The birth of Jesus (Luke 2)

Luke gives us a lot of information about the birth of Jesus, and probably he received much of the details from Mary, the mother of Jesus, as it is likely that Luke would have met her at some stage in his travels. So we can begin our sermon on the birth of Jesus by briefly considering Mary, his mother.

Mary, the mother of Jesus

Mary was given a great privilege, to be the mother of the Messiah. This had been the longing down the centuries of every married Jewess who could give birth. Out of all the millions of mothers, Mary was given the amazing privilege of being the mother of the promised Saviour. She knew that it was a privilege as we can see from her words of praise in Luke 1:46-55.

Moreover, she was the recipient of a great miracle in that she was a virgin when she conceived and when she gave birth. We have no way of explaining how this happened, except to say that God performed a miracle when Jesus was conceived. All we are told by Luke is that the Holy Spirit was involved: ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God’ (Luke 1:35). Of course, the miracle was also a fulfilment of prophecy (Isa. 7:14).

Yet she contributed to his humanity, even although she was sinful and he was sinless. Did he look like her? In one of his books, D. M. McIntyre mentions a tradition that said Jesus had his mother’s eyes. Every other mother in some way passes on a sinful nature to her children. God prevented this from happening in the case of Jesus. He was sinless at and from conception.

Mary thought about what she had been told about the child (Luke 2:19). The word that Luke uses – ‘treasured’ – tells us what she thought of the details. Her heart became a kind of bank in which she placed her valuables, and she often went there by meditation to count her spiritual assets. They were all connected to her Son and among them was what she had been told personally by the messengers of heaven about Jesus and from what she learned from the words of the shepherds. And we can imitate her and think about what was said concerning Jesus and his birth.

The shepherds and the authorities

Luke tells us that the shepherds were sent an invitation from heaven to go and visit the new-born baby. This was a great privilege that was given to them. Usually shepherds were not highly respected in the community and were not likely to receive an invitation to any event. But here they are, being given a most incredible invitation, and it was delivered by an angel.

Moreover, they realised that the birth of this infant made heaven glad. They heard the angels singing about it. When was the last time a choir of angels had sung about what was taking place on the earth? Job tells us that the morning stars sang for joy at the creation, and here they are singing, we might say, at the dawning of the new creation now that the Messiah has come as a baby.

So away they went to see the baby and they came back singing. They did not sing along with the angels because they had not yet seen the baby. Luke tells us that some people had gathered round the manger and the shepherds told them what they had seen (Luke 2:18). Having gone, they then returned praising God for what they had heard and seen. In a very short time, they had become witnesses about Jesus to others and worshippers of God for sending his Son.

The civil authorities

Paul reminds us in Galatians that Jesus was born in the fullness of time, which is another way of saying that he was born at the right moment. Yet the Old Testament had said that he would be born in Bethlehem. Something had to happen to cause Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem for the birth, and Luke tells us that the person responsible for this decision was Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor himself. He had his reasons for the decision he made, which was to do with registration, but behind the scenes God had his reason, which was that Mary would give birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

No message ever went to Caesar Augustus that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, although it is possible that one day a minor official may have received a scroll mentioning that Joseph and Mary had travelled to Bethlehem from Nazareth and registered in obedience to his decision. Yet the obvious lesson is that God is in charge of all things and when he wishes he can cause the powerful of the earth to do what he wants even although they have no idea that they are furthering the progress of his kingdom. And he can use their decisions to bring blessings to those at the other end of the social scale, as he did with the shepherds.

What do we see in the manger?

The Son of God is lying in a manger. The eternal Sovereign in his human nature is placed where animals received their food. So obviously we see here an amazing display of humility. Paul reminds us of this when he speaks in the well-known passage in Philippians 2 about the Son of God who ‘emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men’ (Phil. 2:7). Many a king had visited Israel, but none had come with such humility.

Moreover, as we look at the infant, we see one who is helpless. The eternal Word cannot say anything with his tongue at that moment, although we must always remember that he has never ceased to be God upholding all things. Still he is totally dependent on the adults surrounding him. Did adults pass him to one another as they listened to what was told them by the shepherds? How helpless the Saviour from heaven seemed!

Referring to humility and helplessness reminds us of the genuineness of the humanity that Jesus had at his birth. We have to understand how God became man doctrinally, and how in his one person there now was now a divine nature and a human nature. Of course, we have to respond to this reality devotionally, making sure that his becoming man does not only intrigue our minds, but that our hearts are also affected since he became human out of love for his people. And we must remind ourselves that his humanity will develop through different stages as he grows in age and stature.

Again, as we consider the infant in the manger, we see the heir of all things. The author of Hebrews begins his letter by saying that the Father had appointed his Son as the heir, through whom he made the worlds. But his inheritance, his creation, had been marred by sin and was not now a suitable place for him. Yet he had not abandoned it. Instead he had come to recover the inheritance for himself and his people. As we look at the manger, there we see the heir, the redeemer who will go to the cross.

The birth of the Saviour brought hope to those who had some grasp of what was taking place. Luke mentions people like Mary and Joseph, the parents of John the Baptist, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and others who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. No doubt, some understood more than the others, and perhaps none of them at that time knew what we, who have the complete Bible, know. Still, the coming of the Light of the world had reminded them that God’s incredible promises in the Old Testament about salvation would be fulfilled. And therefore, hope was strengthened.

When the Son of God became human and was born, he was honouring or fulfilling the terms of an agreement made in heaven within the Trinity. It is not possible for us to probe too far into that agreement, although we can see that each person of the Trinity had roles to fulfil in the provision of salvation for sinners. As far as the Son was concerned, his role was to become a man, and we know from other Bible passages that the Father (Heb. 10:5) and the Spirit (Luke 1:35) were involved.

When we think of him becoming a real man, we should remind ourselves that he came as the servant of the Father and as the representative of his people. He had to live a completely holy life, and that holy life included his conception and birth, in order for that life to be reckoned to his people as their righteousness.

The infant who was lying in the manger would yet find himself on the cross, paying the penalty that God demanded for the sins of his people. Later still, he would be raised from the dead and would ascend to heaven as the forerunner of his people, ensuring that they all would yet reach the new heavens and new earth.

Timewise, we have moved a long way from the manger, yet we should not forget that the Son of God came there to honour an eternal agreement, and he is still honouring it now as the One enthroned on high.

Our response

Having contemplated those different aspects of his birth, how should we feel? Several answers could be given, but three details can be mentioned. We should be humble, hopeful and happy. The great God of eternity became man for us, and that should make us humble. The great God of eternity became man for us with a great plan of deliverance, and that should make us hopeful. The great God of eternity became man in order to be with us, and not only in this life, and that should make us happy.

Preached on 17 July, 2016