N.T.# 482"A Humble Baby in a Humble Birthplace"
Feb. 7, 2025
Luke 2-Part 3
LET IT GLOW
I recall my growing up days on the farm. My dad had a cow milking business. I would take my little juice -glassed size container to the barn (as a preschooler) and dad would fill it up, directly from the cow, pure, warm milk. Mmm, that was so good. Yet, on my walk to the barn, I had to watch carefully where I stepped. Cows didn't care where they removed their waste and fresh cow piles could ruin shoes. The smell in the barn was not pleasant there because of the same reason. Fond memories of my dad. Hopefully, I painted the scenery for Christ's birth so you could have a good idea of what it was like for Mary and Joseph in the animal barn.
Caesar Augustus was merely a tool in God's hand to bring to pass the prophecy of the Messiah/Savior being born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) (McGee)
Dr. Luke goes into detail saying Mary wrapped Jesus, her son and the Son of God, in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.(verse 7) What a humble place for the King of kings to enter this world. It was not a palace, nor a first-rate hotel. All the guest rooms were filled up at that time. Everyone related to King David were in town to be counted in the census and pay their taxes. The King of creation, who could have zapped the manger into a luxurious surrounding, the One who deserved all honor and glory, humbly came as a human to be born in the humblest of circumstances. What a Savior! He brought hope to the lowly by being lowly.
Shall we take a closer look at the shepherds?
- Humble, lowly shepherds were the first to hear the Good News of The Savior being born.
- An angel was sent by God (maybe Gabriel or Christophany-Christ Himself) to the rolling hills of Judea to Jewish shepherds taking care of sheep, protecting them from predators and thieves. They weren't sleeping in beds, weren't' priests in the Temple, but probably tent dwellers in the fields.
- Although it was considered a lowly job, these guys were employed. (Moses and David were shepherds called by God to do His work.)
- Maybe it was a warm night under the stars, or maybe it was a cool night so the shepherds were around a campfire discussing things. I figure it was night time and the whole sky lite up. The angels knew where to find the right guys at the right time to give them an extraordinary message straight from God Himself.
- The glory of the Lord lite up the sky, which made the guys sore afraid. I hear ya. (verse 9)
What was the angel's message?
- First of all, it was for the shepherds to fear not, for he brought good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (verse 10) Jews and Gentiles would benefit. The guys were all eyes and ears by this time, maybe even frozen without moving.
- For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (verse 11) After 400 years of silence, God sent a Savior, the expected Messiah to the Jews.
- How were the shepherds to know which baby was the Anointed One, the Lord, the Only Savir, the Expected One.
- They knew "who," but where did this take place? Bethlehem, the city of David.
- Which baby? The sign that The Messiah was the one special baby was finding Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.(verse 12) That was how the shepherds knew He was The One.
- What an unusual appearance for God's Son to make. He wasn't dressed in robes, lying in the best house in town, lying in state, with a numerous train of attendants in rich liveries. (Matthew Henry)
- Jesus was distinguishing all right-clothed with humility and love.
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