Away in a Manger (Lk. 2:1-7)
Hear
Good morning!
You’ve probably noticed the landscapers putting up the lights already. Retail stores are decking the halls with the latest gift ideas. Before too long, we’ll start to hear the familiar call for everyone to hang their stockings by the chimney with care. What call? Well, it’s the voice of Christmas, Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You” it’s the only way that we know the season has arrived, right? In just a couple of months ugly sweaters will make their seasonal debut and our sanctuary will be decorated with trees, lights, wreaths and figurines to mark the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But why wait? Why not celebrate today?!
When I think about the story of Christmas, I can’t help but think of the great contrast between the births of kids today and that of our Lord so long ago. Most recently, James and Robyn Salisbury welcomed their beautiful blessing, Caleb, into this world. Thankfully, James and Robyn didn’t have to walk the streets of OKC or ride on the back of a donkey looking for somewhere to rest while Robyn was pregnant. I’m not sure she would’ve liked that anyway. Thanks to our hospitals, doctors, nurses, and insurance, little Caleb wasn’t born in a manger. Many kids born in our lifetime had a pretty cushy arrival. Family and friends purchased things off of our gift registry. Months in advance we dedicated one room in the house only to the new arrival. We slapped on a new coat of paint. The room had its own theme with cute little animals and flowers. Dad worked feverishly to assemble the crib and basinet, so the precious little baby had a nice warm and soft place to rest.
Think about that.
Giving those things to our children isn’t bad. It doesn’t make us a bad person or say that anything is wrong with what we’ve done, but I want you to think about all that we do, all the time and energy and money we put into making sure that our little ones have every comfort available. And then think about Jesus.
Matthew Henry points out,
He well knew how unwilling we are to be meanly lodged, clothed, or fed; how we desire to have our children decorated and indulged; how apt the poor are to envy the rich, and how prone the rich to disdain the poor. But when we by faith view the Son of God being made man and lying in a manger, our vanity, ambition, and envy are checked. We cannot, with this object rightly before us, seek great things for ourselves or our children.[i]
From the very start of the human life of Jesus we are confronted with our drive and our insatiable appetite for comfort and luxury.
Luke 9:58 NKJV
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
This would become a resounding confession regarding the life of Christ.
Pastor Thabiti highlights the humility of Christ and the necessary sacrificial lifestyle of those who desire to follow Him.
The Creator of the universe was homeless in his own creation. That’s humility and sacrifice. He divested himself of all the glories and privileges of heaven to enter creation homeless. To follow this Lord means following him into the very life he lives. Christ did not come to lead us into riches and mansions in this life. If we would follow him we will have to sometimes give up home and the safety of home..., forsaking more comfortable and secure places for the sake of Jesus’s mission.[ii]
2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Today, we are going to take a look at Luke 2:1-7. Most of us are familiar with this story. It’s the Christmas story. We generally only hear it late into December, but today we are going to celebrate Christmas a couple months early. Is that ok?
Grab your Bibles and go with me to Luke chapter two.
Luke 2:1–7 NKJV
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Worldly Leaders (Lk. 2:1-3)
I think that it would be helpful to understand the historical and theological context of these verses so that we better understand the world into which Christ enters and how significant is His birth.
So, let’s start with the historical context.
It seems that every time I share some background information about Jesus’ life, I follow that up by saying that it is debated by scholars. Well, this is no different and yet, it appears to me that none of the debates hold up when seriously examined.
Luke 2:1–3 NKJV
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
There are two names mentioned in these first three verses that help us to know that Luke isn’t just making up a story. Luke’s attention to detail and chronology add a great level of trust to his reporting. Remember, the reason that he is writing is so that Theophilus “may know the certainty of those things in which [he’s] instructed” (Luke 1:4).
The first name Luke mentions is Caesar Augustus. His actual name was Gaius Octavius and he was the adopted son of the great Roman leader, Julius Caesar. Sometime after his death, Julius Caesar was worshipped as one of the gods when Octavius claimed that a shooting star was his father being welcomed into heaven. Octavius would eventually take the name and title of his father. Chuck Swindoll tells of three titles used for Caesar Augustus, Princeps (leading citizen), Pontifex Maximus (high priest), and Augustus (supreme ruler). But there was another title used to describe Caesar Augustus which adds a great deal of context to the story of Jesus. Because Julius Caesar was considered to have been one of the gods, then by default that would make Caesar Augustus the “son of a god”.[iii]
Luke reports that at the time of the birth of the Son of God, Caesar Augustus, reigning emperor at the time, required a census of all people in the, then, known world. This would’ve been the “world” in which he ruled. The United States would not be included for several reasons.
The second name that Luke mentions is Quirinius. Luke adds that “this census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria” (Lk. 2:2). This is where scholars start to debate whether Luke is accurate or not in his reporting. Quirinius served two terms as governor of Syria (6-4 B.C. and A.D. 6-9). Jesus was born during his first term, at which time a census was issued by Caesar Augustus as Luke states (Lk. 2:1). Another census was issued in his second term as well which Dr. Luke also records in Acts. 5:37.
Acts 5:37 NKJV
37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.
Why does it matter? Well, that brings us to the context of theology.
In God’s Timing (Lk. 2:4-7)
Luke 2:4–7 NKJV
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Caesar Augustus requires a census of everyone. Joseph and Mary respond by returning to Bethlehem to be counted. On its face, this seems to be a misuse of powers, but as you drill down into this event you start to notice something else taking place. God is at work here. Listen to me! Don’t ever think that what is going on in your life is outside of the sovereignty of God. No matter how unfair, how horrible things are, no matter how desperate the situation, don’t ever belief for a second that God is not at work in the midst of your situation. This is especially true for those of us who’ve been washed in the blood of Christ. Those of us who have tasted and seen the goodness of God.
Roger Olson, speaking on the sovereignty of God, shares this;
God does not permit sin as a spectator; God is never in the spectator mode. Rather, God not only allows sin and evil designedly and willingly, although not approvingly or efficaciously, but he cooperates with the creature in sinning without being stained by the guilt of sin.[iv]
What Roger Olson is getting at here is that God isn’t just standing by watching sin and evil happen in our world. Nor does He cause it to happen or delight in it when it does happen. But, as part of His larger kingdom purpose, He uses these things, without being found guilty of any wrongdoing, to accomplish something great in us for His glory.
That is exactly what we have in the birth of Jesus, particularly when we look at the census taken by Caesar Augustus. God is not idle in regards to the census. He is no spectator. God is at work even in the midst of the decisions of evil rulers.
Proverbs 21:1 NKJV
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Keep that in mind as you pay attention to what’s happening in our world today. God is not unaware of nor indifferent toward what our local, state, and federal leaders are doing. Neither is He unaware of or indifferent toward you.
Many of us have been in constant prayer for Ali & Hedie from the first day we learned about their immigration problem. Please continue to pray for them. Pray against despair. Pray for their cases to be combined. Pray that they find favor with the judges. But more than all of that, pray that they focus more on their relationship with God than they are on changing their situation. That may sound strange, but I personally know the power of that practice when you are in a situation like theirs. It was in prison that I learned to trust God with my life. What I’m equally convinced of is that when we are pursuing God, He does deliver us. It might not be where we want to be, but it’ll certainly be where we need to be, and where God will be glorified.
That’s what happens in the birth of Jesus. Caesar Augustus is nothing more than a pawn that the Lord is using to accomplish His will. This is just one prophetic fulfillment in a long list of other details about the coming of the Messiah. For example, speaking of His lineage, identity, and virgin birth,
• The Messiah would come from the seed of a woman. Genesis 3:15
• He would also come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10
• The prophet Isaiah says that He would come from the family of Jesse. Isaiah 11:1
• He would be a descendant of King David. 2 Sam. 7:1-17; Jeremiah 23:5
• Finally, as we have already learned, He would be born of a virgin and called Immanuel (“God with us”). Isaiah 7:14
Why does Mary and Joseph end up in Bethlehem to begin with? Because God is fulfilling another promise spoken through the prophet Micah.
Micah 5:2 NKJV
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Matthew 2:5 confirms that this was all part of Jehovah’s divine plan to fulfill the prophet’s words.
1 Tim. 2:5-6 NIV
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
Timing is crucial in the kingdom of God. Yahweh is never late. He is never early. He is always right on time.
Away in a Manger (Lk. 2:7)
Luke 2:7 NKJV
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Again, thinking back to Christmas. The scenes of the nativity that we are most familiar with shows the holy family sheltered under a wooden structure with animals lying around and the Babe securely swaddled and lying in a wooden manger. Very humble beginnings for the King of kings.
Now, it’s possible that this is the wrong image of the nativity. Instead of a wooden structure, as we see in most pictures of that great Christmas morning, it’s highly likely that Jesus enters this world inside of a cave. According to Baker’s Encyclopedia of the Bible,
Traditionally, the manger area in which Jesus was born was a cave stable; it is over such a cave that the present Church of the Nativity was erected.[v]
Chuck Swindoll agrees with this being a possibility.
Caves often served as such locations, and one tradition suggests that the place of Jesus’ birth was a cave, carved out of limestone by shepherds for use as a stall.[vi]
Why does that matter at all? What difference does it make if He was born under a wooden structure or in a cave carved out of limestone for animals? Well, when you take the birth of Jesus possibly happening inside of a cave and connect it with the burial of Jesus inside of a tomb (Mt. 27:57-61; Mk. 15:42-47; Lk. 23:50-55; Jn. 19:38-42) you notice a throughline in His story. You see, the major distinction between a cave and a tomb was based on functionality. A cave could be considered a tomb whenever its purpose was for burials. This is why the cave Jesus was born into would appear differently and yet, it seems from this connection that our Lord entered this sin-stricken world, inside of a cave, intent on dying for us from birth.
That is why the Hebrew writer records these words,
Hebrews 10:5–7 NKJV
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”
John MacArthur is poetic in his description of this holy moment.
Here’s a side to the Christmas story that isn’t often told: Those soft little hands, fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb, were made so that nails might be driven through them. Those baby feet, pink and unable to walk, would one day stagger up a dusty hill to be nailed to a cross. That sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and eager mouth was formed so that someday men might force a crown of thorns onto it. That tender body, warm and soft, wrapped in swaddling clothes, would one day be ripped open by a spear.
Jesus was born to die.[vii]
John tells us in Revelation 13:8 that before the angel came to Mary with the message of her miraculous conception, even before the Son of God took on flesh and dwelt among us, long before the Lamb of God was delivered in that cave/stall for animals He had already been placed on the altar as a sacrifice for your sins and mine.
Peter states,
1 Peter 1:20 NIV
He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Jesus tells us in His own words,
Mark 10:45 NKJV
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Chuck Swindoll says
Luke stressed this detail [of Jesus’ birth] to highlight an irony: the King of kings was not born in a palace, like Augustus or Herod, or even in a comfortable home like other Jewish children. He came to earth to save humanity by becoming human, and He brought hope to the lowly by becoming lowly.[viii]
Redemption was not an after-thought remedy of an unforeseen evil.[ix]
It was the preemptive strategy of a Providential Savior.
Gal. 4:4-5 NLT
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Rom. 5:6 NKJV
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
John 1:12 NKJV
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Respond
We can look at the things that transpired in the lives of Joseph, Mary and Jesus and dwell on the hardships they faced or we can face the fact that their faith in God’s plan sustained them in the midst of difficulty. We can even look at these events and focus on the cruelty of Augustus or we can focus on the sovereignty of God. Again, this is equally true in your own life. God is at work no matter the situation. Your main responsibility is to trust Him and follow wherever He leads. Finally, Luke tells us that at the time of Jesus’ birth His mom and stepdad were forced to find shelter with animals because no one had space for them in their own dwelling places. Not even Joseph’s own family members had room enough for them. Don’t miss this. The reason Joseph and Mary couldn’t find lodging was due to overcrowding. I’m sure the family would’ve been thrilled to have them stay in their home if they hadn’t already filled up the rooms.
What about you? Do you have room for Jesus in your life today? I wonder how many of us have crowded Him out of your own lives with the things of this world. How many of us have filled the empty spaces of our hearts and minds with our lust for adventure and notoriety? With worry and fear and doubts? How many of you have crowded Jesus out because you have filled yourselves with the news of your social media feeds and news outlets? How many of us have little or no space for Jesus in our overcrowded schedules? Always on the go ubering kids from this thing to the next. Working a few more hours so you get that promotion or save enough money to buy that thing you gotta have or take that trip you’ve been dying to go on. How many of us are crowding Jesus out because we are so concerned with other people’s perceptions of us? How many of us have no room for Jesus because we have filled the emptiness of our souls with the false belief that we have things under control. We just don’t need Jesus right now.
If that’s you today, I want to challenge you to make God, and the Word of God, your overwhelming passion.
Jesus invites you to let Him in.
Revelation 3:20 NKJV
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
He is here today. If you don’t know Him, I want to invite you to come and confess your need for Him. All you have to know is that you are a sinner, in need of a Savior and that manger born Babe we call Jesus is your only hope!
[i] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Lk 2:1.
[ii] Thabiti Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018), 172.
[iii] Swindoll, Living Insights: Luke, p63
[iv] Roger Olson, Arminian Theology, 122
[v] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Manger,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1392.
[vi] Swindoll, Living Insights: Luke, p66
[vii] John MacArthur, https://www.gty.org/blogs/B141219/born-to-die
[viii] Swindoll, Living Insights: Luke, p66
[ix] David Brown, A. R. Fausset, and Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Acts–Revelation, vol. VI (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.), 602.
