Luke 2:8-20 ; Matthew 2:1-12
"for all and the presents”
Sermon By
Mark A. Horne
The title of my sermon this morning is "for all and the presents.' It is a weird title I know. In fact it is really not a title at all. But, it was the best way to express my thoughts about Christmas this year in one simple statement. To be honest, the message that I hope to bring to you this morning is not just a story about Christmas, but a message of life.
Over the past few weeks I have heard some really good sermons on Christmas. I have heard some great commentaries and quick lessons on what Christmas is all about on the radio. I have even seen on the television, especially the Christian channels, the story of our savior's birth. And from it all, I have had a whirlwind of thoughts run through my mind. And when I sat down to study the Scripture for this morning, my thoughts boiled down to these two ideas and in explaining them I hope to share with you what the Lord has laid on my heart for this Christmas season.
Before we start, however, I want to pose a question and then related questions to you. What was the miracle that took place that day? Was it the fact that Jesus was born to a virgin? How about the way Joseph and Mary finally found a place to stay when there was not any room in the Inn? Or was it the sheer extra ordinary way a person could give birth in a stable and both she and the child live? How about the way the angels appeared to the shepherds? How about the way the star was raised up in the east for the Magi? And a few others I could ask as well. All can very easily be argued miracles that took place and I agree they were indeed all miracles. But this morning I want to shed some light on not just a miracle, but most importantly, the miracle. The way I came across this was from my own fascination with both the Magi and the shepherds. I have always wondered why, of all people, did God choose to add these people to the Nativity story and be apart of His most perfect plan? What was their purpose? and What I hope this morning is that we all see the purpose for Christ's coming was told right at the beginning of our saviors earthly life!
Please follow along as we read from Luke chapter 2 first, and then from Matthew.
Turn back if you will to Luke 2 for this is where I want to begin. You know it is amazing how God inspired both Luke and Matthew to write their Gospels. For Luke, which was clearly written for Gentile believers in their day and uses Gentile references, tells the Christmas story in light of Jewish shepherds. Matthew, which was written for Jewish believers in their day, tells the Christmas story in light of Gentile astronomers from the East.
You know, after hearing this story all my life, I have often wondered why Luke tells us about these shepherds. If I was to say the word shepherd, what would be the first thing to come to your mind? King David, maybe? or Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd...”? Well in Jesus’ day, that view of the shepherd had changed drastically. Shepherds were not thought of as being the caliber of people as in David's day. In fact, they were really thought of as being the scum of the earth. To a Pharisee in Jesus’ day, a shepherd was nothing more than a liar and a thief. A shepherd’s word was nothing to any good Jew. If you had to go to court for anything, you better hope your only witness was not a shepherd. For their testimony would not have been accepted in a court of law. Ezekiel 34 gives a good picture in the kind of shift taking place in Jewish thought concerning shepherds. By the time that Jesus came, shepherds were clearly despised. This may have been why they were keeping watch at night as verse 8 describes. Yes, they were mostly watching after their flock; but, it may have not been just for safety from wolves attacking them. It could have been they feared other shepherds stealing their sheep. It kind of reminds me of watching those old western movies. You know, a sure fire way of getting lynched in those days were to burn someone else’s barn or steal their horse. Horse thieves were not a part of the high society crowd. Thus it was with shepherds. They were not the likely bunch you would think a group of angels would appear to.
Yet, these were the very people that God had chose to be the first missionaries about the Son. Look with me at verses 16 & 17. After the shepherds heard what the angels told them, they rushed (hurried) to see this great thing that had been described. And once they had seen it, they went everywhere and told everybody what was said concerning this child. Is it not amazing how God works through people that we would never imagine could do anything for Him? God chose those who were the lowest people on earth, equal to if not less than the tax collectors in stature, to be missionaries for Christ! Maybe you know someone like these shepherds. Maybe you feel like you are in the same lower class in today’s America. If you do, be reassured that God has a definite plan for your life to bring about the message of His son.
But what message had the angels said that they were spreading abroad? Look with me at verse 10. Listen, it does not matter who you are this morning; whether you are a man or woman, boy or girl. It does not matter what race you are or what tax bracket you belong to. I suggest to you that this is the greatest miracle of the Christmas story. For it is from this statement that we all are sitting here this morning. You see, Christ’s coming was not just for the Jews. Christ’s coming was for all people. For all! In fact, that little three letter word, all, is a distinctively Christian word. Jews do not understand this. Even today, when a Jew thinks of a savior, that person would think of the Messiah being only for a few or a remnant of people. They do not think of a savior for all. They do not think of God as being for everyone. The reason is they did not understand their purpose in God’s perfect plan. From the very beginning, Israel was not chosen just to be God’s people. Hold your finger here and turn with me to Genesis 12:1-3. You see, the Israel was a nation set a part by God, to a witness and testimony of God’s goodness. In other words, they were suppose to be missionaries to all the other nations. And though they missed this calling time and time again, it is through them that we have been blessed by the Messiah’s birth. And it is of the Messiah’s birth that the shepherd’s heard and testified that night. Christ had been born and he had come for all.
One other point I want to make about this passage in Luke, if you want to turn back their is in verses 18 & 19. Notice the two different reactions between the people and Mary. For the people were amazed at what the shepherds were telling them. The Greek word here is “thaumazo” (thou-mad’-zo). It means to admire or marvel. The people marveled at these things. You can just imagine that the people could not believe what the shepherds were telling them. But Mary, the mother of this child: she pondered over what the shepherds were saying. Not only did she think about them cognitively, but she pondered them in her heart. A totally different Greek word Luke chose to use here. The word used to describe Mary pondering is “sumballo” (soom-bal’-lo). It means to confer or meet with. Though Luke does not say explicitly, I believe Mary was praying to God. She was talking with Him in her heart about this child of hers, the one called Messiah who would be for all.
Oh but the story does not stop here. For some time later, if you will turn to Matthew, we read of some men coming to see Jesus. We do not know their number despite what some stories portray. However, we do know a little about who they were. These men from the east, possibly Chaldea or Persia, are recorded for us as the first Gentiles to be witnessed to about the savior. Being Magi or wise men - the title given to astrologers in Persia in those days - they knew something extra ordinary was happening in Jerusalem. Notice the question they asked Herod in verse 2.
How in the world would oriental gentiles know to ask about a king of the Jews being born? Could it have been upon their travel to Jerusalem they probably asked someone what great thing was happening there? And in their asking, the word of the witness of the shepherds was passed along to them. Is it not amazing how God works? Far off in the east these astrologers see this star. Suspecting something great happening, they set off for Jerusalem. No word from angels telling them what God was doing. But possibly the testimony of a people whose word would not hold water in a court of law had been spoken to them. And from this. they asked Herod this simple straightforward question. Not knowing where this place was they hoped the king could give them directions. And upon the word of God spoken through the scribes and Pharisees, they learn that place is Bethlehem. And they set off in great expectation to worship Christ, verse 11, to pay homage to him. In other words, they set out to share their gifts that were treasures to them.
You know, over the next couple of days people all across America will be sharing gifts with one another. This year I want you to ponder. Ponder as Mary did in her heart, as those gifts
are being exchanged from one hand to another, to think about your own gifts. No, not the gifts you are actually giving or receiving; but the gifts that have been given to you. The gifts that you present to others of the savior who rules in your life. The gifts that you have been given that you can share with others of the testimony of the one who was born, suffered, died and resurrected so you can have eternal life. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 that it is through these gifts others will give praise to God for generosity in sharing the gospel with them. All have these gifts (there is that Christian word again) and we need to present them to others. God does not want us to sit idle. We should be sharing the gospel with others each day. It is the gift that God has given you that you can share with others the testimony of Christ.
This morning I hope you walk away from here with five main points:
1. God is sovereign over all and he wants to spread the good news of the Son, our Savior
2. We do not need to lolly gag over this testimony.. We need to make haste and tell all who we know of the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to us.
3. We need to share our gifts God has given us in hopes others will see Christ in us.
4. We need to ponder in our heart as Mary did what God is doing in our lives and the lives of others around us.
5. And finally, when we realize each day how God has brought us to our knees from His grace and for our salvation, we need to worship Him as the Magi did and praise Him as the shepherds did.
And if you do not know Christ, I pray that the testimony you have heard this morning will have the Holy Spirit working in your heart, drawing you to the one whose birth we will be celebrating tomorrow. The one who is called Christ our savior.
Let us pray.
Doxology: Hebrews 13:20-21 “May the God of peace through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead of our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”