We continue in our Bible study
now in Luke chapter 2. I want to bring a message from
verse 1 down through verse 7 of Luke chapter 2. And I'm entitling the message,
The Birth of the Savior. The birth. of the Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the message of the angel
in verse 10 and in verse 11. The angel said unto those shepherds,
Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David He's born a king, He's born our Savior,
and He is the anointed. He is the Christ of God. Anointed in all of His office
is prophet, priest, and king. Now we have in these verses,
Luke chapter 2, verse 1 down through verse 7, the story of
a birth. Not just any, but rather the
birth of the incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. Now, the birth of the Lord Jesus
Christ here, this was not the beginning of the Lord Jesus Christ,
because He is the eternal God. He remained what he was and became
what he was not. This is the story of his birth
and life as a real man, but let us never forget, he never stopped
being God. If you hold your place there
and find 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16, We call him and refer to him
oftentimes as the God-Man Mediator. 1 Timothy 3, 16, without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest. God was manifest in the flesh. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
Our Lord said, when you've seen me, you've seen the Father. I
and my Father are one. God was manifest in the flesh.
justified or vindicated by the Holy Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received
up into glory. Look back at Luke chapter 2.
Every birth of a living child is a marvelous event. It brings
into being a soul that will never die. The soul of man is immortal. But never since the world began
was the birth so marvelous, so wonderful, so needful as the
birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the fulfilling of the
promise of God. This is the fulfilling of the
purpose of God to redeem the people for His glory. This is
the fulfillment of that prophecy given back all the way back in
Genesis chapter 3, where the woman's seed would crush the
serpent's head. And He did that at Calvary, didn't
He? Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and you
call His name Jesus, He is our Savior, but you call His name
Emmanuel, which means God with us. In creation, we see God above
us. In the law, we see God against
us. In the gospel, we see the Lord
Jesus Christ with us. God with us. A child is born,
true, Isaiah 9, but the son is given. He gave His only begotten,
well-beloved Son for our sins. A child is born, a son is given,
and the government shall be upon His shoulders. His name shall
be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. You see, His coming is according
to God's promise, according to God's purpose. Now, I want us
to consider 4 things from Luke chapter 2 verse 1 down through
verse 7. 4 important vital lessons that
we need to be reminded of. Let me give you the 4 things
and we'll come back and look at each one individually. First
of all, we see the purpose or reason of God in the Savior's
birth, the purpose of God, the reason of God in His birth. Secondly,
the time of the Savior's birth. Thirdly, the place of the Savior's
birth. Fourthly, the manner of the Savior's
birth. Now, here's the first point.
The purpose or reason of God in the Savior's birth or the
reason of His coming. What was the reason of His coming?
Well, let's see if we can find it in Scripture. Find 1 Timothy,
1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. What was the reason of His coming?
Did He know why He came? Did the Lord Jesus Christ know
why? He was coming into this world as a man to accomplish
the Father's purpose. Sure He did. Look over here in
1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. You see that? Of whom I am chief. The Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to
Luke chapter 5. Luke chapter 5 verse Luke 5, verse 32. Our Lord said
in verse 31 of Luke, chapter 5, "...they did a whole need
not a physician, but they were sick. I have not come to call
the righteous, but He came to call sinners to repentance."
Now find Luke, chapter 19. He came to save sinners. "...Call
His name Jesus, He shall save His people from their sin." In
Luke 19, you remember this story of Zacchaeus and salvation that
was come to his house? In Luke 19, verse 9, and the
Lord said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house
for as much as He also is the son of Abraham, a chosen elect
of God, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that
which was lost." He came on a definite purpose to do God's business
in saving His people. Now look back at Luke chapter
2 verse 1. We're talking about the purpose
or reason of God in the Savior's birth, the purpose of God. Look
at Luke chapter 2 verse 1, and it came to pass. in those days
that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made
when Cyrenus was governor of Syria. Now, whenever we read
in scripture, and we read this many times, and it came to pass. Now, it didn't just happen. It
wasn't an accident. It didn't come to pass by chance,
blind state. or what some would say, Lady
Luck. But rather, this came to pass
by the eternal, unchanging purpose of God. You see, everything that
God does, and He does all things well, everything that God does,
He does on purpose. And we know that all things work
together for good to them who love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. He works all things after the
purpose of His own will. God's decrees are like Himself. They're immutable. They're unchanging. It came to pass because God ordered
it, God decreed it, and God brought it to pass in His eternal purpose. We read in Malachi 3, the Lord
said, I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed." In Hebrews 13, 8 we read of the Lord Jesus
Christ, He's the same today, yesterday, and forever. The coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ in His birth, His life of obedience,
and His death were all by the eternal, sovereign, unchanging
purpose of God. Listen to this scripture in Acts
2 verse 32, or verse 23 rather. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. Now that doesn't sound like
chance or blind fate, does it? Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken Him by wicked
hands, have crucified the Lord of glory. So why did He come?
It was God's purpose, wasn't it? It was God's purpose to accomplish
our salvation. I'll give you three things why
He came. He came to fulfill all righteousness for us. That is,
for His people. He came as a God-man mediator
to bring in an everlasting righteousness for us, as it says in Daniel
9, verse 24. It also says in Romans chapter
5 By one man's disobedience were many made sinners, so by the
obedience of another shall many be made righteous." His obedience
is reckoned and imputed to God's people as righteousness. The
Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill all scripture. He came to fulfill
all righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
honor His own law for us. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. You see the necessity
of His coming. Had He not come, we would have
no salvation. Secondly, He came to redeem us
with His blood. He came to fulfill all righteousness.
He came to fulfill Scripture. He came to honor His own law.
He came to redeem us with His own blood to save His people
from their sin. Remember the messenger said to
Joseph, call his name Jesus, he shall save his people from
their sin. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to give his life a ransom
for the many. His people, their sin, He obtained
for us eternal redemption with His own blood. Thirdly, He came
as the surety of the everlasting covenant. He came as the Savior,
the Shepherd to lay down His life for the sheep to secure
our salvation. He came as our great High Priest
to represent us before God. I must have a great High Priest.
The Lord Jesus Christ, He is that suitable Priest who offered
up Himself for us. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
be our Mediator before God. There's one God and one Mediator,
and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And thank God He came as our
Advocate to advocate for us. My little children, these things
I write unto you that you sin not, remember? But when you do,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. In other words, the Lord Jesus
Christ came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. I could not bring in righteousness.
I could not redeem myself. No way. I could not do anything
for myself. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Now make sure
you get this. What the Lord Jesus Christ came
to do, He accomplished. He got the job done. Remember
what He said? Turn just one page to Luke chapter
2. As a 12-year-old child, Luke chapter 2, Verse 49, he said
to Joseph of Mary, how is it that you sought me? Wished you
not that I must be about my father's business? He came on a business
trip to do his father's business, to do his father's work. And
then he said on Calvary's tree, upon the cross having accomplished
all of salvation for us, he said, it is finished. It's done. How do we know that
what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us was satisfying to God?
How do we know that? He was deliberate for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down on the right hand of God. Where is He now? He's enthroned in glory having
accomplished our salvation for us. He's enthroned having won
the victory for us. The victory over sin, He put
it away. The victory over Satan, He crushed his dominion. The
victory over the curse of the law, He redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us. The victory over death,
He said, I am He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive
forevermore. Thanks be unto God who has given us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. You see the purpose of the Lord
Jesus Christ coming for us. Had He not come, fulfilled all
righteousness, all redemption for us, and accomplishing our
salvation, we would have no salvation to enjoy. Here's the second thing,
the time of our Savior's birth. The time of our Savior's birth.
It came to pass in those days, back in Luke chapter 2, that
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the
world should be taxed, And this taxing was first made when Cyrenus
was governor and all went to be taxed, everyone to his own
city. Joseph also went up from Galilee
out of the city of Nazareth into Judea. under the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage
of David, to be taxed or counted with Mary, his espoused wife,
being nine months ready to have a child." Nine months in her
ninth month of her pregnancy. We have here another display
of the sovereignty of God and the infinite wisdom of God in
the time of the Savior's birth. Let us always remember that all
events in this world All human history and all governments are
in the hands of our great God. Doesn't matter if it's the Soviet
Union or the United States of America. Let us always remember
that all events of this world, all human history, all governments
are in the hand under the control and dominion and sovereignty
of God Almighty. Our times are in His hands. My God, I want them there, don't
you? The powers that be are ordained of God. Therefore, let us not
fret about the course or the conditions of this world. It
is exactly as the Lord ordered it for His own purpose and His
own glory. God moved the heart of Caesar
to cause the people to be counted so they could be taxed that the
purpose of God might be accomplished. So let us fret not because of
evildoers. Our great God is too wise to
err. He's too good to do wrong. He's
too strong to fail. Let us always trust Him as Jacob
or Abraham said, shall not the judge of all the earth do right. I found this verse in Ecclesiastes. If thou seest the oppression
of the poor and the violent perverting of judgment and justice in province,
Marvel not at the matter, for he that is higher than the highest,
he regards." God knows all things. Donating to God are all His works
from the beginning. The time of the Savior's birth
is in exact fulfillment of the Word of God. In due time, God's
time, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. We read in our
Bible study this morning from Galatians chapter 4, "...in the
fullness of THE time, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law."
The time of the Savior's birth. is the prophecy being fulfilled
that Jacob said unto Judah, the scepter shall not depart from
Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh
come, the son of peace, Genesis 49, 10. And unto him shall the
gathering of the people be. The people of Israel, the Jews,
are now under the rule of a Roman emperor. That is the exact time
that the scripture said the Savior would come and the exact time
that He did come. Another prophecy is found in
Daniel chapter 2, "...in those days of these kings shall the
God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed."
You remember back in Luke chapter 1, turn back over there, Luke
chapter 1 verse 30, And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Saviour, Jesus. He shall be great, he
shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord shall give
unto him the throne of his father David. He shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever. and of this kingdom there shall
be no end." This was the time that God determined to set up
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ in the fulfillment of
that eternal covenant of grace. Now notice this, it's not an
earthly kingdom that the Lord Jesus Christ came to establish,
but rather a spiritual kingdom. A spiritual kingdom. I want you
to turn to John chapter 18. John chapter 18. Take a look
at this. When the Lord was before Pilate,
John 18 verse 33, Then Pilate entered into a judgment hall
again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the king
of the Jews? Look at verse 34, Jesus answered
him, saith, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others
tell thee of me? And Pilate answered, Am I a Jew?
Thine own nation, the chief priests, have delivered thee unto me.
What hast thou done? Now look at verse 36. The Lord
said, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of
this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered
to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from
hence. Pilate said unto him, Art thou
a king then? And the Lord answered, Thou sayest
that I am king to this end was I born. For this cause came I
into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. His kingdom
is a spiritual kingdom that he has set up. We're not looking
for an earthly kingdom. We have a spiritual kingdom set
up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now here's the third thing, the
place of his birth. The place of his birth, verse
4, Luke 2. Joseph also went up from Galilee
out of the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the city of David
which is called Bethlehem. Why was he born in Bethlehem?
Why didn't they just stay down there in Nazareth? Well, he had
to be born in Bethlehem to fulfill all Scripture. Because he was
the house of the house and lineage of David to be taxed with Mary,
his wife. The place of the Savior's birth.
Bethlehem, the city of David. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
is the son of David. He's called that in Scripture.
We just read that. I like to refer to him as the greater David.
Prophecy goes all the way back to 2 Samuel 12 when the Lord
said to David, I will set up thy seed after thee which shall
proceed out of thy bowels. I will establish his kingdom. Another prophecy that's fulfilled
in Bethlehem, Micah 5 verse 2, But thou, Bethlehem, though thou
be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall
come forth unto me, that is to be the ruler in Israel whose
going forth hath been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5 verse 2. Joseph and Mary
were both descendants of David. They lived in Nazareth, but the
Savior must be born in Bethlehem. You see, that was God's purpose
in fulfilling God's will. The Lord, our great God, moved
the heart of this pagan king that all people must go back
to their hometown to be counted and later to be taxed. You see,
even the wickedness of men accomplish the eternal purpose of God. Think about that. The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord and he turns it like the rivers
of a water, whether so ever he will. Even the wrath of man shall
serve the purpose of God. The Lord our God is sovereign
in and over all things. Of Him, and through Him, and
to Him are all things. Now remember the words of Nebuchadnezzar,
the pagan king who was taught that God is God. All the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. This is his testimony. And he
doeth according to his will, that is, the Most High God, in
the army of heaven among the inhabitants of this earth, that
none can stay his hand, or none can say unto him, Lord God Almighty,
what doest thou? You see the purpose of His coming,
the time of His coming, the place of His coming, and lastly, the
manner of the Savior's birth. In verse 6 and verse 7, in Luke
chapter 2, Luke chapter 2, and it was so. Now I love to look
at these two things. Verse 1, and it came to pass,
and it was so. It came to pass, and it was so. That while they were there, The
days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn
son. This is a virgin who never knew
a man and yet gave birth to a special son. God Almighty wrapped him
up as you would any other infant in these swaddling clothes, laid
him there in that cow trough, manger, and the word actually
means a cow trough, a feeding trough, because there was no
room for them in the end. You see, they were people of
poverty. If they would have been people
of wealth and influence, they would have had room, they would
have made room for them in the end. But the Lord Jesus Christ
identifying with us in our humanity and in our poverty. He's born
in a cow stable in a barn. The Savior was born in poverty,
born of Joseph and Mary, being conceived of God the Holy Spirit,
born in a barn, laid in a manger to identify with us in our poverty. Now think about this. Let us
never forget that it was through the Lord's incarnation. And what
I mean by that is God in person, God in the flesh, God manifest
in the flesh. Let us never forget that it was
through His incarnation and through His humiliation. that the Lord
Jesus Christ obtained for us eternal redemption and brought
in everlasting righteousness for us. Let's turn and read one
more time Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2, look
at verse 5. Philippians 2 verse 5, let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in
the form of God. Philippians 2 verse 6, thou did
not robbery to be equal with God. Now who is the Lord Jesus
Christ? This baby is none other than
God Almighty inhabiting a body of a child. divine nature and
human nature in one blessed person who being in the form of God
thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself
of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion, habit,
as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name that
is named, that at that name every knee should bow, the Lord Jesus
Christ, things in heaven, earth, and under the earth, that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father." Now think about this. Had the Lord not come where
we are, identified with us in our humanity, identified with
us as our sin offering, bearing our sin in His own body on the
tree, we would have no salvation. He had to come to accomplish
redemption. He had to come to fulfill all
Scripture. He had to come to bring in everlasting righteousness
for us. He bare our sin and His own body
on the tree. Where did He get that body? A
body God prepared for Him, born of a virgin. Christ also suffered
once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring
us unto God. And in closing, consider this.
He was made poor that we might be made spiritually rich in Him."
Find 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. He was made poor that we might
be made spiritually rich in Him. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sake He became poor. that you through his poverty
might be made rich. That's how we are made spiritually
rich, blessed with all spiritual blessing through the Lord Jesus
Christ, his incarnation, his humiliation, and his crucifixion
for our sin. Secondly, he was made sin that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Find 2 Corinthians
5.21. He was made sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5,
21. For He hath made him sin for
us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Now find the book of Galatians,
just over a few pages. Galatians, let's look at a few
verses. Galatians chapter 1. He was made
a curse for us that we might be blessed above all. Galatians
chapter 1 verse 3, Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father,
from our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins, that
He might deliver us from this present evil world according
to the will of God our Father, to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Look at Galatians chapter
2 verse 20, being identified with the Lord Jesus Christ, Galatians
2.20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. In the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me, for I don't frustrate the grace of
God. If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead
in vain. Now, find Galatians 3 verse 13,
You see, He was made a curse for us, dying our death, suffering
the penalty that we deserve, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Galatians chapter 3 verse 13,
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made
a curse for us, for it is written, Curses everyone that hangeth
on the tree. He suffered the curse of the
law that we might be blessed with all spiritual blessings
in Him. He suffered death and agony that we might have eternal
life, accomplishing our salvation. He was raised from the dead that
we too might have a resurrection from the dead. Our Lord said,
because I live, you shall live. Now turn in closing to Romans
chapter 4. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputes righteousness without works. Romans chapter 4. He was
raised up from the dead that we might have eternal justification
in Christ Jesus. Romans 4, look at verse 25. who
was delivered for our offenses and raised again because He got
the job done. He justified us with His own
blood. Romans 5 verse 9, much more than
being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him. Now, had He not come, we would
have no hope of salvation. You see, the necessity In His
coming, God's purpose, His timing, His will, His reason, the accomplishment
of the Lord Jesus Christ for us, the manner and reason of
His birth and of His death. May the Lord be pleased to bless
us with faith and knowledge in Him, and may God give us grace
in our heart to look unto the Lord Jesus Christ, looking unto
Him, who is the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God." Aren't
you glad He was born of a woman made under the law to redeem
us that were under the law? and the salvation that he wrought
for us cannot fail to accomplish all of God's purpose.