The Lamb Is Provided

Luke 2:1-20

THE LAMB is PROVIDED

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

Dec 16th 2012

Intro: We have been watching as God’s plan to send His Lamb into the world has unfolded.

• When man fell/sin/Garden of Eden

• God made a promise/Redeemer would one day come.

• This Redeemer/come/Savior/sinners.

• All through the Old Testament

• God worked to bring this event to pass.

Every sacrifice, every ritual of Jewish worship, everything God did was moving steadily toward the moment/Lamb/God would enter the world and pay the price to save men from their sins.

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I think of one occasion when a broken hearted father named Abraham walked up a mountain side with his only son Isaac.

He was taking that son to the top of that mountain to offer him to the Lord as a burnt offering.

• On the way up that mountain

• Isaac asked his father Abraham about what they were doing.

• Here is what was said that day: Genesis 22:6-8.

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Our text tells us about the night that father’s promise was fulfilled.

It/also/moment/God’s promise to send His Redeemer into the world was fulfilled.

• As we look/events/special night 2,000 yrs. ago

• We can learn something about how God provided His Lamb.

• As the Lord gives liberty this morning

• I want to preach on the subject, Behold The Lamb Provided.

I want to tell you how and why God sent His Son Jesus into this world and what His birth can and does mean for you.

Share three aspects of the Lamb’s provision with you.

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I. v. 1-7 THE PLACE INVOLVED IN THE LAMB’S PROVISION

A. v. 4 The Planning Of That Place – The fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem was no accident.

It was predicted years before it came to pass, Micah 5:2.

This was common knowledge among those who studied and knew the Scriptures, Matt. 2:1-6.

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B. v. 1-6 The Providence Of That Place

Shouldn’t surprise us/Jesus/born/Bible says He would be

the events surrounding His arrival are amazing.

• Verse 4 tells/Mary/Joseph lived in Nazareth.

• 80 miles north of Bethlehem.

• For/Messiah/born/right location

• A series of events had to work together

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A pagan emperor/Caesar Augustus living thousands of miles away issues a decree that all his subjects be registered and taxed.

• Who is Caesar Augustus?

• Adopted son of Julius Caesar.

• Real name/Octavius/took name Caesar

• Name Augustus/not name/but a title.

Senate/submitted him/king, emperor, dictator,he wasn’t satisfied.

Instead he chose the title Augustus.

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• So he signs a tax bill for the citizens to be taxed.

• This order for a census is sent out far and wide.

• He needed money to raise an army to control his vast empire and to live in luxury himself.

The call is issued in Israel and Joseph takes Mary and returns to the ancestral of his family, Bethlehem.

• This may not mean much to you

• Teach us/Caesar may have been ruling/God was overruling!

• God and His providence, worked out all the details

• Jesus might be born where/prophets said that He would be!

By the way, if He can do that, then surely He can take care of our little needs!

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C. v. 7 The Poverty Of That Place

• Savior’s entrance into/world/anything but glorious.

When the young couple arrived in Bethlehem, they discovered that there was no place for them to stay.

• They found refuge in a stall used to house animals.

• When Mary delivered Jesus

• She placed the Baby in a feed trough.

You/I cannot begin/comprehend/enormity/truth contained here.

• Imagine, God Himself came into this world.

• Same God Who made the universe

• all the treasures found within that universe.

• He came in to this world as a little Baby.

• He was not born into the lap of luxury.

• He was born into the squalor of abject poverty.

He humbled Himself, and entered into this world in the “form of a servant,” Phil. 2:5-8.

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His humble birth signified the kind of life Jesus would live all the time He was here on this earth.

• At one point in His ministry

• He had no place to call home, Matt. 8:20.

• When He died, others provided/place/things necessary/His burial, John 19:38-42.

• The God Who made everything

• Who could have had anything

• Chose to live a life of poverty.

Why? There is just one answer: because He loves us!

Listen to 2 Cor. 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

He did it so that He might understand our burdens, Heb. 4:15-16.