Christmas is not all sugar plums, ho, ho, ho, and fa- la- la- la- la.
In this season of joy & merriment, more people will be lonely than at any other time of the year, more people will be depressed than at any other time of the year. More alcohol will be consumed during December than during any other month of the year. More people will take their own lives than any other time of the year. At Christmas there is good, there is bad and there are blessings. We see that the very first Christmas, Mary had inconvenience and discomfort she was with out the comfort of home and couldn’t find lodging and had to give birth in a stable, but there was a blessing behind all that and other blessings as well.
Let’s dive into our text.
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
In Mary’ day she was just an insignificant peasant girl, a lowly Roman subject with no rights. That who she was then, we know she was much more in God’s eyes but that was the way the world at that time viewed her. In this post, we look at her and the birth of Jesus.
Luke tells the story for us, and he does a nice job of setting the stage—the whole stage—for the story. He starts with the headline of the day: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.”
If there had been newspapers in the ancient Mediterranean world, this would have been the front-page headline on every one of them. In Athens, Ephesus, Damascus, Alexandria, and Jerusalem alike; the big news was this decree from the Roman emperor. It would have been the lead story on every news broadcast and the hot topic of every roundtable discussion. It set people in motion all over the Empire, including a certain couple from Nazareth who were pledged to be married.
See how Luke begins to set the stage…Rome…not a manger, is at the center of the stage. The Roman Emperor, not a baby, is the star of the show—or at least the character with the top billing at the start. And the prospect of some Empire-wide tax, not some anonymous birth, is the headline.
The most insignificant things swallow up the most significant thing. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” As a historian, Luke identified the time period of Jesus’ birth by naming the Roman emperor and the local governor. The contrast between Jesus, the divine King of kings, and Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, would have been striking to Luke’s first readers.
Caesar Augustus would have been on the lips of every Jew who lived in Israel and the lips of every one in the Roman Empire. He controlled the known world.
Let me tell you about him. “Octavian (or Augustus, as he was called after 27 B.C.) was the grand nephew of Julius Caesar. (His grandmother, Julia, was the sister of Julius Caesar; his mother, Atia, was Caesar’s niece.) After Julius Caesar’s assassination on the Ides of March, 44 B.C., Octavian, then only eighteen years old, was adopted as Caesar’s son by the terms of his will. This meant that Octavian inherited much of his great-uncle’s wealth as well as his prestige and power. During the following thirteen years (from 44 to 31 B.C.) Octavian avenged the murder of his “father” and cemented his control of Rome. This culminated in the Battle of Actium (31 B.C.) at which his forces defeated those of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. In 27 B.C. Octavian, who had been renamed Augustus (meaning “reverend”) by the Roman Senate, was the first Roman emperor, ruling all of the vast Roman Empire under his sole authority. Augustus also had the longest reign of any Roman emperor, a term of 44 years. He reigned from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. Caesar Augustus was one of the greatest of all Roman rulers. The month of August was named after him—to honor him. Augustus is the emperor who began the worldwide “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace). He was a good administrator and was fastidious about the financial accounting of his empire. Augustus ended the civil war in the land and brought peace and prosperity throughout the Empire.” Sources: www.vroma.org and www.encyclopedia.com
In the Rom
an Empire they worshipped their emperors as deity and burned incense to them.
He was the bigwig in the entire world. There was no mistaking this as the Romans controlled the world and had his image everywhere: in statues, on their patriotic banners and flags, on their military armor and shields. And on most every coins the Jewish people had to use.
A Roman census (registration) was taken to aid military conscription or tax collection. The Jews didn’t have to serve in the Roman army, but they could not avoid paying taxes.
These people Caesar Augustus, Quirinius, this official decree, the census, these were significant people, significant events. If you ask anyone in the streets who Caesar was “oh, he makes me sick! We have to go to register we have to pay these taxes!”
Then there was this peasant couple who have to find shelter in this animal pen in Bethlehem. How insignificant! They have this baby. Who cares? And have to put him in a feeding trough. Now everybody’s talking about Caesar, Quirinius, taxation, official decrees. Now we live in 2005, 2005 years from what event? This event. The taxation? No. The decree? Caesar? No its the event of this baby born in Bethlehem. When we look back what seems insignificant now? Quirinius who was he, Augustus? Who is he? These are just details, what is significant now Jesus or even Mary. The point is 2000 years ago it was just the opposite. What was important back then was the bigwigs, the taxes, the empire, the travel and registration. Who cares about a baby being born, Caesar is expanding his empire we have to pay taxes.
The most significant events were swallowed up by the insignificant events. What a contrast: Caesar, a baby, Rome the capital of the world and Bethlehem a cow town. Caesar is sleeping on fine linens in a palace, being waited on by servants and guards, pampered surrounded by splendor while the King of Kings is in a feed trough with smelly animals and the stench of urine. What a contrast! See how the insignificant swallowed up the significant.
There was prophecy given oh 8 centuries before this event given in Micah 5:2 let me read it for you, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Centuries before Caesar met with the Senate or his royal advisers and said, “lets tax everyone, lets issue a decree issuing a census!” God orchestrated these events that would bring Joseph and Mary from Nazareth 80 miles down to Podunk Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. This bigwig, Caesar thought he was in control, he was only God’s pawn, a puppet, God’s errand boy for the Prophet Micah to fulfill his will in his perfect timing!
Some things never change. The insignificant swallows up the significant every Christmas, people say, “hey don’t forget its Jesus birthday” “he’s the reason for the season!” but we all get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. Jesus is swallowed up by Elmo or cabbage patch dolls or the latest fad that will be in tomorrow’s garage sale. This may sound bad, but I wish this only happened at Christmas. The truth is every Sunday the insignificant swallows up the significant. Work, hobbies, idols, and insignificant things swallow up Jesus and his kingdom. Instead of reaching people for Christ we reach for more entertainment or comfort. Like Caesar there is a lot of personal kingdom building. We focus much time and energy on what will not mean a hill of beans later.
To give your income that more people can be reached for the gospel instead of buying more stuff and gadgets may not be popular in the world’s eyes. But it will be what lasts in all eternity. This is what Christmas reminds me that the big wigs come and go, the latest fad dies, but Jesus and anything done for his kingdom remains forever and ever.
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
Luke goes on to tell how the decree from Caesar Augustus prompted Joseph to travel from Nazareth, where he lived, to Bethlehem, which was where he grew up. A traditional nativity scene puts the manger in Bethlehem in the middle. Luke’s account reminds us, however, that Bethlehem was not only far from the center of the world’s stage, it wasn’t even at the center of Joseph’s stage. His home was Nazareth, and going to Bethlehem was going out of his way.
The government forced Joseph and Mary to make a long trip just to pay his taxes. His fiancée, who had to go with him, was pregnant and near delivery, and made the long journey back to Bethlehem. It is evident that as thousands of people were traveling for the same reason there was no room for them when they arrived. We have had a reminder of what this must have been like, the lines of cars coming out of Houston before hurricane Rita hit. Thousands of people were moving along, driving, walking, and sleeping on the side of the road. People everywhere told stories about how there was no room for them when they looked for a hotel. After a week of walking and riding, Joseph and Mary experienced the same thing.
So when they arrived in Bethlehem, they hear the bad news, “I’m sorry, the motel is full…
but you’re welcome to stay in the tool shed!” This couple and this birth were not even a big fish in the small pond of Bethlehem.
Zig Ziglar tells about his brother who was traveling & came to a hotel & asked for a room for the night. The manager told him that they were fully booked & there were no rooms available.
Ziglar’s brother said, “Now be honest with me. If the President of the United States walked through that door just now & requested a room, would you have a place for Him to stay?” The manager replied, “Well, if the President needed a room, we’d find one for him.” Ziglar’s brother said, “That’s great. I know for a fact that he’s not coming, so I’ll take his room.”
If Mary & Joseph had been more influential, perhaps there would have been a room for them, too. But they were just common people, peasants, carpenters, laboring folks – & they had no place to stay.
Doing God’s will often takes people out of their comfort zones. Those who do God’s will are not guaranteed comfortable lives. But they are promised that everything, even their discomfort, has meaning in God’s plan.
The Romans ruled the civilized world at this time. By contrast, Mary controlled very little. Against their better judgment and political convictions Joseph and Mary complied with the Roman order and traveled to Bethlehem. Often people feel like Mary, caught by forces larger than they are. The Romans were in control insofar as human authority can get its way by exerting human power. But the Romans did not recognize their limitations. In reality, God controls the world. In all times and places, he works his will. God did not seem soften Mary’s bumpy road, but did strengthen her. God is in charge of your life too. He will guide you and provide all you need. Like Mary, live each day by faith, trusting that God is in charge.
But the inconvenience continues! One thing I’ve noticed is that babies never seem to be born at convenient times. For both of our children, Niki wanted them born early or at least on the due date but no, they were on a different timetable. They are not born when you say, “ok now” Babies are never born then, are they? They always wait until you’re asleep & don’t want to get up or in a car or elevator. Or they wait until you have something more pressing to do. Then they decide to make their entrance into the world. They almost always come at a most inconvenient time. Even Jesus did. “It’s not a good time to be born, Lord. There’s no room in the inn. There’s no hospital bed. It’s not a convenient time.” But babies seem to have an ability to select those inconvenient times. Even though they are inconvenient they are also so rewarding.
The same is true of serving, giving and our commitment to Christ it may not be convenient to go to church to serve, or give but it is rewarding in the end. There are times when I don’t feel like going to my small group but afterwards I am always glad I did. The hardest things are inconvenient but most rewarding.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
And while they were there indicates they were there for an undetermined number of days huddled on the floor of the animal shelter among the camel’s donkey’s and their feeding troughs. It was a drab place that offered no birthing amenities such as the help of doctors and nurses or even the presence of her mother. In those days, women giving birth had much support from her family and community even a midwife to assist. Any normal young mother would like to have her mother present, but Mary had the assistance and reassurance of her new husband.
She gives birth there in the animal shelter, just think of all the maternity wards you have seen or been to with masks, rubber gloves and sterile equipment. Think of how un-sterile, how filthy, how uncomfortable it must have been. She gives birth to “her first child” the Greek word is not “monogenes” or only begotten but “protokon” or first born meaning there were others, the bible does say that Mary had other children. (Matt. 12:46,Matt. 13:55 lists his brother’s names: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and says he had sisters, also Mark 3:31, Luke 8:19, and John 7:3)
She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth in some translations it says, “swaddling clothes.” “The ancient custom was to wrap the arms, legs and body of the baby with long strips of cloth to provide warmth and security. Parents in those days also believed that wrapping the child helped his or her bones to grow straight. God did not provide Him with royal robes or fancy clothing. John MacArthur God in the Manger
and laid him in a manger, This is a feed trough.
When Jesus entered the world came through the smelliest, filthiest and most uncomfortable conditions. How many of you have been to the San Antonio stock show? Or Houston Stock show? How many of you went inside to where the animals were housed? Do you remember the smell of urine? The smell of feed? The smell of the animal? This was the first breathes our Lord!
But that is just like Jesus, it says, “he humbled himself” (Phil 2:5) that is divine grace. He did not only humble himself and be born in a smelly stable but humbled himself as a substitute for unclean sinners and bore the stench of our guilt upon the cross. Here is the thing: Mary was there very uncomfortable at the manger; Mary was there very uncomfortable at the foot of the cross. Sometimes we will be uncomfortable as we follow Christ, as we serve him, this is what we see.
19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The birth of Christ gives us a glimpse of what Jesus is like and what Jesus continues to do. Jesus didn’t come marching in through the front door, flexing His muscles, and demanding the spotlight. He could have, but He didn’t. A movie star has his or her entourage. A sports team runs onto the court or field with fanfare, cheers, and applause. A big-name performer gets a standing ovation. And the President, Prime Minister, and Queen are all welcomed by bands, red carpets, and protocol. But the King of the Universe arrived in strips of cloth, mostly ignored by the world He had created.
And still, today, the Lord does not barge or force His way into our lives. Instead, He stands at the door and knocks, waiting for us to welcome Him in. Have we welcomed Him in?
Take a good look at a beautiful nativity scene: Joseph and Mary, the stable, and a manger.
Let it remind you:
2,000 years ago the Lord worked in and used the lives of insignificant and common people (Mary & Joseph)
That’s good news for you and me, because this assures us that He will willingly works in and uses our lives as well.
2,000 years ago, God came into a place (Bethlehem) that seemed small and unimportant. I’m glad to hear that, because Leander and Jarrell are small and unimportant.
2,000 years ago, He came into a place that was dirty and unworthy of Him. (A manger)
And that’s good news for me, because my heart is dirty and unworthy, yet God is willing to come in and reside there…cleaning it up…changing the furniture around…making all things new!
We have a savior who could come bursting in, but does not. A savior who comes in gently and unassumingly, perhaps even unnoticed at first. We have a savior who, bit by gracious bit, moves into the spotlight of our lives. He moves toward the center of our stage. And the savior, who comes into your life and mine backstage, by His mercy, becomes the star of our show. We praise you and welcome you Lord Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
Darrell
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