Message

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In chapter 1 Luke described how Jesus was conceived. He was conceived through the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. In today’s passage, chapter 2, Luke describes how he was born. Because of Caesar’s census decree, Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem and the baby Jesus was born there. It was not desirable that the baby was born at the time of traveling. And the baby was laid in a manger. It was an unexpected thing. Humanly speaking, the birth of the baby Jesus seems to be a very sorrowful story and a tragic accident. But spiritually speaking, it is a beautiful story forever as an act of God because it reveals God’s profound sovereignty in history and his amazing humbleness. May we newly learn who our God is and how to have a meaningful Christmas. First, he is the sovereign Ruler of history. Look at verse 1. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” The story of Jesus’ birth is related to Caesar Augustus. Who was Caesar Augustus? His original name was Gaius Octavius. He was known in the English-speaking world as Otavian and the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar. After the assassination of Julius Caesar (44 B.C.), Octavian learned that in Caesar’s will he had been named Caesar’s son and heir. He then changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar. In the naval battle of Actium (31 B.C.) he defeated Antony and climbed to power. In the year 27 B.C. the Roman Senate conferred on him the title Augustus. From then on he was known as Caesar Augustus. He was the first Emperor and ruled the Roman Empire until A.D. 14. “In those days” in verse 1 can refer to the time of Herod’s ruling in Judea. Caesar Augustus was regarded as Benevolent Caesar, while Herod, Malevolent Herod. Yet, clearly he was a heathen ruler. As the emperor he was ruling the entire Roman world. He was despotic and his command, inexorable. At his command everyone moved and went to his own town to register. Verse 2 says, “(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) At that time Judea was part of the province of Syria. Quirinius, with brief interruptions, functioned as military governor or commander-in-chief in Syria from 12 B.C. to A.D. 16. It was known that in the Roman world censuses were taken every fourteen years. There are actual documents from every census taken from A.D. 20 until A.D. 270. In Acts 5:37 is written an event related to the census done in A.D. 6. Then a census must have been taken in 8 B.C. It is believed that Jesus was most probably born in 5 B.C. (Jn 2:23), definitely before the death of Herod, that was in 4 B.C. The most probable explanation was that with Caesar’s permission King Herod postponed the census because of the Jews’ dislike of census and his inability to carry it out due to his moral and mental deterioration. When he could not delay it any longer, the census had to be taken around the year 5 B.C. We see how impeccable Luke’s description was as a historian. They say that nothing he says has been disproven. It is good to believe certain things in the Scriptures after confirmation from outside sources. But it is more desirable that one believes in the firm conviction that the words of the Bible are true as written words of God. Now the focus of the story shifts from Caesar Augustus and Quirinius onto a very ordinary couple, Joseph and Mary. Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. Here we can imagine how difficult and dangerous the journey was. We don’t know how Joseph and Mary bore such a troublesome and painful journey. The passage does not say anything about this. They must have borne all the incomprehensive sufferings and pain silently, believing in God’s absolute goodness. What happened then? Look at verses 6 and 7a. “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” In this way the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the place the prophet Micah had prophesied as the birth place of the Messiah: “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 old, from ancient times (or from days of eternity)” (Micah 5:2). God’s promise of Micah 5:2, which was prophesied about seven hundred years earlier, had to be fulfilled at the time of Jesus’ birth. Statistically speaking, at that time the possibility for the baby Jesus to be born in Bethlehem in Judea was almost zero, if one considered the life conditions of Joseph and Mary. But God moved the whole world to full his promise concerning the Messiah’s birthplace. God used the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Undoubtedly the Emperor did not known this at all. He issued the decree of a census just for taxation purpose. In this way God revealed himself as the sovereign Ruler of history at the time of Jesus’ birth. He is not bound by anything or anyone or world situation but by his promise only. He acts and moves according to his promises. Even if there is zero possibility of the fulfillment of his promise, he accomplishes it with 100% assurance. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, so no one knows where history is going. However, we can believe that history is in God’s hand and it moves according to his promises and prophecies. There was the G20 Summit in November. The leaders of G20 try to work together to fight the global recession and secure a more prosperous future for all countries. Yet, we know that the future of the world is not in their hands but God’s. Because of this we can believe that ultimately history is heading toward the second coming of Jesus Christ, which is the last promise of God to be fulfilled. God’s promise is to be fulfilled not only in world history but also in the lives of individuals. God fulfills his promise given to each individual regardless of the person’s human conditions. God fulfilled his promise to Abraham, “You will be the father of many nations” (Ge 17:4) and to Sarah, “She will be the mother of nations” (Ge 17:16) by first giving them a son in their old age. He also fulfilled his promise to Joseph, the promise given through Joseph’s dreams. People did all kinds of wicked things to him, but God accomplished his promise in his life by letting him rise from slave market and dungeon to the highest position in Egypt. God fulfilled his promise to Jesus’ disciples, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Those who have accepted God’s promise personally and keep their faith in the words of his promise are truly blessed. God will not fail in fulfilling the promises they believed. Even one’s human condition with zero possibility of fulfilling God’s promise cannot stop God’s doing for the fulfillment of his promise. He is the sovereign Ruler in history and in the life of each individual. Second, he is a humble God. Look at verse 7. ”and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” The baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem according to God’s promise. It was not however the end of the story of Jesus’ birth. The description was not, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son, and so the baby was born in Bethlehem.” The story went further in detail. It says, “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” The fulfillment of God’s prophecy concerning the birth place of the Messiah was truly amazing and magnificent. The Messiah Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But it was not glorious at all that “she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger”. Rather, it was sorrowful and pathetic. Nonetheless to say, it would be heart-breaking to any parents. Why had the baby to be placed and laid in a manger? The author comments, “…because there was no room for them in the inn.” This was a factual description. It was because of socio-economic condition of that time. Ordinary people’s lives were hard under the rule of Roman Emperor and King Herod, and they had to take care of themselves. As a result, no room could be offered to the newborn baby and his mother. Although the author wrote the clear reason based on the fact, we can perceive that the deeper reason is hidden in it. Look at verse 7 again: “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger…” It is obvious that the sovereign God who controlled all the situations to let the baby Jesus be born in Bethlehem also acted out for the baby to be placed in a manger. The baby in a manger was an undeniable act of God along with his birth in Bethlehem. The sovereign God let his Son be laid in a manger in the stable of an animal. It clearly shows that the sovereign God is also a humble God. He is the Creator and owner of the universe and all things in it. He is Most High God. But he did not let the divine heavenly baby be laid in a palace, but in the poor and lowest place, in a manger. He is truly a humble God. In this passage, Caesar Augustus sitting on the throne of Roman Empire and the baby Jesus laid in a manger make a sharp contrast. Many people envy Caesar on the throne. They want to climb up to Caesar’s throne and enjoy the pleasures and luxuries and glory and honour of this world. Most people have no eyes to see the baby Jesus in a manger. They despise the lowly and humble state. God sent his Son into this world as the expression his best love. But who can see and accept him? Only those whose hearts are humble can. Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“ The poor in spirit can see him and possess his kingdom. It does not necessarily mean that only those who are in low social position and in poverty can receive this blessing. In Matthew chapter 2, Magi from the East who must have been rich and in high position in their countries came to Bethlehem. They found the object of their true worship in the baby Jesus in a manger and worshipped him offering their precious gifts. In doing so they had salvation and true joy and satisfaction. Also, as we studied in Matthew’s gospel, a Roman centurion and a ruler Jairus could receive the mercy of Jesus and experience him when they came to Jesus with their problems and humble themselves before him. They were all humble in heart regardless of their high positions. At the same time, the lowly people like a man with leprosy and the blind and a woman with a chronic bleeding problem could meet Jesus the Son of God and receive his mercy and grace, when they recognized their humble state and came to him with personal faith. In the Old Testament, Hannah poured out her soul to God when she was barren and her rival kept provoking her to irritate her. Then the Lord heard her humble cry and gave her Samuel plus three other sons and two daughters. Last fall M. Moses had a very difficult time with the failure in his Ph.D. study. But he humbly accepted the outcome and started anew to study for his graduate program. Now after one year, we see that God blessed him with a precious family in God, and M. Hannah is here. Also, he is working fulltime in an institute, taking care of God’s flock of sheep, Jeremy and Tolu. When I look back this year, I was most humble when we prepared for SBC. Before the first GTA SBC, I felt very helpless with many obstacles and not much resource. I could not but come to God humbly and cry out to him for his help. He showed his mercy and grace to this servant and enabled me to serve the conference. I believe each of you experienced that when you were humble, God poured out his grace upon you. We also experience time and again that when we humble ourselves and cry out to God, he gives us his words in our testimony writing or message preparation. In Mary’s Song she said, “…he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts…but has lifted up the humble.” (Lk 1:51-52). God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. It is written in James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:5. Then Peter advises, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time” (1 Pe 5:6). It is a very meaningful historical fact that the baby Jesus was not born and laid in a luxurious cradle in Caesar’s palace but in a manger of the stable of an animal. Before Jesus’ birth, the manger was nothing but a stinky and mean estate, where ox and ass were feeding. But since Jesus’ birth, the manger became the symbol of the most beautiful place because God’s Son was laid there revealing the humble God. It is true that where Jesus is, the kingdom of heaven is there. In the humble manger-like heart can Jesus come and dwell. . A humble heart is a seeking heart. But it is easy to become busy with no seeking heart and no room for God. Around Christmas time people seem to be busier and more occupied with the people and things of the world. But we need a humble, seeking heart to have a meaningful Christmas and newly experience the grace of Jesus laid in a manger. We can do so through sincere, not habitual, Bible study on Christmas passages. Our students are burdened with final exams. But a humble heart can depend on God. With many things to do we are preparing Christmas worship service. Still a humble heart can seek to do something to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus: one time of sincere prayer or daily prayer, preparing one program we can do, serving one needy person and inviting him or her to the Christmas worship service, faithful 1:1 Bible study, using money for myself less and for God and others more. God will richly bless a humble, seeking heart. Thank God that he is the Sovereign Ruler of history and he is a humble God. May we hold fast to his words of promise and love the baby Jesus laid in a manger, rejecting Caesar on the throne so that the grace of the baby Jesus in manger may abound in each of us.

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