The Glory of Christ: The Arrival

The actual arrival of the baby born in Bethlehem – seen in Luke 2:1-20 - can seem so everyday, so obscure, so quiet. It was on many levels. What God did in sending His Son, God in the flesh, was genius in its simplicity. Too much fanfare would have called too much attention. God invaded time and space and showered His amazing grace on humankind, in a universe-exploding way; sending His Son behind enemy lines; so stealth, so perfect, only God could pull it off.

How do we respond to such understated glory? How do we grip its significance? By going to the actual story & seeing what we can see in its plain and straightforward words. Lead off is that Caesar called for a head count, a census. By AD 6 wide-scale censuses were taken every 14 years. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, probably on foot or borrowed animal; 80 miles or so over rough territory. While there Jesus was born. Nothing in the text indicates they showed up late at night with Mary about to burst. They may have been there for weeks. The way the story is commonly told conjures up pictures of going to a local motel and being turned away, with a rude innkeeper to boot. But inns in those days were dangerous places to stay; robberies were common. God was protecting and providing for His Son. He led them to a quiet, warm, safe place away from crowds. Bethlehem, which means house of bread, was the birthplace of the Bread of life.

God announced Christ’s birth to lowly shepherds who were watching flocks, probably those raised for temple sacrifice, since they were nearby Jerusalem. Despised shepherds, whose work kept them from participating in the temple activities, were pasturing the flocks at night, suggesting that is was probably summer not winter. The angel told the shepherds “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord”. The gospel is always good news! Great joy is the result of a true understanding of Jesus. It is about all people; the message is all inclusive of races, cultures, languages, people groups. It is a message of urgency: now is the day of salvation. It is about a Savior who is needed because sinners need to be rescued. Christ means anointed one; the Messiah; the promised deliverer; Lord means master; one to be followed & obeyed; worthy of allegiance.

The Shepherds went to see Jesus. Amazed, they came and saw. And after that they shared the news. They followed Is. 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come; the glory of God has risen upon you”. They told Joseph & Mary what they’d heard about Jesus! What confirmation of what His parents had been told!

In the Arrival story we see God’s greatness. Caesar Augustus (Octavian) was ruler of the entire Roman world; all the inhabited earth. The great-nephew of Julius Caesar; he fought his way to power by defeating Antony and Cleopatra. The 1st to be called “Augustus”, which means “holy” or “revered”. The Roman senate voted to give him the title and he did not refuse it. Up to that point the title was reserved only for the gods. While he ruled people started thinking of Caesars as gods. At the time Luke wrote some Greek cities in Asia minor had adopted Caesar’s birthday, Sept. 23, as new year’s day, calling him their “savior”. Some called him “savior of the whole world”. Rome and Augustus had beaten every opponent into submission. At the controls of the known world was a self-proclaimed, universally accepted lord and savior. Luke shows the contrast, the real Savior had finally come, all imposters were to be rejected. This passage is all about Christ v. Caesar; He who was humble and gentle in heart v. he who was pompous and arrogant of heart. God the Son who allowed Himself to be made lower v. man who allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. Luke is showing how great Jesus is compared to Caesar. Kent Hughes said The baby Mary carried was not a Caesar, a man who would become a god, but a far greater wonder – the true God who had become a man!

We also come face to face with God’s presence. Whenever an angel brought good news he would say do not fear, assurance that God was with the person, on their side for blessing. God with us. Emmanuel. Don't miss the reality of what God did because it is so commonplace to us now; the incarnation, God in the flesh; unfathomable (See John 1:1-14). God Almighty became one of us to do what we could never do. Sinless, perfect, Spirit-led Jesus became sin for us so we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

A growing awareness of God’s greatness and presence leads to Great Joy. We look desperately for things to save us from pain, loneliness, despair – we make them our functional saviors, our “Caesars” - when there is only one true Savior who brings true joy. Joy is not found in all the things we try and find it in, but in God Himself, specifically in a relationship with Jesus Christ, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Because of our sin our joy is often negated, replaced by sorrow and misery. But God is great, and He is present and He gives great joy. Give glory to God.

We celebrate the day of Christ’s birth. One day some 30 years later Christ died for sin. When Caesar Augustus died some comforted themselves with the thought that he really didn’t die because gods don’t die. Futile. Because Jesus died for us we are comforted with the truth that if we believe we will never die. Christ was born to die. When Christ was born God was saying This is War. He was declaring war on sin and death. The battle had been ongoing. This was God sending troops; actually His troop, to deliver the final blow. One man, on one mission, settled forever, soon to be accomplished. All for God’s glory, so that He who is truly magnificent, Jesus Christ, would be praised forever.

Soli Deo Gloria