A Baby on the Way: Water Breaks News Breaks
Luke 2:1-20
INTRODUCTION... Incarnation of Christ
An old pioneer traveled westward across the great plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him: a vast chasm one mile down, from four to eighteen miles across, and more than 200 miles long! He gasped, "Something musta happened here!" A visitor to our world at Christmas time -- seeing the lights, the decorations, the trees, the parades, the festivities, the Santas, and the religious services -- would also probably say, "Something must have happened here!" Indeed, something did happen. On the first Christmas God took to Himself a real human nature.
I. THE WATER BREAKS (VERSES 1-7)
A. The Birth of Jesus Christ happens at a specific time in history.
1) The world was being ruled by the Roman Empire and taxes were important to this Empire. A census was
needed at the command of the Emperor to make sure the Empire was receiving its due taxes.
2) Each person traveled to their home towns to be counted and so Joseph, Mary, and their ’bun in the oven’
arrive in Bethlehem to be counted.
B. The Birth of Jesus Christ happens in humble circumstances
1) I have often wondered if the birth of Jesus was like all other births... did Jesus cause her pain? Mary was
a normal woman who would have had birth pains and contractions and her water would have broken as well.
2) I know from experience that doctors tell expectant mothers and fathers that when the water breaks, the
baby needs to be born within 24 hours for the safety of all concerned. Once the water breaks, the arrival of
a new life is not far behind.
3) These verses tell us that Joseph and Mary were not in an inn or a home, but were in a manger... a barn.
Mary have birth in a barn. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords was born with the animals watching
over Him. Very humble.
ILLUSTRATION... A Way in a Manger, sermoncentral.com
During a Christmas pageant, one child had been forced to be in the program by his parents. The young teen continued to voice his concerns as they practiced. He would mutter things like "How can people believe that Jesus is the Son of God?" and "just what makes everyone believe that this is the way to heaven?" He finally said "how do we know He was the Messiah and that He was the way to Heaven?". When one small girl spoke up, "She said, "We believe it because the song said it". "What song?", the teen huffed back.
She politely said, "You know what song I’m talking about, that one that God made A WAY IN A MANGER".
C. The Birth of Jesus, though humble, is still the most important birth in the history of the world.
1) The God who created the Universe emptied Himself of all that He was and became a human being.
God became a human being like you and like me. He was God in the flesh (Philippians 2:6-8).
a) This meant that He was hungry, thirsty, tired, bored, eager, happy, sad, and all the other aspects of life that we deal with day in and day out.
b) This meant that He could face danger and even be killed.
2) This little baby would live life as a human being... that just blows the mind!
II. THE NEWS BREAKS (VERSES 8-20)
A. Once Jesus was born, the message of His arrival went out. This was the biggest news story ever. As soon as
the water broke, it was time to break the news as well!
B. The news broke about the birth of Jesus in two ways:
1) The Angelic News Network (the ANN) appeared in the fields around Bethlehem to local shepherds.
a) They told them not to be afraid, but that they had breaking news that needed to be told to all
people.
b) The news was that in Bethlehem, a Savior had been born.
1. I would like you to notice the word that is used here. The word is ’Savior.’ The angels
described this little one as the Savior, this means that there is something that they need to
be saved from... does it not?
2. Options? What does the Bible say about these options?
a. Military: The Roman Empire that was oppressing them needed a defeat
b. Economic: The poor and needy were in need of a leader
c. Spiritual: Matthew 1:21, “He will save His people from their sins”
c) The angels also told them that this Christ-child would be in a barn. I realize that the census
brought many people to Bethlehem who would not ordinarily be there, but I am sure that the
number of babies in a barn were quite low. The directions to find the child were simple enough.
2) The Shepherds also gave eyewitness testimony. The shepherds decide among themselves that they
would like to go and investigate what the angels have told them. Verse 16 tells us that the shepherds
found Jesus and Mary and Joseph just as the angel had said.
a) What does verses 17-18 say? [expand upon]
b) What does verse 20 say? [expand upon]
III. APPLICATION: The importance of this passage comes in verse 20. The result of what they had been told and what they had seen affected them deeply.
A. The shepherds glorified God (recognition of who God is)
B. The shepherds praised God (recognition of what had happened)
CONCLUSION... The Days Before Christmas, sermoncentral.com
Twas the days before Christmas, and all through the Church
The pews are all filling, as everyone perched.
The hands are all shaking, and greetings abound
Soon I’ll go to the pulpit, prepared to expound.
I spent the whole week trying to hear what God’s saying
Studying, reading, and earnestly praying
The choir has practiced and taken great care
Their singing this morning, for weeks they’ve prepared
We’ve had Christmas sermons of Angels and Wise men
Of Shepherds and mangers, no room at the Inn
I pray that this week, the message will do
The job of moving the folks from the pew
But I must keep it brief. I must watch my time
For at noon I will hear the watches all chime
This is a season so full of distractions
But we know that this world has no satisfaction
If we don’t share the Gospel of Christ
Not just his birth, but His paying our price
If we speak of the manger, but not of the cross
The fullness of Jesus, somehow gets lost
This Christmas season, do Jesus a favor
Make it a season to share Christ the Savior
