SPECIAL DAY: CHRISTMAS
TEXT: LUKE 2:1-20 (Don’t read yet)
TITLE: “THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS”
INTRODUCTION: A. Steve Malone relates a parody of Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, that really
underscores just how far our world has let the true meaning of Christmas slip away
from them:
--"And there were in the same country children keeping watch over there stockings by
the fireplace. And lo! Santa Claus came upon them, and they were sore afraid. And
Santa said unto them `Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
that is for all people who can afford them. For unto you will be given great feasts of
turkey, dressing and cake; and many presents; and this shall be a sign unto you, ye
shall find the presents, wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with
tinsel, colored balls and lights. And suddenly, there will be with you a multitude of
relatives and friends, praising you and saying, `thank you so much, it was just what
I wanted’ And it shall come to pass as the friends and relatives have gone their
away to their own homes, the parents shall say to one another, What a mess to clean
up! I’m tired, let’s go to bed and pick it up tomorrow. Thank goodness, Christmas
only comes once a year!’ And they go with haste to their cold bed and find their
desired rest."
B. What do you think about when you hear the word “Christmas”?
1. How many shopping days you have left?
2. Family gatherings?
3. Salvation Army bell-ringers?
4. What you’re going to give?
5. What you’re going to get?
6. How much food you have to cook?
7. How much food you’re going to eat?
8. Christmas trees?
9. Decorated houses?
10. Snow?
11. Santa Claus?
12. Frosty the Snowman?
13. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer?
14. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer?
C. In the hyper busyness of the season, do we focus on everything but the reason for the
season?
1. There was a haunting newspaper story several years ago about a wealthy Boston
family who had a party for their new-born baby. They invited all their friends and
relatives to their magnificent home to celebrate the birth of their precious infant.
Half an hour into the party, when it was time to bring the baby out for everyone
to see, the mother made a tragic discovery. The large bed where she had left the
baby sleeping was piled high with the winter coats of the guests. The baby was
lying dead underneath the mound of outer coverings, suffocated by everyone’s
carelessly discarded coats.
2. That terrible event almost perfectly illustrates what the world has done to
Christmas
--So many have forgotten that Christmas is first of all a celebration of the birth of
the Savior
3. Our word “Christmas” is a contraction of “Christ’s Mass”
--a worship service honoring the birth of Christ.
D. What sights and sound do you focus on at Christmas time?
1. Does the evergreen tree remind you of the eternality of Christ?
2. Do the many lights remind you of the Light of the World?
3. Do the nativity scenes remind you of the greatest gift ever given and the new birth
that God offers to all?
4. Are your favorite Christmas songs Joy To The Word? O Little Town of
Bethlehem? Silent Night?
D. Let’s look at how Luke records the very first Christmas and see its sights and hear its
sounds to know the real thrill of Christmas!
--Read Text: Lk. 2:1-20
I. THE EMPEROR’S EDICT
A. The emperor was Caesar Augustus
1. Real name: Caius Octavius
2. The nephew, adopted son, and successor of Julius Caesar
B. Edict – “a census should be taken of the entire Roman world”
--The Romans took a census every fourteen years for two primary reasons
1. Draft
a. Told the Roman government how many able-bodied men of draft age were available
b. However, Jewish men were exempt from the draft
2. Taxation
a. The census was also designed to discover the number of a given population who were able to
contribute to the coffers of Rome and what figure they could use to project revenue for government
projects.
b. I never met anyone who truly enjoyed paying taxes.
--Most people, in fact, have some pretty derogatory thoughts toward paying taxes and even the
people who collect them.
(1). I saw a bumper sticker one time that said: “The IRS: We’ve got what it takes to take what
you’ve got.”
(2). I read about a man who computed his taxes for 1998 and found that he owed the IRS $3,407.00.
He packaged up his return and his payment and included this letter:
Dear IRS:
Enclosed is my 1998 Tax Return & payment. Please take note of the attached article from the
USA TODAY newspaper. In the article, you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for
hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat.
Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers (value $1029). This
brings my total payment to $3,429.00. Please note the overpayment of $22.00 and apply it to the
"Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return.
Might I suggest you the send the above mentioned fund a "1.5 inch bolt." (See attached article
from the USA TODAY newspaper about how HUD paid $22.00 for a 1.5 inch bolt.”
II. THE PARENT’S PREDICAMENT
A. Mary
1. Her story is told in Lk. 1:26-38
2. She was a young virgin maiden who received a very surprising message from the angel Gabriel
a. She would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and be the mother of the Son of God
b. Her response to the message was that she would do what the Lord wanted her to do
B. Joseph
1. His story is found in Mt. 1:18-25
2. The young lady he was engaged to was pregnant
--Being a humble, godly man, he decided that he would divorce her privately and not shame her
C. However, this situation put these parents into several precarious predicaments
1. Pregnancy can create a pretty chaotic atmosphere. There is an episode of “I Love Lucy” that
illustrates the chaos that this kind of situation produces.
Ricky, Fred, and Ethel were rehearsing what to do when the time comes to take Lucy to the
hospital. Ethel would telephone the hospital, Fred would call the taxi, and Ricky would pick up
Lucy’s luggage and escort Lucy to the taxi.
After several practices, they were content they could do it smoothly and efficiently. Then Lucy
entered the living room and announced that it was time to go. Everything fell apart. There was
pandemonium and utter chaos. They all ran for the phone. Then they all ran for the door. Then Ricky
came back and grabbed the luggage. Out the door they went leaving Lucy still standing in the center
of the living room, wondering what was happening.
2. Two predicaments for these parents:
a. Predicament #1
--They were still only in the engagement stage of the marriage process of the 1st century. The Jewish
marriage process had two stages:
(1). Stage #1 – the kiddushin – the betrothal period but was as binding as the marriage ceremony.
An actual divorce process was required to nullify the marriage covenant.
(2). Stage #2 – the huppa – sort of like a modern wedding only much bigger. Normally lasted 7
days.
(3). Mary’s pregnancy occurred during the engagement period.
--Joseph is described as being a “righteous man” and this guided him into not wanting to marry
an unfaithful woman but also guided him to do what would bring her the least shame and hurt.
(4). It was the appearance of an angel to both Mary and Joseph that assured them that everything
would be alright if they would both be obedient and full of faith.
--It was huge step of faith for both of them and you see through their faith why God chose them
to be earthly parents for His Son.
b. Predicament #2
--The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem
(1). The time to enroll in the census came at the end of Mary’s pregnancy
(2). The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was over 80 miles
(a). Think about it: a man, a pregnant woman, and a long journey over rough terrain
(b). Those are just not the ingredients for an enjoyable trip!
c. Imagine the conversation between Joseph and Mary before they leave Nazareth for Bethlehem:
Mary: “I’m not going to Bethlehem! Not like this!”
Joseph: “Mary, be reasonable.”
Mary: “I’m nine months pregnant! I don’t have to be reasonable!”
Joseph: “Mary, I’m not leaving you here to have the baby alone.”
Mary: “I’ll be fine!”
Joseph: “Look, Mary. I love you. And this isn’t just any baby. The prophet Micah said the
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The Romans say we have to go and God says we have to
go. So let’s go!”
Mary: “Well, I did tell the angel I would be God’s servant in this matter. All right, I’ll go. But I
don’t think I’m going to enjoy myself!”
Joseph: “For some reason, I don’t think I’m going to have any fun either.”
III. THE BABY’S BIRTH
A. Several things lead up to the baby’s birth
1. Joseph and Mary take a long, tedious journey to a place they didn’t visit very often.
2. It was also a place that was full of tourists
--The Jews had come in from all over for the census
3. While they were there, they had to deal with a lot of governmental bureaucratic rules and
regulations.
B. It was in the middle of this discomfort and discouragement that Mary went into labor.
1. She didn’t even get to go through the pains of labor on a nice comfortable bed
2. She had to deliver her baby on the floor of an animal shelter!
3. The Bible tells us the reason: “because there was no room for them in the inn.”
--Wm. Barclay: “That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus.
The only place where there was room for Him was on a cross. He sought an entry to the over-
crowded hearts of me; He could not find it; and still His search – and His rejection – go on.”
4. Joseph and Mary followed the accepted procedure for newborns
a. Jewish newborns were washed in water, rubbed with salt, and then wrapped in cloths
b. These cloths were bandages that made the newborns look like little mummies
-- they were wrapped fairly tightly binding the arms and legs
5. Sadly, the carpenter who had probably crafted many cradles for newborns had to lay the baby Jesus
in a feeding trough for animals.
6. The long-awaited, much-anticipated, often-prophesied event has finally happened – the Messiah was
born!
--not in a palace but in a barn
IV. THE SHEPHERD’S SENTIMENT
A. Shepherds were considered outcasts of Jewish society
1. They couldn’t attend all of the synagogue services and holy day observances because sheep require a
lot of time and attention
2. Because of being so tied to the sheep, the shepherd couldn’t take part in al the ritual washings so
favored by the Pharisees.
a. They barely had the opportunity to bathe at all because of the time required to tend the sheep
--And sheep don’t smell very good themselves
b. Personal hygiene was not a high priority to shepherds so not very many people wanted to get near
them.
B. It is interesting to note that the sheep used for the temple sacrifices were kept in these fields near
Bethlehem.
1. Who better to be the first people besides Mary and Joseph to view “the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world” than these smelly, strange shepherds?
2. After all, Moses and David were both called from shepherding sheep to leading God’s people
V. THE ANGEL’S ANTHEM
A. An angel of the Lord appears to these shepherds while they watched over their flocks through the night.
1. Out in the field, the sheep are asleep or grazing quietly, supper’s over, everyone is relaxing around the
fire and SURPRISE!
2. The scriptures tell us that the “glory of the Lord” was shining at the angel’s appearance
a. Same term used to describe the Shekinah – cloud by day and fire by night
b. The presence of God was here!
3. And these poor lowly shepherds were terrified
a. KJV – “sore afraid”
--so afraid, it hurt!
b. Literal Greek – refers to an immense level of fear
B. The angel’s anthem was a message of encouragement, joy, and peace
1. “Do not be afraid” – “I don’t bring a message of fear. I bring a message of hope!”
2. “I bring you good news of great joy”
a. In the Greek, the phrase is the word from which we get our word “evangelism”
b. Literally, “I evangelize to you great joy”
c. Joy has more to do with delight and contentment than with happiness
3. What was this message of joy?
a. The Savior has been born
b. He is the Christ – Greek equivalent of Messiah
c. He is the Lord – same term used in the Greek to translate YHWH
C. Authentication of the angel’s message
1. There was a “sign” – “a miracle; a work of wonder”
2. The sign: You will find common parents in a common setting and an infant in common clothes
a. Not in regal robes in a palace
b. The majesty of God was contained in the simple
c. Is. 9:6-7 – 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s
throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from
that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
C. Heavenly Hosts
1. This birth announcement couldn’t be contained in a card or even a newspaper but had to be delivered
by a special courier from God
--an event so momentous that a whole bunch of angels had to speak God’s praises
2. “Host” – from Hebrew “sabaoth”
--literally “army”
a. An army of angels were praising God
--literally telling the “story of what God had done”
b. It was a message of “peace”
(1). Jewish concept of peace was Shalom – “wholeness; completion; being at one with God”
(2). The Prince of Peace brings a peace not of this world and that surpasses all comprehension
CONCLUSION: During the conclusion, I want to discuss the final point: THE INFANT’S IMPACT
A. What the shepherds heard in the angels’ worship of God caused them to want to go see
for themselves
1. v. 15 – “Let’s go to Bethlehem”
2. What they saw and experienced caused them to tell others
--First thing they did after seeing the newborn Son of God was to go tell everyone what
they had experienced.
3. These men went back to their earthly duties with a different outlook and attitude
--They went back to tending sheep but did so with changed minds and hearts and with a
song of praise on their lips.
B. What impact has the Son of God had on you?
1. Are you changed for the better from your Christmas encounter?
2. Or are you like most of the people on that first Christmas – God has come to earth but
you ignored it and went on your merry way?
C. In 1973 Gary Kildall wrote the first popular operating system for personal computers,
named CP/M. According to writer Phillip Fiorini, IBM approached Kildall in 1980 about
developing the operating system for IBM PCs. But according to another author by the
name of Paul Carroll, Kildall snubbed IBM officials at a crucial meeting. The day IBM
came calling, he chose to fly his new airplane.
The frustrated IBM executives turned instead to Bill Gates, founder of a small
software company called Microsoft, and his operating system named MS-DOS. Fourteen
years later, Bill Gates was worth more than eight billion dollars.
Author Paul Carroll says about Kildall, who has since died, , "He was a smart guy
who didn’t realize how big the operating system market would become."
--In a similar way, people often don’t realize the immensity and importance of God’s
kingdom. God comes calling with the offer of a lifetime, and we find other things to
do.
