Thankful For Jesus: Born In A Barn

SECOND TRUTH: JESUS

The center of this passage is the shepherds who are witnesses of Christ’s birth, but of course the core of the passage is the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Promised One Who finally came. The real meaning is the birth about which the shepherds are the witness!

The Old Testament is full of promises that a Savior and Deliverer would arrive:

READ 2 SAMUEL 7:16 (ESV)

“And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever.”

This promise was given to David that his line would continue on eternally. This is fulfilled through Mary and Joseph and Christ’s throne will be established forever because He will live on eternally through His resurrection and established His kingdom forever.

READ ISAIAH 9:6-7 (ESV)

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will do this.”

The promises about the Christ is that He would be born, Her would be a Son, He would be God, He would bring an everlasting kingdom, He would bring peace, He would be just and righteous and that God was the One Who would accomplish all of it.

Now, when I look at this particular passage in Luke 2 and what it communicates about Jesus, I notice:

Verse 11 which says He is the Savior

Verse 11 which says He is Christ the Lord

Verses 12 and 16 which say He was laid in a manger

Verse 21 names Him Jesus

The majority of the verses about Jesus tell us about His purpose.

Jesus is the Savior. He is our Savior from sin and guilt. Jesus was born as the son of God (divine) and the son of Adam (human) and holds both of those complete natures in Himself. Even Jesus’ name means “the Lord is Salvation.” Everything about Jesus points to salvation. Paul says about Jesus in 1 Timothy…

READ 1 TIMOTHY 1:8-10 (ESV)

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”

Jesus is Christ the Lord meaning that Jesus was and is the plan for redeeming Creation back to God. Jesus has a grand divine purpose. Jesus was not born on accident or as a back-up plan or was not a mistake, but is God’s primary means of salvation for all of us. Christ means Jesus is He Who was promised. Lord means He is equal with God. All people have the opportunity of salvation through Jesus and can accept the promises God made about salvation. Without Jesus, we are separated from the freedom from sin God promises us.