Luke 2:1-52
Jesus is Born
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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 guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus Came for Sinners
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Jesus came into this world as the Messiah...Yet, this said, He had a most unusual entry into our world as the Messiah, and Anointed One from the Old Testament...The roots of the Story of the Son of God are quite interesting...He would be called Immanuel, which means God with us...The first question that comes to me, is why would God have His Son's birth this Way?...God could have His Son enter our world in any way He wanted to...
Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem...He was born in a stable where they kept animals...So there would have been no beds or no comforts of a home, but the living space for animals and the smells associated with animals...And yet, this historic event of the birth of our Messiah and Savior is why we celebrate Christmas...And despite this unusual and odd entry into this world from a Divine One is quite unique, and God's Way of showing us how He wanted His Son to enter our world...From the Divine Holy and Sacred, a Savior comes to us who is poor...From the Divine and Holy Heavens to a stable is a most unusual change for the Almighty and One who understands everything completely...
And God sent His angels down to the shepherds in the fields of Israel...And these were poor shepherds, not high in the country's class of individuals...And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night...An angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they were terrified...But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people...Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the LORD...This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”...Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”...When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the LORD has told us about.”...So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger...When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them...But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart...The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told...
So one must take a pause and reflect on why God's Son would be born in a stable and wrapped in swaddling clothes and near animals...He was laid in a manger, a trough or long wooden box where animals eat...So He was not given any of the powers and influences and material things even the ones of the common or low-middle classes might have...Why would God send lowly shepherds to greet Him, as a Baby?...We might believe that God does not like an upper, middle, and lower class situation and culture...Or one might believe that if God does believe in nations who have upper, middle, and lower classes, then He might favor the lower class, because His Son grew up poor, and He was the Son of a poor carpenter...And His first visitors were poor shepherds...
With little or no education as He ages through His youth and teen years, not much is written about Him...There must have been those who knew of Him, for the shepherds tried to spread the word about Him, as a Baby...And so as Jesus grows up little is written and known of Him, so He one might believe that He is an outcast or one who likes solitude or One who might be quite an introvert...Or maybe One who has to work a lot, to help His family with food, clothing, and shelter...
But as we follow God's Son, we see that He may have been an outcast, He was no introvert, but an Exceptional Man, the Greatest Teacher who wanted to help all people and to tell and teach everyone about His Father in Heaven...Because Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man...
Jesus was born to Save us, and thus is our Savior...A Messiah, who a Spiritually Divine Savior, who came to earth, to save sinners from their sins...And as we read the gospels and follow His life in His ministry, we see that God does things in most unusual ways, and that being poor is not a bad attribute at all...We are to help the poor and needy...As we listen to His Teachings we hear a Loving, Merciful, Forgiving Savior, who is Christ our LORD...One who desires mercy, and not sacrifice...For Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but to call on and save sinners...
Today, we still believe in Jesus, and let us thank God for Christmas Day...