“Footprints of Love”
Luke 2:1-11
Tomorrow you will all do what you’ve been waiting to do for 364 days: open your presents! And I’m not just speaking to the children at this point, Mr. “I-Can’t-Wait-To-Play-My-Son’s-New-Video-Game.” I bet you’re excited, too, aren’t you? Admit it – you can’t wait to see what’s under the tree! After all, it’s an “I love you” message from someone, right?
That’s one of the things that makes gift-giving so much fun – and also very challenging: we get to show our love to someone in a tangible way. And that’s good – Gifts are one of the ways we show love.
I remember the very first Christmas gift Julie gave me. In fact, I have it on – a Christmas watch. You see, we were married during the Christmas season in 1988, so this time of year is always extra special to me. And this watch is a great reminder that she loves me. But it is still only a present; the watch isn’t her actual presence.
You see, our presence is really the best way to reveal our love. (Don’t worry, kids, I’m not encouraging your parents to boycott presents, but I do want to make a point.) And I can say this from experience, for when I was a kid our home was burglarized just before Christmas one year. Man, was I bummed! When we walked in that afternoon and found drawers flung open and mattresses flipped over, as well as most of the presents gone, I was sure the Grinch was a real person who lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And he stole my Christmas. But good, ole’ dad came to the rescue and saved the Yule Tide season that year by taking us out and having “Christmas in a cart.” Yep, we strolled along as a family – together – and he re-bought some of things he and mom had originally purchased for us. Was it as traditional? As picturesque? As much? Probably not. But it was more meaningful, for it suddenly became more about their presence than their presents.
Truth is, Christmas will always be a make-do holiday if all you do is give things. What really makes Christmas a biblical occasion is when you give yourself; that’s the one thing that sends the greatest message – give you! And this rings true with what we learn from the Bible in John 15:13 , “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The best gift I all the world is the gift of you!
I realize that doesn’t fly real well in a world that has commercialized Christ right out of Christmas. But it still remains true. Your p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s only send a partial message; your p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e sends the real meaning of love.
This is exactly what God did in Luke 2 – he gave himself that first Christmas night. When he gave is His Son, it was the greatest gift we could ever receive, for he gave us a Savior. You see, that was our greatest need, and it was met by God’s greatest gift! It’s no wonder Luke culminates his description of this gift of a baby from the virgin’s womb with these words – “unto you is born this day…a Savior…”
Let’s listen in as we hear the narrative in Luke 2:1-11.
[PLAY SCRIPTURE READING OF LUKE 2:1-11]
I want to draw your attention to this word Savior. What a beautiful word…would you say it with me? “Savior!” How precious and sweet to hear that redemptive name of God’s Son – Savior! To simply say the word brings thoughts of rescue, hope, and love. And rightly so, for saving us is what the bay was born to do! You see, sending a Savior was the way God showed his love; Jesus was the expression of God’s heart of love for all of us. Sending a Savior to die was the way he “laid down his life for us,” and that’s the greatest love anyone can show. Yes, God showed his love for us on Christmas night when he sent us a Savior.
When I think about that first night of our Savior’s birth – that evening in Bethlehem when God’s love broke through – I’m drawn to some things in this passage that make me very thankful on this Christmas Eve. For instance, I’m thankful God’s love broke through in spite of political obstacles. (2:1-2)
Luke calls it a census, but it was probably a disguised registration, for Herod wanted to find out from where this “king” hailed. Talk about political obstacles – here was an evil, paranoid, non-Jewish king sitting on the throne of Israel at the time who had killed every person who threatened his power – including his own wife and three of his sons. What would he do if he got wind of Jesus? Jerusalem was certainly not a “politically correct” place for Jesus to be born.
Add to that the pressure mounting in the city from Herod’s own insecurity, and you can begin to imagine the tension all over the metro area of Jerusalem. But aren’t you glad, even with all that was going on politically, God’s love broke through and a Savior was born?!
Additionally, I’m thankful that God’s love broke through in spite of geographical obstacles. (2:3-7)
It strikes me as strange that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was little more than a suburb of the more significant royal city of Jerusalem. Bethlehem was so small it didn’t even have enough inns to accommodate the visitors. Since the child was born to become king of the Jews, it seems he should have been born in Jerusalem, the capital of the nation.
But instead, God ordained Bethlehem, and his birth in this tiny town fulfilled the vow God had made to send the world a king who came from the family line of David.
Although Bethlehem was only about 4 or 5 miles south of Jerusalem, it was about 75 miles from Nazareth (where Mary and Joseph lived) over rough, mountainous terrain. So this journey was a long and hard trip, filled with danger and discouragement. And it was no doubt expensive! Joseph not only had to pay the census fees, but he also had to underwrite the journey there. But be thankful God is not bound by geography. Quite the contrary! In fact, often God does his best work in the smallest of settings. And the first Christmas proves to us that God’s love can break through even the toughest geographical obstacles.
I’m also thankful God’s love broke through in spite of logistical obstacles. (2:4-7)
After a difficult journey for a woman in the ninth month of pregnancy, a stable is the last place that a caring husband would want her to be. Yet, it was all that they could find. There was no room in any of the inns. So somehow an animal stable becomes the birthplace, and our Savior is born amid the sound of sheep and the smell of donkeys. Imagine the unsanitary conditions, as well as having to walk carefully around the droppings of animals and then lay down a newborn baby in a feeding trough streaked with the saliva of animals. Or a woman, fresh from the pains of delivery, trying to recover on a bed of hay or straw and without.
Let’s be honest – the Nativity scenes that decorate the landscape during Christmas season are something less than accurate. None of them smell quite right.
Yet, God’s love broke through and our savior was born.
By the way, if God’s love can break through in a manger and stable, I think he can pour out his love to us in a rented school and portable walls with not-so-good acoustics, eh? How thankful I am that God has poured out his love on us in spite of all our logistical issues, and that he continues to show his favor on the work he has called us to do even when sometimes we thin it is less than ideal. Then again, that’s just like God, isn’t it?
Finally, I’m thankful God’s love broke through in spite of occupational obstacles. (2:8-10)
Why would you tell shepherds? They were the lowest of the work force. Yet, it was symbolic – born that day was a Savior, a Chief Shepherd who would look over the flock of Israel.
Sure enough, those lowly shepherds did just what they were told – they went to Bethlehem, then they proceeded to tell everybody else. How cool that God used the lowest form of “employees” to spread the greatest news on earth!
I often wonder what they thought when the angels lit up the night sky and started singing. “Hey, Bart, come check out this light show!” Regardless, they weren’t afraid (a good trait for a shepherd) and were very obedient. Some probably thought the news should have been spread through the higher ranks or via the professional media. But in spite of apparent human obstacles, God’s love broke through and the shepherd became the very first town criers – “Jesus is born!”
Looking at how God’s love broke through in Luke 2, we get a glimpse into what really meets the deepest human need: God! That’s why he gave the gift of himself, because he knew that’s what we really needed. Not politics or government, not a nice house or beautiful city, not a plush job or fancy title. Only Jesus – God himself – can break through the darkest and hardest places with love that satisfies fully.
Friend, only a Savior meets your deepest need, for your deepest need is the rescuing of your soul. And only a Savior can do that. Governments can’t, possessions can’t, places can’t. Only Jesus can save. And when we cry out to him and ask him to “save us from our sins,” nothing can stop him from showering us with his love. Nothing!
This Christmas, what are you depending on to meet your deepest need? A political movement or figure? A national cause? An apparently secure job? A nice neighborhood? A cozy home?
Here’s a better question – what’s keeping you from trusting in this Savior? Do you feel as though you’re too poor, too bad, or too far away? Do you wonder if you’re too rich, too smart, too dumb, or too late? None of the above is true! Jesus can save any and all who simply believe. The Bible says plainly in Acts 4:12 that “Salvation is fond in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
If tonight you wish to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ – trust in the name of Jesus – accept this baby who was born as our Savior to be your Savior, then I invite you to let your heart cry out to God a prayer like this:
[SINNER’S CRY]
We’re going to close in a moment, and when we do, we’re going to all come up to the front and light our candles in preparation for our closing carols. At the same time we do this, I’m going to ask our members to give God your offering, as well as everyone in attendance to drop in their feedback card. If tonight you have made a decision for the Lord, would you note that on your card, then drop it in the box as you light your candle? Someone from our church will be in touch with you in a respectful way to help you understand more and to help you grow as a new believer.
Let’s pray.
