if we’ll look at his life we can see an example of a man we should try to be like.
MARY was FOR SURE there at the Birth of Jesus.
Joseph was there too.
But who else?
III. Well, the SHEPHERDS were there?
Luke tells us that these shepherds were in the same country, meaning they were the Shepherds from that area. They were close by.
Now put yourself in their shoes. Verse 8 tells us that it’s night time. It’s late. Some of them might have been sleeping while others were watching over the flock.
And then, all of the sudden, an ANGEL APPEARS to them. There’s a GLOW as the GLORY of the LORD shines all around them. And ... they were afraid. I’m sure they had never seen anything like this. And now that he had their attention he gives them the message. GOOD TIDINGS of GREAT JOY to WHO? ALL PEOPLE. NOT!!! all of your people. NOT!!! to some people. NOT!!! to the JEWISH people. TO ALL PEOPLE.
And NOT!!! to just people living in that day. To ALL PEOPLE PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE!!!
And then, to top it off, they got to hear an ANGELIC CHOIR singing PRAISES to GOD.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
WOW, that must have been AWESOME. An experience they would never forget. And then, they got to go meet Him. God in the flesh. The Messiah. The Angel had told them that Jesus was born in the City of David and that He was in a Manger. There was probably only one Stable in town so they knew exactly where to go. And so they travelled to Bethlehem.
I was studying this out and a question came to my mind. Why the shepherds? Why not the local Carpenters Union? Why not the Scribes from the local synagogue? Why not the PRIESTS in the Temple at Jerusalem?
Well, there are probably several reasons but let me give you just one reason. First of all, God told the shepherds because they were some of the lowest of society. They worked in the fields with the Sheep. Very few, if any of them, were educated. They were the COMMON MAN of the day. And I believe God sent the Angel to the shepherds to show the world that Jesus came for ALL. In 1 Corinthians 1, the Apostle Paul is speaking and he says this right here in Verses 26 -29
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
ILLUS: I can hear the Pharisees talking if an Angel would have appeared to them. “Well, that just kind of proves how special we are. I’m really not too surprised an Angel would visit us. I guess when we get around to it we could walk over and see the New Baby. I’m sure it will give his MAMA and DADDY a REAL THRILL to have us there.”
No, I believe God chose the Shepherds to SHOW US He came for all. NO FLESH should glory in His presence.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’ve been or what you’ve done. God wants to SHOW UP and be the LORD of your life. He wants to show you the MIRACLE of SALVATION. His Holy Spirit will LEAD YOU to the Savior. He came to give us a WHOSOEVER SALVATION. And here’s the GOOD NEWS. WHOSOEVER MEANS ME. And WHOSOEVER means you.
So Mary was there. Joseph was there. The Shepherds were there also.
IV. And lastly, Jesus was there. Yeah, He was there for His own birth. That may kind of sound funny. You might say, “Well of course Jesus was there for His own birth.” But when we really get this, that Jesus was GOD in the FLESH, that’s quite AMAZING. God, the One who spoke the WORLD into existence, came to Earth to be BORN a HUMAN BIRTH, to LIVE a SINLESS LIFE, to WORK MIRACLES and TOUCH PEOPLE’S LIVES, and then to DIE a CRUEL DEATH for our SINS. That’s really AMAZING.
So the question has to be asked WHY? Why was Mary and Joseph there? Well, they really didn’t have a choice. The EMPEROR of the ROMAN EMPIRE had made the decree that everyone was to go to their family homes to pay their TAXES.
How about the SHEPHERDS? Verse 12 tells us they went to see a SIGN. Verse 16 tells us that they came with HASTE. A baby in SWADDLING CLOTHES laying in a MANGER, a FEED TROUGH inside of a Stable. Here was the Messiah.
But why was GOD in the FLESH THERE? Why did He come? Only one reason. LOVE. That has to be the TRUE MEANING of CHRISTMAS. God’s LOVE for MANKIND. It was HIS WAY of providing an ESCAPE from the HELL that MANKIND DESERVES.
ILLUS: In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: It said, “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine was excited for her brothers and hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown!
We went to Wal-Mart on Friday and it was kind of CRAZY. People running here and there trying to grab last minute items. And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the CELEBRATION but it seems like so many people MISS the BIG NEWS!!! Jesus CAME, He LIVED and He DIED. And the world has never been the same. He even changed the way we record time. It’s 2023. Two thousand and twenty three years since what? SINCE HE CAME!!! He came so that you and I can live with Him forever in Heaven. I think the people that were there that night, over 2000 years ago, really GOT what was happening. They really understood.
So what about you this morning? Do you really get it? Have you really committed your life to Him? Listen, this could be your last Christmas. We aren’t guaranteed another day. Why don’t you make this day count. Won’t you come?
Let’s Pray
