LOVE WAS
BORN ON CHRISTMAS
Luke 2:1-20
THE IDEA
God is love and so, when Jesus was born love entered into human history in a new and unique way. When a person believes in Jesus, love is birthed in him or her by God the Spirit as a by-product of the eternal life of Christ.
That’s the message of Christmas!
OUTLINE
LOVE WAS BORN AS A HUMAN BABY
LOVE WAS BORN FOR EVERY ONE OF US!
COME AND SEE, THEN GO AND TELL THAT LOVE HAS COME!
INTRODUCTION
If you are a parent you will probably agree with this statement: the day your child was born, a new love was born in you. I remember my firstborn, Mandy, asking me after her brother was born: “Dad, who do you love most, Ryan or me?”
I could answer her without hesitation that love is not like that. My love for Ryan in no way diminished my love for Mandy. Not one itty, bitty little bit. I love, without the slightest dilution, and with all my heart, each of my children. As each one was born, a new love was born in me. And I suspect that if we had more children the same thing would happen. A new love would be born. Love is like that.
So then, consider the logic of this syllogism:
· God is love
· God became a man, born to Mary as an infant
· Therefore love was born at Christmas
Love was born at Christmas. Well, in a sense that is true.
Love is eternal because God is eternal and so love was not really born. But love entered into human history in a unique way on Jesus’ birthday. The Apostle John declares:
1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Now, love always has an object. If I say to you “I am in love,” you will naturally ask me, “With whom?” I cannot love without there being a recipient, someone to receive my love.
Well, if God is love
and love was born at Christmas,
for whom was love born?
You!
Love was born at Christmas for you!
You! With all of your issues and all of your problems. And all of your strengths.
That’s what the angels declared when they announced the birth of Jesus to a band of shepherds. They said Jesus was born for you! Turn to Luke chapter 2 and listen carefully to the angels!
LOVE WAS BORN
AS A HUMAN BABY
Lk 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 his own town to register.
Lk 2:4 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 room for them in the inn.
The Angel Gabriel Had Told Mary That She Was Going To Miraculously Bear A Son (Luke 1:26-38)
In one way, this was devastating news to Mary. She was a virgin engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Becoming pregnant would shame her before her parents, her husband-to-be and her entire village. Perhaps that explains why Mary hurried off to live with her cousin Elizabeth for the first months of her pregnancy.
The Angel Explained Mary’s Pregnancy To Joseph And Told Him It Was Safe To Marry Her (Matthew 1:18-25)
Because he was a righteous man, Joseph had decided to divorce Mary privately rather than expose her to public disgrace. (Breaking an engagement in those days required a divorce.) But the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and explained that the child Mary was carrying was the creation of the Holy Spirit. He told Joseph not to be afraid to marry Mary and to name the child Jesus, for He would save His people from their sins.
Joseph decided to go through with the marriage but, before the wedding ceremony, he was sent out of town to register in his ancestral hometown of Bethlehem, many day’s journey to the south. Even though she was in the advanced stages of her pregnancy, Mary traveled with Joseph.
After They Reached Bethlehem, Mary Gave Birth To Her Son And Laid Him In A Manger Because There Was No Room In The Inn
The humble setting for the birth of Jesus was not an accident. Jesus deliberately laid aside His rights as God when he humbled himself and took on humanity (Philippians 2). He had also come to identify with and reach out to the poor (Isaiah 63).
There is a sadness to the fact that the baby had to be wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a manger. Most mothers busy themselves for months beforehand preparing a room for the baby. We hold baby showers to be sure that when the child is born he had lots of clothing, usually far more than he can wear. It was not much different in Mary’s day for the birth of a son was reason for a great celebration. But Mary and Joseph were alone, far from home and their initial visitors were probably barnyard animals.
But soon God sent some strangers to celebrate with the. They were a group of smelly shepherds who were keeping watch over their sheep just outside Bethlehem.
LOVE WAS BORN
FOR EVERY ONE OF US!
Lk 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
God Selected A Group Of Shepherds For The Honor Of First Hearing About The Birth
Think about this: Jerusalem, the nation’s capital wasn’t far away. Why didn’t the angels make the announcement there? Well, perhaps it wouldn’t have been wise, since Herod the king really had no right to be the Jewish king and he would have tried to kill this baby who threatened his throne.
But there were lots of townspeople within easy walking distance from the stable. Why did God not wake them up and send them to see the baby?
Perhaps He chose shepherds because His Son was born to be the Good Shepherd.
But there’s more. In those days shepherds had a reputation for being thieves and they were not exactly welcome in the town. They would be the last people we would choose to be the first to hear! But, years later, Paul would write that God’s way is to choose the most unlikely people to do His work
1Co 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
To be sure, God chooses and uses some noble, influential and wise people. But the wonder of it is that He also chooses the rest of us!
It is significant that when Jesus rose from the dead, the first person He revealed Himself to was a woman. Then He revealed Himself to a group of women. In the chauvinistic world of that day women were not considered reliable witnesses and, if the Gospel writers were inventing the story of the resurrection they would never have inserted women into the story at this point. But they were reporting what really happened – and Jesus always refused to obey the immoral dictates of society anyway.
Announcing the birth to shepherds fits with Jesus’ unorthodox approach to everything He did! It gives the birth narrative a credibility that no marketing expert could ever have dreamed up.
An Angel Appeared To Them, Terrifying The Shepherds
I can imagine the shepherds snoozing in the dark alongside a small fire. The sky above them was filled with the beauty of the stars when all of a sudden the most brilliant light ever seen by men shone around them and an angel appeared. This was not a common experience! In fact it was a once in history experience. Angels did not run around the world in those days any more than they do today. We can understand why the shepherds were terrified, for we would be also.
Despite the angel’s words not to be afraid, I’m sure they were even more shocked when suddenly the sky was filled with myriads of angels praising God! I imagine the shepherds initially jumped up in fright over the first angel and then fell down when all the rest appeared.
There is a series of photographs taken right at the moment when Mount St. Helens in Washington State blew up. In the foreground of the first photo, a woman stands quietly watching the plume of smoke rising from the top of the mountain. The next photo shows the moment the mountain exploded. The woman is hanging in midair, with her feet extended in front of her and her arms splayed out to each side. I don’t know whether it was fright or a shock wave that knocked off her feet but it is quite a comical scene.
I bet that the shepherds were a comical bunch to watch at this moment.
Gayle Erwin helps us see this situation from the angels’ point of view:
(If) god had consulted with me, I would have recommended that He make the announcement with a little more flair. Perhaps He should stand on the moon with an expensive microphone, hang two billion-watt speakers out in space and then broadcast: “Hello–o–o–o–o, Wo-o-o-o-rld. This is G-o-o-o-o-d.”
Or, since God chose to go with a choir, I would have recommended that He follow the chain of command and go to the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Parliament) first or at least use His energies wisely and go to the marketplace and get the announcement to the greatest number of people in the shortest time.
But no, He persists in picking a desolate spot. What if you had been one of the members of that angelic choir chosen to announce the birth? For 200 years you have been practicing and anticipating the glorious presentation. Everything is in perfect tune and timing for the concert of the ages. For 100 years they have been building a stage in the sky for that great moment.
Then Gabriel says, “He’s born! You’re on fellows!” The curtains are pulled back and you see the crowd – six shepherds? What a letdown! “Okay,” someone asks, “who was in charge of posters?”
To their credit, the angels didn’t really miss a beat but joyfully sang their announcement to the world, as represented by this pitiful group. Here’s what the angels announced.
A Saviour Has Been Born For All The People!
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
You were in that announcement! You are one of all the people for whom a Savior was born. The shepherds were also included. In case they missed their inclusion, the angel said a Savior has been born for you!
Now, most of us don’t even know we need a Savior. That’s because we are so adept at denial! Most of us live as if we’re going to live forever. We put of thinking about dying until tomorrow, and we give little thought to what happens to us after death. But think for the moment of the people you know who died unexpectedly this past year. We’re about to enter a new year. Will you still be around for next Christmas?
You may be protesting: Christmas time is not a time to talk about dying! Maybe not – unless it is the best way to talk about the greatest Christmas gift you can ever give someone.
Think of it as if I am wrapping a gift for you. No-one enjoys wrapping gifts. It’s hard to figure out how big to cut the paper. And it is frustratingly difficult to get the edges to look tidy and even. Then the tape sticks to your fingers or rips the paper when you put it in the wrong place. But when it’s all done, you can anticipate the joy when the gift is opened.
So let me wrap the gift for a moment to explain why we need a Savior. We need a Savior because we go to hell without one. Listen to Jesus Himself explain this:
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Jesus uses darkness as a metaphor for the frightening reality that we are all born with a tendency toward evil and that because of it we are condemned to spend eternity apart form God. That’s what hell is! But because He loves us, God sent His Son to save us from hell and take us to heaven.
Jesus is able to save us because He took our hell for us! When He was nailed to the cross He was punished for your sins and mine. He died in your place so that you will not need to go to hell. Jesus said that if we believe in Him we will not go to hell but will be given the gift of eternal life.
The angles explained this in another way. Because we have rebelled against God, we are at war with Him. But Jesus was born to bring peace to all who allow the favor of God to rest upon them. And His peace does not just mean the cessation of hostility. His peace means we get to experience life with a capital “L” from the moment we believe in Him. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom – which describes living in a state of love and joy and peace in this world!
The angel told the Shepherds how and where they could find the baby. As soon as the angels left them they hurried off to find him.
COME AND SEE
THEN GO AND TELL
THAT LOVE HAS COME!
Lk 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Lk 2:16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Shepherds Found The Baby Just As They Had Been Told
The angle had said:
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Babies are not normally put into a manger. This one was even wrapped in cloths, for his parents had no clothing for him. The shepherds were amazed to find him exactly as the angel had said they would. The whole experience left them glorifying and praising God for all they had seen. I suspect that many, if not all, of these shepherds became believers and that we will someday meet them in heaven!
God wants you to also come and see and believe! But, of course you do not come to a manger and to a baby. Jesus has risen from the dead and is seated in heaven as King. To believe in Jesus means to believe that He is God, that He died in your place, and to put your faith in Him rather than in yourself or in any religion.
One way to understand this is that up until the moment you believe in Jesus you are the god of your own life. Believing in Jesus means that you resign as your own god and ask Jesus to take the throne of your life – to become your God.
As an ambassador from God, I beg you to respond to the love of God and to believe in Jesus right now!
Once you have believed, we have a lesson to learn from the shepherds. They came and saw the baby. Then they went and told others!
The Shepherds Spread The News So Others Could Also Come And See Him Also
This was a spontaneous thing. No-one sat the shepherds down and told them it was their duty to tell others. They were so amazed at what they had seen that no-one could have stopped them spreading the news. Despite the poor reputation of shepherds, the townspeople were amazed at what they said to them and had the opportunity to go and see the child for themselves.
CONCLUSION
(Insert your own experience of love being born)
At this point in my life I have two children and three grandchildren. That means that five times in my life not only has a child been born but a new experience of love was born in my life. I love each one of these descendants of mine with a love that is unique to each one of them.
I love, without the slightest dilution, and with all my heart:
· Mandy
· Ryan
· Blake
· Braeden
· Kendall
And if I, a fallible weak human being, can love like that, how much more God must love every one of us! His love is capable of expanding to include every human being who ever draws breath.
Love was born at Christmas.
For you.
Embrace God’s love by believing in Jesus!
The movie “The Nativity Story” captures beautifully for us the birth of love on that first Christmas evening.
The Nativity Story
Film Clip Scene 158-161
Mary & Joseph and the birth of Jesus
