Honor the Son
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Honoring the Son
Luke 2:1-20
Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
How will you react this year to the portrait of Jesus lying in a manger as given to us in
Scripture?1 For some Christmas is all about spending too much, opening gifts, eating food, and
visiting family but nothing more. The mere thought of the Son of God being born to a carpenter’s
family and in a stable instead of a king in a royal palace seems utterly absurd to them, after all for
them the Bible is really nothing more
than the product of a fairy tale or “how
to book” on being good. Taking
“Christ” out of Christmas is like being
at a “football game with no football, a
tennis match with no tennis ball, a golf
outing with no golf ball or a basketball
game with no basketball”2 … it simply
makes no sense! But what even makes
less sense is to be a born-again believer
and yet under the guise of going to
church, reading Scripture, and singing
Christmas carols3 merely pretending to
rightly worship our Savior4 while in
practicality hanging a sign on our
hearts that says there is no room in the inn for God’s Son! Truthfully, we love the manger scene
because within this glorious story for us lies a frail baby who is dependent on us rather than we
on Him! The following sermon is going to examine Luke 2:1-20, the birth of Jesus, with the goal
of encouraging you to not ignore or give mere platitudes to Christ on His birthday but to honor
Him by taking time to meet Him, by trading fear for joy of His righteousness and by spreading the
Good News that the Babe lying in the manger is none other than the world’s Redeemer come to
save the people from their sins!
1
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 86.
2
Tony Evans, “Don’t Miss Christ This Christmas,” in Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Tony Evans, 2015), Lk
2:1–7.
3
Tony Evans, “Don’t Miss Christ This Christmas,” in Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Tony Evans, 2015), Lk
2:1–7.
4
Tony Evans, “Don’t Miss Christ This Christmas,” in Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Tony Evans, 2015), Lk
2:1–7.
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Making Time for Jesus (verses 1-7)
This is how the birth of Jesus came about Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census
should be taken of the entire Roman world (verse 1). Caesar August, better known as Octavian,
ruled from 27 B.C. to B.C. 14.5 He identified himself as possessing divine characteristics6 and
deified his name and reign7 with titles
such as “Augustus of God, Son of God
and savior” who would bring “peace,
hope and good news to the world.”8
Augustus issued a census for military
inscription and taxation purposes.
While registration did not usually
require one to journey to one’s ancestral
home9 Herod10 may have added this
stipulation resulting in Joseph and Mary
travelled some ninety miles11 from
Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered
to pay taxes12 (the Jews were exempt
5
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:1–7.
6
Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 126.
7
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 68.
8
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 68.
9
Craig A. Evans, The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew–Luke, ed. Craig A. Evans and
Craig A. Bubeck, First Edition. (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2003), 49.
10
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 69.
11
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:1–7.
12
I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek
Testament Commentary (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 98.
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from military service). 13 Upon their arrival Joseph and Mary soon found out that there were no
spare rooms to rent so they had to lodge in a stable and wrap Jesus in swaddling clothes and lie
Him in the animal’s trough.14 While most kings were born in palaces and with great ceremony,15
the Messiah’s first throne room16 was of humble circumstances17 that truly reflected His mission
to offer His life a ransom for both the poor and rich alike. “The contrast between the birth’s
commonness and the Child’s greatness could not be greater!”18
To honor Jesus Christ on His birthday one must first take the time to meet Him! Even
through there was a great flurry of activity and a crowd present that was so large that all rooms
were rented in Bethlehem, besides the shepherds no one else visited the Babe lying in the
manger! While manger scenes often
portray the wise men at the manger, they
in fact did not arrive until Jesus was about
two years of age. This got me thinking
about our Christmas calendars. We are
often quick to slot time for shopping for
presents, buying food, Christmas parties,
and friend and family gatherings but how
much time do we “slot” to pay homage to
our King? Would spending a half hour on
Christmas Eve be enough for Jesus to
boldly say to us “good and faithful
servant”? While it is true that Christ is
indivisibly present everywhere and the
Spirit lives within our hearts without
taking time to be like Mary and ponder His miraculous birth, how has our spirit truly communed
with He who bought us at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? If the wise men were willing to make
13
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 67.
14
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:1–7.
15
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 83.
16
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:1–7.
17
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 83.
18
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:1–7.
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a journey to meet Jesus that took about two years, surely, we can pencil in and spend the day
honoring Christ on His birthday.
Trading Fear for Joy (8-14)
Luke continues telling the story of Jesus’ birth by stating that an angel of the lord
appeared to shepherds in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks (8-9). While there
were plenty of people around to
witness the birth of our Savior
ironically it would be the lowest of
society the shepherds who got to
worship Jesus in the manger! This is
remarkable considering that
shepherds in Jesus’ day were
considered at best persons of low
estate and at worst roving
vagabonds,19 thieves,20 and as such
were listed with gamblers and tax
collectors who were “despised trades
by the Mishnah and Talmud.21 Even
though they were often subjected to
suspicion and scorn22 these social
outcasts were chosen to show that
Christ’s Gospel message would be offered to all!23 When the angel appeared to them and the
glory of the Lord sinned all around them24 like all sinners who meet our holy God they were
19
Craig A. Evans, Luke, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books,
1990), 36.
20
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 74.
21
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 74.
22
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 74.
23
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:8–21.
24
Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 845.
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terrified!25 While it was understandable that the “heavenly authority would make any sinner
fearful,”26 the angel assured them that they and humanity at large had “nothing to fear when
God moves in grace!”27 The Good News is that unto them in the town of David a Savior had
been born for all people, the Messiah and Lord (11)! Contrary to the imperial propaganda that
tried to deify the name and reign of Augustus,28 the angel of the Lord and heavenly hosts made
it abundantly clear that the true and only Son of God and Savior of the world had been born to
give His life a ransom for many!29 Not even Augustus’ Pax Romana could come close to offering
the peace of Christ that forgave based on faith30 and destroyed the power and fear of death
(Hebrews 2:14)! 31 The angel told the shepherds “the sign that all this was true would be them
finding a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger” (12). “Suddenly a great
company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel and praised God saying glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on peace to those whom His favor rests” (13-14)! At this point in the story,
I hope you the reader are on the edge of your seat wondering how Mary and the shepherds
reacted to the angel’s Good News!
If we want to meet Jesus on His birthday then our knowledge of this blessed event must
inspire proper worship. When Herod had heard from the Magi that Jesus had been born, he
asked the chief priests and teachers of the law what prophesy said concerning the Messiah.
They quoted Micah 5:2 “but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least
among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
While the Jewish leaders knew the prophesy, they failed to make the trip to Bethlehem because
merely knowing the prediction of Christ’s birth was not sufficient to convict them to want to
live their lives in expectation of Jesus! In the book of James, we are told “do not merely listen
to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! The kind of worshippers Jesus wants
25
John Piper, Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2007).
26
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 84.
27
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 84.
28
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 76–77.
29
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 77.
30
Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 846.
31
John Piper, Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2007).
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on His birthday are those who worship
in the Spirit and in truth (John 4:22).
To do this one need not be perfect, nor
rich or famous, Jew or Gentile, male, or
female, for salvation is not based on
our status or works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Salvation only comes to those who
believe in Christ and His atonement for
our sins (John 3:16). Proper worship
means offering one’s life as a living
sacrifice by no longer conforming to
the pattern of this world whose
reprobate minds have rejected God
(Romans 1:28, 12:1-2). To please Jesus on His birthday then we simply must live Scripture by
allowing the words of God to teach, rebuke, correct and train us how to be right in God’s sight
(2 Timothy 3:16)! Jesus is not looking for sinlessness, for that would be impossible for us to
attain and would make the cross unnecessary, but instead wants His people to always be
confessing (1 John 1:9) and striving towards holiness (1 Peter 1:16).
Taking time to be holy and worshipping Christ in Spirit and truth on His birthday can
only be done by giving lordship of one’s life over to Him! Herod missed out on Christmas
because the Bible states he was troubled at the news of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:3-4). It is not
that Herod believed Jesus was the
Messiah that made him fearful but
that there was another person that
the Jewish people might see as their
king!32 If we are dreadfully honest
with ourselves then we as Christians
must admit that sometimes the King
lying in the manger insights fear
because He rightfully is to be the ruler
of our hearts! Going to church,
reading Scripture, and singing
Christmas carols are only proper
worship when not focused on “self”
but on He who gave His life a ransom
for many! Apostle Paul understood this well when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ,
and it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me” (Galatians 2:20a). To worship Jesus in Spirit and
truth this Christmas instead of first slotting on our calendars time for shopping for presents,
buying food, Christmas parties, and friend and family gatherings let us out of reverence and
32
Tony Evans, “Don’t Miss Christ This Christmas,” in Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Tony Evans, 2015), Lk
2:1–7.
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complete submission to Christ on His birthday allow Him to fill our calendars with His will in
our lives. This does not mean that Christ will remove spending time and sharing our love with
family and friends but merely that taking time to be holy and offering cups of cold water to the
poor, windowless and oppressed will have priority on our calendars on His birthday!
Response to the Birth (15-20)
The two responses to the birth of Jesus given in the final verses of this story are ones in
which we as God’s children ought to have on His
birthday.33 When the angels left the response of
the shepherds was to GO “to Bethlehem to see this
see this thing that had happened, which the Lord
had told them” (15). When they arrived, they
found the angel’s words were indeed true34 for
with their own eyes they saw Jesus lying in a
manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. In
amazement and with grateful and faithful hearts35
the Shepherds became “the first evangelists of the
Christian era”36 by going out, glorifying, and
praising God to all who would listen that the Babe
who was the Messiah and Lord had finally come!37
Ironically the very ones who “were disqualified
from serving as witnesses in legal cases in
Judaism, were the very ones chosen to be the first
witnesses of the Gospel.”38 The second response
we find in this story comes from Mary. Scripture
states she pondered the events of the first Christmas morning for their significance would later be
33
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:8–21.
34
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:8–21.
35
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1996), 89.
36
Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 847.
37
Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 847.
38
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015), 79.
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revealed as the inbreaking of God into the affairs of humanity. 39 Praise be to God that it is by
grace and faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Son that anyone regardless of race, sex, social
status, or financial condition is offered the most incredible gift ever given, salvation and adopting
into God’s family!
Christmas is almost upon us and like the shepherds and Mary what stands before us is a
choice on how to respond to the Babe lying in the manger. We could choose as we have done in
so many Christmas’ pasts to fill our calendars with spending, opening gifts, eating food, and
visiting family and friends but without
Christ in Christmas why would God
ever say to us “good and faithful
servant?” We could choose to slot
maybe a half hour in church and read
Scripture, sing carols and warmly great
one another but would that truly be an
honourable offering for God’ one and
only Son? I want to finish this sermon
with the challenge to make room on
your calendars and within your hearts
to not just be hearers but doers of the
word! May we as God’s children
celebrate Jesus’ birthday by taking time
to worship His holy name. May we
truly surrender that which we cannot
keep, our very lives, to obtain what we cannot loose, a close personal relationship with He who
bought us at a price. May we this Christmas still choose to make time for our family and friends,
but in doing so may we truly share our love with them by pointing them to their Savior loves and
died for them. Above all may we be like the shepherds and GO and tell the whole world that
over 2,000 years ago the Messiah of all humanity came to offer His life a ransom for many!
39
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1994), Lk 2:8–21.
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